What a gorgeous Hawaiian mystery drama!

I‘ve been to Hawai‘i many times, but surprisingly I have never been to Kaua‘i. I was very eager to get a glimpse of the island through this book and it did not disappoint.

This book may be classified as a mystery, but it is so much more than that. It explores Hawaiian life, especially the family dynamics.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/03/review-kauai-storm/

This was an incredible look into the Italian resistance and the women involved!

Going into this book, I didn‘t know a whole lot about what went on in Italy during WWII. That being said, I learned so much from this book, not just about these 4 courageous women, but also about the war in general.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/review-women-of-war/

What an adorable manga! A vampire being obsessed with a vampire anime was a fun premise. It was so meta!

The main character, Hina, was extremely lovable. She‘s a reclusive vampire who travels to Japan because of an anime. She‘s an otaku (which means she‘s a huge fangirl of anime) and her personality was so cute.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/27/review-otaku-vampires-love-bite-v...

This was such a cute middle grade romance!

The book is about tween girls and their crushes which reminded me of when I was that age. I always had crushes and would obsess over them just like the main character, Julie. Having crushes at that age is so fun and the book encompasses that.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/review-meet-me-at-sunset-spotligh...

This was a fun rom-com with a lot of depth!

First off, the title is perfect because it sums up the book so well. Two friends, Theo and Evie, get married so Evie (who has a chronic illness) can get good health benefits and together they qualify for Theo‘s rent controlled apartment.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/23/review-friends-with-benefits/

This was a star crossed lovers fantasy romance and it was so beautifully executed. I loved Clarion and Milori together. They had such a strong emotional bond and I loved how they helped each other grow. Milori has my heart. I can see why Clarion fell in love with him. I also thought the supporting characters, particularly Petra and Artemis, were well crafted.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/20/review-wings-of-starlight/

This was such a fun coffee table book!

This book is just like the title suggests, good movies as old books. Essentially, movies turned into vintage book covers. The term “good movies” is subjective. The author states in his introduction, “These are films that made me laugh, cry, think, question, and celebrate” (pg. 7).

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/19/review-good-movies-as-old-books/

What a funny and fabulous little book!

This book is filled with art featuring dogs alongside a short blurb offering commentary on the piece. The commentary was hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times.

Additionally, I loved the random fun facts that were incorporated into the blurbs. For example, I learned that the Olympics used to have art competitions.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/review-museum-of-dogs/

This was such a fun fantasy tale!

The strongest part of the book were the two lead characters, Cinna and Hokuren. I absolutely loved their friendship and the found family nature of it. They have both been through a lot and it was so heartwarming to see them act and care for each other like family.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/14/review-cinnamon-soul-cinna-and-ho...

What a fun (and informative) little astrology book!

I am a huge astrology nerd, so naturally I was very excited for this one.

I loved that the book opened up with a short introduction into astrology and briefly explained birth charts and houses (although the graphic for the houses has an error on the numbering).

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/09/review-astrolographs/

This was a fascinating look into the lives of fictional child stars!

The story follows three child stars as they navigate fame and all that comes with it. The book is broken up into 3 parts, with each part taking place during a different decade (2006-2008, 2018, and 2028), so we got to see the characters age and grow.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/review-when-stars-align/

I was debating whether or not to give this 3.5 or 4 stars. I finally decided on 4 because the story was so clever!

This was my third Jane Austen novel. Previously, I had read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and enjoyed both of them.

My immediate impression of this book was that it was hilarious.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/review-northanger-abbey/

What a beautiful collection of poems!

Going into this, I was only vaguely familiar with Rumi and his poetry. I was always curious about his work and I‘m happy I finally read it.

I love that the translator gave a ton of context to the poems. The book opens with notes on the transliteration, Rumi‘s life, and on the poems.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/review-the-flame-of-love/

This was such a cute and sweet manga!

The story is very interesting to say the least. Essentially, the main character, Nasa, gets saved by a mysterious girl named Tsukasa. He immediately asks her out and she says yes on the condition that he marries her. This volume primarily explores the very early days of their marriage.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/03/31/review-fly-me-to-the-moon-vol-1-f...

This was such a fun and sweet romantic comedy!

This is my first book by the author, Amy Lea, so going in I didn‘t have any expectations. After reading this, I can tell why so many people love her books. Her writing style is so engaging that it made the book go by so quickly!

I loved the premise and it was executed so well.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/review-something-like-fate/

This was such a fun romance set in NYC!

This was my first book by Alex Aster, so going into it I had no set expectations. I was pleasantly impressed!

Immediately, I was drawn in by the author‘s writing style. It was easy, effortless, and genuinely funny.

As for the two main characters, Elle and Parker, I liked Parker way more than I liked Elle.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/03/26/review-summer-in-the-city/

This was a fun heist story!

The premise is basically Crazy Rich Asians meets Ocean‘s Eight, which I loved. The plot is essentially a mashup of the two. I thought the story was super entertaining and amusing. I wasn‘t shocked at any of the twists and turns at the end because it was slightly reminiscent of Ocean‘s Eight‘s heist.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/03/20/review-women-of-good-fortune/

When I first started reading, I did not know if I would like this book. I was a little confused on the world and magic system. However, once I got about 80 pages in, things started making more sense and the story picked up. After that I was hooked.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/03/17/review-the-elf-witch-plot-of-the-...

This was an odd read to say the least. I was very confused when I finished it.

The story was very superficial. It never dove deep into any of the characters. I never felt like I knew any of them beyond the surface level.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/review-empire-of-billions/

First off, trigger warning for diet culture and eating disorders, particularly anorexia. This book deals heavily with anorexia and the toxic diet industry, so please be aware of that. I thought the book did a good job exploring these two topics. I found all the discussion on the diet industry and how it is designed to fail to be so fascinating.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/review-what-we-give-away-bold-jou...

This was an enchanting and unique fantasy read!

The story is described by many as Beauty and the Beast meets Howl‘s Moving Castle. I haven‘t seen Howl‘s Moving Castle so I can't comment on that. However, it does have major Beauty and the Beast vibes. As a Beauty and the Beast retelling, the story felt so refreshing because of the Polish folklore.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/02/10/review-where-the-dark-stands-stil...

I had previously read the author‘s graphic novel, The Boy and the Man, which detailed the author‘s life and struggles recovering from his stroke. I enjoyed the graphic novel so I was excited to read his poetry collection.

This poetry collection is a poetry interpretation of the same events. I found this interpretation to be even better than the graphic novel.

Full Review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/27/review-thunderstroke/

This book reminded me a lot of the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan (I‘ve never read the Percy Jackson series but I assume it‘s similar to Magnus Chase). It had that same adventurous spirit.

The world building was well done. It was easy to understand and follow. The book included a map, which also aided in comprehension.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/26/review-georgie-summers-and-the-sc...

Like other books set in WWII Philippines, parts of this book is brutal. The treatment the soldiers received from the Japanese was horrendous and this book does not sugar coat any of it. Specifically, the scenes on the warship were the stuff of nightmares.

I liked that the story was told from the perspectives of the two main characters, Sam and Sarah.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/15/review-hold-strong/

The story was well executed. It tackled the complex issue of gentrification (specifically in a Chinatown context) in an accessible way. At the end of the book, there were a few pages with background information on Chinatowns, gentrification, community activism, and a short note on the language used (Chinese dialogue is used throughout the story).

Full Review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/09/review-noodle-bao/

The story is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Both stories revolve around a girl who is lost in a fantasy world and meets all kinds of interesting folks along the way. It‘s a simple plot line that works so well.

The cast of characters really made this an enjoyable read. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion were all so lovable!

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/07/review-the-wizard-of-oz/

This book is such a hidden gem!

It showcases 50 different “hidden” libraries from all around the world (plus outer space). Every library profile tells you how to find it (if applicable, some are no longer around and some are not open to the public). Also, all the photos have captions which I appreciated.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/05/review-hidden-libraries/

This was such a cute and sweet read!

Plot wise, there really isn‘t much going on. It‘s about 2 girls who are dating but are keeping it a secret from everyone. Most of the story consists of semi-awkward moments of them hiding their relationship. I didn‘t mind the lack of plot. The slower pace worked well for the story.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/02/review-rainbows-after-storms-vol-...

The story is very engaging and I liked the way it was told. Having the author tell his story to a boy on the playground was clever. It kept the story interesting and made his story feel even more personal. Throughout the graphic novel there were small parts of just prose, which was an effective storytelling tool.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/28/review-the-boy-and-the-man/

This book is very similar to the dog version. It follows a similar layout and article scheme, just with cats instead of dogs. The title, Catwalk Style, was perfect. I can‘t think of a better title for a cat fashion magazine.

The photos were fun and really captured a fashion magazine feel. I actually thought the photos were even better in this one!

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/24/review-catwalk-style/

This was such a fun parody book!

The book is essentially a magazine written by dogs which is such a cool concept. The title, Doggy Style, was perfect. I loved the use of a famous innuendo as the title.

The pictures were entertaining and had an editorial, high fashion feel to them. I enjoyed the articles about dogs, especially the one with canine facts.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/24/review-doggy-style/

The story is so adorable and hilarious. I laughed out loud many times. The Herdmans are a mischievous (but humorous) group of kids. The message behind the story was very cute. I loved that the town grew to like the Herdmans and their antics, and that the Herdmans were able to be part of a community and learn more about the story of Christmas.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/21/review-the-best-christmas-pageant...

The book is laid out fairly simply. It is divided up into sections for different book nook types (Small Space, Kids, Gardener, etc.) The tips in the book aren‘t necessarily groundbreaking but there were some that I liked. The most memorable tip was in the Kids section and it was to covert an armoire into a reading nook (pg. 68). It gave me major Narnia vibes!

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/15/review-book-nooks/

Prior to reading this book, I read volume 1 of the comic and loved it. Because of that, I was very familiar with the start of the book and the characters.

Like with the comic, I liked Maxi and Riftan together. I enjoyed their dynamic and look forward to seeing how their relationship progresses in future volumes.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/06/review-under-the-oak-tree-the-nov...

Just wow! Emily Dickinson was such a poetic genius! The fact that she wrote most of her poetry for herself and for her friends, and not for publication is incredible.

Prior to reading this book, I had only read a small handful of Dickinson‘s poems and enjoyed them, so I was eager to delve more into her poetry.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/12/01/review-the-poetry-of-emily-dickin...

The book consists entirely of infographics exploring various facets of the Marvel Comics Universe. Some were very helpful (like the Marvel map of Manhattan, family trees, and speed rankings of various characters) and others were so funny (like the the picture of Black Widow‘s emblem that states her sense of urgency, either “Russian” or “Takin‘ her time”).

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/11/03/review-marvel-super-graphic/

First off, the artwork is gorgeous. This is a full color graphic novel printed on thick pages. The colors are vibrant and the art style really made it feel like I‘m right there with the characters. Reading the book often felt like watching an anime.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/10/31/review-under-the-oak-tree-the-com...

Each and every book in this series just takes you on an emotional roller coaster and I absolutely love it.

This book takes place during the same span of time as Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home, so some plot points are already known. This book really delves deep into Julian‘s side of things and all of his complicated feelings towards Magnolia.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/10/28/review-daisy-haites-the-great-und...

It was very evident to me within the first few short stories that he was so creative. His stories were so well thought out and crafted beautifully. He also had a range. He didn‘t just write gothic horror stories and poems, he also wrote sea tales, a science fiction hoax, and detective stories.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/10/21/review-selected-works-of-edgar-al...

This was such a gorgeous book!

This book explores Palace Costume, a costume rental house that specializes in vintage clothes. The first part featured interviews with the founder and numerous costume designers. The interviews were very insightful and were a fun way to tell the history of the Palace Costume. The rest of the book showed pictures of the clothes.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/10/12/review-palace-costume/

This was such a lovely collection of poems!

The books starts off with an Author‘s Note that gives some background into how the poems and book came together. I always appreciate these in poetry books because poetry is deeply personal so it‘s nice to have some context.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/10/05/review-clumsy-beauty/

This was such a cute and heartwarming read!

The story is told in dual timelines, one set in 1987 and the other in the 1930s/1940s. The dual timelines was executed well.

As for the characters, I loved the three main characters, Harlow, Matt, and Tuesday. Harlow was my favorite. I enjoyed seeing her character grow and take charge of her life.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/review-meet-me-at-the-starlight/

This book has the same cozy and heartwarming vibes as its predecessor. There‘s lots of discussion on reading and books which I loved. As a huge bibliophile, I related a lot to those parts. The book also has a strong emotional core, especially in the second half.

Full Review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/07/08/review-more-days-at-the-morisaki-...

I am such a huge Disney Descendants fan (I‘ve seen all the movies and have read all the books in this series) and this book made me so excited for the new movie.

We are introduced to Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts. I loved her. She is so different from the VKs in the sense that she isn‘t trying to be evil or wicked.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/06/23/review-beyond-the-isle-of-the-los...

First off, this book is hilarious. It‘s very satirical and pokes a lot of fun at own society. Parts of the story were reminiscent of the pandemic and how some political leaders and society handled it. I found it very clever. One of the funniest parts of the book was ogre speak, which was essentially really foul and rude language.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/06/01/review-princess-of-prophecy-serva...

First off, Colin calls Penelope “the most remarkable woman in the world” (pg. 423). I whole heartedly agree. The fact that she was Lady Whistledown for 10 years is impressive. What a smart woman!

I liked Penelope and Colin together. The fact that they were both writers was really cute.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/review-romancing-mister-bridgerto...

This was such a joy to read! This manga is seriously the cutest thing ever. I was dying over how adorable it was.

Like the title suggests, the main characters are opposites. Suzuki is outgoing and popular, while Tani is more reserved and keeps to himself. I loved seeing their relationship blossom. Their first date was a standout.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/05/15/review-you-and-i-are-polar-opposi...

The storyline is fairly simple (basically the main character is in search of a boyfriend), but I didn‘t mind. Less is more in this case.

As for the characters, I really liked the love interest, Eiji. He was so sweet and protective towards the main character.

The best part of this book was definitely the art style. It was so dreamy.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/05/02/review-kimi-ni-todoke-from-me-to-...

First off, there‘s so much Filipino representation in this book. I loved it. The book captures so much of Filipino culture and family life. As a Filipino American, I found it very relatable (especially in regards to how stubborn Filipino mothers can be).

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/04/09/review-the-five-stages-of-courtin...

Like her memoir, Dolly‘s responses to her readers are very conversational. Reading them feels like talking to an old friend. Her advice is very practical and real, but she‘s never judgmental. She seems to really understand what her readers are asking and gives relatable advice.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2024/04/01/review-dear-dolly/