This month held many reads for me, but not many good reads! I am still searching for a fantastic 5 star read to round out this great reading year - so if you have any recommendations, make sure to let me know! Happy holiday season, lovelies!
Another horror read to start the month off strong! This one has me conflicted but the plot was definitely intriguing!
THIS BOOK IS TRICKY so I'm not telling you the synopsis. It is eerie, creepy, atmospheric, and a thinker all around. Reid's writing is descriptive and terrifying. Listening to the audiobook was definitely the right move and I highly recommend this method of reading for this book.
This book is meant to be read twice. First reading it front to back...and then reading it back to front! The ending made me not give this 5 stars but it was an interesting horror story.
I haven't read sci-fi in...I don't think I ever have actually so this is a big milestone for me!
I went totally blind into this story and I highly suggest you do too! Ryland Grace is on a mission (he's pretty sure) but he doesn't remember how, where, or why. As Ryland pieces together his story, so do we! Weir's writing is very, very heavy with science and mathematical language so if you can't handle that, you might have difficulty with this. As a women in STEM, I absolutely loved the writing and story!
This is equal parts science/math and emotionally charged introspection. It's so rare for me to dive deep into my science, nerdy brain and this book just hit every single mark for me! I smiled, I cried, I was angered, I was scared - this book was everything! And how can you not love a book that displays resiliency and resourcefulness in the face of absolute devastation and chaos?!
This was a surprisingly good recommendation! This twisty, cunning story was right, book right time for me!
A mysterious, beautiful stranger arrives impromptu at a neighborhood bookclub. All the mothers are intrigued but terrified of this stranger, and they can't help feeling like this stranger is targeting them in some way...
I was not expecting to like this story as much as I did but it was really hard not to get sucked into this creepy story. All the characters were layered with secrets and betrayals and hidden meaning, which I enjoy. The lies about friendship, relationships, past lives, marriage and so much more!
With how much this book was hyped, I don't think I could have stayed on bookstagram without reading it!
Poppy is The Maiden and cannot be interacted with or even seen. When her Royal Guard is murdered, her new protector Hawke Flynn poses a threat to her virtue. With the rebellion on the rise, Prince Casteel missing, Craven attacking, and Poppy question her own ideas and feelings, the drama is ratcheted up straight out the gate in this book.
I knew this book was going to be light on fantasy and heavy on romance but WOW this book is spicy! The slow burn romance was great but the plot itself lacked depth. I guessed the plot twists after Chapter 2 and the ending of this book was ludicrous.
This book was on my TBR for 3 years so when I only rated it 2 out of 5 stars - sad!
Diana comes from a long line of famous, powerful witches so while working on manuscripts at Oxford, she meets vampire Matthew Clairmont. The search for a specific manuscript for 579 pages of drawn out, slow packing plot ensues. I found the writing style to be excruciatingly slow with unnecessarily lengthy descriptions.
I am super bummed out by this book. I admittedly had very high expectations but after getting 175 pages in and still loathing picking it up, I knew I just wasn't going to enjoy the rest. Could have been a good plot but the writing was brutal!
This book is fan fiction for a GQ article written about Chris Evans - so I guess it is a timely read since he was just named Sexiest Man Alive 2022!
Told from past and present, Chani is writing a piece on famous actor Gabe Parker. When her article is published, people question if there is more to their story...and when we flash forward to the present, Chanie gets a chance to re-interview Gabe 10 years later.
The writing is easy and uncomplicated. This was aimed to be fluffy, fantasy about getting with a celebrity, which it was, but that's about it. It wasn't realistic or professional, but then again, what do I know?! The ending was not great so I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
What a gorgeous cover, right?! Too bad the book was not as gorgeous! 2/5 stars!
Fable is the daughter of a powerful sea trader, but when her notorious father leaves her abandoned on an island, she learns to fend for herself. She teams up with an unlikely crew as they make their way through the sea and to her father. Young had an interesting way of repeating information, as well as making a point of non-essential information. I was not compelled by either characters or storylines.
Well I'm not quite sure what to say...it just felt like reading nothing. I kept asking myself "what is the point of all this?"
My husband picks out a book for me quite often, so this is his month's historical fiction pick!
Ellie McDonnell and her Uncle Mick are safe crackers, and make a living by breaking into rich family homes during the war to survive. But when they are caught and made to work for the government in order to evade prison, they get tangled up in a mysterious project. Weaver's writing is fast paced and so fun! This book was a pleasure to read and a nice break from my usual reading genres.
This book came at a great time - mysterious, super easy, and full of good characters! The ending had me pleasantly surprised!
It breaks my heart to rate this book so low because I loved Klune's previous book, The House on the Cerulean Sea.
Wallace has died. quite unexpectedly. So when a group of people, specifically Hugo, assist him cross over in this afterlife, Wallace can finally accept that he is dead. Klune's writing unfortunately did not intrigue me like his previous book. I found this book's pace slow and the writing not as deep. I'm feeling let down by the story and writing because I expect a profound ending!
This book didn't add anything to the discussion around life and death...which is unfortunate. And this book's "found family" trope just didn't sit right with me. Sadly, 3 out of 5 stars...potentially less!
FINALLY a great 5 star read!!!
Vasya lives in the rugged Russian wilderness with her family. The old gods are very much among them when a young priest comes to "bring God" to the people. Among lots of subplots, the fight for good (Vasya) against evil (the priest and the fear he instills among the people) begins. Arden's writing is very poignant and beautifully lyrical! I couldn't stop reading and when I did, I couldn't wait to pick the book back up again!
This book is magical and intoxicating. The start is slow but it completely captured me and I highly recommend this one! There are two subsequent books if you like this one.