tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13354456235537530892024-03-07T20:14:48.587-08:00Sufficiently DistractedI'm an aspiring author, but I also love to review books as well. Looking for a thoughtful, well-researched review for a popular book? You've come to the right place!Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.comBlogger1001125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-56300059950883432552023-01-31T11:03:00.000-08:002023-01-31T11:03:15.609-08:00Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up A Wizard</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9347e2b-7fff-1003-ec9c-320f4c41f8ed"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Tom Felton</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography/Memoir</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger Warnings: Drinking, drug use. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve always been obsessed with Harry Potter, from the time I was a child; it is one of the first series I ever read as a child. So when I found out about Tom Felton’s new book, the actor known for the infamous, sneering Slytherin Draco Malfoy, I was so excited. I pushed it up to the top of my library stack as soon as I was finished with Ninth House. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I got warmth, honesty, and a whole lot of humor. I laughed, I cried, and I was torn apart and made whole once more. Autobiographies and the like always make me nervous; often they can come across as trite or sentimental, or false or pretentious. Felton avoids this trap by never taking himself seriously. Tom is Draco Malfoy’s complete opposite, raised by a perfectly normal and loving family. He explains his career as an actor, and how his family wholeheartedly supported him in that endeavor. This book is one of my favorites of 2023, and I’m so glad I read it!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tom Felton’s name is synonymous with the villain; he is most known for playing one of the minor antagonists of the Harry Potter series, the sneering and spoiled Draco Malfoy. Tom himself, however, is the complete opposite. Funny, honest, warm, and full of appreciation for his life and the blessings he was awarded for it, he recounts his life with refreshing honesty, and not just about the Harry Potter films that launched him into superstardom. He speaks of the people in his life with pure love, and honestly, this book was so refreshing. Biographies and memoirs make me leery; all too often, they come across as preachy or sentimental. But Tom casts light on all the different parts of himself, all of his mistakes, shortcomings, and successes. I really liked this book; it might be one of my favorites of 2023. I hope Tom writes more about his experiences because I loved this behind the scenes at his life, and the movies he starred in. I was especially moved by his struggle for authenticity and for joy in the wake of mental illness. I wish everyone was as honest about their mental health struggles. Full of joy, honesty, and more than a dollop of humor, I absolutely adored Beyond The Wand!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-25618062676407983222023-01-30T16:06:00.000-08:002023-01-30T16:06:20.540-08:00Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Ninth House</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d9a167c8-7fff-10d3-9573-70b1aee60f6c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Leigh Bardugo</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy/Horror</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Alex Stern, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger Warnings: Violence, rape, sexual assault, murder, gore, drug addiction, overdosing, death, suicide, blackmail, self-harm, and forced consumption of human waste. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll start this review by being totally honest: I initially put down this book when it first came out because I went into it blind and there were a lot of triggers. But I was curious about its sequel, Hell Bent, so I decided to try again. This book was really hard to get through; the magic system wasn’t very well explained, there was a lot of adult content, and there was more than one occasion where I had to put the book down. I was glad I was reading something alongside it, because if I hadn’t, I would have gotten very depressed. Not to say that this book wasn’t enjoyable, because it was, there was just a lot of stuff to wade through to get to the meat of the story. This is Bardugo’s adult debut, and to say it was weird is a gross understatement. I wanted to love it: Ghosts! Secret magical societies! Hot gentlemen scholars! I did like some parts of it, but it was very dark and very strange and honestly, I didn’t care much about Alex as a main character. I love Leigh Bardugo, I’d follow her anywhere, but the only reason I read this through was to go into Hell Bent fully informed. It was a good book, it just wasn’t for me.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern knows that the last place she would ever belong is Yale. But after a tragic accident that nearly cost her her life, she is tapped by the House of Lethe to work magic. Because she can see Grays or ghosts, Lethe is eager to provide her a scholarship. When she meets Daniel Talbot Arlington III, affectionately called Darlington, she is his partner in magic and scholarship. But when a young woman turns up murdered, Alex and Darlington are soon caught up in a web of lies, secrets, and dangerous magic. But someone has something to hide, and not everybody will make it out alive…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love Leigh Bardugo; I wanted to love this book. But it was just so dark and heavy and depressing. If I hadn’t been reading another, much lighter book alongside it, I would have been very depressed. I wish I’d looked the triggers up beforehand; nobody should have to go into this dark, magical thrill-ride blind. I admit the only reason I even finished it all the way was that I had Hell Bent on hold at my local library. The pacing stuttered, there were a lot of characters to keep straight, and it was also extremely difficult to remember what society did and what sort of magic. The only real redeeming part of the novel was the ending. I’m fully invested because of that ending. The bottom line: Dark, terrifying, and more than a little confusing, Ninth House is just as much of an enigma as its protagonist, Alex Stern. Next on deck: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-43600405017394977342022-11-15T10:16:00.000-08:002022-11-15T10:16:36.966-08:00Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Anatomy: A Love Story</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-76e999bb-7fff-5a04-0669-8de9bcea7e13"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Dana Schwartz</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Romance</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Anatomy Duology, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: Gore, body horror, murder, death, misogyny, amputation. If any of these topics trigger you, I would not recommend reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anatomy: A Love Story has long been on my to-read list; I’ve had to return it several times. So, when I was browsing one of my libraries and saw it, I snatched it up. As soon as I was finished with This Wicked Fate, I started this gruesome, heartfelt romance. This book is unlike any I’ve ever read; it took me a while to sort my thoughts enough to put them to paper. This is the first book I’ve read by Schwartz, and I doubt it will be my last! This strange story, full of heart, forbidden love, and desire, captured my heart. But I’ll be honest; there were times when the story faltered, and the pacing stuttered. And the ending, now that I think about it, was a little obvious, even if I didn’t figure it out right away. Regardless of these little quibbles, I enjoyed this book! It was so different. I don’t regret reading it!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hazel Sinnett, in 1800s Scotland, has always wanted to be a surgeon. But her mother, and society, want her to be a proper lady and marry. She is betrothed to her cousin, Bernard Almont, and her mother lavishes all of her attention on her little brother, Percy. After the death of her older brother, George, Hazel is that much more determined to live out her dream, proprietary be damned. Her life changes forever when she meets Jack Currer, a resurrection man, or a graverobber. They strike up a strange friendship that deepens into something more. But things are further complicated by the Roman fever, the sickness sweeping the city and killing the poor. But people are disappearing from the streets, and Hazel and Jack must work together to solve the mystery. But uncovering these secrets may be the end of them both…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really liked this book, despite its flaws! The pacing was breakneck, and I was immediately immersed in Hazel’s world, treacherous in more ways than one. I adored Hazel, a fierce believer in her dreams, even while society tells her it is not proper. I loved Jack as well, and his chemistry with Hazel was totally electric. I also really liked how Hazel fought against the odds and society to achieve her dreams and a life with which she is happy. I really liked Hazel, Jack, and the patients she worked with; most of the men in the book I did not care for. The pacing stuttered slightly in places, but I was fully invested in the mystery that Hazel and Jack raced to solve. And that ending! Honestly, the ending made up for all the book’s flaws. I love this story, as strange and unique and gory as it was. This was the first book I’ve ever read by Dana Schwartz, but I doubt it will be my last! The bottom line: A medical thriller with a romantic love story at its center, I loved Anatomy! One of my favorite books of 2022!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-2016953576559106872022-11-15T10:08:00.000-08:002022-11-15T10:08:57.725-08:00This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: This Wicked Fate</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f5511da4-7fff-a431-2de7-4233c9acf84a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Kalynn Bayron</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: This Poison Heart, book two</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: Murder, death, gore, parental loss, emotional and physical abuse. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Poison Heart was one of my favorite books this year, so, when I found the sequel browsing at one of my libraries, I snatched it up at once. As soon as I was finished with King of Scars, I started this, and I’m happy to report that this sequel did not disappoint! I loved it so much; this was the spin on Greek mythology that I’ve been waiting for my whole life! Full of secrets, surprises, and love in all of its forms, I loved This Wicked Fate! I can’t wait to read more of Bayron’s work!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bri Greene is racing against the clock to save her mother from the Underworld, kept there by Hecate, the goddess of magic and witchcraft. Bri must team up with Marie, and newfound family members, crossing the globe to set things right. But more than one person, mortal and otherwise, doesn’t want her to reach her goal. Will Briseis be able to reunite her family and make it whole again? Or will she fail in her dangerous quest?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really liked this book! It picked up right where This Poison Heart left off, and the pacing was breakneck. As it has been a while since I read the first book, it took a few chapters for the story to come back to me. Nonetheless, I loved this sequel! It brings back and introduces a variety of different characters, mortal and otherwise. This book was a thrilling, nail-biting adventure, and I devoured it in less than a week. And the ending! It made me so happy and sad at the same time! This Black Girl Magic spin on Greek mythology duo will forever be a favorite for me; I cannot wait to read more of Bayron’s work! The bottom line: Dark, funny, thrilling, and satisfying, I loved This Wicked Fate! Next on deck: Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-80709839309076900902022-11-15T10:01:00.000-08:002022-11-15T10:01:42.930-08:00King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: King of Scars</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-519e6fde-7fff-bf37-fae9-8d5e2c940c22"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Leigh Bardugo</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: King of Scars, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: Gore, death, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, war. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book; your mental health always matters! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I read the Shadow and Bone series in full this year, finally, and it is one of my very favorite fantasy series; so much so, that I bought the trilogy for my own personal library. I’d follow Leigh Bardugo anywhere. Ever since I’ve been hurting badly for some more stories from The Grishaverse. So, as soon as I was finished reading the trilogy, I ordered it from my local library. I’ve had to return it several times, but as soon as I was finished with The Weight of Blood, I picked this book up. And I don’t regret it one bit! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This new series opener takes place three years after the Ravkan civil war, with Nikolai Lantsov taking the throne at last. But the ramifications of the war are many, especially for him. He must keep a dangerous secret safe, known only to those close to him. His general, Zoya Nazalenksy, is tasked with keeping him safe. Nina Zenik, still deep in mourning after the events of Six of Crows, is in the icy country of Fjerda, spying for her king. When Nikolai and Zoya receive word of a possible cure for Nikolai’s dark problem, they set out for the Unsea, where The Fold used to be. But not everything is as it seems, with mysterious miracles popping up all over Ravka, and whispers about making The Darkling a Saint. Will Nikolai triumph at last over his demons? Or will the monster within this heart devour all he holds dear?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I absolutely adored this book; it filled the Grishaverse-shaped hole in my heart. Nikolai was one of my favorite characters in Shadow and Bone, so I was super excited that he finally got his own book! The pacing was breakneck, with the narrative going between Nikolai, cold, beautiful Zoya, grief-stricken Nina, and Issak, a guard loyal to the crown. I loved this book so much; I’d often wondered about Zoya’s origins, and King of Scars delivered in spades. I loved this deep dive into these beloved characters, but Zoya and Nikolai were my favorites! And that ending! I finished the book last week and I’m still reeling from it! I absolutely cannot wait for Rule of Wolves! The bottom line: Rich, detailed, and shocking, I loved King of Scars! One of my favorite books of the year! Next on deck: This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-43505897008118489982022-11-15T09:52:00.000-08:002022-11-15T09:52:40.240-08:00The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: The Weight of Blood</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-85866c4b-7fff-5617-22cd-8c509e1e2e1b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Tiffany D. Jackson</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Horror</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger warnings: Physical abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, racism, microaggressions, language, blood, gore, death. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love reading horror as the weather gets colder; it is one of my favorite genres to snuggle up with under a blanket. I’ve never read any of Jackson’s books before this one, but I can promise that it will not be my last! In this modern, smartly told spin of Carrie by Stephen King, Maddy Washington has been hiding a shameful secret her entire life: She is biracial. When the rain comes along and reveals her secret, the white students at her high school begin to bully her. But when the quarterback asks her out to Springville’s very first mixed prom, she begins to wonder if a normal life, indeed, is within her reach. But one more family secret turns out to be deadly, and not everyone will leave the prom alive…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really, really loved this book! The prose was scalpel-sharp, cutting me to the quick. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire novel; even when I knew it was coming, the big twist still took my breath away! At times, I had to put the book down and read something happy. The abuse was triggering at times. But still, I absolutely adored this book, even at its most gory. It put a spotlight on one of America’s oldest sins: racism. I loved Maddy, most of all; the only other character I really cared for in the book was Kendrick Scott, the quarterback who tried to make Maddy’s lonely life better. Honestly, by the time the big event happened, I didn’t really feel sorry for anyone. Even with all the death, blood, gore, and horror, I was rooting for Maddy the whole way. And that twist! I was in complete shock! (I don’t want to give it away for those who haven’t read it yet.) I will say the only thing that bothered me about The Weight of Blood was the ending; it was a little too ambiguous for my taste. Regardless, I absolutely adored this book; I’d really like a copy for my own collection! The bottom line: Deliciously dark and creepy, full of blood and gore, I absolutely adored The Weight of Blood! One of my favorites of 2022 for sure! Next on deck: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-17730500224547255202022-10-31T11:36:00.000-07:002022-10-31T11:36:00.385-07:00My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: My Dearest Darkest</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c73ac11a-7fff-3e77-a55a-8082aed3aada"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Kayla Cottingham</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Horror</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy Halloween, my friends! Horror is one of my favorite genres leading up to Halloween; I love to binge scary books and movies to get into the spooky mood! As soon as I was finished with Hocus Pocus, I picked up My Dearest Darkest, and this creepy, dark debut fit the bill perfectly! This is Kayla Cottingham’s very first novel, and I hope that it’s not her last! Terrifying, dark, and more than a little gory, My Dearest Darkest spins a monster tale unlike any other; I loved every moment of it, even while it scared the pants off of me! I knew I would love this book as soon as I saw the Jennifer’s Body epigraph! I loved this debut novel; I will not soon forget the girls of Ulameme Academy!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finch Chamberlain is the newest transfer student to the prestigious all-girls academy, Ulameme. But before school started, she and her parents got in a car accident and drowned. Only something dark and ancient saved her life, leaching the color from her skin and hair. Selena St. Clair is the It Girl at the school, and when they are partnered up for a school project, they go into the old tunnels beneath the school. Finch accidentally wakes a creature of ancient, unknowable power, named Nerosi. Nerosi offers Finch and her friends favors in exchange for something gruesome: body parts. Selena and Finch must join forces to stop Nerosi in her quest to consume the entire island. But one of their own betrays them, and not everyone will make it out alive…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I absolutely adored this book! It was so creepy and scary! The pacing was breakneck; even days later, I’m still thinking about this novel. I love horror stories, especially as Halloween creeps closer! I loved Finch and Selena’s narration of the novel; I finished this book in little more than a week. It was creepy, dark, and dare I say gory? I love monster stories, and Nerosi ranks up there as one of the most original I’ve ever encountered. I suspected what was going on, and I was right, but I certainly didn’t want to be! As Nerosi’s demands grow, so does the depravity of one of their own, until the unthinkable happens. During the last half of the book, I was gasping, desperate to know what was going to happen. And that ending! I loved it so much! This book may be one of my favorites of this year; I cannot wait for Kayla Cottingham’s next work! A great new author to watch!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-83283561634225766082022-10-31T11:27:00.000-07:002022-10-31T11:27:03.512-07:00Hocus Pocus by A.W. Jantha and Gris Grimly Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Hocus Pocus: The Illustrated Novelization</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-db34b844-7fff-7ccb-466b-1a47a147e5d0"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author, Illustrator: A.W. Jantha, Gris Grimly</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy/Horror</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hocus Pocus is a classic with a cult following, so when I found out there was an illustrated novel coming out, I reserved it at my library immediately. Using the script from the film and stunning, full-color illustrations from the immensely talented Gris Grimly, I loved this book! Easily one of my very favorite spooky Halloween reads of the year! Max Dennison has moved from LA to Salem, and he just doesn’t believe in the parts of Salem’s history that revolves around witches. But on Halloween night, when he lights The Black Flame Candle, he summons the evil Sanderson sisters back from the dead. The resurrected witches will stop at nothing to consume the lives of children to make themselves young. With the help of the cat named Thackery Binx, Max, Allison, and his little sister, Dani, must find a way to stop the Sanderson sisters, or all of Salem will be consumed by their greed…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really loved this novelization; to be quite honest, I liked this version better! I loved the colorful, stark illustrations added by Grimly, and the chapters were kind of long. I liked the previous novelization I read, but this one is definitely my favorite. The pacing was snappy, and I loved the dialogue; this was the perfect book to read in preparation for Halloween! Binx, as always, was my favorite character in the entire book. Even though I’ve seen the movie dozens of times, I still teared up a little at the end. I really loved this illustrated take on a classic; it was the perfect shot of nostalgia to prepare for Halloween! A hilarious, dark, and exciting romp through an enchanted Salem Halloween! The bottom line: Funny, beautifully illustrated, and full of soul, I loved Hocus Pocus: The Illustrated Novelization! Next on deck: My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-26200063108084146512022-10-18T10:20:00.000-07:002022-10-18T10:20:45.276-07:00Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8924dda2-7fff-68f6-14bb-99d73caf5cea"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Kwame Mbalia</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Tristan Strong, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my very favorite authors, Rick Riordian, came out with his own publishing imprint, Rick Riordan Presents, and this is one of the books that he published that I was most looking forward to. So many different panthenons get the spotlight, but very rarely does African-American folklore get that treatment. Tristan Strong may have punched a hole in the sky, but he also punched a huge hole in my expectations! I absolutely adored this novel! I didn’t know much about African-American legends, but that quickly changed after reading this book! Plus, honestly, it was just cool to see a black boy on the page! Diverse reads for the win, always! I absolutely adored this killer series opener; Tristan Strong is a protagonist I won’t soon forget!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tristan Strong is a young man who is always sure of his position in life; his dad and granddad are both famous boxers. But he is left bereft after he loses his first fight. To top it all off, his best friend, Eddie, was killed, and the guilt weighs heavy on his shoulders. Tasked with going to his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, away from his hometown of Chicago, he finds his best friend’s journal abducted by a little sticky lady. When he accidentally punches a hole in his grandmother’s beloved bottle tree, he unleashes an evil haint that is intent on destroying everything. Faced with a dangerous quest, complete with gods and heroes, Tristan must fix the hole he’s punched in the sky, or risk losing everything…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I absolutely loved this book! Tristan’s voice was fresh and funny, and the pacing was breakneck; this book held me by the throat and didn’t let go until long after the last page. I loved this deep-dive into African folklore; I knew very little of those legends before this book. I also loved all the other characters, especially Brer Rabbit, Ayanna, Chestnutt, and of course, Gum Baby! I loved the assortment of gods and heroes that graced these pages, especially John Henry! Uncle C was a terrifying villain, menacing and full of old-school charm. By the end, I was crying for Tristan and cheering for him! I absolutely cannot wait for Tristan Strong Destroys the World! Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year, if not ever! The bottom line: Brimming with humor, danger, and wit, I loved Tristan Punches a Hole in the Sky! Next on deck: Hocus Pocus by A.W. Jantha and Gris Grimly!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-77465992609526484832022-10-18T06:52:00.000-07:002022-10-18T06:52:09.213-07:00Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Wicked Beauty</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f1b3cd88-7fff-5402-7609-774f40737529"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Katee Robert</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Romance</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Dark Olympus, book three</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Katee Robert won my heart with her first two books in the Dark Olympus series, so I just had to order the latest, Wicked Beauty. Lush with detail, decadent, and brutal, this might be my favorite of the three; I can’t wait for Radiant Sin! This book puts a modern, sexy spin on the myths of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus; I loved it so much! Told from the point of view of Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus, this white-hot romance novel captivated me totally. I devoured it in less than a week; it was so good! I absolutely cannot wait for Radiant Sin!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Helen Kaisos has always been more than a pretty face, and she knows better than anyone how to navigate the dangerous political waters of Olympus. But when her brother, the new Zeus, announces a contest to determine who will be the new Ares, she sees her chance to determine her own destiny. Unfortunately for her, there are many others vying for the title, especially the legendary warrior who works for Athena, Achilles, and his partner and lover, Patroclus. The three trials slowly become more dangerous, and Helen realizes that her life is in danger. When the two men promise to protect her, the line between protection, friendship, and lust begins to blur. Helen wonders if she will escape the contest with her heart intact…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really adored this book! I’ve always loved Greek mythology, and I loved the way Robert put a modern spin on them. The pacing was breakneck, and I loved the way the point of view shifted from Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus, and back again. I also adored all three characters, three different people, all with one goal in mind: to become the new Ares. The tension, sexual and otherwise, had me sweating on more than one occasion! I really loved this book and the way that this partnership turned to lust to love! And that ending! It couldn’t have been any more perfect! Easily my favorite in the Dark Olympus series! I can’t wait for Radiant Sin! The bottom line: Sexy, romantic, and atmospheric, I loved Wicked Beauty! Next on deck: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-66490612106033653292022-10-13T10:56:00.000-07:002022-10-13T10:56:48.180-07:00The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: The Court of Miracles</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bc31c581-7fff-74a2-21f7-987668671650"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Kester Grant</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: The Court of Miracles, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve tried to read this book several times since it came out, and previously, I always had to take it back to the library before I was actually successful. But this time, I finally finished it! The Court of Miracles takes place in France, 1823. In this alternate France, The French Revolution never actually happened. The six revolutionaries were fed to the guillotine, the fire of the people’s rage snuffed out before it could catch. In the aftermath of all this is Nina Thienarder, whose big sister, Azelma, was sold to The Tiger, Lord Kaplan, Lord of The Guild of Flesh. Desperate for her sister back and even willing to risk her young ward, Nina soon finds herself drawn into a web of intrigue, forbidden romance, and revenge. But The Court of Miracles forbids anyone from hunting within the Courts of the Wretched, and Nina must decide if she’s willing to risk all that she is and will be for a chance at retribution…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really, really loved this book, and I’m quite sorry that I only finished it two months ago. This story was a unique take on The Jungle Book and Les Miserables! I was immediately captivated by Nina’s voice, and I was so invested in her journey! I also adored the love triangle that presented itself; I really hope that that aspect is going to be explored in the sequel. The pacing was breakneck; I finished this book in less than a week. I loved the characters, especially Cosette, Le Maire, Inspector Javert, and of course, Nina herself. I loved the way that this book introduced an alternate France, one that had yet to feel the flames of the Revolution. I loved the way Grant took The Jungle Book and Les Miserables and melded them together to form something completely new and different. And that ending! I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel next year! Such a great debut from an author to watch! The bottom line: Brutal, rich, and detailed, I loved The Court of Miracles! Next on deck: Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-27068679391405179932022-09-01T06:45:00.001-07:002022-09-01T06:45:06.747-07:00An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: An Arrow to the Moon</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-42fe8b41-7fff-3309-3837-237145d5903c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Emily X.R. Pan</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Magical Realism</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger Warnings: Emotional abuse, physical abuse, infidelity, stalking. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emily X.R. Pan stole my heart with her first novel, The Astonishing Color of After. So, when I heard that she’d written a new book infused with elements from Chinese myth and Romeo and Juliet, I was intrigued. It had been sitting at the top of my library stack for ages, and I wanted to read it before I had to return it, so as soon as I finished This Poison Heart, I dove in. This book was beautifully written, heartfelt, and more than a little bittersweet; by the end of the novel, I was full-on bawling like a baby! A gorgeous, delicious modern fairy tale, An Arrow to the Moon is one of my favorite books I’ve read in 2022! Breathtaking, stunning, and lush with detail, I adored every last word. I finished this book almost a month ago and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luna Chang and Hunter Yee’s paths have not crossed; their parents have nursed a fierce rivalry since shortly after they were born. But when a hole appears in the middle of their small town, they are drawn together, irresistibly. But danger lurks just around the corner. Fireflies gather around Luna, even in the dead of winter, and Hunter has always had an uncanny sense of aim. But darkness lurks in the shadows of their lives, even as they navigate first love together. Dangerous secrets threaten to end their love before it even starts. Will Hunter and Luna’s love story have a happy ending? Or will they be separated by outside forces forever?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I loved this book so much; I loved The Astonishing Color of After, but I think An Arrow to the Moon is my new favorite! I was immediately entranced by the beautiful writing and the breakneck pacing; I adored the way the book was narrated by a variety of different characters. I devoured this book in less than three days; I loved it so much! This modern fairy tale and love story swept me off of my feet and stole my heart. By the end of it, I was full-on bawling like a baby. I’ll admit that I had to put the book down several times; the mental and emotional abuse was very triggering. Nonetheless, this beautifully rendered love story captivated me! One of my favorite reads of 2022! The bottom line: Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and a stunning mix of modern times with elements of Chinese mythology, I loved An Arrow to the Moon! Next on deck: The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-18473459863498817692022-08-29T10:37:00.000-07:002022-08-29T10:37:48.114-07:00This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: This Poison Heart</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-aa8e66b8-7fff-13c7-d5d6-6d26ccf7b815"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Kalynn Bayron</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: This Poison Heart, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I read Kalynn Bayron’s debut, Cinderella Is Dead, back when it first came out, and I loved it; it was the queer fairy tale retelling I’ve been waiting for. I read This Poison Heart back when it first came out, but due to time constraints, I was unable to finish it the first time. This book is a fantasy that is wholly exciting and unique; this story flips what you know about Greek mythology onto its head. Full of magic, danger, and dark secrets, this series opener was absolutely fantastic; I was spellbound until long after the last page was turned! I can’t wait for This Wicked Fate!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Briseis Greene has always had a special, magical talent: greenery and plants have always been drawn to her. Talk about having a green thumb! When she inherits an old, dilapidated estate in upstate New York, she realizes that her blood relatives are hiding dark secrets, ones that could jeopardize her life and the life of her adoptive mothers. Briseis starts to dig deeper into her family’s history, and soon the origin of her powers grows ever more cloudy. But not everyone in this small town is so welcoming, and dark forces are gathering to fight for the secrets Bri’s relatives fought so hard to keep hidden. When Bri discovers her powers go all the way back to ancient times, she must decide whether to embrace them or deny her heritage…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really, really loved this book; it might be one of my favorites that I’ve read this year, and honestly, I cannot wait for This Wicked Fate! I love stories about Black Girl Magic, and this book put a brand-new spin on the classic Greek myths! I was instantly spellbound by Bri’s voice, distinct and funny and wise. The pacing was breakneck; I devoured this magical, dangerous book in three days! I also adored Bri’s mothers and the compelling mystery that her blood family presented! I loved Bri and her powers; I loved this new, modern spin on a classic concept. And that ending–I was DYING when I finished and didn’t have the next book! This book may be my new favorite of Bayron’s; it was just so well done! The bottom line: Rich with detail, intrigue, and a killer twist of an ending, I loved This Poison Heart! Next on deck: An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-20991941557327506472022-08-25T11:08:00.000-07:002022-08-25T11:08:25.280-07:00My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: My Life Through Food: A Memoir</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-43cbd735-7fff-53fa-e86c-6ac4c28a5ace"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Stanley Tucci</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Memoir</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger Warnings: Parental death, cancer. If either of these topics trigger you, I would recommend not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stanley Tucci has always been one of my favorite actors, so, when I heard that he would be publishing a memoir in the summer, I ordered it from my local library at once. It had been sitting on the top of my library stack, so, as soon as I was finished with Elektra, I dove in. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but this memoir was entertaining, funny, and honest, and the descriptions of all the food involved made my mouth water! Anecdotes from his personal life, including the death of his first wife from cancer, stories from the sets of the movies he’s worked on, and his extensive travels; I was absolutely captivated, and I finished this memoir in less than a week. I can only hope there’s more in the works for Mr. Tucci because this book is definitely one of my favorites I’ve read in 2022!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve always expected that Stanley Tucci has led a full, exciting life, and this memoir proved me right. From his birth into a boisterous, loving Italian family to his scant years in New York as an up-and-coming actor to becoming a household name, this book chronicles the many meals that Tucci has had in his life, over his travels across the States and Europe. But more than that, he provides a picture of how much he loves his family, his wives, and his children. I was laughing or crying as I read through the book. He writes of his past, of the love and care he received from his family before making his way into the real world. Living in New York, and the meals he had while living there; he describes it all in warm, beautiful detail. Honestly, it felt like he was sitting in my living room, telling me stories of his life. I could almost hear his voice as I read. This book was so detailed, so full of life even while Tucci feared he might die of cancer. I loved every moment of this lovely memoir, even the especially painful moments. Lush with detail, lovingly rendered, and unflinchingly honest, I absolutely adored My Life Through Food! Definitely a book I’d love to add to my personal collection! The bottom line: Delicious, full of detail, and told with grace and honesty, I loved it so much! Next on deck: This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-12207760279944667362022-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:002022-08-25T09:02:20.016-07:00Elektra by Jennifer Saint Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Elektra</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-28685eba-7fff-42b8-988c-bb26e2a41c59"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Jennifer Saint</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger warnings: Murder on page, death on page, sexual assault on page, war, gore, parental death. If any of these topics trigger you, I would highly suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have a confession to make: I’ve had Jennifer Saint’s first book, Ariadne, for the better part of a year, as it was one of my choices for my Book of the Month Club pick. I finished Pandora’s Jar and was in the mood for a deep dive into Greek mythology, and Elektra more than delivered in spades, so I ordered this from my local library. Elektra tells the story of three women, often shoved aside from narrators: Clytemnestra, who plots revenge after an unforgivable betrayal, Cassandra, who spurned Apollo and was thus cursed with the gift of prophecy as a result, and the titular Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon, desperate for her father to return from the war unscathed. But the gods have their own plans, and blood will run red from The House of Atreus, cursed by the immortals generations ago. As war comes to Trojan shores, these three women must decide if they will conform to their fates or forge their own path, come what may…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book was brutal and bloody, a story stripped down to its bare bones. An epic worthy of The Illiad itself, this book puts a decidedly feminist spin on the event of The Trojan War. This book went back and forth between three different women: Clymenestra, whose heart is taken by vengeance when her husband betrays her, Cassandra, gifted by the god Apollo with the gift of prophecy, with the added sting that nobody will ever believe her, and Elektra, burdened by her bloodline’s dark past, desperate to make things right in the eyes of the gods. The pacing was breakneck, though it took a little bit for me to get used to the shifting points of view. Each woman’s voice was distinct and true to the story; I love how Saint took The Illiad and used it as a foundation for three different but still believable women. I loved each of their journeys: one for clarity, and two for revenge and retribution. The Greek myths that were the framework for this stunning novel were given a woman’s perspective, and I loved every moment of it. Brutal and stark in its depiction of war, Elektra was a novel that pulled no punches. I’m looking forward to Ariadne even more now than before! The bottom line: Rich with detail, brutal, and feminist, I loved Elektra! Next on deck: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-6547147718545973232022-07-11T12:47:00.002-07:002022-07-11T12:47:18.965-07:00Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9637e50d-7fff-9b4b-d8a3-1f04f3c6d312"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Natalie Haynes</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Nonfiction/Literary Criticism</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As soon as I finished This Woven Kingdom, I dove into this collection; this is the second work I’ve read by Haynes, as the first was A Thousand Ships. This sharp, funny, and smart collection takes the reader on a deep dive through Greek myths and the women who populate them. She chooses ten different women: Pandora, Jocasta, Helen, Medusa, The Amazons, Clymenestra, Eurydice, Phaedra, Madea, and Penelope, and leads the reader through each in a way that is informative, decidedly feminist, and bitingly funny. This book, though short, was not a quick read; there was a lot of information to absorb. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much. Most of these women I knew, but none so intimately as Haynes describes them. As a scholar, classicist, and comedian, she gives these women a contemporary spin that makes them stand out all the more. Honestly, this book might tie for A Thousand Ships as my favorite work of Haynes’s.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really liked this book! Even though it was rather heavy in some spots, this book cast an entirely different light on myths I thought I knew. I was familiar with almost every woman mentioned in this book, with the exception of Phaedra, but I never imagined Greek myths with women at their centers. I loved how Haynes explained the origins of each woman and how she drew contemporary examples. Medusa has always been one of my favorites, turned into a monster after being preyed upon by a god, and I loved how Haynes flipped the script and raised the question: Is being made into a monster after such a violation a bad thing? I was familiar with many of these myths, but I loved the way that Haynes led me through a deep dive of Greek myth, mining the culture at the time and how the myths reflected them. I loved seeing all of these women given their own agency, albeit many, many years later. Sometimes, the subject matter was really heavy, so I had to put it down, but overall, I very much enjoyed it! Highly recommended to people wanting a new and feminist view into the Greek classics that helped shape civilization. The bottom line; Biting, funny, and rich with detail, I loved Pandora’s Jar!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-67037490793457933492022-06-13T12:48:00.000-07:002022-06-13T12:48:52.433-07:00This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: This Woven Kingdom</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d903a0ed-7fff-3c31-042f-a3490d808862"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Tahereh Mafi</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: This Woven Kingdom, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trigger warnings: War, death, murder, harm to children, assassination. If any of these topics trigger you, I would recommend not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book is the start of a brand new series by bestselling author, Tahereh Mafi, full of magic, darkness, and political intrigue. Alizeh is the heir to the fallen Djinn kingdom, alone and friendless in the country of Ardunia. Forced to hide her powers and work as a servant in noble households, her life is soon upended by meeting the Clay Prince of the country, Kamran. Drawn to him in ways that she can’t properly explain, Alizeh must decide if she will indeed avenge her people, or if this new possibility of friendship will help her forge a new path…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really, really enjoyed this book! I loved the way Mafi took Persian mythology and gave it a unique, even more, magical spin. I loved the pacing; it was breakneck and I was immediately drawn into Alizeh’s world. The djinn and the humans, or Clay, and the way they were at war, was so convincing. Honestly, this book might be one of my favorites of 2022. I loved the lush country of Ardunia, and the way that the empire took control of the remaining djinn. The characters were well-drawn, especially Hazan, Alizeh, and Kamran. The political intrigue was a lot to keep up with; sometimes I wish there had been a dramatis personae in the front of the book. But nonetheless, I loved this book! It might be Mafi’s most ambitious yet. I can’t wait for the sequel! The bottom line: Rich with detail, political intrigue, and forbidden romance, I loved This Woven Kingdom!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-41821553887707033922022-05-25T10:17:00.000-07:002022-05-25T10:17:11.609-07:00Electric Idol by Katee Robert Review <p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Electric Idol</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e632a07-7fff-241b-b664-fc9b1b1c7b0b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Katee Robert</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Romance/Erotica</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Dark Olympus, book two</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: Sex on-page, violence on-page, murder off-page, abuse and neglect on-page. If any of these things trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Katee Robert completely captured my heart with Neon Gods, so as soon as I was finished with it, I ordered Electric Idol. It had been sitting on the top of my library stack, and I couldn’t get into The City of Dusk by Tara Sim, so I just moved on. Taking place a few years after the events of Neon Gods, I loved this new story of Psyche and Eros, given a modern, sexy spin. Normally I’m not one to read romance or even erotica, but Katee Robert has become the exception to the rule. Hot, heartfelt, and emotional, I loved Electric Idol! At times it felt like the Black characters were really flat, but overall, this second offering was wonderful. Robert is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eros Ambrosia has always known his purpose: to be the knife in the dark for his bitter, spiteful mother, Aphrodite. So, when she tells him to bring Psyche Dimitrou’s heart on a platter, he just assumes it will be another routine job. But when he actually meets Psyche, fiery, protective, and caring, he finds that he just can’t kill her. So he comes up with a dangerous, delicious solution to the problem: a marriage to protect Psyche from his mother. But soon the line between business and pleasure blurs, and both Psyche and Eros begin to wonder: Is this love?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really liked this book, possibly even better than Neon Gods, were it not for the Black characters being so one-dimensional. The pacing was breakneck, and I loved the way the book went back and forth between Eros and Psyche. I also loved how this book pulled back the curtain further on Olympus, introducing new characters like Eros’s best friend, Helen. The romance in this book made me melt; I absolutely adored the romance between Psyche and Eros. Aphrodite made for a frightening, chilling villain; I loved the way Robert took all of her negative qualities and amped them up. And that ending! I cannot wait for the next book in this series, because it has swiftly become one of my favorites! The bottom line: Romantic, dark, and full of tension, I loved Electric Idol! Next on deck: This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-18040539085226865462022-05-16T08:18:00.000-07:002022-05-16T08:18:24.192-07:00Little Thieves by Margaret Owen Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Little Thieves</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf2da57-7fff-5be3-fc78-a5640315a347"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Margaret Owen</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy/Mystery</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Little Thieves, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: past sexual assault on-page, abuse and neglect on-page, murder. If any of these things trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book has been sitting at the top of my library stack for a while, so, as soon as I was finished with A Magic Steeped in Poison, I dove in. This is my first Margaret Owen novel, but it most certainly will not be my last! A retelling of The Goose Girl, Little Thieves follows Vanja, a young woman who is the thirteenth daughter, and bad luck. Given to the gods of Fortune and Death at just four years old, she has come to learn to depend on one person, and that’s herself. Desperate to get away from her godmothers, Vanja steals from the wealthy, under the guise of her former mistress and with the aid of a little bit of magic. But everything changes when she is cursed by a god for her greed. If she doesn’t somehow find a way to make amends for everything she stole, her entire body will turn to precious gems. Forced to aid a young junior prefect to bring down her mistress’s fiance, Vanja begins to wonder if this life may indeed be better off with people she can trust.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I absolutely adored this novel! I was immediately captivated by Vanja’s sharp, bitter voice, as acidic as vinegar. The pacing was breakneck, and I loved the way that the book was broken down into smaller chunks of stories. The illustrations were beautiful, and I loved them just as much as the prose in the book. I adored the political intrigue, though at times it was a little hard to follow, with so many nobles and such to keep up with. I also loved the rich, dark world that Vanja inhabited, ruled by fickle gods, wicked creatures, and even more evil humans. I loved all of the characters, but my favorites were Gisele, Ragne, Josiza, and Emeric. I loved how this book took a typical antihero/villain and made her the focal point; that happens so rarely in media. And that ending! It made me so happy! Little Thieves might be one of my favorite books I’ve read in 2022! Next on deck: City of Dusk by Tara Sim!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-14037115422601375862022-05-10T07:54:00.000-07:002022-05-10T07:54:04.376-07:00A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: A Magic Steeped in Poison</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2570ef1f-7fff-f01a-ea0e-535727db40d9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Judy I. Lin</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: The Book of Tea, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first heard of this novel, I was so intrigued that I ordered it from my local library. It had been sitting at the top of my library stack, beckoning me with its gorgeous cover. But what was inside was even more unique: magic based on the properties of tea! This novel, full of political intrigue, nefarious plots, a budding romance, and magic, was totally unique and I loved every moment of it! The pacing was breakneck. The magic system was a little hard to follow, but the tools in the back of the book, explaining the world, and different terms, were immensely helpful. And that ending! I cannot wait for the second book; Judy I. Lin is an AAPI author to watch!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All Ning has ever wanted is to be a tea magic worker, like her late mother. But when she brewed the tea that poisoned and killed her, Ning’s hopes have been crushed. Now her sister Shu is suffering from the very same illness. Determined to find a cure and save her sister, she goes to the capital to enter a tea-making contest. The winner will receive a favor from the princess. Determined to win at all costs, she soon discovers there is a plot to kill the princess. But the magic that her mother was so skilled in has a steep price: The more you give the magic, the more it takes from you. Add to that a mysterious boy with unknown motives, and Ning finds herself trapped in a web of political intrigue that she might not make it out unscathed…</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really, really enjoyed this book! Honestly, it might be one of my favorites of 2022. As soon as I finished Unravel the Dusk, I dove in. The lush world drew me in immediately, and I was captivated at once by Ning’s frank, honest voice. The pacing was breakneck, and I was rooting for Ning to become the royal tea-master every step of the way. At times the political intrigue was a little hard to follow, but the helpful guides in the back of the book really helped me sort everything out. I loved the characters, especially Ning, Kang, the princess, and Ruyi. And that ending! I cannot wait until the next book in the series! What an opener! The bottom line: As rich and comforting as a cup of hot tea, I loved A Magic Steeped in Poison! Next on deck: Little Thieves by Margaret Owen!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-49387416422907574162022-04-27T07:56:00.000-07:002022-04-27T07:56:58.429-07:00Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Unravel the Dusk</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9fb820ca-7fff-3d9a-63fb-46effdabc51d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Elizabeth Lim</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: The Blood of Stars, book two</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: violence, gore, death on-page, war. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book; your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I recently reread Spin the Dawn, and as soon as I was finished with it, I ordered this sequel. It goes back to the library next week, so, as soon as I was finished with The Last Laugh, I dove in. Unravel the Dusk picks up right where Spin the Dawn left off, with Maia dealing with the consequences of the choices she made in the first book in order to free Edan, her friend, lover, and enchanter. Forced to confront the darkness inside of her in order to stop a bloody, dangerous war, Maia must decide if the land of A’landi is worth saving, and the price of it all may be too high for her to pay…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really loved this book! I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it, because I absolutely adored Spin the Dawn; it might be one of my favorite books of recent years. The pacing was breakneck, and though it had been a few weeks since my reread, I was able to recall what was happening without any trouble. Normally sequels give me major anxiety; a lot of the time they don’t live up to the hype. But that wasn’t the case with Unravel the Dusk; there was more action than in the first book. Watching Maia fight her darkest instincts that came from the end of the last book was practically nail-biting; I finished this book in three days, it was so good! I loved watching Maia come into her own was so thrilling! I also adored the other characters, particularly Edan, Sarnai, the shansen, the Emporer, Maia’s family, and the demons that try to tempt Maia’s soul into the darkness. And that ending! I couldn’t have asked for a better one. Absolute perfection! The bottom line: Dark, rich with detail, and full of action, I loved Unravel the Dusk! Next on deck: A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-7996915070631922772022-04-25T10:13:00.002-07:002022-04-25T10:13:21.864-07:00The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: The Last Laugh</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-481fabf7-7fff-6e84-d4d3-d5051136ce8a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Mindy McGinnis</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Horror/Thriller</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: The Initial Insult, book two</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: Misogyny, gore, death on-page. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Initial Insult was one of my favorite books of the year, and quite possibly the favorite in McGinnis’s entire body of work. When I was finished with Shine, I dove right into The Last Laugh. It picks up where The Initial Insult left off, with Tress dealing with the consequences of her actions in the last book, and with a new character being thrust into the spotlight, Kermit ‘Ribbit’ Usher, Tress’s cousin. Bound by blood and bond to his cruel, cold mother, Lenore, he intends on making things right, even if it costs him everything. The book goes back and forth, between Tress and Ribbit, with the latter plotting his revenge on the town of Amontillado, which relishes in his humiliation and suffering. When he finds Felicity, she will take her place at his side, and he will demand penance from those who have hurt him. But Ribbit has secrets of his own to hide, and unearthing them could make him burn…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, I want to make this post as spoiler-free as possible, for those who haven’t read it. This book picked up right where The Initial Insult left off, and it started off with a bang! The pacing was breakneck, and I was immediately spellbound by Tress and Ribbit’s distinct voices, one exhausted, bone-weary, and desperate to find out the secrets of her past, and the other set on a bright, burning future in which his revenge is realized and he is accepted by the community that has tried to ostracize him. I adored every terse, frightening moment of this series ender, especially the ending! It was like a kick to the chest, in a good way. I really loved this book, right down to the final moments. It was fulfilling, and full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, especially regarding Tress’s parents. And that ending! I wasn’t expecting it, but I loved it so much! Rich with detail, darkness, and terrifying secrets, I adored The Last Laugh! The bottom line: The sequel to the runaway sleeper hit, The Initial Insult, I loved The Last Laugh! Next on deck: Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-15025606353049027272022-04-25T09:09:00.000-07:002022-04-25T09:09:49.125-07:00Shine by Jessica Jung Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Shine</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7bb0918a-7fff-606b-5c9d-340fee9df64c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Jessica Jung</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Contemporary Fiction</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Shine, book one</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TW: Misogyny. If this topic triggers you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book was sitting on the top of my library stack, and I wanted to finish it before it went back to the library, so, as soon as I was finished with Gallant, I dove in. This book was a warm, sparkling gem that deep-dived into a global phenomenon, K-Pop, and I loved every minute of it! This book was like pulling back the curtain on an entirely different world, where skill and dedication is everything and even the slightest misstep could mean ultimate failure. I just finished this book a few days ago, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! I can’t wait for the sequel, Bright!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rachel Kim, a New Yorker living in Seoul, has given up nearly everything in pursuit of her dream, to become the next big female K-Pop star. Her family has moved all the way across the globe, even though her mother makes no secret of her disapproval. When Rachel makes an awful mistake that ends up being recorded, she fears her days being a DB Records darling are at an end. Enter Jason Lee, cute, funny, and with a voice like honey, and Rachel begins to see her way to stardom, even if she has to sing with her number one competitor, Choo Mina, to do it. But as Rachel’s feelings for Jason deepen, she must decide if she wants love or fame more, and she soon realizes that it’s impossible to know who to trust…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really, really loved this book! I didn’t know much about K-Pop, just the bare bones of it, and I loved how Jung shone a spotlight on the good and the bad of the industry, as well as the double standards that women face within it. I was captivated by Rachel’s frank, funny voice, and I loved the pacing; it felt like I was in the spotlight right alongside her. I adored Rachel’s family, and the contrast between her and the other K-Pop stars. Jason and Mina were brilliant foils to her, and despite their flaws, I was cheering for them too. There were so many different characters it was kind of hard to keep track; I wish that there was a character list in the front of the book. There were times when I had to go back and figure out which character was being talked about. Nonetheless, this book might be one of my favorites, and the ending made it all worth it! I can’t wait for Bright! The bottom line: A glittering, gorgeous gem of a book, I loved Shine, even though there were times I was a little lost. Next on deck: The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-43626200343199207242022-04-19T08:41:00.002-07:002022-04-19T08:41:34.138-07:00Gallant by V.E. Schwab Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Gallant</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-396eff05-7fff-2b1d-f567-18ef6a0a2fbe"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author, Illustator: V.E. Schwab, Manuel Sumberac</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">V.E. Schwab has always been one of my very favorite writers, so, when I discovered she had a new book coming out, I reserved it at my local library. It’s been sitting at the top of my library stack ever since I picked it up, and I was eager to read it before I had to return it. I devoured this dark, gorgeous fairy tale in three days; it is perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Holly Black! Honestly, this book might be one of my favorites in Schwab’s entire body of work, and I also adored the black and white illustrations, lovingly done by Manuel Sumberac. This book is unlike any I’ve ever read; truly unique. A stunning, dark story brimming with secrets, danger, and dark worlds hidden behind old doors.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Olivia Prior is a mute, and an orphan to boot. Stuck at Merilance’s School for Girls, she belongs to no one and nothing, and knows that she will likely spend the rest of her days in this prison of a school. But that all changes when she receives a letter from a long-lost uncle, asking her to come to his home, called Gallant. Eager to leave and desperate to claim her new family and identity, Olivia arrives at the house. She discovers that not everything is what it seems, and that the secret may be in the journals her mother left her. But something dark lurks in the shadows of Gallant, and it will stop at nothing to gain its freedom…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I loved this book! I devoured it in all of three days; the illustrations were lush and gorgeous, the pacing was breakneck, and I loved the disability representation that Schwab presented in Olivia! I was absolutely spellbound by this delicious, dark fairy tale; it really gave me Coraline, a la Neil Gaiman, vibes. I loved all of the characters, especially Edgar, Hannah, and Victoria’s cousin. I loved the Gothic, scary mood that hovered over Gallant, as well as the dark, mysterious force that lurked within its shadows. One of my favorite things about the book was watching Olivia make her decision: protect Gallant and its residents, or take her place at the side of the evil that lurks within its walls. And that ending! I got literal chills from it. This book was so fantastic; a unique, fantastic book full of ghouls, darkness, and dangerous secrets! Highly recommended! The bottom line: Dark, rich, detailed and creepy, I loved Gallant! Absolutely stunning!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1335445623553753089.post-2293497394664446052022-04-19T07:45:00.000-07:002022-04-19T07:45:09.285-07:00Prophecy of the Stones by Flavia Bujor Review<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Prophecy of the Stones</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d87c9bf8-7fff-68ee-e765-2c63744c166b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Flavia Bujor</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age Group: Teen/Young Adult</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Fantasy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series: Standalone</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As soon as I was finished with Lily of the Nile, I dove into the next book at the top of the library stack, and Prophecy of the Stones was it. I read this way back in high school, and wanted to read it again. This atmospheric fantasy was let down by paper-thin characters; I liked the setting and the many magical creatures, but I was hoping for more from the characters. Still, for a debut novel by someone who was sixteen when they wrote it, it was a very good attempt. At times, the magical world of Fairytale and the juxtaposition between it and the real world was too flimsy. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it, despite its flaws.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jade, Amber and Opal are three young women who don’t know each other, yet they are forced together by fate and the magical stones that they carry with them. Prophesied to be the saviors of the realm from the malicious Council of Twelve, they must join forces and save the world. Meanwhile, in the real world, in Paris, Joa fights for her life after an accident that takes the lives of both of her parents and leaves her immobile. She grasps at the colorful, magical dream, torn between resignation and the fierce, deep desire to live. Will the three girls do their duty and survive various trials? Will Joa learn to live at last?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book felt very juvenile at times, but there were things I enjoyed about it. This book was like a combo of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, with fierce battle scenes, magical spells, prophecy, and danger. Though the pacing was slow, and some of the characters flat, there was a vast cast of villains and creatures that really captured my imagination; evil birds that feed on fear, monsters that spread evil as easily as breathing, a child mage who can see into people’s hearts. I was fully invested, despite the characters basically being caricatures. I also liked the way that the pacing went back and forth between the magical world and the real one; by the end, I was rooting for Joa. I really liked the ending; it was very satisfying. Overall, for a debut novel, this book was good, but it wasn’t exactly groundbreaking. Still, I don’t regret reading it; I only wish that the characters had been more well-thought-out. The bottom line: This book just felt like a run-of-the-mill fantasy, with elements from The Neverending Story, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t spectacular. Next on deck: Gallant by V.E. Schwab!</span></p></span>Sufficently Distractedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13448467690501621203noreply@blogger.com0