Tag: book

Review: The Rose & the Dagger (#2) by Renee Ahdieh

On By Beth JonesIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.
Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

After many years of having this on my TBR list and knowing I needed to reread The Wrath & the Dawn before diving into it, I have finally read this book. I decided to pick up the audiobook for this one after listening the audiobook of The Wrath & the Dawn and finding it quite engaging.

Sadly, I definitely found The Rose & the Dagger quite a lot less engaging than the first book, but it was also my first time reading this one. I will admit that moving the setting away from the palace itself felt a little disappointing to me, but I did really enjoy the fact that we were joined by Shazi’s family. Although I found it a little difficult to follow as an audiobook, I believe we are joined with a viewpoint from Shazi’s sister.

As the book went on, we see some of the characters from the first book meet some of the main characters from this book, mainly Shazi’s family. I enjoyed seeing the fire and passion of Shazi’s sister, and the dynamic between her and Khalid was really interesting.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this book for me was the romance, which does follow on from the first book as I also loved the romance as we see it initially develop. I will say I felt like this book was not the most memorable read, and the main memories I am taking away from this read are the relationships between the characters.

Overall, I’m glad I’ve finally completed this series, but I definitely didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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April Wrap Up: 9 Books Read

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hi everyone! It’s time for my April wrap up – I read 9 books in April, which definitely isn’t my best month but it’s not too shabby either. If you want to watch a video about all the books I read, you can view this below.

Books I read in April

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

What if men built a tower from Earth to Heaven-and broke through to Heaven’s other side? What if we discovered that the fundamentals of mathematics were arbitrary and inconsistent? What if there were a science of naming things that calls life into being from inanimate matter? What if exposure to an alien language forever changed our perception of time? What if all the beliefs of fundamentalist Christianity were literally true, and the sight of sinners being swallowed into fiery pits were a routine event on city streets? These are the kinds of outrageous questions posed by the stories of Ted Chiang. Stories of your life . . . and others.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream – for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can’t go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more.
But the true reward of the uncharted path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv ever could have imagined. 

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

‘But where are you REALLY from?’
Phil Wang has been asked this question so many times he’s finally written a book about it.
In this mix of comic memoir and observational essay, one of the UK’s most exciting stand-up comedians reflects on his experiences as a Eurasian man in the West and in the East. Phil was born in Stoke-on-Trent, raised in Malaysia, and then came of age in Bath – ‘a spa town for people who find Cheltenham too ethnic’.
Phil takes an incisive look at what it means to be mixed race, as he explores the contrasts between cultures and delves into Britain and Malaysia’s shared histories, bringing his trademark cynicism and wit to topics ranging from family, food, and comedy to race, empire, and colonialism.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
 Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Roach – bookseller, loner and true crime obsessive – is not interested in making friends. She has all the company she needs in her serial killer books, murder podcasts and her pet snail, Bleep. 
That is, until Laura joins the bookshop. 
Smelling of roses, with her cute literary tote bags and beautiful poetry, she’s everyone’s new favourite bookseller. But beneath the shiny veneer, Roach senses a darkness within Laura, the same darkness Roach possesses. 
As Roach’s curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, it becomes clear that she is prepared to infiltrate Laura’s life at any cost. 

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

An all-new collection of spring-themed mysteries from the master of the genre.
The days are growing warmer and the nights are growing shorter… It’s the perfect time to relax in the garden with this spring-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. Blossoming flowers and countryside strolls may sound innocent enough, but not when there’s murder in the air. Beware of secluded cottages, stolen treasure and fatal revenge schemes. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

It’s the summer before senior year. Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small, rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. But they have plans for the summer, each about to embark on a new adventure.
Gabriel is volunteering at an environmental nonprofit in Boston.
Reese is attending design school in Paris.
Sal is interning on Capitol Hill for a senator.
Heath is heading to Florida, to help out at his aunt’s boardwalk arcade.
What will this season of world-expanding travel and life-changing experiences mean for each of them–and for their friendship?

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

I had quite a positive month and I enjoyed all of my reads. The one I enjoyed the least was Sinister Spring, and my favourite was either Book Lovers or Legends and Lattes – both were so good I can’t decide which was better!

What did you read in April?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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March TBR

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hi all!

It’s another month, and time for another TBR! As usual, I played mini-golf to decide what to read in the month of March, and if you’d like to watch this in video format, you can see this below.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Two friends meet across three dinners.
In the back room of a pet shop, they snack on dried shrimps and discuss fish-breeding. In a remote new home in the mountains, they look for a solution to a weasle infestation. During a dinner party in a blizzard, a mounting claustrophobia makes way for uneasy dreams. Their conversations often take them in surprising directions, but when one of the men becomes a father, more and more is left unsaid. 
With emotional acuity and a wry humour, Weasles In The Attic is an uncanny and striking reflection on fertility, masculinity, and marriage in contemporary Japan.

The first prompt I pulled out was orange cover, and I immediately chose Weasels in the Attic by Hiroko Oyamada. Mark bought this for me in Daunt Books the other week, and I’ve had my eye on it ever since. It also has a very bright, very orange cover, helpfully!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Meet Nora Hughes – the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now.
When Nora landed an editorial assistant role at Parsons Press she thought it would be The Dream Job. But after five years of admin and taking lunch orders, Nora has come to the conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.
With her life spiralling and unable to afford her rent, Nora does the only thing she can think of and starts freelancing for a rival publisher.
But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling author (who also happens to be quite attractive), is thrown into Nora’s life, she must decide where her loyalties lie, and whether she’s ready to choose herself and her future over her job…
Your next book club read touching on mental health, happiness and the ups and downs of being a young woman trying to figure it all out.

The next prompt was author debut and I picked up Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson! This one was gifted to me by Harper Collins (as were most of the books in this post!) and I’ve wanted to pick it up ever since they sent it – I’m especially drawn in by the quote from Taylor Jenkins Reid on the cover.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena’s a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn’t even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.
So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.
But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

The next prompt was one word title and Yellowface was the first one to catch my eye! I feel so honoured to get a copy of this one, also from Harper Collins. This sounds so interesting and I’m very excited to pick it up before the release in May.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

A pirate of infamy and one of the most storied and scandalous captains to sail the seven seas. 
Amina al-Sirafi has survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse, she jumps at the chance for one final adventure with her old crew that will make her a legend and offers a fortune that will secure her and her family’s future forever.
Yet the deeper Amina dives the higher the stakes. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savour just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

The next prompt was more than 400 pages, which is daunting but allowed me to pick up another anticipated release from Harper Collins, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty! I’ve never read anything by this author, but this one sounds so interesting and I can’t wait to pick it up.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Clarissa Wong at HarperCollins/HarperAlley has acquired, at auction, world rights to Firebird, the debut YA graphic novel by Sunmi, in a two-book deal. Firebird follows Caroline as she crushes on Kim, an older student she tutors, and their friendship through their varied experiences as queer children of Asian-American immigrants. Publication is scheduled for 2022; Susan Graham at Einstein Literary Management handled the deal.

The last prompt was cozy reading, and I always see graphic novels as cozy because you can often read them in one sitting. I picked up another anticipated release from Harper Collins, which is Firebird by Sunmi. Thank you to Harper for fuelling my TBR for March!

Which books are you hoping to read in March?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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January Wrap Up | 10 Books Read

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hello and welcome back to my blog! Today I’m going to be posting my January wrap up. I read 10 books in January, which might be a lot less than I read in December, but I’m still pretty happy with.

I’m hoping to read 100 books this year, and I finished January ahead of schedule, which I’m happy about.

If you’d like to see me discuss the books I read in January in video format, you can watch the video below.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Most days, Ellie Pillai is somewhere between invisible, and not very cool – and usually she’s okay with that. But suddenly, Ellie feels different. Maybe it’s the new boy at school who makes her brain explode into rainbows every time she sees him (and also happens to be going out with her best friend), or maybe it’s her new drama teacher, the one who seems to have noticed she exists. Suddenly, her misfit style, her skin colour, her songwriting and all that getting lost in the music in her head seem to be okay too. Because maybe standing out isn’t a bad thing after all.

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.
As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Ajay is a Mumbai railway kid, a newspaper seller, but his great dream is to be a journalist. His dream comes true when he and a gang of friends create their own newspaper – but what is the cost of uncovering the truth?

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people left alive.
After a catastrophic event wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself alone in a cabin in the woods.
He’s learned to fear other desperate survivors, but when he meets the injured Andrew, Jamie is compelled to help. As they step out into this strange new world together, their friendship begins to feel like something more…
Jamie and Andrew are hoping for safety, for shelter, for community. But ahead of them is a perilous journey through a world torn apart.
They don’t know what they’ll find on their perilous journey … but they may just find each other.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Murder is a very simple crime. But at the hands of a maniac, a serial killer, it becomes a very complicated business.
With the whole country in a state of panic, the killer is growing more confident with each successive execution – Mrs Ascher in Andover, Betty Barnard in Bexhill, Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston… But laying a trail of deliberate clues to taunt the proud Hercule Poirot might just be his first mistake… 

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Seventeen-year-old Aisha hasn’t seen her sister June for two years. And now that a calamity is about to end the world in nine months’ time, she and her mother decide that it’s time to track her down and mend the hurts of the past. Along with Aisha’s Chinese boyfriend, Walter and his parents (and Fleabag the stray cat), the group take a roadtrip through Malaysia in a wildly decorated campervan – to put the past to rest, to come to terms with the present, and to hope for the future.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her – what to call it? – depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgemental of others. She hides her feelings well at work and with friends; adept at performing the calmness, even ease, her lifestyle demands. The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships. This can’t be normal.
But if she’s so hopeless, why can she always summon a desire for her favourite street food, the hot, spicy rice cake, tteokbokki? Is this just what life is like?
Recording her dialogues with her psychiatrist over a 12-week period, Baek begins to disentangle the feedback loops, knee-jerk reactions and harmful behaviours that keep her locked in a cycle of self-abuse. Part memoir, part self-help book, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a book to keep close and to reach for in times of darkness.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

I’m really proud of myself for buddy reading the whole of the Deadly Education series in January with Alex, but sadly they turned out to be my least favourite books of the month. My favourite read of the month was tied with Jamie and The Cats We Meet Along the Way.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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February TBR

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hello readers!

It’s a little late for my February TBR but here we are! As usual, I picked my monthly TBR by playing mini golf, and you can see the video below.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

When the Bat’s away, the Cat will play. It’s time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .
Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.
Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

The first prompt I received from my mini golf game was the book that’s been on my TBR for the longest. It’s hard to find the exact one, and a lot of the books I’ve owned for the longest are part of a series, but Catwoman: Soulstealer is the standalone that has been on my physical TBR for the longest – I think! I’ve been waiting to read this whole (companion) series together, but we’ll see if I manage to do that or not!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

One morning at Styles Court, an Essex country manor, the elderly owner is found dead of strychnine poisoning. Arthur Hastings, a soldier staying there on sick leave from the Western Front, ventures out to the nearby village of Styles St. Mary to ask help from his friend Hercule Poirot, an eccentric Belgian inspector. Thus, in this classic whodunit, one of the most famous characters in detective fiction makes his debut on the world stage. With a half dozen suspects who all harbor secrets, it takes all of Poirot’s prodigious sleuthing skills to untangle the mystery–but not before the inquiry undergoes scores of spellbinding twists and surprises.

The second prompt just happened to be oldest book released, or the oldest book on my TBR. This one worked out to be one of the most recent books I’ve actually bought, and this edition was only released in November 2022. I’ve read a few Christie books recently and I’m looking forward to reading the first Poirot.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Romance book connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men—all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead, thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.
Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter. 
The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily ever after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

The next prompt I got was most recent purchase, of which I could choose between this one from the January Illumicrate Afterlight box (unboxing video here) and Like a Curse as I received them on the same day. Thank you to Knights Of for my copy of Like a Curse! I can’t wait to read more from Elle McNicoll, but I fancied a romance for Valentine’s Day, and Exes and O’s sounds so good.

Storygraph | Waterstones

Beloved for the simple grace of its artwork as much as the poetic elegance of its text (adapted by Midori Motohashi), The Garden of Words begins with a chance, rainswept encounter between Takao, a young man who dreams of becoming a shoe designer, and Yukari, an enigmatic woman he finds sitting alone, nursing a beer on a park bench. The spare interaction of these two lonely souls sparks a spiritual transformation for the young man, and perhaps the woman as well. As this intriguing, understated story unfolds, their lives will become further intertwined amid rain, beer, school, and shoe cobbling. Words are not often necessary, but in this case just a few words can make a difference in one’s heart.

I then picked up the prompt of favourite author, of which I chose to read The Garden of Words by Makoto Shinkai and Midoiri Motohashi. I am trying to make my way through everything Shinkai produces and I’m a big fan of his films, especially Your Name. I can’t wait to read this manga!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she’s confused about who to snog. He knows she’s really a he and will ultimately realize this… but she’s going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this… but she’s refusing to listen.

And the last prompt was quick read, and I chose the graphic novel Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox. I’ve actually already read this one, and I can confirm it was absolutely brilliant and so well done. It’s a quick read due to the graphic novel format, and Hancox does an amazing job of making such a difficult subject so full of heart, warmth and humour.

Which books are you hoping to read in February?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: The Balloon Thief (#1) by Aneesa Marufu

On By Beth JonesIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Goodreads | Bookshop.org

For Khadija, the only escape from her father’s arranged betrothal is the sky. When she spots a rogue hot air balloon fighting against its ropes, she leaps at the chance for adventure.
Khadija soon finds an unlikely ally in a poor glassmaker’s apprentice, Jacob. But Jacob is a hāri, and Khadija a Ghadaean.
The hāri are oppressed and restless―their infamous terrorist group, the Hāreef, have a new fearsome leader. And the ruling Ghadaeans are brutal in their repression. Soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The Hāreef use forbidden magic, summoning jinn―wicked spirits made of fire―to enact their revenge, forcing Jacob and Khadija to choose what kind of a world they want to save… 

Thank you to Chicken House for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book drew me in from the very first page, and I really loved the concept and focus on hot air balloons. It was such a unique idea and I love how the world building centred around the balloons from the very start.

I listened to the audiobook, which at the start of the book really drew me in and I enjoyed Khadija’s chapters a lot. The concept of her escaping her possessive and controlling father gave an added layer to the story that felt really important and well written. We also had a POV of Jacob, a Hari, who were looked down upon by society.

The unlikely friendship struck between these two meant the prejudices and divergences between the two characters were faced head on and discussed throughout the book. I really enjoyed seeing the divisions dissolve between the two main characters and this felt like an important theme.

However, this book did start to let me down in the second half, as more and more started to happen. We went from a story focusing on family, friendship and prejudice, to a highly complex world including terrorism, Jinn, protests, attacks and dark magic. There was an introduction of a large amount of characters that left me feeling confused and struggling to focus on the story.

Overall, this book started so strong and I really loved the concept throughout, but lost me as it became overly complex and seemed to drift away from the original plot and point to the story. A solid debut with great world building, but I most likely won’t be continuing with the series.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren

On By Beth JonesIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Goodreads | Bookshop.org

When the YouTube-famous Ghost Gang—Chrissy, Chase, Emma, and Kiki—visit a haunted LA hotel notorious for tragedy to secretly film after dark, they expect it to be just like their previous paranormal huntings. Spooky enough to attract subscribers—and ultimately harmless.
But when they stumble upon something unexpected in the former room of a gruesome serial killer, they quickly realize that they’re in over their heads.
Sometimes, it’s the dead who need our help—and the living we should fear.

I spotted this one earlier in the year at Forbidden Planet, and decided to pick it up for spooky season. The cover drew me in, the concept gripped me and I liked the idea of a shorter read (this one clocks in at just over 200 pages).

The best part of this book was that it was a quick and entertaining read, but I sadly don’t feel like it achieved much more than that. I got through it very quickly and read most of it in one sitting, and I did like the concept and wanted to read on.

It’s nice to have someone who knows you that well 

However, I do feel like several aspects of this book let it down. It’s not often I comment on the writing, but this one did feel like a debut, especially at the start. The writing seemed quite underdeveloped to me. The characters were also all pretty unlikable and didn’t feel like they had distinct personalities.

Although I didn’t try to guess who the killer was, it was the most obvious choice for a murderer and didn’t have any kind of shock factor. There was a lot of gruesome parts and gore, but I also didn’t find this as creepy as I wanted or expected to.

and still wants to see your face every day.

Overall, this was definitely fun and entertaining and I enjoyed the ride enough to keep turning the pages, which is why I’m still going to give it 3 out of 5 stars. But if you’re looking for anything more than entertaining and fast paced, you might want to give this one a miss.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

-Beth

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Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

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On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

I had a feeling from the very start that I would fall in love with this book. There is something about a love story that isn’t about romantic love that drew me in from the start, and I knew I would be able to relate to. Days after finishing Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, I am unsure how to talk about it. The way I feel about this book and the topics it spans is very difficult to truly explain in words. It hit me in every single way I expected it to, and more. It broke my heart into little pieces and warmed my heart, too. It gave me hope, and it gave me hurt too. The audiobook was also a masterpiece.

“What is a game?” Marx said. “It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow centres games and game development, which I loved reading about and found fascinating to read about as a gamer myself. You definitely don’t need to have a love of games to appreciate this book for what it is, but I also felt like I could relate to it on a more personal level because of my love and appreciation for games.

My favourite part of this book was definitely the writing. There was constantly quotes that I wanted to save and shout from the rooftops, and I am already considering buying another edition just to read again and highlight. This book is quite long and has some interesting writing styles, which on paper feel risky but I fell in love with every time. I’ve never annotated a book before, but this one makes me want to start. I treasured the experience I had reading this book, and I just want to experience it over and over again. And I feel like with each re-read, it will become even more of a favourite. Even re-reading quotes and thinking about this book a week or so after finishing it is making me emotional.

The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”

To say that Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a novel about games would be as limiting as it is infinite. I believe that games have the power to be life changing and world altering, carrying strength and hope and love and friendship. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow both showcases and includes all of these themes. It is a novel about games. But it is also a novel about the world. A novel about love, beauty, greed, wealth, friendship, hope, self-reflection, disability, motherhood, gender identity and Super Mario. It is a reflection within a reflection. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I get the sense I will carry it with me always.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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August Wrap-Up

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hello all! I’m a little late, but I really wanted to do a monthly wrap-up this month as I read so much in August and I’m really proud of myself for how much I managed to read. I read 21 books, and even though a lot of those were graphic novels, I still think that’s a really impressive number!

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

NEW ORLEANS FANG FEST, 1995. MINA’S HAVING A SUMMER TO DIE FOR.
17-year-old Mina, from England, arrives in New Orleans to visit her estranged sister, Libby. After growing up in Whitby, the town that inspired Dracula, Mina loves nothing more than a creepy horror movie.
She can’t wait to explore the city’s darkest secrets – vampire tours, seedy bars, spooky cemeteries, disturbing local myths…
And it gets even better when Mina lands a part-time job at a horror movie mansion and meets Jared, Libby’s gorgeous housemate, co-worker and fellow horror enthusiast.
But the perfect summer bliss is broken when, while exploring the mansion, Mina stumbles upon the body of a girl with puncture marks on her neck, clutching a lock of hair that suspiciously resembles Libby’s…
Someone is replicating New Orleans’ most brutal supernatural killings. Mina must discover the truth and prove her sister’s innocence before she becomes the victim of another myth.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton— into chaos she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.
Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Easton’s mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind… and with the boy she never stopped loving.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention—especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.
Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York’s past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They’ll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once and for all. Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what “happily ever after” really means—and how they can find it with each other.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

★★
2 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.
Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.
But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . . .

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life.
In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make…

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

In grey, 1930s England, Bea has grown up kicking against the conventions of the time, all the while knowing that she will one day have to marry someone her parents choose – someone rich enough to keep the family estate alive. But she longs for so much more – for adventure, excitement, travel, and maybe even romance.
When she gets the chance to spend the summer in Italy with her bohemian uncle and his fiancée, a whole world is opened up to Bea – a world that includes Ben, a cocky young artist who just happens to be infuriatingly handsome too. Sparks fly between the quick-witted pair until one night, under the stars, a challenge is set: can Bea and Ben put aside their teasing and have the perfect summer romance?
With their new friends gleefully setting the rules for their fling, Bea and Ben can agree on one thing at least: they absolutely, positively will not, cannot fall in love…
A long, hot summer of kisses and mischief unfolds – but storm clouds are gathering across Europe, and home is calling. Every summer has to end – but for Bea, this might be just the beginning.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.
Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.
But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.
It’s not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” that Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.
Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

★★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Hello, come in.
Maybe you can help me?
A young girl lives in a haunted house, but has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? She’d love to know! Step inside and turn the transparent pages to help her on an entertaining ghost hunt, from behind the sofa, right up to the attic. With lots of friendly ghost surprises and incredible mixed media illustrations, this unique and funny book will entertain young readers over and over again.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Because of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. That is until he meets the outspoken and cheerful Taichi. He tells Kohei that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi’s words cut through Kohei’s usual defense mechanisms and open his heart. More than friends, less than lovers, their relationship changes Kohei forever.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As Mia, the newest member, gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. When Mia grows close to her new friends, she reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone. He is a star debater and popular student at the prestigious FATE academy, the dutiful first-generation Haitian son, and the trusted dog walker for his wealthy New York City neighbors. But his easy smiles mask a burning ambition to attend his dream college, Columbia University.
There is only one person who seems immune to Henri’s charms: his “intense” classmate and neighbor Corinne Troy. When she uncovers Henri’s less-than-honest dog-walking scheme, she blackmails him into helping her change her image at school. Henri agrees, seeing a potential upside for himself.
Soon what started as a mutual hustle turns into something more surprising than either of them ever bargained for. . . .

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

My favourite book of the month was Under a Dancing Star, and my least favourite was Children of Virtue and Vengeance. I managed to read a lot because of a lovely reading retreat I went on with my lovely friend Courtney, and we even read a good chunk of these books together!

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

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Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone. He is a star debater and popular student at the prestigious FATE academy, the dutiful first-generation Haitian son, and the trusted dog walker for his wealthy New York City neighbors. But his easy smiles mask a burning ambition to attend his dream college, Columbia University.
There is only one person who seems immune to Henri’s charms: his “intense” classmate and neighbor Corinne Troy. When she uncovers Henri’s less-than-honest dog-walking scheme, she blackmails him into helping her change her image at school. Henri agrees, seeing a potential upside for himself.
Soon what started as a mutual hustle turns into something more surprising than either of them ever bargained for. . . .

Sometimes you just want a book that might not absolutely blow your mind, but will be a thoroughly enjoyable end of summer contemporary. This book was just what I wanted, and needed, to pick up, and I really enjoyed the audiobook version.

Although this book was predictable at times, I found myself easily falling into this story, rooting for Henri much more than I expected to, and falling in love with his best friend Ming. Charming as a Verb felt like a great encapsulation of end-of-high-school, beginning-of-the-rest-of-your-life, with all the pressures that comes with it. But what I really appreciated about this book was the level of depth in all other aspects just under the surface.

Montreal is nothing like Manhattan; it’s smaller and more concentrated, and unlike the city that never sleeps, 

I loved the way Henri’s relationship with his parents was written, which felt genuine and relatable. I loved the way his mum was striving for her own new pathway, and his dad was willing to evolve to support his son. I loved the relationship Henri had with his uncle, and how not only him, but his family, would go to his uncle for difficult conversations. I love how this felt like a love-letter to the streets of New York City, but ended up with a small footnote to Montreal too.

There was an underlying tone to this book that explored living with money worries and a class divide too, which I felt was handled really well. Although Henri wasn’t always the perfect protagonist, and definitely makes some mistakes, for the most part I agreed with the direction this story took and enjoyed the ride.

Montreal feels like a city that’s gotten a good night’s rest and woken up in time for a bike ride alongside the Saint Lawrence River.

Young Adult contemporaries don’t often surprise me anymore, but this one is definitely a pleasant surprise. Although it was still predictable at times and I did question some of our narrators actions and the way they were handled, I enjoyed it a lot and it was the light and fluffy contemporary I needed!

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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