Overall, I definitely enjoyed it more than the first book and can see not only the characters have grown but Golan’s storytelling as well. The action and new dilemmas plaguing these characters definitely make me intrigued enough to read the next in the series. Plus, I never can leave myself with a cliffhanger.
Read MoreAfter reading City of Ghosts, the first in this series, I was a bit nervous since I didn’t connect with the main character. Now after giving Tunnel of Bones a try, I’ve realized I found a series of Victoria Schwab’s that I just can’t get behind. But that doesn’t mean others shouldn’t give it a try as Victoria Schwab is an amazing writer.
Read MoreThis was a wonderfully dark and creepy book, reminiscent of gothic literature and had me captivated from the very beginning. It was strange and the ending was not what I expected but kept true to the horror this short little book holds.
Read MoreI was enjoying this novel until it kept going, and going and…oh it was finally done. The beginning started out so strong with wonderful descriptions of the Congo and the struggles the Price family finds with being in a country so vastly different than their own. But as it continued I liked it less and less.
Read MoreVictoria Schwab, or V.E. Schwab, knows how to write dark, thrilling characters and worlds. Just like with her Villains or Shades of Magic series written under her penname, the Cassidy Blake series starts off strong with unique characters and a clever storyline. This series is different in the fact it’s for a younger audience so although dark, it’s not quite as much as her other series.
Read MoreI loved every bit of J.R.R Tolkien’s writing and his beautifully crafted fantasy world. Honestly, I don’t think it makes sense to try to review this well-known fantasy. There could be a lot to say but it may just be repetitive after how much we all know about the movies and how many people also love Tolkien’s writing.
Read MoreThis book may be labeled young adult and is written for a younger reading level, but it is also very fitting for adults. It is dark and terribly sad, but Sherman Alexie adds a witty humor that helps soften some of the commentary on a difficult life of a Native American on a reservation.
Read MoreI’m obsessed with Katherine Arden, she is definitely one of my favorite authors of all time. She has this amazing way of writing such beautiful imagery I can’t compare it to any other books I’ve read. And her characters are so vibrant, I love them all.
Read MoreI wish I had known that this book was loosely based on a real person, Sarah Grimke, an abolitionist and women’s right activist in the early 1800s. Although it is still a book I’d recommend though not a particularly easy or happy one to read.
Read MoreI’m a big historical fiction fan and was excited to read this book about pre-revolutionary America; specifically an area where land was taken from the Native Americans and thus caused a lot of fighting. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and the characters introduced as well as reading about this time period.
Read MoreLeigh Bardugo really knows how to write dark stories and I love them. This is a hero’s quest to save the world from a menacing threat, but, the individuals saving the world are thieves, criminals and runaways. Let’s not forget these individuals are all teenagers and their motivations for this mission are not altruistic.
Read MoreThis book is so funny but also takes a darker turn. It’s entertaining and somewhat inspiring. Overall, definitely one of the classics I’d recommend and wish it hadn’t taken me so long to finally read it myself.
Read MoreAlthough I can understand why Boris Pasternak almost received a Nobel for this book, there were a lot of issues I had with it. Overall, not one of the classics I will be putting on my favorites shelf nor fully recommending to others.
Read MoreI had such mixed feelings after I finished this book that it took me some time to finally be able to write this review. With a 900 page book, it’s really sad when the last 10 pages can so quickly change your opinion of it as a whole…
Read MoreI was nervous and a bit angry going into this second book of the series, 8 books total is a bit time commitment especially if they don’t live up to the first one. But this second book was definitely just as entertaining as the first!
Read MoreIf you are looking for ‘The Little Mermaid’, this story is not going to give that to you. But, if you’re intrigued for a much darker fairy tale with subtle nods to the Disney classic, this is right up your alley. And it’s one I’d definitely recommend, similar to the darkness in Leigh Bardugo’s The Language of Thorns.
Read MoreThis book is really made by the main character and narrator, Joe Bishop. I love each of his thoughts, tangents, witty one-liners and his obsession with getting a cheeseburger. I get it Joe, I really do.
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I feel like I’ve been saying this so often recently since I’ve read some of her books back to back, but I just love Kristin Hannah’s writing! Her insightful understanding and portrayal of so many different types of people and their experiences absolutely astounds me. Although this one was not quite as good as The Great Alone, it was still an amazing book and one I’d definitely recommend.
A heads up - this novel may seem slow at first and you definitely won’t like some or all the characters in the beginning. The beauty of this novel is that the characters grow so much and there are different layers to each character’s story that it adds to the beauty of Hannah’s portrayals.
This book was Hannah’s most heart-wrenching of the ones I’ve read so far. First, we have the cold treatment from the mother Anya to her two daughters Meredith and Nina. This would hurt any young child but the worst part is Anya shows moments of tenderness to her husband, the girls’ father, or while she is telling the girls fairy tales. What is it about her daughters that she can’t show the same love and tenderness? Second, we finally get the entirety of the Russian fairy tale and it changes absolutely everything as it slowly blends into reality.
At first, the dysfunction between sisters Meredith and Nina bothered me as although they sometimes commiserated about their mother’s cold nature, they were also so harsh to each other. But as the story went on, I realized it was their mother’s indifference and harsh judgments rubbing off on them. If your mother is angry at either of you, why can’t you just change so she’ll love you both? In the beginning I also felt as if Meredith and Nina’s love stories added one too many story lines. But as everything came together I realized Hannah knew exactly what she was doing. I should never doubt her.
Of course, the ending had me ugly crying and cursing Hannah. The ‘what could have been’ made me so upset that I was angry and although I understand why it ended the beautiful way that it did; I was still hoping she had changed it just a bit.
Synopsis: Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard: the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time - and all the way to the end.
Comeback was a sweet YA romance novel dealing with severe grief and guilt. You all probably know by now that I’m always up for a typical romance and this one did not disappoint; but it had an added element of the intriguing K-pop world to make it more interesting.
Read MoreThe past few years I’ve been diving into the classics and Charles Dickens was the next on my list; unfortunately this is going to be one of those classics that just doesn’t do it for me.
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