Birthday Month

I'll be taking a break from my blog while I celebrate my birthday. It's the one where I officially enter my late 20s so I'll be dealing with a mid-life crisis.

Littles by Kelly DiPucchio

5 STAR RATING

This picture book is told in rhyme and shows how babies are cared for while they grow up. DiPucchio pens the words while Ford draws the art. I completely loved this book. It is so cute. This would be a great read for toddlers who now have baby siblings. It shows them that they were babies once too and you should look after your brother or sister. The rhyme scheme makes this ideal for a story time. And the art goes along with the words beautifully. Ford did great with drawing all types of families and not bringing attention to it. It’s all love when it comes to families.

But shout out to the scene showing a mother breastfeeding her child. A baby eating should be acceptable to any and every one in all forms of media.

If You Were the Moon by Laura Purdie Salas

3 STAR RATING

If You Were the Moon tells the reader what the moon actually does while we’re all asleep. A small child wishes that she could be the moon, hanging out in the sky doing nothing. Each page then explains the moon’s purposes and how people on Earth celebrate it. Salas writes the facts while Kim draws the art. Salas did a good job using basic words for a younger audience. I’d recommend this for 4-5 year olds. It’d be a good read for any child interested in space. The tone is conversational and doesn’t feel too heavy for a child to read by themselves. Kim’s art is great; I personally disliked when the characters’ had their mouths open. It just looked weird to me.

The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey

4 STAR RATING

The Boy on the Bridge is a prequel to Mike Carey’s first novel, The Girl with All the Gifts. It’s set 10 years before the events of the first book. We’re on the Rosalind Franklin, the abandoned war truck that was found by Melanie. Carey tells the reader what happened to the crew and how it came to be left in the middle of nowhere.

I thought this book was a sequel and was very interested in seeing the new world after the virus had become airborne. Instead, the clock is turned back and we’re dropped into political and survival turmoil with a group of people we don’t even know. I really liked the new characters and I’m happy the author decided to stick with multiple POVs. It really shows all the distrust within the crew and with the new world they’re trying to live in. There are a few similarities with the first novel but it has no problem standing on its own. The epilogue gives you a brief glance in what happened to Melanie but this novel could be read independently.

I listened to this book and the voice actor did a great job. I’m a sucker for British accents. I wasn’t bored one bit while she spoke. She read each character well.

Doctor Strange vol 4: Mr. Misery by Jason Aaron

5 STAR RATING

Mr. Misery is volume five in the newest Doctor Strange comic series. Strange never took on the full consequences for using magic and it created the entity, Mr. Misery. It’s a manifestation of all of Strange’s pain and suffering. Wong is its forced host and Strange is trying to find a way to save him.

I really enjoyed this volume. It’s my favorite one of the series so far. Misery is an excellent villain. This series have the best protagonists I’ve read in Marvel comics. They actually pose a real threat to our heroes. I couldn’t get enough of the action scenes. The art helped up to all the chaos and showed Misery as the menacing thing that it is. Now that Zelma is an official apprentice, I can’t wait to see her kick some mystical ass. Though, she’s already been doing that.

Snail's pace

Going for a "slow and steady wins the race" approach to my reading goal this year. Hence, the lack of progress I've made since two weeks ago.

Patsy Walker vol 1: Hooked on a Feline by Kate Leth

4 STAR RATING

Pasty Walker has literally been to hell and back. But her biggest struggle at the moment is finding a steady job. Walker aka Hellcat is a superhero in New York City trying to make the best of life, as we all are. I loved the art style. It compliments Patsy’s personality to a tee. She’s all bubbly and light now. I find it hard to believe she used to be…evil. I don’t know anything about her lore so this is my first exposure to her character.

The book itself was a light read and I enjoyed it immensely. I plan on reading the rest of this series. I hope it doesn’t disappoint me.

Apollo: The Brilliant One by George O'Connor

2 STAR RATING

I had taken a long break from this series. I honestly thought it was finished with the last volume I read. I’m not sure how I stumbled across this one but I’m glad to be reading these again. O’Connor does a great job retelling stories and lore surrounding the Greek gods. His writing style is compelling and is entertaining for all age groups.

I’m giving this entry a lower rating because I don’t like the god featured. Apollo was a straight up asshole who I feel no sympathy for. The only good things that came from him were the muses. I really enjoyed having them tell the tales of their favorite god. They give a sense of humanity to him where another POV wouldn’t.

Posthumously Published

I haven't made the time to read this past week. The only reason this book was finished was because it's an audio book and I could just zone out and listen. This book is part of the Book Riot challenge of 2018. This challenge was to read a book that had been published posthumously. I never read this book for school and it's such a well known book that I figured I was destined to read it.

Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, read by Selma Blair
3 STAR RATING
Diary of a Young Girl is a real life diary by Anne Frank who lived during World War II. She lived in a hidden annex of an office building with her family and 4 other people on the run. They lived there for over 2 years before being discovered and arrested. Anne’s father was the only one to survive. He published his daughter’s diary for the world to read. It’s an intimate and blunt piece of work.

Anne did write her diary hoping that it would be published and read one day. She even went back and added notes to previous diary entries. I found her words to be almost poetic in tone. She had a very mature voice for her age. I could relate to her feelings. The dire situation made them even more intense. It was literally life or death if they were found out. The uncertainty of how her life ended can be an upset. After reading her private thoughts from age 12-15, you wanna know how it ends. But real life doesn’t wrap things up in a neat little bow. This was war and people died with no record of it. Anne Frank was one of them.

I listened to the “definitive” version of the audio book. Selma Blair read for it. Her voice was so smooth and low that it lulled me to sleep several times. I do think a more lively performance would have worked better.

New Year, New Books

My goal, again, is to read 100 books for the new year. I'll be including audio books and rereads. Adult, children, or young adult themes. Sci-fi to mystery, paperback to e-book. Anything I put my eyes to counts.

The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily by Laura Creedle
4 STAR RATING
This is a modern love story between two people who aren’t neurotypical. Lily has severe ADHD and Abelard has Asperger’s. They are thrown together after a trip to the principal’s office and Lily is intrigued by Abelard. She’s never met a person who could understand her. They mostly communicate through texts. It’s a very quick read.

I read the e-book version of this novel. The chapters are very short so the book flows quickly and easily. Lily is the protagonist and the novel is from her POV only. She’s a very relatable character. I found her voice believable. I myself don’t have ADHD but it read as authentic. Abelard was an adorable love interest. I loved that he didn’t make any apologies for who he was and just dealt with life as it came. He embraced Lily and accepted her as she was. Their love was such a delight to read. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a teen romance based in reality.






Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
3 STAR RATING
Milk and Honey is a collection of poems that resonated with so many people when it was first published and still continue to do so. It’s broken into four parts: the hurting, the loving, the breaking, the healing. The author puts her most intimate and heartbreaking secrets out there for an audience to hear and hopefully resonate with. The poems range from very short form to broken syntax paragraphs.

I thought I’d love this book much more than I actually did. The style of poetry didn’t hit me in the feels like I wanted. Poetry is subjective and can’t be pigeonholed into one prototype. That being said, I didn’t feel like most of the poems were poetic or flowed very well. The tone and subject spoke to me on many levels though. I could relate to what the author has been through. Some lines stuck out to me and I wanted to yell out, “PREACH!”

I don’t know if I’ll read her other work but this was a delight to read and its worth most of the hype it’s received.

Review for Best Women's Erotica vol 3 by Rachel Kramer Bussel

a free copy of the book was provided by Rachel Kramer Bussel for an honest review

It’s the end of 2017 and Rachel Kramer Bussel has released volume 3 of the Best Women’s Erotica. This a collection of short stories focusing on the pleasure of women and how they indulge in their most wanton fantasies. The themes vary from role-play to threesomes to BDSM. There’s a story here for everyone.

I absolutely loved this volume. It reminded me how amazing the first one was. The stories are all unique on their own but flow well together. Bussel does a great job of ordering the stories in a way that lets each stand on its own two feet but also support each other, leaving the reader with a complete and absorbing reading experience. It honestly felt like starting with a tease and ending with a climax. Bussel lets the authors shine, not including a short story of her own. I’m assuming it’s because she received quality work and didn’t have to pick up the slack in any way.

Though I loved them all, my favorite stories were:

The Birthday Gift by Abigail Barnette

Weightless by Rachel Woe

Demon Purse by Sommer Marsden

A Love Affair All My Own by R.J. Richardson

Falling by Charlie Powell

Bibliophile by Dee Blake

Guyliner and Garters by B.B. Sanchez

Red Satin Ribbons by Tamsin Flowers

Making It Feel Right by Annabel Joseph

I’m unclear on whether this will have another volume but I’m hoping it does. I say this each time but it’s still true; I’ll read anything Bussel puts her hands on. She is a great voice in the world of erotica. 

Catching up

I am way behind on updating this blog. I've been reading like a maniac so bear with me as I dump a shit ton of books onto this page.


How to Be an Elephant by Katherine Roy
5 STAR RATING

I mistook this as a picture book but it's still a very easy read. The art is beyond beautiful. The author has a way of writing that doesn't feel like an information bomb. It's flows well and goes with the pictures. I'd recommend for a classroom environment or to be added to any kind of teaching lesson plan. This is a great book for youngsters who want to work with wild animals.

Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy
3 STAR RATING

The art is beautiful as always. I would recommend this book for research purposes. It's also a great book for older kids who are interested in marine life. This author is on my radar now. I'll be reading any nonfiction books she releases.

Windows by Julia Denos

2 STAR RATING

I didn't really like this one. The art didn't connect with me. I liked following the kid as he walked his dog around the neighborhood. But the whole concept of windows and looking through them kinda creeped me out. The last two pages were adorable though. I'd recommend this for a finishing book at story time.

A Night Out with Mama by Quvenzhane Wallis

4 STAR RATING 

The art really brings this night out to life. I love that it emphasized how normal her family life is and that she just wants to have fun at the Oscars. It's never said where she's going but it could be a cool conversation starter for a parent to tell their kids who she is and what the book is actually referring to. I see this for an older child reading this on their own. It might also translate well to a themed story-time.

Doctor Strange vol 3: Blood in the Aether by Jason Aaron

4 STAR RATING

I loved the different villains that were showcased in this volume. The weakest link was Satana and the stand out star was The Orb. He was just the perfect amount of evilness and ridiculousness. I felt that the story itself lacked structure or purpose. Obviously, magic wasn't going to be wiped out completely. I just wish the conflict had lasted more than a couple of volumes. It does leave Strange available to save Wong from Mr. Misery. Wong better not become a causality of Strange's mistakes.

Demon vol 1 by Jason Shiga

4 STAR RATING

This is such a weird book. Jimmy can't die. Every time he kills himself, he possesses the next closest body. He comes to the conclusion that he's a demon and he's determined to figure out how he became one. The art leads itself to a simple style, letting you focus on the absurdity of the plot.

Assassination Classroom vol 18 by Yusei Matsui

3 STAR RATING

This was such a filler volume but I liked it regardless. The cute Valentine's day scenes had me cheesing hard. I really want Nagisa and Kayano to get together.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

5 STAR RATING

I just love the author's voice. It's great for character acting but when he's just straight up narrating, it's so smooth and soothing. I only know of Norse gods through Marvel comic movies. This is his retelling of the original tales of the old gods. Odin, Thor, and Loki are the key players and they're all well written. I loved each and every story that Gaiman chose to tell. Even though this is an adult novel, I can see parents reading a story or two to their kids. It's a book for everyone.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

3 STAR RATING

Obviously, the subject matter is a tough one. And it's even sadder when you think about how nothing has really changed, the danger has only escalated. Cullen does his best to paint the killers as plainly as he can, not letting what they did color his words. It's clear that Eric was the leader and the one with murderous intent from the beginning. Dylan dealt with his depression and suicidal thoughts in the worst way possible. And everyone else who was affected by these actions were given their voice in this book. I can see why this is read in classrooms. It's a conversation that we should always be having, even when we're afraid to.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

4 STAR RATING

This was a great conclusion to the Lara Jean trilogy. I feel like she's had an amazing character arc and realistic character development. Her relationship with Peter was so sweet and sad. I imagine it's very hard to love someone and want to be with them but the future doesn't cooperate with your plans. They are going to different colleges and Lara jean isn't sure if their relationship will last. She's also dealing with her dad's relationship with their neighbor and what that means for the family dynamic. I just really like Lara Jean. She's very likable and relatable. She doesn't change herself for her boyfriend. She's always true to herself and I think that's a great message for young women to see in their literature.

One More Month

There are less than 4 weeks left in the year and I am doing well with my books. I'm reading sometimes 3 books at a time: with audio, e-books, and hardbacks. It gets a bit confusing but it keeps my mind occupied. 

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

4 STAR RATING

Obviously, avoid this book if you don't like reading books that'll make you cry. It's a tough subject but very well written. Sepetys does a great job of drawing you into the story and keeping you engaged the entire time. She doesn't take too much time to build the setting since it's historical fiction. The first four chapters give a small glimpse into the characters' mind. And it alternates from their POVs. I am not the hugest fan of historical fiction but I really liked this book. I've heard good things about the audio so I'd recommend that over the hardback.

The Sexy Librarian by Nicolette Dane

2 STAR RATING

I'm not sure how I stumbled across this book but since it was free, I quickly downloaded it. The beginning was very cute. I liked Amelia and her inner dialogue. The sexy librarian in question, Esme, was not as likable. I knew right away she had made copies of the unpublished novella being held at the library. I was expecting a bit more drama from that situation. But this is a short story. So they live happily ever after. I just wasn't amused by their relationship or entertained much by the sex scenes.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

2 STAR RATING

Good Lord, this book almost put me to sleep several times. I am a fan of the show adaptation so I thought I'd enjoy the book since it's (usually) better. But this time, the tv show got it right. If the pacing on the show is slow, then the pacing in the novel is nonexistent. I just kept waiting for something to happen. The ending and the Coming to America stories saved the reading experience for me. Neil Gaiman read the Coming to America parts and his voice is lovely. I was very impressed with the entire cast of voice actors. They fit their characters well. I just couldn't stand all the talking and thinking and nonevents that surrounded the few events that took place.

The stand out god for me Horus. His "mad" voice was hilarious and confusingly sexy to me. I wish he were in the book more than he was. And that bonus story with Shadow and Jesus that Gaiman took out was great. Jesus had such a calmness to him. I'm eager to see how the show will adapt the book for season two. Here's hoping it'll be a bit more action packed. 

Soul Eater by Atsushi Ohkubo

vol 11

4 STAR RATING

Great battle scene with Maka and Soul. They are so great together. I welcomed Black Star's absence. He's the weak link in the story for me. Crona has run away but I hope they come back soon. The hidden witches in Death City were sold out by Medusa who's now locked in DWMA's dungeon. Obviously, no one trusts her. But she just gave up Arachne's stronghold location so let's see what comes from that.

vol 12

4 STAR RATING

They just gonna stab my boy Ox like that?! I will not stand for this. Kim and Jackie better get their heads right before coming back to DWMA. I get that they're brainwashed but you can't go around stabbing my favorite characters. And speaking of the total opposite of that, Black Star shows up at the very end. He's such a dick, tripping all the alarms and possibly ruining the plan. If he gets his ass kicked next volume, I will not be complaining.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

3 STAR RATING

I've finally finished this book after starting it more than a month ago. Hell, I even let someone else borrow my copy and they read it before me. I just couldn't get completely lost on reading this one. The writing style was funny and very meta. The book is fully self aware that someone is reading it. The characters were all unique enough. Andy and Tim were the stand out favorites for me. Even though Tim's a dog, he's got more charisma than the whole roster of people in this story put together. The ending was the highlight of my reading experience. I wish the rest of the book had been as exciting.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr

4 STAR RATING

I was a little lost at times but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Listening to the audio version made the story even weirder. Ethan Hawke did an excellent job. His voice was so smooth and hypnotizing. The actual plot of hard to explain to someone. The only thing I can say is just read it if you're looking for a strange read. It''l keep your interest the whole time and it'll be over fairly quickly.

To Italy with Love by Fiona Zedde

4 STAR RATING

This book is a roller-coaster ride. With every story, the plot becomes crazier and more thrilling. The first story is the longest and the most frustrating. I did not like Chrisanne as the love interest and thought Iris deserved way better than her. Hot sex does not equal a functioning relationship. Which brings us to the second Story. When people are having sex surrounded by people they just killed, it's not every sexy to me lol. And then the final story just took me out of the reading experience. I was laughing at how ridiculous the tone was and at the plot itself. But despite all that, I had a great time reading this book. It's totally unique and I'll never forget about it.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

5 STAR RATING

The illustrations just make me love the book even more. Now you have a visual for each and every creature.

Literary Stress

The majority of the next few books were for a conference I attended in October. I was a procrastinator and read them all in a mad rush. But since I'm also crazy, I decided to read other books for my own pleasure which only added to the stress I was feeling.

New Suicide Squad Vol 3: Freedom by Sean Ryan
4 STARS

I still don't care for Amanda Waller and her motives on anything but she was very entertaining in taking down Vic. She works well with Task Force X because she's like them, doing what she's good at and feeling stuck where she is. They can't go anywhere and neither can she. She's just not behind a prison cell. Harley Quinn continues to have her identity crisis. After the last volume, she doesn't know who she should be and want she wants out of life. It's starting to affect her job performance. I'ma bit sad this series only have four volumes but I'm eager to see how this story arc wraps up.






It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
4 STAR RATING

• Zomorod feels like she doesn’t fit in with regular American girls, feels ashamed of her parents (mostly her mother)
• Changed name to Cindy so she wouldn’t stick out as much
• Diverse protagonist
• Cindy never gives up on making friends, eventually succeeds at her new school
• Cindy’s family doesn’t give up on wanting a better life for their daughter

FINALLY I'VE FINISHED THIS DAMN BOOK. I really liked Cindy as a character but I had a hard time completely losing myself in the novel. The short chapters helped keep in intrigued but failed to hold onto my interest. Towards the end of the story, the timeline gets condensed and loses the impact of the family being able to stay in America. I enjoyed the aspect that this was semi autobiographical. It helped make the story all the more real to me.





Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
5 STAR RATING


• Nimona and Blackheart are at odds with the Institute and how society views
• Blackheart is at odds with the role of villain since he was originally supposed to be a hero
• Goldenloin is at odds with staying away from Blackheart and not viewing him as a friend
• Great artwork, translates well from the web series
• For an older teen audience

Just a great graphic novel for anyone 14 an up. I can see being totally addicted to this as a web series and I'm glad it was turned into a novel. Stevenson left a few questions unanswered but it didn't take away from the reading experience at all. Plus, I listened to some of the audio book and it was freaking epic. It had a full on production so the amazing art wouldn't get lost in the adaptation.






Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune
2 STAR RATING


I read this all in one day and I think that detracted from my full enjoyment of the experience. Turner tries her hardest to make a historic biography not come across as boring and she succeeded up to a point. The story itself is very dense and doesn't give itself room to breath. I was also hoping for more art to go along with the story. The small amount I did see left me wanting more.









The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

3 STAR RATING


My original rating was 4 stars but I took one away with my rereading. I didn't find the book as charming as I once did. The characters were still relatable up to a point. I liked the romance between Alona and Will. They played well off of each other. I have no idea where the trilogy could go from here. The relationship has to end when one of them is a ghost. I'm afraid the second book will lose momentum.

Post challenge

I have been high key stressed on reading books for a conference I had signed up for but now that conference has passed. I had a blast and I can't wait to do it again. If you're interested, it was Books for the Beast. Here's the link to the 2017 conference that happened this past Saturday. Some of the books I've reviewed were on the required reading list.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
3 STAR RATING

After almost a month of dragging my feet, I've finished this damn book. I did like it, but the subject matter was just a downer to listen to. I knew I'd hear horrible things that would put me in a dark mood. So I only allowed myself to listen a small portion at a time. Marie and Werner are very relatable leads. Even though they were painted into tough corners, especially Werner, I still felt like I could understand their thought process. The book doesn't shy away from the horrid details of war and what most people had actually gone through. So if you are a sensitive reader, I'd avoid this book.






The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
5 STAR RATING


• Starr is at odds with the expectations from her community and her school
• DIVERSITY
• Starr feels like two people, can’t be herself around private school friends /boyfriend or her black friends
• Starr finds her voice by speaking out against police violence
• Audiobook was very engaging and held my attention the entire time
• Modern classic for teens of today

I didn't realize how much I needed this book in my life. It was so freaking awesome. Starr is a great protagonist; she has one of the most honest voices in YA fiction. The audio book did a great job of sucking me into the story. It did take me a little while to get into it. The younger tone threw me off and made me think I should have been reading the hardcover instead. It was only a small hiccup though and I fell in love with the story. It made me laugh, cry and, damn near have panic attacks. It's a new favorite, for sure.




Assassination Classroom vol 17 by Yusei Matsui
5 STAR RATING

I guess it was inevitable that the story would end up in space? It doesn't even surprise me that Nagisa and Karma are now in a rocket ship heading into outer space as an attempt to save Koro Sensei. After an intense battle between the class, team Save Koro Sensei came out on top. Nagisa vs Karma was a great thing to behold. They both have amazing assassinating skills but Nagisa just has that ruthless edge. I'm not as excited to see how this space expedition will play out. Only so much can happen.







All Different Now by Angela Johnson
3 STAR RATING


As a picture book, the artwork is nice to look at. It's fluid and fits the tone of the story well. Since it's not nonfiction, the story itself doesn't really delve into what Juneteenth is and why it was such a big deal. It does get the message across on how important it was to black people. I'd recommend this book for a younger age group, somewhere between 3-6. It could possibly come with questions from the child but I think they'd just enjoy the flow of the book.





The Library Book by Tom Chaplin
3 STAR RATING


Since the text is actually a song, it's best to read this aloud to the beat or to sing it to children. Reading it as a normal book falls flat. There's a rhythm to it that doesn't translate it reading it aloud. The art is cute and I love the little girl and her glasses. She's so darn cute. I also like this book because it encourages kids to go to the library and that they can have fun there.

100 BOOKS in 2017

I DID IT. I've read 100 books. My goals used to be a lot higher but with a full time job, I've had less and less time to read for personal pleasure. But with 3 months left, I'll be well over my initial goal by the end of the year.


Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Vol 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates
2 STAR RATING

• Beautiful art
• T’Challa is king again after a long absence, his people are against him
• He’s finding it difficult to rule and find a balance between justice and serving his people as king
• He wants to stamp out the evil easily but his mother advises him it won’t be
• Aneka and Ayo are not giving up on what they think is right for their country, starting a revolution against T’Challa
• Nonlinear plot lines, hard to tell what is actually happening and the significance of it
• Reads too dense to be enjoyed by a general younger audience

This book fairs a little better than the last one I read for this conference but not by much. T'Challa is the most boring superhero in the comic. He's struggling to keep peace and order in his lands but he's doing a piss poor job of it. The opposing revolutionaries are more interesting but the author fails to expand on their interests and motives. I won't be reading any more volumes so see who comes out on top.


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling
5 STAR RATING

My original rating for this book was 5 stars but I'm taking a star away. I found Harry and Ron to be very annoying in this book. They ganged up on Hermione more times than I liked. She was struggling so hard this year and was just looking out for her friends and TRYING TO KEEP THEM ALIVE. Plus, I thought it was adorable how her subtle crush towards Ron is showing itself to the reader. 

Another thing I'm noticing is that movie Snape is eons above book Snape. Book Snape is repulsive and awful. I can somewhat relate and sympathize with movie Snape more. I hate him just as much as Harry does. Book Sirius had less time to grow on me than the movie version. But I highly suspect that's because Gary Oldman's sexy ass was portraying him in the film.

The voice actor for the audio book knocked it out of the park again. His voice is so relaxing, even when he's yelling and describing the most stressful and action packed parts of the story. But I'm sad to say I skipped over some of the book towards the end. I grew tired of Lupin's storytelling when I just wanted Pettigrew to die. That scene felt like it went on forever.



Attack on Titan Vol 22 by Hajime Isayama

4  STAR RATING

Finally, we get some answers. They're not the answers I was expecting but they felt genuine and not forced. I honestly don't think it's smart for Eren to keep any information to himself about bloodlines and titans. This late in the game, everyone's cards need to be on the table. At least with the people he trusts. After letting Commander Erwin die and choosing Armin to live, Eren should tell him and Mikasa.








Forgotten Bones-Uncovering a Slave Cemetery by Lois Milner Huey 
4 STAR RATING

This is a great book for all ages, not just the younger audience it is intended for. I had heard about the lost cemetery in passing but had never looked into it. This book details each step that the excavation crew went through in order to shed light on who these people were and how they lived. They even hired someone to do facial reconstruction so we could see what they probably looked like. For anyone more interested in archaeologists and lost bones, this is a great read.







Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung
3 STAR RATING

• Coming of age story
• Lucy is “at odds” with the new school and her classmates, what they expect from her and who she really is
• Diverse characters
• Written in letter format, Lucy writing to Lihn
• Not a fan of writing style, it takes me out of the story
• Fans of Mean Girls might enjoy the Cabinet (popular girls of the new school)
• Story picks up steam after Lucy is engaging with her new classmates
• Teens can relate to giving into peer pressure
• Lihn is a metaphor for who Lucy was before she got her scholarship, how at ease she was with herself


I was so confused for a while. I didn't realize until the very end the Lihn was not actually a friend of Lucy's. That really took me out of the story itself. I found it hard to enjoy it. The Cabinet is the most interesting aspect of the novel. Reading about how privileged these young girls are and how delusional they are with their self importance made me laugh. I thought about giving this book 4 stars but I wasn't invested in Lucy's journey. She's not very relatable.

Almost there

I am so close to my goal of reading 100 this year. I only have FIVE books left. I used to strive for 150-200 books per year but it started to become a chore. I never want my love of reading to fade. Besides my book club reads and the books I read for conferences, I read only for pleasure.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
3 STAR RATING

This genre is such a hard read for me. I always get overly emotional. I was the same way with the Alex Cross books I read. I don't like reading about real life violence, especially towards women. This is a dark book. Claire and Lydia are two estranged sisters that reunite after 20 years when they try to figure out what happened to their long lost big sister; and how Claire's husband plays a role in the mystery.

The author held nothing back. This book is graphic, going into great detail about women being raped and tortured and murdered. Listening to it as an audio book felt like an overload of information to take in. It made it hard to skip the unpleasant parts that were making me uncomfortable. But I stuck through and finished it to the end. The book started to lose me though. I was impatient for the final confrontation and the story just dragging on and on. But the concluding chapter made up for it. It was very sweet and I'm happy that this sad sad story had a somewhat happy ending.





Doctor Strange vol 2: The Last Days of Magic by Jason Aaron
4 STAR RATING


Shit has really hit the fan in this volume for Doctor Strange. The Empirikul have seemingly killed all magic and now Strange has to try and find any hidden magic in the most dangerous places on Earth. And the monster in the basement has finally gotten loose. Honestly, it's scarier than any of the Empirikul. That thing is definitely going to be an ongoing problem for Strange and anyone that comes across it. I feel that the art has improved tremendously from the first volume. But that's maybe because I have now grown used to it.








Prophecy by Ellen Oh
1 STAR RATING

• Slow beginning, slightly boring
• Kira is a dull protagonist
• At page 111, still waiting for book to become interesting
• Kira is obviously the character “at odds” with everyone around her, being treated like a monster because of her demon hunting abilities
• Very generic storytelling, more geared towards a younger juvenile audience than teens

And that was just me being nice. This book was boring and awful to try and read. It took me forever just to get to the halfway point of the novel. Kira is such a lackluster heroine. I didn't care about her struggles. She barely had any kind of character development and she's the main character. Every one in this book fell flat for me. I didn't connect with any of them. I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy. I don't want to be any more disappointed than I already am with this series.






The Real Mrs. Price by J.D. Mason
5 STAR RATING


I love when I can finish a novel in a day, without feeling like it was a chore. This was such a compelling story. The author did a great job of making me care what each character has to say. I didn't necessarily like everyone but I liked to read the chapters from their POVs. Marlowe is the star of the show; being the character I related to the most. Even with that less than desirable ending, I could understand why she did what she did. Not everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bow. I somehow wish this could continue into another novel but the story is definitely finished. How sad for me.







Y The Last Man vol 3: One Small Step
4 STAR RATING

More and more, this series is growing on me. 355 is still avoiding her feelings, Yorick is still feeling the weight on his shoulders, and mother and daughter have reunited. A lot happened in this volume. The astronauts landed from space but the men died in the crash. But the lone female astronaut survived and she's pregnant with either or both of their babies. So man might still survive after all.