Super Subversive Cross Stitch by Julie Jackson

 
Super Subversive Cross Stitch by Julie Jackson
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Sasquatch Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been cross stitching for a couple of years now, and subversive patterns are always fun. Here you’ll find 50 subversive patterns in addition to charts and different tips on how to customize each pattern. My favorite pattern in the book is, “SPARK JOY OR GET OUT,” but there’s so many great patterns here. Each chart is also easy to follow for new and experienced cross stitchers alike.

The opening of the book covers the basics on how to cross stitch including what supplies you’ll need and how to separate your floss. There’s even an explanation on what the different types of fabric counts are and what differences you’ll see between them. I think the entire opening is great for anyone new to cross stitching because it’s very informative, simple to follow, and not overwhelming in any way.

Plus, there’s tips on making your own patterns at the end, including the name of a computer program one can use to design patterns: PCStitch. There’s different programs out there, including free chart makers, but I also use PCStitch so I’m down with this recommendation. All in all, this is a great book and I want to check out Julie’s other patterns in the future.

The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe Book by Ashley Craft

 
The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe Book by Ashley Craft
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Adams Media through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this wonderful book, Ashley Craft brings a combination of some Disney history and several delicious drink recipes all inspired by the different Disney parks. The opening of the book is a fun read because it covers some of the interesting history behind Disney down to why it went from an alcohol-free zone to offering some alcoholic beverages in recent times. It’s been a long, LONG time since I’ve visited any of the Disney parks, and this book brought some of the magic from them straight into my home.

The rest of the book is separated by the type of drinks, with recipes ranging from coffee to cold and fun slushies. There’s also a section on the types of ingredients one will need, including how to make some of them and substitutes for coffee for non-drinkers as well as anyone looking for a coffee flavor without the caffeine. Each recipe is easy to follow and the pictures that are provided look absolutely delicious. Pictures are not provided for every drink, at least in the copy of the book I received, but the pictures that are featured are beautiful.

I like that the recipes include some facts about the drink, which is about the location, the ride it’s inspired by, or something fun about the flavors. It really makes reading the book more fun because there’s all kinds of neat facts and information featured all over the pages. There’s also a guide for ride locations at different parks or Disney owned locations, which is pretty neat.

All in all, this is a fun read with many recipes that are easy to adjust for personal preferences. Many of the drinks appear to be rather sweet, which is something I would’ve loved when I was younger, but it’ll be easy to reduce that for any of the drinks I make. Personally, I got really excited when I saw that there’s a recipe for a dole whip float, so I’m eager to try that recipe first.

Blood Stain, Vol. 3 by Linda Šejić

Blood Stain, Vol. 3 by Linda Šejić

My Rating: ★★★★

Now that Elliot’s new job is in full swing, she’s starting to realize that Vlad doesn’t have any idea what he wants her to do. Her fears become reality when she deep cleans the entire lab only to find it was the wrong move. Vlad’s messy lab was apparently organized according to his needs, but now it’s been disturbed, and he is not happy. 

While not much happens in each volume, I’ve been really enjoying this series. It’s a funny little slice of life series that showcases the author’s beautiful artwork. I’ve decided to view each volume as a glimpse into Elliot’s life because they move very slowly. If I were to read one volume alone rather than pick up the following volume shortly after, I think I’d have forgotten all about it. It’s cute and funny, but I think that the entire first three volumes could actually be the first volume.

Because of this, I’ve decided to let the next three volumes stack up so I can read them back-to-back as well. There’s just not enough happening to read a single volume and then leave off until the next one is available. I know I sound disappointed and possibly a little bored, but I really am enjoying them. They’re cute and funny, and if you’re someone who prefers a very slow-moving plot, I highly recommend this series. If you’re someone who prefers extremely fast paced plots, this is probably not something you’ll enjoy because it’s going to be too slow for you. However, if it still sounds up your alley, I recommend letting several volumes stack up so you can read them all back-to-back.

Blood Stain, Vol. 2 by Linda Šejić

 
Blood Stain, Vol. 2 by Linda Šejić
My Rating: ★★★★

When Elliot took her latest job out of desperation, she knew that her new boss was probably creepy. What she wasn’t expecting was for him to be working out of his basement and sleepwalk hiring an assistant. What’s even worse is that he’s made an even worst first impression than she did because Dr. Vlad Stein is covered in blood and lurking in the dark.

I’m glad I’m reading the first three volumes back-to-back because it’s pretty slow moving. I have a pretty good feeling that the first three volumes are going to feel like one volume because they plot moves very slowly. That said, I was fully entertained yet again and am excited to read the next one because it’s a pretty funny series.

This time around, we get to learn a little about Vlad and his chef, Serge, as well as their relationship with one another. I like that they seem to also be friends, which would make sense given that Serge also lives at Vlad’s place. The interactions between the two of them had me cracking up a couple times. I’m excited to see where this goes.

It was fun to see that Vlad is just about as clueless as Elliot, though in totally different ways. They’ve made such terrible first impressions, but Vlad is the winner here. The guy doesn’t even remember hiring Elliot nor did he bother to explain why he’s always covered in blood. It was also interesting to see that his nickname is blood stain, which appears to be due to a combination of how his name sounds depending on one’s accent and the fact that he always has blood stains on his clothes.

While the plot moves very slowly, I am excited to read the next volume and see where the story goes.

Blood Stain, Vol. 1 by Linda Šejić

 
Blood Stain, Vol. 1 by Linda Šejić

My Rating: ★★★

After spending two years bouncing from job to job, Elliot Torres is exhausted. She can’t keep a job for long, and her sister is getting really tired of it. Strapped for cash, Elliot knows she needs to get it together, especially when her mom gets out of the hospital. She can’t wait for the perfect job to come along… except that one job that sounds way too good to be true.

I recently read Punderworld, so I decided to check this out and see what it’s all about. We follow Elliot, a directionless woman who is looking for the perfect job with a boss who meets her expectations. Unfortunately for her, she’s either not a good fit or she finds something wrong and bows out early. The opening is quite hilarious as we see the different jobs Elliot’s had and why it didn’t work out. It’s mostly her, and her sister is not letting her get away with it because they don’t have the luxury to be picky.

I think Elliot is quite realistic while set in an unrealistic and entertaining situation as she takes the job no one else wants as an assistant to a an allegedly crazy scientist. I had a lot of fun reading this. The artwork is beautiful, and Elliot’s shenanigans are hilarious. While she’s quite flaky and directionless, I really like her. She’s funny, has heart, and means well.

I was not expecting the volume to end where it did since most of it was about all the different jobs and how Elliot finds herself working for Dr. Vlad Stein. When I reached the end, it felt more like it stopped in the middle of the volume. We get to know Elliot pretty well, but we briefly meet all of the other characters, so that felt a little odd as well. That said, I do like it and I’ve already got the second volume, so I’m excited to see where this goes now that the plot is getting rolling.

Punderworld, Vol. 1 by Linda Šejić

 
Punderworld, Vol. 1 by Linda Šejić

My Rating: ★★★★★

In this Greek mythology retelling, we learn how Hades and Persephone fell in love through a series of hilarious misadventures. It was love at first sight for these two, but they barely spoke or saw each other for centuries. Between Hades being shy, and Persephone being sheltered and never allowed out on her own, a romance was not in the cards for them. That all changes when Hades unwillingly joins a celebration and finds himself ready to make his interests known with the help of a little liquid courage and a friend behind him.

I absolutely loved this story. It’s such a different take on both Hades and Persephone that I can’t help but be endeared to them. Hades is an overworked shy person while Persephone is sheltered and never allowed to make her own choices. Their personalities and everything they carry with them lead to a hilarious series of misadventures that are sure to suck every reader in right away. I immediately loved the way Linda Šejić designed and put their own spin on every single character who appears throughout this volume. I can’t wait to see what she does with this story next.

The artwork is absolutely stunning. It’s extremely vibrant, and you can tell a lot of work was put into the character designs. I loved seeing how the story came to be in addition to the concept art and the different ways some of the characters almost appeared at the end. I love seeing concept art appear at the end of graphic novels, so it was an added bonus to read how the story came to be side by side with concept art and early panels.

All in all, I loved this book and I’m excited to check out the second volume when it eventually comes out in addition to the author’s other works.

The Witch and the Beast, Vol. 5 by Kousuke Satake

 
The Witch and the Beast, Vol. 5 by Kousuke Satake

My Rating: ★★★★★

Injured and grumpy, Guideau falls face first into a trap set by the witch who cursed them. The encounter knocks Guideau back down to their lowest place, causing Ashaf to take a trip down memory lane. He remembers their first meeting and how their close, yet fickle, partnership began.

I’ve been loving this series, so I was extremely excited to start this installment. This time around, we got some backstory on Guideau. They’re such an interesting character that I was thrilled when Ashaf started taking a trip down memory lane. We don’t have all the answers yet, but it was interesting and I’m excited to see where this goes and to see the rest of their story unfold.

It was also neat to see how Guideau and Ashaf became partners. I assumed the Order of Magical Resonance had organized their partnership, so it was cool to see what actually happened and how it differed from what I assumed occurred. It’ll be neat to eventually see what Ashaf’s story is as well.

Plus, after hearing about the witch who cursed Guideau through multiple volumes, it was exciting to finally see her. She made quite the entrance that has left a lasting impression on me. I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds, especially with the way this volume ended. I can’t wait until I’m able to read the sixth volume because that ending is taking us to a whole new world… literally. I’m excited to see this place in addition to learning what answers they find there. 

The Friar’s Lantern by Greg Hickey

 
The Friar’s Lantern by Greg Hickey

My Rating: ★★★

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

In this choose your own adventure novel, you have the chance to join a study about the predictability of human behavior, sit on the jury for a murder trial, and test your luck in more ways than one. Along the way, you will question whether or not every choice you make is predictable or if fate has a huge hand in our lives.

I love choose your own adventure novels, so of course I had to read this book. Compared to other novels in this genre, I thought it was interesting that the basis of this one is a form of nature vs. nurture. However, I do think this book is shorter with a more limited number of endings than other novels in the same genre.

Personally, found this novel lacking in options. After returning to the beginning for the fourth time, I already knew where it was headed due to the lack of choices leading to new areas of an “adventure.” Some of the chapters were information heavy as well and didn’t always impact the next choice. That said, I could follow the author’s train of thought and see what they were trying to do with this, and I think it was a good first time run at doing a choose your own adventure novel.

Some of the chapter titles are a sequence of letters and numbers that appeared to be equations or science notes. Initially, I thought this indicated that at least a few of the paths one could take would gown down a sci-fi path. Paired with the light sci-fi feeling of the novel that reminded me of the indie movie, eXistenZ, I think that a bizarre sci-fi path would not have been outlandish.

While I think the story is lacking in options, I do think it’s a good beginner friendly choose your own adventure novel. I have some friends who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of options with some novels in this genre who would love something with a smaller pool of paths to take. I also think that the author is onto something here and I can see that there’s a lot of potential if they choose to write similar stories in the future.

Buried Beneath by Kelly Ann Hopkins

Buried Beneath by Kelly Ann Hopkins
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Zenith Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shelly Frank has always lived a carefully crafted perfect life. What no one knows is that behind the doors of the beautiful house she and her mom live in are secrets neither of them wants anyone to know about. You see, Shelly’s mom is a hoarder. The longer that her mother stays in the house, the more she loses touch with reality while Shelly is left to be the parent and the child. Depressed and lonely, Shelly’s life begins to look up when she starts dating Joshua. When Shelly’s deadbeat father sends her a plane ticket to Florida, she discovers the lies her mother has been telling since he left, slowly unraveling the single thread keeping her life together.

I was drawn to this book because one of the characters is a hoarder since I grew up with a parent with the disorder. Kelly Ann Hopkins perfectly captures the stages between not thinking much about it to the realization that not everyone lives this way. In Shelley’s case, she’s quite deeply affected by how she’s been forced to live, especially since trash (old food, magazines, etc) makes up a large portion of what is strewn across their home. Combined with how bad her mother’s disorder has gotten, it is understandable that she’s lonely, frustrated, and counting down the days until she can escape.

Thankfully, her escape comes earlier than expected when she is suddenly contacted by her father. The series of events that follows shows how much Shelly’s mother has lost touch with reality, how much she resents her ex-husband, and extent of denial about how bad her overall situation is. I feel bad for these characters, but I found myself thinking about how if I was in the situation described in the book, I’d be counting down the days until I could get the hell out of dodge too.

I found the characters to be well written and more complex than I was expecting. The only characters I wish were better developed are Joshua and Shelly’s stepmom, but mainly Joshua. He seemed very two dimensional to me and existed under the halo of young love. However, I do think both characters were great as well as very supportive people all around, which is exactly what Shelly needs. That said, I personally didn’t care for Shelly for most of the book. She comes off as very condescending and entitled for the most part. I also think she way she looked down on some others was exactly how she feared others would look at her if they knew about her house. However, I think she’s a great character and I was rooting for her all book long.

I’m also little confused about the eating disorder she has. It seems like she has bulimia, but then she has an ulcer and an eating disorder… but then she doesn’t have an eating disorder while she has one. It’s not exactly clear, at least to me, but I do think that if you have an ED or are in recovery, this might not be a book for you because the disordered eating that occurs will be triggering.

All in all, I think this is a great book, and I’m looking forward to checking out the author’s other publications.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Feminine Pursuits #1) by Olivia Waite

 
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

My Rating: ★★★★

When the blindsided and heartbroken Lucy Muchelney is forced to watch her ex-girlfriend marry a sweet man that even she can’t hate, she doesn’t know what to do with herself. The only thing Lucy knows she can turn to is science. When she receives a letter asking if she knows of anyone who can translate a French astronomy publication, Lucy knows exactly who is up to the job: herself. She packs her bags and takes off to London to surprise Catherine St Day, the Countess of Moth, in hopes of translating the texts and entering the science world under her own name. What Lucy finds is that her fellow scientists are not accepting of her sex. On the bright side, she has found a new friend, confidant, and supporter in Catherine that’s lingering on the edge of something more.

After reading the third book in the series, I knew I had to start this series from the beginning. However, one can read the books in whatever order they wish because they each act as a standalone with a different storyline and cast of characters. I have to say that the first installment was absolutely spectacular. We follow Lucy, who is being pressured by her brother to give up astronomy and get married. He even wants to sell off her telescope even though it won’t bring much money in. Of course, Lucy is an astronomer and refuses to give up science due to her sex, so she fights like hell to get recognized as a scientist. This is the main plot, but if you want to roll up for the romance, it follows very closely behind the main plot.

Since I read the third book already, I knew that Lucy and Catherine would get together and fight their way over any hurdles that came their way. Knowing this beforehand did not take anything away from the book. If anything, I went in knowing that I was about to be treated to a great romance written with care and a hot, romantic flame. These two characters had such great chemistry on a friendly and romantic front that I was excited about watching their relationship develop very early on.

Since Lucy is an astronomer, the science plot was heavy handed. If reading about astronomy or any kind of science talk is not your thing, this may not be your cup of tea, but I think that one can overlook this in favor of the great cast of characters along with a wonderful romance story. I do think that each of the plots were interesting to follow, though I can’t say how realistic the actual science talk is since astronomy is not my area. That said, I did think it was interesting to read and see how Catherine was incorporated into the science world through art and love.

Chasing Ghosts: A Tour of Our Fascination with Spirits and the Supernatural by Marc Hartzman

 
Chasing Ghosts: A Tour of Our Fascination with Spirits and the Supernatural by Marc Hartzman
My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Quirk Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in learning some supernatural history, then this book is for you! While I was familiar with a lot of the information covered in this book, I did learn some new things. I was also familiar with the rise of Spiritualism, but not to the extent that it’s covered here, so that was quite interesting to read about. I found that this was well researched and covered quite a bit of information that those new to diving into some of the history of the supernatural.

That said, I do think that this book is very dry and comes off as a textbook. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if this is something you’d like to avoid, then I recommend passing on this. Otherwise, I think it’s a great book that covers a lot of information and make great reads for those seasoned and new to all things paranormal.

Spy x Family, Vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endo

Spy x Family, Vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endo
My Rating: ★★★★★

Just when Twilight thinks he only needs to focus on getting Anya closer to his target’s son, he’s now faced with proving he’s the perfect suiter for Yor when her younger brother enters the picture. Meanwhile, Anya has her own problems to deal with at school. It’s impossible to get to the position Twilight needs her to be in when she’s failing most of her classes and Damian is too insufferable to befriend. Things seem to be looking up when she hears a rumor that doing well in PE can earn her a stella star. The only problem? She has to survive a difficult game of dodge ball.

I absolutely love this series. Just when I think it can’t get any funnier, Twilight and Yor are faced with proving to her younger brother that they’re in love. It was interesting to see the personality traits that Yor shares with Yuri down to hiding a huge secret. It’s even funnier to see him facing off with Twilight, who is much better at being undercover than Yuri is at keeping a very light cover story. The entire meeting had me in stitches, especially when it turned out that Yor and Yuri both black out after consuming any alcohol.

It was also interesting to see Anya figure out how to use her ability to read minds to aid her in doing well in a game of dodgeball. I was surprised about how the game ended, but I was not surprised about the ultimate results. I also really enjoyed reading the side mission where Anya works to help Yor without her new mom even being aware of it. It was such a cute and fun side story that I hope to see more of them as the series continues.

All in all, this volume is another winner. I was glued from the moment I opened the book and am interested in seeing how more new characters will be introduced and woven into the story.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3) by Kay O'Neill

 
The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Kay O'Neill
My Rating: ★★★★★

After caring for Ginseng for a year, Greta hasn’t been able to find a way to help ease their grief. Feeling like a failure, she looks within to find a way to let Ginseng know that she’s there whenever they’re ready as she prepares to create something amazing to impress a blacksmith interested in taking her on as their apprentice. Meanwhile, Minette is haunted by dreams that make her realize that she’s mourning the person she used to be. The more confused she is, the more she realizes that she’s proud about her current journey and that her past isn’t a waste. Together, Greta and Minette prepare to plant roots and grow into their paths with old and new friends.

I love the artwork, stories, and care put into each and every aspect of the series, so I was both happy and sad to pick up the final installment. This time around, we are back to following Greta and Minette from the first book. Greta has really come into her own and is focused on blacksmithing, caring for Ginseng, and spending times with friends and family. I love that she’s getting the chance to possibly become the apprentice of a well-known blacksmith. Through her work, he’s learning to love his craft in new ways numb for a long time. It was here that I realized this installment is about healing, learning to lean on the people around you when needed, and finding new and old things that make you happy.

At the end, we get an article on tea dragons. It gives me a little hope that, should Kay O'Neill decide to continue this series through prequels or spin-offs, there’s a lot she could do that involves tea dragons or other types of dragons. There was so much love put into these three books that I’m also okay if this is where it ends. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing what Kay comes up with next because they have such a powerful way with words and artwork.

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from William Morrow through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After escaping Liberty Lake thanks to a scholarship, Mary almost had it all. She lost weight, was close to graduating from an Ivy League, had many friends, and had no plans to return to the city escaped. Then she finally let out all the anger she’d been keeping in, leading to her expulsion. Mary finds herself back in Liberty Lake with student loans breathing down her neck as she works a minimum wage job when her former childhood friend, Olivia, goes missing. With nothing better to do, Mary finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the case, especially when she becomes convinced that there’s a serial killer involved.

Narrated by Mary, we follow her from the moment her dad arrives to help her move out of her dorm room. Lonely, angry, depressed, and ashamed, she doesn’t tell anyone the real reason she’s not at school. Not even her best friend. We spend a lot of time in her head learning why she’s angry and depressed. The more we get to know Mary, the more it becomes apparent that she has had anger issues for a long time and is obsessed with fitting with her peers while being better than them. She’s not a likable character, but she is interesting to follow as she continues to stick her foot dog poop everywhere she goes.

For someone who doesn’t want to call attention to herself or get involved in what’s going on, Mary sure does like to play amateur sleuth. It was interesting to see her make a connection between DeMaria Jackson’s murder and Olivia’s disappearance before anyone else did. However, Mary does call attention to herself a lot more than she thinks she did, and she certainly made life very bad for a character who wasn’t involved in the murders. I think the fact that she’s far from being a detective and makes mistakes left and right is realistic, but I do think that the extent of her investigation does require readers to suspend belief as the story continues.

All in all, I think it’s a great story. I also like that it has an open ending, but that there’s enough information that I know exactly what happened to Mary after the final chapter. I’m excited to see what Catherine Dang publishes next because she had me glued to every page of this book.

Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson

 
Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson
My Rating: ★

I received a copy from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ditched by her best friend, Emily, Riley Flynn is a lonely middle schooler who is bullied by the cool kids at school. When Riley gets targeted in science, it quickly goes south, leading her to face off with Emily and her new friends. Just when her day can’t get any worse, Riley finds herself locked in the science closet and left in the hands of the ghosts of her middle school.

We follow Riley, a lonely girl who goes back and forth between battling her hot temper and facing off with the kids who target her at school. I think the book perfectly captures how horrible middle school can be, especially when you don’t fit in with part or most of your peers. Everyone wants to be different, but those who are different get singled out, and that’s where Riley finds herself.

Locked in the science closet, Riley finds herself at the hands of the school ghosts. She meets Max, a ghost possessing one of the frogs being dissected in class, who just wants to escape the school. If he helps Riley, then she can help him finally be free of the hold the school has on him. The only problem is that the school is full of the ghosts who were once the bullies in Max’s class, and they’re all facing off against one ghost: Heather.

I think this book has an interesting concept, but we spent so much time bouncing around Riley’s memories leading up to the present that it honestly seemed like we were going to find out that Riley was a ghost all along. It would’ve been great if it turned out that Riley was Heather, and that she had no idea that she had been dead for many years, but that wasn’t the case. 

It also seems like the overall message is to forgive your bullies rather than holding onto all the hurt they caused. While that’s a nice sentiment, we see the process jump from A to Z by the time the book is over. I just wish that we got to see more of the process of healing for Riley to get to the point of being willing to forgive and let it all slide. We see that process begin for her, but the process is expedited once she learns what happened among the ghosts and that’s not a realistic example for readers who are currently being bullied.

Overall, I think this is an interesting concept, but I’m not sure about the message for readers. This turned out to not be my cup of tea, but I think young readers who enjoy ghost stories will likely enjoy it.

Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur

 
Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Clarion Books/HMH Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dani and Dorian, twins, are excited to start the new school year. There’s just one problem: they missed the bus, and the location of the magic school is top secret. Instead of going home, they decide to stay with their aunt and have her teach them magic all year. Things seem to be going well with their aunt until things take a turn for the worse when they get dubbed as traitors to all witches. Hunted and on the run, they find themselves studying under a soothsayer and befriending non-magical folk their parents always forbade them from being in contact with. With the help of their new friends, can their clear their names and see their family again?

When I picked this up, I was expecting a cute story about witches. What I didn’t expect is that the characters would be so well developed that I was sad when I reached the final chapter. Initially, we follow Dani and Dorian as they find themselves in a bit of a pickle in the magic community. As the story continues, more characters join them, so we also follow a princess, an orphan, and a popular boy in town. Their personalities clash, but they quickly grow to become close friends running headfirst into adventure after adventure.

One of the things that I love about the story is that none of the characters are perfect. We watch each of these characters struggle with their insecurities and focus on their flaws rather than the good. As the story progresses, we watch them form a strong bond and begin to focus on their strengths. We also see them start to realize that they’re stronger as a team, so they need to stop trying to leave each other behind. I loved watching how each of them developed as characters and the messages it sends to young readers.

All in all, this was a truly magical read. I’m looking forward to checking out the author’s other works in addition to seeing more of their beautiful artwork.

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 by Tatsuya Endo

 
Spy x Family, Vol. 2 by Tatsuya Endo

My Rating: ★★★★★

After just barely scraping by the interview process, Twilight thinks his problems are finally over. Anya got into Eden Academy, so the rest of the mission should be a breeze… right? He quickly learns that the real challenge is getting Anya to either befriend his target’s son, Damian, or become an exemplary student. Twilight’s first plan flies out the window when it turns out that his target’s son is a bully who is about to learn that the daughter of a spy and an assassin is a force to be reckoned with.

I’m so glad that I picked this series up because it is absolutely hilarious. Just when Twilight, Anya, and Yor think they can breathe a sigh of relief, event after event shows them that they need to be quick on their toes. Each task they’re faced with leads to a series of events that are hilarious. I particularly loved how Anya dealt with mean kids at school thanks to Yor. The smile that she was giving her bullies was funny while also working in her favor. I’m interested in seeing how that storyline develops, especially now that she’s made herself a good friend.

I’m loving watching these characters bond in a way none of them expected. Watching Twilight discover the joys and stresses of parenthood is both adorable and hilarious. I’m excited to see Anya and Yor bonding now that they’re spending more time together. It’s also neat to see other spies making an appearance and seeing Anya end up with a big spy family. I love that these volumes are so funny while also letting us see how this found family was formed while giving us a glimpse at how strong their bonds will become.

Lonely Receiver by Zac Thompson, Jen Hickman

 
Lonely Receiver by Zac Thompson, Jen Hickman
My Rating: ★

I received a copy from Diamond Book Distributors through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Catrin’s Artificial Intelligence life partner leaves her after ten years of bliss, she’s left hurt, angry, and confused. She can’t believe Rhion left her when she purchased and created her for her every need. The longer Catrin is left alone, the more she falls apart. She owns Rhion and she’ll do anything to get her back, even if that means destroying her life in the process.

I think this is an interesting concept, but the execution quickly went off the rails and never found its way back. There are some interesting things here, like where do AI life partners go when they leave? It turns out it’s extremely rare for them to leave, so it would’ve been interesting if we saw what Rhion was up to while Catrin was falling apart. Instead, the story quickly goes off the rails and we watch Catrin fall into profound loneliness and obsession, leading her to enter a new world of cybersex trying to feel something.

When I say she enters a new world of cybersex, what I’m saying is that there’s page after page devoted to these orgies. That’s not even including the other pages devoted to sex and general nudity. It was completely unnecessary and became increasingly uncomfortable by the page. We also get a weird AI shadow being who speaks in poetry that Catrin goes on to sleep with. Honestly, this book was strange, confusing, and very devoted to depicting cybersex rather than delivering a story. The only thing I came away with was questions about why there were pages upon pages devoted to sex and nudity rather than an actual storytelling.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

 
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
My Rating: ★★★★★

Final girls are last ones standing when a murderer came through and took away their friends, family, and anyone in the vicinity. Unfortunately, Lynnette has found herself a final girl after surviving two massacres. It’s affected every aspect of her life. Her only true friend is her plant, Fine, but at least she’s always had the final girl support group. Everyone in the group is the sole survivor of a massacre, and each one has been battling with their past in some way or another since. When the person holding the meetings together is found dead, Lynnette is terrified that she’s next. Unfortunately for her, she’s just entered a living nightmare she hoped would never happen because someone with murder on their mind is targeting every final girl in their group.

When I picked up this book, I knew that it was a thriller. What I didn’t expect is that it would be the fastest paced novel I have ever read. It really hit the ground running with nonstop action up until the very end. Inspired by slasher movies, it focuses on what happened to the fictional sole survivors of massacres whose stories became slasher movies. The book is peppered with news articles on the various movies, interviews, and other information that are related to the characters. I thought it was a great addition to the book because it gave us a little more information about how the media dealt with it in addition to taking a small step back from the action before it resumed.

We follow Lynnette, the sole survivor of two massacres that took away her family and then her foster family. When the story begins, we see how the horrors she survived has affected her. Lonely and living with her best friend, a plant named Fine, she’s fearful of another attack happening at any moment. Lynette has OCD, agoraphobia, and suffers from paranoia. The three things that she’s holding onto is that she’s safe thanks to all her safety precautions, she saved Fine when she was unable to save both of her families, and she has her final girl support group. Then things start to go south when Dani announces she’s no longer coming to group and the person who was essentially the final girl’s matriarch has been murdered.

One of the things that I liked about the book is that Lynette is not exactly the most reliable narrator. She’s extremely paranoid and jumps to every conclusion that floats by, but I completely understand why she is the way she is. However, because she’s so paranoid, she ends up being the one person who realizes that someone is coming for the remaining final girls. I felt bad for her when no one wanted to believe her, but I also understood why the other women ignored what she had to say. They’re all survivors who are dealing with their own personal problems whether or not it has anything to do with their past.

I also think that there are some great characters in this book. I’m incredibly sad for these characters and the things they’ve had to survive, which makes me so glad that they are fictional. While you don’t have to agree with Lynette’s decisions, you can understand why she makes them even if that’s not what you would do if you were in her shoes. She has heart and really does care about the people she’s made connections with even if she’s kept them at an arm’s length. I also loved Julie, Michelle, and Heather and the dynamic they had with one another. I have to say that Julie and Heather had some of the best lines as well.

While this book isn’t for everyone, if you’re looking for a thriller that’s going to keep you on your toes, this is the book for you.

Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo

 
Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo
My Rating: ★★★★★

Twilight is one of the top spies there is. He specializes in going undercover and can seemingly do anything to get the job done. When Twilight receives his latest assignment, he discovers that he’s finally been stumped. You see, his new assignment requires him to have a wife and child to unknowingly go undercover with him to complete the assignment. It wouldn’t be so bad if a fellow spy could adopt a kid to go undercover as his fake wife, but there’s a shortage on spies due to people reporting them. Now Twilight is pressed for time and unknowingly marries an assassin after adopting a telepath.

This is probably one of the funniest books that I’ve read in a while. We follow Twilight, who is extremely talented at going undercover, especially if it requires him to change his face. When his new assignment takes him way out of his comfort level, all kinds of hilarious things happen and cause him to think he’s losing his touch as a spy. It gets even more hilarious once his wife comes into the picture because they have no idea who the other really is.

Other than how funny this book is, I love the dynamic between each of the characters. While the relationship between Anya and her new assassin mother, Yor, hasn’t had time to develop yet, I think I’ll love that one as well in the next volume. That said, the relationship between Twilight and Yor is so cute. He has no idea how to be a parent and she thinks being a spy is like her favorite TV show, so some hilarious events unfold. However, she is happy to finally have a home that will hopefully stick, and he has grown to care for her.

The relationship between Twilight and Yor hasn’t had a lot of time to develop yet, but I think they match each other well, especially because Yor also needs the cover that being married provides. She seems to also care for Yor in her own way. I’m interested in seeing how their relationship develops into how the dynamic between the three of them continues to develop as the series continues. I can tell this is going to be a great series, so I’m excited to check out the next volume.

The Dawn of the Witch, Vol. 1 by Kakeru Kobashiri and Tatsuwo

 
The Dawn of the Witch, Vol. 1 by Kakeru Kobashiri and Tatsuwo
My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Saybil, known as Sayb, is a magic student on his way to becoming a mage. At least, he hopes being a mage is in his future because he’s the worst student the Academy of Magic has ever seen. Horrible at magic and unable to remember his past, Sayb’s last shot at not having his memories from the academy sealed away is scrape by with a passing grade in a special class. Unfortunately, he and his classmates may never make it to the class when things go awry, and they find themselves in danger while in transit.

I went into this book expecting magic school hijinks. I supposed you could say there were magic school hijinks, but it was definitely not what I was expecting. We follow Sayb, who is one step away from flunking out of the Academy of Magic. He also suffers from amnesia and doesn’t remember anything from before he was discovered by Professor Los, who is leading the way to the special class.

The synopsis described their adventures as a field trip, but is it really a field trip if the class can last up to eight or so years? I’m not picky about that, but if you’re expecting magic school shenanigans on a field trip, just expect less shenanigans while the characters are traveling to their long-term destination. That said, the book does go back and forth between comedy and serious drama. One of the main plots of the book has to do with witch hunters. How they appear to the characters is quite serious, as expected, so prepare yourself.

I thought that the core story was quite interesting. I loved the world building and learning about the character’s backgrounds. The book is also exposition heavy at times to establish the story, which makes a lot of sense since this is setting up a series, so it didn’t bother me much. I will say that one of the info drops is very text heavy, so if that’s not something you want to see in your graphic novels, this may not be up your alley.

My only complaint about this book is that there is a lot of panels devoted to randomly sexualizing the female characters. Hopefully this is something that gets abandoned because it makes absolutely no sense and just comes out of nowhere every time it happens.

The Empress of Xytae (Tales of Inthya #4) by Effie Calvin

 
The Empress of Xytae by Effie Calvin
My Rating: ★★★★

In a kingdom strongly blessed by Reygmadra, the goddess of war, Princess Ioanna was quickly not welcome in her family. You see, she was blessed by Iolar, the god of law. Between Ioanna’s extremely strong blessing making her a truthsayer and being the heir to the throne, she’s led a very lonely life that is lacking love from her own family. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when her father dies in a duel and her younger sister decides she’s the rightful heir and decides it’s time for Ioanna to leave, dead or alive.

I’ve loved this series from the very beginning, so I was excited to start this novel since it involves a time jump. When we last saw Ioanna, she was a kid being delivered to safety as a plot to kill her was being defused. Now she’s going to be the empress of Xytae, but only if she gets enough people to back her claim to the throne as she prepares to battle her sister’s army.

This time around, we meet Ioanna as she’s meeting the runway princess of Vesolda, Vitaliya. It’s clear that Vitaliya is the love interest from the very start even though she’s hungover and unable to find her room. Once things go south and it’s clear that Netheia is planning to kill her older sister, Vitaliya becomes caught up in Xytae’s problems as Ioanna is forced to flee the kingdom. I loved watching their adventures and see them slowly fall in love while fleeing and getting to safety.

It was really interesting to see Ioanna face a very harsh reality as she learns the truth about her kingdom: it’s falling apart. Along the way, she also learns she’s stronger than she thinks now that she’s standing up on her own, and that there are many people willing to support her once they learn the truth of her blessing that she’s been ashamed of her entire life. It’s not something she accepts easily, especially since she’s torn between whether or not her mother knows what’s been going on and if it’s been hidden from her.

I also loved seeing some familiar faces from previous books as well as hearing about what’s happened to the ones we didn’t see. One of the things I like about this series is that we get to revisit older characters over never seeing or hearing from them again. Personally, I like it better when we get to hear what happened to them or what they’re up to even if we don’t see them. It’s a huge bonus, especially since they were such a focal point in the past. I’m excited to see where Effie Calvin takes us next, especially since we’ll be following Netheia.

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow (The Okay Witch #2) by Emma Steinkellner

 
The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner
My Rating: ★★★★★

Just when Moth Hush thought being a witch would solve all her problems, life lets her know that is not the case. She’s still being bullied at school and only has one friend, Charlie. When the bullying meets new heights on the first day back at school, Moth has had enough and she’s ready change everything when she finds a magical charm. What’s the use of magic if she can’t use it to help her fit in with her peers?

I loved the first book, so I was extremely excited when I heard that it was getting a second installment. I’ll be even more excited if it turns into a several book series because I’d love to see Moth’s adventures as she faces different problems. Plus, I’d love to continue learning more about her family as the series continues if that’s something that happens.

This time around, we follow Moth as she tries to face her bullies once and for all. Of course, using magic to create a version of herself that is accepted by her peers goes south when it turns out the magical charm is revealed to be a curse. Through this excellent story, the story teaches its readers that changing yourself for other people doesn’t always give you the intended results. We see the other side of what Moth’s bullies really think about her even after starting to accept her in addition to the magical consequences of her choices.

I also liked that we saw how four different people dealt with their different situations with not being accepted by society, and that each had a different outcome. One of them had quite a dramatic supernatural outcome that clearly represented what could happen after changing who you are long-term. I thought the moral of the story was excellently weaved with magic.

I’m excited to see how this story continues should the series continue. I’ve enjoyed both books so much. I’ve got my fingers crossed that there’s a third installment at some point because Emma Steinkellner has developed such a stellar story with wonderful characters.

The Demon in the Wood (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #0.5) by Leigh Bardugo

 
The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo
My Rating: ★★★★★

In this short story, we get a glimpse into who the Darkling and Baghra were and how they lived long before the series starts. It was quite interesting to see these characters at a completely different time in their lives, especially the Darkling. It takes place long before he was as jaded and evil as he was when we saw him in the series. The loneliness of never having any friends for long, constantly on the move, living in fear, and living under a variety of fake names with fake life stories was depicted flawlessly. 

It was really neat to see Baghra long before she was cooped up in her unbearably hot home teaching Grisha how to use their abilities. Baghra definitely had the same sharp tongue and attitude, but she seemed softer yet fierce in a completely different way here. I could see that the bond she had with her son was an incredible one, which makes their future as mother and son even more bleak than I previously thought. 

I became so absorbed in the story that I was sad when I got to the end. While I enjoyed the series, I found this prequel far more interesting. I honestly wish we had gotten a prequel series following the pair during this period of their lives up until the Darkling took the path he did. If this short story was ever expanded into a full-length novel, I would be all over it.

The World's Most Pointless Animals: Or are they? by Philip Bunting

 
The World's Most Pointless Animals: Or are they? by Philip Bunting
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this collection of seemingly pointless animals, Philip Bunting does a great job with teaching kids about each animal in addition to demonstrating that they are each important in their own way. Each animal is featured across 1-2 pages with cute drawings that are usually accompanied by some trivia or something that will make its readers laugh. Some references will fly over the heads of the target audience, but their parents or guardians will understand those references while reading, so it’s perfect for people of all ages.

If you, your kids, or someone you know are animal lovers, I think it’s a perfect book to read as a family. The drawings are cute, and it will introduce children and adults alike to animals and facts that are news to them while getting everyone to laugh. I know I learned about a few animals I had never heard of in addition to learning some facts about animals I had previously not known. Personally, I can’t believe I never noticed that Narwhal’s tusks grow straight through their top lip. I did think it was interesting that it is actually their single tooth as well!

All in all, I enjoyed this book and think it’s a great read for all ages. It’s a book I would’ve enjoyed even more as a kid than I did as an adult. I found myself looking up the few animals I didn’t know about. I think my favorite search was about an animal I did know about, the Gentoo Penguin, just so I could see what they look like while molting.

Herbal Magic: A Handbook of Natural Spells, Charms, and Potions by Aurora Kane

Herbal Magic: A Handbook of Natural Spells, Charms, and Potions by Aurora Kane
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Wellfleet Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect book for anyone interested in practicing herbal magic. Plus, it’s a wonderful directory of a variety of plants in addition to a list of goddesses for anyone interested in connecting with them. I usually see these kinds of directories purely in text form, so I was excited to see all the beautiful artwork that accompanied this information. It’s an extra touch that goes a long way.

I personally found this book to be very informative, especially for beginners. There’s quite a bit of general information in the opening chapters, so it’s perfect for people who are new to spell work as well. I also learned some information in the early chapters that I had no idea about, so you never know what you’ll find in this handbook that’s brand-new information to you! Plus, there’s a variety of spells at the end of the book that I think is great for anyone.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It’s very informative and is aesthetically pleasing. The only drawback is that there is one font used from time to time that’s extremely difficult to read. Otherwise, it’s a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in herbal magic or looking to expand on their knowledge about dabbling with herbal work.

The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi

 
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

My Rating: ★★★★★

When Emily and Navin’s dad dies in a terrible accident, their mom decides to start over by moving into her great grandfather’s empty home. Emily and Navin are not exactly happy about moving into their great great grandfather’s old house, which has been empty and in the family since his disappearance. Their small family quickly discover that the house needs a bit of elbow grease in addition to a monster infestation. When Emily and Navin’s mom is abducted by a strange monster in the basement, they find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime so they don’t lose her too.

While I was shocked to discover that the opening is rather dark, especially for a children’s book, the story quickly sucked me in and has me ready to start the next volume ASAP. The target audience is middle schoolers, but if they have lost a parent, the opening might be too tough for them since we see Emily losing her father in real time. That said, I think the rest of the story is perfect for the age group it was written for.

We follow Emily and her younger brother, Navin, as they get ready to start over in their great great grandfather’s old and empty home way out in the middle of nowhere. We start to see their sibling dynamic right away, which seems very authentic to me. Some of the bickering reminded me of the bickering between me and my brothers, especially since my older brother had a tendency of being the first to take things over when we were growing up. The bickering that occurred over the stone necklace that Emily finds in the house strongly reminded me of this.

As the story continues, we see that Emily and Navin are close and care about each other a lot. The world they’re sucked into through the basement is quite interesting with a variety of characters and a whole lore that I’m excited to see further explained. One of the things I loved the most is that Emily and Navin can applied skills they developed through their hobbies in this other world they’ve been sucked into. I’m super excited to start the second volume soon and see where the story takes us after this brilliant series opener.

Moonstruck, Vol. 3: Troubled Waters by Grace Ellis, Shae Beagle

 
Moonstruck, Vol. 3: Troubled Waters by Grace Ellis, Shae Beagle

My Rating: ★

Saddened that her best friend won’t be around for the annual mermaid festival, Julie is content with attending with her girlfriend, Selena. All is going well until they meet up with Selena’s friend and roommate, Skyla. Things start to go south, especially when it becomes clear that something is lurking around the corners watching Julie’s every move.

I absolutely loved the first volume. While the second volume was a big rocky, I still liked it and was looking forward to seeing where the story went. Sadly, this volume is a huge miss for me. While the artwork was absolutely stunning as always, we find Julie and Selena in a bit of a pickle of their own making. I assumed they’d grow together after the last volume, but it’s revealed that they’ve been rather awkward with each other rather than communicating in the time between the two volumes. It’s very clear that their relationship is thriving on their lack of communication, anger management issues, and topped with a good amount of jealousy.

Unfortunately, it turns out I don’t enjoy following Julie and Selena after the first volume. There isn’t much character growth and they both seem to keep taking steps backwards. It also quickly becomes apparent that rather than looking at herself and noticing what her toxic traits are and working on them to better herself, Julie blames those flaws on being a wolf. The whole story ends with her making a very hasty decision that isn’t going to solve anything for her because she’s focusing on the wrong things.

While I didn’t like the main plot, I did love the side characters, who don’t make much of an appearance this time around. Maybe I would’ve felt a little better about this volume if some old favorites were around with the new characters to break up just how awful this relationship truly is. You’re not going to see me happy for Julie and Selena if they get back together, which appears to be the endgame. I’m not sure where this series is going anymore or if I’m interested in the next volume after this because this book was a hard miss for me. All I know is that Julie and Selena should go to therapy and work on themselves before getting back together or entering new relationships. 

Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang, Nate Pedersen

Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang, Nate Pedersen

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Workman Publishing Company through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in reading about epidemics, then this is the book for you! Each short chapter presents a different disease and the epidemic that quickly followed their discoveries. While the true patient zero for any of the diseases are unknown, the patient zeroes presented here are people who are well-known to be early accidental spreaders of the disease they contracted.

I picked up this book because I’m a huge fan of Lydia Kang. While I know this is non-fiction, I thought the concept was interesting, especially since we’re living through a pandemic. Each chapter covers a disease, where it likely originated from or how long it was around before it was first detected, who got it, how it spread, and what damage it caused. The book is also sprinkled with photographs and different facts related to epidemics that is related to the chapter they’re featured in.

I have to say that it was interesting to learn that pandemics are usually handled pretty badly in varying degrees. I knew our species has a history of repeating ourselves, but it hits harder when you realize we’re repeating history yet again in real time. This was a very interesting read, and I’m looking forward to seeing more non-fiction books come from Lydia Kang.

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Tidesong by Wendy Xu
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Sophie is sent to live with her Great-Aunt Lan and Cousin Sage to prepare to audition for the Royal Magic Academy, she’s apprehensive while still excited because her imagination has run wild about what it’ll be like. Sadly, Sophie’s dreams are quickly shot down when she overhears her Great-Aunt Lan speaking badly about her right after they first met. To top things off, she’s not even practicing magic. All she’s doing is a bunch of chores they claim will be the foundation to learning how to harness her magic. Finally, when Sophie has had enough, she decides to show her family what she’s capable of. Unfortunately for her, the spell quickly gets out of hand, and she finds herself nearly drowning and accidentally erasing the memory of a water dragon, possibly putting everyone she loves in danger.

This is such a cute and heartwarming story that has beautiful artwork. I loved seeing the story come to life through the images. If it wasn’t for the fact that this is a graphic novel, it’d almost feel like I was watching an animation. That’s how great the flow of the story went with the stunning artwork.

We follow Sophie, a young girl who is under pressure to do great at her audition for the Royal Magic Academy. Through the story, we watch her go from being obsessed with proving that she’s talented and useful to discovering what she actually wants is different from what her mother and grandmother want for her. I could relate to her because growing up, I was pressured into thinking all the goals I had were all things I wanted. At some point, I realized the reason I was so miserable was because all my goals were not anything I chose for myself. They were goals selected for me.

While this is a fictional fantasy book, I think that Sophie’s story is an important one, especially for children. Sophie doesn’t just realize that she’s taking a route that she doesn’t want for herself by auditioning for the Royal Magic Academy. She also learns what she’s capable of, what her talents are, and what she wants for herself. It’s an important message for kids, and it’s even better if they also have people who support them just like Sophie does when she puts her foot down and makes a major decision about her future.

Aru Shah and the City of Gold (Pandava Quartet #4) by Roshani Chokshi

 
Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi
My Rating: ★★★★

When Aru wakes up in a mysterious place with a girl claiming to be her biological sister, she isn’t sure what to believe. Is Kara really her sister? Is she truly good or just pretending so she can gain her trust? Something tells her that Kara isn’t lying, so she trusts her. Tentatively. Unfortunately, it turns out her soul sisters have a range of mixed feelings about Kara, but they don’t have time to discuss it. Kubera has invited them to visit him and pass his trials. If they don’t show up, they won’t have access to his troops or any aid from him, and they must race against the clock to get around the Otherworld’s traveling ban to get there.

The series may be winding down, but it’s certainly not getting any slower! We have a new character joining the potatoes this time around. While I liked Kara, she was a slightly different version of Mini. Now, Mini is my favorite character, so of course I liked Kara. I just wish there was a greater divide between her and Mini’s characterization. That said, I think she did bring something new and fun to the potatoes, so I don’t actually have any complaints about her.

Oh boy. This book had me glued to every single page going along with the characters on their journey. I felt bad for Aru and Kara so many times, especially given Kara’s backstory and the revelations that hurt her. The distrust that divided Aru from her soul sisters and how much they were squabbling was very realistic, except for the celestial connections of course.

I am disappointed by one plot, though. It’s been very clear that it was a very significant plot that was going to change everything since it was first brought up. However, the closer we got to it happening, it was clear that it wasn’t going to be anywhere near as big as it was supposed to be. Essentially, it fell flat on its face. Sure, I’m interested in seeing how this will impact this one character when we see them again, but did this prophecy coming to life in any way significant? Sadly, it’s overall impact is mostly minor, and that is what makes it so disappointing.

While this isn’t my favorite book in the series, I did enjoy it. There were so many twists and turns in addition to meeting more new and interesting characters. I’m a little sad that this series will be coming to an end with the next release, but I’m also excited to see how everything wraps up.

Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo

 

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
My Rating: ★★★

Weak, powerless, and frustrated, Alina finds herself trapped in the clutches of the Apparat somewhere deep underground. The Apparat offers protection… at a price, and that price is following his orders while isolated and kept on a very short leash. Thankfully, Alina has a small group of friends and allies who are following the Apparat’s instructions while plotting to get out of there and go find the final amplifier so she can face the Darkling one final time.

It took me sometime to get into this book because the first 35% or so was dreadfully slow. I was rather disappointed that the opening chapters was mostly exposition letting us know what transpired during the short period of time between the second and third book. This would’ve been okay if the Apparat and his followers made a huge showing later in the book. Instead, it didn’t really pay off and I found myself bored and feeling like the story wasn’t going anywhere until almost halfway through the book.

I am also disappointed in how little Alina uses her powers and how much she relies on finding the third amplifier to give her strength. Even with the amplifiers, you’d think she’d want to focus on practicing her abilities, sharpening her skills, and pushing those abilities to the limit to see what she could achieve. The amplifiers to increase her strength, but what’s the point of that without putting in more effort on her end? It just seemed kind of odd, especially since she craves the increase in power. You’d think she’d want to also put more effort in to maximize her abilities, but maybe I’m expecting too much from

Complaints aside, once the story picked up, it really picked up. I was glued to the pages and excited to see where the story was Alina and company. There were some shocking events that took place. One event had me thinking this was the end for this character for sure. I wish what happened to them was further explored, but I’m happy with the information we got and how it was resolved.

I am surprised with how the final events unfold. I both like and dislike this because I think they’re excellent twists, but the way one of them plays out needed more of an explanation. The more I think about it, the more it doesn’t make a single ounce of sense. However, if I don’t think much about it, I guess I can live with it. I just wish we had some information to expand on how A led to B and C because it doesn’t make sense and seems like it wasn’t well thought out.

Wait. I thought I wasn’t complaining anymore… I swear I did enjoy the second half of book! I loved many of the characters and where the story took them. I was sad to see some of them injured and others killed, but I’m also surprised that so many of them survived to the end of the book. We also got some very interesting backstory that I was very excited to see. I’m a little sad to say goodbye to these characters now that it’s over, but I can’t say this was my favorite book in the series.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty
My Rating: ★★★★

In a society where it’s taboo to ask questions about what happens when we die, you can always count on kids to ask all the hard-hitting questions. Caitlin Doughty takes several questions that have come her way thanks to tiny humans without filters and wrote a book answering them. What happens when we die? Why don’t bugs and animals eat our bones? What happens if someone dies in space? Caitlin takes her knowledge as a mortician and applies them to each question in a serious yet fun way that’s easy for kids and adults to understand.

I’m not sure why I picked up this book but I’m glad I did. Caitlin is the perfect person to answer the many morbid questions that have come her way. Each chapter is serious, informative, and funny without being distasteful in all the right spots. There are also illustrations perfect for kids in each chapter along with information that’s easy to digest whether you’re a child or adult.

In fact, you may even find questions you remember having as a child pop up. I know I did! I always wondered what would happen if someone were to die in space. When I was a kid, I watched an episode of some TV show with my older brother. One of the characters died and their coffin was launched in space. As a kid, I then wondered what would happen if we died in space and if we would be launched into deep space. Thanks to this book, I now know what would happen if anyone were to die in space, which is a question I had not thought about in many years.

While this book is kid friendly, I do think that parents should read it beforehand to decide if it’s appropriate for their kids. I think it’s perfect for older kids in the 10+ age bracket, but it may be confusing for most children younger than that.

Kitchen Witchery: Unlocking the Magick in Everyday Ingredients by Laurel Woodward

 
Kitchen Witchery: Unlocking the Magick in Everyday Ingredients by Laurel Woodward
My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Llewellyn Publications through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in spell work and want to expand your knowledge about it from a cooking standpoint, this is the book for you. While it does talk a lot about organic ingredients, which is not exactly affordable for many people, I do think that a lot of the information not pertaining to organic foods is very informative. It talks a lot about setting your intentions and learning about the properties of foods, which expands reader’s knowledge. I love that there’s also information on how to create your own tools with what you have on hand.

I think it’s great because it’s spell work meets a cookbook since there’s a combination of recipes included. Spell work can be a cup of tea, combining herbs, or even a meal, and I think there’s a lot of information here for anyone who is drawn kitchen magic. The possibilities are endless. I think this is a great starting point for anyone interested in either getting started with magic or just looking to expand their general knowledge. 

Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift

Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Hodder and Stoughton through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 2023, a new deadly virus wreaks havoc on the world. It’s known as 6DM, or six days maximum, because you have up to six days from the point of contraction before the virus causes your internal organs to melt. There is no hope. 6DM has destroyed the world. As far as one woman knows, she’s the only survivor. She didn’t get 6DM and was forced to watch everyone she’s ever known or loved die from the virus, and now she’s determined to find another poor soul who is trying to survive in this new world.

I was drawn to this book because it’s a dystopian novel that is also adult fiction. I know that it might be an odd choice when we’re still living in a pandemic, but I love dystopian novels as well as novels told through a series of journal entries. When I first started the book, I wondered if picking it up might’ve been a mistake. The protagonist whose name we never learn isn’t the most likable, and her diary entries are pretty dry. However, the more I read, the more I liked the book. Bethany Clift got into a groove and the diary entries were no longer dry. I also found that I liked the protagonist as I continued to read.

I thought this was an interesting book. It reminded me of an old TV show that I watched years ago called Survivors, which follows a small group of people who survive a deadly virus that killed nearly all of the human population. While the premise is similar, this book follows a woman who is left completely alone. She’s scared, lonely, and both high and drunk while hoping to find fellow survivors. While there were some flaws, like there being electricity and easily available running water for too long and COVID details being shoehorned in, I found it to be a great read.

One of the things I like about the book is that the protagonist is forced to reflect on her life. Now that she’s alone, she has to get to know herself on a new level. On the flip side, she can finally be herself without trying to pretend she’s someone else for the people around her. Watching her struggle with the death of everyone she’s ever known was heartbreaking, but her struggles with surviving or wanting to end it all when she’s seemingly the last person on Earth is something I think anyone in that situation would find themselves struggling with.

All in all, I thought this was a great read. I also liked the ending, which gave me an idea of what happened to her and what the future holds. I highly recommend this book if you like to read dystopian novels. However, I do think you should avoid it if you are a recovering drug addict since the protagonist does begin to use drugs at some point and I think the details may be triggering.