Monthly Archives: July 2018

If It’s Not A Rant, It’s A Rave: of The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One by Amanda Lovelace

Posted in 5-Star Rating, Book Review, If It's Not A Rant, It's A Rave by

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Title: The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One
Author: Amanda Lovelace
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Genres: Poetry, Feminism

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Synopsis:

2016 Goodreads Choice Award-winning poet Amanda Lovelace returns in the witch doesn’t burn in this one — the bold second book in her “women are some kind of magic” series. 

The witch: supernaturally powerful, inscrutably independent, and now—indestructible. These moving, relatable poems encourage resilience and embolden women to take control of their own stories. Enemies try to judge, oppress, and marginalize her, but the witch doesn’t burn in this one.

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You guys, Amanda Lovelace has done it again. Amanda’s poems in The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One are an eye-opening message to a past that has shaped women and feminism. The message picks up on women’s continuing struggle to break out of the box because we are told that we are too fragile and emotional and weak for the outside world.

As a collection of poems, The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One is empowering and bold and I could feel my soul ignite with the courage and indestructibility that Lovelace ingrains through each stanza and each word. I love that these poems are emotional and raw. They are the words of a survivor and a fighter.

Lovelace’s poems do not act like a wake up call for the reality of what woman have faced and continue to face; instead it is a siren song: “You are fierce, you are beautiful, you are worth it, you are flames…Burn! Leave a path of ashes for the past to acknowledge where you came from, but also a path towards a future of change. Overall, I loved this collection of poems, because each poem is a reflection of loss, grief, acceptance, self-love, strength, and/or healing. I read the book in one sitting, and I can see many rereads of it in the future. 

star rating

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Note:   I was not provided a copy of this book by the author or the publisher in exchange for a review. I bought this book with my own funds, and I reviewed the book at my own discretion.  All statements and opinions in this review are mine. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Posted in Waiting on Wednesday by

waiting on wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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Title: Girls of Paper and Fire
Author: Natasha Ngan
Publication date: November 6, 2018
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT

Synopsis

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honor they could hope for…and the most cruel.

But this year, there’s a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.

In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it’s Lei they’re after–the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king’s interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king’s consort. But Lei isn’t content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable–she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she’s willing to go for justice and revenge.

TW: violence and sexual abuse. 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review of Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Posted in Book Review by

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Title: Save the Date
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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Synopsis:

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.

There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.

There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.

Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.

Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

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You guys, am I broken? I didn’t love a Morgan Matson book and I feel like I let myself down. I went into Save the Date with so much hope and high expectations. I loved the premise of a wedding bringing a huge family together, but OHMYGOD there was so much drama and mishaps . . . AND GAH, I had such a hard time processing a 432-paged story with so many characters, very little romance, so many feelings, and just SO MUCH drama. And with so many characters not fully developed, I could not connect with any of them. But even though Save the Date didn’t work for me, there were a few “RAVES” I would love to highlight. Although this wasn’t the summer rom-com I was hoping for, I’m sure other contemporary readers will enjoy the wedding shenanigans that pursue.

RAVES

-There’s a cute dog named Waffles.
-The Grant family is very unique (and large), and I loved that a comic strip, created by the main character’s mom, is showcased throughout some chapters.
-The wedding planner’s nephew is a breath of fresh air whenever he shows up in the book.
-There are hidden Easter eggs and references to Taylor Swift, Stranger Things, and some characters from Matson’s previous books make a cameo appearance.
-J.J., one of Charlie’s three brothers, is hilarious, and I think he needs his own book.

1-star-rating

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Note:   I was not provided a copy of this book by the author or the publisher in exchange for a review. I bought this book (and two other copies, lol) with my own funds, and I reviewed the book at my own discretion.  All statements and opinions in this review are mine. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

Posted in Waiting on Wednesday by

waiting on wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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Title: The Boneless Mercies
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publication date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis

A dark and gorgeously drawn standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory. Won in a major six-house auction!

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life. 

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies’ one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling—and who gets to be the storyteller. Perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, V.E. Schwab, and Heidi Heilig.

 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

 

Top 5 Tuesday: Character Driven Books

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Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Bionic Book Worm. 

Today’s topic: Top 5 Character Driven Books

Click on my photographs to be linked to my review or the book’s Goodreads page.

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I love the main character Mim so much in Mosquitoland. She is feisty, honest, and holds nothing back. 

IMG_8046Obviously, Alice drives this story and plot to the very last page. 

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I adore the The Winner’s Trilogy (it’s probably my favorite trilogy EVER), and Kestrel and Arin are the two main forces that drive this fantasy with so much soul and longing and heartache…GAH I love their journey so much. 

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JUNE…in a story filled with grief and loss,  Jack “June” O’Donnell IV provides the much needed humor to make this novel so heartfelt and comforting. With June’s quick wit and humor, this book is like receiving the most welcoming hug and a much-needed cry to get through any sorrowful situation.

IMG_8043As a bildugroman, Jane Eyre speaks through the pages, allowing her reader to follow her progressive footsteps to being an orphan then a governess and then to a Victorian woman with financial means to support herself. Through every page, Jane is fierce and bold, and she never gives up on doing what she feels is right.

What are some of your favorite character driven books?

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I’ve Read In 2018 (So Far)

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Formerly hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s topic is…

Best Books I’ve Read In 2018 (So Far)

(CLICK ON THE BOOK COVER TO BE LINKED TO MY REVIEW OR ITS GOODREADS’ PAGE)

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Review of My Plain Jane

Posted in Book Review by

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Title: My Plain Jane
Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Retelling, Historical, Fantasy

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Synopsis:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

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My Plain Jane is a unique story that combines a quirky retelling of Jane Eyre with a hint of ghost-hunting shenanigans. The book does have some funny moments, but I think the supernatural and ghost-busting were my favorite elements of the novel. I also thought it was clever that the authors took a Victorian classic and used the plot to subtly hint at a lot of our current political and cultural events/people.  

As some of you might know, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is my all-time favorite book. As a Victorian fanatic and anglophile, I love Jane Eyre for so many reasons. I love Jane’s proto-feminist attitude. My favorite scene of the novel takes place among the foggy moors. I love that the original novel incorporates the supernatural and some creepy laughing in Thornfield Hall. But I also like the brooding Mr. Rochester and the chaos that haunts his life. My Plain Jane incorporates a lot of the characters and events found in the original classic, and by focusing on the Gothic elements of the original novel, the authors of My Plain Jane add their own twists and fates to the characters. 

All of the characters are unique with their own set of flaws, and even though My Plain Jane is a “supernatural” story, the characters made the story seem realistic. If I had to pick a favorite character, I would go with Charlotte Brontë. Her character is determined, bold, and smart. I love that she is not afraid to show her witty side and her epic “can-do” attitude. I also characterized her as the “Veronica Mars” throughout the story, because she is so good at sleuthing. 

Overall, I found the My Plain Jane to be a fun and quick read. If you’re in the mood for a Jane Eyre retelling, some sleuthing, and a band of ghost-busting misfits, give My Plain Jane a read. It definitely has a Jane Eyre meets Scooby-Doo feel.   

3 star rating

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Note:   I was not provided a copy of this book by the author or the publisher in exchange for a review. I bought this book with my own funds, and I reviewed the book at my own discretion.  All statements and opinions in this review are mine.