The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James is another great horror mystery from this author. I especially enjoyed the 1920s setting. I definitelyThe Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James is another great horror mystery from this author. I especially enjoyed the 1920s setting. I definitely wasn't expecting the amount of romance in it though. I probably could have done without that honestly. Either way, though, this story is pretty creepy and more than a little sad. I'm glad I decided to give it a try. ...more
Blood Beneath the Snow (Blood & Souls Duology #1) by Alexandra Kennington has potential and an interesting concept, but it didn't work for me. I don'tBlood Beneath the Snow (Blood & Souls Duology #1) by Alexandra Kennington has potential and an interesting concept, but it didn't work for me. I don't know about you, but I was not a fan of Revna at all. For most of the story I was actively rooting against her. Also, maybe it was just the name Hellbringer, but I was very surprised to find out he's supposed to be only 22 years old because I totally pictured him as a 50-60 year old Hell's Angel with a mask completely covering his face. Anyway, I definitely won't be back for the finale of this duology....more
Alchemised by SenLinYu was not for me. I barely made it through 9 hours of a 36 hour long audiobook. Somehow, I didn't realize this was a "DNF'd @ 25%
Alchemised by SenLinYu was not for me. I barely made it through 9 hours of a 36 hour long audiobook. Somehow, I didn't realize this was a "dark" romance between "Hermione Granger" and "Draco Malfoy." Also somehow I was both bored out of my mind and angry/ disgusted at the "romance." No thanks....more
I was not expecting to love this so much and I'm looking forward to reading volume 2.I was not expecting to love this so much and I'm looking forward to reading volume 2....more
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like this series. It's just nice to get to know these characters. What a way to end this volume. I'm almost nerI'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like this series. It's just nice to get to know these characters. What a way to end this volume. I'm almost nervous for them and I need to read volume 7 asap!...more
I don't think I liked this one quite as much as the previous installment. It was tricky to keep track of when certain things were happening.I don't think I liked this one quite as much as the previous installment. It was tricky to keep track of when certain things were happening....more
Ember is one of the most braindead characters I've read in quite awhile. I was so annoyed with her throughout the whole of Article 5 (Article 5 #1) byEmber is one of the most braindead characters I've read in quite awhile. I was so annoyed with her throughout the whole of Article 5 (Article 5 #1) by Kristen Simmons. Sure, she grew a miniscule amount in the last 10%, but that wasn't enough to make up for her behavior in the other 90%. On that note, the romance which I wasn't expecting there to be nearly as much of absolutely set my teeth on edge. As for the dystopian aspect of the story, it left me wanting in terms of the world building. The concept is an intriguing one (and a bit unsettling to read about now of all times), but the world building to back it up just isn't there....more
It seems like I've been waiting for The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton to be released forever, but I'm glad I finally had the chance to listen toIt seems like I've been waiting for The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton to be released forever, but I'm glad I finally had the chance to listen to the audiobook. I really loved the idea of the story, but I didn't end up liking the end product quite as much as I was hoping to. Mainly for me, it's too long and there are too many pov characters. I also wish I felt like I had a better grasp of the magic system and how things worked. I'm glad I listened to the audiobook edition because the narrators did a good job bringing it all to life. If you're looking for a similar story that does it a bit better, I'd recommend checking out All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman....more
A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman is a solid YA dark academia mystery, but I'd say that it's my least favorite from this author. I didn't feel stronglA Darker Mischief by Derek Milman is a solid YA dark academia mystery, but I'd say that it's my least favorite from this author. I didn't feel strongly about any of the characters, but I wouldn't say I was interested in finding out what would happen to anyone throughout the story. I also felt a little like I was missing something. I don't know if that is something that came across in the audiobook production, or otherwise. Maybe it was just me. Anyway, this one was underwhelming for me considering how much I loved Milman's previous releases....more
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid had me nervous for a minute when I saw its subtitle was "A Love Story", but it's much more than what I was expectingAtmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid had me nervous for a minute when I saw its subtitle was "A Love Story", but it's much more than what I was expecting. This is easily one of my favorites from this author. As a fan of the nonfiction book The Six by Loren Grush, this was excellent and would make a great companion to it. I highly recommend this novel and the audiobook production. Julia Whelan is amazing as usual....more
I think I preferred this sequel a little more than book one. It's sillier, but takes the whole thing up a couple of notches in my mind since it has noI think I preferred this sequel a little more than book one. It's sillier, but takes the whole thing up a couple of notches in my mind since it has now combined in an Agatha Christie Miss Marple style 1920s mystery....more
I picked this up on a whim at a thrift store and am very glad I did. Project Nought by Chelsey Furedi is a sci-fi graphic novel with a dash of romanceI picked this up on a whim at a thrift store and am very glad I did. Project Nought by Chelsey Furedi is a sci-fi graphic novel with a dash of romance that by the end really had me hooked. Even though it wraps it up nicely (loved what we got to see with Ren), I wouldn't mind revisiting the characters again in the future. The characters are probably the strongest part of this, but I will say Mars does improve and grow on you as it goes along. My favorite secondary character is easily Tāne. Biggest surprise for me was how choked up I got at the Mars, Deimos, and Phobos flashback, and the line "PHOBOS NOT FOUND" just about took me out. ...more
For picking this up at a thrift store on a whim, it was pretty nice. Romance isn't usually a go to genre for me, but I did appreciate all the characteFor picking this up at a thrift store on a whim, it was pretty nice. Romance isn't usually a go to genre for me, but I did appreciate all the characters. I wish them all the best....more
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks. Even though I'm not much of a sports person,I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks. Even though I'm not much of a sports person, I liked the characters quite a bit and I really liked the art style. But, you know what almost did me in? Finding out I'm older than Alix's dad. At one point in the story (p. 239) she asks him if he'll be going back to the play for the NHL and he tells her that even if he's a good player it's unlikely. Here's what he says to his daughter: "Yeah, but I'm old. A NHL team isn't going to take a chance on a thirty-four-year-old forward with a bad knee." I am ancient!...more
His Face Is the Sun (Throne of Khetara #1) by Michelle Jabès Corpora was pretty cool. I can't resist Ancient Egyptian mythology, so this YA fantasy inHis Face Is the Sun (Throne of Khetara #1) by Michelle Jabès Corpora was pretty cool. I can't resist Ancient Egyptian mythology, so this YA fantasy inspired by that made my day. It takes a bit to get going but once it picks up it gets good. As much as I liked getting to know the characters and their world, I'm not entirely sure though if I'm particularly interested in reading the sequel. I knew this was a series opener going in, but as I was reading it comes across as a standalone at least to me....more
The idea of Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London is a fun one, but the final product just wasn't quite for me. I'm not quite sure what this wanted to bThe idea of Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London is a fun one, but the final product just wasn't quite for me. I'm not quite sure what this wanted to be honestly - on one hand it's a campy romcom with a ton of pop culture references with a bit of a cringy sense of humor, but on the other there's a major sexual assault plot device/ subplot going on that gets pretty dark (or more than I was expecting given the summary and author's note). Some stories could pull that off, but definitely not so much in this case. I also wasn't really a fan of any of the characters and none of them felt fleshed out enough to get invested in. Finally, 361 pages is much too long for it this standalone vampire fantasy....more
I'm so glad that Les Normaux by Janine Janssen was recommended to me for the 12 Challenge 2025 because this is a new favorite. I went into this basicaI'm so glad that Les Normaux by Janine Janssen was recommended to me for the 12 Challenge 2025 because this is a new favorite. I went into this basically blind but absolutely loved it. The representation in this fantasy is so refreshing and the characters are all delightful. I have a feeling it will be on my best of 2025 list! I am eagerly awaiting Volume 2!...more
