Saturday, February 15, 2020

Review: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Such a Fun Age Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The audiobook of this was great. I think listening to it adding just a little bit extra to the enjoyment of the book. The narrator did a wonderful job giving personality to each of the characters.

I won't go into the synopsis of this book because there are already a ton of those you can read. This book opens up such great conversation starters with regards to social issues. Emira's character is wonderful. I loved how relatable and real she was. I also loved how much she genuinely cared for Briar and always put her well being first. Like most of us in our twenties, she is figuring out what to do with her life while balancing time with friends and wanting to make her family proud. I felt that way about all of the characters, they feel like people you probably have met in your life or may have as friends. I'm sure we all know someone like Alix who seems to have it all together and loves to give advice about what you should eat or wear or how to parent your kids. Her personality was one of a person who seems to have good intentions, but doesn't actually care who she is hurting along the way and in Emira's case everything she does goes against everything she and her brand supposedly stand for.

There is a part towards the end of the book that talks about what really happened between Alix and Kelley. Her version of the truth, or at least the version she told herself is much different than the events that really happened because her version was easier to come to terms with. Emira says something similar when she chooses not to confront Alix about all of the offensive things she does to break down their relationship. Emira knows that Alix's version of the truth is the only one she'll believe so nothing she tells her will make a difference. I still wish she would have laid it all on the table for Alix, because Alix needed to hear it. Like Alix, so many people live in their privileged, oblivious bubbles where they tell people what they should and shouldn't do, but they have never experienced anything other than their own sphere of existence. The same is true for Kelley, while his intentions might have been good they weren't always what was best for Emira. I would have liked to see Reid put some of the commentary calling them out on the page to further the discussion. I think more people need educated on some of the things they are doing that they just don't know are not OK. In the end do I think it would have mattered to characters like Kelley and Alix, no they didn't want to hear it, but for someone reading or discussing this book it may have provided an "ah ha" moment.

Overall, really enjoyed this and understand why it has gotten so much hype.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Teaser: Unforgiven by Jay Crownover

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We are so excited to share a teaser reveal for UNFORGIVEN by Jay Crownover with you today! UNFORGIVEN is part of the Loveless, Texas series and it will release on February 25th.

Links to pre-order your copy can be found below.


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UNFORGIVEN by Jay Crownover

Loveless, Texas #2 | February 25, 2020

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Pre-order your copy of UNFORGIVEN today!

Amazon | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo


About UNFORGIVEN:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and suspenseful romance between a tough Texas Ranger and his first love--a woman in danger who insists she doesn't need his protection.

Hill Gamble is a model lawman: cool and collected, with a confident swagger to boot. Too bad all that Texas charm hasn't gotten him anywhere in his personal life, especially since the only girl he ever loved has always been off-limits. But then Hill is assigned to investigate her father's mysterious death, and he's forced back to the town--and the woman--he left behind.

When Hill left Loveless, he broke Kody Lawton's already battered heart. And now that he's working on her father's case, avoiding him is impossible. She can handle Hill and her unwanted feelings--until he puts his life on the line to protect her. Suddenly, Kody realizes that Hill could be taken away from her...for good.

"Crownover delivers the goods."-Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author

"Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!" -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author

Includes the bonus novella Cowboy to the Rescue by A.J. Pine!


Add UNFORGIVEN to your Goodreads TBR here!

Excerpt:
As I stood in the doorway, I took in the bar. It had a decent-size crowd considering it was a Tuesday night. The mix of patrons was as eclectic as the decor. It was all very Kody. The building was an old barn, so the interior had a lot of western elements, including old whiskey barrels for tables. But there were also brightly colored artwork and neon signs brightening up the space. Instead of the big lighting fixture in the middle of the bar being made out of antlers or wrought iron, it was an intricate mix of colorful glass beads. The whole thing was very country and western meets boho chic. The people filling up the seats were mostly Loveless residents. They included the guys gathered near the bar dressed in leather, covered in tattoos, and rocking club colors. The Sons of Sorrow motorcycle club had moved into the hill country on the outskirts of Loveless years after Id left town. Now their flashy bikes and intimidating presence were as commonplace as pickup trucks and horse trailers. It made sense they liked Kodys bar since it was between town and their clubhouse, but I didnt have to like it.

I really didnt like the way the large, dark-haired man leaning across the bar looked at Kody. I knew from Case that Palmer Shot” Caldwell was the current president of the Texas branch of the club. Id taken it upon myself to learn more about the man when he ended up in the middle of the last case that brought me home. Shot was a former marine, a decorated sniper, the son of the founder of the club, and someone Kody was inexplicably close to. Everything about her relationship with the biker set my teeth on edge and had me wanting to make a claim I had no right to stake.

As I stepped forward, the heavy wooden door shut with a bang behind me and drew the eyes of the people sitting closest to me. I saw a couple of looks of recognition, and some people purposely looking away. I nodded and touched the tip of my finger to the brim of my hat in a fairly polite greeting. These people werent my friends. No one in this town had tried to help my brother when he needed it the most, and I would never forget that. Unlike the Lawton kids, Id left Loveless in the rearview mirror and planned on never looking back. All of my worst memories were here. So was the one person I wanted more than anything but knew I could never have.

Under the dim bar lights, I met Kodys gaze across the room. She looked pale. Her wild mane of multicolored blond hair was messier than usual, and she appeared to be swaying slightly every time she let go of her hold on the bar. Her eyes narrowed, and at first, I thought she was giving me a dirty look, but the next instant her entire body lurched and she toppled over, listing to the side and disappearing behind the wide, long bar.

My heart stopped for a split second and I had to bite my tongue to stop from screaming her name. I found myself in dangerous, deadly situations due to my job, but I couldnt recall a single instance when I had been as terrified as I was in that moment Kody went down.
I heard the biker shout her name and was vaguely aware of him kicking back his bar stool as he jumped to his feet. I was moving before I had time to weigh whether it was a good idea. Kody didnt like it when I was in her space. Shed told me she hated me and ordered me to leave her alone on more than one occasion, but none of that stopped me from reaching the bar in record time. It didnt slow me down when I planted a hand near the bikers empty drink and vaulted over the top of the bar.
I landed on the floor in front of Kody, ignoring the shouts and commotion coming from all directions. I waved off the bartender hovering uncertainly behind Kody and quietly asked, Are you okay, Kody?”

The answer was obvious when, instead of biting my head off, her big, bright-green eyes flooded with tears and her shoulders started to shake with silent sobs. Having people burst into tears as I was talking to them, was a pretty common occurrence considering my line of work. Id developed a natural immunity to tears of all kinds. But not to Kodys. Hearing her breath catch and watching her eyelashes get spiky and damp as she struggled to hold the tears back made my heart twist painfully in my chest.

UNFORGIVEN_IGPRE

Pre-order your copy of UNFORGIVEN today!

Amazon | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo

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About JAY CROWNOVER:

JayCrownover

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point Series, Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

Connect with her:

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Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Blog Tour: Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Dear Ava - BT banner

"Dear Ava is heartwarming and angsty and don't get me started on Knox. Read this book! You will love Ava's fight and Knox's alpha."

--Tijan, New York Times bestselling author


Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a gripping enemies-to-lovers, secret admirer, high school romance with Dear Ava, available now!


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If you want to know what I thought of Dear Ava, you can check out my review here.

Synopsis


The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world--until they destroyed me.

The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.

Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer?

Knox, the scarred quarterback.

Dane, his twin brother.

Or Chance, the ex who dumped me. . .

Dear Ava,
Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.
Wait. That's stupid.
What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something REAL.
It's been ten months since you were here, but I can't forget you.
I've missed seeing you walk down the hall.
I've missed you cheering at my football games.
I've missed the smell of your hair.
And then everything fell apart the night of the kegger.
Don't hate me because I'm a Shark.
I just want to make you mine.
Still.

DEAR AVA AN

Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/DearAva
Add DEAR AVA to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Z2jwQx

Excerpt

“What do you want?” Knox says with as sneer as I ease in the football locker room. Cold eyes flick over my cheer skirt then move up and land on the hollow of my throat. It’s not cool enough at night for our sweater uniform so tonight my top is the red and white V-cut vest with CP embroidered on my chest.

“Where’s Chance?”

He whips off his sweat-covered jersey along with the pads underneath. “I don’t keep tabs on my best friend for you. Get out—before I scare you.”

He’s scaring me already.

But I can’t stop looking at him.

His shoulders are broad and wide, his chest lightly dusted with sparse golden hair, tan from the sun, rippling with powerful muscles, leading down to a tapered and trim waist. He has a visible six-pack, and my gaze lingers briefly on a small tattoo on his hip, but I can’t tell what it is. He isn’t brawny or beefy-looking like one might expect from a guy blessed with his athletic prowess, but sculpted and molded and—

Dropping my gaze, I stare at the floor. I shouldn’t be ogling him. Chance is my maybe-boyfriend.

I hear male laughter from one of the rooms that branch off from the locker room, maybe the showers, and I deflate, guessing that’s where Chance is.

Glancing up, I intend to ask him to tell Chance I came by to congratulate him on his two touchdowns, but my voice is frozen. Knox has unlaced his grass-stained pants and is shucking them off. His legs are heavily muscled and taut, unlike the leaner build of Chance. His underwear are white and tight, cupping his hard ass, the outline of his crotch—

“Like what you see, charity case? You can look, but you can’t touch.”

Anger soars, replacing my embarrassment. I know I'm just the scholarship girl at Camden, but why does he have to constantly remind me?

“Don't worry about me touching anything. I don’t like ugly.” The words tumble out before I can stop them. I meant his superior attitude, not his face, but I see the moment when he freezes and takes it the wrong way.

He touches his face, tracing his scar while his jaw pops. “Get the hell out. Only players allowed in here.”

I pivot and go for the door, forcing myself not to run. “Asshole,” I mutter.

His laughter follows me.
Ilsa head shot-2
About Ilsa Madden-Mills

Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.


Connect with Ilsa
Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: http://bit.ly/37B6Nay
Sign up for phone alert for book releases (max of 4) Text ROMANCE to 21000
Stay up to day with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh


Monday, February 3, 2020

Release Blitz: Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Dear Ava - RB banner


Dear Ava, an all-new emotional and angsty standalone romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is available now!


IMMDearAvaBookCover55x85_MEDIUM

The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world—until one of them destroyed me.

The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.

Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer: Knox, the scarred quarterback and their leader, Dane, his twin brother, or Chance, the ex who dumped me...

Dear Ava,
Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.
That’s stupid.
What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something REAL.
It’s been ten months since you were here, but I can’t forget you.

I’ve missed seeing you walk down the hall.
I’ve missed you cheering at my football games.
I’ve missed the smell of your hair.
The truth is, I wanted you back then—but you had him.
And then everything fell apart that night.

Don’t hate me because I’m a Shark.
I just want to make you mine.
Still.

An excerpt of Dear Ava appeared in the anthology Team Player 2 in 2019. (No longer available.) This full-length version is 100,000 words.

DEAR AVA AN

Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/37T4EYl
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/DearAva
Add DEAR AVA to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Z2jwQx

Ilsa head shot-2

About Ilsa Madden-Mills

Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.


Connect with Ilsa
Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: http://bit.ly/37B6Nay
Sign up for phone alert for book releases (max of 4) Text ROMANCE to 21000
Stay up to day with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Review: Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Dear Ava Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I pretty much couldn't put this book down. This is an enemies to lovers romance that deals with some heavy subject matter. The book opens with the main character Ava dealing with the aftermath of being sexually assaulted. She returns to the private school she attends as a scholarship student in an attempt to overcome the assault, but on her first day back she gets a love letter in her locker. Not only does she have to deal with the aftermath of her assault, but she has to deal with bullying from her classmates for reporting it. She suffers victim shaming at the hands of the rich, but she is determined to show them that they aren't going to win. Driven by the love she has for her brother and the desire to give him everything their mother couldn't, she works hard and doesn't give up.

The Sharks rule the school. They are all athletes and come from elite, rich families. Knox is king of the Sharks. He puts off a cold exterior, but secretly he is just as broken as everyone else. He hides his pain well and he also hides his desire for Ava. When they are paired together for a class project after she returns to school, he starts to let some of his barriers down around her. They slowly start to build a friendship as they find solace in each others broken pasts and their determination to find out who hurt Ava.

Madden-Mills does a wonderful job with the touchy subjects of mental health and sexual assault. I loved how strong Ava is, and how vulnerable Knox was. I loved how loyal he was to Ava and his brother. I loved that he was willing to wait for Ava, and take whatever she was willing to dish out The side characters were great as well. Ava had such great friends surrounding her.

I was provided an Arc via the author in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

February TBR


I had a very successful reading month in January.  I have a fairly ambitious TBR for February.  I have a bunch of ARCs for February and March that I hope to get through.  

I also hope to participate in Tome Topple this month, which runs from 2/7-2/20.  If you don't know what Tome Topple is, that is a reading challenge hosted by Thoughts on Tomes, where you read books over 500 pages.  I tend to listen to really long books these days, but the two books  I hope to get through are Priory of the Orange Tree and Black Leopard, Red Wolf

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

Most of these are ARCs
  • An Act of Faith by C.A. Oliver
    • I started reading this at the end of December.  I'm about 10% of the way in and it is really hard to follow.  It has a Lord of the Rings feel, but nothing has happened.  There are only 7 chapters I think and so far all they've done is face a hurricane and sail around the sea.  There is a made up Elven language so that's cool, but I'm bored so far.  I'm not a fan of really long chapters where nothing happens.  Hopefully it picks up or I'll be DNFing this in February.
  • The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo
    • This comes out on February 11th.  I've already started this but it is a very long historical fiction.  From what I can tell and the brief research I've done, it is fairly accurate regarding the Borgia family and the historic events that actually took place.  If you are interested in Vatican history and politics, give this one a look when it comes out later this month.  I'm also using this for the Read Harder prompt for a historical fiction not set in WWII.
  • Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long
    • This is a mystery that features two female police detectives.  I don't want to get too far into the plot because I don't want to spoil things.  This comes out February 18th.
  • Unforgiven by Jay Crownover
    • This is a romantic suspense due out February 25th.  I don't think I've read anything by Jay Crownover before, though she's been recommended several times.  Since this is a bit of a mystery, I don't know much about the plot so I don't spoil anything going into it.  This comes out February 25th.
  • Havenfall by Sara Holland
    • This is Sara Holland's latest fantasy offering.  I enjoyed her previous books, and this is supposed to have magic an an in that connects ancient magical worlds.  It appears that something bad happens and the main character has to figure out what's going on and save the world.  This comes out March 3rd.
  • Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco
    • If you follow me on social media at all you've seen me tweeting and posting some of the marketing materials for this book.  It comes out March 3rd, and is Chupeco's latest YA Fantasy.  It appears to have a Filipina character, making it #ownvoices, who has no use for magic despite her magical heritage.
  • Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
    • This is one of my picks for Tome Topple.  I purchased this when it was on sale a while ago and the kindle version comes in at 848 pages.  This also for a Popsugar prompt for a book published in the month of my birthday.  This was published in February of 2019, and my birthday is during Tome Topple, so it kind of works out perfect.

Audiobooks


  • Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
    • As I mentioned above I'm hoping to listen to list for Tome Topple.  Goodreads has this coming in at 640 pages, and I was planning on picking this up for the Popsugar prompt for a book that won and award in 2019.  This was named best book by several outlets last year, and I'm always looking for a good fantasy.  
  • The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
    • My sci-fi book club picked this for our February read.  I don't know much about it other than it is supposed to be heavy on the science and there are aliens.  It also won the Hugo award and those are usually pretty good.
  • The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nichole Davis
    • This is a debut YA Fantasy that is also supposed to have some historical and western elements.  The blurb says its Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale, that's all I need to know.  
  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
    • I keep hearing about this, and received an ARC after publication.  I'm hoping it lives up to the hype.  It sounds like a harder hitting contemporary that covers some very real social issues.
  • The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
    • I don't remember where I heard about this, but it sounds amazing.  I picked this up for a horror book published by an indie press for the Read Harder challenge.  The girls of Cleveland are changing into what looks like rusted metal.  It sounds terrifying and I can't wait!
  • The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
    • Popsugar has a prompt this year to read a book you know nothing about.  This was a tough one, since I wasn't sure what that was.  I feel like I vaguely know a little bit about everything, but investing and the stock market is something I really am not educated on.  My son is participating in a stock market club at school, so I thought this made sense to look into.  It isn't terribly long either, so hopefully I learn something.
 

January Wrap-up



First wrap up of 2020.  I read and listened to a ton of books in January!  Hopefully I can keep up the momentum for the rest of the year.

I completed a bunch of prompts for the 2020 Popsugar and Book Riot Read Harder  challenges this month.  If you are interested in what I'm reading or what I read for the past challenges, my google docs are below.
In addition to the books below, I also read all 95 episodes of the webcomic, Lore Olympus on Webtoon.  The creator is Rachel Smythe and it's awesome.  If you are a Greek mythology lover, you need to check it out.  It is a retelling of the story of Persephone and Hades, and I love the direction she is taking with it.  Fair warning, it deals with alot of topics that might be triggering to some.  She usually puts a warning at the beginning of episodes that specifically deal with triggering topics.  New episodes come out on Sundays and I'm so glad I finally jumped in.  I love her art style and can't wait to see where the story is headed.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

I can't believe I got through so many books this month.  
  • Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
    • This is a slow paced sci-fi kind about an older woman who just wants to be left alone.  The company who colonized the planet she has lived on for 40 years decides that they are going to move the colony somewhere more prosperous.  Ofelia, decides she's staying put, and live out the rest of her days the way she wants.  The story plays out much like the movie Castaway with Ofelia as the sole inhabitant of the planet, until she is visited by the indigenous inhabitants of the planet.  An odd relationship builds between Ofelia and the strange beings known as The People that develops into so much more.  This isn't heavy on the science or technology, and the pace doesn't pick up until after The People show up.  
  • Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
    • Review
    • I have an ARC of this and it comes out on the 21st.  I'm a huge fan of Reintgen's work and this is his latest young adult offering.  It is supposed to have some magical battle horses and was compared to Scorpio Races which I loved.  
  • Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
    • Review
    • I received an ARC of this a while ago, but I was holding this for January to count it toward the Popsugar reading prompt for a book involving social media.  This is supposed to be about two gamers who have to deal with the hassle of virtual trolls.  Look for more closer to the release date on the 28th.
  • A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
    • This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I loved it!  It is one of the more unique retellings I've read where it has a kind of groundhog's day aspect to it, and the fairy tale bleeds over into the real world.  I really enjoyed how Rhen, the prince, interacted with Harper the girl he is trying to woo.  I also loved Grey, Rhen's commander and trusted companion.  
  • Fix the World (Skyward #3) by Joe Henderson
    • This is the final installment in a sci-fi graphic novel series.  In this bindup, the main character is trying to turn gravity back on, fight giant bugs, and maybe find love.  I love the art in this and the series is pretty good.
  • Fun Home: A Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
    • This is a memoir in comic form.  It is Bechdel's life story, but it center's around her relationship with her father and his death.  It is a difficult read as it is kind of sad.  The art is great, and her emotion really shows through on the page.
  • Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
    • I adored this!  It tells the story of two young girls and their story as they learned to code.  Their coding project from summer camp turned into a viral game.  I love how they tackled a taboo subject and really grew as people.  I entered the technology field over 20 years ago and while not much has changed, but it is nice to know that girls are getting more support and being encouraged to enter technology.
  • Frenemies by Emma Hart
    • Review
    • This is a funny second chance romance that features a single dad and the ridiculous grandma I've ever read.  You should read it just to experience Grandma Jen.  
  • Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills
    • Review
    • I pretty much couldn't put this book down.  This is an enemies to lovers romance that deals with some heavy subject matter.  The book opens with the main character Ava dealing with the aftermath of being sexually assaulted.  She returns to the private school she attends as a scholarship student in an attempt to overcome the assault, but on her first day back she gets a love letter in her locker.  Football player and king of the school, Knox ends up befriending Ava, though they start out as enemies.  They are both broken but they end up finding solace in each other.  Madden-Mills does a wonderful job with the touchy subjects of mental health and sexual assault.  

Audiobooks

I feel really accomplished that I got through so many audiobooks in January, especially since some of them were fairly long.   Most of these were for reading prompts, but quite a few of them were already on my TBR.  That is the beauty of these reading challenges.  I don't feel a ton of pressure to read books I don't want to read.  
  • The Cursed Sea by Lauren Destefano
    • I was disappointed in this sequel.  I really loved the first book.  This really just followed Wil as she runs around trying to stop a bunch of things from happening.
  • Dry by  Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
    • I read this for a prompt about a natural disaster after seeing this recommended a everywhere.  I really enjoyed this.  It was pretty disturbing because it is a realistic thing that could actually happen.  It follows a group of kids after a major drought has hit and water is basically 
  • Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
    • I picked this up for the Read Harder challenge for a retelling by an author of color.  This was also the book of the month at my library for January.  It ranges from diverse, violent, and strange.  Machado's writing is beautiful, but I just didn't really enjoy this collection of stories. The retelling is the first offering called The Husband Stitch and is a version of The Girl with the Green Ribbon.  This by far was the one I liked the most.
  • The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
    • I listened to this to fulfil the prompt for the Popsugar challenge for a book about a woman in STEM.  This book while fiction, is inspired by the the actual accounts of Mitza Maric, Einstein's first wife.  I'm not sure how accurate the history is, as this has inspired me to read up on Mitza and things don't add up.  This book made me mad, I couldn't stand the way she was treated, and while that was "the way things were" it still was awful.  I do wish this had focused more on the physics and less on the romance and relationship aspect of her life.  
  • Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
    • This is a great middle grade/YA fantasy series.  It is set in Nigeria and utilizes African mythology and culture as the basis for the fantastical elements in the story.  This follows Sunny, born in the US to Nigerian parents.  Her family moves back to Nigeria when she is 12, but because she is an albino she is taunted by almost everyone around her for being a witch.  Unbeknownst to Sunny, there is a world of magic and paranormal all around her that she uncovers when she has a vision.  Fortunately she is surrounded by great friends and teachers who help her hone her powers and learn about the secret magical world around her.
  • 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
    • This is a weird compilation of stories of various genres.  As with most short story compilations I really liked some of them and I really didn't like others.  If you are looking for a good mix of horror, paranormal, and fantasy stories give this a try.  Some of them are really good, some are super weird, and I think everyone will find something appealing.
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
    • This is a WWII story told from the perspective of 2 sisters.  Despite being a good story, I felt it was far too long.  The author spends a great deal of time setting things up.  The story takes place in France, the older sister ends up with a Nazi soldier boarding in her home while the other more outspoken sister ends up becoming part of the rebellion.  Each of the sisters ends up helping the rebellion in their own way, but they both have to do what they need to in order to survive.  
  • The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
    • I can't believe I never read this in school.  I listened to the audiobook for the Popsugar prompt for a bildungsroman, or a coming of age story.
  • River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
    • Hippo farming, who knew?  Did you know that this was a real concept?  I surely didn't.  This story while fiction is based on an actual concept that never came to fruition in the early 1900's in the US during a meat shortage.  This has a western feel and a very diverse cast of characters.  I'm really looking forward to the sequel.
  • Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
    • Technically I finished this in February, but I listened to most of it in January.  This is the sequel to Children of Blood and Bone.  It is an epic YA Fantasy, that discusses so much more.  There is magic, politics, mythology and betrayal.  The plot of this one kind of meanders around and doesn't really move forward.  I really liked the first book other than the ridiculous romance between Zelie and Inan, but this one just falls short.  It doesn't expand the magic and mythology.  The plot is basically Zelie being angry and making rash, emotional decisions and being mad at Amari the whole book.  Their friendship is being torn apart because Amari wants to try to find a peaceful solution and Zelie wants only vengeance, and both of them making decisions that don't make any sense.  This is just an emotional mess of a story.