Category: Book Reviews

Book Review | Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Posted February 12, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Doomed to—or blessed with—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #9: A character-driven novel)
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

This is one of those books I’d heard about but never read, and it was immediately available on my library’s catalog and only four hours on audio, so I thought, why not?

The Quotes

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”

“The way I see it,” Miles went on, “it’s no good hiding yourself away, like Pa and lots of other people. And it’s no good just thinking of your own pleasure, either. People got to do something useful if they’re going to take up space in the world.”

“But dying’s part of the wheel, right there next to being born. You can’t pick out the pieces you like and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing.”

“You really have to love words if you’re going to be a writer, because as a writer, you certainly spend a lot of time with words.”

The Narrator

Peter Thomas. Everything was just perfect, I have no complaints!

My Thoughts

Look, I’m just going to ignore the whole kidnapping thing, Stockholm Syndrome thing, possible grooming of a 12-year-old girl by a 17-year-old boy, or a 104-year-old man, depending how you see it. I’m taking it at face value, and it’s such a sweet story. Bittersweet. Scary too, if the bad guy had gotten his way.

Personally, if there was a spring that could grant me immortality, I would go for it. I might regret it because there’d be no way out if I wanted to die, but if so, then I’d spend my life looking for a way to die, and then I’d have a purpose to live! Ironic. But seriously, I love the idea of living forever and staying the same age. Of course, I’d prefer to become immortal when I was younger, but heck, I’d take it at this age. I’m not completely decrepit yet!

I do understand the thought processes that Tuck and his family has about their immortality though. It would be hard to never be able to stay in one place long, to never be able to have lifelong friends, to never be able to progress in life, get married and have kids, and grow old with them. I know that I would only take immortality if my husband lived forever with me. I would never choose it if he couldn’t come with me. I did feel like Miles could’ve tried again, but that’s a moot point by the end of the story.

My Feels

It’s a sad and lonely existence, the way the Tucks lived. They could’ve done much more with the gift, or the curse, they had. I loved what Miles said, about being useful if you’re going to take up space in the world. They may or may not like being immortal, but if you’re there, you may as well do something good with it.

Spoiler
I was also sad that by the time they came back, Winnie had grown old and died. It’s sad to me that she never got to see them again. And I’m not exactly sure what happened to the spring, but it’s implied that it’s no longer there. I feel like the Tucks could’ve shared it with trusted friends and loved ones over the years, so that they wouldn’t be so alone, and I’m sure some people would love to have that opportunity as well. But if the spring is gone, then that chance is lost forever.

My Rating

4/5 stars. It gives me a lot to think about.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Posted February 12, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

A novel about a mother’s unbreakable love in a world consumed by fear.

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.

Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #43: About finding identity)
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

It was immediately available when I browsed for audiobooks, and I was really intrigued by the premise. I haven’t read Little Fires Everywhere, but it’s also on my TBR, and I thought I might as well try the author’s other books. It also helps that it’s both a diversity book and a bookish book, for my reading challenges.

The Quotes

“Why did I tell you so many stories? Because I wanted the world to make sense to you. I wanted to make sense of the world, for you. I wanted the world to make sense.”

“If we fear something, it is all the more imperative we study it thoroughly.”

“Who ever thinks, recalling the face of the one they loved who is gone: yes, I looked at you enough, I loved you enough, we had enough time, any of this was enough?”

“Librarians, of all people, understood the value of knowing, even if that information could not yet be used.”

The Narrator

Lucy Liu. I don’t know if it’s the way the story was written, but her reading seems so block-y. Like she’s reading in blocks. It’s not a big deal, I still enjoyed the story, it was just the lack of change in cadence and it felt weird.

The Characters

Bird is the main character and we see most of the story from his POV, but his mother’s POV is the one that really punches me in the gut.

His mother, Margaret, is Chinese American, and as the story progresses, you can see how she lays low, think that all the initial abuse of Asian Americans don’t apply to her, because she isn’t like them, she isn’t a troublemaker, she hasn’t done anything wrong. She ignores what’s happening, tries to distance herself from the blatant racism, and has a general attitude of “as-long-as-it’s-not-me”. Until it is.

My Thoughts

I thought this book was very well-written, well-researched, well-told. It is so fascinating, but also painful, to see the progression of how things got as bad as they did. This book hits really close to home because, let’s be real, it has happened in real life. It could still happen.

For me, the biggest thing on my mind is how Margaret’s initial inaction, denial, and distancing, is so cowardly, but so completely understandable. I’m not a hero, I don’t think I’ll be brave enough to ever be the first to stand against oppression, especially when the result of it could be death, persecution, or having my loved ones taken away. This book really makes me think, what would I do if it were me? Being honest, I guess I’d run and hide. That would be my first instinct. But if backed into a corner and having no other choice, I guess I’d fight. But then it might be too late.

The lesson it has always been is that, if you stand by and do nothing while others are being oppressed, you are standing with the oppressors. I am reminded by this quote:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

I also want to note that once again, in times of oppression, we see the power of books, libraries, librarians, knowledge being passed around, and stories being told. Stories are powerful, and I believe stories are the secrets to peace. If everyone read books, listened to stories, they would learn to be more empathic and be less inclined to hurt others. I truly believe that.

My Feels

It’s chilling and scary because it could happen. And I honestly don’t know what I would do. It’s one thing to know rationally what to do, it’s another to do the right thing when you are caught up in feeling the fear. This story scares me.

It also breaks my heart to see the evil that exists in this world, and yet there is also the amazing resilience and courage of the human spirit. This book is going to stay in my mind for a while.

My Rating

5/5 stars. It’s such a painful but powerful story. I highly recommend it to everybody!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Improbable Meet-Cute Series

Posted February 9, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

The Improbable Meet-Cute Series

My Thoughts

I wasn’t planning to read all of them initially. I had only just downloaded two of them – The Exception to the Rule, and With Any Luck – (they are free with Amazon Prime!) on Kindle, but I finished them both very quickly and then I wanted more, so I downloaded the rest, and finished them all too!

So here are my general thoughts; are they cute? Yes! Are they cheesy? Also yes! But are they a lot of fun? Hell yes!

Some are cheesier than others, and also totally unrealistic, and I would probably not like a couple of them if they were full-length romances. But as they are, in this format, I had so much fun reading them all! I love that they were all connected to each other in some small way, and I love how they each tied in with Valentine’s Day.

My Feels

Book 1 – The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren
This one was my favorite of them all. I loved that it spanned years and that it wasn’t insta-love. Conversation and correspondence are also my weaknesses, I just cannot resist love that blossoms through love letters – or the modern equivalent to love letters. I also loved how they finally meet! It’s just wonderful from start to finish. 5/5 stars.

Book 2 – Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez
This is my next favorite, and can you blame me when you realize it’s also got that love letter element? Notes on the windshield, back-and-forth correspondence, falling in love through notes before ever meeting each other. It’s just so sweet, and of course, improbable, but that’s the name of the series, so there. 4/5 stars.

Book 3 – Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne
So here they also get to know each other before they see each other, but it’s not through love letters. It’s through voice. Rosie is stuck in the isolation tank, and the fireman needs to get her out. I think my enjoyment of this love story is tempered with my fear of being stuck in enclosed spaces. I loved that they connected, but I was too focused on Rosie being stuck. 3/5 stars.

Book 4 – Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory
I was very confused with the male MC’s facial expressions being all over the place, but I love the sentiment, and I love a baker. The way to my heart is through my stomach, and any man who gives me extra pastries for free and makes my favorite baked goods is gonna have a place in my heart. 3/5 stars

Book 5 – With Any Luck by Ashley Poston
I quite enjoyed this story, but it’s funny, I feel like this one would be much better as a full-length novel. I feel like the story can definitely be expanded on. I loved the characters and I love the idea of Audrey being the kiss that helps other people find their true love. I want more! 4/5 stars.

Book 6 – Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson
This was probably the most improbable one for me, but hey, it’s sweet, and it’s cheesy, and I enjoyed seeing them fall for each other. 3/5 stars.

My Rating

I’ve given each story their individual rating, but collectively, I’d give them a rating of 4/5 stars. It’s just fun!

Have you read these books? Would you read these books? Did you like them or do you think you would like them?

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Book Review | Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley

Posted February 9, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley

In this spirited sequel, The Rook returns to clinch an alliance between deadly rivals and avert epic—and slimy—supernatural war.

When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers—and the bureaucratic finesse—to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries:

The Checquy—the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural
threats, and…
The Grafters—a centuries-old supernatural threat.

But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Surrounded by spies, only the Rook and two women, who absolutely hate each other, can seek out the culprits before they trigger a devastating otherworldly war.

STILETTO is a novel of preternatural diplomacy, paranoia, and snide remarks.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #3: More than 40 chapters)
2024 Finishing the Series Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

It’s the second book in the Checquy Files, and I loved the first one!

The Quotes

“Plus, anyone who wants to clone himself is usually an asshole. You don’t want any more of those running around than absolutely necessary.”

“You’re a tool, to be used and directed for the good of the people. Sometimes you’ll be a scalpel, cutting out disease. Sometimes you’ll be a sword, and you’ll take on threats with all the strength you can muster. And sometimes, Odette, you’ll be a stiletto, a hidden weapon that slides quietly into the heart.”

“I’ll tell you what, if, after fifteen years, you still think you hate her, we’ll do something about it.”

“We’ve had plenty of skeletons in our closets,” continued Thomas. “Hell, one of our Rooks was a skeleton. And he was in the closet as well, come to think of it.”

The Narrator

Moira Quirk. I liked this narrator more than the first, but the editing left a lot of empty space between chapters, which confused me a bit.

The Characters

Myfanwy Thomas is still one of the characters in this book, but she’s not as prominent. It seems like she’s more of a background character, with a few chapters that highlight her POV. I still love her, and I love seeing her when she appears in the book, but there are two other main characters in this book.

Odette, a member of the Grafters – a rival organization to the Checquy that’s been at war with them for centuries with a lot of bad blood between them. And Felicity, a pawn in the Checquy, who’s been tasked with being a guard/protector to Odette.

The Grafters and the Checquy were enemies, but Myfanwy is now trying to broker an alliance between the two organizations, and Odette and Felicity have to work together.

My Thoughts

I wish there was more of Myfanwy’s presence in this book, but I do love Odette and Felicity, and I find them both fascinating in each of their very unique ways. I enjoyed the history lessons about the two organizations and the bad blood between them, it wasn’t tedious for me at all. I also loved the background stories of both Odette and Felicity, and how they got to where they are. I loved how they each had their moments of shining with their very interesting talents and abilities.

Spoiler
I couldn’t believe it when Rook Gestalt was revealed to still be in play! It complicates the plot for sure, and makes the story a lot more interesting! I’m also really looking forward to see what happens in the third book, because I’m sure with Gestalt in play, it’s going to be dangerous for Myfanwy and the Checquy. Gestalt is one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across, so I really want to see what happens with the kind of ability they have.

My Feels

It’s complicated. I feel really impressed with the way each of the relationships are presented here. Between Odette and her former crew, between Felicity and her former crew, between Odette and her ancestors/the higher-ups in the Grafters, between Felicity and Odette. There are so many interlacing relationships and trust circles here, and I loved observing all of them and watching them evolve.

My Rating

5/5 stars. Different from the first book, but just as good in its own way!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Posted February 2, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #45: Chapter headings have dates)
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I love fairy tales. I love tales about faeries, and changelings, and magic, and folklore, and I love the whole idea of this book! I’ve been seeing this book everywhere, and of course, I couldn’t resist! It’s like I’ve been enchanted!

The Quotes

“Perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature.”

“One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.”

“There was something about the stories bound between those covers, and the myriad species of Folk weaving in and out of them, each one a mystery begging to be solved. I suppose most children fall in love with faeries at some point, but my fascination was never about magic or the granting of wishes. The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs—and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”

The Characters

I love Emily Wilde! I love Wendell! I love Shadow! I love Poe! I love Thora! I love Aud! Omg, I love them all!

I relate so much to Emily. I found it painful and funny how awkward she was around people and yet, she was so amazing at her job, so resourceful and smart! To be clear, I relate to the awkward part, not the smart part, I’m not an intellectual and I probably couldn’t write a faerie encyclopaedia. I also relate to how practical she was, not really caring about her clothes looking good or her cottage feeling homey. It always seems to be the woman’s job to make the house homey and to look good, but I love that Wendell is the homebody in this book!

I love seeing Wendell through Emily’s eyes, I think I fell more in love with him because of her practical and objective descriptions. In fact, I loved seeing all the other characters from her eyes. There’s something about the way she writes that’s so matter-of-fact, and yet, you feel the feels she tries to downplay.

My Thoughts

What an adventure! I loved discovering this magical world of Emily Wilde’s, where faeries and faerie folklore are studied and discussed in academic circles. I loved learning about this world through Emily’s notebook. It was so interesting to be introduced to the different faerie folk, to see Emily’s interactions with each of them, to see her embroiled in certain situations in regards to them, and how she finds solutions to any issue she comes across. It is hard not to fall in love with her, even though she tries to be unlikable!

My Feels

Two words; found family. I am a sucker for it. I loved how she started out practically ostracized, and ended up with a whole community of people who loves her as family. I get choked up just thinking about it and how it all came about.

My Rating

5/5 stars. I’m a character driven reader, and this book has the best characters all around. I need to see more of them!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Posted January 26, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 7 Comments

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

This beloved story -first published more than fifty years ago- introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond.

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #32: Time frame spans a week or less)
The Classics Club Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’ve had this book on my physical bookshelf for a couple of years, but if you want the real reasons, it’s because…

  1. Deb Nance @ Readerbuzz says, “Put The Phantom Tollbooth at the top of your list!”
  2. Lydia says, “The Phantom Tollbooth was excellent.”
  3. Sarah @ Exploring All Genres says, “The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my favorite books from when I was younger. I still have a well-loved copy on my shelf.”
  4. Nicole @ NewBookCatsReads says, “I read the Phantom Tollbooth when I was fifth grade! What a fascinating read!”
  5. Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits says, “The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my all-time favorite books.”
  6. Felice says, “The Phantom Tollbooth was one of my favorite books I read as a kid! I hope whenever you get to it, you enjoy it!”
  7. Cindy @ Cindy’s Book Corner says, “I HIGHLY recommend listening to The Phantom Tollbooth on audio. It was fantastic. My husband read the book and didn’t see why me and my kids thought it was so good…until he listened to it as well. He didn’t catch some of the humor. It’s also not a genre I would normally pick and only listened to it because of my kids. I have lost count how many times we have listened to it on road trips.”
  8. Sarah @ All The Book Blog Names Are Taken says, “I absolutely love The Phantom Tollbooth. It’s so clever and a lot of fun.”

So I listened! Thank you all for the enthusiasm for this wonderful book! There were so many endorsements, and I hope I didn’t miss anyone, but it definitely put The Phantom Tollbooth at the top of my list. I listened to it on audiobook because of Cindy’s endorsement, but I also flipped through my physical copy while listening, so I could look at the illustrations as I go.

The Quotes

“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”

“Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens.”

“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.”

“You must never feel badly about making mistakes … as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.”

The Narrator(s)

Rainn Wilson, and a special appearance from Walter Wilson (his son) as the voice of .58! I loved it. Rainn Wilson is a wonderful narrator and I loved that Walter Wilson made an appearance too. It was just perfect the whole way through.

The Characters

There are so many interesting characters in this book with such distinctive personalities. I loved them all! Milo is the main character, however, and we see things through his perspective.

My Thoughts

I cannot believe this is the first time I’ve ever read this book! Where has it been my whole life? I don’t know how I would’ve felt as a child reading this, but as an adult, it was just delightful and it brings me back to innocent days of childlike wonder and imagination. There was a lot of simple wisdom in this book, and it reminds me that we are never too old for magic.

My Feels

It makes me feel young again! It makes me feel like nothing is impossible, and that the world is filled with infinite possibilities. It makes me feel like I am one of those infinite possibilities. I love it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. Is this book the secret to the fountain of youth?

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Posted January 26, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 7 Comments

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.

There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #24: A cover without people on it)

The Reason

I am a huge fan of T. Kingfisher. So much so that I didn’t actually know what this book was about before going into it, only that I wanted to read it because it’s by T. Kingfisher. I guessed that it might have been Sleeping Beauty-related because of the title, but I didn’t know for sure until I started reading it.

The Quotes

“Learn what you can. Use what you learn. You have not failed yet.”

“Greenteeth did not slap one another—not out of any virtue, but because a slap was such a useless thing underwater. When greenteeth brawled, it was with teeth and strangling fingers, spines and claws.”

“It never occurred to her to doubt her welcome. Such was the gift of a child raised with love.”

“No. I have many mothers. If I am hideous, then we are hideous together. And that made it easier, because in her heart of hearts, she could not believe that her mothers were anything but beautiful.”

The Characters

Toadling – the main character. She is such an interesting character, even in a story as short as this, we learn so much about her. She was stolen by the fairies, lost her birthright and family of origin, and yet the family she found was loving and perhaps gave her a better life than she could’ve had. She is dutiful, a people pleaser, a little too harsh on herself, but she is also resourceful and steadfast.

Halim – the unremarkable knight. He’s not anything special. He is not handsome or renowned, he doesn’t have many conquests to his name. He’s not exceptionally brave or ambitious. I think his best quality is his curiosity and openness.

The princess – the sleeping beauty. The changeling. I think the quote below just about sums her up.

“The only curse is that she is a changeling. And she will be as cruel as she can, because that is the nature of changelings. Good spirits do not steal away babies to take their place. It is only the wicked that are sent to make mischief. And only the dutiful that are sent to try and stop them.”

My Thoughts

I’m a huge fan of fairy-tale retellings, and I’ve probably read a dozen retellings of the Sleeping Beauty story. I never get tired of them because there are always new perspectives, and even the “original” fairy-tales have so many different variations, and I love discovering them all. I love stories that flip the good guys and the bad guys because I’ve always believed that it depends on who’s telling the story, and we are always the good guys in our own stories. However, while this story is based off the Sleeping Beauty story, most of its charm comes from the “side stories”, the ones about Toadling growing up with the greenteeth, Toadling’s and Halim’s “meet-cute” and their conversations that help us get to know them, even the little snippets about how the world outside has changed, while the world inside the thornhedge makes its own little changes.

My Feels

I love how this story transports me to a different world. T. Kingfisher’s books has a way of doing that to me. It feels like a weird but pleasant dream, and I love that vibe for this book.

My Rating

4/5 stars. I loved it, but it’s not my favorite out of all her books (and she’s got so many amazing ones!).

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

Posted January 25, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

“The body you are wearing used to be mine.”

So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, The Rook is a richly inventive, suspenseful, and often wry thriller that marks an ambitious debut from a promising young writer.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #29: Published in a Year of the Dragon)
2024 Finishing the Series Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

This book is a reread, and apparently I first read it in 2014, that’s ten years ago! I loved it when I read it back then, but the next books in the series weren’t out yet, and then I forgot about it for a while. The third book was released in 2022, which reminded me how much I enjoyed the first, and I wanted to reread it before moving on to the next two books since I’ve forgotten all the details.

The Quotes

“Yes, Minister, it turns out that there was a mysterious force that caused that plane to crash. We call it gravity.”

“Now, do you mind telling me why you have all these guns lying around? Are you afraid the paperwork will rise up against you?’
‘Oh, no. I’m going to use the guns as paperweights.”

“Checquy statistics indicate that 15 percent of all men in hats are concealing horns.”

“She felt a little pang of fondness for the woman who’d lived in her body. You couldn’t help liking someone who put all this effort into making you feel welcome.”

The Narrator

Susan Duerden. I had a little trouble with this one at first because she’s got a certain kind of inflection that she repeats over and over again, which makes the narration sound weird to my ears. Everything else was great though; the clarity, the volume, and so on. It was just this one thing. However, I did eventually get used to it and didn’t notice it anymore once I got into the story.

The Characters

Myfanwy Thomas is the main character, and she’s interesting because she’s lost her memory, but it’s presented as if she’s a new soul inhabiting another person’s body. It’s very intriguing. I love seeing her grow into herself, and discovering who she is. I like the comparison of her new personality and her old, and seeing that through the expectations of people who knew the old personality.

Rook Gestalt is only one person with four bodies. Yes, you read that right. The book uses “it” for reasons expressed in the book, but it was written in 2012, and I will use “they” to refer to Rook Gestalt. They have three male bodies and one female body, and two of the male bodies are identical twins.

There are several other very interesting characters in the book, but I had to mention Rook Gestalt because a single person with four bodies is just too good a concept, and hopefully that’s enough to make people want to read this book!

My Thoughts

I love the lost memory trope, especially when there are assassins after you, and you have to figure out who you are, what is going on, and who you can trust. I also love the supernatural aspects of the book, the worldbuilding, the different powers the characters have, and finding out how they work. There’s so much mystery and suspense, and also badassery. It’s just so good.

My Feels

The second time reading it was just as wild as my first ride! I’d forgotten a lot, so I didn’t know who the bad guys were and had fun discovering it all over again. There were some gory parts, and it got really thrilling near the end as well, but it was really good pacing overall. Things kept happening, Myfanwy kept discovering new things, and I was kept well on the edge of my seat.

My Rating

5/5 stars. Same as before! I can’t wait to start on the next book!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Don’t Call It A Cult by Sarah Berman

Posted January 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Don’t Call It A Cult by Sarah Berman

They draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.

Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labour. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a global organization run by Keith Raniere and his high-profile enablers (Seagram heir Clare Bronfman; Smallville actor Allison Mack; Battlestar Galactica actor Nicki Clyne). Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman unravels how young women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities found themselves blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. With the help of the Bronfman fortune Raniere built a wall of silence around these abuses, leveraging the legal system to go after enemies and whistleblowers.

Don’t Call It a Cult shows that these abuses looked very different from the inside, where young women initially received mentorship and protection. Don’t Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM’s rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world. It explores why so many were drawn to its message of empowerment yet could not recognize its manipulative and harmful leader for what he was—a criminal.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #18: An apostrophe in the title)
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’ve been curious about the NXIVM story for a while, and I was very interested in this book when it first came out, but I wasn’t in the frame of mind to read true crime at the time. This book was available on audiobook a couple days ago, and I just decided to finally read it since I signed up for a nonfiction reading challenge anyway.

My Thoughts

I initially thought I’d just dip my toes into the book, because I didn’t have other audiobooks available at the time, but I started listening and I was hooked. I couldn’t stop listening, I wanted to know more. I was fascinated, and horrified, at everything that happened, and especially with how it happened.

Honestly, I was worried about my own thoughts about it, in the beginning. When Berman wrote about the organization and how it was initially presented as an empowerment group, and then giving the examples of people who actually benefited from the techniques Raniere and his people used… I was like, it doesn’t sound so bad, it seemed like it actually helped some people overcome their fears. And then I read more, and it got worse, and worse, and worse, and I’m like, hey, I get it now.

It’s the boiling frog analogy. They pull you in with the good stuff, but then they increase the temperature, slowly, oh, so slowly, and before you know it, you’re boiled alive! It’s scary!

I also thought it was interesting how Berman mentioned that some of the techniques demonstrated to her were actually very useful and helpful tools, but in the wrong hands, Raniere’s hands, they were used to cause a lot of damage.

My Feels

My biggest feel from this book is fear. And doubt, and uncertainty. Also disgust. I’ve always thought of myself as insusceptible to cults and cultish thinking, but reading this book and seeing their methods, their processes… I wonder if I would be sucked in, attracted to all the good stuff they promise, and then slowly boiled alive. I would like to think that I’m smarter than that, or stronger than that, or whatever, but many of the women involved were smart and strong too. My disgust isn’t towards the women who were also victims of manipulation, although I agree that they were responsible for many of their own abhorrent actions, but Raniere knew exactly what he was doing and it is yucky. Ugh!

My Rating

4/5 stars. I was completely engrossed in the book. I think Berman did a great job telling the stories and presenting it to the reader. I’m glad I finally read the book.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Switch by Beth O’Leary

Posted January 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.

Once Leena learns of Eileen’s romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.

Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn’t as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’m a fan of Beth O’Leary’s other books, and this one had been on my TBR for a while.

The Quotes

“You were healing. You’re still healing. You’ll maybe always be healing. And that’s OK. It’ll just be part of what makes you you.”

“If you’re holding someone close enough, you can be the shoulder and the crier.”

“Is it really an adventure if you don’t make at least one ill-advised decision?”

“I think part of what had made me so angry with my mum was the fact that I felt she should have been looking after me, not the other way around. But Mum couldn’t be my shoulder to cry on, not when she was bent double with grief herself. That’s the messy thing about family tragedy, I guess. Your best support network goes under in an instant.”

My Thoughts

I enjoyed the story, and I loved watching Leena and Eileen navigate their new circumstances, even if it was only temporarily for each of them. It was fun to see Eileen using online dating platforms, and I loved that we saw romance and sexual adventure happen for her. I loved how welcoming Leena’s friends were to Eileen, but I don’t really feel the same about many of Eileen’s friends towards Leena. I liked the idea and the potential of this story, but unfortunately, I don’t like the actual story very much.

My biggest issue, I think, is that I really, really, dislike meddlers and busybodies. I feel like the story wants to be a found family story, which everyone knows I love, but it falls short in execution. I’m not opposed to loved ones being busybodies out of concern, but the way it happens in this book is so much overstepping. I also feel like found family are people that become family because they prove themselves to be there for you and vice versa. In this book, it was more like they were there because of proximity. There was nothing substantial about Leena’s and Eileen’s relationship to many of the people involved. Some of them, yes, like Arnold, and Letitia, but a lot of the Neighborhood Watch were people that were just there.

It’s still a good story in itself, just not something I’d love.

My Feels

Another issue for me is more personal, and maybe it’s not fair, but this is about my feels for the book, after all. I did not like that Leena’s mother wasn’t there for her. I did not like that Eileen cared about her daughter’s feelings more than she cared about her granddaughter’s feelings. I don’t think that Eileen should have prioritized Leena over Marian, but I don’t think she should’ve prioritized Marian over Leena either.

“I think part of what had made me so angry with my mum was the fact that I felt she should have been looking after me, not the other way around. But Mum couldn’t be my shoulder to cry on, not when she was bent double with grief herself. That’s the messy thing about family tragedy, I guess. Your best support network goes under in an instant.”

The above quote feels personal for me, and I feel like O’Leary is trying to talk about the fact that sometimes you don’t get the support you need because the other person is also going through grief, and I get that, but I don’t get how it excuses Marian in this case. If you can’t look after your daughter because of your own grief, fine, but why do you think you’re entitled to her support then? Why does she have to look after you if she’s going through her own grief?

And why is Eileen getting angry at Leena for trying to have an honest conversation with her mom? Why is it okay to let Leena suffer for Marian’s avoidance? It makes me so angry!

My Rating

3/5 stars. I enjoyed the book, just not as much as I would’ve liked.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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