Category: Book Reviews

Book Review | Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

Posted January 15, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

Darrow returns as Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling Red Rising series continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Age.

“The measure of a man is not the fear he sows in his enemies. It is the hope he gives his friends.”—Virginia au Augustus

The Reaper is a legend, more myth than man: the savior of worlds, the leader of the Rising, the breaker of chains.

But the Reaper is also Darrow, born of the red soil of Mars: a husband, a father, a friend.

The worlds once needed the Reaper. But now they need Darrow. Because after the dark age will come a new age: of light, of victory, of hope.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #7: At least four different POVs)
2024 Finishing the Series Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

It’s the sixth book in the Red Rising series, and I spent the last year and a half reading (and rereading) the first five books.

The Quotes

“I’m not really blessed at keeping friends. But you are. I truly respect that. I know how special your friends are to you, how protective you are of them. And it means…quite a bit to me that you’ve invited me into your pack and made me feel welcome. No…it means everything, really. Without this, without your friends, I’m very much alone.”

“Forgetting is essential to learning, just as exhaling is essential to breathing. Breathe out, then in. Find the self, then lose it once again. Thus, the path goes ever onward.”

“The point of war is not to kill your enemies, but to come to an acceptable peace while losing as few people as possible.”

“If a man cannot learn from his mistakes, then what hope is there but to kill us all at first sin?”

The Characters

There are a lot of notable characters in this series, and in this book, but I’ll focus on the ones that stand out to me and that I feel were most important to this book.

Darrow – the main protagonist, the Reaper, the leader, and the one everyone rallies around. Totally flawed character and makes a lot of mistakes and enemies, but I love him.

Sevro – Darrow’s best friend and right hand man. I love him, and I hate it when Sevro and Darrow are apart or at odds.

Cassius – I was ambivalent about him, but I’ve grown to love him in this book.

Lysander – one of the antagonists. Cassius mentored and raised him a bit, but their values don’t align.

Fa – another antagonist. Fierce and scary, but a great antagonist and such a great part of the story.

My Thoughts

I have journeyed long with the characters in this series, and I have fallen in love with so many of them. I know their stories, I know the things they went through to get where they are now. From the 4th book onward, there had been no rest, no peace for the good guys. Everything seemed to be going against them and the stakes just kept getting higher. In this book, it was more of the same. I think maybe in the first three books, everything seemed to go well for them to the point of being unrealistic maybe? But these last three books, it’s like everything kept going wrong and I felt so frustrated for them. There were some wins, and some very strong scenes in the later part of the book, and I loved them because we really needed the wins. But there is still a 7th book and we don’t have a proper resolution yet. My beloved characters are far from safe, and I am still so anxious for them. I need the 7th book, and I need them to be okay!

My Feels

This book… just kills me. My emotions are all over the place! I loved so many of the scenes, I love when the good guys emerge triumphant, I love how powerful those scenes were, and I cheered for the wins. And then there were some quiet scenes that were no less powerful. The friendships, the love, the trust, and the feeling of knowing your friends have got your back. It’s heartwarming. And it’s also heartbreaking. This series, with the last 5 books, have broken my heart over and over again, and with this 6th book, it has broken me again. I am inconsolable!

Spoiler
That scene where Cassius and Darrow had a moment, and talked about how they loved each other and was grateful for each other, made me cry so hard. It was so heartwarming and I loved them so much. And it was then I knew Cassius was in danger! Why give me that scene if not to break my heart into a million pieces later?! And sure enough! I am devastated!

My Rating

5/5 stars. How could it be anything else?

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 Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

Posted January 11, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II.

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.

As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #14: A grieving character)
2024 Bookish Books Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I read Madeline Martin’s The Last Bookshop in London and I loved it, and this was the next one available on my library’s audiobook catalog, so obviously I had to borrow it.

The Quotes

“Sometimes the things we hold inside of us need to be let out. No matter where you are or who you’re speaking with.”

“Understanding and knowledge were wasted if one did not apply them to life.”

“Now I am nothing.” “You aren’t,” Ava said vehemently. “Not when you are here to tell your story. Not when there are those like Ethan who work miracles with limited resources to get you onto safe shores. Not when people like me are photographing your books, your correspondence, your papers, and your lives to share your heritage, to ensure Hitler can never make any of you into nothing. He will not succeed in destroying you.”

“You ask if this is important. This is the education for our future, to learn from the mistakes that have been made now and never let atrocities such as this continue or be repeated.”

The Characters

Ava and Elaine are the main protagonists, but in some ways, I feel like they are more the narrators, the holders of other people’s stories, rather than main characters in their own stories. They do have their own stories in the book, of course, and I loved getting to know them, but seeing the world through their eyes – the people they worked with, talked to, helped, lost… They all came so vividly to life for me, and it was both painful and inspiring to read about their experiences, their fears, their hopes, their determination to survive. These characters are fictional, but the events of WWII happened and real people went through similar experiences. It’s difficult to think about.

My Thoughts

I love Madeline Martin’s storytelling. I loved all the characters, and how Ava’s and Elaine’s stories linked up. I have so much respect for their courage and determination to do difficult things, and such sadness for the loss and pain they experienced. It doesn’t even show the worst of things that happened in WWII, but it’s bad enough.

One of the things I loved most about the book is the emphasis on documenting the stories and experiences of the people Ava came across. How adamant she was about the importance of having their stories told, so that there is a history, an education, so that people can learn from the mistakes made. And yet, I wonder, in light of things happening in the world now, have we really learned from our mistakes? It’s hard not to look at ourselves and wonder if we’ve learned anything at all when harsh realities are reflecting back on us.

My Feels

I loved the book, but it’s given me so many conflicting feelings and I’m not sure how to process. I think it’s a sign of a very good book that makes anyone feel this way. The atrocities should not be forgotten or downplayed, we should all feel very, very bad about the things that happened. But I also felt so much love and admiration for Ava and Elaine, and for the other characters in the book that survived. The strength of the human spirit to endure, to fight against injustice. It is inspiring, and it really puts things in perspective.

My Rating

5/5 stars. For so many different reasons. It’s well-written, the characters are amazing, the stories are painful and inspiring. It makes me think. It makes me feel.

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 September House by Carissa Orlando

Posted January 10, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 6 Comments

The September House by Carissa Orlando

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.

Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #31: Includes a personal phobia)

The Reason

It was one of the nominees for the Goodreads Choice awards and I saw it on another blogger’s post. It caught my attention because I love a good haunted house story, and this one had a protagonist that was determined to stay. I was hooked immediately!

The Quotes

“I had grown accustomed to solo trips through hell over the years. It seemed counterintuitive to invite company.”

“Didn’t you just tell me that people can change? You can change.”
I hadn’t the first clue what she was talking about. I changed all the time. I was flexible. I bent. I had changed little by little, steadily over the years, until by all accounts I was a person who should have been unrecognizable but to me was just who I was. I ought to have been a stranger to myself, but it didn’t bother me at all.”

“Everything is survivable.”

The Characters

Margaret, I’m not sure what to say about her. She’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever known. She’s relatable, she’s got a sense of humor about dark things, she’s loyal to a fault (literally), and she’s strong in her own way. In her own words, her best asset was her ability to bend, be flexible.

And a whole bunch of ghosts, who I will not introduce because it’s so much more fun for the reader to meet them in the book.

My Thoughts

This book was incredible! There were so many surprises, both good and bad, and I couldn’t help but get sucked in. I love Margaret as a character. She had a dark sense of humor, and so much stoicism for enduring the circumstances she found herself in. I love the way the story was written, the insight into Margaret’s thought processes. I don’t want to say more, for spoilers, but I did take notes on my e-reader as I was reading in real time, and I’ve posted them up for anyone who’s interested!

For my notes and reactions on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Reactions | The September House by Carissa Orlando. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0002”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Feels

It’s funny because this book felt heavy and light at the same time. It was heavy stuff, but handled in a light-handed manner, and I found myself going with it. I mean, why not look on the positive sides? Why not focus on the successes? The small celebrations? Interestingly, at the end of it all, Margaret, whose greatest asset is her ability to bend, also has the strongest boundary that she won’t allow anyone to cross. She doesn’t have many rules, but she has that one, and it’s non-negotiable. I have so many feels about this whole book, in so many different ways. They’re all very confusing and I don’t think I can categorize them. It’s just, I loved it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. It’s just so good!

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 | Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 11 Comments

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Savannah Cade’s dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah’s been secretly writing while working as an editor herself—except at her publishing house, the philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and commercial fiction, particularly romance, should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante’s inferno. But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company—including William Pennington, new publisher and son of the romance-despising CEO herself—she races to hide her manuscript in the secret turret room of the old Victorian office.

When she returns, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins—quite critical ones. But when Claire’s own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all.

As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There’s no doubt about it. She’s falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was.

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

The Reason

Came across this one while browsing my library’s audiobook catalog, and it looked fun, and it’s bookish and about bookish people! I also loved the idea of communicating through notes in the margins, there’s just something old-fashioned and romantic about it, like exchanging love letters on actual paper, rather than texts nowadays. Not that texts can’t be romantic, but there’s something special about paper notes and love letters.

The Characters

Savannah and Will. I really like Savannah, and I love that she’s exactly as she describes herself in the book and in her book – she’s not special, she doesn’t stand out, she’s not the best at anything, she’s not the chosen one, she’s just your everyday, average person. She loves her job, she’s there for her friends, she loves her family, and she writes good stories. And I like her just the way she is. She’s perfect.

Will is mysterious, charming, capable, and I have a huge crush on him. I love that he’s able to do hard things. I love that he doesn’t stand down when it matters. I feel the chemistry sizzle every time he enters a scene with Savannah. I love them together!

The Quotes

“Waiting impatiently for something that will inevitably happen either way is a waste of time. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination.”

“And anyway, romance isn’t just about attraction. It’s about companionship. You don’t see old married couples who’ve been through two world wars and five babies together making out on a bench when they’re ninety and think to yourself, Now THAT’S what it’s all about. You see the way they hold hands, the way they serve each other scrambled eggs on plates they got on their wedding day, the way they shuffle through the paper in the mornings together without needing to fill the space with empty conversation. Because they are happy. Just happy. Together.”

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this story. I love the chemistry between Savannah and Will, and I love their banter, both in person and on paper. I love that they get vulnerable and real with each other, and I love that they have fun together too. I did not like the storyline with Ferris and Olivia – I don’t like Ferris, and I couldn’t understand why his relationship with Olivia was presented as normal at first, so I’m happy that Will called it out later in the book.

My Feels

This may be a mild spoiler, but I don’t think so because, duh, obviously Sam isn’t Savannah’s guy! I’m pretty sure no one who reads this book would think that Sam could be the guy. I just really needed Savannah to know it and I was so frustrated with her at that point! I also felt really uncomfortable with the Ferris and Olivia situation. But otherwise, I have only good feelings about Will and Savannah, and seriously, I love their chemistry. My love language is communication, so all those written notes and banter just gets me. I love that their relationship from start to finish is mature, non-dramatic, and respectful. I love that there wasn’t any big blow-ups, dramatic misunderstandings, words thrown about in anger, and stuff like that. I just love this representation of an adult love story.

My Rating

3/5 stars. I loved it for what it was, but it’s not the best romance I’ve ever read. I think what made it good for me was the notes and banter, because I’m not kidding, written notes, love letters, and communication is just my thing.

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 | Holly by Stephen King

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 5 Comments

Holly by Stephen King

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #10: Told in non-chronological order)
2024 Finishing the Series Challenge
2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s works. I haven’t read all his older books, but I’ll always jump on his new releases when I can. When Holly came out last year, I didn’t realize it was part of a series, nor that her story started from the Mr. Mercedes series – which I hadn’t read at the time. So I started reading the Mr. Mercedes books first, and finished them, then I checked out the Holly Gibney series, and realized I’d already read the first one, The Outsider, and loved it, although I didn’t realize at the time who Holly was. I just finished the second one listed as part of the series, If It Bleeds, so I finally got to read Holly, the series ender! (I’m hoping there will be more books, I love Holly and I want more!)

The Characters

Well, Holly, of course. I love her in this book and I love her even more because I read the Mr. Mercedes books first and saw her growth. I wrote about it in my review for If It Bleeds, that Holly can appear to be timid and vulnerable, but she is one of the most courageous characters I have ever had the privilege to get to know. She’s smart and resourceful, dedicated and loyal, organized and determined. But she’s not infallible. She is flawed and makes stupid mistakes, but she calls herself out on them.

I also really love Barbara and Jerome, siblings who are also Holly’s closest friends, and who help her with some of her investigations. We meet them in the Mr. Mercedes series, and through all these stories, their bond have only gotten stronger.

Now, the villains in this book, Professors Rodney and Emily Harris; I hate them, but they are such well-written characters. It’s fascinating to sort of see through their POV, and not be able to fathom how there can be people capable of such evil, and the cognitive dissonance they must cultivate in order to justify their actions.

The other villain in this book is even more interesting, not because she is more evil than the professors, but because her kind of evil is more common, and her victims more close to home. Holly Gibney’s mother, Charlotte Gibney. We meet her from the Mr. Mercedes series, and we see a bit more of her in If It Bleeds too. In this book, Charlotte isn’t even present except in Holly’s mind and we see the psychological and emotional toll Charlotte’s evil takes on Holly.

The Quotes

“Gifts are fragile. You must never entrust yours to people who might break it.”

“Just when you think you’ve seen the worst human beings have to offer, you find out you’re wrong.”

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope. If it does, climb it. See what’s at the top.”

“Does anyone ever get complete closure? Especially from a parent?”

“Holder-onners are never able to understand let-goers. They are tribes that just can’t understand each other.”

My Thoughts

I love that the villains were elderly and used their frailty as bait and alibi. I love that they are scary and terrifying to the reader who knows their true nature before the characters in the book do. Personally, I don’t think old people are so easily exempted from suspicion, especially if their eccentricities have been noted by their students and colleagues, as it seems they have with the professors in this book. I also like the way Stephen King incorporated Covid and differing political standpoints into the storyline. It’s true to life, and it’s true to Holly’s character, and I think it makes sense for authenticity, even if some people may not agree with Holly. She’s the MC of this book, so her viewpoint is the one that matters to the story.

For more discussion on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Discussion | Holly by Stephen King. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0001”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Feels

This book was so intense, especially towards the end. I was at the edge of my seat and I literally finished more than 50% of the audiobook, about 6-7 hours, in one day because I needed to get to the end. There were parts of it that broke my heart, others that filled me with rage and disgust, and still more that sent shivers down my spine. There were also parts that filled my heart and made me happy. I was worried for Holly, proud of her, exasperated at her, and I love her so, so much.

My Rating

5/5 stars. Was there any doubt?

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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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Book Review

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens. It was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. It tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from a supernatural visit by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain, a period when there was strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions together with the introduction of new customs, such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Classics Club

The Reason

Honestly, I wasn’t really planning to read this book. This is one of those stories that get so much reference in pop culture that you feel like you already know the story, so I never thought I needed to read the actual book. However, Charles Dickens’ works have been getting on my radar lately, because of adaptations of his works – Demon Copperhead, The Artful Dodger TV series, and people bringing up A Christmas Carol the whole Christmas season. Shamefully, I have never actually read a single one of his books, even though I’m familiar with the stories and some adaptations. I signed up for The Classics Club in order to remedy some of that, and I thought A Christmas Carol would be a great book to start with!

The Characters

Scrooge must be one of the most well-known characters in pop culture as a caricature of the most miserable, stingy, horrible person. And he was, in the beginning, but I was quite surprised at how quickly he was able to change his attitude, take accountability for his bad behavior, be receptive to the Ghosts’ lessons, and make amends for his mistakes. I hated him in the beginning and loved him in the end.

As for the other characters, I loved the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim and how much love they had for each other. I loved Scrooge’s nephew and his family, they were such fun, boisterous people. And oh, Belle, I love her and I feel so much for her. They all really came to life for me.

The Quotes

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.”

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”

My Thoughts

I was having a couple of bad nights and hadn’t slept well, so I read the book aloud while pacing back and forth in order to keep myself awake, and I must say, I initially felt that Dickens was overly verbose. I was tired and there were so many words and descriptions, and I was tired! And yet, I realized I loved it. I loved how descriptive he was of all the characters, the scenes, how he painted such pictures with his words, and made the story come alive for me.

I also realized that I had been missing a lot by thinking I know the story well enough from pop culture and not making an effort to actually read this book until now. There’s so much more to it than I’d thought.

My Feels

It’s so interesting because I think this book runs the gamut. I felt disgusted and angry with Scrooge at the beginning of the book, and also pity. And also horror, at the description of the Ghosts – they were weird! – and later at the potentially horrible end Scrooge might have faced. There was nostalgia about the past, heartbreak with Belle, love and tenderness with the Cratchits, fun and joy with Scrooge’s nephew and family. It was heartwarming in the end and so satisfying. And I felt all of it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. I loved it, and I feel like I’d happily read this again because of how well-written it was and how the characters came to life for me.

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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10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston | Book Review

Posted December 27, 2023 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?

The Reason

I love the premise, and I love the idea of having all those blind dates and all the fun that could be had from them. I’ve also been really craving light and easy reads with low stakes and lots of fun. I must admit that I’ve been feeling a bit FOMO with the Christmas season and everyone reading Christmas-themed books. I’m still reading A Christmas Carol, but I thought this would be an acceptable Christmas read too.

The Characters

Omg, I love them all so much! Well, okay, not all of them. I love Sophie, Olivia, Charlie, and Wes, of course. I love Sophie’s sister and the baby, Anna. I love Sophie’s Nonna, and her big family, and how crazy they were. I didn’t like the Evil Joes! I also really disliked Griffin. Yuck. Eww. Blerghh.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t like that her big family couldn’t keep confidences, and that they were basically using her heartbreak and love life for their entertainment. However, I love that element of big family dynamics being portrayed so well in the book, and for the sake of the story, it did help her get over her breakup.

My Thoughts

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! I thought it would be a fun and silly teenage love story, something I could read and feel nostalgic about my own teenage dating days and how cringey I used to be with boys. It was fun and silly, alright, but it was so good!

The pacing is amazing, I have to say. The way the story was told, plans laid, each blind date by blind date, the dates we meet, the way they all moved the story along, the breaks between when it wasn’t all about the dates, but also about family and friendships and sisterhood. I started this book just before bed, intending to read a bit and continue the next day. I ended up staying up late to finish the whole thing!

My Feels

I am obsessed with this book! Who knew I could still feel this way about a contemporary YA romance at my age?! And honestly, while I never cared before about reading Christmas-sy books during Christmas season, I’m beginning to see why it feels so magical. It’s really something else to read the book, date by date, while I’m experiencing those same dates and feeling the spirit of Christmas.

My Rating

5/5 stars. I feel like I want to keep this book handy to read again next Christmas, but perhaps that’s only because I don’t have other Christmas-sy books on my radar yet. I’ll be on the lookout for more Christmas-themed books for next year from now on!

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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The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks | Book Review

Posted December 27, 2023 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks

Every harvest moon, the Witch Collector rides into our valley and leads one of us to the home of the immortal Frost King, to remain forever.

Today is that day—Collecting Day.

But he will not come for me. I, Raina Bloodgood, have lived in this village for twenty-four years, and for twenty-four years he has passed me by.

His mistake.

Raina Bloodgood has one desire: kill the Frost King and the Witch Collector who stole her sister. On Collecting Day, she means to exact murderous revenge, but a more sinister threat sets fire to her world. Rising from the ashes is the Collector, Alexus Thibault, the man she vowed to slay and the only person who can help save her sister.

Thrust into an age-old story of ice, fire, and ancient gods, Raina must abandon vengeance and aid the Witch Collector in saving the Frost King or let their empire—and her sister—fall into enemy hands. But the lines between good and evil blur, and Raina has more to lose than she imagined. What is she to do when the Witch Collector is no longer the villain who stole her sister, but the hero who’s stealing her heart?

The Reason

I came across this book browsing on my library’s catalog. I loved the premise, and I enjoy a good fantasy series, so I thought why not? I also wanted to read a couple of first in series, if I could, before the end of the year.

The Quotes

“Something must always be lost if you’re ever to gain. Don’t fear this. You will never move forward if you never leave things behind.”

“Think of the thing you want most in this world. It’s where true power comes from. We often hold the most will for our strongest desires.”

“There is no victory without sacrifice.”

The Characters

I really like Raina and Alexus as characters. In fact, I quite like many of the characters in this book. Raina is mute, and communicates with her hands, and that’s how she does her magic too. Alexus is the Witch Collector, and he’s an enigma, at least at first, but then we get to know him better. I also really like Helena and Nephele, the Frost King, Colden (love the punny name!), Rhonin, and even the villain Prince. To be clear, I don’t like the villain Prince as a person, but I like the character.

Also to be clear, I’m not sure I like the characters themselves, but rather, I like their backstories and how mysterious they were. There’s still so much we don’t know about many of them, and their backstories that have been told so far in this book have been very interesting. I’m curious to find out more!

My Thoughts

Here’s the funny thing, I don’t think the book was written very well. It goes on too long and there are several parts that made me frustrated because of how slow they were. The story doesn’t flow very well either, there were a lot of non-movements, stalling, back-and-forths, plans and “side-quests” that went awry and didn’t serve the story. Even the ending felt disjointed, it was like the author didn’t know where to end the book, probably because there are sequels, but the bottom line is that it wasn’t written very well. And I think that’s a shame because there’s a good story there, but the storytelling leaves much to be desired.

I should also mention that I listened to this book on audio. I started it on audio and stopped about 40% in because I couldn’t catch some of the low voices. I was going to try to get a print copy instead, but I wanted to finish this before the year was over, so I decided to push through and finish it on audio anyway. I did end up having to repeat a few parts to catch certain details, but for the most part, it wasn’t too bad.

My Feels

I feel ambivalent at this point. I’m still very curious about the characters and the story, and I would like to read more and find out more about them, but I wouldn’t feel the loss if I just never read the next books.

My Rating

3/5 stars. It’s got great elements, but bad storytelling.

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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The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley | Book Review

Posted December 27, 2023 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

The Reason

I really, really needed something fun and lighthearted and came across this book. I also really love several romance tropes, and the “we’ll get married if we’re single at a certain age” trope is a favorite. I mean, there are several tropes in the book, but this was the one I knew about before going in.

The Characters

The two main MCs are Claire and Graham, and I love them both so much! Neither of them had any “quirks” that annoyed me, and they were both so sweet with each other; as friends, as roommates, as pact-mates, and more. They were just so great together and the chemistry was sizzling off the page!

My Thoughts

I loved that it was fun, but also mindful of difficult things that happen in life. I love that literally no one was toxic in this story; they both had wonderfully supportive friends, family, co-workers. There was no unnecessary drama (except for one very satisfying scene that wasn’t over-the-top drama). I loved their chemistry, the way they were there for each other in the ways they could be. I love the communication; the MCs with each other, and with their friends and family.

My Feels

What I loved most about this book was how demonstrative it was for loving the person who brings out the best in you, who loves you for who you are, who makes you love who you are when you’re with them. I think a lot of people put a lot of store into loving the other person in the relationship, but forget about loving themselves in the process. I think having a partner who makes you love the person you are when you’re with them is the most wonderful feeling, because I’ve been with partners who made me hate the person I was with them, and it’s not love if you’re miserable and hateful. I also love the lessons they both learn. Taking risks, both physically and emotionally, is necessarily if you truly want to live your life to the fullest.

My Rating

4/5 stars. I really enjoyed it and I loved all the characters. I believe there’s another book that features Claire and Graham’s friends, Mia and Noah, so I’m gonna get on that too.

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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If It Bleeds by Stephen King | Book Review

Posted December 23, 2023 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

If It Bleeds by Stephen King

If it Bleeds is a collection of four new novellas —Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds— each pulling readers into intriguing and frightening places.

A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider.

News people have a saying: ‘If it bleeds, it leads’. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.

Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog – and on her own need to be more assertive – when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realizes there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins ‘If It Bleeds’ , a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case.

Dancing alongside are three more long stories – ‘Mr Harrigan’s Phone’, ‘The Life of Chuck’ and ‘Rat’ .

The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.

The Reason

I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up so soon if it wasn’t because I really wanted to read Holly, and there was a story included in this book, If It Bleeds, that also features Holly, that might’ve been spoiled if I read Holly first. I loved Holly’s story, but the others were really great too!

The Quotes

“My grandmother used to say a person shouldn’t call out unless they want an answer. I’ve always thought that was good advice.”

“Love is a gift; love is also a chain with a manacle at each end.”

“Because there really is a second world. It exists because people refuse to believe it’s there.”

“When an old man dies, a library burns.”

“Henry Thoreau said that we don’t own things; things own us. Every new object—whether it’s a home, a car, a television, or a fancy phone like that one—is something more we must carry on our backs.”

The Stories

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
I got sucked in to this story, I loved it so much. I love the connection between Craig and Mr. Harrigan, and how wholesome it was. I still thought their relationship was wholesome throughout the story, even when the story got creepy and sinister. I don’t think I’d mind someone looking out for me, although of course, I don’t condone the methods. It also makes sense that Craig would go to the extreme and ask Mr. Harrigan to take extreme actions because of how volatile emotions can be at that age and in the raw moments. I realized there was a movie starring Jaeden Martell as Craig and Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan, and of course I had to watch it. I thought the movie stayed quite true to the story, and I loved the casting. Such a great story!

The Life of Chuck
This story was confusing at first, but it goes backwards, and the more we find out about Chuck, the more I like him, or the little snippets of things we see about him anyway. I didn’t connect as much with this story, because it’s the shortest one and we don’t go deep into it, but there’s a sense of potential. I wonder how it would fare if King decides to explore Chuck’s life further.

If It Bleeds
This is the title story, and the one that features Holly Gibney. I’ve read The Outsider and I loved it. And I also remember really loving the relationship between Holly and Ralph, but there are a lot of details I don’t remember. I read The Outsider before reading the Mr. Mercedes series, so I didn’t have that context of who she was before, but I still really loved her in The Outsider. This one was really good too, even if it wasn’t a full novel-length story. I love the tension we get between Holly and her mother, and their complex relationship. I feel like King captured their complicated relationship so well; the push-pull of loving her mother yet wanting to get away from her toxicity. I also love how incredibly courageous Holly was – there’s this quote about how courage is not the absence of fear, but doing the thing in spite of the fear, and in that vein, Holly is the most courageous person I’ve ever had the privilege to read about. Holly is such an inspiration and I love her so much.

Rat
Rat was also a really great story and I got sucked into that age-old story of the struggles of being an author, and how writing consumes you. Drew was such an interesting character. I’m not really sure what to think about him; is he a good person? A good husband and father? A good friend? Or was he a horrible and selfish person, and just making “good” choices because he knows they are the “right” ones and not because he wants to? There’s lots of plausible deniability to go around. I also love that distinction of how the rat was an “it” when Drew wanted to kill it, and a “he” when Drew wanted to let him live.

My Thoughts

I love Stephen King and it seems like he just keeps getting better and better every time. I love how nuanced his characters are. I love how he tells the best stories, and how it’s so easy to get immersed in them. I love how he’s aware of writing cliches and points them out, and it works for the story. I love these stories, in this book, and I can’t wait to read more, about Holly Gibney, and about any story King wants to write.

My Feels

I mean, is it not obvious enough? I love the stories. I love the characters. I am in awe of King’s masterful storytelling. I love how the characters came to life, how they were so relatable, how their relationships were portrayed so well. I love how deeply I connected to their human-ness, and that’s everything.

My Rating

5/5 stars. I loved all the stories. The Life of Chuck isn’t the best compared to the other three stories, but they are more than good enough to compensate, and the book as a whole deserves 5/5 stars.

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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