As many times as I’ve read this book, the twists and turns and dramatics will never fail to impress and delight me.

If not for its link with the upcoming movie, this is not a book I would have picked up on my own. I don't reach for spy novels often at all, and "Argylle" hasn't especially persuaded me to read more in the future. It's a little exciting at times, but simultaneously feels like someone fed the Indiana Jones franchise into an AI bot and then said, "Make me another one! And include the CIA!" I also struggled immensely to try and care for any of the characters. Conway does a great job at telling me why I should (like Argylle being an orphan, or really missing his parents, or how he feels like he doesn't fit in) but there was just a lot of disconnect between myself and the characters on the page. The writing is both somehow try-hard and too predictable, like Conway is trying to mimic another author but forgets to add any of her own flair.
However, I WOULD recommend this to certain readers. I think there is definitely an audience that will enjoy this book! It's simply not to my personal taste.

There are some pretty spreads in here done in paper collages, but overall the story and emphasis on Bailey's life and work are a bit lacking. It's just a very cursory skim of what she was interested in and a her work but lacks depth. This is perhaps a good basic starting point on learning about Bailey, or as a simple read on environmental stewardship.

"Lore" continues to keep me wrapped around its little finger and keep me wanting more and more! Sometimes the conversations feel a touch repetitive, but each time it builds closer and closer to answers and resolutions so lowkey that's just fine with me. :P

I think there is very little that I can say about this book that other similar ratings/reviews haven't already said, but holy SHIT??
If I had to blurb this book I would say that “Fourth Wing” is little more than an overhyped copycat of a story: Yarros has seemingly plucked choice bits from every other popular book from the past decade and has sloppily stitched those bits together with stilted, anachronistic dialogue and plot points that limp along the most predictable and uninspired paths of narrative she could have possibly picked.

For the life of me, I could not pinpoint one single original thought in this book. It felt exactly like someone had taken pages from the Divergent trilogy, the Inheritance Cycle, The Hunger Games, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and An Ember in the Ashes and then mushed them all together like a toddler playing with mashed potatoes.

It’s also deeply TIRED. The tropes are trope-ing; Yarros even manages to work in the ol’ “you’re not like other girls “ but makes it “ you’re not like other riders”. And if I had to sit through one more description of how teeny tiny

Beautiful illustrations and really soothing, meditative prose that borders on poetry. I love the cadence of the story; it fits the theme of wind as breath so well, and just sort of lulls the reader into the pages.

By far one of the best in the whole of the Fablehaven and Dragonwatch series! The character development is so deeply satisfying, particularly in Seth's case. Thinking back on how he was when the series started versus now really puts into perspective how much he has grown and learned, and seeing him have to navigate his current situation without any of his memories or the people he has had in the past is just such an emotional journey!

More of a note to myself than anything, but I feel like the first couple times I read this I totally missed or maybe just forgot the line at the very end where Kendra toys with the idea of someday maybe becoming an Eternal?? idk how I feel about that, and it's kinda weird that it was dropped in literally in the last two pages of the book.
Anyways, I'm always impressed at the sheer amount of action and quests happening in this story; there's never a chance to be bored by any of it, and seeing all the pieces fall into place is immensely satisfying! It definitely gets a touch chaotic at points, but I don't think that detracts from the overall enjoyment of such an epic series finale.

“Grave Expectations” is funny, dark, and full of delightful characters (both living and dead) and the whole story feels like a queer, paranormal episode of “Midsommer Murders”. I know the tone, which is very dryly witty and slightly ridiculous, isn’t going to be for everyone but I really vibed with it. If you enjoyed “The Thursday Murder Club”, are a millennial who loves “Knives Out” or any sort of British mystery show, then I would recommend this one!

Anne Elliot is the queen of palpable longing, covert glances, and needing to excuse yourself for a moment to go cool down after seeing your old love for approximately .5 seconds. Although to be fair, I too would have needed to be tranquilized after reading Captain Wentworth’s letter. Like, “I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago”?!? “You pierce my soul. I AM HALF AGONY, HALF HOPE”?!? Somebody fetch me some Xanax.

I'm obsessed. This book is like "Inception" meets "Six of Crows" meets "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and it was everything I feel like I'd been craving to read lately! The magic system is complex and unique, the mystery element has these great sneaky layers to it, and the characters are so wonderfully fleshed out and human. The whole story is just chock full of mayhem and chaos that drags you right down into the depths of it and holds you there. Like, things get so batshit wild and I was livinggggg for it. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy!

There are chunks of material in Alderton's writings and thoughts that I definitely agree with, and found refreshing to have explicitly spelled out and explored; primarily, her viewpoints on how valuable her friendships with other girls are. The keystone quote that really sums this up is "Nearly everything I know about love, I've learned in my long-term friendships with women." I love that Alderton emphasizes that over and over again. She also isn't afraid to poke and explore at various ideas like how much people in a new romantic relationship with someone shove their friendships to the side, or just how presumptuous baby showers can be (the line of people "demand[ing] money and time from people to celebrate [their] own personal life choices" is so accurate). It's so very clear Alderton cares deeply for her loving friendships and wants to encourage readers to do the same! I think that if readers come away with anything from this book, it will be to tend to and value your friendships, because those are the people who you can build a real, true community and family with.

On the other hand, this book just DRIPS with privilege and heteronormativity. Alderton is a 30-something woman who is largely reflecting on her teens and 20s, which were filled with drinking, partying, careless spending, European holidays, working jobs that allow an unusual level of creative freedom, etc. and this results in a book that is, on manyyy levels, just not relatable whatsoever. At times she show more genuinely sounds like a caricature of a British party woman that might pop up on an SNL skit or an episode of "Skins". She describes so many drunken nights that they begin to blur together, and each consecutive one offers less than the one before, which made me want to start skipping chapters.
This book was also just extremely hetero. Even when Alderton is emphasizing female friendship and not changing yourself for any man, there is a steady and constant undercurrent that runs through the entire work that still places romance with a man as highly desirable and finding a partner, even if it happens later in life, still needs to happen at some point. It just seems so antithetical to everything she comes to conclusions about time and time again, and by the end of the book the conclusion sort of peters out to this weird agreement of "Yes, love yourself and cherish your female friendships because they're the most precious love you will have, oh and also you will get a boyfriend one day who will love you even if you're silly and don't shave and have a wild past!"

All in all, there are some really heartfelt and valuable writing in "Everything I Know About Love", but it's a little like mining: you're gonna have to dig and pick through some rubble to get to the shiny bits (I actually don't know how mining works, so just picture the mining scene in "Snow White"). I'm curious to maybe read Alderton's latest work and see how her writing and voice have developed since this book came out. show less

I’m not above admitting that some of the spreads in here are genuinely really difficult…trying to find that freakin’ dolphin was making me think Walter Wick was gaslighting me lol

4.5! This is perfect for if you like the Great British Baking Show and want a baking-detail-filled WLW romance!!

October 2023 - starting my "Dragonwatch" reread" after my recent "Fablehaven" reread!

1/19/2017
I truly cannot ever imagine a "Fablehaven" novel that fails to delight and entertain me to the fullest extent possible.
When I was 12, I read the first "Fablehaven" story and to say I was obsessed would be an understatement. This is a series that solidified my already firm love of fantasy into a love that has inspired me to write my own fantasy worlds and stories. This is a creative, one of a kind, and utterly delightful series written by Brandon Mull, who's imagination never ceases to amaze me.
Okay, I'm gushing a lot, but this series means so much to me! The fact that I get to revisit this world over a decade later is awesome. And I think Mull has done a epic job of reacquainting readers with Kendra and Seth Sorenson. The story meshed wonderfully with where the main series ended, and yet manages to create a brand new arc that makes perfect sense.
I am SUPER eager to see more of Kendra's and Seth's abilities as they grow more into their roles- roles from both the last books and what is given to them in this novel.

Solid 5/5! I'm going to go reread the books (again) while I await the next story...

"The Westing Game" is like a 1970s middle-grade novel version of "Knives Out" with a splash of "Mr. Limoncello's Library" - and is so charmingly clever! There is so much that builds a great atmosphere here: the sprawling cast of quirky characters; the Halloween-into-winter setting; the word puzzles and clues that (while tricky) are still solvable by the reader; good old fashioned red herrings; and just this great vein of whimsy that runs through the story. It's goofy at times, but never panders to the audience. It's piled with characters, clues, and facts, but never unnecessarily cluttered. Every word counts and feels important here. If I had read this as a kid my Agatha Christie-loving self would have made it a personality trait.
I think really the only weakness is simply the books datedness, specifically in terms of how Raskin writes about disability. One character has a physical disability that is discussed in fairly ableist terms. Another character works to "cure" the disabled character, and a line near the end mentions future family members hesitating to have their own kids in case the disability is passed on.
Despite that, I think the book has a lot to enjoy, especially if you're someone who likes puzzle-y books with plenty of layers and characters. This is the perfect time of year to read "The Westing Game" and try and solve the mystery!

1/10/2024 First-read final thoughts: the big critique I've seen from many readers is that ADOFN is slow and not very action-packed until the final third. I think that is something that is totally down to taste and what each personal reader enjoys. For me, I adored how drawn-out scenes and arcs were, and that we got to linger and go along on each characters individual journey. The action is often an inwards struggle, a political situation, or a series of realizations rather than just a bunch of big battle scenes. This book is just like one HUGE bottle of wine that you sip bit by bit rather than chugging down like a sports drink: by the time you finish you're gonna totally be reeling and reveling in everything that was just experienced instead of just getting a single burst of flavor.
If I HAD to pick a favorite, I would say I think I favored "Priory" over this one, but they're both very different! It's tricky to chose, because they complement one another so well! This filled in the history that "Priory" referenced in a beautiful way.

All in all, I loved getting to read this. It's intricately woven, richly imagined, and every character has such a deeply moving story in their own way that, in the end, I found myself connected to each of them (even Wulf lol).

1/1/2024 I've been sitting on this book for 10 months because, once I finally had it, I realized I didn't want to read it and have it be over...finally diving in!

2/27/2023 This comes out tomorrow...

Really wonderful coming-of-age, witchy story with a strong focus on mother-daughter relationships and challenging stereotypes/outdated legacies. Moth steals the show with her enthusiasm and wit, and I think a lot of readers will love her as a protagonist!

A pretty decent primer about “Doctor Who”, and it includes a couple tidbits even I didn’t know, like the fact the show was originally made to be an educational show for teens and young viewers! There are a couple things that could be tweaked (such as the erroneous statement that Peter Capaldi is a British actor- he’s Scottish) or a bit better explained, but overall solid. LOTS of spoilers though, so heads up in case you want to avoid that.

Okay, I get the Hibbert hype now- this was super cute! I loved the overall premise, and honestly the two main characters are just such adorable dorks that it was easy to be charmed by and root for them the whole time. “Button” has stolen the top spot for my favorite pet name/nickname in a contemporary romance- I was so sweetened by that.

The ending saved this book quite a bit for me; I didn't see Katee going in that particular direction in regards to titles/jobs, but I really enjoyed that! It set this installment apart from the others in the Dark Olympus series. Unfortunately, there was more that I was bored with than I was delighted in the book, especially in regards to the characters.
The biggest weakness, in my opinion, with "Cruel Seduction" is that most of the characters are just not given enough time to really be developed and let the reader truly connect with them. I found Eris to be the strongest-written character and was really rooting for her. I also quickly grew to like Pandora and then, near the very end, Adonis, but even then both felt like they lacked that spark of personality that truly brought them to life. Hephaestus? Can't stand him. Even with his whole sob story I found him to be so dry and unlikeable that it started to taint my perception of the other characters for wanting to be with him. I also accidently called him "Hepatitis" out loud on while on a plane, which really shows how much I cared to remember him or his name lol

Vivid yet simple prose and artwork. It's a quiet book that would be perfect for an autumn bedtime story.

okay soooo I'm actually obsessed with Stickler now - I love his joy for the little things and how he just so fully embraces the beauty of the world :3

I feel like my thoughts on this second installment of the Drowning Empire trilogy can be summed up by the fact that, although I knew I was definitely going to finish the book and was invested in the outcome, it took me 5 whole months to actually do so. The story is interesting, yet I felt like characters kept having the same conversations over and over, or that Lin was just traveling in circles to no avail. To some extent I guess that kind of adds to her sense of desperation and getting nowhere with gaining respect from her subjects, but it also makes for a slightly tedious read.

3.5 This series reminds me of reading The Clique books except this has more monarchy, marriage, and paparazzi. It's fluffy YA drama and I really want to know what happens next...

It’s a Reylo-inspired roommate romance with a hot vampire who watches “Buffy” and K-dramas, an age gap, and one of the funniest blackmail letters I’ve ever read- what’s not to like! While the writing itself is a bit cheesy and fanfictiony, I devoured this book and had a delightful time with it.

Okay I'm fresh off reading "QQ Sweeper" and was absolutely delighted by this volume! It's exactly what I wanted to see in the continuing storyline and I'm soooo eager to delve into the rest of the books :D

Really wonderfully thoughtful depictions of sensory overloads in different forms, and a nice predictable rhyming pattern to keep a steady flow of the book. I can see this being an insightful read for adults and a relatable or possibly even comforting one for litter readers.

Once I started reading “Godkiller” it was impossible to stop! I found every aspect of it equally intriguing: each of the POVs, the worldbuilding, the conflicts caused by faith and power - all of it felt as interesting as the next and it was so easy to just fall right into this world Kaner created. It’s like “The Witcher” but queer and with more religious mythology, and I was riveted. This is one of the strongest fantasy debut novels I’ve ever read and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

This book series, particularly the first two, have been hanging around the back of my mind for a few years now because I had forgotten sooooo many of the details and couldn't remember enough to recall what the series was. But now they've been found again, and I HAD to start rereading them! There is definitely some outdated stuff, and it's not as if the book is some kind of literary masterpiece, but I totally enjoyed getting to visit the story and Anastasia's mind again! She is snarky, funny, and was immensely relatable to young me, and for that alone I loved this.