Category: Fiction

New Release Review: Lotus

January 2, 2017 Fiction, Literary 13 ★★★★

New Release Review: LotusTitle: Lotus
Author: Lijia Zhang
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: This was a slow paced book, but the character and relationship development were touching and believable.

“Surviving by her wits alone, Lotus charges headlong into the neon lights of Shenzhen, determined to pull herself out of the gutter and decide her own path.” However, she quickly finds herself working as a “massage girl” or prostitute while lying to her family about the source of the money she sends home. The men who notice her provide her many opportunities for a chance at security, but each also presents their own dangers. As Lotus struggles to make a decision, she finds it difficult to envision a life of her own due to the guilt and insecurity she feels. Read more »

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TLC Review: The Queen of the Tearling

November 16, 2016 Fantasy, Fiction 14 ★★★★★

TLC Review: The Queen of the TearlingTitle: The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1)
Author: Erika Johansen
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

Summary: This book was perfection, from the world building to the character development to the plot, pacing, and tone.

“Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom’s haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.” (source) Lost heir, fate of the kingdom, etc… you get the idea. Personally, so many descriptions of fantasy novels sound the same to me, they’re not what draw me in. I knew enough to jump at this book because other bloggers had raved about and so now I’m here to do the same for you, because this is a book worth picking up! Read more »

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#ReadThemAllThon Review: Commonwealth (and other books by Ann Patchett)

September 2, 2016 Fiction 12 ★★★★

#ReadThemAllThon Review: Commonwealth (and other books by Ann Patchett)Title: Commonwealth
Author: Ann Patchett
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: I adore Ann Patchett’s writing and her plots always interest me, but the endings of her books always feel anticlimactic to me.

When Bert Cousin decided to crash Franny Keating’s christening party, he had no intention of kissing her mother. That one, unpremeditated act however, ended both of their marriages and irreversibly altered the lives of their children. Through five decades and one tragic accident, the Cousin and Keating children became a tight-knit group. The many issues hidden under the surface of their relationships were largely ignore until Franny’s affair with famous author Leon Posen lead to his publication of a book revealing their story. Read more »

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#ReadThemAllThon Review: Vicious

August 28, 2016 Fiction 4 ★★★★★

#ReadThemAllThon Review: ViciousTitle: Vicious (Vicious, #1)
Author: V.E. Schwab, Victoria Schwab
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

Summary: This book completely lived up to the hype, with fantastic world-building and an enjoyably complex antihero.

“Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?” (Source) Read more »

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#FuturisticFriday Review: With Love From the Inside

August 6, 2016 Fiction, Uncategorized 6 ★★★★

#FuturisticFriday Review: With Love From the InsideTitle: With Love from the Inside
Author: Angela Pisel
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: This was a beautiful, emotional read that felt incredibly real despite the extraordinary and suspenseful plot.

For Grace Bradshaw, having a date set for her execution only makes her desire to reconnect with her daughter more urgent. Her daughter Sophie is less certain she’s interested in reconnecting with her mother. Tired of the unwanted attention she received with her mother on death’s row, she concealed her mother’s existence from her husband and his family. With time running out, Sophie must quickly decide if she believes her mother is innocent and if reconnecting with her is worth the risk to her marriage. Read more »

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Review: The Imperial Wife

July 17, 2016 Fiction, Historical Fiction 6 ★★★

Review: The Imperial WifeTitle: The Imperial Wife
Author: Irina Reyn
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:three-stars

Summary: This was a light, fast read with great parallel storylines, but an unsatisfying ending.

“Tanya Kagan, a rising specialist in Russian art at a top New York auction house, is trying to entice Russia’s wealthy oligarchs to bid on the biggest sale of her career, The Order of Saint Catherine, while making sense of the sudden and unexplained departure of her husband.” (source) As we learn more the provenance of the order and its ownership by Catherine the Great, there are clear parallels between the challenges she and Tanya each face. Read more »

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#FuturisticFriday Review and Giveaway: Lost and Found

July 5, 2016 Fiction, Young Adult 4 ★★★★

#FuturisticFriday Review and Giveaway: Lost and FoundTitle: The Lost & Found
Author: Katrina Leno
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: Although cute, sweet, and quirky, this book managed to tackle some big issues believably and sympathetically.

“Frannie and Louis met in an online support group when they were both younger. They have never met face-to-face. They don’t even know each other’s real names. All they know is that they both have a mysterious tendency to lose things. Well, not lose them, exactly. Things just seem to…disappear. […] They each receive news in the mail that sets them off on a road trip to Austin, Texas, looking for answers—and each other. Along the way, each one begins to find, as if by magic, important things the other has lost.” (Source) During the trip and with each other’s help, they may be able to come to terms with big changes in their lives. Read more »

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Review: First Comes Love

June 28, 2016 Fiction 10 ★★

Review: First Comes LoveTitle: First Comes Love
Author: Emily Giffin
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:two-stars

Summary: Blech. Not great writing and unbelievably dramatic plot.

“Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond. Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths.” (source) Neither are happy with their lives and their jealousy of each other is hard for them to overcome. Read more »

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#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks in Mini-Reviews

May 19, 2016 Fiction, non-fiction 30 ★★★★

This post is for two events being hosted by Andi at Estella’s Revenge: the year long #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks challenge and this month’s #SmashYourStack event, both of which focus on reading books you own. All four of these are books I’ve owned since before the beginning of the year and which I was finally able to read while travelling this week.

#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks in Mini-ReviewsTitle: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
Author: A.J. Jacobs
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

This book was a perfect read for a busy time in my life. It was light and funny, but I still got to enjoy learning new things. I love the way that Jacobs mixes humor, fun facts, and personal stories about his life just as much in this book as in The Know-It-All. I have to say, I can’t believe the things his wife puts up with or the things she lets him share about their lives, but I’m glad she does! I’ll definitely be looking to read all of his other books.
Read more »

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#FuturisticFriday Review and Giveaway: The Mirror Thief

May 10, 2016 Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary, Thriller 9 ★★★★

#FuturisticFriday Review and Giveaway: The Mirror ThiefTitle: The Mirror Thief
Author: Martin Seay
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: This was a big, bold, beautiful story with inspiring writing and an enthralling plot.

“The core story is set in Venice in the sixteenth century, when the famed makers of Venetian glass were perfecting one of the old world’s most wondrous inventions: the mirror. The Venetian mirrors were state of the art technology, and subject to industrial espionage…for any of the development team to leave the island was a crime punishable by death. One man, however—a world-weary war hero with nothing to lose—has a scheme he thinks will allow him to outwit the city’s terrifying enforcers of the edict, the ominous Council of Ten . . . Meanwhile, in two other Venices—Venice Beach, California, circa 1958, and the Venice casino in Las Vegas, circa today—two other schemers launch similarly dangerous plans to get away with a secret . . .  All three stories will weave together”, connected both thematically and by direct interaction or inspiration of each character by the others. (source) Read more »

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