Reminded me a lot of Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, but I actually ended up liking this one better somehow. Warning: there are really no redeemable characters. You end up hating them all, but I suppose that‘s probably why it feels more realistic. Humans are humans. Not a spoiler/trigger warning: suspected suicide.

Full of superstitions, Malaysian, Chinese & colonist culture clashes, and likable characters, this book was a breath of fresh air. A great combination of mystery, suspense, romance, fantasy— you name it, it was here. Definitely worth reading (and the audiobook narrator on Audible was excellent).

I loved this book. I loved the depth of the characters, the plot line, etc., but the thing that drew me in was the nature. The descriptions of the settings, the way the main character identified and took in her surroundings— I had to leave the city for a hike to try to be as close to nature in real life as I was in the book. Read it!

Somehow I missed this book in high school, so I had to make up for it now. Also, how did I not know this was about books? I LOVE books about books. If you‘re one of the few who missed out on this in hs, read it now. It‘s quick but well written. And the narrator I had for this audiobook was excellent!

She is such an excellent writer. I loved hearing her story— she has a lot of strength and power that comes through this in a way I hasn‘t been able to speak to before. I did end up walking away from this with bitterness toward her husband though- anyone else? When I think about the sacrifices she‘s made and how she went through all of this even though she didn‘t want it, it makes me a little sad for her.

I really enjoyed the plot line, but I felt as if the writing was often too simplistic or childish. After reading other reviews, I‘m wondering if it was just the narrator who made it sound that way (audiobook through my library). Maybe for book 2 I‘ll get the physical book from the library instead. Regardless, a fun/easy read. Royal family dies, plot to pass off an orphan as a prince to take the throne, etc.

In the beginning, it was a bit too similar to Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, so I had a rough time getting into it. A little further in, however, and I liked the characters much more than I did in its counterpart, and I ended up finishing it in only a few days. A good fantasy book based on the concept of multiple Londons and multiple kinds of magic with redeemable people you want to root for.

I resisted reading this book because it sounded just like my hometown- glad I picked it up. He does a great job of putting you inside the head of every character and making you understand what they‘re feeling, even if you don‘t agree. In the second half of the book, however, he was still bringing in new characters, which I thought was a little much. I also wished he wrapped it up more in the end. Trigger warning: rape & gun violence

Even though I was not ready for this series to end, this final book at least wrapped up most loose ends for me. I look forward to this series being one I reach for again and again. So glad I found it!

Such an important read. I have to force myself to read nonfiction, especially if it‘s not narrative based, and this was worth it. If you‘re interested in learning just how deeply rooted this country is in racism, in this instance related to housing, this is the book for you. It‘s not an easy read by any means, but you should read it anyway.

Baking & reading on the kitchen floor #redqueenseries #baking&reading

So I finally read some reviews on this series, and I‘m totally shocked! I love it, but many seem to feel ambivalent about it! It‘s such a good, page turning read, and I feel like I don‘t often find a series like this. So, let this be one of the positive reviews among a lot of neutral ones- I like it. You should read it.

Anyone else get a little thrill when they find a typo in a book? Like, someone missed this, and I didn‘t. I must be so good. 😂😂 #redqueenseries #typohunter

Again, I‘m so here for this series. This is the second installment of the Red Queen series, and while it wasn‘t as good as the first, what follow up story ever is? It was still very engaging, and it had me up late last night to finish it, making me rush to the library this morning to get the next one before anyone else could. I‘m already panicking about what I‘m going to read once I‘m done with the series— any suggestions?!

I read The Girl on the Train first and loved it. I like mystery, but don‘t like them to be too gory, heinous, etc. Into the Water was good, but not nearly as good as the first. I think she tried to do too many characters in this one, which made the jumping from person to person a bit chaotic. Still read it- it‘s a good easy mystery- just don‘t expect it to be The Girl on the Train.

Edited: The second one was ready for pick-up!! Lucky I had a snow day so I could finish this book. It‘s sooo good. I haven‘t gotten into a fantasy series quite like this in a long time. Although the basic premise is typical (caste system, revolution, etc.), its done in such a new and exciting way. Now I have to wait for the library to have the next one available! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such a fun read. It‘s been a while since I‘ve found such an original fantasy series. Lots of clever twists and turns, lots of interesting characters. Can‘t wait to read the next one!

This book was so good, I couldn‘t stop listening. Every spare second I had went into finishing this audiobook. An inspiring story about making the choices that are right for you, even if others might not approve. It didn‘t hurt that I grew up in rural Idaho, so I found myself identifying with Tara a lot. READ IT!

Anyone else have reading buddies?? I‘ve got two! 😻🐶 #sixofcrows #readingpals

Very well written and engaging book. Trigger warning: it gets a little rape-y, which I was surprised by and didn‘t love. But it‘s a story about war, and war is full of lots of awful things I don‘t love. This isn‘t a genre I usually find myself enjoying, but it won me over in the end.

It‘s obvious which week I got a new puzzle, right?? #BulletJournal #ReadingTracker #AnyExcuseForABeautyAndTheBeastQuote

I‘ll admit it- I bailed the first time through. But I finally read through the whole thing, and it was cute. It ended just the way it should, it had new creative fantasy storylines I‘d never read before, and the narrator (I listened to it on audible the 2nd time round) was superb. Give it a read (or a listen).

When I‘m bored by my book and end up watching TV, I still can‘t seem to escape books.

This book was very creative. It is hard to do twists on fairytales anymore, but this book did it well. The only reason I‘m giving it a “So-So” is because it surprised me in a few places where it was very dark/“mature”— I don‘t mind that, but I felt like it didn‘t fit the book that well and was unnecessary. Otherwise, a fun, easy, and entertaining read.

One of my goals this year is to track the amount of time I spend reading. I am the type of reader that barrels through a book in 2 days and then waits a week or two to pick up another book. I want to be more consistent with my reading, and this app is definitely going to help. I just discovered it- it‘s called “Leio”. Hopefully this will make a difference! (BONUS: it‘s $Free.99!)

“Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. [...] Stories wanted to be read, David‘s mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours. They wanted us to give them life.” | Doing my best to bring more to life this year.