I am not sure how to review this book. The world Manoscalo created is intriguing, but I felt like she really missed the mark. The promoted storyline is not what the storyline was. The author is also trying into the new adult spiciness that overtakes the genre and she negates the actual plot to play around with spice.

Wow! Just amazing! This is my first Brandon Sanderson book and holy moley fantasy writer. The world building was stunning and the story weaving!!! Swooning over the story right now.

Book 2 of the Drowning Empire series was just as good as the first. Lots of characters, great storytelling, and a few surprises along the way. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Such a cute first read of 2022! TJ Klune is definitely becoming a comfort read author for me. The story is easy to follow and heartwarming as Klune attempts to create life after death.

A retelling of the King Midas myth, this was a quick and easy read about King Midas's daughter. While not my favorite sailing read of the year, it was enjoyable and I look forward to book 2.

This book was simply amazing. Book 1 was fantastic and this just continued the legacy of Aristotle and Dante. I cried a few times towards the back half of the novel and I definitely want to reread this.

What a lovely historical fiction story about WWI, told by a Greek Goddess and other Gods. The storyline was well written and I enjoyed every second of this story!

I enjoyed this story of three estranged sisters who come together to bring back magic in a world where people are afraid of witches. But the sisters gain more then they could ever imagine.

A cute Christmas holiday story with time travel and a romance. It was a nice pick me up after a crazy week.

Whoa, this book was amazing! Solid storyline and lots of intrigue. I particularly loved the way the author portrayed being a performer. Though I wasn't watching a show, I felt like I could feel the energy of the stage

I knew nothing about this book before I began, but I am so glad that I started. A strong mystery with a hint of magic was exactly what I needed to read in my life. This dark fairytale was written well and I ducked into the storyline quickly.

Book 4 of the Vampire Diaries was a set-up for the other books. Personally, I would have preferred this section of books to end in book 3. But this is currently my end of the Vampire Diaries books.

I actually enjoyed this book more than the first two. I think I like this one more because the first three books feel like 1 story, especially because I am listening to them succinctly.

Still not great, but better than the first one. I liked that the story actually got into the vampire lore of the world. The first book had so little about vampires I was finding myself getting g bored.

I have seen so many people talk about this book, but I was not a fan. Underdeveloped plot and a very quick storyline. It is not terrible, but I feel eh about it.

I loved the first book of this duology and the second was just as good. The author does a great job handling intersectionality and shows a great representation of a young man trying to navigate his depression on top of the other woes of high school.

"Outlander" is extremely well written and the author tells her story well. However, there were parts of the story that I felt unneeded and while I understand some of the commentary was to show the times, I felt Gabaldon was toeing a line I did not care for.

This lovely novel was about the Osage Indian murders known as the Reign of Terror and the formation of the FBI. There was so much information, but I am definitely going to do a little more research on my own. Especially yo learn more about the Osage people.

"The Lost Apothecary" was a nice story. I liked how the modern day and the past merged together throughout. Easy read during a chaotic moment in real life.

I wanted to love this book. There was so much representation here: a trans man, various couples, bodies of all shapes and sizes described as beautiful. But the story was so-so. It isn't terrible, but it isn't great either. With that said, I enjoyed listening to the audio book and will give book two a try.

While I don't mind spice in my stories, I am not as much of the fan of constant spice with little plot revelance. I also felt like there wasn't as much happening with the plot as book one. I will give the 3rd book a try, but I wasn't as into this one.

I was looking for a cute and light hearted story and I definitely found it in this. Nothing over the top and likeable characters. I am also excited their will be a book 2 coming out next year!

Though this book has been around for a while, I finally took the time to read it. Beautifully written, Lopez tells the story about meeting a schizophrenic, homeless musician in LA and their journey together.

What a great way to end the trilogy. I felt like we get a lot of closure as readers and we still get one more adventure. I am sad to see Simon and Baz's story end, but now that all three books are out, I feel a reread in my future.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Age of Witches". I thought the author had a strong storyline and did a great job handling all the details of each story.

So much Gothic literature crammed into one book. Luckily, Goss does a pretty good job of weaving together the different stories. I enjoyed looking for all the references as I read and am interested in continuing to book 2.

Holy moly! I have been in a reading slump all summer long. But this Persephone and Hades retelling just rekindled my love of reading. I am now eager to get the next two books to finish their story.

I enjoyed book one, but the end of the duology was so much better. Book 2 continues were book 1 leaves off and is adventure full to hep save Maia from the curse of book 1. The author did a great job telling the story and I honesty wish there was more to the duology.

I liked the idea of this second book, but there wasn't much substance. Most of the book was "oh no, they must have fallen out of love with me" even though there were much more interesting storylines. The major conflict was also solved quickly at the end, making the build up lackluster with such a quick resolve.

Had to reread this before the start of the new school year. Chavez's book is absolutely amazing and I am so glad that I had it in my life. #EnglishTeachers #TeachersOfLitsy #WritingWorkshop #antiracist #antiracistteaching

Still working on some personal PD this summer as I look towards ways to teach writing in new ways to my students. #EnglishTeachers #TeachersOfLitsy

The Octunnumi was an interesting read. There was a lot of intriguing world building and I am interested in where the author is going with the story, given that this book is only the prologue.

I will admit, at times, I felt like I skimming some of the pages just to speed up the read, but overall, I enjoyed this tale of two brothers and a their glimpse into a newly created world...

I picked up this book for my thesis and I am so glad that I did! Inoue gave me a lot to think about when it comes to grades and how we can improve education. #teachers #teachersoflitsy

I was really disappointed in this book. I wanted to learn new ideas, but I felt this read was a bunch of common sense. Maybe it would be better for pre-service teachers, but anyone who has taught foe a few years won't find much here. #teachersoflitsy #teachers

Literary book stop!

Thank you so much @Gaylagal2 for the amazing #sliceofsummerswap package. And thank you to @Catsandbooks for hosting.

This story was hit and miss for me. At times, I was into the story, but I never became fully invested in the plot. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed the story more reading it compared to listening to it. Mayne I'll give the book another chance at another time. We'll see.

#SliceOfSummerSwap #soss

My package is out for delivery and will arrive early next week.

As a whole, the storyline was decent, but the writing did get repetitive with the constant re-mentioning of Jay's gay agenda list. I started to skip over the list after a while.

What an absolutely amazing epic fantasy read. I just so happened to pick up this book by chance and I am glad that I did. The characters are well developed and the world building is magical. The storyline kept me interested from start to finish and I cannot wait for the second book to be released.

This book was absolutely amazing! A vibrant Latinx culture during Dia de los Muertos and a gay, trans main character in a YA story. Representation matters and Aiden Thomas did an amazing job mixing the fanatical with reality.

This book was so-so for me. At times, I was engaged and loved the story. At other times, I felt like the book was killing time before getting to some larger plot points.

When I read "Before We Were Yours", I was engrossed in the adoption scandal of the Tennessee Children's Society and Georgia Tann. Reading "Before and After", was just as touching this time around, listening to the stories of real life survivors of TCHS. I am grateful to Wingate and Christie for telling the families' stories and was glad to be a part of the experience through reading the accounts provided.

Got in another great read. I really liked the world building here and the unique take on magic. I also felt like the author built a solid plot that developed naturally. I have been in a bit of a slump recently, and Legendborn was a fantastic pick-me-up.

Overall, I enjoyed "We Hunt the Flame". The beginning was a little slow, but the story picked up as it went along.

First, I got to say that I am pretty sure this is the first book I have ever read considered a space opera. I may be wrong about that, but I'm pretty sure. Overall, the book was decent. I am hit or miss with sci-fi novels, but I enjoyed the overall storyline.

1. Blue/Green
2. Hands down, watermelon.
3. Water (haha). I also love fresh watermelon juice.
4. Hiking/traveling

@Catsandbooks @Gaylagal2

It has been a while since I picked up a middle grades read, but I am glad that I invested in the Cassidy Blake books this week. I will definitely be reccommending these to some middle graders in my life. A kind of paranormal Nancy Drew.

Overall, I think I preferred book 1, but I have enjoyed book 2 as well. I mean, it is Paris after all and I love Paris. I am also happy that we were finally able to learn a little more about Jacob. This read, I got a Nancy Drew feel to the book. Yes, a paranormal version of Nancy Drew, but the nostalgia definitely hit.

Victoria/ V.E. Schwab is definitely a favorite author now. I have yet to read something by her without loving it and "City of Ghost" was no different!