Tag Archives: Review

Kate’s Favorite Books of the Year!

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This has been a wild year of reading for me! I have done so much of it for fun! During COVID, I lost a bit of my desire to pick up books. There is still a bit of that resistance there, but with a combination of some great series, letting my whims take me, excellent recommendations from people in my life, and audiobooks, Ive managed to get back to being a reader! Alright! Let’s do this!

Best Non-Fiction: Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

I didn’t read a lot of non-fiction for fun and, funnily, they were all memoirs. Readme.txt by Chelsea Manning and Consent by Jill Ciment were excellent, and they have both brought up important topics that need to be considered and discussed, but Nanette gets the nod here for a combination of also touching on important topics that need to be considered and discussed, emotional resonance and Gadsby’s audio narration. This one had me in tears, both from happiness and sadness. It was a great read.

Best Book I picked up on a Whim: Yolk by Mary H.k. Choi

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I don’t know I can really say this was on a whim. I put it in my library want list on a whim ages ago and when my library finally got it, I was first in line. This is a story of sisterhood and family. It is also the story of growing up Asian-American and navigating multiple sets of cultural expectations while also trying to figure out who you are. Some of the story felt so relatable and some of it felt like a brand new experience for me. I love how stories can be both mirrors and windows. Anyway, this was at times thoughtful, funny, and sad and I loved the growth journey the characters went on.

Best Bestseller I’ve had on My List for Ages: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Y’all this book was so good, seamlessly interweaving multiple tales of motherhood and family highlighting different kinds of conflicts that arise from differences in income, ethnicity, and race. I couldn’t put it down and I needed to know what happened next! The characters were well-written, the plot contained surprises. I really loved this one.

Book a Friend Recommended: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Starless Sea is stories within stories within stories. I loved Zachary, the main character. He was thoughtful and interesting and I was happy to have him as a companion on this journey of so many twists and turns. Putting it over the top in this category is the multiple excellent narrations, including a performance from one of my favorite audiobook readers, Bahni Turpin.

Best Book that has been on my Shelf and I finally Read this Year: The Queer Principles of Kitt Webb by Cat Sebastian

This romance novel was a delight! I tore through it and finished it in time to pick up its sequel at the same independent bookshop I bought it at, The Ripped Bodice! 10/10. bookshop and 10/10 novel I took too long getting to. I liked the characters, I liked the intrigue, I liked the spice, I liked the ending. This was wonderful!

Best Series (Plural) I started this Year: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik, and This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

I started so many good ones this year. Kitt Webb, of course. But also the Gideon the Ninth series, Spoiler Alert, This Poison Heart, His Majesty’s Dragon , Renegades , The Beautiful , The Brown Sisters and Three-Body Problem . Since most of these I either binged (The Gideon books and the Poison Heart) or I completely finished (Kitt Webb, Three-Body Problem) it is fair to say I enjoyed all of them. But there were some stand outs.

Part sci/fi and Part fantasy, these books have mystery, sword play, and fiery heroines that are delightful.

An Alternative history with dragons! Temeraire was described to me as the best baby boy of characters before I read it and I couldn’t agree more. I want nothing but the best for this sweet dragon and his handler Laurence, who find themselves in the middle of a war between England and Napoleon’s France. The only reason I haven’t gotten to the rest of the series is that the other books in my library hold queue keep getting in my way.

I was so taken in by Briseis and her moms and the mystery at the heart of these books that having to wait for the second one to come available at the library was torture. Briseis is a wonderful heroine and these books interweave myth with the modern in a really fun way.

Honorable Mention, Best Book about a House: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

I read a lot of books this year that featured houses. A House with Good Bones, The House Across the Lake , and Nothing But Blackened Teeth just to pick a few. But Cañas’s gothic novel set after Mexico’s war for independence scratched all the itches for the gothic horror genre. Beatriz is an interesting narrator, although not as naive as you’d expect and that was a nice twist. I enjoyed this immensely and would definitely recommend it.

This has been a great year for reading and I already have things queued up for the new year (including reviews of things I started this year, but haven’t posted yet!) Beth and I hope you have a Happy New Year and we hope to see you in 2025 for more from our endless stacks!

Review: The Demon Awakens by R.A. Salvatore

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There is part of me that misses long fantasy novels like this, and then there is the other part of me that remembers why I don’t read them that often. They are quite involved and long. While this one didn’t have as many characters as, say, Game of Thrones does, it is still a lot. The first part of the novel was a bit slow as it had a lot of world-building to set up the stacks of the series. It was told mostly from the POV of three characters, Elbryan and his childhood, Jilly, aka Pony, and monk Avelyn. They all bring a different perspective to the story, but all agree that the evil must be stopped. A great beast has been awakening after centuries, and with him, the worst of man comes out. He feeds off of our cruelty and greed. Elbryan and Pony witness their whole village murdered by Goblins, but they go their separate ways. Elbryan trains with Elves to become a ranger, and Pony takes a long road to becoming a soldier. Avelyn is a true believer who has powers even his monastery doesn’t understand. The story really doesn’t pick up until they all finally team up. Elbryan and Pony I liked immediately, but Avelyn took some time to warm up to. Once I did, he became one of my favorite characters in the book. It’s your typical story of ordinary people who have lived extraordinary lives and must meet up and defeat the evil in the world. This is the first book of the series, and as much as I enjoyed it, I am not sure I am going to read the others. While I am curious as to where the series goes next since it seemingly won the day, I am not sure I am curious enough. So, yes, it’s a good book. I am glad that I read it.

Review: Secrets of the Nile Duology by Isabel Ibañez

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I bought this book at NY Comic-Con this year and it was sold to me as The Mummy meets Death on the Nile. Like most Millennial women, I love the 1999 movie, The Mummy. I haven’t read Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile but I know the jist so I was sold. I can say it is, like both in a way. Our protagonist, Inez Olivera is like Evelyn in that she is smart, quirky, and stubborn. Whit was definitely inspired by Rick, he is charming but a little bit of a scoundrel. When we meet Inez, she is living with her Aunt and Cousins in Argentina. Her parents are in Egypt, where they live half of the year since Inez was a baby. She keeps begging them to take her with them but they never do. Tragedy strikes when she gets word that they both have gone missing and presumed dead. Using her new inheritance, she books a boat ticket and goes straight to Alexandria. From the moment that she arrives, her Uncle tries to get her to go home because he knows it is not safe. Things are not as they seem but she at every corner thwarts him and it is fun. Thanks to a little bit of magic, she helps her Uncle find Cleopatra but at a cost. I don’t want to give too much away but there are some twists and turns. Even though I did kind of suspect one of them, It didn’t bother me because it is such a fun read.

The sequel picks up right where the last one ends and it is quite a cliffhanger. Here we get to know more about Whit and what motivates him. He is the typical scoundrel with a heart of gold. He does bad things but for good reasons and oh boy, does he do a doozy in this one. He is loyal almost to his own detriment as he tries to help Inez figure out the mystery of her parents. There are a few things in this one that didn’t add up to me but I won’t go into it because, you know, spoilers. In the end, my questions didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book and the series as a whole. I like how the ending, is a little open-ended and the epilogue does suggest that the story might not be over for Olivera-Hayes clan. Though it will probably follow a different character. So yes, for all you 1999 Mummy lovers out there, this series is for you. I can’t recommend it enough.

How are you keeping track of your books? I’m trying out Fable

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A couple of months ago, I discovered Fable. It’s like Goodreads but more reader-friendly. For one, It’s not owned by Amazon. I’ll be honest I don’t know who owns it. I like that I can give half-star ratings because we have all read books that are not a solid three or four stars. It also asks you about the vibe, spiciness, and other things readers want to know. There are great ways to connect with other readers, join book clubs, and get recommendations. You can also keep track of our TV shows in the same manner. The best part was you could transfer all your books and reviews from Goodreads so you do not lose anything. You can also purchase e-books directly from them. They have a pretty decent selection.

I hear that Storygraph is also a good alternative and is owned by a Black Woman. I think I am going to look into that one next. For now, I am going to stay on Fable. If you are looking for an alternative to Goodreads, you can join me on Fable or check out Storygraph and let me know what you think.

Review: Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride

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I do enjoy Lish McBride’s work. She is so creative with her stories and is able to find humor even in a serious story. Faolan Kelly’s Pops has just died. He was her last living relative, and as a 17-year-old girl living as a boy, because the world is kinder to men than women, she doesn’t have a lot of choices. The Mayor of her town is shipping her off to a nearby religious settlement. Faolan knows it’s because he wants her Pops’ land. She has a plan. All she has to do is work hard, not draw attention to herself for a few months, and then when she turns 18 years old, come back and claim her land. The thing is Faolan is not someone who can keep herself out of trouble. From the moment she arrives in the settlement, she knows something is wrong. She is quickly wrapped up in the mystery of the settlement when she starts to notice weird things but also weird sounds. Not going to lie, she spends a fair amount of time injured in this book. She really cannot keep herself safe and it is kind of funny how hard her new friends have to work to do just that. I liked the atmosphere of this book The Western setting invokes a certain image of American life that lends itself to a spooky tale. It is not my favorite Lish McBride but it’s a solid work to her cannon. A good read for anyone looking for a Western mystery with a little bit of supernatural mixed in.

Review: A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

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Sophie Jordan first wrote about dragons years ago in her Firelight series. It was a kind of a Romeo and Juliet story of a Dragon who falls in a dragon hunter. When I started to read this, I didn’t realize that is a kind of prequel to the Firelight series The similarities are definitely there. Tasmyn is the whipping girl for the princesses of Penterra. She was raised along with the Princesses and treated as one but when they do something wrong, she gets punished. One day the warriors from the Borderlands will protect the kingdom. Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands demands to marry one of the Princesses in trade for continuing to keep them safe. The King tricks Fell into marrying Tasmyn instead, and things don’t start between them. Now Tasmyn is married to a stranger and is heading his home. She has a secret that she has to keep from him and everyone else. How do dragons factor into all of this? Dragons have been gone for over a century of them. Humans hunted them down and then started hunting witches and then turned against each other. Typical right? I like Tasmyn and I like Fell. They make a good couple if you ask me. They are both two young people who have lived hard lives. Tasmyn may have grown up in the palace along with the Royal family but she was always different. She suffered the punishments, actually the whippings when the real Princesses acted up. She didn’t complain because she knew this was her job. Her duty was to keep the princesses safe. Fell in a lot of ways is the same. He may not be the whipping boy but he takes the responsibility of protecting his people very seriously. They are obviously attracted to each other, often drawn to each other but there is so much distrust in each other and themselves for them to bridge that gap. However, I think they found some common ground in the end. Now, I really do need to start doing more research when starting books because I didn’t know this was a series and it while the ending didn’t surprise me, it was intriguing I do look forward to finding out where the story goes next and opening up the world more. I read this book in like days. It was that fast of a read. I hope that future books will be as entertaining.

Review: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

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What would you do if you were offered a chance to be a character in your favorite book series? What would you do if you were one of the story’s villains? That’s what happened to Rae. Rae is in her early 20s and has been fighting cancer since she was in high school. She and her younger sister have a favorite series, The Time of Iron written by Anonymous. Her sister would come to her hospital room and re-read the books to Rae and they would discuss each scene in character. Rae is very sick and one night, she gets a visit by a stranger who gives Rae an offer. Play a role of one of the characters in the Time of Iron Retrieve a flower before it blooms and she will cured. Fail and she would be forever in a coma. Rae doesn’t believe her but then she finds herself playing Lady Rahela, who is about to be executed in the first book. Rae is not as devoted to the books as her sister but she knows the story and she knows what comes next for her character and the other characters and uses that to her advantage. Leaning into her character’s villainous nature, she sets plans in motion to find the flower. She recruits the other villains of the story and gets to work She convinces the King that she is a prophet, saves the heroine, and befriends the leaders of thieves. This is such a fun book. All the characters fly off the page and you can tell that the author had a blast writing it. It is full of all the fantasy romance tropes that we become accustomed to and use it to tell a compelling story. It definitely plays on the whole, who really is a villain and who is a hero? Who decides? I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy books and is looking for a fun and entertaining read.

Review: Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

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This was such a great trilogy. I am curious to see how it turns into a movie or TV series. I know the rights have been sold and Tomi is involved in the script. Zelie has been through so much and honestly wouldn’t have faulted her for giving up but of course she didn’t. Nor did her brother and friends. At the end of the last book, the Maji were successful in overthrowing the king but then overtaken by the Skulls from across the sea. King Baldyr has been hunting Maji’s because he needs the one to help him achieve Godhood. We all know this is Zelie. She escapes but not before he implants in her gold medallion that changes her powers. She has a vision that she must find the other magical person Baldyr needs. Another woman from a mysterious nation, New Gaia. Mae’e is a great addition to the books. I liked her stoicism and fire. I know that might not make sense but it’s true. It was nice to see an expansion of the world but we did sacrifice what was going on in Orisha since most of the action was happening elsewhere. The other criticism I have that the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be. I feel the epilogue could have given a little bit more. Other then that I found it to be a fun adventure like the other books. Baldyr is a much scarier villain then the previous king was. The stakes were much higher because the threat wasn’t just to the Maji or Orisha but to New Gaia as well. This was a good series and I am looking forward to what Tomi does next.

Review: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu Read by Luke Daniels

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I am definitely a Fantasy girlie and not so much a Sci-Fi. It’s not that I didn’t like listening to this book but I had trouble getting into it. Since I started listening to it, I started and finished three other books. It started out pretty good with scenes of the cultural revolution and then it moved to the modern day and I stopped kind of paying attention. I noticed that points in the book when characters started talking about different scientific theories, I started to space out and then I had to go back because I had no idea what was going on. I think when I finally started to get into it was more than halfway through when Wang was finally starting to get understand how to the play the game. I’m not sure I will read or listen to the other books but I want to watch the TV show. I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to read another sci-fi book anytime soon either.