I want to start off by saying that I'm glad this book exists, and that it's important to learn more about toxic productivity and the impact on women. I want to start off by saying that I'm glad this book exists, and that it's important to learn more about toxic productivity and the impact on women. I listened to this on audio, and if you're someone who gets value out of the type of mental exercises the author goes through, I'd recommend getting both the audiobook and the ebook/physical book. Personally, these types of exercises don't work for my brain. I was hoping this book would focus more on actionable steps to take that aren't all related to one's relationship to oneself, but that wasn't the case....more
This is on the younger side of YA, with the characters acting accordingly, and while I wasn't having a hard time rDid not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
This is on the younger side of YA, with the characters acting accordingly, and while I wasn't having a hard time reading it, I was also not having a great time, so I decided to DNF so I could pick up something new.
I do think the target age range will have a good time with it. It has some humor, a cute romance, and plenty of plot to keep you going....more
I don't think 15 year old me would've ever imagined I'd be reading a HarlequiCWs:(view spoiler)[Cancer, Child death, Drug use, Murder (hide spoiler)]
I don't think 15 year old me would've ever imagined I'd be reading a Harlequin featuring Egyptian main characters. I loved all the descriptions of the food and of Alexandria, all of which made it really feel like an Egyptian book.
Saleem is very much a sunshine character, while Elise has been hurt in the past and is more reserved. I really liked their dynamic, and the mystery that was woven through the romance. I had a good time with this, and I'm actually really interested in Olive and Adnan's story now....more
This is one of those weird instances where I don't think it would've necessarily been a hardship to finish the book, but I decided I would rather spend my time on a different one. The writing is very smooth, and I think I would try something else by the author, but I'm not a huge fan of multi-generational family sagas anymore. There was also some content that I personally tend to avoid in books and, since I have no idea where this is going since it feels pretty plotless, I think it's for the best that I stop here....more
While I really enjoyed this sequel, I do think it could have bCWs:(view spoiler)[Misogyny, Self harm, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism (hide spoiler)]
While I really enjoyed this sequel, I do think it could have been a bit shorter. I liked spending time with Janel, Brother Qown, and the rest of the group, and the format of Janel and Qown telling the story, interspersed with brief interludes where Kihrin reacted to it, did work for me. However, I will admit that around the 70% mark, I was ready for it to be over. The last 15-20% is a lot more interesting, and I'm eager to see where the story takes us next. Always love a book where your perceptions of who the villains are constantly get challenged....more
The trouble with novels that are not part of a sequential series, but dCWs:(view spoiler)[slavery (hide spoiler)]
Did not finish book. Stopped at 66%.
The trouble with novels that are not part of a sequential series, but do take part in an existing universe, is that the author needs to take the time in every novel to set up the world, under the assumption that readers may not have read any of the companion books. I don't think this was successful in that regard. Even after making it halfway through the book, I still didn't have a good understanding of the sci-fi concepts. How can people transfer themselves onto avatars? How can mindships have parents or siblings? Were they once people who then transferred their consciousness onto a ship, or is there a different explanation? How can humans and mindships interact physically? This lack of understanding made it hard to fully immerse myself into the story. I'm not opposed to books that throw me into the deep end from the start, as long as I get details and explanations along the way, but that is sadly lacking here.
Despite all of this, the story could've been salvaged by some decent political machinations, or a satisfying romantic relationship. But there was nothing particularly subtle about the politics, and the romance developed fast, and then proceeded to fall into the usual lack of communication pitfalls that tend to irk me.
I do think the book was trying to grapple with bigger themes, but it's hard for me to judge whether it did so successfully. One of the arguments that Xich Si and Rice Fish keep having is about whether the pirates are good or bad, and whether they differ meaningfully from where Xich Si comes from. As an outsider, they both seem to equally suck, and watching the characters argue the same points became tedious.
I did enjoy the writing, and I might consider picking up something else by the author in the future. ...more
If I wasn't so frustrated/ambivalent about the characters, I'd continue this seCWs:(view spoiler)[Animal death, War, Dementia, Murder (hide spoiler)]
If I wasn't so frustrated/ambivalent about the characters, I'd continue this series just for the world building. I love the idea of a world where the elves think they are the only race left out of three, and meanwhile the fae have been surviving, hidden away from the rest. It felt really fleshed out and vivid, and I'm curious about how the forever war came to be as well. The plot is fairly straightforward. There's quite a bit of romance, and some political intrigue, but it was pretty obvious who was behind it all.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't get invested in the characters. We get POVs from Yeeran and Lettle, two sisters. They both felt superficial—Yeeran is the soldier who is determined to go back home with information, and Lettle is the diviner who gets mad at everyone and everything at the littlest provocation. They kept circling around the same issues in their minds, which made me feel like we weren't getting anywhere. I was more frustrated with Lettle than with Yeeran—Lettle's hot temper kept leading her into situations she should've been smart enough to avoid, especially since everyone around her kept warning her to be careful.
The writing itself is pretty good, even though I did notice some vague jumps from character POV to omniscient, but it wasn't very jarring....more
CWs:(view spoiler)[Child death, Violence, Murder, War, Classism, Ableism, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery (hide spoiler)]
Vaishnavi Patel caCWs:(view spoiler)[Child death, Violence, Murder, War, Classism, Ableism, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery (hide spoiler)]
Vaishnavi Patel can write.
For a fairly thick book, and considering it's retelling part of an epic, this was so readable. I found myself reading page after page without noticing time pass. The writing just flows beautifully. Patel tells the story with compelling detail, but never so much that I got tired of it. I think it helped that we only get two POVs.
There's a family tree at the beginning of the book, and I found myself referring back to it very often, just to remind myself how all the characters were connected. There are a lot of them, and the family lines are complex. I do think a bit more explanation/context could've been helpful here and there for someone not familiar with the Mahabharata, like myself. I would've been very interested in footnotes about the different characters, for example, just to flesh the story out a bit more.
The focus of the book is on Ganga, the titular goddess of the river. She was a fascinating character to follow, and the author did a great job in setting her apart from humans. She always feels a little otherworldly, as she should. I also found it easy to sympathize with her. Ganga struggles with confinement and being limited by the men around her, which I can relate to. In fact, the struggles of the women throughout this story were compelling. The men, however, were all the worst, especially Bhishma, Ganga's son.
Bhishma thinks that honor means to stick to the oath he has made, which is to always protect the leading family of Hastinapur. This leads him to commit injustice after injustice, but this is somehow more honorable than not enslaving and killing people, or ensuring a just ruler sits on the throne. His POV chapters were extremely frustrating to read. I get that the point is for him to undergo growth, and to realize that keeping his oath was not the right choice, but waiting for him to get there was tedious. ...more
I wasn't sure about continuing this series, but thiCWs:(view spoiler)[Death, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Fatphobia (hide spoiler)]
I wasn't sure about continuing this series, but this was a very enjoyable read. I was hooked by the investigation into Jamie's disappearance. The interview-style segments for the podcast made this a quick read. I didn't expect it to end the way it did, and I'm very curious to see how the series wraps up.
One thing I really appreciated is seeing Pip struggle with everything she went through in the first book, and the trauma it caused her. It's not an easy decision for her to involve herself in a mystery for a second time, but once she makes the decision to do so, she fully commits to it. Loved the character growth....more
I was drawn in by the stunning cover, but the story ended up being just okay. It definitelyCWs:(view spoiler)[Body horror, Drug abuse (hide spoiler)]
I was drawn in by the stunning cover, but the story ended up being just okay. It definitely had potential—Clara has struggled with her unwieldy magic for years, and it ends up causing extreme harm to someone, leading her to make a deal with another wizard. The wizard, Xavier, was her childhood friend, but they haven't spoken in five years. It becomes clear very quickly that he is hiding things from Clara. There's also the mystery of her mother—a witch everyone considers dangerous and criminal. And we get answers to all of these things, but it just lacked some body/excitement for me.
It feels like the goal of the story was a happy ending for Clara and Xavier, and so there are a bunch of convenient things that happen to accomplish that. Characters react nonchalantly to big events, like it doesn't matter, when we've seen other characters react to the same thing very differently. We learn only tidbits about Clara's mother, and that's pretty much where it stops. We begin to get a peek at the limits of the Council, and how they could be doing more than they are, but it never gets explored further. It would be different if this was a series, but as a standalone, it was, unfortunately, lackluster....more
This book manages to be a fantastic character study, while also deliverCWs:(view spoiler)[Genocide, Suicide, Murder, Homophobia, Rape (hide spoiler)]
This book manages to be a fantastic character study, while also delivering a compelling plot. It's well-written, well-structured, and the character growth is on point. Everything we learn about the world, we learn because Kyr, our main character, shows us things. Through her all-encompassing drive to excel, we learn about Gaea station, and how it functions. Through her interactions with other people/aliens, we learn about how those who are considered other are treated. Kyr is the furthest thing from a decent human being, but I can't call her an unlikeable character, because I did like her, flaws and all. She's so compelling—completely brainwashed by her environment, but it all makes sense that she is the way she is. And the journey she goes on, and how it ends up changing her, is absolutely fantastic.
I think some of the setup of the world could've been a bit clearer. There are sections from supposed history books that serve as an explanation as to how we got here, but I had trouble remembering some of the names of places, and whether we were talking about the same planets or new ones. It didn't detract much from my enjoyment or understanding, however.
At its heart, this story is about the process of deconstruction. Kyr is forced out of her comfort zone by multiple incidents, and made to interact with beings she wouldn't usually talk to. I really loved all the different relationships she formed, and how gradual it all was. The bond she forms with Yiso is my favourite, however.
The story took some surprising turns where I wasn't expecting them, and I had a great time reading this....more
CWs:(view spoiler)[Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Outing, Drug use (hide spoiler)CWs:(view spoiler)[Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Outing, Drug use (hide spoiler)]
Every time I picked this up before bedtime, I knew it was a bad decision, but much like Kat and Heath, I couldn't help making them. This was compulsively readable, and so addictive. The pacing never dragged for me, which is surprising because I think it would've been very easy to fall into a repetitive cycle. Kat and Heath's relationship does fall into an up and down pattern, but it's never boring, and I truly relished every single moment of it.
The descriptions of ice dance as a competitive sport were fantastic as well. The book didn't fall into the pitfall of making things sound too detailed or too technical. Whether the details the author included are true isn't something I can judge, but it all felt believable to me.
At the heart of this is a foursome of truly messed up characters, with a supporting cast that's also messed up. Pretty much every relationship in the book is toxic in some way. But there are also real emotional moments, and the continuous struggle between friendship and rivalry, love and hate, kept me at the edge of my seat.
I've never read anything by the author before, but the last 25% of the book went off the rails in a way that I really loved, but that also felt reminiscent of the pacing of a thriller, which makes me excited to try her other works....more
Second books in CWs:(view spoiler)[Death, Slavery, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping (hide spoiler)]
Second books in series always have me wary, because second book syndrome is a thing, and a lot of series I've loved based on the first book have ended up suffering because of it, but that was so not the case here. I think Flamefall is at least equally good as Fireborne. This book took me for a ride, and I loved every minute of it.
There isn't an actual recap at the beginning, but even though I read the first book 2 years ago, the events immediately came back to me when I started the sequel. The themes the author started tackling in Fireborne (the flip side of a revolution and what happens after, how new systems can be just as bad as old ones and how to deal with that, how cycles of abuse continue to be perpetuated even when power changes hands) are explored even further here. There's so much nuance and complexity to the characters and the choices they make. Not one of them is pure good or evil—I saw so many shades of grey. I read the last 25% with that feeling of tension in my gut because of how things were playing out. It's just SO GOOD. I can't wait to see how the author ends this story....more
I was hopeful I would at least have a decent time with this book, but it ended up exceeding my expectations. It's an enemies to lovers romantasy, but the way it's done is one I can get behind. Both Rune and Gideon make for compelling characters, and there are plenty of tension-filled moments as they try to outmaneuver one another, without falling for each other.
I've lost count of how often I've read a book where I keep getting told how clever the main character is, only to read one badly thought out decision after the other. In this case, the author never once says that Rune is smart, but it's obvious she is just from the events that take place. I loved all the moments where Rune and Gideon were headed towards confrontation—every time I thought Gideon had Rune trapped, something new would be revealed to change my perception of the events.
I was definitely more invested in their relationship as enemies, but the romance is pretty good as well. The only character I can't really get behind is Alex—his actions and motivations just don't make any sense to me. (view spoiler)[We're told about what Gideon has suffered at the hands of witches, including the murder of his young sister (also Alex's sister), and the subsequent death of both their parents, never mind the personal torture. Gideon allowed himself to be destroyed to save Alex, and to have Alex then turn around and make the choice that he did felt kind of gross to me. (hide spoiler)]...more
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Does lack of critical thinking skills count as a content warning?
Before we st2.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Does lack of critical thinking skills count as a content warning?
Before we start: I'm writing this as someone who is half Egyptian and spent 6 years in the Egyptian school system getting Egyptian history shoved down my throat.
This book got on my bad side from the very first page, which is "a (broad) timeline of Egypt".
639: Arab invasion of Egypt 1798: Napoleon's expedition to Egypt
Wikipedia calls Napoleon's "expedition" what it actually was: an invasion. For a book that's supposed to be against colonization, the author has a funny way of showing it. My bullshit radar was immediately on, and once that happens, it's rare that a book manages to recover.
The second strike had to do with a description related to the Fajr prayer.
Dawn came outfitted in rosy streaks of light that penetrated the thick gauze of the mosquito net enshrouding my bed. Dimly, I heard the last sounds of the Fajr prayer drift into my bedroom from the open balcony.
So, as a Muslim, I'm glad the author decided to not erase the fact that Egypt is a predominately Muslim country, but here's the thing: mosques perform prayers when the prayer time starts, not when it's close to the end of the timeslot, and for Fajr that is the break of dawn/astronomical dawn. As someone who has been praying Fajr for decades, trust me, there's no light to be seen. Once again, Wikipedia does get it right, so it just makes me wonder why the author, the editor, or anyone, really, didn't bother to fact check any of this.
At this point, I was rolling my eyes a lot, and the main character didn't help. Inez makes one bad, ill-thought-out decision after another. Consequences? She's never heard of the word. She's also been obsessed with Egypt for years, and has spent a lot of time learning to read hieroglyphs, but she couldn't be arsed to learn any Arabic so that she'd be able to communicate with the locals.
I didn't hate everything about the book, though. It's very readable, and I liked the parts where they were discovering ancient tombs, as long as I could manage to ignore how ridiculous Inez is. But this plot has more holes than a chunk of cheese. It's tied together by relying on Whit to keep readers distracted enough to not notice how much of this is convenient handwaving. And sure, he was a decent enough distraction, up to a point. But this entire ridiculous drama could've been avoided if Inez and her uncle had had ONE honest conversation. I guess that would've been too much of a stretch, though.
Writing this review brought my rating down, I was being too generous....more
This series starts on a more serious note than I was expecting, but the overall tone is nonetheless lighthearted. The art is absolutely stunning, and This series starts on a more serious note than I was expecting, but the overall tone is nonetheless lighthearted. The art is absolutely stunning, and I already really like the characters—even Agott, who is a bit prickly, but then again I've always been drawn to prickly characters.
The characters get thrown right into the deep end, and the stakes feel pretty high already, so I'm curious to see where the story will go next....more
While I still appreciate the project of this book and the chaCWs:(view spoiler)[Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, Car accident (hide spoiler)]
While I still appreciate the project of this book and the character journeys, I think the longer I sit with it, the more I realize that the romance didn't fully work for me. Initially, I was surprised by the setup: Helen's sister dies because Grant's car hits her, and I was interested to see how the two characters would bridge this seemingly insurmountable gap and end up in a relationship that I could root for. To the credits of the author, I do think she managed that reasonably well.
Both characters come with plenty of baggage, and the book spends some time unpacking that. Grant suffers from panic attacks. Helen is dealing with the grief of losing her sister. Grant being the cause of that causes understandable friction, but it also leads to a certain closeness between them, something that unites them as life-altering experiences are wont to do. Their relationship suffers from very predictable barriers, and that's really where it starts to fall apart a little bit.
The third act breakup was as expected, but the journey back to reconciliation was too long and unnecessarily fraught, in a way that I didn't appreciate. It didn't bother me much at first, but in hindsight, the entire premise hinges on Grant being selfish enough to refuse to remove himself from Helen's path, and I'm not sure that I fully buy that now (or at least, it makes me look at him in a less favorable light)....more
Overall, I would say this is a pretty standard YA formula—a girl, a prince, a country in CWs:(view spoiler)[Self harm, Racism, Murder (hide spoiler)]
Overall, I would say this is a pretty standard YA formula—a girl, a prince, a country in peril, and a lot of bickering. What sets this apart for me is that the romance didn't develop the way I expected it to, to my delight.
I ended up really enjoying Violet as a character. Her actions and priorities made perfect sense considering her backstory. Ever since she was young, she has been using her gifts as a seer to improve her own circumstances, but that doesn't mean she's in control of her life and destiny. Throughout the story, we see her balancing the approval of the men who could detrimentally impact her life, and her own sense of right and wrong. She doesn't always choose the right path, but that made her so interesting to follow.
The last 25% of this was such an unexpected delight, it bumped my rating up a full star. I absolutely loved the choices the author made for Violet's story. I think this works pretty well as a standalone, but I am a little bit sad that we don't get to explore the ramifications of the ending....more