5 stars This collection of poetry really hit home for me, especially the "Sometimes you're 23" excerpt. Speaking as I, at the time of reading this book,5 stars This collection of poetry really hit home for me, especially the "Sometimes you're 23" excerpt. Speaking as I, at the time of reading this book, am a 23 year old figuring out life and experiencing feelings of loss, nostalgia, and longing.
I usually have a difficult time relating to a lot of poetry but I found solace and felt very seen from this one....more
5 STARS The Kiss Curse follows Gwyn, the beloved, quirky, and snappy cousin of Vivi from the predecessor book, The Ex Hex. We are given a cute, coz5 STARS The Kiss Curse follows Gwyn, the beloved, quirky, and snappy cousin of Vivi from the predecessor book, The Ex Hex. We are given a cute, cozy, and a lil' steamy—enemies to lovers romance, admiring teenage witches, and an unknown mysterious energy to uncover. (Oh and Sir Purrcival is THE moment.)
[image]
Due to Graves Glen having a change in the flow of power, many new witches have gathered in the town. Encountering these weird energies and emanating magic is cause for lookout into the safety of the town's magic.
"Graves Glen was a collection of lights glimmering in the darkness, homey and warm but far away, shadowy hills rising all around it.
Gwyn is running Something Wicked on her own when it just so happens, Wells, Rhys' older brother, and Gwyn's long-time enemy opens a shop across the street rivaling her store. With cause for competition, these two start to have more one-on-one run-ins creating the all too good banter and magnetism to the other. When an old university acquaintance moves to Graves Glen and invites them both to a housewarming witches-only party that radiates evil magic, the two team up to figure out just why she moved back.
[image]
We are given mouthwatering tension, skin-warming fluff, and abs-inducing humor along with an intriguing and fun plot that has the reader on their toes.
Provided by Avon & Harper Voyager. This will be published September 20, 2022!...more
10 Bagillion Stars ARC provided by Simon and Schuster & NG! :)
Let's start with a trigger warning list: Abuse (Child, Physical, and Emotional), Manipulat10 Bagillion Stars ARC provided by Simon and Schuster & NG! :)
As dark and eye-opening as this book is, it is laced with comedic relief and knowledgeable awareness throughout. I grew up watching Jennette on iCarly—phased out around her Sam & Cat days, but I have followed her story personally since she left acting and was briefly aware of her childhood abuse. Reading this memoir has given me a newfound respect for this woman. Jennette deserves the world.
I'm Glad My Mom Died follows the in-depth and graphic life of Jennette from before the entertainment industry and after—all the way to the talks about writing this book. It delves into her family dynamic, her very toxic and abusive relationship with her mother, and every interaction behind the scenes of her struggle. Trying to please her mother and her work, using substances to stay numb, unhealthy routines, and almost never doing anything out of personal want for herself.
Everything is written in the present tense. It feels as though we are right there with Jennette at whatever age she was at that moment. This is incredibly well written and filled to the brim with nuance. As a reader, we really could see how much Jennette grew over the years. She was not well informed about adulthood, a late bloomer but only due to the suffocation and manipulation of her mother. I just kept thinking back to how when I was younger than she was, watching her on my tv screen knowing about things she never knew or experienced until much later in life.
Most of us know her as "Sam Puckett", the butter sock flinging witty wonder obsessed with food. Jennette was, however, obsessed with food in the opposite way. One of her biggest struggles was with food. Learning to count calories and undereat at a very young age which then turned to bulimia later in her young adult years. We take the journey with her in realizing how detrimental this was to her health and every mistake and heartache this caused.
This book is not about her days on Nickelodeon. And if that is something you are looking for, you won't find it here, this book is not that. iCarly, Sam & Cat, her co-stars, and others are mentioned when it is relevant to her struggles and dilemmas.
I am incredibly happy and proud of this woman. She is captivating, funny, and oh so deserving of a happy and painless life. This book is going to be one of my most recommended books....more
5 stars This book is a masterpiece filled with beautiful storytelling. It truly transports you to another world and even with all the chaos and evil—I d5 stars This book is a masterpiece filled with beautiful storytelling. It truly transports you to another world and even with all the chaos and evil—I didn't want to leave.
I absolutely adore Shiori. She is such a strong character even with her naivete. However tragic it was that she went through, she came out of it bolder, smarter, and with some amazing character growth overall.
Takkan and Seryu are both love interests—each having different backgrounds, attributes, and characteristics. I love Shiori and Seryu's banter and relationship. Despite the fact that he is a dragon, he has a soft spot for Shiori and truly cares about her. Takkan has had a longer relationship with Shiori. Having known each other through childhood and him being her betrothed, Shiori was always against it, and never truly aspired to look deeper into that connection. On the road, however, she ran into him, and despite him suspecting her to be who he thought, he still was kind and caring in contrast to everyone else. I have a soft spot for both and I am not good at deciding.
5 Stars ARC Provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing (HQN) and NG.
Cinnamon and Espresso—a mouthwatering combination, and the best way to describe the dyn5 Stars ARC Provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing (HQN) and NG.
Cinnamon and Espresso—a mouthwatering combination, and the best way to describe the dynamic and addictive relationship that is Nina Lyon & Leo O'Donnell. Workplace enemies turned lovers through fake dating in a world surrounded by food, For Butter or Worse is an unputdownable novel.
[image]
Oh my, do I love these two. They made me laugh, blush, squirm in delightful moments, and recoil in the difficult.
Nina is a self-built chef, and co-host of a foodie competition & reality TV series, "The Next Cooking Champ"! Leo claimed his co-hosting spot through the running of his inherited family-owned chain of Italian restaurants. Having worked on the show together for three years, they never let up on the digs at each other. Nina having despised Leo's comedic relief next to her hard critiques, and Leo always feeling the need to one-up Nina to ensure he rightfully deserved his co-hosting spot beside her. Their clashing on-air personalities caused turmoil between these two as well as the fans tuning in to watch the show. Sexism and mental health play a huge part in the downfall and ultimate end of their roles as co-hosts. With both their once-thriving businesses now in trouble and reputations on the line—they attempt to put trust in each other through a fake dating scheme in the hopes it will help one another's livelihoods, but find that maybe their sworn enemy wasn't so bad after all....more
Babel is a fantasy world of the early 1800s rooted in thematics of race, historical imperialism, literature, and language creating the well-known and Babel is a fantasy world of the early 1800s rooted in thematics of race, historical imperialism, literature, and language creating the well-known and favored 'Dark Academia' storyline. It is done so well with the magical aspects of silver not straying too out of bounds, that it entirely feels like this could be an alternate history of the world we currently inhabit.
[image]
Without giving too much away as I do not want to attempt explaining this story to you (that should keep to the hands of R.F. Kuang herself), we follow the four core main characters Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty. All plucked out of their individual and complicated lives, creating their class at Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation or better known as Babel. Each struggled with figuring out how to navigate around the Univ as outsiders, while desperately trying to find solace within each other despite their apparent differences. Yet their forefronted similarities ultimately brought them together to create that comfort with each other to lean on. I applaud Kuang for how she characterized each of these four, regarding their upbringings, beliefs, privileges, and complicities, especially within their positive and negative traits. Not every interaction between these four was joyous and happy—their differences had them at each other's throats, annoyed, and sometimes entirely disappointed in one another. It surely is a growth of rage, so take that as a warning that there are things that will hurt, bring anger, and frustration upon the reader. [image] Everything revolves around silver and to make the said silver work, that revolves around fluency in language, which is why Babel is soo important to London making it powerful and what ultimately made Oxford wealthy. The four are put through brutal studies in each of their specialized languages, we see them going through hysterics over how hard they each work to pass and be accepted the following year. However, their knowledge is serving the power, and they are seen as all too important but expendable overall. This puts them caught between two different options for life yet neither is all that ideal. It all comes down to a breaking point and a decision on which path to follow and what to sacrifice or are willing to sacrifice.
Kuang is marvelous. I had seen that this book was put into motion based on the racism Kuang herself experienced and bore witness to during her time attending Oxford and for that, this read felt even more real and stung deep. This book is jam-packed with knowledge from her own studies and experiences. This will be one of my top reads of 2022, I know that as of right now.
ARC provided by Avon & Harper Voyager. This will be published August 23rd, 2022!
[image] ----Check out my instagram! @abigailsbookcases----...more
5 STARS "I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story."
[image]
This story was GOLDEN. Sex, drugs, love, and rock & roll of the late 1970's; w5 STARS "I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story."
[image]
This story was GOLDEN. Sex, drugs, love, and rock & roll of the late 1970's; we follow the journey of Daisy, as well as The Six, and their ultimate collaboration thrusting them into fame with all its trials and tribulations. But is the band strong enough—healthy enough to outlast everything that comes with it?
This is not an easy story; it's gutting, raw, and real and I read it at the speed of light. Each character has their own internal dilemmas and baggage that they must face and overcome, or put to rest. From grief, jealousy, denial—to addiction and loneliness. We are doused in the very kerosene that comes too close to the flame haunting these band members; and like always, proximity can make things unstable and erupt.
"People say it's hard to be away from the people you love but it was so hard to be right next to him."
Depending on how you view the ending, it's either happy or sad, or maybe it's bittersweet. I don't think this story needed a perfect fairytale ending and I'm glad we didn't get one. It's honest—absolute, and funnily enough, perfect in its own way for these characters. Did they deserve more than what they got? Maybe. But is that how things work out usually? No.
5 STARS ARC provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. *Let me also start by acknowledging the gorgeous cover and how perfectly it works for th5 STARS ARC provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. *Let me also start by acknowledging the gorgeous cover and how perfectly it works for this book.*
This murder mystery fantasy novel didn't fail to keep me on my toes. I was making my own theories constantly, flipping back and forth on who I believed to be the killer. This story follows Catrin or 'Cat', an orphaned girl placed into the hands of the Sisters of the Light as a baby, once grown, run away to work with the Architect, Magister Thomas on the building of the beloved Sanctum of the town of Collis. Although we are never told the time period, it is described to be somewhere during the medieval era. Catrin lives with Magister Thomas, along with Mistress la Fontaine and her son Remone 'Remi' la Fontaine. Remi had worked with Magister Thomas as an apprentice for many years and had been gone to train under another to gain even more knowledge and become a Journeyman.
The story starts with Catrin heading out that night to inspect a crossbeam of the scaffolds of the sanctum. Magister Thomas notices her and says he will accompany so she isn't alone, however she prefers to be. Fortunately for her, Perrete Charpentier, a young lady who works on Pleasure Road stops by and demands to speak with the Architect. The Magister allows Catrin to go on her own as long as she wears the safety ropes—which she despises. Now under the moonlight within the Sanctum, Catrin inspects the crossbeam near one of the Gargoyles. It's split and will need to be fixed, it jabs her finger drawing blood just as the wind shrieks through the Gargoyle and something supernatural happens to Cat. Once back to sorts she sees a man fleeing, upon returning to the ground, she discovers a dead body and supposes the man fleeing was connected.
The main plot is the investigation of the killer, we also follow along as Cat searches for answers about her heritage, the magick, and her building romance with Simon who was assigned the Venatre for the investigation. This also touches on many different mental illnesses as well as graphic detail of the murders, so this is not a light read. With all that, this story never ceased to lose my attention or interest and I was ancy to find out all of what was hidden. This novel's ending is bittersweet in a happy way that leaves the future of the characters to the mind of the reader....more
5 stars Thank you Penguin Publishing Group & NG for this ARC! This will be published April 19th, 2022.
Although she is in fact a murderer—she didn't5 stars Thank you Penguin Publishing Group & NG for this ARC! This will be published April 19th, 2022.
Although she is in fact a murderer—she didn't kill her husband! I was hooked from the get-go, flipping through the pages faster than ever.
Unlike most killers, Ruby loves, sympathizes, experiences grief, and acknowledges all aspects of life and the chaos it puts people through. However, she very much dislikes bad, grouchy, evil people who diminish and steal people's sunshine and happiness away through torment. She has killed three people with these characteristics, starting at age five. Attending university for psychology, Ruby became a thriving therapist, working through her clientele's daily struggles, forming strong relationships, and would never hurt a hair or feather on an animal. She can't be a psychopath!
The story begins with the accounts of Ruby's first murder then swiftly moving us to the interrogation room where the detective is accusing her or rather questioning her of murdering her husband. She didn't kill Jason, and that is laughable at best. She can't think of a single reason as to why she would—she was deeply in love with him. From there, we follow along through the interrogation while Ruby recounts all of her past murders and the life events surrounding them. She knows that she isn't a saint, but is she in the clear enough to be proven innocent of a crime she didn't commit? That's when all the past deaths within her vicinity start to be questioned and the struggle to keep cool, stay undetected, and clear her name begins.
Incredible, gripping, and exceedingly entertaining debut by Rothchild. Couldn't recommend this read anymore!...more
5 Stars to the series! & RIP to the author—you will be missed dearly. Lana is a badass and I have no shame over my love of murderers. I got soo attached5 Stars to the series! & RIP to the author—you will be missed dearly. Lana is a badass and I have no shame over my love of murderers. I got soo attached to these characters within the 24hrs that I read these books. This isn't the darkest or goriest stuff I've read but the storyline and characters were something else.
Serial Killer falls for the FBI agent hunting her down. I mean... this was just TOO GOOD. You know you love a book series when you just can't seem to form the words you want to express about how good the series is. So please, just take my word for it. (and believe the hype)...more
5 Diamond Stars ♥︎ I love when a book makes me nauseous. *trigger warnings will be listed at the bottom of this review*
I truly don't know how to put int5 Diamond Stars ♥︎ I love when a book makes me nauseous. *trigger warnings will be listed at the bottom of this review*
I truly don't know how to put into words how much I LOVE this book and sincerely this entire duet. This is a masterpiece and I have been putting off writing this review because this one is hard for me to write. [image] I am so enthralled with Zade and Addie. This continuation and completion to the Cat and Mouse duet was beautiful and heartbreaking in soo many ways. With that in mind, this book was dark to another level in comparison to the first and like stated above^, there were parts soo disturbing, the nausea couldn't help but creep in. That's how well-written this book is as well as how moving.
The start of this book takes place immediately where the first ended and then we are taken down a long, dark, and disturbing road filled with extremely realistic and graphic pain, suffering, and traumatic actions and experiences. I cried—multiple times—very hard.
This book doesn't just give up a happy ending for us readers. We are forced through every single struggle that takes place and the challenge, that is, to get out of them on the other side, broken but willing to fight the mental and physical traumas to come out stronger.
As far as Zade & Addie, I didn't think I could possibly love these two any more than I did in the first. Zade truly is one of my top book boyfriends and I mean I really can't just say that about any of my book boyfriends. This man holds such a precious place in my heart, it HURTS me that he is fictional. Addie came out of this duet being one of my most treasured female characters. I personally, couldn't be more proud of her growth. Now let's mention the amazing Sibby. By God, I love that girl. She is something else but just as Zade & Addie, I didn't think I could love her any more than I did before.
These characters mean soooo much to me and this entire duet truly touched me in soo many places. It will forever stay a top read for me and I recommend it to anyone who can handle this type of darkness. I'm so sad it's over.
*Trigger Warnings* R**e, Graphic Violence, Sexual Assault, Explicit Sexual Situations, Human Trafficking, PTSD, Blood Play, Knife Play, Degradation, Somnophilia...more
This is such a brilliant, tragic, yet beautiful book and I keep trying to think up the words to explain how great it is and 5 stars tears down the face
This is such a brilliant, tragic, yet beautiful book and I keep trying to think up the words to explain how great it is and struggle. So, take that for what it is.
Yunjae is a young Korean boy with underdeveloped amygdalae—these are almond-shaped, giving us the title. When these little almonds in our heads are underdeveloped, it causes a condition where one doesn't feel emotions or understand them within themselves or others.
In this book, we get to see inside Yunjae's head, view things from his perspective—his thoughts, limitations, reactions, and the consequences it sometimes creates when people find him odd and not 'normal'....more
5 heart-wrenching stars ♥︎ *trigger warnings listed at the bottom* “People say you fall in love, but fall is such a sad word when you think about it.5 heart-wrenching stars ♥︎ *trigger warnings listed at the bottom* “People say you fall in love, but fall is such a sad word when you think about it. Falls are never good. You fall on the ground, you fall behind, you fall to your death.”
Okay CoHo, You finally wrote a book that made me cry. THIS WAS A FUCKING PIGEON. I can now say that I have loved two books by her out of what I have read thus far, but truly this one takes the cake. Consumed it in one sitting. I felt every emotion from every side and had a complete understanding of each side's views. I felt like I was being pulled back and forth in a battle of loyalty and betrayal just like Ledger.
“It was a stark realization that no matter how much you love someone, you can still do despicable things to them.”
It's been just over five years since the night that changed everything for Kenna Rowan. An accidental tragedy at her hand sent her to prison where she gave birth to a baby girl Diem, never to be in her custody. Now that Kenna is released, she is determined to earn forgiveness and finally meet her four-year-old daughter, but they want nothing to do with her. She finds comfort and support from Ledger Ward, someone who she never thought would ever give her the light of day. [image] “It proves that time, distance, and devastation allow people enough opportunity to craft villains out of people they don’t even know.”
This book really makes you see the grey areas of the comparable black and white. Not everything is what it seems and without even trying to understand the full picture for your own benefit, you are closing off the peace you utterly are craving. This book was depressingly dark in a way I never want to experience—there's a difference between being alone and being lonely. Now add trauma and regret on top of that.
“Grudges are heavy, but for the people hurting the most, I suppose forgiveness is even heavier.”
I couldn't help but root for Kenna—no matter the circumstance, I feel a mother should have the right to have a relationship with their child or at least know them. I couldn't help my anger and frustration over her being closed off and pushed away without any chance at redemption or chance at showing her true character. Accidents happen, and based on the evidence, things were not looking great for Kenna, however, everyone deserves that opportunity.
“Crying seems to be the only thing left in life that I’m good at. Crying and making bad decisions.”
When all the odds are against you and nobody is in your favor and you just CAN'T catch a break, you become broken. Luckily, Kenna was able to get Ledger on her side but that doesn't mean the journey wasn't rocky and chaotic. This truly felt like a no-win kind of story and I knew that when it came to fighting for what was needed, it was going to be painful and outright heartbreaking.
“Is that . . . is that a fucking pigeon?” [image] The storm aside, this was a complete and happy ending and the epilogue had tears streaming from my eyes in stinging happiness. Kenna was so deserving of the life she ended up with and everyone could finally be at peace. "Hi Scotty" <3
“Now that I've forgiven myself, the reminders of him only make me smile.”
*Trigger warnings*: Suicidal thoughts, (somewhat) detailed scene of a tragic car wreck with driver under the influence, child neglect of mc (talks of foster care), (light speak) misuse of prescription drugs...more
**spoiler alert** “No matter how we came to be, we were and still are. You stole my heart, and you let me love you with it, and you made damn sure I k**spoiler alert** “No matter how we came to be, we were and still are. You stole my heart, and you let me love you with it, and you made damn sure I knew where its home was.” Can you keep a secret? <3
Honestly, no words. This too had me crying a plethora of times. This book deep-dived into the rebuild of the relationship between Tobias & Ce as well as the history of how the Ravenhood came to be and how Tobias grew up with Dominic, Sean, and Tyler, how events unfolded and what Tobias was kept up in Paris.
Lots of groveling, a lot of understanding, a lot of love, and a lot of pain. I can't say how happy my heart is to learn more about Dominic and his relationship with Tobias and Sean. It did however just make his death even more painful for me. He truly deserved more and GOD I could cry just typing this. My baby Dominic <3 This story had a beautiful ending that made me feel content.
Ultimately this series was entirely worth it to me. It has taken its rightful place in my favorites....more