so many people hype up katee robert that i jogged to scribd to see what books they had, and i started with this one on a whim. i see now that it's jusso many people hype up katee robert that i jogged to scribd to see what books they had, and i started with this one on a whim. i see now that it's just an intro novella to this series, which makes sense because my biggest comment was going to be how awkwardly short it was. the pace and smut were good but it had this vibe of "wow this girl is special and i need her" after 10 minutes of uninteresting conversation in a bar. i hate that i still need an element of realism even when reading books that are just purely fluff, but what can i say. i have to be led in to believe the characters in order to believe their chemistry lol. also i genuinely couldn't differentiate between the two male characters in this book.
anyway. scribd doesn't have the rest of this series so now i'm just sad....more
i have re-entered full force into my phase of wanting to learn about early humans. this book came up in a search of my library's database, and i buddyi have re-entered full force into my phase of wanting to learn about early humans. this book came up in a search of my library's database, and i buddy read it with bonnie to force my interests upon her. using dna testing on ancient skeletons, these authors and their colleagues are able to map out the earliest humans and track their migrations and get a glimpse into their lifestyles, which i thought was so fascinating.
some fun facts i learned in this book are that the first musical instrument ever discovered was a flute made from a bird's bone, and it will take white australians 10,000 years to adapt to the sunlight there, as the indigenous people have. not to mention, i'm really upset that the massive Irish Elk is extinct, and disappointed that i'm only now just learning about them because they look cool as fuck.
this is going to be my first book of many on the subject of early humans, and i really liked it! if anything, now i have some fun facts to spout off to new coworkers about humanity, such as the DNA of east and west africans is more different than the DNA of europeans and east asians. cool right??? science!!...more
i deserve an olympic medal for the mental gymnastics i went through to NOT imagine the love interest as the actual adam driver, and i failed spectaculi deserve an olympic medal for the mental gymnastics i went through to NOT imagine the love interest as the actual adam driver, and i failed spectacularly. i don't know how it's legal or even acceptable in the pubishing world for a book to literally transplant real people as its main characters, but go off queen. it's like if christian grey in 50 shades of grey was named edward or robert and hardin from after by anna todd was actually named harry styles. the story itself was fine, but i exerted a lot of energy pretending to not notice all the ways the author was quite literally copying other characters (and real people).
this book was better than i expected because it took two things i typically dont love in romance, the fake dating trope and the academia environment, and made it a pretty addicting read. i agree with other reviews that you don't learn a ton about olive, but she was still enjoyable to read about. for a book that's so praised for its smut i was surprised that there was only one sex scene, but this book definitely had its moments of tension that made it intense all the same. i thought the first half dragged just a little bit because there weren't very many hard-hitting plot points until the midway point, but i still read it all in two sittings.
now im just gonna sit here and wait until someone plagiarizes the witcher and i get a romance book about a 6'2 man in a silver wig named henry...more
it took me 2 months to make it barely 30% into this book because i was so miserably bored. it's long, nearly 600 pages with thank god that's over!!!!!
it took me 2 months to make it barely 30% into this book because i was so miserably bored. it's long, nearly 600 pages with small font, and every time i felt i had been reading it for a long time, i'd look up and realize i'd only gotten through about 10 pages. i very, very nearly gave up, but blessedly was able to find it on audiobook instead, which i've recently been getting back into.
so then naturally i listened to the other 70% of this book in one day. don't ask me why or how.
i much preferred this book on audio. i'm still mourning the fact that i liked book one a lot and this one was such a downgrade on so many levels. a discovery of witches had the perfect structure with setting up a mystery and this main character's tragic backstory while also acquainting you with the world of "magical" creatures and giving you a whole rivals-to-lovers romance, complete with supernatural angst and a tinge of forbidden love.
this book, by comparison, seemed like the author's (failed, boring) attempt to flex as much historical knowledge as she could throw at you. the main plot of this book was diluted with SO many side plots and characters that it felt aimless for its entire duration. at some points i appreciated it for what it was trying to do, using real people as characters in a magical world, especially thrust back in a century that i don't think i've ever read in fiction before. but more often than not i wished the author would have quit overexplaining history to me when i was just there to read about witches and vampires and solving the main mystery. this book only stuck to that for about 50 pages total.
personal preference here, but i also just hate books with (view spoiler)[pregnancy (hide spoiler)] so this was a BIG ol struggle, but that's just one of the side effects that comes from the full romance arc between diana and matthew occurring in book one. and, i guess, reading an adult fantasy as opposed to YA. but after book one tied up the romance so perfectly ((view spoiler)[and diana and matthew got married like, what, 5 times at this point? (hide spoiler)]), the drama and angst of their relationship felt really low-stakes in this volume, excluding the times when matthew's vampire instincts emerge when he defends her from other men or gets her out of danger. (side note: which in a book about diana being such a badass independent woman, those two concepts really go head to head.) i do like that the couple confronted secrets they'd been harboring from one another and truly got closer to each other, but i'm not going to lie, some of their romance felt melodramatic and i was left feeling like their most iconic scenes are already past. (view spoiler)[to solidify this point, everyone in a 30 mile radius of me could tell you how much i love smut (*cough* especially as a reward for reading 800+ pages of overwritten exposition), but i was actually so disappointed with their first sex scene, and many more of them after that. the scene in particular where they have sex after finding out that diana is pregnant and the author says "he was poised at the entrance of my womb and in that brief moment, father, mother, and child were as close as any three creatures could be" deserves jail time. am i the only one who literally yelled "EW" out loud at that? (hide spoiler)])
my whole experience of this book is total disappointment. i'll never forget that after i finished book one, i RACED to my local independent bookstore to pick up the last two books, convinced i was going to love it. but to be honest, i just read the synopsis for book three and it seems like you can pretty much exclude this book from the series and it wouldn't change much other than some character development and the 16+ hours you'll lose off your life by deciding to read it. but if you love history and have a much bigger attention span, you might've had a vastly different experience than me....more
better than books like the princess diaries and charlotte's web, i think this book actually stands up to time pranother successful blast to the past!!
better than books like the princess diaries and charlotte's web, i think this book actually stands up to time pretty well. but it also was published in 2009, so not too too old yet. these books were everywhere when i was in middle school and i don't know if i ever read them or not, but i always wanted to! so i did. and the gossipy girls in horse boarding school vibes of this were all i wanted them to be. reminds me of the tv show free rein, which i'm unironically obsessed with and i'm sad i didn't get to finish season 3 before my netflix subscription expired, so if you have a login you wanna share, i'll trade you it for my discovery plus or disney plus password.
ANYWAY.
i'm not going to sit here as a 24 year old and critique a decade old book meant for 10 year olds, but i do wish this book had a more understandable school system. it's a boarding school, but for people of all talents and not just horseback riding? and how come she made the intermediate team only to qualify to move up a level after one semester? why are there multiples of each team as well? doesn't that reduce the competition?
scribd has the rest of these books on ebook and i might pick one up every now and then as a quick read moving forward, but it was definitely the perfect book to sail through in between more complex and bigger books....more
another book from my childhood because i'm forever chasing the nostalgia of being young and carefree. i don't believe i ever actually read this book, another book from my childhood because i'm forever chasing the nostalgia of being young and carefree. i don't believe i ever actually read this book, but it was wildly popular when i was in elementary school and i remember seeing it everywhere. as an adult, the writing style was actually very impressive and i would definitely read more by this author. also, the mystery aspect of it kept me guessing until the very end.
there were a few plotlines that didn't wrap up as nicely as i wish they had, but being a book meant for preteens, i imagine that going that deep into details would've been unnecessary. this was a very addicting book i read in two sittings and i grew to love the cast of characters and the main character's growth....more
i know that this comment is more of a praise for the movie than the book, but reading this felt like i was watching the movie in my head. the two go ti know that this comment is more of a praise for the movie than the book, but reading this felt like i was watching the movie in my head. the two go together so seamlessly and i literally read this book all in one night because it was so wholesome. i used to romanticize this book a lot as a kid because the idea of a quaint town where you could bike to your neighbor's seemed so cozy. although i still love the idea of eating peanut butter sandwiches and getting wise advice from your neighbors, the adult reader i now have become definitely side-eyed a confederate ancestor librarian giving opal Gone with the Wind to read out loud to their Black neighbor.
as a kid i think i opted to watch the movie rather than read the book, so it was nice to re-experience the film from the lens of the original tale. the two match up quite nicely and it made me so, so nostalgic. definitely a book that stands up to time....more
Read and completed this workbook as part of my workplace's diversity training and I really enjoyed it! As someone who has researched anti-racism a lotRead and completed this workbook as part of my workplace's diversity training and I really enjoyed it! As someone who has researched anti-racism a lot (and is active on the Internet in general), a lot of this book just served as an overview information-wise, but the activities in it and the discussion it generated with my peers was very enlightening and encouraging. This book ends with a list of ways you can continue to work on your racial consciousness, so I'm happy that it concludes on a note that specifies steps I should do next.
Side note, because I didn't say this to any of my coworkers and I don't know where anyone would care to hear about it: doing this kind of work has made me realize how grateful I am for the book community. I used to go to bed at night in 2016-2018 an anxious mess because I was terrified of the call-out culture surrounding diversity in literature/booktube, and I was constantly (and selfishly) terrified I would be canceled over what I read or how I talked about it. I realize now that it was the early part of my journey to becoming fully racially conscious. Now, I couldn't be more grateful for the people who did call out my microaggressions and confront me when I wasn't reading diversely, or when my reviews of diverse books were a disservice to its intended audience. It took a lot of people who were willing to show me when I was wrong for me to now be comfortable being wrong and to step into the conversation rather than avoiding it, and so the foundation of having had those discussions when I was in college is REALLY helpful now as I'm trying to help my company be more racially conscious and diverse. I'm never going to be perfect and I have still more challenges to face in the future, I'm sure, but being able to cite examples of how the book community has helped me to see and understand my privilege, and how to use it to the advantage of anti-racism, was something that was always in the back of my mind as I completed this work. So thank you I guess? I don't know if anyone's reading this....more
This book fell victim to book 5 syndrome where it felt very much just like a bridge between two books, but it was still action packed and I r4.5 stars
This book fell victim to book 5 syndrome where it felt very much just like a bridge between two books, but it was still action packed and I read it in only three sittings. I love these characters so much, and Ransom's writing continues to be gorgeous. (view spoiler)[I will say it's so weird for Jacob to be falling in love with Noor instead of Emma. Even though they weren't really my favorite couple and I can see that there's so much more emotion to this new relationship, it's so strange that a couple I grew up loving turned out to be not right for each other. (hide spoiler)]...more
This book was so cozy to read on a rainy day! I love Ransom’s writing and since Millard is my favorite Peculiar in this universe, getting his little aThis book was so cozy to read on a rainy day! I love Ransom’s writing and since Millard is my favorite Peculiar in this universe, getting his little asides to the stories and reading his introduction was so fun. Now i’m off to complete the Miss Peregrine series!! So bittersweet....more
This book was a gorgeous and creative 1930s (20s? 40s?) retelling of Snow White. I'm baffled that the cover for this does NOT match the art inside andThis book was a gorgeous and creative 1930s (20s? 40s?) retelling of Snow White. I'm baffled that the cover for this does NOT match the art inside and wish that it did better justice to the story, which was gorgeously portrayed even if it did go by fast and some parts might be a tad confusing. I'm happy I read it though and would definitely recommend it if you see it at a library or used bookstore....more
i so badly wish i could've read this when i was younger because i think i really would've appreciated the theme of hwho here is choppin onions????????
i so badly wish i could've read this when i was younger because i think i really would've appreciated the theme of having to adjust to change. but also as an adult, i really related to this and was comforted by it having also lost my childhood home i grew up in (although by much normal means of moving out rather than having it destroyed in a tornado). there were a lot of elements to this but i feel it balanced them well, and the plot points i thought i had predicted, i ended up being surprised by! this was a really sweet book that i'm so happy i read, and after reading two books by ashley herring blake this month, i intend on reading everything else she's published. love it...more
i'm still actively crying as i write this review. why is this the best YA series to ever exist ever i'm still actively crying as i write this review. why is this the best YA series to ever exist ever ...more
I've been feeling so slumpy lately, so this was a good kickstart as something I could read in a sitting or two. It was easy to understand and I liked I've been feeling so slumpy lately, so this was a good kickstart as something I could read in a sitting or two. It was easy to understand and I liked the setting and the modern take on a circus that mainly just profits on individuals who look different and thus are vilified by society. It was a bit surface level for me, but it was an easy and interesting read!...more
I will never not tear up at the end of a final book in a series!! for the conclusion to an added-on trilogy to the original, this was pretty 3.5 stars
I will never not tear up at the end of a final book in a series!! for the conclusion to an added-on trilogy to the original, this was pretty solid. however, something about this book felt one peg down from ransom’s usual craft. some of the foreshadowing was done very obviously, jacob was making questionable decisions rather than informed ones, and it was quite insta-lovey. What made up for it was the added humor between all the peculiars and the one-liners that got some real chuckles out of me.
this series is great with lovable characters, but in the end I don't think we ended up in a very different place after adding three more books. I still recommend them because the cast and the world are so spectacular, but the series definitely hits its peak at book four in my opinion....more
this book was just badly written at first (aka for 500 smut-less pages), but then it actually became disturbing and upsetting so i had to stop readingthis book was just badly written at first (aka for 500 smut-less pages), but then it actually became disturbing and upsetting so i had to stop reading the at last 100 pages because i was so angry. this book was just so badly written and i couldn't stand either of the main characters, especially the love interest....more
I tried to make it all the way through, I really did, but I either waited too long to read this sequel or it did not stack up to book one. IDNF at 75%
I tried to make it all the way through, I really did, but I either waited too long to read this sequel or it did not stack up to book one. I'm leaning toward the latter, because book one was SO expertly done with the enemies to lovers romance sprinkled throughout the plot, whereas this felt like a lot of plot with some now-awkward romance side plot that lacks the tension and angst of the first book. In the end, I found I didn't really care how this ends? Cas seemed so wishy washy betweens the "good and evil" sides to the battle that she was in that I didn't know what to root for, and ultimately it just made me lose interest since I feel like book one ended at a good enough spot to be a standalone on my shelf....more
this is one of the most beautiful books i've ever read. i hate that it had to be about this.
i was taking a women and gender studies course in collegethis is one of the most beautiful books i've ever read. i hate that it had to be about this.
i was taking a women and gender studies course in college when the brock turner rape trial was occurring, and i remember all the women in the room commiserating over his sentence and the unfairness of it all. revisiting it all to hear chanel's story increased that pain tenfold, but the journey she takes the reader on through grief and recovery was stunning. i listened to the first half of this on audio, listening to hear recount her experiences, but switched to reading it physically since i found i preferred to soak in every word and reflect on the absolute power this book contains.
i really don't have the words to talk about how immaculate and soul-wrenching this book is-- i'm already having a hard time thinking of adjectives. you would really be doing yourself a disservice by not picking this up. it's a new top favorite of mine and i can't wait to see what chanel accomplishes next....more
hmm. it was good. but not incredible. also probably because it took me over a month to reread this and i knew the plot twists inreread: oct - nov 2021
hmm. it was good. but not incredible. also probably because it took me over a month to reread this and i knew the plot twists in the back of my head. i wasn't floored by this book like i was the first time and i know part of it was just because of my current mood and slow reading pace, but it was a good refresher so that i can get to the sequels.
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originally read: nov 2019
the people who dislike this book are wrong, and that's just facts.
(i'm kidding--i love u and your reading tastes very much. muah.)
I'll preface this review by saying I typically don't enjoy books about witchcraft, so I was nervous going into this one. For me, books about magic walk a fine line of being too silly, which really takes me out of the world and makes it seem more childish instead of its intended intensity. But this book, its writing, and its world COMPLETELY captured me.
My favorite part of this book by far was the main character, Lou. If you loved Lila from A Darker Shade of Magic, you will absolutely love this book. Lou is crass and vulgar and charismatic and brave and doesn't care what other people think. Juxtaposed with a love interest and a world who are subdued and reserved, it made the narration so much fun. Lou was smart and talented and fun to learn about, which made her story that much more addicting. I also relate to using humor as a distraction technique, and the way Lou was written was so relatable.
On top of that, the writing in this book was stunning. The world is French-inspired, and I love that I could see the corsets in my mind and the cobblestones and smog. This author is also great at detailing out the characters and their interactions, which makes me feel like I'm in the room with them when they're conversing. Though this book is written in first person dual POV, there's a distinct difference between the voices of the two characters, and I never had to double check to see who I was reading from. I for sure want to read everything Shelby writes in the future.
Another interesting facet of this book (I could go on forever) is the whole conflict of witches vs the church. The conversations this book evokes about religion and corruption and fear are so nuanced and subtle, which I really applauded. Both from an external perspective and seeing how the characters develop and learn more about one another and shift their points of views to be more understanding and tolerant was so beautiful. I was actually crying for the whole middle section of this book because it was sad and touching and made me think a lot more than I had anticipated.
Although this book is a definite far stars from me, I did find myself a little bit more impressed with the first half of this book than the last. Don't get me wrong, I devoured this 500 page book in nearly two sittings, but it felt like the first half was full of funny and cute and angsty moments, and then the last half of this book was a bit more subdued. The reveals weren't as shocking, the progression of the relationship wasn't as special, but I still like the direction it went. I wish the enemies to lovers plotline was fraught with a little bit more tension in the end, but that's more of a personal preference than an actual flaw of the book.
But this book was glorious and I'm highly anticipating book two and that's that on that....more
This book reminded me of 99 Percent Mine in the worst way possible. The writing and main character were soThanks to the publisher for the review copy!
This book reminded me of 99 Percent Mine in the worst way possible. The writing and main character were so performatively "quirky" and jumps from thought to thought without any cohesive web that it was hard to read. It quickly became nonsensical--and worse, cringy, because the main character thought she was a lot more funny and clever than she actually is.
My issue with this book is I hated both characters. I know you're supposed to realize that both of them are wrong and need to work on their issues, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I wish they just would've broken up. They were so mean to each other that it made this hard to read, which has me concerned that it's ruined the enemies to lovers trope for me. Everything the characters di made no sense, especially the love interest. You don't get his POV, so from one second he'll go from insulting her and saying he never should've proposed, then the next he's buying her a house? The plot doesn't connect together with any glue. The characters never behave how you think they will, but instead of that making them interesting, it just makes this book unrealistic and laborious to try and read and relate to. ...more