bee

I am wanting to edit this review so I can focus on the issues with this book, most importantly, the problematic ones.

Throughout the book, Israel is mentioned many times and at one point the main character begins to read a book labelled
‘The founding of Israel' and I am going to explain exactly why this is problematic.

The name of the book itself is harmful and erases the true meaning of what occurred for this ‘founding'. This was the Nakba.

The Nakba was the violent displacement and the destruction of their society, culture, identity, political rights, and national aspirations. This caused the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians and the depopulation and destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages by the zionist militias and later the Israeli army and subsequent geographical erasure, the denial of the Palestinian right of return, the creation of permanent Palestinian refugees and the “shatters of Palestinian society”.

reference: Nakba

It is now 2023 and we are witnessing the second Nakba. Survivors of the 1948 Nakba are experiencing it again and this is a direct result, again, by the Israeli army. 2 million Palestinians have been displaced, over 27,000 injured and over 12,000 have been killed (not including those who remain stuck under the rubble) and this is a number that grows every single minute, hour and day.

We are witnessing a mass genocide and ethnic cleansing.

So, yeah. ‘The founding of Israel' let's call it what it is.

An occupation over Palestine that has been going on for 75+ years.

Free Palestine.

“In every universe, it's you for me. Even if it's not me for you.”

Emily Henry, you have done it again.

I will admit I went into this worried that it wasn't going to possibly be able to live up to the admiration I have for Book Lovers, however, I am so happy to say that I was proven wrong... completely wrong.

Fake relationship? Second chance romance? Happy Place is made of greatness.

Happy Place has become my happy place. It didn't take me long to fall in love with these characters who are imperfect and flawed and human, just like us.

Emily Henry never fails to write chemistry, banter and angst that has me screaming into a pillow, giggling and crying. She has this ability of writing characters that you can't help but see yourself in so in turn, their happiness and pain begins to read like your own.

Harriet and Wyn are so special and I am so happy that I was able to read about them. This is definitely a comfort read.

Frost and Shadows was such a fun ride to be on. I knew from the very first chapter that this was going to be a book and a universe that I was going to fall in love with.

The magic system was so cool and I found myself not wanting this book to end. It's unbelievable the amount of thought and detail the author put into this.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to have to wait for the second book now because I definitely need more and I'm excited to see what comes next in this series.

Thank you to Jessie Vallée for providing me with an ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Reverse grumpy sunshine? Absolutely.

I had so much fun with this. I always love reverse grumpy sunshine tropes because I feel like the strong and broody male protagonist is done too often and I just love myself a grumpy woman.

Thea was such an ideal main character. She was strong and opinionated and she is the type of person I strive to be when it comes to standing my ground and letting my voice be heard.

This is the first book from this author that I've read and I think this definitely won't be the last.

Thank you to Ellie Owen for providing me with an ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can't express in words how happy I am that this book exists and I was able to read it.

I have been searching for a slasher that has me on the edge of my seat, cringing at the graphic details and shaking in my boots. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Dead of Winter!

This had me hooked from the very first chapters. I found myself trying to connect the dots and find out who the killer was before it was revealed but I wasn't even close.

Dead of Winter would make such a fantastic movie. The imagery and the pacing of the writing felt like I was watching a movie already and I can honestly say I would eat it up.

This was everything I've been searching for and I am so excited to get my hands on a physical copy when it's available to buy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

WOW

I recognise that many of my reviews have been starting similarly lately but I truly don't think there is a better way to describe this book than the word wow.

I can't fathom that this was written by two different authors because the way each chapter and each sentence flowed together felt so connected and beautifully entwined. This felt like poetry to me. I don't think I have ever read anything like this and I'm not sure I ever will again.

Wow and beautiful will have to be the only words I can repeat when it comes to this book because I don't want to give too much away but what I will say is that this is a perfect read and i highly recommend it to anyone who comes across this review.

Also, the fact that this is sapphic?

Wow. Beautiful.

You know that feeling when you read a book and you get angry that you hadn't read it sooner? That's my reaction to The Deathless Girls.

The Deathless Girls follows the story of Dracula's brides, women who have been forgotten in literature that deserve to have their stories told too.

The minute you are introduced to these characters, you are invested in reading about their journey. Kizzy and Lil are such fantastic characters. Their strength, bravery and love were so empowering to read and I rooted for them the entirety of the book.

As always I won't go too in-depth about this book because I think it's one that it's best to go in blind but what I will say is that this book needs more hype because I never see anyone talking about it.

Fast-paced, beautifully written and sapphic?

This is a book that I will be thinking about for a while.

The Inferno Road follows the main protagonist Ben who was just trying to get home to his family when an unthinkable disaster occurs. He's now faced with the difficult task of surviving so he can make it back to his family.

This was a thrilling ride and I found myself hanging onto every single page. This would make a fantastic movie, I couldn't help envisioning it in my head as I read along.

I would've loved for me to have been left with less answers than I was once I had finished the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this and I would love to check out more by this author!

Thank you to BookSirens and K. Lucas for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“Don't make your life about the loss. Make it about the love.”

WOW.

I have been starting a lot of reviews like this lately but I think this is worthy of it being in all caps because..... WOW

I can't express how annoyed I am that I haven't picked this book up earlier than I have (Which I know my friend, Si is going to proceed to tell me that they had told me to read it).

It's not often that a book that is hyped as much as this one lives up to it. To be honest, I think Legendborn deserves more praise than it gets. This has to be one of my favourite magic systems that I have read so far, it's creative, unique and so unlike anything else I have read.

There are times when you read a book that you know is going to be a comfort read and Legendborn was one of them. Everything about this intrigued me and made me want more.

Bree is the most fantastic protagonist and she is a force to be reckoned with. I loved that underneath the fantasy, this book also touched on serious topics such as grief and racism.

I truly can't get over how beautiful and well-written this book is. I am completely obsessed and I can't wait to read the next book.

This book was nothing like anything that I have read before and I found myself wanting to hold off on reading it because I didn't want to finish it. Like At All.

I was a theatre kid so the minute I saw something about Shakespeare I knew that this was going to be a fun read.

I have a good feeling that this is going to become a big favourite once it's in everyone else's hands and I'm excited to see the reviews rolling in so I can scream my agreement with all the high star rated ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

WOW.

I feel like this is going to be the new way for me to start reviews on books that are absolute five stars for me.

I knew that The Witch's Heart was going to be fantastic because the minute I hear any book that contains any type of mythology? I am going to read it and make it my entire personality. This did NOT disappoint.

This book had me hooked from the very first page and the writing style is so different to anything that I've read and I can happily say that I am obsessed.

Loki and Thor have always had a special place in my heart when it came to the Marvel Universe so to read a retelling based on the Norse mythology surrounding them was such a high for me. I got angry at myself for not reading this sooner.

If you looked up the fierce, independent female protagonist I guarantee that Angrboda will be the prime example because that's exactly what she is. She was such a force to read about and I loved every single minute of it. Her character was so fantastic that I don't think there are words to articulately formulate my true thoughts and feelings surrounding her and her story in The Witch's Heart.

The characters, the pacing, the imagery and plot.... everything about this was superb.

If you love fantasy, this is the book for you. I can't recommend it enough. This book ruined my life. It's right up there with The Poppy War Trilogy for me and THAT says something.

Whatever this author writes from now on, I will consume without hesitation.

Wow.

I think that's the appropriate response to a book like this. I can't wrap my hand around the fact that this is a debut when it feels like it was written by an author who has been writing books like this for years.

The Quiet Tenant was gripping, heart-racing and so much fun. I was on edge the entire time I was reading this, constantly wondering what was going to come next. It was almost as if I could feel the anxiety and emotions of the characters.

The change of point of view from different characters in each chapter was the highlight for me because I loved reading from their perspectives and seeing how each moment was viewed differently by them all. Each character was so unique but they each were connected by the same man.

This is what you expect to read when you pick up a psychological thriller and I am so happy I was able to receive an ARC for this.

I'm excited to read what comes next from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“No one cares about the important things anymore. We're so used to disaster that we accept it. We think we deserve it.”

I don't know what it is about Alice Oseman's writing and characters that holds me so captivated.

I knew from reading the Heartstopper series that I loved Tori but reading this definitely made my appreciation and love for her grow stronger.

Tori is a character that you can't help but relate to and see yourself in. What I love the most about Alice Oseman's works is that the characters are always so vastly real and imperfect. Solitaire covers some serious topics and it's always so nice to see them represented correctly in Oseman's works.

The Osemanverse will forever be comfort reads filled with comfort characters for me.

“All I know is that I'm here. And I'm alive. And I'm not alone.”

This is a book that I have been wanting to get my hands on for the longest time and I am so happy to say that it was worth the wait.

The Silent Patient was everything I was wanting it to be and more. The collection of characters that appear as Theo attempts to unravel what happened following up to the murder of Alicia's husband's murder was probably my favourite part about this. As you discover more about each of the characters you come across, you are constantly finding yourself suspicious of them all and that's something that I love, especially when it comes to this genre.

Being told from Theo's perspective and through Alicia's diary entries proved to be the best pacing that you can want from a book like this. I was constantly on the edge, chasing answers along with the other characters. Every time I turned the page I was ready to be hit with a new revelation.

The ending of this book genuinely shocked me. I closed the book and stared at my wall for about ten minutes (Picture Bella in New Moon where she is just staring out the window). I loved how everything tied together but how the ending also ended on a cliff note, leaving it open to interpretation of what occurred next.

I was originally worried that this book would end up being another Tiktok favourite that was overhyped but I am so happy that it wasn't. I'm so glad this was my 60th read of the year.

It's been a while since I have read something from Tessa Bailey and I was so excited and shocked when I got the email that I had received this arc.

Something that I love about Tessa Bailey's works is that her character's banter and chemistry with one another are always off the charts and never fail to disappoint. August and Natalie were prime examples of this. I found myself giggling on multiple occasions.

August and Natalie felt like real people to me and not just two people on a page. Natalie was a character I could see myself in, especially when it came to her relationship with her family. August was charming and for once, he was an alpha male type that wasn't infuriatingly overbearing. He had me kicking my feet on more than one occasion. They were so fun to read and get to know.

This has to be one of my favourite works by Bailey so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“The ocean needs all kinds of fish. Just like the world needs all kinds of minds. Just one would be really dull, wouldn't it?”

It's Autism Awareness week so I figured it was the best time to finally pick up this book.

I wasn't expecting this to touch me so profoundly in the way that it did. I was diagnosed when I was four years old and it took me a while to understand that I was viewing and experiencing the world differently from others. I went through school being ridiculed by teachers and fellow students for the way I handled things or acted in some moments and it wasn't until I was much older that I understood it was because I was different.

A Kind of Spark felt like a warm hug. I think that's the best possible way for me to articulate how this made me feel. It felt like it was healing my inner child to see someone, like Addie, like me, in a book like this. If I could go back in time and hand this book to my younger self, I would.

Reading Addie's experiences throughout this book were raw, and revealing and felt like reading my own experiences as an autistic person through a magnifying glass. The masking, overstimulation, meltdowns, hyper fixations and special interests... are just some of the things that are portrayed fantastically. Honestly, reading this book made me just want to give Mcnicoll a huge hug to say thank you.

I believe A Kind of Spark is an important read for other autistic people to feel seen and for neurotypical people to attempt to understand what life is like through our eyes.

Automatic comfort read.

If I have learnt anything this year, it's that I will devour and enjoy anything that R.F. Kuang writes.

I'm going to be as vague as possible whilst still giving my thoughts because I don't like writing spoilers or anything in particular detailed for reviews, especially when it comes to books that aren't released to the public yet.

Yellowface covered important topics that are not often highlighted in books, especially when it comes to the publishing world. Racism, plagiarism, microaggressions and cultural appropriation are just some of the things that were portrayed in this book. This book was the definition of meta and satire and I loved every minute of it.

June was a protagonist that you didn't want to root for and that's something that you don't see often in books but I think it speaks volumes about how there are many people in the real world, in all types of workplaces and life in general like June who take advantage of the disadvantages of marginalised groups for their own benefit. I found myself so angry reading this at June's blatant disrespect, racism and self-righteous actions throughout the book. Just to name one out of many was when June was annoyed by others rightfully saying that many issues arise when it comes to white people writing stories from the point of view of marginalised groups, a point of view that white people will never experience or understand.

This was so unlike anything that Kuang has written and I'm excited to see what she writes next. I know that I will eat up anything that she publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“Callum?”“Yeah?”“You're my favourite place, too.”

It's been a while since I read a romantic comedy and I am so happy that The Matchmaker was my come back to genre.

This is the first time that I am reading any of Catherine Walsh's works and after reading this? It won't be my last.

The banter and chemistry between Katie and Callum are what makes every romcom fantastic and what has me kicking my feet like a teenager and giggling like an idiot. I can't stress enough how much fun this was to read.

Katie is so chaotic and her constant resorting to humour was something that I truly related to. I loved how headstrong and powerful she was and that she was never diminished to just being a love interest. Katie was passionate and determined and I knew she was always going to accomplish and work hard to do what she believed in, regardless of whether Callum was in the picture or not.

Callum was such a great male protagonist. He was charming, loveable and completely swoon-worthy.

The found family in this book is what truly tied it all together for me. These characters felt like a breath of fresh air and I found myself smiling as I read along. I mean it when I say I believe I have a crush on every single one of these characters.

My only critique is that I would've liked it if the romance between Katie and Callum was a more slow-burn. I personally would've loved some more moments between them so I could feel like I was falling in love with them. Keynote being personally because maybe I just love my slow burns (Very Likely)

I can see this becoming a comfort read and something I read when I need a breather and a laugh. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this to have on my shelf whenever I need a pick-me-up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“She couldn't change anyone's mind, couldn't make someone love her who had no interest in doing so, and couldn't keep someone from leaving her if that's what they wanted to do.”

I am sad to say that it's been a while since I read an LGBT book and I am so happy that this was the one I picked up.

Small town, tattooed photographer and a single parent? This was magnificent. I ate this up. When I say that I annotated this from cover to back, I mean it.

The characters of this book are what drew me into loving it as much as I did. Delilah was a character I didn't expect to love and relate to so much. It felt like I was falling in love with her along with Claire. She had a feisty and take no prisoners attitude on the surface but underneath it all, she just wanted to feel like she belonged. Delilah had been hurt so many times in her life and had begun to believe it was because of her own doing. It was so refreshing to see her learn to accept herself and the love she deserves. Claire was such a beautiful character and I loved seeing her also realise she deserved good things too.

I would love a book about Iris. I found her hilarious and would just devour anything with her present in it.

I loved that underneath, this was more than just about the romance between Delilah and Claire. It was about friendship and family and forgiveness. The important lesson I got from this was that people aren't always what they seem, sometimes they are fighting their own battles.

I am so excited to read Astrid's story and hopefully see her get the happiness she deserves.

Do you love dark academia but have been searching for the right book? This is the one. The Secret History has got to be the best dark academia that I have read so far. It‘s right up there with If We Were Villains for me.

I'm once again going to attempt to be quite vague on my thoughts on this book because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.

I went into this book, anxious that it wouldn't live up to the great expectations that follow it and I left with anger that I hadn't read it until now. I want to reread this book for the first time every single day.

This book was dark and haunting and it left me wanting more, despite it already being 600 pages. Most stories with multiple characters can become quite repetitive or similar but each character from The Secret History brought something so unique to the story.

I attempted multiple times to figure out what was going to happen next and I found myself unable to. I never wanted to put this book down because I became absorbed with these characters and the events surrounding them. The best word to describe this book? Unhinged. It was pure chaos and I loved every minute of it.

The betrayal, the violence and corruption... This is absolutely deserving of the title ‘Modern Classic'.

This was the perfect book to review the day before my birthday. I will be revisiting this in the future and checking out more works by this author.

“I've got to figure out before I die whether I want to be happy or I want to be right.”

Before I get into this review, I do just want to give a disclaimer that there are triggering subjects and scenes in this book that go into graphic detail so maybe check out the trigger warnings beforehand.

Now into the review...

I have been wanting to read some of Karin Slaughter's books for so long. She has always been an author that has been hyped up when it comes to Thriller and Mystery books. I am so happy to say that I was not left disappointed.

The Good Daughter, from the very moment it started, had me hooked by its twisted and eerie atmosphere. When I'm reading from this genre, I want to be left feeling unsettled and this did that so perfectly.

I didn't want to put this down because I felt sucked into the whirlpool that had so many questions that needed answers. The mystery? The plot twists? This was everything I was wanting it to be. I can't express how many times I went out to my family and uttered the words “Karin Slaughter? What a writer!”

Usually, when books jump between two timelines it can become quite confusing and difficult to follow but the way it was written in this book was executed so well and left me wanting to read more from both timelines.

I can see myself revisiting this book in the future and I am so excited to read more by this author!

The Ivies is a book that has been on my tbr for a very long time and it's also a book that I went into completely unaware, which I'm finding is the best way to read a book.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Usually, I find that Young Adult Thriller/Mysteries fall a bit flat as they have to attempt to not be too scary for their targeted audiences, however, this was so much fun.

The mystery and the thrill of Olivia and Ethan investigating the murder of Olivia's roommate and friend, Emma reminded me a lot of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder (aka the best series ever). I love not being able to trust any of the characters and having a feeling of suspicion about all of them, it almost makes it feel as if I'm a part of the story.

Olivia was such a fun main protagonist and someone that you couldn't help but root for.

I would've loved to have rated this book higher than I had but there were a few things that I didn't like about this book. I disliked the motive behind Emma's death and I wasn't a huge fan of how the ending played out.

Overall, this was fun and I can see myself revisiting this again in the future.

“She's the only divine thing he's ever believed in. The only creature in this vast, cruel land who could kill him. And sometimes, in his loveliest dreams, he imagines she does.”

I am fully convinced that R.F. Kuang enjoys us being in pain. This was just the nail on the coffin. Definitely hurt more reading it after finishing the last book.

“He can't take his eyes off of her. She's the most magnificent thing he's ever seen.”

Reading from Nezha's point of view made heartbreaking moments in the book much more painful.

“She terrifies him, and he loves her so much.”

“Take what you want. I'll hate you for it. But I'll love you forever. I can't help but love you.”

I am writing this review devastated because this truly is a series that I never wanted to finish, with characters that I didn't want to say goodbye to.

It's not often that you read something that makes you want to put off reading because you don't want it to end. Often with a series, each book is found lacking after the first but with the Poppy War trilogy, each book got better.

I believe The Burning God was the best of the trilogy but I also said that about The Dragon Republic so I'm just going to settle on the fact that there is no bad book in this series.

The Burning God was a fantastic end to a fantastic series. I am fully convinced that R.F. Kuang is a criminal mastermind for writing something that impacted me the way that this series has. I laughed, I cried, I mourned. This was everything I wanted from a series like this and more.

The characters' progression was something that I loved the most about this book. Rin has always been a fierce and strong-willed character but in The Burning God, we got to see more of Rin's vulnerable side. It was easy to forget that underneath the all-powerful Speerly that she is, Rin is just a scared, young girl who was fighting for survival.

I could go on about this book and the entire series for hours but I think the best way to end this review is to encourage whoever I can to pick this series up. I don't think I'll ever be able to get it out of my head. This truly is special.

“The truest type of story is the kind you tell all alone, to yourself.”

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while now and I am so happy that I can finally say that i've read it.

The Girl from Widow Hills is the type of story that is best to go into knowing nothing. It's the perfect thriller to drive into if you're looking to get into this genre. It had mysteries and suspense surrounding two different time frames and characters that you couldn't help but feel suspicious of.

The Girl from Widow Hills was the first book of this author's that I've read and I can't wait to pick up more of their books!

Super short review from me because I am still reeling from the second book of The Poppy War trilogy.