Emira
I've already said this but this series is so entertaining that I flew through it in a day.
I think they wrapped everything up nicely, although it felt very rushed towards the end. The next couple of books has a time jump so I'm assuming we'll get more of the politics then.
Emotions I felt while reading:
The angst made me a bit angry. Mostly because they had the same arguments over & over.
I cried at the letter America's dad left for her.
My heart swooned for the letters Maxon gave America.
Absolute betrayal. They killed off Celeste when she was probably the best character.
I cheered when Aspen called Maxon “the King”
Starting to realise that I really like fantasy.
I've heard a lot of hype on A Court of Thorns and Roses and it was completely justified. I absolutely loved this book. The characters, the magic, the romance!!!!!! Sigh. There was so much to love.
I have to admit, it took me a few chapters to get really into it. It happens whenever I read fantasy. I had to take time to adjust to the world. But once I had, I couldn't stop reading! I chuckled, gasped, commentated out-loud and even made angry/excited hand gestures on my commute to work. But I didn't cry! That's a great feat for me if you haven't been following.
There were moments, in the latter half of the book, where I willed myself to read faster. I couldn't wait to reach the end; to see how everything plays out. I was at the edge of my seat, as they say. My will to read faster was, thankfully, met with an outstanding final few chapters. Made the whole “time to adjust” thing seem pretty worth it in the end.
Now that I've finished it, all I can really say is... I need to read A Court of Mist and Fury now.
I read The Poet X through the audiobook, which was really good! I thought it was wonderfully written. I even teared up a few times. There were moments where I could completely relate to her struggles. I loved that she had Twin as her support system- someone who understood her but not completely. Her wanting to be heard was loud enough for it to reverberate through the writing.
I am a sucker for a happy ending. But I didn't think The Poet X needed one. But her struggles with her place in the world, religion and her family were swept under the rug towards the end. Xiomara had so much more to learn and go through. So, the happy ending felt like a pretty ribbon was tied in a bow to her story.
I loved the discussions of religion, sexual harassment, family expectations. But keep that in mind before going into this book, it can be a bit tough!
A sunshine hero and a grumpy heroine? Amazing. There were times where I had to take breaks because it was too stinkin' cute.
Their ridiculous nicknames for each other made me laugh out loud. Ren's attentiveness was swoon-worthy. Frankie was strong to begin with but her character development was just wonderful.
It just made me so so happy! I even predicted this would be a five-star read about halfway through.
I loved the atmosphere of the different cities. I felt Addie's sadness and frustration as if they were my own feelings. Her relationships (or lack thereof) felt real and painful.
Unfortunately, this book just missed the mark for me. It took me over a month to get through. It was really sad and a little sluggish at times.
But it's important to note that it gained another star for the ending alone. Up to you if you're willing to stay to the end though!
Do I even need to say it? Yes, I cried at multiple points of this book.
I don't usually enjoy prequels but I loved seeing Maverick and Lisa before they became Starr's parents. Maverick's struggles and eventual growth as a person was done so well. Especially considering the man and father he becomes in The Hate U Give.
Concrete Rose didn't hit me as hard as THUG did. But Angie Thomas' writing is still just as poignant and powerful.
“Death isn't happening to you. Death is happening to us all”
Definitely quenched my curiosity on the subject of cremation. Answered questions I didn't even think to ask. This book took me a while to get through because it was a bit uncomfortable to read at times.
Wouldn't recommend to those who are squeamish as it talks about what happens to bodies after death in some detail– not limited to cremation either. Discusses other culture practices too.
Where do I begin?
Well, I suppose I should begin with the man himself; the Black Daniel. Or maybe I should start with the strong-willed (read: contrariest) Hester? These two make the most stubborn couple. But what are we to do? When they fall in love, it's hard to not fall in love with them.
Indigo had a good mix of light and serious moments.
In the light moments, we got to see Hester and Galen unabashedly in love. We see bits and pieces of Galen's life, before and after he became the Black Daniel. The strength and mutual respect behind their community. The bond Hester and Galen gained and shared. The slow build towards their love for each other. No matter how much they denied it, it was inevitable.
Although the core of Indigo is about love, it also delved into racism and slavery. I don't know much as I wasn't taught American history but I knew enough going in to know that it wasn't going to be an easy topic. Keep that in mind and I'll be sure to tread lightly as I continue to write this.
One of the more jarring moments to me was when Hester recounts her time as a slave. Her and her friend, Ella, were standing over a vat of indigo ink. Ella said something to mean that she looked forward for her hands to be as dark with ink as her mother's were. The reason this struck out to me was that the children didn't know how the world was then. The lives they lived was all they knew and that was the life of a slave. Children are innocent with only love and joy in their hearts. They have to taught hate or to hate. My heart was full of anger and eyes tears.
Another thing I'd like to note is the white passing mentioned throughout the book. Galen was not only white passing, he was also unimaginably wealthy. Therefore, for most of his life, he was able to get away (almost) unscathed. Until he realised the brutality black people had to endure that is. But instead of turning a blind eye, he chose to aid those who didn't have the privileges he had.
Segue approaching!
Here's a few more things I loved:
Hester's vanilla scent
The name Black Daniel
The fact that Foster came back married?!? (i gasped and proceeded to rant at no one)
The Sheriff
The parts set at Galen's grandmother's home after they were married.
Raymond's constant teasing
All in all, I loved it. I loved Hester's sharp wit, Galen's incorrigibleness. I loved their acceptance for each other. Loved the family they made for themselves. And finally, I loved how much they loved each other.
“Indigo is what you are, Indigo is who you will be to be. At least to me, you will be Indigo.”
Oh my gosh. Be still my pounding heart!!! This was so much fun.
Honestly, I went into this not caring one bit about American football. So, I thought I wouldn't enjoy it very much.
But wow oh wow was I wrong. Vanessa and Aiden were the cutest pair. I love that their relationship stems from respect and friendship (the best relationships often do)
I loved their banter. And that Aiden was saved under Miranda P. on Vanessa's phone. I loved that they both loved their jobs. That Aiden was so honest and open with Vanessa, and so unlike how he is with anyone else. Every time Aiden or Vanessa told people that they were husband and wife, my little heart soared!
I'm sure you already know this but this is a slow burn. Like, SLOOOOOW burn. But they both knew. Well, we all knew that they were in love with each other from the start.
Best Nickname award goes to:
Big Guy (aka Sunshine) and Muffin ♡
Sigh, there was just so much to love. 5 stars all around!
I've been listening to MFM since their third episode and I've always admired how honest and open Karen and Georgia are. This book was no exception. From their struggles of mental health, drug addiction to their family relationships, they laid it all out for us to read (or listen to).
The best thing about it is that there are so many people who are able to relate to their stories and there's something to learn from it.
I'm thankful to them both for getting me through some really tough times. I'm glad that I found their podcast and stuck with them all these years later.
Stay sexy and appreciate your favourite podcast hosts,
Emira
If you know me at all, you'll know that I cried. No. I BAWLED... more than once.
Yes, this was beautifully written. But there was more to it! When King grieved, I grieved. When he was angry, I was angry. King's love for Khalid and Khalid's love for King was marvellously done.
His thoughts and feelings–his confusion about the kind of world we live in, our lives and the people we love are questions I find myself asking from time to time.
It was wonderful. I don't think I'll stop thinking about this one for a while.
I liked their story. Colin and Penelope make a very charming (hah! See what i did there?) couple. I like that they became friends and progressed from there. The whole thing with Lady Whistledown was well done. I loved Lady Danbury in this one. Other than the stuff about him pitying her, there wasn't too much second-guessing which was good because it always annoys me when they do that. I liked that they were both aware of their faults but still accepted each other. Colin being jealous of Penelope's success was a nice touch. I enjoyed his writing. Also, I'm very proud of Penelope for being Lady Whistledown. That ending was spectacular! Colin's declaration of love was one thing, but the moment Lady Danbury started clapping? I actually hollered.
My only gripe with the book is that the ending felt rushed. The solution was simple enough but it just felt like it could've been drawn out a little longer. Also, that they kept mentioning how Colin never loses his temper, but he does it quite often and he flips his emotions a lot. Which is a bit of a red flag to me
I think this one was my least favourite of the three in the series. I didn't feel any depth to either of the main characters. Although, I enjoyed the storyline about Alexandra's past. To me, the children really stole the show. They were witty and smart. I felt their anger and sadness. As expected, I enjoyed seeing the Wallflowers (+ Ash and the mention of Gabriel) in this book.
There were moments where I laughed out loud and there were moments where I had to set the book down to keep from squealing. I found both, Ash and Emma, to be witty and charming. I loved their back-and-forth. I'm beginning to love the tortured-hero trope. This had mad Beauty and the Beast vibes (right down to the dinner on opposite sides of the room) The other Wallflowers made many appearances in this book and although I've only met Penny, I know I already love them all. But my favourite character probably had to be Khan. His love for both Ash and Emma was apparent, moreover, he was hilarious in every scene he was in.
In most cases, I dislike reading books set in high schools. It's something about the way teenagers interact in books. But I thought the writing was well done. I liked that it had a soundtrack to go with the book. The main message is to accept yourself and that it's important to find real friends rather than being popular.
The relationship between Ryen and Misha was a little confusing. They're hot and cold very often. Although, I really liked the whole pen-pal thing they had going on. The antagonists were awful and spiteful- but it's not all too surprising seeing that high school students can be quite ruthless.
Note: it's a 3 star because I didn't enjoy the swearing. It was just too much for me at times. But to be fair, I'm a fairly soft-hearted person. You may not mind it as much.
