Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I am so mad at myself for taking so long to get around to this book. The hype surrounding this one was real, with good reason. When I heard what Ninth House was about, I had to snatch up a copy even though I've never actually read any of Leigh Bardugo's other books. It's basically the type of book you would write if you wanted to set a trap to catch me.

Secret societies and the occult? Seeing ghosts? Magic? Murder and some pretty disturbing rituals? A girl named Galaxy? COUNT ME IN. This one does need trigger warnings for murder, drug abuse and overdosing, rape (including rape of a child) and other sexual assault, racism, medical procedure descriptions, gore and other graphic descriptions. I know that sounds like a lot, but if none of those are triggers for you this book is an intensely wild ride.

In Ninth House, Galaxy (Alex) Stern has just begun at Yale. After surviving a traumatic and harrowing incident, she was offered a deal she couldn't refuse: free education at Yale in exchange for using her "gift" to monitor the secret societies on campus. But when she agreed, she had no idea what exactly it would be that she was policing.

I completely ate this book up. I was constantly torn between wanting to put it down to savor the experience and get to read it for a longer period of time and fly through it. I ended up giving in and flying through it. I loved seeing Alex grow and fight her own demons and really come into her own. I really enjoyed Darlington's character and would have loved getting more of him. I was fascinated learning about the different secret societies and their different types of magic. It's dark. It's heavy. It's twisted. But it's fascinating.

I honestly got a lot of City of Ghosts (Victoria Schwab-Cassidy Blake series) vibes from this one, but with a much more adult tone. 

Ninth House will also be developed as a TV series from Amazon, and Bardugo has also said there will be a sequel, so I'm super excited to get more Alex Stern content!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

OH MAN. This was my first read of February and it really started the month off with a bang. If you want an intense read with Kill Bill, Cruel Intentions, and John Tucker Must Die vibes, Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin is the book for you. 


About the Book

Hannah Capin's Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

Cover Art Courtesy of
Wednesday Books

Jade and her friends Jenny, Mads, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Jade's sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Jade as their next target.

They picked the wrong girl.

Sworn to vengeance, Jade transfers to St. Andrew’s Prep. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She'll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school's hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.

"Fierce, vicious, and electric. If books had teeth, Foul Is Fair would have fangs. Capin's language glitters dark and her writing cuts deep. Revenge is a dish best served by this deliciously unapologetic coven." -- Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts and Last Girl Lied To

My Review

Firstly, I really appreciate the trigger warnings right at the beginning of the book. This book deals heavily with sexual assault, and letting the reader know that in advance is super important. The story was incredibly engaging and I flew through this read as fast as possible. It was dark, and gritty, and vengeful, and overall fantastic. Jade has a vendetta and she and her friends won't stop until everyone is taken down. While the logistics of some of the things that happened weren't super believable, I didn't even care. I cheered for Jade and felt the heart-pounding thrill she felt as she took her enemies out one by one. Any book that can get me that invested is a win in my book.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Author Photo Courtesy of
Wednesday Books

About the Author

Hannah Capin is the author of Foul is Fair and The Dead Queens Club, a feminist retelling of the wives of Henry VIII. When she isn’t writing, she can be found singing, sailing, or pulling marathon gossip sessions with her girl squad. She lives in Tidewater, Virginia.

Twitter // Instagram

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books for an e-Arc of this read! Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin is out Tuesday, February 18, so be sure to pick up a copy here!

Graphic Novel Mash-Up Review #4

It's been a while since I've done one of these, and since I've been reading a lot of this genre lately I decided it was time for another graphic novel mash-up review, and I really enjoyed all of these!

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu: It took me FOREVER to finally get my hands on a copy of this read. I don't think they printed a ton of copies initially, and it kept selling out everywhere. Finally I got a copy and it was everything I hoped. It's a queer witchy story following a witch named Nova, and her werewolf friend Tam, as they fight to destroy a demon and fall in love in the process. I loved the art. I loved the characters. I loved the story. It was perfect. I really hope to see more from this duo.
5 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Check, Please! Book #1: Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu: This one was originally written as a web comic, and if you couldn't tell, this book is about hockey. It's also about baking! And about social media. Bitty runs a vlog channel about baking and playing on his college hockey team. He may also be falling for his coach. There is a ton about hockey here, which I didn't really understand, but it didn't make it too hard to follow the overall story. It was a little slow, but overall pretty enjoyable and I look forward to the next volume. There is a lot of swearing in this one, so definitely not for kids.
4 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I Hate Fairyland Volume 1 by Skottie Young: In this story, little Gert is whisked off to Fairyland, and she must complete a quest in order to return home. Problem is, it's been thirty years and she still hasn't completed her quest, and she's getting REALLY sick of being stuck there. This book was hilariously gruesome. Gert is incredibly violent and malicious as she desperately tries to complete her quest and get the heck out of Fairyland. It was so colorful and vivid, but don't let that fool you...this is definitely not a comic for kids either.
4 out of 5 Stars

The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan

"The past is behind us. The future is ours. Figure out how you can change the world right now, and don't fear it. Do it."

―Kennedy Ryan, The Rebel King

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Yep, I did it. I jumped right into the second book of the All the King's Men duology. After really enjoying The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan, I knew I had to find out what happened next (uh, major cliffhanger!), so I picked up The Rebel King almost immediately. 

Without giving away too much, Lennix is facing something harrowing and dangerous at the end of the first book, and this book picks up in the middle of that event. The plot of this one was DEFINITELY more intense than the first book, if that was even possible. It was heartwrenchingly emotional at times and heart-poundingly thrilling at others. I could not put this one down and ate it up as fast as possible.

I loved seeing Lennix and Maxim become even more unapologetically themselves in the face of all the adversity the plot threw at them. I also loved seeing the growth and development of the minor characters as well. Once again, this book was very well-researched and Kennedy Ryan did an amazing job with her references to Native American culture. I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, but I actually loved this one even more.

This book as a whole was wonderful and I am so sad that this was only a duology. I need to see Maxim and Lennix changing the world! Even though I read both of these books via Kindle Unlimited, I'm actually considering picking up physical copies to have, just because I loved the duology so much.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I know it's only January, and I might be jinxing myself here, but I'm calling this as one of my favorite books of 2020. The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler was a fantastic thriller that kept me engaged the entire time. 

When Sienna Scott was in college, she stumbled across a dead body during a snow storm. She's shaken, but isn't too worried at first. But soon her mother's delusions start to get to her, and Sienna begins to believe that she was actually supposed to be the one killed that night. 

Fast forward about 10 years later, and Sienna returns home to help take care of her mom. But those old fears start to creep back, and things begin to happen that convince Sienna that she (and her mom) may have been right all those years ago.

I absolutely adored this read! I completely flew through it and couldn't get enough. There is a lot about mental illness in this book, just as a heads up.  I appreciated the inclusion of the flashbacks to when Sienna found the body, and actually enjoyed the smaller side plots (which I'm normally not a fan of). I enjoyed the small town setting of Tranquility Bluffs, Wisconsin as well. Overall I thought this was really well-written and incredibly believable for a thriller.

While I did guess one small element, I was not expecting the final reveal at all! I love when thrillers can still shock me, even after reading so many. I've never read another Erica Spindler book, but now I am definitely going to pick up more of her work.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this read! The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler comes out this coming TUESDAY, January 28th, so be sure to pick up a copy!

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I've had this book in my possession for a while, but was never really motivated to pick it up. Last week, however, when I was looking for a short, light read, this one jumped out at me so I decided to give it a go. And it was SO GOOD. Sourdough by Robin Sloan is an adult contemporary with a few fantasy elements mixed in.

This story follows Lois, a software engineer living in San Francisco. Lois primarily subsides on food from a local sandwich shop, so she is distraught when it closes. That is, until the brothers who ran the shop bestow upon her the gift of their sourdough starter when they move away. But Lois knows nothing about baking bread. Through a comedy of errors, she learns to care for the sourdough starter and bake her own bread. Eventually, she even takes it as far as attempting to sell her bread at farmer's markets, and lands a spot in a futuristic, experimental farmer's market that opens her eyes to a whole new world.

This book was just so good. From the somewhat magical sourdough starter to the Mazg brothers and their odd music, and the experimental farmer's market to the Lois club, everything in this book was an enjoyable inclusion. I loved getting to see Lois thrive by doing something that she loved in becoming a baker. I appreciated the inclusion of technology in everything, including the pros and cons that go with that. And all the side characters in this story really brought something of their own to the table. It's short, at only 259 pages, and reads extremely quickly.

And this book passes the Bechdel Test, which is always a plus.

While I am not nearly ambitious enough to try to bake my own sourdough bread, I DID go out to Whole Foods and buy a loaf after finishing this read.

If you love bread and baking, integrating technology into our everyday lives,  farmer's markets, or bread starters that might possibly have a mind of their own, this book is for you. 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I absolutely ended 2019 on a high note when it comes to reads. I didn't know anything about this book until my TBTB Santa (Katie!) sent it to me as part of my gift, and I decided to take it with me on my cruise at the end of the year. I am SO SO glad she sent me this book because it was incredible! Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau is the first book in a new series, The Beast Charmer series. It's a fantasy romance touted as Assassins Creed meets Fantastic Beasts, and that is spot on.

Leena is a charmer, a person who can charm and control wondrous beasts. Unfortunately, Leena has been exiled from her homeland and forced to sell some of her beasts to survive, something unspeakable by Charmer standards. Soon she finds that there is a bounty on her head for her actions. Enter Noc, the enigmatic head of Cruor and its assassins. Leena bargains with Noc, offering to capture beasts for him in exchange for her life. But things just can't be that simple.

I really enjoyed this read! I've mentioned on here before that I'm still slowly dipping my toe into the world of romance, having started with romantic comedies just last year. I don't read a ton of this genre so I can't be much of an expert, but I thought there were surprisingly few explicit scenes, which is perfectly fine in my book!

The plot was incredibly thrilling and I was so excited to pull this book out by the pool and on the beach on my vacation. It is told from two different points of view, both Leena's and Noc's, and I really enjoyed seeing their different perspectives on things. I loved all of Noc's brotherhood as well and they provided some fantastic comic relief. I definitely agree with the Assassins Creed meets Fantastic Beasts comparison, but I'd throw a little bit of Pokemon in there for good measure as well!

Interestingly enough, it appears that there is also a YA version of this book out, which I would assume removed the explicit language and sex scenes present in this version.

I'm so excited to get my hands on the next book, The Frozen Prince, when it comes out. I think this book definitely opened up my eyes to the fantasy romance genre, so I'm definitely going to be researching some more books along these lines to check out!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

A romantic comedy set within the film industry? Count me in. I was so excited when Putnam Books sent me a free copy to review as a partner. Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters follows Evie, an assistant at a film agency who is desperate to finally move up in her career. When she's given an ultimatum, get screenwriter Ezra Chester motivated to write a script he still hasn't started or lose her job, Evie has to resort to staging "meet cutes" for herself in order to prove to Ezra that the romantic comedy genre is realistic. Will Evie be able to achieve the impossible and get Ezra to write a blockbuster romantic comedy? 

I absolutely LOVED this book! I'm super into the "meet cute" trope, so I loved getting to see all the ones that Evie set up. I'm also very interested in the film industry, so reading about the roles these characters played within that industry was great. 

One major thing to note here was that this really was a true romantic comedy versus a romance. There were no sultry or explicit scenes that you see with a lot of comedic romances on the market today, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that out.

This book made me laugh. A lot. A lot of this is British humor though, so if you don't typically like that kind of thing it might go over your head some. I really liked Evie's friends and thought they each brought something unique to the table. I even loved Ezra's character...in a love to hate kind of way! He was the perfect kind of arrogant and slimy for this type of story.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Putnam Books for a free finished copy of this read! Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters is out now, so be sure to pick up a copy!

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I really enjoyed reading The Wedding Date, so I was excited to pick up Jasmine Guillory's next book, The Proposal. This book was focused on Carlos, a side character in The Wedding Date who I absolutely loved!

When Nik's boyfriend Fisher surprises her with a proposal during a game at Dodger Stadium, she is shocked, and not in a good way. When she turns him down, on the JumboTron no less, the whole stadium turns against her, and a kind stranger behind her (enter Carlos) offers to help her escape before the news crews can hunt her down. 

Nik is grateful to her kind, thoughtful, and super handsome rescuer, so when they decide to spend more time together, she is overjoyed. The only problem is she has no desire to get into another relationship, but to her relief, neither does he. 

This was another adorable read, and I enjoyed this even more than The Wedding Date! Like I mentioned in the review for that book, I really love Carlos as a character, and I was really excited to get to know more about him in his own story. Alexa and Drew from The Wedding Date were in this book a few times as well!

I thought the issues addressed in this book were important, and much less frivolous than some of the things in other romance books I've read. I loved Nik and her friends, and really admired her for putting her career so high on her priority list. There was wonderful diversity in this book as well, and a feminist message that really resonates with what society is going through today. I laughed so much while reading this, and felt so many warm fuzzies along the way.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I am a huge Star Wars fan, but I'd never read any of the canon novels until now. When Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson was released, I had to pick up a copy to read before my visit to Galaxy's Edge at Walt Disney World, a land featuring the Black Spire Outpost: the main setting for this read. Vi Moradi has been sent by General Leia Organa to the planet Batuu, specifically the Black Spire Outpost, to determine its feasibility and set up a new base for the Resistance. But the First Order is onto her, and sends a party to Batuu determined to find her and shut down her mission.

I can't even begin to put into words how much I loved this story. Vi Moradi was an amazing character with startling ambition, especially when faced with tremendous adversity. I couldn't get enough of the sassily morose droid Pook. All of the side characters were wonderful, and Batuu was so well described that when I walked into the land at WDW I felt like I was coming home.

Me outside the Droid Depot
with some blue milk!

I'm so happy I read this book before visiting Galaxy's Edge. It made the whole experience so much better for me. I recognized all the businesses, as well as understood the back story and characters present in the land. I was thrilled to have drinks at Oga's Cantina, especially after knowing how terrifying its mob boss owner was, and excited to grab a snack from Ronto Roasters. I even shrieked as I saw Vi Moradi herself, blue hair and all, running through the land on her quest to evade the First Order. If you're planning a visit to Galaxy's Edge at WDW or Disneyland, I highly recommend reading this book first!

After reading and loving this novel so much, I've decided to read all of the Del Rey Star Wars canon novels in order, starting with Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott, which just came out yesterday. I'm sure I've spoiled some things for myself, since Black Spire comes towards the end of the canon, but I'm totally fine with that if it means I get to experience more amazing Star Wars novels.

Bright suns!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

As a former Disney employee, I am all about theme parks! So when I saw that The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg was a read all about a high-fantasy, high-tech theme park, I knew I was going to need to read it! This story follows Ana, one of The Kingdom's "Fantasists," or human/cyborg hybrid princesses genetically engineered to make dreams come true. 

Ana's thoughts and feelings are supposed to be steady, restricted, controlled. So when she meets Owen, a park employee, and starts feeling emotions she shouldn't have and having thoughts and ideas that should never cross her mind, Ana starts to wonder if she is broken.

Chaos ensues as her "sisters," other Fantasists, start to have breakdowns of their own, ultimately resulting in being shut off for good. And when Owen is murdered and Ana looks incredibly guilty, what will become of Ana, the Fantasists, and The Kingdom as a whole?

I absolutely flew through this story and really enjoyed it! Of course I loved all of the theme park elements, and saw so much of Walt Disney World and other theme parks in this book. Theme parks are constantly competing with one another for the newest technology, the most personal experience, and the highest attendance, so it's not at all outside the realm of possibility that something like these Fantasists could be a reality one day. I loved the alternating chapters of Ana's point of view, emails, and interview material, and thought the story was pretty unique overall.

Fans of theme parks, fairy tales, and technology would absolutely love this read!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I really adored both of Riley Sager's other books, Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied. I knew I was going to love this one as well, and I was right. Riley Sager's books are always BOTM picks, so I'm excited to have added this third one to my collection. Lock Every Door is Riley Sager's newest release, and it follows Jules after she moves into The Bartholomew in NYC as an apartment sitter.

Jules has basically hit rock bottom. She was laid off, she caught her boyfriend cheating, and she only has about $500 to her name. But when she sees an ad for a high-paying apartment sitter position in the posh Bartholomew and gets the job, she thinks fate has blessed her tremendously. 

Then come the rules: No guests. No spending the night away from the building. No engaging with the building's residents. But it's all worth it for that paycheck, right? Then Ingrid, Jules' new friend and fellow apartment sitter goes missing, and Jules realizes that things at the Bartholomew might not be so perfect after all.

Oh man this plot was good! There was absolutely no way to predict how this was all going to turn out! Honestly, this may be one of the most unique thrillers I've ever read. It was so easy to imagine the glamorous Bartholomew with its gargoyle statues and dark past. This story got better and better with every page and I enjoyed every minute of it. The elements using the old apartment dumbwaiter were so clever and added to the authenticity of the old building. The stories of the Bartholomew's sordid past were fascinating, and I loved the story behind Heart of a Dreamer, the fictional novel mentioned frequently in this book.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager was engaging, twisted, and suspenseful. Just read it. If you're interested in Riley Sager's books, and Book of the Month, you can sign up using my link here, and we'll both get a free book!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I finally got to dive into this super-hyped Christina Lauren read! And it did in fact live up to that hype. 

At the beginning of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, Olive's twin sister Ami is getting married. But when everyone gets food poisoning at the wedding, Ami and her new husband Dane have to figure out what to do with the honeymoon trip that Ami won for them. Luckily, Olive avoided the food poisoning, as she was allergic and didn't eat the fish that was served, so it appears that she'll get to enjoy this fancy trip. The groom's brother Ethan also didn't partake of the buffet, and in order to fool the hotel and go on the trip, they have to pretend to be Ami and Dane, aka husband and wife. The only problem? Olive and Ethan completely despise each other.

This was so cute! I mean of course it was, it's a Christina Lauren book. But I really enjoyed this one. I loved the enemies to lovers trope used here. I saw a lot of myself in Olive and her insecurities, and loved Ethan and Ami as characters as well. I thought it was great that Olive was a science nerd and wore shirts with physics puns on them. I really enjoyed seeing Olive and Ami's big, boisterous, and supportive family and how they all rallied around the two sisters when things went south. I was grinning or laughing out loud for probably 85% of the book, and the banter between these Olive and Ethan was second to none. I could see this making such a good movie!

I'm so excited to continue to experience Christina Lauren's rom coms, and will probably pick up Roomies next. They also have a new book, Twice in a Blue Moon, coming out this fall!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Be sure to check out my reviews of some of Christina Lauren's other books, Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and My Favorite Half-Night Stand as well!

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I've slowly been dipping my toe in the romance genre. I don't think I'll ever embrace full-fledged smut, but I've really been enjoying books in the same vein as Christina Lauren's standalone reads. When I saw this book as a BOTM choice, I decided to grab it, and I'm very glad I did! Well Met by Jen DeLuca is a contemporary romance centered around a renaissance faire, and it was so fun from start to finish.

When Emily moves to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland to help her sister and niece after an accident, she has no idea what she is in for. After being roped into participating in the local renaissance faire, she starts making friends and really connecting with the residents of her temporary home...except for one. Simon is mean, nasty, and condescending. He takes the faire way too seriously, making Emily feel bad about everything she does. But when he puts on his pirate costume each weekend, a new Simon comes out, and maybe Emily had her initial opinion of him all wrong. Could there be something more there, and could Willow Creek be more than just a temporary stop for her after all?

I loved this for so many reasons! We go to a renaissance faire every fall in Maryland (which is actually the big faire they reference in the story!) and my dress is blue, just like Emily's. This had the enemies to lovers trope which I really enjoy, but it had some great side plots as well. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions and was really rooting for Emily's happiness. I really enjoyed all the minor characters in this book as well, and loved seeing the supportive cast that Emily had around her (even though her sister did annoy me a little bit). This was a very fast read, and I devoured it in just a few hours. There were a few raunchy scenes, but nothing offensively explicit, and they were far from the focus of the book. 

This was Jen DeLuca's first novel, but I will definitely be picking up anything else she puts out. Plus, she is originally from Richmond, VA which is where I'm based! This was an adorable book, and the perfect story to round out a great summer of reading.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Nobodies by Liza Palmer

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

With each book I pick up, I am so terrified of breaking my 5 star streak, but I haven't been let down yet! As far as this one, a book hasn't spoken to me on this much of a personal level in a long time! The Nobodies by Liza Palmer is the perfect story of a thirty-life crisis, and as I am quickly approaching 30 myself (only a few months to go!), I really identified with the main character Joan and the subject of impostor syndrome.

Joan feels like her life is at a dead end. After being laid off from her job, having her writing dreams crushed, and having to move back in with her parents, she has no idea which way is up or how to get herself out of this hole. When she lands a job at tech start up Bloom as a junior copywriter, she resigns herself to the fact that her life as a true journalist is over. But then again, the perfect career-making story might just be right under her nose.

I just loved every single character in this book! I would absolutely want to be friends with Joan, Hani, Thornton, and Elise. The irony of the trendy tech startup was not lost on me. The romance element in the story was perfect, just the right amount, and added to the story in the best way. I really identified with Joan's career struggles, as I myself have been laid off from a job in the past, and took my next job for a paycheck rather than a calling. I loved all the realistic differences between millenials and gen z, and this book made me laugh on more than one occasion. 

I do think the ending was a little rushed, and I still had a some questions, but it wasn't bad enough for me to take off a star. I have no idea if there is a sequel planned for this, but if there was I would definitely read it!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A big thanks to Flatiron Books for an ARC of this read! The Nobodies by Liza Palmer is out September 10th, so be sure to pick up a copy!

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

I have been on a ROLL with 5 star reads lately and I am not complaining one bit! After reading House of Salt and Sorrows, I felt like I immediately needed to jump into another sea-themed read so I grabbed my ARC of Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford. I honestly had no idea this would be another hit for me, but it absolutely was.

Nor and Zadie are twins. Raised in the ocean village of Varenia, the girls have been prepped their whole lives for the choosing ceremony, where the most beautiful girl will be selected to go to the mainland and wed the prince. Since Nor has a tiny scar, she has already counted herself out of the running, assuming her twin Zadie will be selected, even though she wants nothing more than to venture to the mainland. When Zadie is in fact selected, but is subsequently injured putting her beauty in jeopardy, Nor volunteers to go in her place. But things on the mainland aren't what Nor believed, and the more she learns, the more she becomes determined to risk her life to save her people.

This book was just so engaging and interesting, I couldn't put it down. I loved Nor and Zadie's relationship, and related to the constant scrutiny from their mother. There was action, politics, family drama, and forbidden love...all the ingredients for a great story. I really liked the concept of the pink pearls and blood coral, although when you think about it this world is kind of terrifying! 

I was also really happy with the ending of this read. It appears that the book was sold as a standalone, but Goodreads is now showing a second book in the series, Kingdom of Sea and Stone, set to come out in 2020! I could see how the ending was meant for a standalone read with the option for a second book. I was satisfied but still left wanting more, and if that sequel does become a reality, I will definitely be picking it up!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I received an ARC of this read at the ALA Annual Conference. Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Ruthorford is out now, so be sure to pick up a copy!

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

From the time I started hearing rumblings about this book, I knew I had to have it. When the theme for the August OwlCrate box was released, I crossed my fingers. I hoped this would be this month's book, restraining myself from running out and buying a copy. AND IT WAS. 

Ignoring the rest of my TBR, I dove in the night I received this book, and was captured from the very first page. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is a new twist on the 12 Dancing Princesses story, and is a beautifully atmospheric read that is hard to put down.

Annaleigh's family is cursed by the gods, or so people say. Her sisters keep dying, and of the 12 original Thaumas sisters, the 8 remaining girls all fear they are next. But with each death, Annaleigh's suspicions rise, and when she starts having gruesome visions, she becomes determined that the deaths weren't accidental. Pairing up with a handsome stranger, she fights to uncover the truth. But when everyone seems to be keeping secrets, who and what can you actually believe?

Reading this book was like stepping into an ominously beautiful fairy tale, and I flew through it. I just couldn't get enough. It was atmospheric and engaging, mysterious and powerful, and even a little bit (ok, sometimes more than a little bit!) creepy. I loved all the characters (and their gorgeous names!), and the setting that Craig created with Highmoor, the seaside manor, completely sucked me in. I kept trying to anticipate what would happen next, but each new twist and turn took me by surprise. And this was honestly the most satisfying ending I've read in a long, long time.

This one will definitely end up in my top 5 favorite books of the year, I already know it. 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Graphic Novel Mash-Up Review #1

I have just been blowing through graphic novels lately. Since these stories are usually shorter and more simple than traditional novels, I thought I would start doing mash-up reviews of a few graphic novels at a time! 

I adore graphic novels and comics, but the downside is that I read them so quickly I always have to ask myself if it's worth the $15-20 to buy them. My answer is always yes though! I feel like it's so important to read comics and graphic novels physically vs digitally to really get to enjoy the artwork. Are you a comic/graphic novel fan? What are some of your favorites? 

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang: This graphic novel has been around for a while. The story follows Anda, a girl who gets a little too involved with a game on the internet. But maybe the internet can teach important life lessons, too. I had high hopes for this one. That cover though! But unfortunately I didn't really connect with it as much as I had hoped. The art style is cute, but the story itself was a little simpler than I would have liked. 
3 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Heavy Vinyl Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin and Nina Vakueva: Girl gangs, unite! When Chris gets hired at her local record store, she has no idea she's getting involved with WAY more than just music sales. What she does know is that the girls she works with couldn't possibly be cooler. This story had great f+f rep and a strong female empowerment message. I love a good record store, so this was right up my alley. I do think it was missing something, and too much of this volume was spent setting up the story vs legitimate action, which made me knock off a star.
4 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Giant Days Vol. 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar: This is about three college girls: Susan, Esther, and Daisy. I just adore Esther's gothic little heart! I read a tie-in novel to this franchise a while back and didn't really enjoy it, but I really loved this comic. I was so amused by the messes they got themselves into and am excited to dive into the rest of the volumes of this one (volume 11 is currently available for preorder!). I might even reread that novel now that I know more about the characters! 
5 out of 5 Stars

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman takes online dating, murder, and domestic terrorism and blends it all into one bad-ass LGBT action adventure.

Bored an alone in a fancy hotel room, Aidan turns to a dating app for a quick hookup. But he has no idea how intense things are about to get. When the guy he meets ends up dead and Aidan is mistaken for a black hat hacker, he finds himself on the run from a terrorist organization called The Swans. Battling both internal and external forces, Aidan must decide what side to take in order to save himself, his family, and tons of innocent lives.

When I first started this book, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But that turned around really fast! It was full of action, danger, and even a little romance! The ARC I had was over 400 pages, but I flew through it as every page just builds and builds to a very dramatic ending. 

Continuously making mistakes in the hope of getting someone to love him, Aidan is borderline reckless. His brother's death left him detached from his family. And chaos seems to follow him wherever he goes. I found myself very invested in his fate and rooting for him through the trauma.

So many different pieces of this story intrigued me. The conversation about whether or not the government can use you without your consent was an interesting one.  And this book highlighted that the LGBT population still does not have the acceptance it deserves. 

Trigger warnings needed for domestic terrorism, a consenting sexual relationship with a minor, drug use, the cruel killing of a rabbit, and suicide. Yes, this book was extremely intense. But it was incredibly engaging and this story kept me hooked the entire time.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Jimmy Patterson for an ARC of this read! Swipe Right for Murder just released this week, so be sure to pick up a copy!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

This was another pick of mine for The Reading Rush, and I absolutely adored this read. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is an adult thriller that follows Rowan as she undertakes a position as a nanny. Not able to pass up the excellent benefits and salary, Rowan ignores the fact that numerous nannies have vacated the position before her under the pretense of the house being haunted. 

But when Rowan actually arrives at Heatherbrae House and begins work, she realizes that she may have underestimated things. And when one of the children dies and the truth about Rowan comes out, she finds herself accused of a murder she swears she didn't commit.

It's basically told as one long letter from Rowan to a lawyer, but it's very easy to forget that you're reading a letter and not just a story. I loved the inclusion of the smart house, and could easily see myself struggling with the advanced technology the way that Rowan did. Ruth Ware is great with creating an environment and atmosphere that sucks you in, and this book was no different. I could easily picture the massive house up in the Scottish Highlands and its surrounding woods. I was also a huge fan of the history of the property that Ware created, and this really added to the ghost potential of Heatherbrae House. 

I loved seeing the different personalities of the children that Rowan was charged with watching, especially the teenage daughter. At no point did I have any idea what was actually going to happen, when I usually have at least one theory or two. This was definitely a creepy read and it sent goosebumps shivering up my arms on more than one occasion. I liked the added elements at the end of the story as well and thought they gave it a good finish. 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Scout Press for an ARC of this read! The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is out TODAY, August 6th, so be sure to pick up a copy!