Thief Liar Lady

Thief, Liar Lady 

By DL Soria 

Release date: July 11, 2023 

My review: 4 out of 5 stars 

“Happily Ever After” is a total scam, but at least this time the princess is the one controlling the grift—until her true love arrives and threatens to ruin the whole scheme. Intrigue, magic, and wit abound in this Cinderella fairytale reimagining, perfect for fans of Heather Walter and Naomi Novik.
“A dazzlingly magical, thrilling, and inventive take on a beloved classic.”—Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch

I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen—as the rumors insisted—in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this—to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we wanted in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince—the wrong prince—distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created . . . and that could prove fatal.

There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.

While I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

I was captivated by just the description of this book. It was just a twisty story that I loved to follow. I love how the magic isn't just "there" but requires something to make it work. I love that love found Ash, regardless of what she had planned (or what was planned for her).

Things I didn't love about this book included the pace. I felt like it went on and on. Felt like it could have been better if it were just a little more concise.

Overall this book gets four stars from me. A great story and one I would recommend to friends.

The Astonishing Color of After

The Astonishing Color of After

By: Emily X. R. Pan
Narrated by Stephanie Hsu
Release date: 20 March 2018
Listening length: 11 hours, 52 minutes
My review: five out of 5 stars

"Emily X.R. Pan's brilliantly crafted, harrowing first novel portrays the vast spectrum of love and grief with heart-wrenching beauty and candor. This is a very special book." (John Green, best-selling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down)

A stunning, heartbreaking debut novel about grief, love, and family, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Celeste Ng.

Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.

Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.

This book was so powerful for me. Most of my life, I've suffered with depression and though it isn't as severe as Leigh's mother's, suicide is something that is a concern. I loved that Leigh imagined her mother had changed into a bird. The fact that the bird was red is something that connected me to the story even more. My mom's favorite color was red and so anytime I see things in that vibrant shade, I am reminded of her. Leigh is just looking for answers. In Taiwan, she gets to meet her maternal grandparents. Due to the language gap, it is hard for her to communicate. 

I loved this story. Its beautiful imagery had me picturing even more in my head when reading. The way that all the little things tied together, just icing on the cake. 

I Love You So Mochi

I Love You So Mochi

By: Sarah Kuhn
Narrated by Natalie Naudus
Release date: 28 August 2019
Listening length: 8 hours, 7 minutes
My review: 4 out of 5 stars 

Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Kasie West, I Love You So Mochi is a delightfully sweet and irrepressibly funny novel from accomplished author Sarah Kuhn.

"As sweet and satisfying as actual mochi... a tender love story wrapped up in food, fashion, and family. I gobbled it up." -- Maurene Goo, author of The Way You Make Me Feel Kimi Nakamura loves a good fashion statement.


She's obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother disapproves, and when they get into an explosive fight, Kimi's entire future seems on the verge of falling apart. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi's estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life. When she arrives in Japan, she's met with a culture both familiar and completely foreign to her. She loses herself in the city's outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry blossom festival -- and meets Akira, a cute aspiring med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. And what begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies. In I Love You So Mochi, author Sarah Kuhn has penned a delightfully sweet and irrepressibly funny novel that will make you squee at the cute, cringe at the awkward, and show that sometimes you have to lose yourself in something you love to find your Ultimate self.

This was an adorable "find yourself" kind of story. Kimi seems to have had her life mapped out (for her) for most of her life, but in her senior year, she drops her art class. This begins the journey of finding out what she wants to do with her life. That journey takes her to her family's roots, in Japan. I love that the estranged grandparents are the ones to extend the invitation. When in Japan, she meets a mochi mascot... love is in the air! I loved the vivid descriptions of the areas she was visiting. Just a fun, light read.

Legendborn

Legendborn

By Tracy Deonn

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Listening length: 18 hours, 54 minutes 

Release date: 15 September 2020

My rating: 4 out of5 stars

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

I loved this book. Didn't love how the end was so open, but there is another to come. 

I did love the strong characters, the way that Bree handled herself and her interactions with the people around her. The fact that she is a girl who recently lost her mom made her a very real character to me. I quite vividly remember some of those same thoughts in my head after my mom's passing. 

I've never read a book like this one, with the secret societies trying to protect the world from magic. The twist about its origins is pretty good and then to add in the "root magic" was perfect for me. I love that this author brings the issue of racism into the story, without shaming all of us. Felt like I was getting an education on things that I might not have seen that way before. Eye opening for sure. I will be reading the next installment of this duology.

Becoming a Queen

Becoming a Queen

By: Dan Clay

Narrated by the author
Published on: April 25, 2023

Listening length: 10 hours and 41 minutes 
My review: 4 out of 5 stars
Read date: May 5, 2023

If only Mark Davis hadn’t put on a dress for the talent show. It was a joke—other guys did it too—but when his boyfriend saw Mark in that dress, everything changed.

And now, fresh on the heels of high school heartbreak, Mark has given up on love. Maybe some people are just too much for this world—too weird, too wild, too feminine, too everything. Thankfully, his older brother Eric always knows what to say to keep Mark from spinning into self-loathing. "Be yourself! Your full sequin-y self.”

But Mark starts to notice signs that his perfect older brother has problems of his own.

When the source of Mark’s strength suddenly becomes the source of his greatest pain, the path back to happiness seems impossible. Searching for a way out, Mark slips into a dress to just, briefly, become someone else, live a different life. His escape, however, becomes an unexpected outlet for his pain—a path to authentic connection, and a provocation to finally see other people as fully as he wants to be seen.

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Even at 50% of the way through, this book wasn't what I was expecting. I loved every emotional word I listened to. Hearing how Mark coped with his grief, how he found himself in drag, it was simply beautiful. I also really loved the realness of it. I could see my parents reacting like his... It really was a journey of a book. Anyone who has delt with a sudden loss will feel parts of this book so deeply. This is read by the author so I loved that!

Daughter of the Pirate King

Daughter of the Pirate King 

By Tricia Levenseller 

Narrated by Marisa Calin 

Published July 18, 2017

My review: 4 out of 5 stars 

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map - the key to a legendary treasure trove - 17-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

Loved this story of a lady pirate. She happens to be the daughter of the pirate king, I guess a pirate princess. She goes on a mission for her dad. Knowing that she can't come back to the Pirate king empty handed, she is desperately searching the ship while trying to avoid the clever and attractive first mate, Riden. I am so very glad this is book one in this series because it was so very fun to follow Alosa on her journey. The further you got in the book, the more you wonder what that "extra" thing is about her. I wish we could have seen her more with her own crew, but maybe in the next book. I can't wait. Loved how this one ended! Also, can we just admire this cover art? Simply beautiful!

Divine Rivals

Divine Rivals 

By: Rebecca Ross

Narrated by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk

Listening length: 10 hours, 50 minutes 

Release date: April 4, 2023

My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Shadow and Bone meets Lore in Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals, an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this story.

First of all, if it weren't for the non-ending, this book would have gotten 4.5 or even 5 stars but because this book HAS NO ENDING I had to lower my rating. I hate it when I have to wait for another book to find out what happens. Even in a series, each book should have a full story on its own. This one left me completely questioning the fate of every single character, save one. I did love the story, loved the characters. The idea is something new to me and with the hint of magic in it, it really is a beautiful start. I just wish that it had an ending. I feel like I only read half a book. Beyond frustrating as a reader, especially when this is so newly out, I have to wait who knows how long until the next book. Hopefully that one will have the end of the story.

Stars & Smoke

Stars and Smoke 

By Marie Lu 

Narrated by Becca Q. Co

Listening length: 11 hours, 57 minutes 

Release date March 28, 2023 

My review: five stars out of five stars

The Hating Game meets Mission: Impossible in this smoldering new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu about a superstar tapped to become a secret agent and the reluctant young spy assigned to be his partner.

Meet Winter Young–rookie backup dancer turned global pop phenomenon. His star power has smashed records, selling out stadiums from LA to London. Now he’s bringing his swoonworthy assets to a whole new arena...

Infamous criminal tycoon Eli Morrison has just one weakness–his daughter, Penelope. And Penelope has just one wish for her nineteenth birthday–a private concert with Winter Young. When covert ops organization The Panacea Group approaches Winter with this once-in-a-lifetime chance to infiltrate Morrison’s inner circle, Winter must use his fame, cunning, and charisma to pull it off–only he won’t be on his own.

Posing as Winter’s bodyguard is the fiery Sydney Cossette, Panacea’s youngest spy. Sydney may be the only person alive impervious to Winter's charms, but as the mission brings them closer, she's forced to admit there's more to this A-lister than slick dance moves and a handsome face. Panacea's unlikeliest partners just might become its biggest heroes–and maybe even more–if they can survive each other first.

Although I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this novel! 

When a young spy is forced to team up with a global pop superstar to take down an infamous criminal, all bets are off on if this duo can pull it off. Both of them have a vial of "death" in their pockets, "just in case" it goes wrong, they can't be caught alive after all. Will they be able to pull it off against the odds and keep a new biological weapon off the market? 

This book was so fun! Interesting characters, the story just kept you going, left me wondering what the heck was going to happen. I also LOVE that there is the opportunity for a sequel, but it wasn't left with a totally open ending. I'm ready to re-listen to this book all over again, just to see what details I might have missed. Seriously a great read!

The Waking Forest

The Waking Forest

By Alyssa Wees
Narrated by Katelyn Levering
Listening length 8 hours 22 minutes
Release date: March 29, 2023
My review 4 out of 5 stars

The waking forest has secrets. To Rhea, it appears like a mirage, dark and dense, at the very edge of her backyard. But when she reaches out to touch it, the forest vanishes. She's desperate to know more—until she finds a peculiar boy who offers to reveal its secrets...if she plays a game.

To the Witch, the forest is her home, where she sits on her throne of carved bone, waiting for dreaming children to beg her to grant their wishes. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives and asks her what she wishes for, but the Witch sends him away. And then the uninvited guest returns.

The strangers are just the beginning. Something is stirring in the forest, and when Rhea's and the Witch's paths collide, a truth more treacherous and deadly than either could ever imagine surfaces. But how much are they willing to risk to survive?

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the opportunity to read this story.

The way this book started out, I never expected it to twist the way that it did but boy am I glad. It ended up being adventurous and magical and beautiful. I love how the author weaved in the element of anxiety, that even magical creatures can have it, that it affects them and they have to learn to live with it and manage it. Might have just been a small part, but as someone who deals with it on the daily, it was big for me. I loved the characters, the family. It all felt so very real to me. Even the magical part that is so very not real, felt as if it could have been, just lurking beyond our world. I love books like this, where we can set aside our perception of reality and pretend, even for just a little while, that magic might just really exist and how would that happen. This is just one of those possibilities.

Missing Clarissa

Missing Clarissa

By Ripley Jones
Narrated by: Allen Winter, Atlanta Amada Foresyth, Ines del Castillo, Kimberly M Wetherell, Raymond J Lee
Listening length: 7 hours, 31 minutes
My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This program is read by Inés del Castillo and a full cast and features a podcast with special sound design.

Perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Ripley Jones's Missing Clarissa is a gripping novel about two friends who start a true crime podcast—with dangerous consequences.

While I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. While it was a great concept, it felt a little overdone. There have been so many of these books lately and I didn't feel like this one stood out much from the rest. It was a pretty good read, but nothing amazing to me.

Little & Lion

Little & Lion

by: Brandy Colbert
Narrated by: Alisha Wainwright
Listening length: 8 hours, 12 minutes
Publicization date: August 8, 2017
My review: 4 out of 5 stars

Read for my March 2023 Reading challenge, prompt 7: the B in LGBTQIA+ Bisexual health awareness month. Little is a bisexual character in this book. 

A stunning novel on love, loss, identity, and redemption, from Publishers Weekly Flying Start author Brandy Colbert.

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. LA is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself - or worse.

When Suzette comes home from her New England boarding school, she isn't sure what to expect from her stepbrother, recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The summer is spent with the two of them trying to reconnect, her trying desperately to make things "the way they were" and him trying to live with his bipolar disorder. This book does a pretty good job with making the illness feel real. As someone living with someone with the disorder, it paints a real picture of how things can be. You want desperately for them to be able to lead a normal life, clinging to those moments where it feels like it used to be, then the lows come again. So frustrating. I cannot imagine it for a teenager, but through this book I can, just a little bit. This book brings out the theme of mental illness in a way that is easier for teenagers to understand. It is a disorder, not a disease. There is so much more to this book then just the relationship between Suzette and her stepbrother though. It is so worth picking the book up. Will she return to boarding school? Will she reunite with her old school friends? It is just a fun book to read with some really serious parts mixed in.

Burying Eva Flores

Burying Eva Flores 

By Jennifer Alsever 

Narrated by: Moira Todd, Gail Shalan, Michael Gallagher, Eleanor McCormick, Whitney Dykhouse, Amy McFadden, and Zac Aleman

Listening length: 9 hours, 17 minutes

Published November 29, 2022

My review: 4 out of 5 stars 

Read for my March 2023 Reading challenge, Bonus prompt 1: Eldritch "uncanny, unearthly and weird in a supernatural way." 

Everyone thinks I killed Eva Flores.

Sure, I hate how everyone was over the moon about her TikTok fame. And I suppose I got a little bit carried away with vengeance when she tried to ruin my life.

But seriously, when my friend gave me that leather journal, I’d never had so much power in my life. It was intoxicating. Who wouldn’t have done what I did to Eva?

Now everyone thinks that just because she vanished in the forest after a party, that I killed her. That the blood on the jackets is proof. Or the text messages. The slightly weird thing I had with Eva's dad. The fire.

The whole thing is far more complicated than you’d think.

What happened to the horribly obnoxious, very complicated Eva Flores? I can't really say.

Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus, this book will grab you and won't let you go!

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

 
This was a book that just kept you guessing. The viewpoints jump around to different people. You get some chapters from the past, some from the present, some from the police files. It follows the disappearance of a young tik-tok famous girl, gone missing during a class trip. Oh, but this book is so much more wild than that. When Sophia is given a blank journal by a friend, inspiration to complete a school project, she begins to write a story inside. When that story beings to play out in real life, she sees the power she now holds and begins to write a new story... but just what is she really writing.

I loved how the author chose to wrap this up. It isn't a "happily ever after" but it also closes and leaves you feeling like there is an ending to the story. This one is worth picking up and listening to. The audiobook has a whole cast of characters in it and is simply fun to listen to. Plus, just take a look at that fun cover!

Immortality: A Love Story

Immortality: A Love Story

by Dana Schwartz
Narrated by Mhairi Morrison and Tim Campbell
Listening Length 12 hours and 2 minutes
Published date February 28, 2023

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

"The Scottish accents of narrators Tim Campbell and Mhairi Morrison introduce YA listeners to this historical romance/mystery set in nineteenth-century Edinburgh." —AudioFile

Immortality: A Love Story is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Dana Schwartz's #1 bestselling gothic romance, Anatomy: A Love Story.

Hazel Sinnett is alone and half-convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.

When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamor and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn't the only thing at stake for her. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right.

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books.

Although I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own.

This was simply a beautiful conclusion to the Anatomy duology. I loved the first book and loved the second one just as much. This duology is going into my personal collection. It has romance, it has suspense, it has medical mystery and murder. What else can you really ask for. I just love the main character, Hazel, being a doctor. Well, she doesn't have all the certifications because you couldn't as a woman back then, but she's done all the training. This time she is called upon to treat the princess Charlotte. - will she be able to help the princess under the eye of the Royal court with all the other goings-on? It really is a wonderful story and so beautifully written. I couldn't wait to see what would happen with Hazel.

Hold Still

Hold Still 

by Nina LaCour

Narrated by Emma Galvin 

Published October 20, 2009

Listening time: 6 hours and 16 minutes

My review 4 stars out of 5 

The award-winning first novel from the best-selling author of We Are Okay. For fans of 13 Reasons Why.

In the wake of her best friend Ingrid's suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing.

When Caitlin's best friend dies by suicide, she is left with all the usual questions and feelings. This book is about how she struggles through the next year. Figuring out how to go on without Ingrid. This book just tugged at my heart strings. I remember vividly loosing a friend in high school, it was not suicide and we had more answers then Caitlin. 

This was a difficult book to listen to, but I think it is important. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of teenagers. This book felt real to me, like I was reading the real account of a girl trying to cope with the loss of her friend. Her feelings trying to work through what she was going through. This would be an excellent book for anyone to read, especially someone who is dealing with a teenager who might be in this kind of situation, allow yourself to see the world as they might be seeing it right now. And as always, know that there are ears to listen, anytime you need to talk. 988 is always available weather you are in a mental health crisis or not.

The Buried and The Bound

by Rochelle Hassan

Narrated by: Nikki Massoud, Daniel Henning and Dan Bittner

Published January 24, 2023
Audiobook run time: 11 hours 5 minutes
My review: 4.5 out of 5 stars

A contemporary fantasy YA debut from Rochelle Hassan about monsters, magic, and wicked fae, perfect for fans of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Hazel Wood.

As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts—an uncommonly magical place—Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger—to herself and others—becomes too great for her to handle alone.

Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.

Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with Aziza: he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.

When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.

I loved this story! I hope there are five hundred more books involving this cast of characters because I love them. In this book you follow Aziza, a hedgewitch, and Leo, a cursed 16-year-old as they try and figure out what is going on with his curse and fix the border between their world and the magical world that seems to be breaking down in their small town. Needless to say, chaos ensues. There is lots of danger, lots of magic and an incredible story that kept me listening far longer than I should have been. Cannot wait to see if there are more by this incredible author.

Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys

By: Aiden Thoms

Audiobook narrated by: Avi Roque

352 pages 

Published September 1, 2020

My review 4.5 stars out of 5

I read this book to complete a prompt in the Boise Public Library's Ultimate Book Nerd challenge: Read a book about a holiday tradition you don't celebrate. 

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.


This story is about a trans boy trying to prove his place in his traditional latinx family. It includes some magical elements and lots of tradition. 

I loved the inner-city setting and the diverse mix of characters. The narrator, Avi Roque, did an amazing job of bringing Yadriel to life and making him feel like a real person. To be able to be in the mind of a transgender person, to see life from their eyes, it was enlightening. 

Though a work of fiction, I like to think that Thomas (the author) used some real-world stories to bring this character to life. He certainly felt real to me. There will be more in this series of books, but I loved that this was a full and complete story all on its own. No waiting for book two to know what happens because this book wrapped things up nicely. Other authors could learn a few things about books in a series! 

Another thing I really loved about this story was the way that the stories of Yadriel's culture were woven in. I feel like I really got to know a bit about the Latinx culture and why they celebrate el Día de los Muertos. That is why I originally picked up this book. I needed a book that fit the prompt: Read a book about a holiday tradition you don't celebrate. This fit it perfectly. I just saw this on the amazon q&a with the author about his inspiration: "What inspired you to write Cemetery Boys? Cemetery Boys was inspired by a writing prompt I saw on Tumblr — “What happened if you summoned a ghost and couldn’t get rid of it?” How great is that?! 

Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Series (Part 1)

Book 1: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. 

As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

I read this book with a group of girls at my work as the first story for our book club. Out of the whole three who came, two of us liked it enough to start the next books. I was one of those two.I thought this book was really good. Riggs takes the concept of time travel to a new level. The loops had me a bit confused for a while but I finally figured it out.

I loved the main character, Jacob. He has such a strong voice in the story. When he is seeking mental health treatments after a family tragedy, he still believes what he saw. He convinces his parents to allow him to visit the place where his grandfather's stories were born.

I also really enjoyed the pictures. Some of them were so strange and to know they were real pictures that were the base for this story was really neat.

One thing I didn't like was the relationship between Jacob and his parents. The entire book they felt like distant characters. There was no personal connection between them and Jacob. It felt like they were just letting him be. Even on the island, the father let him wander all over, all by himself.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I probably won't read again, but I will read the next in the series because this one ended very abruptly.

September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them - but she's trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine.

But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.

This book picks up right where book one left off (which is a good thing because book one ended very abruptly!) We follow Jacob and the peculiar children along a difficult journey to try and find and rescue Miss Peregrine. Just when you think they have done it, a twist happens that lands them again trying to rescue her. It is really neat how real-life historical events are woven into this story (like the bombings in England during WWII). I also really loved some of the characters they came across during their journey. Thankfully a few of them stick around but I wish a few more had. They would have been a fun addition to the crew. Overall, this second instillation gets a solid four stars from me. 

A boy with extraordinary powers.
An army of deadly monsters.
An epic battle for the future of peculiardom.

The adventure that began with "Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children" and continued in "Hollow City" comes to a thrilling conclusion with "Library of Souls."

As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

In this final chapter, we get to see what becomes of Miss Peregrine and her peculiar children. Much of the book takes place in the slum of the slums in Victorian England. I enjoyed watching Jacob really come into himself in this book. The battle gets harder, but the children seem to buckle down and really work to win. Is there even a chance against the fortress and force they are against. I couldn't stop listening to this story. I loved every last word. It wrapped this story line quite nicely. There are still three books left in this "series" so I'm interested to see what the children will be up to next. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The book that inspired the hit film!

Sundance U.S. Dramatic Audience Award
Sundance Grand Jury

This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential question: How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl.

This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg’s mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg’s entire life.

Last night when I finished this, I gave it three stars. It just fell flat at the ed for me, but looking back, I am going to bump that up to four. 

First of all, some trigger warnings: crude language, sexual content, talk of death and dying. 

While parts of this book were completely ridiculous, others were quite true to live. Andrews definitely has a new take on the story of teenagers dealing with the death of a friend. Greg is trying his best to just get through high school living on the edges, not being too close to any one group. That's how you keep high school from completely sucking. According to the back of the book, that lasts a whole eight hours before Greg's mom makes him become friends with a girl who has cancer and "brings about the destruction of Greg's life." What Greg doesn't realize until the end of the book, he didn't have much of a life to begin with. I'm glad this book didn't go into a romance between Greg and "the dying girl," Rachel. Some of the scenes with Rachel were just plane "cringe" (in the language of my teenagers). Even Greg says so in his writing. Some of the scenes are even written out like a play. This story gets quite crude very early on. My 13-year-old daughter read it and said that it made her very uncomfortable. Didn't seem to add anything to the story other then it was from the viewpoint of a teenage boy, and apparently that's what they think and talk about? I don't know, I enjoyed how real it felt. The things that Greg was feeling about being friends with this girl out of obligation, the way he felt about her dying. It just felt genuine. 

Leah on the Offbeat

TW: Body shaming, moderate cursing, racism, fat-phobia, homophobia and minor alcohol consumption. 

Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

I thought this was a fun book. I loved Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and this book just gave me the opportunity to get to know the characters better. This time the focus is on Leah. Leah is (as described by the author) An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon

Gave this one three stars on goodreads. 

The Hate U Give

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

Trigger warnings: shooting deaths, gang violence, racism, adult language, drug use, drinking

My rating: five out of five stars

This book was a powerful read. I cried repeatedly listening to this audiobook. 

A story about a girl who witnesses the death of her friend at the hands of a police officer is all too relevant today's climate. 

As a white person, it is hard to imagine, but this author does an amazing job of putting you into the shoes of this black young person, seeing the world through her eyes.