Best book in the series - super emotional and had me invested in both Anna and Quan from the beginning.

This fast-paced story of the first woman accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials, Tituba, really gave me a lot to think about. I don‘t really annotate books anymore but I found myself compelled to truly engage with this text. Full review on my IG and GR @ dearb00kshelves

Just like The Poet X by the same author, I was amazed at how much emotion and complexity was conveyed with so few words. This is definitely a character-driven story and I loved getting to know the sisters and seeing their similarities and differences. I am still thinking about the differences between the sisters that exist because of privilege and what causes those privileges to exist.
Full review on IG dearb00kshelves and GR

I didn't feel super connected to the relationship and I'm not sure why. I did really love the cooking and family aspects, though.

Full review on IG dearb00kshelves and GR

This book made me laugh so much. The banter and Catherine‘s internal monologue is just so funny. I also really enjoyed the tension between Catherine and some of the friends she meets in Bath. Not everyone is good and I always like having characters I can roll my eyes at when I‘m reading. There‘s also a little bit of a mystery and unfolds a little over halfway through and that was fun to read about.

I knew from the beginning this would break my heart. I loved the way this triggered memories of the source material and anticipating when/how it would play out in Miller's reimagining. This is a beautiful retelling of The Illiad that centers a queer relationship and while I found some things frustrating, overall this is a wonderful, heartbreaking story.
Full review on IG and GR

I really liked the touching moments with the kids and the humor but the pacing was off in the beginning and Klune's preoccupation with the main character's weight was annoying.
Full review on IG dearb00kshelves
GR dearbookshelves

The truly feminist YA fantasy we all need. Brutal, wonderful characters, friendships more important than romance. Full review on IG and GR.

I wasn‘t a huge fan of the previous Oz book but this one was a bit better. From the beginning, Ann made me laugh. Her reasoning behind any of her actions struck me as ridiculous. I also really liked Betsy Bobbin. She and her mule, Hank, were stuck in the Rose Kingdom and she was a strong character throughout the rest of the book. She said, “Well, I‘m not afraid of a man.” and that‘s a mood...
Full review on IG dearb00kshelves

PLEASE CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS BOOK! I‘ve seen people describe this as a thriller but I think that the synopsis calling it a psychological drama is MUCH more accurate. The mother, Blythe, is an unreliable character and seems to have an unfounded dislike for her daughter but as events unfold and her husband is increasingly frustrating, I started wanting to believe Blythe more.

Full review on IG @ dearb00kshelves

I don‘t think I could really explain this book if I tried but I did jot down some thoughts while I was reading and I‘m going to try to make them read cohesively. I immediately related to Samantha, not just because we share a first name but because we both grew up creating stories. I almost got my MFA instead of my MA so this was an interesting main character for me to follow.
Continued on IG and GR

I picked up the audiobook for The Poet X while I was on a walk and needed something to listen to. I was immediately drawn into Acevedo's voice and storytelling and couldn't stop listening even after my walk was over. This is a short story but one that packs so much into it. I remember thinking that if I'd picked this up at my local library when I was a teenager, it would have been one of those that I checked out over and over again. cont IG and GR

One of the first things that struck me about this story is that it doesn‘t take place in the American south. So many times we want to relegate that kind of hatred to the south but it‘s everywhere; just pointing at the south is not the way to talk and think about racism. This story is particularly interesting because it gives so much insight into some of their recruitment tactics in the late 70‘s...
Continued on IG and GR

I feel like this third book in the Heroes of Olympus series is really where things start to take off. I really loved seeing this group of demigods take on such a big quest. The fact that they had to figure out how to work together in pretty dire circumstances really heightened the tension. I also think this book really allowed us to get to know Annabeth more than we have in the past.
Continued on IG and GR

I really liked the characters individually and Michael's family is phenomenal. I also think there are some sweet moments with Stella and Michael together but I also found Michael to be very jealous and a little pushy in some places and that really turned me off. I have a more in-depth review on my GR and IG

I don't want to dwell on this one but I do have a full review:

Characters were annoying
Liked the quest plot
The tottenhots were DEFINITELY racist

Apart from Alison Bechdel‘s graphic novel memoir, Fun Home, this is the best and most unique memoir I‘ve ever read. While the subject matter is difficult to read about, I found myself wanting to know how the story would be told in the next chapter. Very close to the beginning of the book, Machado discusses archives and who decides what gets remembered and how it is remembered. This discussion is then tied to abuse in queer relationships... cont IG

This book is told in an oral history format and chronicles the rise of a fictional rock duo, Opal and Nev, while also exploring what it means to be a black woman in a scene that so often steals from and doesn't respect them.
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*I was provided an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.*
One of my first thoughts while reading this book was that a documentary-style movie or series about this would be phenomenal.

Continued on GR and IG

This book follows Grace Porter after she drunkenly gets married to a woman on a girls‘ trip to Vegas after getting her PhD in astronomy. In addition to navigating this new life development, Grace is trying to figure out what to do next now that she is done with school.
Books don‘t often make me actually cry but as I was listening to the audio on my walks at the park, I felt myself tearing up more than once.
Continued on IG and GR

This book is LONG and I‘ve been intimidated by it for a while not only because of the length but because I am still learning what I do and don‘t enjoy when it comes to fantasy. My foray into this world was definitely successful. First and foremost, I loved the characters. Tane and Truyde were among my favorites. I think they both were so complex and my feelings about them were constantly challenged and changing. Continued IG dearb00kshelves

I don‘t know how to review this so I just want to talk about some thoughts I had while listening to this audiobook. First, I truly believe audio is the way to go. I don‘t think I would have finished it without listening to the audio or it would have just taken me a lot longer to get through. Some parts simply were a little dry. That being said, this memoir made me really have to confront some frustrations I have with...
Cont on IG dearb00kshelves

I'm thankful for this series for getting me back into fantasy and teaching me what I like and what to look for in future fantasy novels. I have so much to say about it and it DEFINITELY won't fit in this text box but I have reviews for each book on my Goodreads and IG dearbookshelves / dearb00kshelves

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The only thing I knew about this book before going in was that it was pitched as “The Hate U Give meets Get Out” and that was enough to get me excited. I dropped everything as soon as I got a notification from Netgalley and found a compelling story and characters I really loved but aspects of the structure and writing didn‘t work as much for me... continued on IG dearb00kshelves

While this book is less than 200 pages, it tells a powerful and important story that I found myself wanting to take my time with and that I think will stick with me for a long time. I was most struck by Engel‘s writing.

Continued on IG dearb00kshelves

I‘ve been in a bit of a reading slump and I wasn‘t loving the first bit of this book. I liked learning about a new setting and group of people but there was a camp games type event that went on a bit too long for me. After that, though, the action really took off and I was invested. I think Riordan does a great job and slowly introducing more aspects of the characters‘ personalities...
Continued on IG dearb00kshelves

I feel like everyone‘s heard about and probably even read The Vanishing Half and I‘m late to the party but as someone who loves multi-generational family stories, I‘m glad to be here now. It took me a bit to get used to the time jumps but once I was into it, I was hooked. I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn‘t reading.

Full review on IG dearb00kshelves and GR

I have a lot of thoughts about this installment in the Oz series. I won‘t bore you with them all here but I‘ll probably include them all in my next “recent reads” blog post. I will say that there were definitely some funny moments in this story, the Whimsies and the Nome King specifically made me laugh out loud. This book is very focused on good vs. evil as there is a war looming on the horizon... continued on IG dearb00kshelves

***ARC provided through NetGalley***
“All Eve really knew was how to be fun, and experience had taught her she ought to stick to her strong suit and avoid reaching too high. She used to reach, once upon a time. But it hurt so terribly to fall.”
When Eve quits on another one of her career endeavors, her parents are less than thrilled. So they make a proposition: she won‘t get any more money from them until she...
Continued on IG dearb00kshelves

What I liked:
I really loved the atmosphere in this book. It‘s definitely the strongest part for me. The creepy forest crawling with zombie-esque creatures cursed by the woods themselves really made for strong imagery that was fun to read about. The description of the main threat, the Ancient, also painted a creepy picture and I‘d really like to see some fanart of him. I also like the softer side of the atmosphere... cont on IG dearb00kshelves

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review!
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This manga is an adaptation of Victor Hugo‘s classic work by the same title. It follows a large cast of characters as they navigate 19th-century France and deals with themes of punishment, religion, love, and revolution... Cont on ig dearb00kshelves

I borrowed this beautiful graphic novel from a friend this month and loved spending a cozy afternoon in my reading corner diving into this story. To start, the artwork is phenomenal! The characters are so cute and expressive but the scenery is what really stands out to me. The color pallets are beautiful and calming; I spent so much time just looking at the art work. As far as the story, there were some...
Full review on IG @dearb00kshelves

From the beginning, I was gripped by the writing style. Esme Weijun Wang‘s journalist background came through in the best way. She combines hard facts and research with a personal approach and it comes together in such a way that really spoke to my approach to thinking about my own mental health as well as to the way I like to write. I enjoyed learning about the history of schizophrenia and the different...
Full review on IG dearb00kshelves

I‘ve seen conversations claiming this isn‘t really a thriller or it isn‘t scary but I‘m going to have to disagree. This story is incredibly unsettling. Alyssa Cole‘s writing creates a sense of unease throughout the narrative and the pacing adds to a constant feeling of fear. Themes of gentrification, community, and more come together to create a book that I haven‘t seen more deserving of the “thriller” genre in years.

This book does not shy away from showing John in a less than flattering light. From his temper to his eating disorder to his drug abuse. I also appreciate John acknowledging the roots of the music he became famous for. He celebrates Black artists he played with and looked up to. Many stories about rock and pop music conveniently don‘t talk about Black people who pioneered the genre. Hearing John talk about Black pioneers in music was refreshing.

I really think Johnson has some important things to say regarding the intersection of being Black and queer and I think this will be a life-changing books for YA audiences that are going through similar challenges. I appreciate that Johnson doesn't just show the trauma but also talks about support from biological and found family and Black joy. I just think some places there needed to be more and that pulled me out of the book at times.

I just really love this book (and these coasters)

Even though this book is short, it takes time to process and think about to fully get everything from it. There is so much to offer. A contemporary setting mixed with Cherokee folklore, this story tackles intergenerational trauma as well as immediate trauma and how those things come together. Highly recommend you check out some own voices reviews as I have certainly missed some of the nuances in my IG and GR reviews.

I have a new blog post up about auto-buy authors so if you have time, maybe check it out?

This has the same amount of action and excitement mixed with comedy that were in the original series. I also really loved the characters we meet in this series. I really connected to both Leo and Piper and was really rooting for them to accomplish their goals and be happy. The ending was also phenomenal! That realization! That cliffhanger! I was so hype after I finished and excited to see what happens next in the series. Let‘s GOOOOO!!

Just wanted to share some recent manga I've acquired ✨

I think this books has phenomenal characters and atmosphere. I also really loved the ending and will never look at 🌽 or apricots the same way ever again but I think the first three quarters of this book were a little slow. I wanted something more but can't quite put my finger on it.

A phenomenal sequel! I can't wait to finish this series. I was so excited to learn more about a character I was curious about in the first novel. I also really loved learning SO MUCH more about the world.

I just posted a new blog entry talking about my reading and personal goals for the year so if you'd like, you can check it out at the link on my page ✨

I don‘t read books in one day but this one was so readable and I just had to know what was going to happen next. The pacing is phenomenal and keeps you turning the pages. This book deals with some difficult topics such as grooming, abuse, and stalking. It also has a lot to say about the way society doesn‘t believe black women, especially in these situations. The stakes are high the entire book.

As you might know, I‘m trying to work through the fourteen books in the Oz series. The beginning of The Road to Oz had me laughing out loud. The Shaggy Man and Button-Bright are new characters and their interactions are so funny. Baum also included some commentary on money and capitalism here and I found that really interesting. I do think the end was a little tedious but overall, still an interesting and fun story.

Definitely a tough read but I appreciate Gay's honesty both in the topics themselves and the feelings that come with those topics. Standout stories include Open Marriage and Noble Things.

This book is heavy. I appreciated the discussions about mental health stigmas and how getting help is looked down on in certain cultures. I also appreciated the discussions about gentrification, microaggressions. I think Queenie is a character some people aren‘t going to love. She makes questionable decisions and what she should do might seem obvious to some people but context matters. Overall, while this wasn‘t an easy read, I‘m glad I read it.

Here are some books I'm hoping to pick up next month ✨ What are you hoping to read?

Just wanted to share my reading tracker here. I have more photos on my IG (dearb00kshelves)

Also I started Difficult Women by Roxane Gay this morning. I'm trying to squeeze in one more read before the month ends. Anyone else?