This was a cute witchy romance!

The premise is super fun. It‘s about two witches who fall in love during a spell casting reality show competition. The competition parts were very entertaining to read.

The romance aspect worked very well. The two leads, Penelope and Gil, made a great couple. I loved their dynamic and their chemistry.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/11/08/review-witch-you-would/

This was such a cute fall romance!

So many people have read this book, so when I saw it TJ Maxx (for a great price) I knew it was time to give it a shot. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book was loaded with fall vibes! It gave me all the autumn feels while reading it.

The romance was super sweet but basic.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/review-the-pumpkin-spice-cafe-dre...

This was an insightful look into the creation of Frankenstein!

I read Frankenstein earlier this year and loved it, so naturally I had to read this book. I was impressed that Mary Shelley wrote a masterpiece at age 19.

The best part of the book was the depiction of female rage. Mary‘s rage starts off quietly and then slowly simmers into an inferno.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/31/review-love-sex-and-frankenstein/

What a fun book!

This is not your traditional murder mystery book since it‘s not written in a novel format. Instead, you are given all the pieces to solve the mystery yourself. These included pictures, interview transcripts, notes, maps, newspaper articles, etc.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/review-you-are-the-detective-the-...

This book had a great premise, but the execution was lackluster.

I will say the book is relatable. As a 30 year old who survived my 20s, I did relate to some of the feelings and experiences the author wrote about.

My main issue with this book is that the essays are way too long. They could have easily been trimmed down to half their length.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/26/review-does-anyone-else-feel-this...

Wow! What a powerful memoir!

As an Asian American female, I was super intrigued by the premise of this memoir. It did not disappoint!

The memoir is told through a series of essays, which worked so well. Each essay was well crafted and blended personal experience with research. It dove deep into how Asian women have been fetishized throughout history and the media.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/21/review-fetishized/

This was a great start to the series!

Going into this, I knew nothing about the comic or the danmei novel it was based on. I went into it blind.

First off, the art is absolutely stunning! Since I had an ARC, the majority of the book was in black and white. However, there were some pages in the beginning that were in full color.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/review-heaven-officials-blessing-...

This was an interesting middle grade look into America during the Vietnam War.

First off, I did like that it took place during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War is not often depicted in books, especially middle grade ones, so it was refreshing to see. I also loved the setting of San Diego. I used to live there so it holds a special place in my heart.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/16/review-yolis-favorite-things/

Wow! What a book! It was one of the most unique fantasy books I‘ve ever read.

It took me about 2 months to read this book, mainly because it‘s a story worth savoring. I didn‘t want to rush through it and I am glad I didn‘t. I enjoyed every page of this book!

The world was so different from anything I've read before.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/13/review-house-of-the-beast/

This was such an entertaining graphic novel!

The premise was super fun. Basically, one day the sky turns purple and it causes people to create scientific breakthroughs and become superheroes and supervillains.

At times the story was somewhat hard to follow because of the many characters. However, there is a cast list at the end of the book.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/11/review-super-science-vol-1/

This was a cute romance with all the fall vibes!

This book checked off every box when it came to everything fall related: apple cider donuts, Gilmore Girls, a corn maze, and even a dog named Pumpkin! It also had all the cozy small town vibes with the mom and pop shops. The inn was adorable and so was Aiden‘s house.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/review-the-honeycrisp-orchard-inn...

Wow! What a phenomenal YA fantasy!

First off, the blend of Hamlet, the Tudors, and deadly flowers were an amazing combination. It all worked together perfectly. It had a gothic feel with a touch of horror. I loved it!

Let‘s take a moment to talk about the grave flowers themselves. These killer flowers had a life of their own and were so fascinating.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/review-grave-flowers/

This was a cute fall romance!

The set up is not the greatest and is the weakest part of the book. The party at the pumpkin farm and fixing up the barn premise didn‘t quite work. But since this is a romance I just rolled with it. The book is also a bit of a slow burn.

The two leads were cute together. I loved seeing their relationship slowly develop.

Full Review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/review-theres-pumpkin-about-you/

What an action packed fantasy!

The best part was the forest setting. Forests are incredible places and the story captured the beauty and harshness of it well. It was the perfect setting of the survival theme that ran throughout the story. An integral part of the story was being able to survive in the forest with limited resources.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/18/review-leave-no-trace-stories-fro...

Such a fun and strange (in a good way) graphic novel!

The premise is very cool. It‘s about a soon to be 13 year old girl who starts getting nightmares of her impending doom filled birthday (she‘s born on 4/4, which is considered unlucky in Chinese culture). These dreams somehow end up in the comic she is creating.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/13/review-the-many-misfortunes-of-eu...

First off, it was interesting that the book was a story within a story and had 3 narrators (Walton, Frankenstein, and the Creature). That was something I wasn‘t expecting but it worked.

The star of the story was the Creature (aka Frankenstein‘s monster). The Creature was the epitome of being othered. He was so misunderstood and just wanted to belong and feel loved.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/11/review-frankenstein/

This book started off so strong and I was loving it, then the “reveal” happened and I didn‘t love it. What the “reveal” was felt so out of character for Percy. It didn‘t work for me. I want to keep this spoiler free so all I will say is what Percy did just wasn‘t consistent with how she acted all throughout the book.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/04/review-every-summer-after/

This was a dark and twisted romance!

The story is basically an erotic dark romance retelling of Beauty and the Beast. As a retelling, it worked well. It followed the storyline and a lot of elements were present, including a protagonist who loves to read and a stunning library. The library was massive.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/review-a-bedtime-story-fairy-tale...

What a charming story!

This is exactly the kind of story I would have devoured as a kid. Growing up, I loved historical fiction, especially niche stories of children evacuating WWII London. I also enjoyed stories set in quaint country houses. This book had both!

I loved how the book incorporated Native American culture.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/08/25/review-the-blossoming-summer/

This was a cute rom-com set in Ireland!

The best part of the book was definitely the setting. Ireland makes for an incredible backdrop to the story. I enjoyed how the book gave you a little tour through Ireland and explored some Irish culture like fairy stories.

The book is fairly short (around 300 pages) which was the perfect length. It was short and sweet.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/08/23/review-an-irish-summer/

What a wonderful coming of age story!

The book is set in a hotel in Seattle during the 1990s and I loved how authentically Seattle it felt. There were numerous references to Seattle pop culture (and 90s pop culture in general) throughout, including a chapter cleverly named, “Pleatless in Seattle” (pg. 114).

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/08/19/review-the-sylvan-hotel/

This was a moving family drama!

The book starts off strong. The story is about 3 sisters who reunite at their home on the Japanese coast. Immediately, I was invested in the story and the scandal involving the youngest sister. The ending was also very strong. It was touching and packed an emotional punch. However, the middle of the book was slow and dragged on.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/08/09/review-kakigori-summer/

This was a powerful YA fantasy!

First off, I loved that the story was inspired by the authors‘ grandparents and their romance during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Drawing on real life experiences gave the story a ton of emotional depth.

I also enjoyed the dual POVs. The story is told in alternating points of view of the two leads, Seung and Eunji.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/08/07/review-the-last-tiger/

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book!

Going into the book, I wasn‘t quite sure how I would like it. I love graphic novels but sci-fi is often a hit or a miss for me. This one was a hit!

I don‘t want to give away too much of the plot, since it‘s more fun if you go into it blind.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/27/review-essentials-vol-1/

What a beautiful novel in verse!

This book tells the story of two young women in two different timelines. The first is Lula, a present day young vocal prodigy studying at a music conservatory. The other is Barbara Strozzi, a 17th century Italian servant turned composer who was a real person. Both storylines were compelling and I loved how they merged!

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/25/review-the-siren-and-the-star/

This was a sweet romance with a lot of heart.

The story is about Abbey, a plus sized architect turned baker, and her journey towards love and self acceptance. I loved that the book explored deeper topics like fat shaming and aging parents. Caring for an ailing parent is a very common thing these days, but I rarely see it depicted in books.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/20/review-eat-dessert-first/

This was such a cute fall romance set in Scotland!

First off, the vibes are immaculate. It took place during autumn, so it gave off super cozy fall vibes. It was also set in a small town in the Scottish Highlands, which added to the dreamy coziness.

The romance was adorable. I loved Harper and Fraser, both separately and as a couple. I found them both endearing.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/19/review-kindling/

This book was just as cute as the first one!

I read the first Winnie the Pooh book 2 years ago and was obsessed. I am so glad I got around to reading the sequel. It had all the charm of its predecessor. Pooh and all his friends were (still) so adorable. In this story, we are finally introduced to Tigger. Tigger was an absolute delight.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/09/review-the-house-at-pooh-corner-w...

This was by far the best book in the trilogy!

Having read this before season 3 came out, I had limited knowledge on the plot line and went into this with few expectations.

Everything worked so well in this one. The book had the perfect amount of drama and suspense that the conclusion to the series needed.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/05/review-well-always-have-summer-th...

This was a super cute romance with some spice!

First off, I loved that it was dual POVs. I will never not be a fan of them in romance novels. I always love seeing how and when the characters start to fall for one another through their POVs.

I loved all the characters. The leads, Piper and James, were both so likable and sweet. They made a great couple.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/review-somewhere-along-the-line/

This was an insightful self help book on love! As someone who is perpetually single, I need all the help I can get.

It is very easy to feel powerless when it comes to love, but this book tells you what you can do to improve your love life and relationships.

The book is very accessible and is written in an easy to understand manner.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/review-it-begins-with-you/

What an amazing novel in verse!

First off, I love novels in verse. I always find them to be so creative and moving and this book was no exception.

This is the debut book from the author and I was very impressed. The poems were all well crafted and really hit the mark, which is a tough thing to accomplish.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/review-top-heavy/

This book is technically the last book in a trilogy but can be read as a standalone. I have not read the previous two books and was able to follow the story. Reading the other books would have been helpful, but it was not necessary.

I enjoyed the writing style the most. It was elegant and felt like a throwback to classic literature.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/19/review-the-forgers-requiem-forger...

This one was so much better than the first book!

First off, I have to preface this review by saying I have seen the second season of the show, so I did know a lot of the plot points going into the book and obviously wasn‘t surprised by some of the things that happened.

This book was much more emotional than the first.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/15/review-its-not-summer-without-you...

Honestly, I don‘t quite know how to feel about this book which is why I gave it 3 stars.

This book started off so slow. It took me a while to get into it. It just felt like the story was meandering and that made it boring.

By the second half it got more exciting and it low key got a little horny, which I typically don‘t mind but in this case it felt random.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/13/review-how-to-read-a-book/

This was such a fun YA fantasy!

First off, the world building was fantastic. It was simple to understand their world and how it related to our world. Everything was explained gradually which made grasping the world easy to digest. Sometimes fantasy novels can do a lot of info-dumping, but this book did not.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/09/review-guardians-of-glyndor/

This book was a ton of fun!

Many years ago (like when I was 12 or 13) I read one of the author‘s other books, Bergdorf Blondes, and remember enjoying it. It‘s no surprise that I loved this one!

This book is like Crazy Rich Asians but with rich Brits in the English countryside. I am a sucker for books about rich people.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/04/review-wives-like-us/

I am a huge fan of the show and of her other series, To All the Boys I‘ve Loved Before, so I figured it was finally time to read this series. This book wasn‘t as exciting as the show, but it was still an enjoyable read.

The first half of the book was a little slow and heavy on flashbacks.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/02/review-the-summer-i-turned-pretty...

What a cute story told from the perspective of a dog! I love dogs so it was no surprise that I loved this book.

The story follows Teddy and his quest to find out what happened to his owner, Maggie. The book is told entirely through Teddy‘s perspective with some emails and texts messages between the humans interspersed throughout.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/01/review-unnatural-selection/

This was an adorable middle grade romance!

I loved the premise. It‘s the classic “popular guy helping the nerdy girl with a makeover and they up falling for each other” trope. Not a novel premise, but one that I do adore. I thought the execution of it was well done, especially for a middle grade audience.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/30/review-what-if-you-fall-for-me-fi...

What a powerful read!

This memoir is about experiencing trauma, unlearning it, and breaking cycles. It is extremely personal and heartfelt. I loved how the author portrayed trauma as complex, which it is.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/20/review-girl-unlearned/

This was a cute rom-com!

The premise is so fun. Two authors facing immense writers block decide to “switch” plot ideas for their next books.

The star of the book was the two authors, Allie and Martin, and their writing relationship and friendship. I love that an old male crime author can become friends with a young female romance author.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/17/review-the-plot-twist/

This is the second book in the Miner & Mulville series, but can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first book and was able to follow this book just fine.

My first impression was that it was very evident the author is a doctor. The medical parts were incredibly detailed.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/09/review-change-of-heart-miner-mulv...

This was a super cute middle grade romance!

First off, I loved the amusement park setting. The majority of the story took place there and it worked so well. It was fun and added to the playfulness of the romance. The park reminded me a lot of the fictional Walley World from the movie, “National Lampoon‘s Vacation” (which is a movie I love).

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/06/review-meet-me-at-wonderland/

What a gorgeous Hawaiian mystery drama!

I‘ve been to Hawai‘i many times, but surprisingly I have never been to Kaua‘i. I was very eager to get a glimpse of the island through this book and it did not disappoint.

This book may be classified as a mystery, but it is so much more than that. It explores Hawaiian life, especially the family dynamics.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/05/03/review-kauai-storm/

This was an incredible look into the Italian resistance and the women involved!

Going into this book, I didn‘t know a whole lot about what went on in Italy during WWII. That being said, I learned so much from this book, not just about these 4 courageous women, but also about the war in general.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/review-women-of-war/

What an adorable manga! A vampire being obsessed with a vampire anime was a fun premise. It was so meta!

The main character, Hina, was extremely lovable. She‘s a reclusive vampire who travels to Japan because of an anime. She‘s an otaku (which means she‘s a huge fangirl of anime) and her personality was so cute.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/27/review-otaku-vampires-love-bite-v...

This was such a cute middle grade romance!

The book is about tween girls and their crushes which reminded me of when I was that age. I always had crushes and would obsess over them just like the main character, Julie. Having crushes at that age is so fun and the book encompasses that.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/review-meet-me-at-sunset-spotligh...

This was a fun rom-com with a lot of depth!

First off, the title is perfect because it sums up the book so well. Two friends, Theo and Evie, get married so Evie (who has a chronic illness) can get good health benefits and together they qualify for Theo‘s rent controlled apartment.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/23/review-friends-with-benefits/

This was a star crossed lovers fantasy romance and it was so beautifully executed. I loved Clarion and Milori together. They had such a strong emotional bond and I loved how they helped each other grow. Milori has my heart. I can see why Clarion fell in love with him. I also thought the supporting characters, particularly Petra and Artemis, were well crafted.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/20/review-wings-of-starlight/