Evvie Drake Starts Over, by Linda Holmes
This was a fun, enjoyable read! The thing that particularly resonated with me was this statement regarding a kindergartener: "...she's bullheaded, which I think is great, but I don't want to be bailing her out of jail when she's nine." Who knew my daughter was inspiration for a small part of this book?
Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi
Okay, I was so freaking excited for this book to come out. I loved the first one a lot, and I also have a special place in my heart for CBB because it kicked off this insane and wonderful reading experience of 2019. So it pains me to say that CVV is my biggest book disappointment of the year, and possibly of my life. (Spoilers ahead.)
Zelie kind of sucks in this book -- so many poor choices made and actions taken because of hurt feelings. Her feelings are 100% merited, but it frustrated me to no end that she could not clear her head BEFORE doing things that had the potential for huge ripple effects.
Tzain is still a blank slate, a cardboard cut-out of a character. So that was a continued disappointment.
Inan STILL cannot get his thoughts through to anyone. This is partially on Zelie, too, but DUDE. After two books I am so sick and tired of him being misunderstood or not being able to explain himself.
Amari was my one hope, my shining beacon, the one character in this I actually like. And by the end of CVV, I was even frustrated with her and where her character was taken in the story.
Plotwise, it was someone (Inan) trying to explain something, someone (Zelie) not listening and freaking out and reacting in the most over-the-top and consequential way, and groups of people suffering the consequences. Over and over and over again. I hated it so much.
I do wonder if this was on purpose, that this is another way to reflect the black experience in all of America's history and beyond. If this was indeed the intent of Adeyemi, then damn was it done really well.
In the end I gave the book the benefit of the doubt and rated it 3 stars, but by no means was this an enjoyable read.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, by Mackenzi Lee
After that colossal disappointment and general mood-killer I decided I needed something lighthearted and fun, and I could not have picked a better book for that. This book was so funny, so witty, and so entertaining. I listened to it entirely on audiobook, which I highly recommend. The narrator has a perfect voice and captures the wit and humor of Monty so well. I laughed out loud so many times and was really invested in the characters and the relationship (the story was also great!).
Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater
Going into this, I wasn't aware that this was "a werewolf book," and honestly after finishing it doesn't fully feel like "a werewolf book." (I don't even know what that means?) I really liked this one! I thought the concept of the wolves and the conditions under which they shift was really interesting and unique! Grace and Sam were enjoyable to read about and I liked their story, but not enough to continue on with the series. One book was perfect for me.
Tom's Midnight Garden The Graphic Novel, by Philippa Pearce
Fun, magical, and emotional!
Call Down the Hawk, by Maggie Stiefvater
I was eager to revisit my babies, Ronan and Adam, even though I knew this was not a book about their relationship (Chapter 10 broke me at work). I really liked the new character, Jordan, and all of her complexities. And dammit if I don't freaking love Declan now. WHODATHUNK?!? I was lucky enough to discover The Raven Cycle after everything was out and I could consume it all at once, but not so lucky with The Dreamer Trilogy. Eagerly awaiting the next installment!
Blood Heir, by Amelie Wen Zhao
I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Truthfully I cannot remember a whole lot about it a few weeks later, but I remember that Ana and Ramsom were a fun pair (although Ramsom's name is a pain to try and say). Assuming my library acquires the next book, I will definitely pick it up!
The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky, by Mackenzi Lee
This was purely a fun bit of whipped cream. No real substance, but lots of fun and humor and a nice chance to revisit Monty and Percy. It made me realize that I love being inside of Monty's head, because it is such a hilarious place to be.
Twice in a Blue Moon, by Christina Lauren
I absolutely adored this author-duo's second-chance romance that I read earlier in 2019, so I was looking forward to another one from them. It didn't consume my soul quite like Love and Other Words, but I still really enjoyed it!
One Day in December, by Josie Silver
This was a book that didn't quite land for me. I was completely hooked at the very beginning, but it went in a direction that I wouldn't have picked personally. And while it was well-executed, it just isn't the kind of story that I think I like reading. The ten-year build was just not what I like in romances, I think.
The Black Mage, by Daniel Barnes
A short, sweet, to-the-point story with fun characters and really great art!
Say You Still Love Me, by K.A. Tucker
Trying a new romance author! I really loved all of this story, but Eric's arc really hurt me. Any normal human being would wish that his story had ended differently, and I keep thinking about how everything could have worked without what happened to him!!
Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston
I EFFIN LOVED THIS. It was so perfect, so funny, so sexy, so GAY, and so so so full of hope and happiness. It was everything I wish the real world could be.
It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover
I had no idea that this would be a hard-hitting romance, and OOOF. It came at me and bowled me over. This is by no means a fun, easy romance (as I have come to expect from the romance genre), but it is a great book that is masterfully crafted to achieve maximum empathy for Lily. It is beyond heartbreaking (that hospital scene made me tear up), but also ends on a very hopeful note.
The Simple Wild, by K.A. Tucker
This was almost a five-star book for me. I loved the setting, I loved the dynamic between the two characters, I loved their own relationships to members of the community. I did not love that Calla was obnoxiously obtuse about living in a place that wasn't a city, nor did I love Jonah bagging on Calla's use of makeup all the time. But I did love the progression of their relationship and was glad for a resolution that differed from Calla's parents'.
Her Royal Highness, by Rachel Hawkins
Lowest rating in a while, this was pretty boring overall.
The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden
Really loved this one! I admired Vasya's character and was really excited for the rest of the trilogy. The setting was really immersive (reading at wintertime might have helped with this), and I loved how the chapters were each given a title. I thought this helped to frame each chapter as its own little tale that Vasya and her siblings might have heard growing up.
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