july reads.

Vicious and

Vengeful, by V.E. Schwab

I loved these two books, and not only can I not wait for the planned third installment, I also am looking forward to re-reading these in the future.  Going into the series, I had this thin understanding that Vengeful was less liked than Vicious, and though my star rating did go down for Vengeful, I by no means hated the book.  I loved the introduction of Marcella in Vengeful so much, it was possibly my favorite character introduction ever.  Also, I love Mitch and hardly anyone in these books deserves him.  If the author ends up killing him off in the future I will REVOLT.

The Turn of the Key, by Ruth Ware

I thought this was a great mystery/thriller, though I think I may need to avoid such stories with children in the future.  It makes the story too intense for me and I start freaking out when the lives of kids are at stake.  Also, if I ever needed steering away from smart homes, this sure satisfied that need.  NO THANK YOU.

One to Watch, by Kate Stayman-London

I decided to get this book after I finished the first 3 books from The Selection series.  I wanted a re-framed Bachelor-esque story with just a touch more meaning and depth.  This was a really great book that touched on society's fatphobia on a stage we haven't really ever seen it before.  It did not shy away from the ugliness that pervades the socials and real-life interactions of fat people, and it was simultaneously sad, infuriating, and disgusting to read the pure ugliness that comes from some people.  I was happy to see a MC that was strong and confident in who she was, but also not immune to the garbage that was thrown her way.  More female MCs who are successful badasses but not completely indestructible.  And of course, there was a happy ending!  I knew right off the bat who I wanted Bea to pick, and I was happy to see that was who she ended up with... but I wanted more.  More of what, I'm not quite sure, but this story was missing some unknown element for me to push it to five stars.

The Tyrant's Tomb, by Rick Riordan

Easily my highest rated book in this series.  My favorite parts were the return of Artemis and The Girls, and Reyna's character arc.  Looking forward to the last book later this year!

Ghost Boys, by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Devastating.  Beautiful.  Perfect.

How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi

A really great read framed against Kendi's life progression from a self-proclaimed racist to a rehabilitating anti-racist.  This book addressed racism in so many different forms, and I appreciated seeing all of the aspects of it and recognizing where and when I have seen it in my own life.  Though I often felt frustrated when reading this book, I found hope in Kendi's assertion that many of us will swing back and forth between racism and antiracism for much of our lives.  His acknowledging that the transformation to antiracist is a process that takes time also seemed to me like an offering of forgiveness in advance of any mistakes people make when they try to become better antiracists and allies towards Black people, as long as they are continually trying to do the right thing.  Highly recommend this book to anyone trying to educate and/or better themselves.

The Old Guard, Book One: Opening Fire, by Greg Rucka

I read this graphic novel after watching the movie on Netflix, and I was absolutely floored by how closely the movie followed the original source material.  Like, entire conversations in the comics were word-for-word in the movie.  And that perfect "He's not my boyfriend" monologue?  Exact same in both the comics and the movie!  Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading Book Two when it's published together later this year, and hope that it also gets adapted into a movie.

The Boyfriend Project, by Farrah Rochon

A just-okay romance for me!  Characters were completely likeable, story was good, but it wasn't hugely memorable in my mind.

The Bride Test, by Helen Hoang

This was somehow another romance book that got me crying?  I don't know what has happened to me this summer, but I am fully crying at romance books now.  Anyway, I think I liked this just as much as I liked The Kiss Quotient, but after reading Serpent & Dove last year I asked for more books where men learn how to properly have sex with women, and The Bride Test delivered, so I bumped it up a star for that.

The Deep, by Rivers Solomon

I loved this so damn much.  I know not everyone will jive with this, but I thought it was so so good.  I definitely would have loved to read a longer story, but also think it's perfect how it is now.  Also recommend listening to The Deep by clipping. before/during/after reading this book.

Unravel the Dusk, by Elizabeth Lim

The follow-up to last year's Spin the Dawn that was on par with the first book, but also means that I felt pretty lukewarm about it.  A solid duology that I'd recommend to anyone, but not one of my faves.

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

A delight!!!  I've been wanting to read this for some time, and definitely before I see the movie since everyone seems to collectively agree that the movie is better than the book in this case.  But I absolutely loved this book and how magical it all was.  I'm hoping to get the audiobook one day and have it for future road trips when the kids are older and can enjoy it too.

mid year book freak out tag 2020.

This is a thing that goes around Booktube every year.  I'm not brave enough to start a channel, but I always think this is fun, so I decided to do it here!  I'm pulling my answers from all the books I read from January to the end of June.

1. Best book you've read so far in 2020
- It's got to be The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  Count me in the group that believes this book should be required reading for all students in this country.  One of the things that Thomas so does so brilliantly is she paces this book SO WELL.  This is a book about systemic racism and police brutality and Black trauma, but it's not a drag of a book that is impossible to read.  There is hope threaded throughout the book, not just at the end, and there is humor in all the right places.  In this book I became so angry I got a headache, I died laughing and read funny passages out loud to my husband, and I felt my hope increase over the course of the book.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2020

- I think I'm going to go with Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.  This was one of my most anticipated sequels, as I finished Aurora Rising last year and nearly died with the realization of having to wait.  Aurora Burning did not disappoint me.  I loved the new character, some new character and relationship developments, and the training sequence, which is often something I have to slog my way through as a reader but didn't need to this time.  Once again, I am dying to wait for the next book.

3. New anticipated release that you haven't read yet

- Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty.  This book literally came out this week so I defintely am not that far behind on getting to it, but I think it will still be a little bit until I start reading.  It's definitely going to happen sometime this summer though, and I'm eager to revisit the lives of Nahri, Dara, and Ali!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of 2020

I have 3 answers for this, in order of their publication date:

- The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton, a book I am SO excited for because I have missed this author very much, AND its setting is connected to the world of Rebel of the Sands.

- Fable by Adrienne Young, a book by an author who has become one of my favorites.  Adrienne Young is an auto-buy for me at this point, and I'm really looking forward to a book by her that is in a different setting than her first two to see what else she can do.

- A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir, a book that I nearly died at not having last year when I finished A Reaper at the Gates.  I finally get to see what happens to my babies, and hopefully I don't lose all of them in the process.

5. Biggest disappointment of 2020

- House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas.  I by no means gave this a low rating or hated this book the most of what I've read in the last six months.  But I was really eager to get into another SJM book again, and I just did not become obsessed with this book or these characters the way I have with her other series.  I'm not giving up hope though, because books one in both the ToG and ACOTAR series are not my favorites, and for now I'm assuming the same will be the case with CC.

6. Biggest Surprise of 2020

- No question, that would be Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare.  I did not expect to care about the characters as much as I did, and I couldn't stop thinking about them for a few days after the book was done.  Still don't know what a Shadowhunter is.

7. Favorite New Author (debut or new to me)

- Duh, Rick Riordan.  He's also my most-read author this year so far, but also a favorite.  Though I'm not quite loving the Trials of Apollo series, The Camp Half-Blood Universe is a treasure and I desperately wish I could have had this to read when I was younger.  I'm already looking forward to when my kids are old enough and I can force them to read these books.

8. Newest Fictional Crush

- Augustus freakin Everett from Emily Henry's Beach Read.  Gimme dat DDNB.

9. Newest Favorite Character

- Nico di Angelo from Rick Riordan's Camp Half-Blood Universe.  Gimme dat DDNB.

10. Book that made you cry
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.  To my recollection, this is also the first book that has ever made me cry.  Can't wait to read the second book to make me cry in another 30 years when I'm 60.  JUST KIDDING, the 2nd book to make me cry I read LITERALLY less than a week after I read The Poet X.  I think some unknown part of my emotional self has opened up.

11. Most beautiful book you bought this year.
I have three answers for this:

- The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young.  I LOVE this cover so much, it's so beautiful, so detailed, and the texture given to the ocean satisfies some part of my brain that I can quite name.

- An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon.  I haven't read this one yet, but have my eye on it for multiple reasons, least of which is the stunning cover.

 


- And lastly, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion.  Jon gave me this after I wouldn't stop dropping stupidly obvious hints about it, and I love it.  Having a behind-the-scenes visual dictionary of my favorite video game ever is one of the nerdiest things I will ever be happy about, but HOW CAN I NOT, LOOK AT ITS BEAUTY.

12. Books I still need to read before the end of the year
I mean, all of them?  But here's a list of 5 varied reads I have my eye on:
- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
- Want by Cindy Pon
- One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

june reads.

And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
This was a fun read, and I think my favorite part was that it was all centered on a nursery rhyme.  Even though it spelled out multiple times what was going to happen in the book, everything was still engrossing and surprising as it happened.  The twist in the end was pretty great, albeit a little bit impossible to believe??  But I still liked this book!!

The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo
I've always said that I don't cry when I read books, and that my version of crying in a book is tearing up.  Until this book.  I WEPT at parts of this book, both the tears and the feels this book gave me took be completely by surprise.  I wasn't sure how I'd receive a book written entirely in poems, but I was just as into it as I would be a regularly-written novel.  A few of these poems shocked me at how much I related to them, and I will never ever forget them.

The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley
I was really really into the setting and the atmosphere of this mystery, but not at all about most of the characters involved.  I found them really unlikable and so it got to a point where I was like kill them all, I do not care.  I'm disappointed I didn't like this more because the setting is so perfect for a murder mystery, and I would love to see it again in a book, but with different characters.

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas
I don't know what to say about this book that hasn't already been said by people who are better and more qualified than me to make a review.
Perfect.  Haunting.  Frustrating.  Funny.  Hopeful.  Mandatory.  Reading.

Meet Cute Club, by Jack Harbon
Short and sweet.  Nothing particularly new or groundbreaking.

You Deserve Each Other, by Sarah Hogle
I've been swinging between 3 and 4 stars for this book since I read it, but I think I'm going to stick with a 4-star rating for this one.  Though the characters were serious bratty and annoying in the beginning, as soon as they started getting over themselves I really liked this book.  I ALSO CRIED IN THIS BOOK.  I don't know what is wrong with me, if The Poet X has unlocked this new part of me that cries during books, but if this is the new normal I can live with it.  Romances that involve an established couple at the beginning that are going through it are not my favorite.  They stress me out because in my mind the stakes are so high (what if this is the first ever romance without a happy ending!!) and seeing the struggles is not a fun time.  But this one was kind of fun because the pranking and roasting was amusing.  Just wish they hadn't been so annoying in the beginning!

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia
Okay, so not only was I VERY late to the Rick Riordan party, but I am also behind on the Rick Riordan Presents Imprint.  Not only do I love the concept, I love the idea of having a whole host of mythologies for myself and my kids to explore.  Tristan Strong was such an amazing book.  The story and the atmosphere were so FULL.  Of what, it's hard to explain, but by the end of the book I felt enriched and completely satisfied.  This book is also one of the most stunning debuts I have ever read, and I'm really looking forward to the next book.  And also the other mythologies to explore!

The Guest List, by Lucy Foley
Okay, this was basically what I asked for after finishing The Hunting Party.  The perfect setting for a murder mystery, but with more likable characters.  I really liked this one, and definitely much more than Foley's other book I read this month.  There were quite a few characters to pull for, and I really liked how everything wove together and you could see by the end how multiple people had a motive to kill the "victim" (in quotes, because they pretty much deserved it).  I did want the ending to go differently, though.  While I'm not mad at who the killer turned out to be, I would have liked each of the people slighted by the murdered person to have some kind of confrontation with them.  A couple of characters just kind of found out the person was dead and then went home being like "I guess now the only thing to do is to figure out how to move on" and I was very much like WHAAAATTTT.  I also didn't like how one character's story ended in the book, it all just felt very unfair and unsatisfying.  But overall, I liked this book and thought it was a great improvement from The Hunting Party.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, by Roseanne A. Brown
Another really fantastic debut!!  I really liked this book, and I especially liked the main characters, Karina and Malik.  Both had really great backstories (though I would have liked a little more from Malik), and watching them grapple with the idea of having to kill each other added a lot to the story (and is something I'd like to see confronted in book two!).  I always love to see competitions in books, and it was no different here.  I also really liked the depiction of disabilities in both characters, and how those factored into their lives and journeys.  Lastly, the cover.  It is freaking gorgeous, one of the most beautiful book covers I have ever seen.  I can't wait for book two!

may reads, and allllllllllll the thoughts from The Selection you didn't ask for.

This Savage Song and
Our Dark Duet, by Victoria Schwab
I enjoyed these books while I was reading them, but one month later and I can't remember many specific thoughts I had, except that I think I was wanting more the whole time.  And also I wanted the ship to happen, but wasn't necessarily devastated that it didn't?

Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire
I really like the concept for these shorter stories and am looking forward to reading the other ones some time in the future.  Of everyone's lost worlds Nancy's is the one I want more of, which is probably partly because of Lore Olympus, but whatever.

Aurora Burning, by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Book number two in this series, and I still love it.  I like the new character, I liked the "training sequence," and it was fun.  Except for that ending.  Definitely one of the more brutal cliffhangers I have ever encountered.

The Hidden Oracle, by Rick Riordan
As much as I love the first two series involving Camp Half-Blood, I was not enthused about reading this at all.  I simply do not care about Apollo/Lester like, at all.  I think he's really annoying and somehow still insanely egotistical in spite of his new mortality and it is extremely eye-rolling.  I nearly DNFed this book, but found I was able to consume it much easier by listening to it so that's the way I did this.  I am mainly in this series for every/any glimpse at our friends from the past, and ate up every word involving Nico di Angelo in this book.

The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert
Beautiful, atmospheric, haunting.  The first half of the book moved at a pace I really liked and the second half lagged a bit for me, but I still got really invested in the story and Alice and Finch.  Book #2 is on my TBR.

Sadie, by Courtney Summers
This book was so great, and I cannot wait to experience it a second time, but via audiobook, which everyone says is AMAZING.  I consider myself pretty new to the thriller/mystery genre, but I'm wading in and this was a really good book to start out with.  I loved the podcast element that was brought into it.  These kinds of podcasts have been wildly successful and drawing on that obsession that podcast listeners get and working to evoke that in a book was genius.

The Dark Prophecy and
The Burning Maze, by Rick Riordan
These two books brought back more of my faves, but also was unexpectedly devastating in a few ways.  SHIPS ARE NOT WATER-TIGHT, Y'ALL.  I'm semi-eager to get to The Tyrant's Tomb, which is nearly always available at my library, but since I've decided to go the audiobook route with this series, I'm waiting for several more weeks.

The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
I thought this story was fine, and I get why it was such a huge hit when it came out.  But a week later and I'm having trouble remembering finer details about things.  The main character bothered me, and I hesitate to say it's because of her drinking because obviously she was addicted and I don't want to completely write someone off for something they don't have a lot of control over.  But the drinking was part of it, and I questioned so many of her decisions throughout the book.  I think at one point I was watching her possibly go to her death and was more resigned than worried for her.

The Selection,
The Elite, and
The One, by Kiera Cass
I have like, a million thoughts on these books and it kind of makes me wish I could just vlog it all out instead of type it, but whatever.  I'm doing this.  Spoilers abound!
First of all, I feel the need to say that I would have even read these books if it wasn't for BookOutlet.  I saw that they were listing books 2-5 for around $4 each, and the combination of book FOMO and the great deal was too strong to ignore.
The Selection
The main character, America, was fine.  I've now come to realize that a lot of people think she's really annoying, and in this book I didn't find her unbearable.  She had some insecurities about her hometown boyfriend, but I thought it was kind of reasonable given the circumstances and how he had acted.  I wish she had played music more, since that was like, her entire existence.
When the concept of "the selection" was explained, I thought it made sense.  The prince was too busy to date like a normal person because he's training and learning to be king, so we need a special way for him to meet girls.  Okay.  But then, the prince was really dumb??  Like, he didn't seem to know anything about ANYTHING, so I was like, what are you learning in King School??
As for the actual selection, it was pretty bland.  Obviously I wasn't expecting any physical challenges a la Throne of Glass or The Hunger Games, but definitely some tests to determine the girls' merits.  I did like how the book seemed to be anti girl vs. girl and made a point to have the selected girls make friends with each other.
As far as the love triangle went, I wasn't so much pro-Maxon as I was anti-Aspen.  I had serious suspiscions about him (probably because I had just finished reading a domestic thriller), and rolled my eyes all the way into my skull when his provider issues and need to dictate what was best for America came out.  No thank you.
I also did not like the stuff about virginity/purity, especially since it's clear that it's no one's choice to act that way, it is virtually forced upon them.  Also, it ended up bearing almost no weight at all as the books went on, so it felt pointless that it was a world mandate.
As it turns out, it appears I need very little to be entertained.  There was little worldbuilding, hardly any descriptive imagery, and very few answers.  And at the end of it I was like, that was dumb, but fun!  Four stars!!
The Elite
And then my optimism all kind of fell apart.  The love triangle was UUUGGGGHHHHH, America's insecurity, while still understandable, quickly became very grating, and there was not nearly enough Maxon kissing.
The One
And then, the series ended.  Which I truly was not expecting because there are five books in the series, but if had looked up even a little bit about the series I would have seen that books 4 and 5 focus on a different girl and not America.  So that kind of blew apart my hope that basically anything that I was finding lacking would be fleshed out and expanded over more books.
The pacing of this book was maddening.  America didn't tell Maxon her secret until literally like, the last twenty pages of the book.  And then, all of the ending action and the convenient kill-offs were completely off-stage.  I kept waiting for America to do something heroic, but apparently she was truly playing that "not like other [female protagonists]" to the very end.
The one thing that I did like was the turnaround for a character who was largely antagonistic throughout all three books, and then she got such a dirty ending and I wanted to scream.
In conclusion
Overall for The Elite and The One, I kept seeing so many moments that I wanted to branch off and go a different way to make the story far more interesting than it was.  Like if she had been sent home literally any one of those times she assumed it was going to happen, if the rebels had done SOMETHING of importance (like take one of her family members), if the reveal that one character was secretly a rebel had meant anything at all... there were SO many things that could have been interesting!
After about a week, I've lowered all of my initial star ratings by one star.  I think my hopeful optimism and bank account were really wanting to like these books, but now that I'm compiling my thoughts and writing them out, they don't deserve that kind of optimism.  There are a million things that I would have changed to make this series better.  I keep imagining what a Bachelor-murder-mystery book would be like and I would LOVE to read that book.
Maybe one day when I'm feeling stupid I'll read books 4 and 5, but I've shed any and all optimism that I will feel better about those books.
Whomp whomp.

april reads.

The Shadows Between Us, by Tricia Levenseller
This story was just fine!  The premise was intriguing and the first half was really great, and I was thinking a solid four-star rating was waiting at the end.  But I started losing steam in the second half and at the finish it ended up being a three-star.  Truthfully, I cannot even remember what it was that made me lose interest??

Chain of Gold, by Cassandra Clare
I finished this and was like COMPLETELY blindsided by how much I liked it.  I couldn't stop thinking about these characters for several days, and a part of me was FUMING that I liked this book so much to be devastated at having to wait for future installments.  It was totally unexpected, but not exactly disappointing, and now I have to consider buying this book because I liked it that much.
I have to be honest: after reading 5 books in this universe, I'm not sure I know what a Shadowhunter even is.  😬😬😬  Is that bad???  But I get these books now: it's about the characters.  And hell if I didn't love the cast of characters in this book.

Imagine Me, by Tahereh Mafi
I devoured books 1-5 in this series in March of last year, and have been low-key looking forward to the conclusion for a year.  And it was... underwhelming and disappointing.  In the first fifty pages... literally just one thing happens, but it is described in metaphors and excessive language for f.i.f.t.y. freaking pages.  And the rest of the book kind of ends up being the same.  Just a handful (if that) of events happen, and I just wasn't as riveted as I was by the other books in the series.  Whomp whomp.

If I Never Met You, by Mhairi McFarlane
This was a delightful read that was devastating and funny and sweet and everything that a good romance needs (though it could have been a little more sexy, TBH).

Wintersong, by S. Jae-Jones
This was a perfectly adequate read that had a fantastic setting and wonderful atmosphere, but I didn't really care about the characters enough to read the sequel.

Undercover Bromance, by Lyssa Kay Adams
Loved being back with some of these characters!  This was fun and funny and sexy, and the revenge-fantasy aspect was much appreciated, too.  This freaking book club is always a delight to read about.

Bone Crier's Moon, by Kathryn Purdie
I don't know why, but early on in this book, I compared it to Serpent & Dove.  I kept thinking is this the book that I wanted Serpent & Dove to be?  And I think it was!!  I really loved this book and the world and the characters.  Really looking forward to the next one.

Truly Devious,
The Vanishing Stair, and
The Hand on the Wall, by Maureen Johnson
Okay, I've never really read mystery/thrillers like, at all, so maybe that affects my opinion of this series, but I absolutely LOVED this trilogy.  I think I would have loved it even more if I read it during the fall/early winter to match the setting.  (The setting was a spectacular aspect of this book, it was established so well.)  Stevie was such a great MC and I loved following her while she solved the mystery of the school she attends.  My only gripe was that I did not like David and will forever ship Stevie and Nate, but even that wasn't enough for me to not give this series five stars.

Red Rising,
Golden Son, and
Morning Star, by Pierce Brown
A great science fiction series!  I really loved book one, book two lost my interest a little, and then book three got it right back.  The high level of violence was exactly what I didn't know I needed (😳), and I was here for all of the horrifyingly gruesome moments.  My advice to anyone reading this is to not get too attached to anyone.  Lots of character deaths, some of which stopped my heart in my chest.
About halfway through book two, I discovered that this series continues past book three and kind of wanted to die.  But this first trilogy wraps up nicely and it's definitely possible to stop after Morning Star.
Also, I mostly listened to these on audiobook, and really loved it!  The narrator was A+ and I think I found the story more immersive this way.

Beach Read, by Emily Henry
Okay.  So I started this book at 9:30 pm, thinking that I would just read a couple of chapters before bed.  And then I was IN IT, saw the time at 11:30, and was like, we're doing this.  At 2:30 am, I laid in my bed thinking, did I just read my favorite book of all time???
I loved this book so damn much, I don't even have proper words.  I loved reading about January so much and found her so relatable, even though I have never experienced the relationship-heartbreak she has. Her struggles to write were a manifestation of my own, and when she finally started to write it was about a family in a traveling circus and I WROTE ABOUT A CAST IN A TRAVELING CIRCUS IN COLLEGE.
And Gus.  Freaking Gus, my precious Depressive Demon Nightmare Boy.  He was perfect in his flaws and strengths, and even though he's the complete opposite of Jon, I would have married him in a heartbeat.  (sorry, babe.)
I will say, at the 90% mark, I had legitimate fears about how the book was going to end.  Like, in my mind it could have reasonably gone one way and I was like OH NOOOO PLEASE DON'T, and I was thinking what am I going to rate this if it goes that way, and I decided it STILL would have been a five-star read even if it didn't end the way I wanted.  I like my contemporary romances with depth, and boy did this have it.
In the end, I got to Goodreads and wondered, is it possible to give a book six stars?  Which I've never ever thought before.  So, yeah.  Favorite book of all time.

The Kingdom of Back, by Marie Lu
A really special story about the Mozart siblings that was wonderfully immersive and both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  Marie Lu's writing is so great, and even though I haven't loved everything she has written *coughYoungElitescough* I will always read something she publishes, no question.

Saga, Volumes 1-9, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
This graphic novel series broke my soul.  I'm an idiot who didn't know that the series is only halfway complete, so while I was making my way through the volumes I was like how did early readers of this series wait so freaking long in between installments?  WELL JOKE'S ON ME, and now I'm in it for like, the next damn decade.
I immediately fell for the main characters and was invested in their story right away.  (And boy, I could NOT have predicted where exactly that story would have taken me.)  Some of the art panels are beautifully stunning, even while some of the images are life-alteringly disturbing.
I read all of the published volumes in about 6 or so hours, and then Jon stayed up until 5AM also finishing it.  So it goes without saying, it's totally bingeable.
It also puts the "graphic" in graphic novel.  Sex, violence, swearing... it's got it all, and then some.  If that doesn't bother you, proceed on this soul-shattering journey!

2020 first quarter reads.

This post was originally titled "january reads" because that is when I opened up this post, and it has sat empty all the way up to now.  So, now we're at "first quarter reads" and I'm going to regret doing this because three months of books is insane, but whatever.  These are going to be shorter than usual, but here we go.

January

The Girl in the Tower (#2) and

The Winter of the Witch (#3) by Katherine Arden
(Book #1 in this series, The Bear and the Nightingale, was my last read of 2019, so I reviewed it in my December reads post). I truly loved this trilogy, it was so atmospheric and wonderful and a perfect read for winter.  I think Vasya is the kind of heroine I aspire to be.

The Illuminae Files:

Illuminae,

Gemina, and

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
I read and loved Aurora Rising, this author duo's newest space series that started last year, so I figured I should check out their first one, and WOW.  So fun and such a compelling series to read.  Illuminae was freakin' amazing, and Gemina and Obsidio were kind of just copies of Illuminae, but I didn't really care all that much.  Highly recommend!
Spoilery side note: Illuminae combined my two biggest irrational fears: being stranded out in space and zombies.  My anxiety was raging while I read this, but I still loved it.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before and

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
Gang, I think High School Romances are just Not For Me.  And I was extremely unimpressed by Peter Kavinksy, I was rooting against him in Books One (until it was revealed that Josh and Margo's relationship had been sexual, obviously) and Two (ESPECIALLY after I saw how Netflix made John McEnroe-Whatever WAYYYYY cuter than he was supposed to be in the book), and I was wrong both times.  I'm always wrong.  Anyway, I did not care to read Book Three.  No more Peter for me, thanks.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians:

The Lightning Thief,

The Sea of Monsters,

The Titan's Curse,

The Battle of the Labyrinth, and

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Okay, this series is freaking amazing and SO SO funny.  Like, some of the dialogue was so perfectly middle school in the best possible way, and it had me laughing out loud throughout.  The characters were *chef's kiss*, the quests were *chef's kiss*, and the Greek mythology was *chef's kiss*.  Add this series to the list of books I am most excited to read with my kids some day.

Daughter of the Pirate King and

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
Book One: I really liked!  It was fun and the banter between Riden and Alosa was perfect.
Book Two: less fun because there was less banter, but still a fun read.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
Okay, I'm realizing now that I have to take back my blanket NO HIGH SCHOOL ROMANCES I made like two minutes ago because I really loved this story and thought it was perfect in every way that I wanted it to be.  Love the letter-writing/texting trope, but ESPECIALLY the anonymous kind, and this book had it!

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
I loved this story so much!  Throughout the book I found myself wondering "Are Renaissance Faires romantic???" which I believe speaks to HOW GOOD the author is.  Well Met is now a physical book on my shelf, which is a rare honor for a romance.

Devious Lies by Parker S. Huntington
Okay, I saw this promoted on Amazon as a "standalone enemies-to-lovers romance" and was like, Sign Me Up.  And then I found out it was 700 pages??  And look, I've been unexpectedly liking the majority of the romances I decide to read, but a 700-pager??  Never doing it again.  This book was just fine, it had a good amount of angst, which I liked, but not a favorite.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
I thought the premise of this book was hilarious, and many parts of it were, indeed, hilarious!  I was laughing out loud and really enjoyed myself while reading this.  It was also really heavy at times because a marriage is at stake, and even though all romances have happy endings, I still felt the gravity of the stakes and it was a little tense sometimes.

February

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
Meh.

The Heroes of Olympus:

The Lost Hero,

The Son of Neptune,

The Mark of Athena,

The House of Hades, and 

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Holy 2500-page series, Batman.  I was skeptical almost all throughout The Lost Hero, and then the last 50 pages happened and I was HOOKED.  I read these back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back and my brain was EXHAUSTED at the end, but it was still a fun ride.  The House of Hades was my favorite of the series, and I would die a million times for Nico di Angelo (and not just because he might greet me in the Underworld).

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
My first re-read of the year!  I was following along with the author on her Instagram for a readalong of this book, and to be honest I was really nervous.  I remember having such intense, visceral feelings when I read SitD for the first time last year, and it was part of what made me love the book so much.  I never cry when I read books (not yet, at least), but this got me the closest I've ever gotten and I teared up so much when I read it last year.  ANYWAY, I was afraid that with the re-read, I wouldn't get those same feelings and the experience wouldn't be as impactful.
And I was happily wrong!  I still teared up, I still felt all the feelings, and it all just made it extra clear: this is one of my favorite books of all time.  I cannot wait to read it again.

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
This one really gutted me and had me in turmoil for days.  I gave this 5 stars because the story was really great, but also... it really upset me.  This book isn't a work of fiction, it's nonfiction, and that makes me sad and mad and...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
My first classic read since college!  (Oof.)  I wanted to read this because I got a book in January that is a gender-swapped retelling of TCoMC, and I really liked it.  There were parts that were so funny, and others that were so sad, and also really gratifying parts.  I love a good revenge-fantasy, and although I would have liked a even more confrontation and comeuppance at the end, I'm glad I read this.
Also, Edmond Dantes is the OG Scheming Character.  While I was reading the last half I kept thinking OHHHH so THIS is who Aelin and Kaz were emulating.  Got it.

March

The Renegades Trilogy:

Renegades,

Archenemies, and

Supernova by Marissa Meyer
I didn't hate this series.  I actually really liked the characters and the Superheroes vs. Supervillains concept was a lot less boring than I was anticipating.  BUT, one thing really effin' bugged me about this series. (Spoilers ahead)  Our main character, Nova, is a spy.  I'm fine with that.  But this is what I was expecting:
- Book One ending with her being found out
- Book Two being her and the friends she made as a spy grappling with her betrayal but eventually getting through it and coming together
- Book Three being everyone being the team they were meant to be and beating the bad guys, andsoforth.
Why was I expecting this?  Because this is how books go!  Because this is the formula that works and lends to good flow and pacing!
When did Nova get found out as a spy, you ask??  BOOK THREE.  AND THEN, it was a false alarm and she was able to keep up the ruse for a little longer!!  It was all deeply infuriating and I will never be able to get over that.  NEVER.
The epilogue was awesome, though.

This Train is Being Held by Ismee Amiel Williams
Another High School Romance I enjoyed.  Dangit, I need to revoke that earlier statement.

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci
A fun and uplifting graphic novel collection that put a smile on my face!  Great for Middle School ages and up looking for a good story about female friendships.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
A fun read with an interesting (and large!) world and magic system.  A little forgettable, but I chalk that up to all of the craziness that went down when I read this (March 11th).  Will look for the sequel next year.

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
I did a whole thing on my IG Stories that was fun and a good way to keep my mind off of the disappointment of my Amsterdam trip being cancelled.  Most of my thoughts are there, but in summation:
- not yet obsessed with this series or the (current) main ship
- insanely massive world that I need to take notes for next time I read
- most likeable character: Ruhn
- most intriguing character: Aidas 👀
- this was not ACOTAR 4, and that's what I really want.
Also, the freaking cover.  I hate it SO MUCH, it does not help with the confusion over what the fork the actual title of this book is.  Anyone with like, a fifth-grader's knowledge of marketing could look at that cover and tell you it's confusing as hell.

The Winner's Trilogy:

The Winner's Curse,

The Winner's Crime, and

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
Book One: Slave-Master dynamics were deeply intriguing, but didn't go quite where I wanted it.
Book Two: Frustrating, forgettable.
Book Three: Oh dip, it's the Memory Loss Trope, one of my favorites ever, do I love this series??

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
So funny and the fastest read ever.

The Infernal Devices:

Clockwork Angel,

Clockwork Prince, and

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Okay.  So last year I read City of Bones and gave it one of the only one-star ratings I've ever given.  I hated it, and was disappointed to not be obsessed with this whole series/universe because I was missing out on a million books to read.  BUT THEN, I kept seeing people say that The Infernal Devices was the best on the universe, way better than TMI, and dangit if it wasn't giving me FOMO.
So, Chain of Gold came into the library last month, and I knew that it was the story of the descendants of the people in TID, and that cover is freakin gorgeous, so I was like, OK SO WE'RE DOIN' THIS.
Maybe I should preface this by saying that I really really do not like Love Triangles.  I might even say that I hate them.  And with Book One and Book Two I was like, yep, here we go, typical Love Triangle stuff that I don't like.  But I gave them each three stars because I didn't have any glaring issues.
And then... Book Three happened, and I was like OH is this what Love Triangles can be like?  Can this happen?  Also, should they just have been a throuple?
I still have mixed feelings about the Epilogue, but I think I liked it?  It was not what I was expecting AT ALL, and it does feel a little weird, but mostly I think I liked it.  As for my rating of Book Three, I bumped it up a full star just for this one scene between Will and Jem alone that was heartbreaking and sweet and everything that a best-friendship should be.
I realized that the way to read these books (this universe??) is for the characters, and not necessarily for the plot.  And as far as characters go, I think Tessa, Will, and Jem are pretty good ones.

(I kinda want to get right in to my thoughts on Chain of Gold right now, but I read it in April, so I guess I'll post about it... in July??)

december reads (lordy, this is late).

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.

november reads.

Dear Girls, by Ali Wong
This was so hilarious, so gross, and relatable on several levels.  We stan Ali Wong in all mediums!

Serpent & Dove, by Shelby Mahurin
There was SO MUCH hype surrounding this book, and I found it just okay.  I think I neither loved nor hated it.  But I have lots of thoughts!
I found the characters and their conflicts with each other to be vastly more interesting than the plot or what was happening around them.  I thought that Reid's coming around to Lou should have happened more gradually or slower than it did, given his lifelong prejudice against her kind.  I was expecting a betrayal or at least a drawn out conflict between Reid and Lou at least through another book, but their relationship troubles were seemingly resolved by the end of the book.  Reid's change of heart is admirable... I guess??  Honestly, I thought Ansel was the star example in the book of how to change towards a group of people you've been trained to be prejudiced towards.  MORE PATS FOR ANSEL.
Lastly, I really liked the sex-positivity of the book, but especially the depiction of teaching a virgin man how to have a mutually enjoyable sex experience.  It was a new thing for me to read about and I 100% approve.  More of those.  Not limited to men who are virgins.

The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern
This book was sooo beautiful, which I think is now a thing we must come to expect from Erin Morgenstern.  The little references here and there to pop culture didn't take me out of the story and often times were fun little easter eggs.  I loved Zachary, I loved him and Dorian, and I obviously would love to read a cute romance just about them post-Starless Sea.  FANFIC WRITERS: WHO WILL ANSWER THE CALL?!?

Carry On, Rainbow Rowell
I freaking LOVED this book.  It was so unique and special!  Starting at the last year of school is refreshing, having a Chosen One who kinda sucks is hilarious, and the use of clichés as magic spells is genius.  I think this was the first book with vampires in it that I have ever loved.  The only bad thing about finishing this book was waiting for the library's ebook of Wayward Son.  I stared at "Available Soon" for a week before it was my turn to read the sequel.  In that time I decided that I wanted to read only standalones or quick reads in cases Wayward Son suddenly became available.  Which is the informal introduction to reading the next three reads:

Forever..., by Judy Blume
I have a really hard time getting invested in teen romances.  I think it's because reality dictates that these usually never last and you always break up with your first love?  Anyway.  This story was less an interesting or compelling story and more like a guide on how to have sex when you're new at it.  Which is not to say that it's not worthwhile!  I actually think I want to make this required reading for my children one day.  I think it has a lot of value, just not a relationship or story I care about more than the sex education.

Attachments, by Rainbow Rowell
This was an adult romance that was just fine.  This book has aged surprisingly well, though the freaking out about Y2K is really funny to read about now.  It just took too forking long for the characters to actually meet and get together.  Like, it's criminal what Rainbow Rowell does to the main couple here.

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell
I really loved this book!  It was really nostalgic for me; I was constantly thinking of my freshman year and imagined Cath's dorm to be exactly like mine.  I feel like I say this anytime I read or watch something that involves fandoms in any way, but I wish I was even half as brave as Cath was to display her geekiness.  Levi was totally sweet and cute; he reminded me in some ways of Jon and that made me a little sad that I didn't know Jon while I was in the dorm-stage of college.  Lastly, it was super fun to see all of the little bits related to Carry On!

The Queen of Nothing, by Holly Black
Okay.  I know going into this that I was going to like it at a 3-star level - the same as the first 2 books in the series for me.  There was only one thing I was looking for, and it was also the only thing that would bump the rating up to 4 stars.  And that was Jude and Cardan at the very least nudging their way in the direction of a healthy relationship.  I wasn't even requiring a healthy relationship by the end, just some evidence that they were working toward it.  Because even though they are such a messed up couple throughout this series, it's hard not to ship them.  Anyway, I felt like they grew and made positive changes in that area, so this book got 4 stars from me.

Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell
Ooof.  Two chapters in, and all the sad feelings were inside me.  I know that when SimonxBaz get through to the other side they will be so solid and locked in, but for now it's really difficult to see them where they are now.  I liked the new character, Shep, and am looking forward to more development and backstory for him in the next book.  Mostly, I am excited to go back to England.  Seeing Simon react to the different pieces of America was funny and cute, but it also felt a little bit wrong to see the gang in this different setting.

Warcross
Wildcard, by Marie Lu
I loved everything about this book!  Emika was the perfect amount of likeable with an intriguing background, and Hideo is all the good kinds of broody, tortured genius.  Technology is practically it's own character in this book, and the tech aspect of this is exciting, fascinating, and terrifying all in one.  This is one of those books that I immediately added to Jon's TBR, which is something that I have formed in my head and taken charge of, haha.
The sequel, Wildcard, went in a direction I was not expecting.  In the end I'm not mad about it, but it's definitely a sadder book and doesn't have as much of the things that made Warcross so exciting.  The ending was not the most satisfying, but I think it was perfect for this book (and this author).  The ending is also really wide open for lots of good fanfic, haha.  Might have to go track those down one day.

october reads. (i passed 100!!)

Rebel, by Marie Lu
I was reeeeeally looking forward to this, especially after Champion ended the way it did.  And while I did not expect the recovering memory thing to go as it did, I also understand that this story was mainly about Eden and secondly and Daniel and June.  Still, I would LOVE a novella or short story focusing solely on Daniel going through that process of recovering his past life with June.  I eat that kind of stuff all up.
But anyway, I really liked seeing Eden grow throughout the trilogy and finally in this book.  It made me remember what a crucial figure Eden was in all of the events of the Legend trilogy, and I never really gave much thought as to his view of everything that happened and continues to happen to him (as does like, everyone in his world, too).  Seeing him mature into his own being was really satisfying to see, and getting a happy ending was also much appreciated.

The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater
What is it about this series?  I wasn't really expecting to be moved by these characters and their stories, especially after I saw "Prep School Boys."  But damn.  This tale is so atmospheric, and it reminded me of how much I loved magical realism in college.  Odd stories that move me with beautiful prose really defined how I progressed in my writing program, and The Raven Cycle made me remember all of that.  Lastly, an unexpected love for Ronan came from this series, and I admit that I am intrigued about the author's new series that allows us to dip back into Ronan's life a little more.
(A week and a half after I finished The Raven King, I read Stiefvater's blog post about what her life and health were like while she wrote the end of the series, and truthfully, I did not notice anything odd or different or incongruous about it.)

Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo
This book was the most anticipated book of the... year?  century?  Basically, everyone was so freaking excited about this, and I was in that group.  Did it disappoint?  No.  Ninth House is dark and harrowing and so elevated and smart that sometimes I felt like I had a hard time keeping up.  I want more of Alex, especially now that she has experienced a significant amount of growth from Book #1 - I want to see what she does with all of that next.  And she freaking needs to find You Know Who, because that is killing me.

The Unhoneymooners, by Christina Lauren
This book was so funny (I was dying at the en masse vomiting), and a fun take on the enemies to lovers trope.  It was a quick and easy read that was hilarious, cute, heartbreaking, and redemptive all in one.  Whew!

The Girl the Sea Gave Back, by Adrienne Young
I was a little nervous for this one.  Sky in the Deep was such an unexpected love of mine, and I was a worried that this companion novel wouldn't make me feel the same way that Sky did.  It didn't, but that's fine because this story is completely different and gave me feelings that were different but just as strong.  I think this novel has an understated beauty and elegance, and the ending was the perfect combination of satisfying and also really wanting more.  It also made me want to go back and reread Sky with a focus more on Halvard.

Caraval, by Stephanie Garber
I thought this story was really confusing and convoluted.  Scarlett was really obnoxious, and I often found myself wishing that her sister Donatella would die just to make it so Scarlett would whine less.

The Beautiful, by Renee Ahdieh
I loved the NOLA setting, it made me want to go back really badly.  So props to effective setting evocation.  Celine was an interesting enough character, I guess?  I did find the hiding of her "dark" secret to be a little contrived.  Surely any person worth forming a friendship with would understand when someone is acting in self-defense?  Anyway.  The villain really confused me with the origins of his hatred.  I was fully convinced that I would not be continuing on with the series until the end, when the memory loss trope was revealed.  I can't help that that trope is one of my all-time favorites, so I might read on just for the sake of it.

Cinder
Scarlet
Cress
Winter, by Marissa Meyer
Okay, I was not expecting to like Cinder enough to read the entire series, but I did. (I'm not sure if low expectations had anything to do with this.)  There are a lot of ships in this series (one for each book), and Cinder and Kai were the least interesting.  Kai in general was just super MEH for me, and even though I'm obviously on his side, he mostly came off as superbly incompetent nearly the entire time.  Cinder is fine though, she's a great protagonist to follow.  Her taste in boys just needs some work.  Thorne and Cress were straight up adorable, but Jacin and Winter were my favorite ships.  Levana can go straight to hell with Adri chained up behind her.

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang
This was such a cute story!  Having it in graphic novel form was ideal for being able to see all of the amazing fashion that was central to the story.  I was so pleasantly surprised to see the parents at the end come around in such a huge and amazing way for Sebastian, which really seems like a rarity in YA.

Speak: The Graphic Novel, by Laurie Halse Anderson
This story is so powerful, and the visual medium by which it is conveyed adds to that power. (The bathroom wall!!)  I did not read this book in middle or high school, but I will donate this graphic novel to every school my children attend and make sure they read it.

september reads.

To Kill a Kingdom, by Alexandra Christo
This wasn't bad, it was a nice twist on the Disney version of The Little Mermaid.  I thought that Lira's gradual coming around to Elian was well-paced up until this point where she suddenly decided to be really into him, without ever stating that she'd decided she was going to be into him.  At the 60% mark, I questioned whether or not the book was truly a standalone, and then sure enough I found the final 35% to be crazy rushed for me.

Darkdawn, by Jay Kristoff
Ok, after my near-death experience with the end of Godsgrave, I was ready for this book.  But was I ready for how meta it got?  NO.  And was I able to cope with how bittersweet it all was since Mia's fate was already all laid out there for us from the beginning of book one?  NO.  Did I get that necromantic hookup I really wanted to see?  NO.  Am I at peace with the death of a certain supporting companion?  NO.  Was this as thrilling as books one and two?  NO.  But overall do I like this series still?  YES.

Stalking Jack the Ripper, by Kerri Maniscalco
Hunting Prince Dracula, by Kerri Maniscalco
Escaping from Houdini, by Kerri Maniscalco
I wasn't expecting to like this series, but holy moly I ended up liking it a lot!  The series (and book one especially) was pretty gruesome for me, but I don't read a lot of horror or murder mysteries or anything like that.  At the end of book one I was pretty devastated, and I decided that I needed more from Thomas as a character.
Book two introduced a gothic castle setting which I was VERY into, as well as a few female minor characters which I realized was something I was missing from book one.
Book three was my least favorite of the three, but I still liked it!  I didn't love the ultimate motive behind the murders on the ship, I thought it fell a little flat.  And honestly, I hated the last two chapters of the book.  One of them should have been taken out for sure, and truthfully it could have been either one for me.

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, by Christina Lauren
And now, for the beginning of my foray into adult romances.  After reading a series about serial killers, I think I needed something quick and easy.  And, let's be honest, after reading about Audrey Rose and Thomas dancing around their feelings and physical wants and all of the talk about how scandalous it was for them to even kiss or be in the same room together... I needed the exact opposite of that.
I started with this book, and it was pretty cute.  My main issue was the wrench, so to speak, the thing that causes tension or a fight between the couple right before or at the beginning of the third act.  I did not care for this book's wrench, and I would rather it have been related to Hazel's fear of Josh calling her crazy.  BUT, the ending was happy (of course), and everything ended up fine and everyone was cute, so it was all fine.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand, by Christina Lauren
For book #2 in my romance journey, I liked it a little better than Josh and Hazel but still had one problem.  I was solidly into the story all the way through, my only issue was that I thought Millie's reasons for being withholding to her friends about details of her life were a bit weak.  But other than that, I really liked this one.  It was super angsty at the climax of the book (no pun intended) and I like angsty so that was good, and Millie talking about how she felt she could be so much more open on the chat platform is just a really relatable thing for like, EVERYONE these days.

Kingsbane, by Claire Legrand - DNF
So as I was reading this I honestly was thinking I was so excited to read this after I finished Furyborn this summer, why am I not into this?  And I tried to stick with it based on the fact that I was on the waitlist for this book for so freaking long, and not only did I end up DNF-ing Kingsbane, I even started to rethink my earlier high rating of Furyborn.  This was a disappointing turn of events, but I think ultimately I wanted a story purely about Simon, and he's simply not the main character of this series.

Love and Other Words, by Christina Lauren
After the disappointing DNF, I went back to romance for a pick me up and OH MY GOSH I really freaking loved this one.  Never at the beginning of this year did I think I would be giving a 5-star rating to a romance novel or wanting to own a copy of a romance novel, but here we are.  The story of Macy and Elliott is so cute and perfect and heartbreaking and complete and I want to read it for the first time again and again.

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
Ok, back into fantasy.  I really liked the first half of this book, and then the story kind of petered out for me.  In the middle there was A LOT of detailed explanation of traveling through the woods that didn't seem entirely consequential, and then at the end everyone just kind of raced through time and space really quickly and the difference in pacing felt really weird to me.  I really liked Po, I was really sad about how his character ended up and the ending in general I felt pretty meh about.

Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
This graphic novel was the absolute cutest.  The farm was so amazing, I wish it was real!  This story really helped bring on the not just fall vibes, but nostalgic ones, too (Back in the day I tried to set Jon up with a girl he liked whilst also starting to like him.  Thankfully he changed his mind and awwwwwwww :)

Truthwitch, by Susan Dennard
Windwitch, by Susan Dennard - DNF
I really wanted to like this series and I just didn't.  At the end of Truthwitch I liked the characters well enough, but I didn't really seem to care about what it was they were doing in this particular story.  But like I said, I really wanted to like the series so I kept on going with Windwitch, which I ended up DNFing.  All throughout Windwitch I found myself just wanting the story about Iseult and Aeduan and being extremely annoyed when it jumped around to see what other people were doing when I did not care about them at all.  I miiiight end up reading Bloodwitch one day because I think it might just be about Iseult and Aeduan?  Still deciding on that one.

The Bone Houses, by Emily Lloyd-Jones
I was not expecting to like this at all.  I loaned this book on Overdrive and few things are worse than discovering the digital copy of a book they have available is not kindle compatible.  I don't like reading on my phone, so I was ready to stop reading this book I wasn't feeling it right away.  I'm happy to report that I was horrifyingly surprised and really loved this one!  This story was spooky and gorey and if you're looking for something to get you into the Halloween mood, this might be your book.

Capturing the Devil, by Kerri Maniscalco
I finished reading Escaping from Houdini just after the fourth and final book of the series was released into the world, and I asked my boss if she would complete our series at the library and order the final one.  Luckily for me she did, otherwise I would still be on the 20-week waiting list for a digital copy.  This book was very relationship-centric, but I wasn't bothered by it.  I think because I've been invested in the sloooowww progression of this couple for three books and I was just ready to see kissing in public without fear of rule breaking (cue John Mulaney's OH GOD IT'S THE OLD TIMES, but in an entirely different context).
As far as murders go, the wedding scene straight up killed me.
Ok, but for the real murders, it really tied in so much with the first book and it was cool to see a lot of things come full circle.
Lastly, Grandmama is a badass and I wish she had been in earlier books because she was the freaking best.

The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang
This was a romance book that, overall, I did not enjoy.  I didn't mind at all reading from the perspective of a high-functioning autistic woman (Stella).  What I DID mind was that at no point in the book did anyone tell Stella that the reason she had bad sex all those times was not because she was autistic, but because all of her partners were assholes.  AND, it took way to long for Stella to realize that she didn't need to change who she was or what made her comfortable in the world.  Those two things really bugged the hell out of me and left me with a bitter taste when the book was over, happy ending or not.

august reads.

A Gathering of Shadows, by Victoria Schwab
A Conjuring of Light, by Victoria Schwab
These are the followup books to A Darker Shade of Magic, which was the last book I finished in July.  Book two started out with an amazing look into what Lila is up to, and I freakin' loved it.  I'd read a million books about Pirate Lila.  This book also featured a competition, which is one of my favorite tropes and I was fully down for it.  Admittedly, I spent a lot of this book waiting for a Kell+Lila reunion, but I was not expecting that SUPER HOT reunion between another pairing (it reunion for the characters, but we were seeing them together for the first time).  Another couple to ship is never a bad thing!
Book three had some serious zombie vibes and lots of character deaths - some of which were surprising and sad, others were pretty obvious.  The ending was great, though I am a bit sad for how one character ended up... I would have liked them to be happy, but I think they were at peace with where they ended up.  All in all: a great series, and I'd definitely buy physical copies of the books!

Teen Titans Raven, by Kami Garcia
This was a graphic novel featuring pre-TT Raven, aka Rachel Roth.  I liked it just okay, but I think I would have liked it better if I didn't have to wait for the rest of the team's stories, which appear to be rolling out VERY slowly (Garfield's comes out in a year).  I really liked the NOLA backdrop, and Max was a great supporting character.  I wasn't super sad to see Raven's relationship end, mostly because I will forever ship BBRAE. 🎶if i don't gots my baby all i do is go crae🎶

We Hunt the Flame, by Hafsah Faizal
I was really looking forward to this book, and I'd been on a wait list for months.  And unfortunately, this ended up being a pretty big disappointment for me.  I felt like there was a lot of wasted space in the first third of the book that didn't further the plot or contribute to world-building, and it all could have been condensed A LOT.  I thought the most compelling parts were all the scenes when Zafira and Nasir interacted, and they didn't even meet until 170 pages in.  I pretty much wanted to DNF the entire time, but I stuck it out and don't feel like it paid off at all.  I was really bummed about this one, but it just fell flat for me.

Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo
I already read these two earlier this year, but we started listening to the audiobook of SoC on our trip because I have been dying for Jon to read this series all year.  I ended up finishing both of these books in via audiobook, and damn this series is SO GOOD.
At the end I was in that post-CK sadness haze and I decided a few things:
(1) Kaz is the ultimate DDNB and his anti-hero-ness might be the death of me.
(2) The lost Darling in this series might be the most gut-wrenching loss of any Darling in any book I have ever read??  Jon and I actually had a little discussion about it and what purpose it served and fell into that hole of daydreaming what could have been if the Darling did not die.
(3) If Jon didn't like this series, I promised him all kinds of dramatics on my part.  Thankfully, he liked the series too, so I didn't have to tell him he was dead to me.
(4) I would actually die for another book with these characters and then demand a copy to be sent to me in the afterlife.
(5) The bathroom counter scene in CK is better than any sex scene in any book ever.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
I have heard so many great things about this book, and I was excited to finally get around to it.  This book was really beautifully written, the prose was gorgeous and the story and settings were pretty magical.  It was somehow not confusing, even having been written from many perspectives and many points in time.  (I've yet to pinpoint why some books written this way are really hard for me to read and others give me no trouble at all.)  I do have to say though, that I didn't really feel like this book fit  its description, which I found on Goodreads and basically any bookseller website.  I suppose this worked a little bit against me, and I found myself wanting more - or at least wanting what I was expecting from the book blurb.  Even so, I really enjoyed this book.

Spin the Dawn, by Elizabeth Lim
This book was just okay.  I really wanted the tailors' competition to last much longer than it did; I think I would have liked the competition to be one whole book, and then the three-pronged journey be a second book.  I found the romance to be just fine, it was sweet and straightforward (though I was waiting for a betrayal on the part of the love interest for some time at the beginning).  I think what I wanted most was a more descriptive look at Maia.  I didn't really have any idea what she looked like, save for her hair and and one mentioning, her freckles.  Lastly, did EVERYONE know she was a girl the entire time?  It seemed like not a single person fell for her disguise.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
I liked this book enough, but I really would have preferred it to be drawn out more.  It definitely read like a movie, and I just found myself wanting more of everything, every place they visited, every character that was introduced, etc.  But I can acknowledge that the writing style of this particular story is VERY fairy-tale-esque.  Which is to say, telling precisely what happened but not expounding more than is necessary.  I just like the expounding, I think.  My favorite part might have been the twist with the bird-slave from the very beginning.  Lastly, I found the parting conversation between Yvaine and the Witch-Queen to be very... odd?  It definitely left me scratching my head and more than a little bit unsatisfied.

House of Salt and Sorrows, by Erin A. Craig
I tentatively put this book on my TBR, not knowing for sure if I found the premise interesting enough via the book blurb.  Then I came into work last week and saw that it was a new addition to our collection, so I checked it out.  And I surprised myself by really liking this book!  Maybe even loving it?  It's part murder mystery, part ghost story, part period drama with all of those old worries about finding a husband.  The oceanside setting was beautiful, and I loved one character's observation about being able to taste salt in everything.  And the cover!  It is so incredibly beautiful, I found myself absentmindedly rubbing the embossed lettering while reading.  A great standalone, and yay for unexpected five-star ratings!

Eliza and Her Monsters, by Francesca Zappia
I don't read a lot of contemporary YA fiction, but when I read the premise of this book I knew I would like it.  Which is why I was a huge dummy for deciding to start the book at 10:00 at night, because I didn't stop reading until after 1:00 in the morning.  I loved this book so much, and it made me feel all of the emotions.  I laughed, I teared up (as close as I get to crying), I ached, I panicked and stressed (lordy, Eliza's parents) and I felt like I related on a deeper level than with other books.  But what I felt the most at the end of this book was how much I wished I had as much direction or purpose with my interests in high school as Eliza and Wallace did. Or like, that I didn't feel embarrassed about the stuff I liked.  A million stars to this book.

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare
I started out really wanted to like this book.  Which is to say, I really wanted to like this world because there are like 15 books in it, and I'm always down for getting sucked into a new series.  But even starting out that way did not stop this book from being a huge letdown.  The truth is, I knew from the first chapter that I didn't like it.  The prose was so lackluster, all of the words seemed to be just regurgitated from the author's mind, and that old rule of "Show, Don't Tell" was like, fully ignored.  Besides that, the characters were really one-dimensional and I did not feel a connection to a single one.  I should have DNF'd this book, but I kept reading, hoping that anything would change for the better.  Instead, I got a series of twists that went from bad to worse - the last twist of which nearly made me throw the book across the room in frustration.  Few things are worse than a twist that you know, at some point later on in the series, will be "untwisted" by yet another revelation.
I haven't given a one-star rating to a book since Three Dark Crowns two years ago, and even that book I felt deserved that star for what was actually, a really great twist at the end.  I'm not sure what the one star for City of Bones even is for.  The acknowledgement of how many other people seem to like it (it's got a crazy high rating on Goodreads)?  Because you can't rate a book and give it zero stars?

Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers
Again, we have a female protagonist who has been trained/is being trained as an assassin, but THIS time she is trained by nuns at a convent.  Assassin Nuns!  I love it.  The political maneuverings in this book were a bit exhausting, but I thought it was made up for with a compelling enough cast.  Ismae and Duval are both likable characters, and it was fun to watch them grow to like each other.
I had a slight issue with this, and it was that I thought that this three-book series followed Ismae the entire time.  In fact, each book follows one of three students of the convent.  This misunderstanding was very confusing for me, because I felt like everything was wrapping up or happening much too quickly for a trilogy.  If I'd known Ismae's story was just in the one book, I probably would have thought the pacing was just fine.

They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei
What a great piece of art that details such a horrible time in history, while also warning of its repetition occurring today.  So many parts of Takei's story were so sad, and seeing him experience it as a child and seeing some of it with wonderment and excitement was particularly heartbreaking.  Even his dad's statement about American Democracy still being the best of all the government options was a little crushing to read.  It definitely made me wonder what works of art and literature will eventually emerge from today's imprisonments, though I imagine they will be much more harrowing - throughout TCUE I kept thinking, thank goodness he had his parents the whole time.

The Kiss of Deception, by Mary E Pearson
The Heart of Betrayal, by Mary E Pearson
The Beauty of Darkness, by Mary E Pearson
The premise of book one hooked me right away.  A princess who flees her betrothed (whom she has never met) on her wedding day, and later unknowingly meets him in the new town where she has decided to restart her life?  I'M IN.  The problem for me entered when she met her jilted fiancé at the same time she met an assassin who was sent to kill her (which she also was unaware of at the meeting).  The problem was not the assassin's presence in the book.  It was that I literally had the prince and the assassin mixed up for most of the book.  I thought that Rafe was the assassin and Kaden was the prince up until the actual assassin (Kaden) made his move on Lia and then I was like WAIT WHAT.  Some of the story was even told from each of the boys' perspectives, and not one time did another character refer to them by their names.  I know this because I was looking!  I wasn't sure from the very beginning who was Rafe or Kaden, and I was looking for clues!  Eventually I just guessed and went with what seemed to make sense to me, but apparently I was wrong.
Here's the thing: By the end of book one I was like, did I like this story better when I thought that Rafe was the assassin?  Reader, I think I did.
Book two had me a bit bored.  There were some moves and manipulations that I desperately wanted to see Lia make towards a certain character, and I didn't get it.  The attempt at a love triangle had me rolling my eyes and I honestly would rather have not had it (I usually will always choose No Love Triangles, but especially here.)  Rafe was much less interesting to me in The Heart of Betrayal, and I strongly think it is because I was still reeling from the mixup I made in The Kiss of Deception.
Book three had me extremely annoyed for most of it, especially when Rafe becomes a complete ass but Lia's breath still catches and her blood freezes whenever he walks into a room.  UGH.  But the battle was good and it was my favorite part of the book.   The ending was cheesy as hell.
Overall, I liked the series.  A part of me wants to reread The Kiss of Deception, but this time knowing for sure which boy is which.  The other part of me wants to read an alt version of This Kiss of Deception wherein Rafe was the assassin and Kaden was the prince, haha.

july reads.

Warrior of the Wild, by Tricia Levenseller
This book was on the New YA Releases shelf at our library, and I liked the last Vikings-inspired book I read so much that I thought, Why not?  Before I got into the book though, I thought that the author name looked familiar.  After a quick Goodreads search I discovered she was the author who wrote Daughter of the Pirate King, which was a DNF for me.  So, I started this book with pretty low expectations, and I think I'm glad I did.  I thought the story was solid, and I actually liked it.  The second half of the book was MUCH better than the first, and Rasmira is an easy character to root for (especially after you find out everything that works against her).  But the prose was a bit boring, and Rasmira's continued talk of how she'd never trust a boy again seemed a little too contrived for me at parts.

Furyborn, by Claire Legrand
I saw that a couple of authors I follow on IG were excited about the release of Book #2 in this series, so I added Furyborn to my TBR list.  This is an exciting adventure that follows two young women who live very different lives 1000 years apart from each other.  Rielle and Eliana are both so interesting and compelling; protagonists whom you can't help but root for, in spite of flaws or tendencies that err on the side of, well... NOT ideal.  Switching back and forth between their perspectives was a little obnoxious for me, but I think that's just something I personally struggle with in books and eventually (hopefully) I will get over it.  Half the excitement of reading Furyborn is finding out what on earth the connection is between them, and now that we know I am very eager to read Kingsbane, which I am currently on a waiting list for.  Also, Simon.  Simon forever, more stories about Simon, PLEASE, Legrand, don't you dare hurt Simon.

Legend, by Marie Lu
Prodigy, by Marie Lu
Champion, by Marie Lu
So even though I was really disappointed last spring in how the story of The Young Elites ended up turning out, I wasn't willing to give up on Marie Lu as an author and wanted to read some of her other works.  I finally got around to reading Legend, Prodigy, and Champion all within a few days, and I love this series.
These books were published nearly ten years ago, right around when the Dystopian genre was blowing up.  I haven't read many books featuring dystopias because they aren't really my jam, but I really liked the world/US that Lu has established.  Her main characters, Day and June, are so amazing and well balanced with their virtues and flaws, and I devoured their stories and journeys.
At the end of Prodigy I really felt like my heart was wrecked, and I was eager to read Champion so that my sadness would be remedied and everyone would be happy.  AND THEN.  At the end of Champion I really actually was indeed wrecked, and the thought that went through my mind was: if 'death by book' was a thing, Champion would the the culprit.  I was ACHING with sadness and welling with tears at the whole ending, even with that teeny tiny bit of hopeful happiness at the end.  Basically, I closed the book and sat in silence with my sad feelings and I wanted to die.  I knew that Champion was published in 2011, and I was like, dammit this is really the end of the series, this is actually how she ended it, I am going to be sad FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
AND THEN.  I went on to Goodreads to give it my rating (still gave it 5 stars even though it murdered me), and saw that Lu is giving the world (ME) a book #4 in October.  YOU GUYS, if the end of Champion killed me, then seeing "Rebel (Legend #4)" on Goodreads full-on resurrected me, and I nearly wept with relief.  I am so excited for at chance at some happiness for some characters I really became invested in.  But also, I'm not holding my breath because obviously Lu was willing to end it the way she did 8 years ago.  But okay, maybe I am holding my breath a little.  Okay, A LOT.

Sorcery of Thorns, by Margaret Rogerson
I have an upcoming project at work that involves this book, and I have been eager to read it for months now.  I was a little apprehensive because it turned out that I did not care for Rogerson's other book, but I thought maybe it was a good thing that my expectations were lower.  Well I'm not sure if it was due to low expectations or not, but I really loved this book.  I couldn't put it down, and I was annoyed at anything that came up that made me stop reading.
This book had everything: Strong Female Lead!  Magic!  A non-obnoxious love interest!  Excellent supporting characters!  LIBRARIES!!  SO MANY LIBRARIES!  And a gorgeous cover to boot!  It is a standalone, which is a slight letdown because I would love to see more of these characters' lives, but the story is also just right as it is.

Nevernight, by Jay Kristoff
Godsgrave, by Jay Kristoff
If you ever read Throne of Glass and wondered what it would be like to read about Celaena in an adult novel, this might just be your answer.  It's intense, violent, brutal, and AMAZING.  I love Mia, the supporting cast in these books is *chef's kiss*, and the competitions and action events in both books are *chef's kiss*.
My warning to you: it would appear that Kristoff takes the advice "Kill your darlings" to an insane level.  Mia's constant advice to herself of "don't get attached, they are not your friends they are your competition" is, in fact, advice to you.  Don't get attached, they are not your precious babies to live happily ever after, they are ASSASSINS and as such are subject to high risk of death.  Devastation awaits!
Lastly, if Champion was my figurative "death by book," Godsgrave was nearly my literal "death by book."  The last few chapters had me progressively going

what!
and then
whaat.
and then
WHAAAT!!

AND THEN, the very very end made me deeply gasp out loud, only the breath wasn't smooth so I actually ended up choking.  Then I was hacking while yelling OH MY GOSH and then hacking again, and this was in front of my family and they probably thought I was insane.  Anyway.  Book three can't get here fast enough, come on September!!!

The Kingdom of Copper, by S.A. Chakraborty
OOOF.  I was very excited to read this, but I have to admit that it did not end up anywhere near where I expected.  I loved seeing Nahri exert herself against Ghassan (or anyone, really), it was good to see her being as confident and self-assured as she was at the very beginning of The City of Brass.  It was frustrating that see again all the times that something Ali said was misconstrued, especially when it came to Nahri.  It happened over and over again in Book #1, and I was annoyed to see that repeating itself here.
As for the ending... sheesh, where does it even go from here?  Manizheh gives off serious Queen Maeve (may she writhe in hell) vibes, which makes for an excellent antagonist, but also does not bode well for my faves.  (LEAVE DARA ALONE!!)  I have no idea what is in store for Book #3, but the only thing I really want to see at this point is Nahri's relationships with Ali and Dara mended.  Is that too much to ask??  Probably.

Wicked Saints, by Emily A. Duncan
I really liked the angle that Nadya's powers were divine and that she could speak to the gods and goddesses who gave her abilities.  I also liked Serefin's character, one who was acutely (if not bleakly) aware of his station in life.  Once he decided to put down the bottle and tried to do something about his situation was when I really started to root for him.  I did not love Malachiasz, though.  I get the point of Malachiasz, he teaches Nadya some things that are important for her growth and world-view shaping, but on his own I was not a fan.  There's something significant that happens at the end (vague, but gotta be spoiler-free), and the shock factor did not find me.  Like, it shakes one character pretty deeply and that person was really rocked by the change and I just... was not rocked.  I would have liked to have been rocked, but I just wasn't extremely surprised by the turn of events.  At this point in time, I don't see myself continuing the series, which was unexpected and disappointing, but c'est la vie.

The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh
The Rose and the Dagger, by Renee Ahdieh
I have always wanted to read this after I heard it was a retelling/expounding on the legend of Scheherazade and the One Thousand and One Nights.  It's the best of the Hate to Love trope, one where you know there's a reason behind one character's awfulness and you and the other character are dying to figure out what it is.  Because of this, it's easy to connect with Shazi because both her and the reader are on the same quest to get the complete story.
My main issue with Wrath was Khalid.  Even though I am firmly on Khalid's side as far as the love triangle goes, I actually feel pretty "meh" about him.  I find him to be pretty one-dimensional, and more characterization for him would have been greatly appreciated on my part.  He was just a kind of nothing character for me, a blank piece of paper.
The Rose and the Dagger I did not care for.  I didn't love the new conflict, the new setting, any new characters introduced (except for Shazi's sister), I was disappointed with how certain family relationships ended up, and, and, and.  If Rose had been a standalone book, it definitely would have been a DNF for me, and now I really wish that Wrath had been a standalone book.

A Darker Shade of Magic, by Victoria Schwab
Okay, so the reading hump took me a while to get past in this book.  It wasn't until about 150 pages in where I finally could start reading at a breathtaking speed because I was fully into the story and could not get enough.  The first 150 pages were not bad, it was just a lot of world-building and the reading was just a bit slower going there.  I loved the concept of the different Londons and what remained constant about each.  I LOVED Lila and wish that she had been in the book more.  And I can't not give a shout out to Holland, my DDNB, who does so many bad things but dammit I want things to turn around for him.  Fingers crossed.