Book Review: The Boy is Back

TITLE: The Boy is Back
Book 4 in the Boy series
AUTHOR: Meg Cabot
CATEGORY: Adult
PUBLISHED: October 2016
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PREMISE: A guy and girl rekindle their romance when he returns after years away.
MY REVIEW: The last book I read in the year 2016 was a quick light-hearted romp by a author who never fails to put a smile on my face: Meg Cabot. If you are familiar with Cabot, you probably already know what to expect from this one and yes, it is usual rom-com type predictable-ness. But honestly, after the crap-pile that was 2016, it was kind of what I needed.
For those that are unfamiliar with the Boy series, it is a light romance series told through various things like email or instant messaging. I highly recommend the early ones, which are more fun, if a tad dated by the tech used. This one uses more updated tech but still tells cute romances and has the hilarious character of Dolly Vargas, who kind of deserves her own book.
If you're in the mood for cute romantic comedy that is very fast-paced, this series is a good way to go and the latest installment is as fun as the others.
WHO SHOULD READ: Meg Cabot fans, fans of Rainbow Rowell's Attachments, romantic comedy fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five good mood boosters

Book Review: The Bronze Key

TITLE: The Bronze Key
Book 3 in the Magisterium series
AUTHOR: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
PUBLISHED: August 2016
CATEGORY: Middle-Grade
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: Call and his friends try to discover who is attempting to kill Call at the Magisterium.
MY REVIEW: Oh Magisterium series, you are clearly Harry Potter fanfiction. Why can't I quit you? I blame the awesomeness that is Tamara. As well as addicting fast-paced plots. Both Black and Clare are masters at keeping readers coming back for more. This series (and the fact that I also can't seem to quit Mortal Instruments no matter how hard I try) is proof.
The latest Magisterium book is very much like the first two: snark and lots of things happening. There was one major thing that surprised me at the end. But if I know Clare...that thing is probably not going to stick. So I'm not getting invested in feelings until the last book. If it sticks THEN I'll give props to the series.
But it looks like we have two more books to go so I have awhile to wait and see how to feel about said thing. If you were a fan of the first two books, you will likely love the latest installment. Or you'll curse the authors for the cliff hanger. One of the two.
WHO SHOULD READ: those that have read the first two books, Mortal Instrument fans, younger Harry Potter fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five evil cliffhangers

Book Review: You Can't Touch My Hair (and Other Things I Still Have to Explain)

TITLE: You Can't Touch My Hair (and Other Things I Still Have to Explain)
AUTHOR: Phoebe Robinson
PUBLISHED: October 4rth, 2016
CATEGORY: Non-Fiction
GENRE: Memoir/Essays
PREMISE: Comedian Phoebe Robinson talks about a variety of subjects from feminism, to black girls hair, to race relations and back again.
MY REVIEW: I confess, I'm not terribly familiar with Phoebe Robinson. I've listened to a podcast or two of her and Jessica Williams (whom I'm more familiar with, being a Daily Show junkie) show but that's about it. After this, I may have to rectify that, because Phoebe Robinson is frankly hilarious.
If you are a white person who gets terribly offended when people rightly criticize us for the nonsense we do, this probably won't be your book. Robinson does not sugar coat things. She calls out stuff that needs to be called out. There's a great explanation in here about micro-aggressions, that everyone should read. But it's not all seriousness. There's a lot of hilarious bits in here, including a beautiful (and now sad, considering the election results) chapter written the future first female president.
If like me, you have gotten hooked on memoirs/or essays by lady celebrities, this is a great one to pick up for when you want something that will both make you think and make you laugh at the same time.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of the 2 Dope Queens podcast, celebrity memoir book fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five on point jokes

Book Review: Stars Above

TITLE: Stars Above
Book 4.5/companion book in the Lunar Chronicles series
AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer
PUBLISHED: February 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMISE: A collection of short stories taking place in the Lunar Chronicles series.
MY REVIEW: Short story add ons to series seems to have become a thing in YA. When it comes to a series like Lunar Chronicles, I don't particularly mind it. Especially if it's a wide variety of stories such as this collection.
Some of these I have read before as they were released with previous Lunar books. But some were new. Most, didn't really add anything revealing, except for maybe the one with Scarlet's grandmother. We learn about her grandfather's identity and some more about what Scarlet's childhood was like. Others were just nice supplied info.
If you are a die-hard Lunar Chronicles fan who is going through withdrawal from the series, this is a nice way to live in the world a bit longer. It's also a nice holdover for if you're waiting for Meyer's next series which apparently is dealing with superheros. To which I say, hell yes.
WHO SHOULD READ: Lunar Chronicles fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five happy endings

Book Review: Homegoing

TITLE: Homegoing
AUTHOR: Yaa Gyasi
PUBLISHED: June 7th, 2016
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Family drama
PREMISE: A sweeping family saga that follows the ancestors of two half-sisters who wound up in very different circumstances...
MY REVIEW: This novel has been all over the place this year in the literature circuit and there is a good reason for that: the writing is just damn good. The fact that this is the author's first book is mind-blowing to me and makes me eager for what we have in store for her future books.
This is not really an action-packed book. It is mostly a character study and a look at how our ancestors lives and history of the world effects where we end up. It does have multiple points of views so if that is an annoying thing, this might not be for you. It also does not shy away from things like abuse, racism, and so on. So it's not really what I'd call a happy book.
But it is a very thought-provoking book. The only issue I really have with this is sometimes I wanted to spend more time with some of the characters and then we were off to the next ancestor. I understand why it was done that way though. The prose are still gorgeous and it all ties up beautifully. If this is Gyasi's debut book, we are in for some damn good books from her in the coming years.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of family saga type books, fans of Roots
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five gorgeous writing prose

Book Review: My Lady Jane

TITLE: My Lady Jane
AUTHOR: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: June 7th, 2016
GENRE: Historical Fantasy
PREMISE: A humorous alternate history retelling of Lady Jane Grey's time as queen.
MY REVIEW: I'll be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first of this book. Lady Jane Grey, for those who don't know, had a very sad ending in her life. I wasn't sure how one could make a humorous story out of that. I should learn to trust YA authors more. They managed it.
This book mostly works for me due to its tone. The premise is silly and the tone owns that. In the beginning the narration point blank says hey, we're screwing with history here. The humor is very Discworld-Gail Carriger like and that made very enjoyable.
If you're looking for a serious historical fiction book, this is not going to be your book. But, if you like hilarious takes on history with badass females in it...I highly recommend this one. It looks like this one is a stand alone, but apparently the authors are working on another book like this about the Bronte sisters. I can't wait.
WHO SHOULD READ: Discworld fans, humor book fans, parody fans, historical fantasy fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five shapeshifting royals

Book Review: United

TITLE: United
Book 3 in the Alienated Trilogy
AUTHOR: Melissa Landers
PUBLISHED: August 2nd, 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Science Fiction
PREMISE: Cara and Aelyx are finally together on a far away colony only to be forced apart once again by an invading alien force saying an alliance between humans and L'eihr is too dangerous to be continued...
MY REVIEW: I'll be honest, I was a little surprised when I heard there was going to be a third book in this series. I was under the impression the story was done and was happy with the way things ended. But...I'm a completionist, so I read this anyway.
As I suspected...it was pretty much unnecessary. Then there's something that happens in the end that cheapens a big thing from book 2 so much that I kind of wish this book hadn't happened. But it did. So here we are.
I'm torn on this one because I personally didn't like it very much and just wondered why it was needed. But I also realize that some people like really happy endings and wanted more from the series. So if that is you, go ahead and read this. If you're like me and was satisfied with the ending from book 2...I'd stick with that ending.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of the first two books, romance fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five was not needed feelings
RATING FOR TRILOGY: Four out of Five

Book Review: Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life

TITLE: Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
AUTHOR: Ruth Franklin
PUBLISHED: September 27th, 2016
CATEGORY: Non-Fiction
GENRE: Biography
PREMISE: A biography on the life of author Shirley Jackson.
MY REVIEW: Okay, confession time: I've actually never read any Shirley Jackson. Yeah yeah, I know. Shame on me. She's on the list, really. I hope to maybe get to her next year. This book motivated me to get to her sooner, rather then later.
Because this was a very interesting look into a very complicated woman. I had to skim parts because the author assumes you've read all or most of her books (this is a fair assumption, I'm not faulting the author for that) and I didn't want to be spoiled for things. But the parts I didn't have to skim were fascinating.
This is thoroughly researched and well organized. Like most biographies, it went into details that weren't terribly necessary, but did give an overall picture of her life. As far as biographies go, this was a really good one.
WHO SHOULD READ: Shirley Jackson fans, biography fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five troubled authors

Book Review: If I Was Your Girl

TITLE: If I Was Your Girl
AUTHOR: Meredith Russo
PUBLISHED: May 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQA
PREMISE: A girl moves to a new town hoping for a fresh start and that no one finds out her secret: that her name used to be Andrew.
MY REVIEW: I'll be up front with you: this review has lots of bias because I frankly adored this book. Have I mentioned how happy I am that we're getting more happy ending LGBT books? Because I am really happy about this. Not to say we don't need things like The Miseducation of Cameron Post or whatnot, but I think books like this or Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda or You Know Me Well are needed as well.
This is basically like a lot of contemporary romances, it's cute, it's sometimes very angsty, and there's a lesson to be learned in it about yourself somewhere. It's a very quick read. I actually read it in one sitting. There's heart along with the cuteness and it just made me smile.
Is it a tad idealistic? Perhaps. No more idealistic then a lot of contemporary YA romance books are though. It's a feel good book and I personally am all for more feel good books with LGBTQA representation.
WHO SHOULD READ: those looking for LGBTQA books, Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda fans, You Know Me Well fans, contemporary romance fans
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five happy sighs

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

TITLE: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Part of the Harry Potter series
AUTHOR: JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
PUBLISHED: July 2016
CATEGORY: Play
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: Harry Potter's son deals with his father's legacy as the past comes back to haunt everyone.
MY REVIEW: I'm a little late to the game in reading this one. I wanted to put off reading it because I've found reading a huge book release such as this tends to come with baggage. It's usually best for me to wait a few months where I don't have everyone's opinion rattling in my head and distorting my opinion of it.
My opinion is this: fandom overreacted as fandom tends to do. By the way I think they overreacted on both sides. It is not the crap pile that I've seen a lot of fans claim. Nor is it the brilliant story I've seen die-hards say it is. Honestly...it's just okay. It really helps if you don't look at this as the eighth Harry Potter book. The publishers kicked themselves in the foot by advertising it that way. To me...this is fanfic, plain and simple. I get the feeling Rowling didn't actually write much of it. I'm sure she gave the basis for it, and there are some sparkling moments of dialogue that I can tell she definitely wrote. But I suspect most of it was written by Tiffany and Thorne. It just doesn't have Rowling's typical flare. I especially think this after seeing Fantastic Beasts, which was great, and very clearly written by her.
With that in mind...I don't really consider this an actual part of the Harry Potter series. So I'm not terribly offended by it. It's just something that's there. If you want to read it you totally can, but if you just want to stick the books, you're honestly not missing much really.
WHO SHOULD READ: Harry Potter fans who don't have strong opinions about character's futures
MY RATING: Three out of Five shrugs

Book Review: The Queen of Blood

TITLE: The Queen of Blood
Book 1 in the Queens of Renthia series
AUTHOR: Sarah Beth Durst
PUBLISHED: September 20th, 2016
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: In a world where demons run wild and destroy human life, a girl competes to be the next queen: the one person who can control the demons.
MY REVIEW: I have long been a fan of Sarah Beth Durst. She always has interesting ideas and takes familiar tropes and turns them on their head. When I heard she was doing a fantasy series I was through the roof.
Durst did not disappoint. We get a interesting world with equally interesting characters. I don't know why people keep trying to say this is YA because it's really not. It's adult. There is a time where one of the main characters is a teenager, yes. But a majority of the book is centered around adults and deals with very adult themes. I suppose there is some crossover appeal, but considering the sex scenes and sometimes gory violence...yeah it's adult.
I personally loved this one. It was unique and interesting as always with Sarah Beth Durst. I can't wait to see the rest of this series.
WHO SHOULD READ: Sarah Beth Durst fans, Game of Thrones fans, Queen of the Tearling fans, adult fantasy fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five demons wreaking havoc

Book Review: The Amateurs

TITLE: The Amateurs
Book 1 in a new trilogy
AUTHOR: Sara Shepard
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: November 1rst, 2016
GENRE: Mystery
PREMISE: A group of amateur detectives meet up on a website and take on a cold case involving a teenage girl who disappeared.
MY REVIEW: Oh Sara Shepard, why can't I quit you? I'm the first to admit your books are cheesy. You also over do it with the red herrings. Also, can you please stop with the gross normalization of older men hooking up with teenage girls? Honestly, there's so much in your books that irk me. Yet...this is the third series I've tried of yours.
If you've read Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game series, you pretty much are prepared for The Amateurs. It's very much in the same vein. It even comes complete with aggravating characters. But damn if Shepard doesn't know how to spin a good mystery and keep up the suspense to keep you turning the pages.
So I don't know guys. This book has all the same issues PLL and the Lying Game has. Yet, like those series...it's damn addicting. I'm giving this book three stars...but we all know I'm probably going to be here for the next book as well.
WHO SHOULD READ: PLL/The Lying Game fans, mystery fans, Shondaland fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five so ridiculous it's good books

Book Review: Where Am I Now?

TITLE: Where Am I Now?
AUTHOR: Mara Wilson
CATEGORY: Non-Fiction
PUBLISHED: September 13th, 2016
GENRE: Memoirs
PREMISE: Mara Wilson (best known for Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire) reflects on her childhood years and shares stories from her time growing up as a child star.
MY REVIEW: Show of hands, who watched Matilda as a kid? If you didn't see that, perhaps you saw Mrs. Doubtfire? You probably have seen at least one of those two. Or the Miracle on 34rth Street remake. Mara Wilson has been popping up again, mostly writing wise. I've enjoyed several articles she's written, and her twitter feed is basically the best. So I was pretty pumped to read this when I first heard it was coming.
As far as celebrity memoirs go, this one is pretty typical. There's fun stories, you learn some behind the scenes things you maybe didn't know before, and it's pretty fast-paced. Wilson has a fun writing style and is very honest about things. There are two stand out parts for me: a letter she wrote about Matilda and her relationship with the character and a part that is in fact a blog post she wrote about remembering Robin Williams.
I enjoyed this one a lot. I hope we see more books/any kind of writing from Mara Wilson in the future.
WHO SHOULD READ: Matilda fans, Mara Wilson fans, fans of celebrity memoirs
MY RATING: Four out of Five child stars grown up

Book Review: This Savage Song

TITLE: This Savage Song
Monsters of Verity Book 1
AUTHOR: Victoria Schwab
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: July 5th
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
PREMISE: In a world where violence creates monsters, two new kids start school: one is the daughter of a mobster for one side of the city, the other is a monster hidden for a leader of the other side of the city.
MY REVIEW: May I just say I love that Victoria Schwab is finally getting her due? Ever since I first read Near Witch...gosh a few years ago now...I had a feeling she was going to take off as an author and after reading The Archived I really wanted it to happen. Now, it looks like it's finally happening and I'm just so thrilled because I adore her stuff. I have yet to read a bad book by her.
What I really love is just how all different her books are. They usually are always fantasy oriented, but the fantasy is all different and so interesting. This latest new book is no exception. I love how she's not afraid to do complicated characters, including female ones and manages to have books with little to no romance in them. This includes her YA books. Yes, I know, YA without romance! Who knew? Also, she doesn't dumb down her YA books. Some authors who write in both categories I've noticed tend to tone things down for the YA crowd. Schwab, does not, and I appreciate that so much. This book is just as dark as Vicious or her Shades of Magic trilogy.
If you are a Victoria Schwab fan, whether you're familiar with her YA books or adult books, absolutely pick this up. It's just as good as her previous offerings.
WHO SHOULD READ: Victoria/V.E. Schwab fans, dark fantasy fans, Neil Gaiman fans
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five man made monsters

Book Review: A Torch Against the Night

TITLE: A Torch Against the Night
Book 2 in the Ember in the Ashes series
AUTHOR: Sabaa Tahir
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: August 30th, 2016
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: Elias and Laia are now on the run with Helene close at their heels on Marcus's orders...
MY REVIEW: So...I honestly don't remember Ember in the Ashes all that much. I remember liking it well enough (but apparently not as much as other people did, as these things go) but like actual details...I remember there being fighting. Luckily A Torch Against the night did some recapping so that jogged my memory. I don't think this is a mark against the book or anything. I was reading quite a bit at that time. It's a miracle I remember half of it.
This one is mostly like the first one for me: it's a lot of action. There's always something happening. I finished it in less then two days. There were some twists that were interesting but this was for the most part very much a second book in a series. It was mostly building towards getting to the third book. Of all the things, I found Helene's story the most interesting. In fact...at times I found myself wishing the book was only about her, because she was more interesting to me then Elias and Laia.
This was a very good sequel. It got the job done. I don't particularly think this series is that groundbreaking like people seem too, but it is definitely entertaining. If you want a fast-paced fantasy-adventure, this series is worth a shot.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of Ember in the Ashes, fantasy fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five people on the run

Book Review: Gemina

TITLE: Gemina
Book 2 in the Illuminae Files Trilogy
AUTHOR: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: October 2016
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMISE: Hanna is a spaceship captain's daughter when her ship is attacked and is forced to work with Nik, a rather shady guy to take down the group.
MY REVIEW: I got to the Illuminae Files earlier this year and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a bit of a trope-filled series, but it's a fun trope-filled series and the way it's told is great. I'll be honest, I actually like this second book a whole lot more then the first. Not the first was bad, it really wasn't. I just didn't get enamored with anyone there like I did with the characters here.
This book takes place in the same universe as Illuminae but on another spaceship and deals with brand new characters. My favorite of the new ones is Hanna. As in the other book there are a bunch of files, message conversations, and even journal entries to go through. The story flows more for me for some reason. I still have no idea how they'll manage to do a movie of this though (assuming they ever do it. The road to Hollywood is paved with YA movies stuck in development hell ;forever bitter about my Charlotte Doyle movie;).
As a sequel, this book does its work. The ending has me really eager for the next one. Also, I need to check out Jay Kristoff's stuff I think. I've been meaning too for awhile now. Just never got around to it.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of Illuminae Files, Across the Universe book series fans, sci-fi fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five hilarious message board conversations

Book Review: The Crimson Skew

TITLE: The Crimson Skew
Mapmaker's Trilogy Book 3
AUTHOR: S. E. Grove
CATEGORY: Middle-Grade
GENRE: Alternate History/Fantasy
PREMISE: Sophia and Theo continue their journey with Theo fighting in an army and Sophia trying to discover what happened to her parents...
MY REVIEW: I will always have mixed feelings when it comes to this trilogy I think and this book is no exception. As with the first two, the world-building is fantastic. I adore S.E. Grove's imagination and the ways she plays with history. I even enjoy things like lack of forced love interests and whatnot.
Unfortunately...the characters are kind of stock characters and the story mostly just adventure so I don't really feel any huge connection to them. I like what I read when I read it, but it's not like say, my love for the Harry Potter or Raven Boys characters.
If you loved the first two books, you'll probably love this one. It ties everything together very nicely and is more of the same. Overall this is a satisfying trilogy. It's just not what I would call a must-read series unless you're a serious world-building nerd like I am.
WHO SHOULD READ: alternate history fans, His Dark Materials fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five maps
RATING FOR TRILOGY: Three and a half out of Five

Book Series Review: Love by Numbers

TITLE OF SERIES: Love by Numbers
ORDER OF BOOKS:
Book 1: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
Book 2: Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord
Book 3: Eleven Scandals to Start To Win a Duke's Heart
AUTHOR: Sarah MacLean
YEARS PUBLISHED: 2010 to 2011
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Historical Romance
PREMISE: Romances of three siblings in Regency London
MY REVIEW: I have spent the past year reading through romances. Most I haven't really reviewed because there isn't that much to say about them. Either they were fun and business as usual, or they were bad and I wound up ditching them. As in most genres the Romance category has its good books and its bad books. This series was the first one I started for my romance focus and it has by far been my favorite. The romances are fun and not anger inducing as some of the category romances can get. The sex scenes are actually hot. I also love the fun way MacLean writes her books. If you want a series that is bound to convert someone over to category romance, this is a good one.
WHO SHOULD READ: Historical Romance fans, Romance fans, Jane Austen fans
RATING FOR SERIES: Four out of Five scandalous romances

Book Review: Raging Sea

TITLE: Raging Sea
Book 2 in the Undertow series
AUTHOR: Michael Buckley
PUBLISHED: February 2nd, 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Sci-Fi/Dystopian
PREMISE: Lyric and her friends go on the run from the aliens who invaded Earth...
MY REVIEW: Here's the thing about the Undertow series: it's readable. It's just...very generic. In fact, I actually forgot most of the first book. Luckily the author recaps a lot of it in the sequel so that jogged my memory. I do remember liking it...I think? It just doesn't compare to my love of Buckley's other series, Sister's Grimm.
This book...honestly continues the genericness of the first book. It's very much business as usual as far as sequels go. The author does try to twist it a bit. Though it's almost as if he knows he's twisting it because sometimes it felt like he was commenting on common tropes. Sometimes this can work, sometimes not. This time...it's okay but sometimes felt like the author was going "look how clever I'm being!"
As a sequel this does its job. It's perfectly competent. It's just not what I call a knock it out of the park book. Or even a knock it out of the park series. It's good enough that I'll probably continue to the end.
WHO SHOULD READ: Fans of the first book, fans of alien invasion books, Fifth Wave fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five alien invasions

Book Review: With Malice

TITLE: With Malice
AUTHOR: Eileen Cook
PUBLISHED: June 7th, 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Mystery/Thriller
PREMISE: A girl wakes up with no memory and learns she was in an accident that killed her best friend, and learns the accident may have been deliberate...
MY REVIEW: I've been hesitant to pick this one up because it kept getting compared to Gone Girl or Girl on a Train, both books I wasn't wild about. Publishers, might I suggest you all stop doing this? Because calling your book the next ;insert super popular title here; tends to come with a lot of baggage.
Luckily, I wound up enjoying this one much more then I enjoyed the two books it got compared too. The writing is smoother, the pacing is better, and the twists...are actually rather good. If you have to do thrillers, at least make them as entertaining as this one was. The twist at the end...I'm not sure if I like it or not. But it is an interesting ending if nothing else.
So if you're looking for a fast-paced YA thriller read, this is a pretty decent read. If you want a summery feeling in this (finally) cold weather, this is a good pick.
WHO SHOULD READ: Thriller fans, Gone Girl fans, Pretty Little Liars fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five hmm kind of endings