Tag: Fiction

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Tower of Dawn

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Title: Tower of Dawn

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Page Count: 680

Series: Throne of Glass, Book 6

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 5, 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Format: eBook

Review: For the most part, when I review a book from this series I feel like I am constantly repeating myself, so my review of this book will be short and sweet.  My thoughts on this book are very similar to my thoughts on the previous five books, so feel free to look at those reviews if you feel so inclined.  That aside, it was nice to step away from Aelin’s story for a bit, and I really enjoyed the POV of Nesryn.  As with all of Maas’ books, nearly every character gets paired off with someone.  It’s nice but predictable.

I’ve made it this far, so I will definitely be reading the seventh and final book in the series.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

 

Fantasy · Fiction

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

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Title: The Slow Regard of Silent Things

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Performer: Patrick Rothfuss

Length: 3 hr, 39 min

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2.5)

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2014 by Penguin Group US

Format: eAudiobook

Review: Before deciding to read this novella, I recommend three things:

  1. Read at least the first book of the Kingkiller Chronicle prior to picking up this novella to establish the character of Auri.
  2. Heed the author’s advice in the author’s notes and do NOT expect there to be a plot.
  3. Listen to this in audiobook format.

If I had to describe this audiobook in one word, it would be: soothing.  It is a long and meandering stroll through the broken mind of Auri.  For those who have read any of the Kingkiller Chronicle books, it is already established that Auri is an airy, mysterious, and sweet-natured young woman.  She often brings Kvothe gifts with cryptic descriptions, and this novella delves deeply into her thought process in choosing those gifts, and gives a glimpse of her life in the “Underthing.”  It’s less of a story and more of a snapshot of her life.

The author has a fantastic voice for narrating, and though I often found my thoughts drifting off during his reading, I found the listening experience to be very pleasant.  With all the stress in my life right now, I found it to be a nice reprieve to just tune out with this playing in the background.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

 

Fiction · Romance

The Roommate

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Title: The Roommate

Author: Rosie Danan

Page Count: 336

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 15, 2020 by Berkley

Format: eBook

Review: This book was actually better than I expected it to be, which is more uncommon than not.  I am a sucker for light romances, especially after reading books with darker content, and this was just what I needed.  I actually found the content of this book to be somewhat unexpected (in a good way), and the storyline brings to light social issues that most people rarely think about but are nonetheless important.  The romance was both sizzling and cutesy, a fun combination, especially if you are into the whole “opposites attract” trope.  I highly recommend this read if you are an avid romance reader.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

The Midnight Lie

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Title: The Midnight Lie

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Page Count: 358

Series: The Midnight Lie, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 3, 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Format: eBook

Review: I was a huge fan of Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy, so I was elated when I saw this book being offered up to readers on NetGalley.  Unfortunately, as with many books I hype in my mind, it did not quite live up to expectations.  I found both the setting and the romance to be boring.  I’ve seen this plot concept played out in other books, and I did not find this particular rendition to be anything special.  For folks who are interested, there is an LGBT+ angle, but there really isn’t anything else that sets it apart in my mind from other fantasy that I have read.  Although I would like to learn more about Nirrim’s magical gifts, I don’t think I am interested enough to continue forward with this series.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_Goldhalf star

Fantasy · Fiction

The Wise Man’s Fear

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Title: The Wise Man’s Fear

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Page Count: 994

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 1, 2011 by DAW Books

Format: eBook

Review: When it comes to epic fantasy, it really does not get more epic than Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle.  Rothfuss’ worldbuilding is unparalleled, and his character development is on point.  My greatest criticism for this installment of the series is that it had too much whimsy at certain points.  Although this is a book about a magic wielder, the more magical aspects regarding faeries and the Chandrian always strike me as secondary to the rest of the plot.  Similarly, the “interludes” leave me with more far more confusion than clarity.  It is difficult to understand how that narrative and portrayal of an older Kvothe plays into the larger story.  I imagine that if Rothfuss ever decides to grace his readers with the long awaited final book, most of my questions will be answered.

As with the first book, I found Kvothe’s relationship with Denna to be exceptionally annoying.  I am, however, interested in seeing what the significance of that relationship will be in the final book.  Her mysterious and abusive benefactor will undoubtedly be important to the storyline, and I am anxious for that big reveal.

This was a very lengthy book and a big investment of time, but I am glad that I read it.  Some segments seemed to drag on, but overall, I found Kvothe’s adventures to be very interesting and engaging.  It was nice to take a step away from the university setting and see new lands and cultures.  I am excited to see where Kvothe goes next, but I am not holding my breath.  It has, after all, been almost ten years since this book’s publication, and still no release date for the final book is in sight.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Goldhalf star

Fiction · Young Adult

Kent State

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Title: Kent State

Author: Deborah Wiles

Performers: Christopher Gebauer, Lauren Ezzo, Christina DeLaine, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Korey Jackson, & David de Vries

Length: 1 hr, 59 min, 56 sec

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2020 by Scholastic Audio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: Poetry is not really my thing, so it was hard to rate this book.  I listened to it in eAudiobook format, so it really felt like I was listening to a play with all the back and forth dialogues and monologues.  I personally did not really enjoy it, but I didn’t give it a low rating because I appreciate the amount of research that went into it and I liked that the author showed several different conflicting perspectives.  This gave a more complete picture of what happened (and why) on the fateful and tragic day of May 4, 1970.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Contemporary · Fiction · Romance

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

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Title: The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

Author: Kelly Harms

Page Count: 328

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: May 1, 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

Format: eBook

Review: This book can be summed up in one word: tedious.  I completely understand mommy guilt.  I’ve experienced it many times myself, so Amy’s resistance to doing something nice for herself made sense to an extent, but at some point it just became frustrating.  It took WAY too long for Amy to just accept the process of her “momspringa”.  I wanted her to have fun, but she moped through the majority of the great experiences that were basically handed to her and I just found it to be exhausting.  Also, has she never heard of the concept of a long distance relationship?  Just another thing she resisted to an extent that made zero sense to me.

The one aspect of this book I really enjoyed was her daughter’s journal entries.  Absolutely hilarious.  I looked forward to coming across them throughout the book.

Honestly though, if this had not been a book club pick, I would most likely have DNFed it and saved myself a few hours of rolling my eyes.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fantasy · Fiction · Historical · Young Adult

The Court of Miracles

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Title: The Court of Miracles

Author: Kester Grant

Page Count: 464

Series: A Court of Miracles, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: June 2, 2020

Format: eBook

Review: I have never been a huge fan of Les Misérables.  True to it’s name, it is both lengthy and wildly depressing.  I am also not a big fan of musicals so that form of adaptation never interested me.  Nevertheless, the synopsis for this book piqued my interest.  Eponine?  As a cat burglar? Ok! If I had to pick one character I would like to see a retelling for, it would be Eponine, so I requested this ARC with very few expectations.  Perhaps this is sometimes the best way to approach books, because when they actually blow you away, it is a very pleasant surprise.

This book was FANTASTIC.  I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed it.  The plot, the character development, everything about it felt fresh, despite the fact it is an adaptation/retelling of a classic and well-known novel.  Eponine was a character you could not help but root for, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.  The one bummer about reading ARCs that you love is that you have to wait a very long time for the next one.  Even so, I like the way the author ended this book.  Some story lines were wrapped up, while others were simultaneously opened.  This left me finishing the book feeling both satisfied and chomping at the bit for more.  A pleasant combination.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction

The Murder of King Tut

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Title: The Murder of King Tut

Author: James Patterson and Martin Dugard

Performer: Joe Barrett

Length: 5hrs 59 min

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Format: Audiobook

Review: Do you want to read a horrible book that includes sex scenes and scenes of sexual assault on minors? Do you want to read a book that just abruptly ends chapters for no reason, in the middle of a conversation? Then read this book!

But seriously, don’t read this book. It’s horrible. It’s disgusting. So people married young in the past, that doesn’t mean we need to go into detail about what happens in said marital bed. They are CHILDREN. That’s just so gross. To be honest, I couldn’t even finish it. It was that bad.

It was also horribly researched and the authors proclaim that Tut was murdered like they just took a sixth grade history class. We know that. It’s obvious. To call this historical fiction is a slap in the face to actual historical fiction. Hence me tagging it as ‘Fiction’.

Reader: Kymberly

Rating: 

No stars. None. I would give minus if I could.

Contemporary · Fiction · Young Adult

Not So Pure and Simple

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Title: Not So Pure and Simple

Author: Lamar Giles

Page Count: 400

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: January 21, 2020

Format: Hardcover

Review: I was thoroughly impressed by this book.  The great thing about participating in the Mock Printz Committee at my work is that sometimes I am given books that I enjoy immensely, but would probably not have read otherwise.  This is one such book.  It surprised me with it’s humor, depth, and important message.  Oftentimes books that cover topics such as toxic masculinity and sexual agency come off as being too heavy-handed with character tropes and long inner monologues where the characters have “epiphanies”.  The resulting effect is that it feels like it is trying too hard to make a statement.  Giles masterfully avoided these pitfalls by giving us characters that are both lovable and realistic.  He shows that even well-intentioned young men are susceptible to toxic ways of thinking and sometimes their words and actions have unintended negative effects on those around them.  As a woman, I found I related to many of the female characters and their struggle to be “nice” even when they were not interested in the male pursuing them.  As I have grown older, I find that sometimes it is necessary to be blunt, even if it comes off as rude, but as a younger woman, this felt like a tricky minefield to navigate.  Reading this book made me realize how many behaviors are impressed upon us at an early age and really made me re-evaluate how I have simply accepted certain actions as “normal” when they really shouldn’t be.

I would consider this an important read for all teens and think it would be a great book for discussion.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Goldhalf star