Tag: booksof2021

Let Me Catch You Up

Hey y’all, I apologize for being so quiet on here the last few months. I just wanted to catch you up on what has been going on and give you a brief summary of what I’ve been reading. My actual reviews will follow, but I wanted to also get on here and just let you know why things have been so sporadic from me. I also wanted to apologize for that. I was hoping things this year would be less hectic, with COVID being better controlled and not being under quarantine like last year. However, we’ve had some personal things go on that have made it seem just as hectic.

In the beginning of the year, I felt optimistic about things, both reading- and personal- wise. Then I received some devastating news from my former partner that I’m still trying to reconcile. It threw me for a loop and I ended up not being able to do any reading after that until mid-February. Lately, we’ve had many appointments to go to so our days are still quite busy and exhausting. Some nights I go to bed shortly after my son does, which is pretty early. Also, I’m still dealing with some health issues that I’ve had on and off since June 2020.

Let’s Catch You Up: What I’ve Been Reading

Reading-wise, I’ve been doing alright. I haven’t gotten to as many books as I would have liked. However, I’m still reading a good amount of books. I average about 5 books a month and am on track to finish my Goodreads challenge (65).

Our local library has opened back up and we’ve been frequenting that weekly. My son loves getting books out and it makes this bibliophilic mama’s heart sing. 🥰 It’s also become a contest to see who gets more excited over bookmail: me or him.

I’ve mostly been reading ARCs this year, as I have many to review. However, in May and June I tried to focus my reading on monthly “themes.” May was AAPI Heritage month, so I tried to read mostly books written by AAPI authors. In the same respect, June was pride month, so I tried to read books that were lgbtq+ themed or written by lgbtq+ authors. Unless there was an ARC due that didn’t fit in those “themes,” I think I did pretty well.

I’ll include a list of the books I’ve read this year so far. As I’ve mentioned, reviews will be forthcoming, although some are already up. That’s it: that’s all I have to catch you up. Thanks for reading and bearing with me this year. Y’all are always appreciated. đź’› You can follow me on Instagram if you want more up-to-date reviews. Enjoy your weekend!

Books I’ve Read in 2021 Thus Far

  • July 2021
    • Mistletoe & Mischief
  • June 2021
    • The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling
    • The Prince and the Dressmaker
    • MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues
    • You Should See Me In A Crown
    • Darius The Great Deserves Better
    • Of Princes and Promises
    • The Gilded Ones
  • May 2021
    • My Fate According to the Butterfly
    • The Henna Artist
    • From Little Tokyo, With Love
    • Love From A to Z
  • April 2021
    • On The Spectrum
    • Fox & Rabbit
    • The Dating Plan
    • Spin A Circle
    • The Forest of Stolen Girls
    • The Perfect Daughter
    • The Mary Shelley Club
    • House of Hollow
  • March 2021
    • Zara Hossain is Here
    • She’s Too Pretty To Burn
    • Heroine
    • Firekeeper’s Daughter
    • The Lake
  • February 2021
    • A Shot at Normal
    • The Seelie Queen
    • Yolk
    • Indivisible
  • January 2021
    • What Big Teeth
    • A Taste For Love
    • The Project
    • Amari and the Night Brothers
    • Last Night at the Telegraph Club

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

I received a free e-ARC of The Forest of Stolen Girls thanks to Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I got the email that I’d won an arc, I was so excited. I’m a sucker for historical fiction, but what’s even better is that this is also a mystery-thriller. The synopsis had me hooked.

We follow Hwani, who, as a child, was found unconscious in the forest, with her sister. They don’t remember a thing about the incident except that their captor had a white-painted mask. This event tore their family apart and most fled the hometown. Years later, she travels back to her estranged home to find her father who went missing while investigating the disappearance of 13 missing girls. Reuniting with her sister, Hwani must look to her past in order to discover the truth.

The Forest of Stolen Girls: Why You Should Read It

First, I have to say: Hur can tell a story. I haven’t read her other works but this as an intro to her writing was perfect. The way she crafted this slow burn mystery-thriller was so magnificent. She left her hints and clues all over, but with such subtly that it was almost enough to be disregarded. 

I loved the dynamic between Hwani and Maewol. It was such a realistic interpretation of a sister relationship. They had underlying resentment of each other but also fierce love and loyalty. So representative of a sisterly bond, I think. 

The ending of the book was totally unexpected for me. I was guessing during the story–and not correctly–at what was going to happen. Maybe I’m getting rusty? Or Maybe Hur’s writing is just that good. Either way, the build-up of the book was so worth the shock factor. 

I urge all of you to read this book. It’s a historical fiction book, yes, but you don’t feel like you’re reading a book about history. It’s engaging, it’s interesting, and it keeps you wanting more. You’re not going to want to put it down. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

I received a free e-ARC of The Mary Shelley Club thanks to Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I got the email that I’d won an arc of this book, y’all, I was so excited. The synopsis for this sounded so good and I’m always down for a good thriller-mystery.

In this book we follow Rachel, new to Manchester Prep after an attack at her home leaves her needing a new start. Struggling to fit in, she finds herself drawn to the mysterious and secretive Mary Shelley Club, where members find pleasure in scaring others. But as these members soon find out when they become the target of the pranks, alls fair in pranks and fear. 

The Mary Shelley Club: The Nitty Gritty

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the journey we took throughout the book. I would have liked to get more character background on a few of the characters in the story, but overall what we were given was sufficient. 

Moldavsky did an excellent job showcasing the dynamics of the different members of the group, as well as the different members of the school. We can see how socioeconomic status impacted various interactions and consequently the group and group members’s agenda.

The ending was not quite what I was expecting. I didn’t see part of it coming–which isn’t a bad thing, it just surprised me a little. It was sort of open-ended, which left room for a possible sequel. I think a sequel to this book would be interesting.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, horror movies (or not—I don’t and still enjoyed this book!), and books where you don’t know who you can trust.

The Mary Shelley Club is available for purchase, so hurry to get your copy today!

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

She’s Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard

I received a free ARC of She’s Too Pretty To Burn thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I read the synopsis, I was hooked. It sounded super intriguing. I’ll be honest, I’ve never read The Picture of Dorian Gray, so I’m not sure which aspect was done for the retelling or whether it hit the mark.

This book is interesting, to say the least. We have a trio of characters, two of whom are artists, and one who is a lifeguard. Veronica and Nico are artists and best friends, and Veronica meets Mick, a lifeguard and the object of Veronica—and soon to be Nico’s—affections. 

She’s Too Pretty To Burn: My Thoughts

The dynamics of the main relationship did not feel healthy. I had warning bells going off during some scenes because of the way Veronica was acting around Mick and the things that she said. She didn’t listen to Mick when Mick said no, and she would say creepy things to her. It felt very possessive and toxic.  

The parental presence was lacking. Even when there was a parental figure in the storyline, the actions did not seem as that of a typical adult/parent. As a parent myself, I kept saying “That’s really all her mom is going to say?” or “Really? That’s her reaction?” It felt unrealistic that there was such little parental influence during all this time, especially with Veronica’s mom. I won’t say more because I don’t want to slip into the spoiler zone.

I kept trying to understand the motive or the point to much of what happened in the book but I couldn’t. 

Heard’s writing kept me intrigued, though, and I couldn’t put this book down. I still can’t stop thinking about it, despite the few hangups I had. I recommend checking it out—publication is set for March 30th.

She's Too Pretty To Burn ARC cover title page

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

I received a free e-ARC of Firekeeper’s Daughter thanks to Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I’d been anticipating this book since I found out about it’s existence, so when I found out I won an ARC, I was so excited. 

Let me tell y’all, it lived up to the hype. I still find myself thinking about this story, Daunis, and the cast of characters we journeyed with even after the last page has been turned. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter: Strengths

I’m a huge fan of strong female protagonists, and Boulley hit the nail with Daunis. She is biracial and a product of teenage pregnancy. Neither side of her family really embraced her, but she is heavily involved with both. She feels like an outsider but is trying to find her place.

I loved the insight to the Ojibwe community that Boulley weaved into the story. The language and traditions that we learned about was such an important inclusion into the story and an important piece of Daunis’s identity. Another aspect that we see is loyalty. Loyalty is shown in many different ways in this book, but we can see it throughout. Women were loyal to each other during a specific tradition even if they didn’t want to participate. Later, toward the end of the book, we see the elders being loyal to Daunis; I won’t say more as it would be a spoiler. Throughout the book, we see Daunis being loyal to her community during her time with the FBI as she’s constantly wondering whether she should tell Jamie and Ron or keep something to herself for a while.

The storyline itself is so powerful. It covers a plethora of issues including violence (gun, domestic, etc.), drug addiction, grief, sexual assault, racism, unfit parents, corruption, and greed. What starts as an investigation into a drug-operation turns into an eye-opening experience for Daunis into the lives of those around her. We’re taken on a thrilling, dangerous, hope-filled ride as we search for answers with Daunis.

Boulley’s masterful telling of Firekeeper’s Daughter is one that won’t be forgotten. I highly recommend this book. I’ll be keeping Boulley on my radar.

Firekeeper's Daughter ARC Cover Page (blank title)