Book Review: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Goodreads blurb: Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.But on the day of the ceremony, her…

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Review: This is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi

Can you think of a better premise than three girls working together throughout one day to save the bookstore they all work in? I can't. This is exactly what the premise of This is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi is all about, and when I first read it, I was super excited to…

Disappointment is My First, Middle and Last Name: Majesty (American Royals 2) by Katharine McGee Review

Last year I read and loved American Royals – it was a CW show in book form, dramatic, over the top, and very, very angsty. I was really engaged the whole time I read it, it took me no time at all and I really got attached to the characters and their relationships. It was…

Grief & Family: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

"A queen offers her hand to be kissed, & can form it into a fist while smiling the whole damn time." I always hear such high praise for Acevedo's novels, and after enjoying With the Fire on High, I knew I had to read Clap When You Land! It has everything I love in stories…

A Local Election and a Romance in the Making: Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

I was super excited to get to read this one early. I really like Becky Albertalli, I love Simon vs. (wasn't a huge fan of Leah and I did not really like What If It's Us, but still) and I really like the fact that this was co-written by Aisha Saeed. I haven't read her…

90s Radio Show, a Play-Pretend Game & All the Feels: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

"That's still valid, even if it wasn't built to last. It's not any less significant." All of you already know that I am a huge Emma Mills fan. I think it's pretty much impossible for me to not like her novels. Contemporary YA isn't really a genre I reach that much for anymore, but her…

Review 2.0: The Foxhole Court

The Foxhole Court was a Tumblr phenomenon back in the day, and naturally, when I first read it, I kind of hated it. Not only that, I got hate for not liking it on Tumblr and people got so bothered with it, that I was determined to reread it, and like it this time around…

Androids, Politics, and Enemies to Lovers: Crier’s War by Nina Varela

I have to say this - this streak of me being pretty unimpressed with releases I was most excited about has to end. When this book started making the rounds around Twitter, I immediately added it to my TBR. It's an f/f enemies-to-lovers story, and that's my one requirement for liking a book, so naturally,…

Make It French and Call It Fantasy: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Everyone and their mother here knows how much I love the hate-to-love trope and how well the enemies-to-lovers set up works for me. So when I saw Serpent & Dove with its gorgeous cover, I knew I had to read it. Not only was it enemies to lovers, it was a witch and witch hunter…

Libraries, Sorcery and Likeable Demons: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

I love when books surprise me. I just did a post on that actually. And Sorcery of Thorns was that book for me. I skipped the excitement for Enchantment of Ravens, so when I got Sorcery of Thorns in my Owlcrate, I was optimistic about it, but I did not plan to read it soon.…

Witchy Vibes, Family Secrets and My Eternal Frustration: The Wise and the Wicked by Rebecca Podos

Listen, I am so tired of books I like, but not love. It's stressing me out, and I just am in a desperate need for a 5 star read and a new book to love. Please. As per usual, I requested this book on Edelweiss because witchy families and beautiful covers make me weak. And…

Promising, But Ultimately Too Generic: Nocturna by Maya Motayne

“The magic poured life into the images, showing his people swathed in bright colors, prospering and using magic freely.”  When I first saw this book on Edelweiss, I immediately knew I needed to read it. I mean, this is a Latinx inspired Fantasy (yay!) with a prince and a faceless thief (Arya Stark vibes???), which…