Hey there, everyone! Once again, I set myself a goal that I could not meet. With the weather changing here in South Florida and the holiday season ramping up, I’ve been more tired than usual. But you know what? I still managed to read 11 books this past, and for the most part, every book was a delight!

Anyway, how did everyone else do this past month? Meet any personal goals?

Thief Liar Lady

After I finished this book, I could not stop recommending it at work. Cinderella is a con artist! And a rebel spy! It was unpredictable, fast-paced, and honestly such a delight. I loved this book so much.

Loveboat Forever

Full disclosure: I have not read any other books in this series. I saw the trailer for the show based on the first book and thought, “That looks interesting.” Then, the publisher offered me an ARC for this book, and while it’s not what I would typically read, I enjoyed it. This was a beautiful book, sweet and relatable.

House of Roots and Ruin

OMG THIS BOOK! THAT ENDING! AHH! I was not okay after this book. I need a sequel, and I need it now. Ugh, that ending! Sorry. I have no regrets about this book; I loved it! I love the gothic atmosphere; I love the eerieness surrounding it. God, it was so good!

Skin of the Sea

This was such an excellent book. I got lost sometimes because I was unfamiliar with African myths and folklore, and the story relied heavily on that. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it. If anything, it has made me more eager to learn about those topics, but it slowed down my reading of it.

Iron Flame

*Sigh* I hope you all heard the weight behind this word. Okay, I LOVED Fourth Wing. Honestly, Tairn, Andarna, and Violet had such great characterization and dynamics, they made me love the book. Iron Flame…it was a struggle for me. These are my issues:

1. This book could have easily been split into two books.
2. The pacing for part 1 was clunky.
3. Violet’s constant paranoia and whiney attitude were annoying. I get it; she was in a dilemma, but at some point, I wanted her to get over it, learn to come to terms with it, and return to the girl she was in Fourth Wing. She can still be a strong female character while dealing with inner turmoil/conflict without being whiney.
4. Part 1 lacks some cohesion
5. Yarros sacrificed character development for the sake of the story.
6. Part 2 was easily flushed out, more engaging, and more fluid regarding pacing.
7. Xaden’s and Violet’s relationship got to the point of codependency that bordered on toxicity. It’s not the respectful relationship it was in the first book. Do we get back to that? Yes? But there are better ways to build up the conflict in the relationship.

Tell Me What Really Happened

I’ve been trying to read this book for months and am so happy I finally got it. The whole book is told through police interviews. Five teenagers go into the woods, and only four come back alive. It is such an interesting take on how memory affects how we see things and how our fears make us see things differently.

What the River Knows

So this was the BN YA Book Club pick for November. I liked the book, but Inez was so annoying! Really if it weren’t for the fact that the side characters were so damn lovable and the plot was interesting, combining The Mummy with Death on the Nile, I probably would have put the book on my DNF pile just because Inez was so obnoxiously stubborn. I think some writers think that to have a strong female character, they must always be argumentative and stubborn. It is an overplayed trope that I’m tired of. Feminitiy is not a weakness and should not be treated as such.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

This book broke my heart a little bit. God, it was beautiful and tragic and wholesome and brilliant. Just the storytelling, the way it unfolded, was beautiful. I get the hype behind this book, and it was worth it.

All That Consumes Us

This was such a good book. It deals with the cost of brilliance and what you are willing to do and give up for the sake of success in an eerie and gothic way. Honestly, this was a page-turner, and I highly recommend it.

Dragons of Fate

THIS BOOK! I NEED BOOK THREE NOW! AHH!!! Okay, deep breaths. I loved this book. In Dragons of Fate, Destina was not my favorite character. She’s the daughter of a Solamnic Knights. Sturm was always my least favorite character of the original companions, so it made sense. They are stiff, self-righteous, and obnoxious. But, oh my god, her character development was excellent. The way the story flowed is fantastic. The pacing, the plot twists, the fantasy, the characterization, it was all amazing! Seriously, it’s one of the best books I read this year.

Medusa’s Sisters

Wow, this book was just wow. It was breathtaking to see the tale of Medusa done in a completely fresh new way. It was inventive, heartbreaking, and ethereal at times. I loved the complex sisterly dynamics between the sisters and how they loved each other yet still struggled to find their identity outside of their unity. Truly breathtaking.

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