the bookshelf

The Hallmarked Man is the eighth and latest installment in the Cormoran Strike mystery series. One day, a dismembered and mutilated corpse is found in the vault of a silver shop. The police think that the body belongs to a convicted robber. Decima Mullins believes the body is her boyfriend, who disappeared suddenly and mysteriously. She hires Cormoran and Robin to investigate, but they quickly find themselves mired in a labyrinthine case filled with multiple potential suspects, Masonic symbolism, and connections to the powerful and wealthy.

Hmmm. Spent some days contemplating this one. I wouldn't necessarily call it a disappointment, as I still rated it highly at 4 stars. But compared to the previous two books? I definitely liked it less. In romance books, there's a common plot device known as the "3rd Act Breakup," where the couple breaks up in the last third of the book to create extra drama and tension before they inevitably get back together and live happily ever after. This book felt like "3rd Act Breakup: The Book," except Robin and Corm aren't technically in a relationship. It felt like they were moping over each other for the entire book. They would constantly misinterpret the other person and refused to act upon their feelings. It got exhausting after a certain point.

In theory, I like negative character progression, where a character reverts back to their worst tendencies. However, I found myself frustrated a little at Robin and her negative character progression in this book. Like, to be fair, she clearly has PTSD, and she is constantly getting re-triggered over the course of this book. Being stalked and assaulted further exacerbated things. Recovery from traumatic events isn't a linear process, especially when you are getting triggered over and over again. From that context, the way Robin acted was realistic. However, from a reader's standpoint, I found it to be frustrating also. At times, I just wanted to give her a little shake and tell her to get a grip.

On Cormoran's part, I initially enjoyed seeing him squirm, seethe, and suffer. (It's what he deserves.) However, this book is 900 pages long and by the 500-page mark, I was a little over his (and Robin's) angst over each other. I skim-read a few reviews on Goodreads, and unlike a lot of them, I had an okay time with the mystery. I do agree that it's convoluted. There were a LOT of characters and I felt like I really could have benefited from a dramatis personae or something. But AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! That ending!!!! What a cruel cliffhanger!!!! Cormoran, you really beefed it!!! (Although honestly, that ending was SO in character for him lmao. I don't think it could have gone any other way.)

Hellmouth is a medieval fantasy horror novella inspired by the folklore of the real-life Houska Castle. Galien leads a band of hardened mercenaries. In a deal that seems too good to be true, they are sent by the church to investigate the dark forests of Bohemia, where a heretic is said to reside.

Listened to this via audiobook. This is an incredibly short novella and one I greatly enjoyed, for the most part. The writing is super atmospheric. I absolutely adored the first half of the novella. The author did a great job in creating such a tense, creepy, and claustrophobic atmosphere. I was less enthused by the latter half, during the descent, and thought the ending was a bit like a wet fart. Abrupt, unpleasant, and out of nowhere. Honestly, I was a little confused by it. It felt like the author was like, "Ah, I guess I gotta end this." I really wish this was a full-length novel or at least a longer novella, as it's just barely over 50 pages long. If you're looking for a short, creepy read and don't mind graphic descriptions of gore and violence, I'd recommend!

For years, Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world, carefully quarantined by the government. Expeditions are sent to study Area X, and each of them has ended in disaster. Very few survivors make it out. Those that do are forever changed. The twelfth expedition is a team of all women: a psychologist, a biologist, a surveyor, and an anthropologist. Their mission, like all of the expeditions before them, is to survey the land and study the ecosystem. However, upon arriving in Area X, they find a land like none other and must reckon with dangerous environments and even deadlier secrets.

Read this for book club. Another successful read! Overall, we all enjoyed this. Our ratings: 4.5, 4, 4, and 3 (or was it 3.5?) stars. We really liked the writing. It was very descriptive and atmospheric. The setting was by far our favorite aspect. The author did a good job in bringing Area X to life and showcasing how unsettling it was. (I joked that maybe Florida was just like that.) We all agreed that the human relationship drama was our least favorite aspect. It was really annoying being invested in what was going on in Area X and then suddenly switching to a flashback of the biologist's failing marriage. Like, who cares! I suppose the author included that to act as an anchor, as an element of mundanity to ground the story. It also provided some background for the biologist. However, we all felt like it could have been done better. One member pointed out that it was interesting that the surveyor was the only sane character. Normally, you get the POV from a sane person viewing an insane one, but here, it was reversed. We speculated a little bit about whether people truly die in Area X, the nature of Area X, etc. One member plans on eventually continuing on with the series. I probably won't. I find that often, the answers you get are super disappointing in comparison to how intriguing the questions are.

After twenty-four years of peace, the reign of Emperor Bersen has come to an end. In accordance with ancient tradition, seven contenders, each representing a different god, must compete for the throne in a series of trials. Neema Kraa, the emperor's brilliant but unpopular High Scholar, is organizing the events and all seems to be going well until one of the contestants is found murdered. Now Neema must investigate the murder. In order to do so, she must uncover deadly secrets spanning generations all while competing in trials she is entirely unprepared for.

The Raven Scholar is an epic fantasy book with a strong mystery element. I've seen a lot of hype for it in bookish internet spaces, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was alright. Surprisingly decent, given how mid recent releases have been. The worldbuilding was fine and I liked the narrative element added with the Ravens. They were pretty amusing. I felt that the characters were... okay. I had a hard time believing they were in their 30s, given how childish they acted. Like... really? You're in your 30s and you're acting like this? Neema was quite dumb at times, but I'll cut her some slack given how far she was out of her depth. That being said, she is kind of a loser and I found my patience with her wearing thin at times. In the context of the book, her character didn't really make sense to me. I don't understand how you can be that unliked and that naive to politics, all while holding a high position in the royal court. I also don't really understand why she's shunned for certain events in the book. It's like blaming the clerk for doing paperwork before someone was unfairly punished. It just doesn't make any sense! There was a small romantic subplot, which I didn't care for. I thought the male love interest was quite hypocritical, giving Neema a lot of shit for doing her job while also (allegedly) doing questionable things for his job. My favorite part was the first few chapters. I thought they were incredibly compelling, and I liked how the specter of them haunted the remainder of the story. I liked the mystery element. Some of the twists were intriguing and I didn't predict them. However, I will say that I found the trials as a whole to be incredibly tedious and, overall, kind of pointless. It seems like 'competitive trials' has made a resurgence in terms of plotlines, and I'm not sure why. I guess maybe because of the new Hunger Games books? Not everything needs to be a competition, and I don't think this book really needed it or benefited from it. The trials never felt all that serious, and I think this was further enforced when characters who obviously weren't serious contenders were dropping out partway through. Anyway, I'll probably check out the sequel because I'm curious to see where the plot will go.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a fantasy romcom. After learning that he has a seemingly incurable degenerative disorder, assassin Osric Mordaunt bribes renowned healer and scientist Aurienne Fairhim into helping him. The only issue is that assassins and healers are diametrically opposed, and they both hate each others' guts. Thus begins a dysfunctional relationship where Aurienne and Osric try to learn to tolerate each other as they journey across the lands seeking a cure and investigating the mysterious spread of a deadly pox.

This is the second Dramione fanfiction-inspired work I've read as part of a mini reading project. TIUtFfYE is an original work inspired by the equally long-titled Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. Unlike Rose in Chains or Alchemised, this book isn't reworked fanfiction. However, after skimming through most of DMatMOoBiL (good god these titles), it's clear that the author was influenced by her earlier work. Osric and Aurienne are clearly Draco- and Hermione-inspired, albeit more bland versions. It has the same tone/humor, the FMC is a medical scientist, and it involves journeying all over the UK in search of a cure. There are some differences, obviously. Osric is an assassin, and Draco is an Auror assigned to protect Hermione. Hermione was seeking a cure for lycanthropy, while Aurienne is searching for a cure for Osric's magical disease while investigating a deadly pox outbreak. The fanfiction takes place in a modern setting, while TIUtFfYE is more... Victorian-inspired? Or maybe Edwardian, not sure tbh, but it's clearly not modern. Anyway, my point is that there is a clear line of influence, and anyone claiming otherwise is being purposefully obtuse.

Overall this is... Eh... It's alright, I guess? I gave this 3 stars, but I could easily drop it to 2.5. I felt nothing while reading this. It was just a book that I read. I'm entirely indifferent to the romance, which isn't good considering it's a fantasy romance lmao. I think part of the issue is that Osric and Aurienne are pretty bland. Osric is an arrogant womanizer and Aurienne is the uptight scientist. They didn't have any chemistry and when they suddenly started getting all flustered around each other, I was like ???? This came out of nowhere?? The worldbuilding and setting were incredibly vague. I'm actually unsure just how technologically advanced the world is. It had a Victorian sort of vibe, but then Aurienne would randomly mention something about her owning a pink spiral notebook, which I'm pretty sure didn't exist during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In terms of medicine and the human body, there is clearly a more modern understanding of that, and they also talk about clothing made with synthetic fibers. From what I know, clothing made from synthetic fibers didn't really become mainstream until post-WWII, and said synthetic fibers (nylon, polyester, etc) were invented either right before or during the war.

In fantasy, I normally like it when a book throws you into the deep end and doesn't hold your hand, trusting the reader to pick up things as the story goes on. This, however, didn't really work for me. I ended up getting annoyed by all of the terms being thrown around and I'm not sure why. I did like the cheeky writing style. The author overdid it sometimes, but overall, I liked the sense of humor and thought some of the descriptions of yearning toward the end were quite nice. I'm also a little curious about where the plot will go. Probably not enough to actually read the sequel, but I'm definitely more interested in it than the sequel to Rose in Chains.

The war is over, the prophesied savior is dead, and Briony Rosewood has been captured by the enemy. Stripped of her magic, she and her fellow Eversuns are placed up for auction, where they face a future of enslavement, sexual servitude and rape, and being drained of their life force to act as magical batteries for the enemy Bomardis. As a princess, Briony fetches the highest price and after a long bidding war, she is sold to none other than Toven Hearst, scion to a powerful Bomardi family and her rival from her school days. Now, Briony must use her wits to survive and draw strength from unlikely allies in a brand new world, where everything seems hopeless and lost.

I normally wouldn't have any interest in reading this book, but after learning that it was Harry Potter fanfiction with the serial numbers filed off, I got curious and decided to do a mini reading project where I read the three Dramione-inspired works being published this year: Rose in Chains, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, and Alchemised. Boy oh boy, this is definitely not an auspicious start to the project.

I never read the fanfiction this was based off of (The Auction), and after finishing this book, I have zero interest in ever reading it lmao. By the end of this book, I was still squicked out by its entire premise and the basis of the romance. I felt like the book/Toven didn't properly address the gross dynamic of having a romance with your purchased sex/magic slave in a satisfactory way so that I could buy into the romantic relationship. It felt like, in some ways, I was more horrified by Briony's situation than she was, as she kept either being all wistful about Toven or a little flippant about the sheer danger she was in. I think the author was trying to showcase Briony's bravery, but it just didn't come across as realistic.

In terms of the romance, I didn't really understand why Toven was so interested in Briony. It seems like this might be an artifact left over from the fanfiction, where the reader doesn't need much to buy into the relationship. It's a Dramione fanfiction, so naturally the characters will be into each other. However, as someone unfamiliar with the original work, I didn't have that same attachment, so Toven's sheer devotion to Briony, to the point that he has his family involved and thus endangering them, had me going ???? The flashback scenes did little to convince me either. Also, I don't know why Briony was into him either. Sure, she found him attractive, but aside from that, he was a pompous asshole, and his friends bullied and harassed her (both in terms of regular harassment and sexual harassment). His friends' behavior especially was just so disgusting, and Toven did little to stop them.

Going back to my earlier point, it felt like the characters, their actions, and their reactions weren't always in line with what was at stake, which is a classic mistake that rookie authors make. However, it's my understanding that Julie Soto is an established romance author. They live under a murderous, all-powerful dictator where people are being enslaved and raped, and they're all holding secrets against said dictator, but sometimes it felt like the way they acted was incongruous to the bleak setting. They were a little too nonchalant about it all.

Speaking of the setting and worldbuilding, it wasn't the greatest. It felt a bit shoddy and slapdash. Very shallow. There are mind mages and heart mages, but the magic all felt very hand-wavy. There's an analogue to the Killing Curse (called Heartstop, which is heart magic) and Legilimency (advanced mind magic). But, aside from Briony using mind magic to hide/disguise herself, you don't really get much about the magic system itself. You just learn that the Eversuns use mind magic and the Bomardis use heart magic, and, for some reason, that is a point of contention between them even though mind mages can use heart magic and vice versa. Now, I don't need magic system autism a la Brandon Sanderson, but it'd be nice to have more of an explanation or showcase of the magic and its possibilities/limits, outside of what the author borrowed from Harry Potter. It all felt very vibey, which is also how I'd describe the worldbuilding.

The story takes place on a continent split between two countries, Evermore (Briony's home) and Bomard (Toven's home). The two countries have warred in the past but maintained a tenuous peace until shortly before the book starts. Bomard is filled with heart mages and Evermore with mind mages. The heart mages hate and fear the mind mages because they think they can control their minds. Or something. As part of the peace treaty, the countries send their children to be educated together at schools within both nations. They alternate locations by year, so year 1 is in Bomard, year 2 in Evermore, year 3 in Bomard, and so on, which is how Briony and Toven met. There are countries across the seas that exist, but we don't learn much about them and they don't really affect the story. We even learn that Bomard has abducted the daughter of a foreign leader to use as a political hostage, but there doesn't seem to be any ramifications for that??? We don't know anything about these countries. I'm not even sure they can use magic (there might have been a one-off mention of one country using heart magic or something idk). But, much like the magic, it was all very hand-wavy and unclear. I'm not sure if this is because this is a reworked Harry Potter fanfiction or because this is the author's debut fantasy romance. It's my understanding that she's only published contemporary romances before.

As for the characters, they were... okay? Honestly, I was more entertained by trying to guess who's who. Toven and Briony are obviously Draco and Hermione. His parents are clearly Narcissa and Lucius. Rory is Harry and Cordelia is Ginny. Didion is Ron. (What a very unfortunate name. Given recent events, I could only think of Diddy whenever I read Didion lol.) I think Sammy might be one of the twins (or maybe both of them combined)? Reighven (what in the tragedeigh) is Fenrir Greyback. Larissa is Pansy. And Mallow is a genderbent Voldemort (with maybe some Bellatrix influence) and her dragon is the Elder Wand. Not sure which other RiC characters have HP analogues, and I don't care to find out.

In terms of writing/pacing, I thought the writing itself was competent. No issues there. I've seen complaints about the slow pacing, but I thought it was fine. I think the author did a good job in setting up the sheer horror of Briony's situation, which is why I took such issue with the subsequent lack of addressing her situation and the power dynamics between her and Toven. I think maybe the only thing I could complain about in terms of pacing or plot was the repeated dinner party scenes, but I'm also not sure if they were truly repetitive or if I just didn't like them because of how uncomfortable and distressing they were.

As for positives, I did find this book to be a quick read. I liked the themes of female solidarity and how power/regimes corrupt people and make them turn a blind eye to atrocities (such as in the case of the circus leader and the female Bomardis ignoring their male counterparts' depravity). Albeit, these themes are a bit clumsily explored. I liked Toven's mom Serena and I was also sympathetic to Larissa.

Overall, I found this book to be heavily flawed and I had issues with its core aspects (the romance). As a fanfiction turned original work, I'm not sure if it successfully stands on its own. Initially, I was considering giving it 2.5 stars, but after writing out my many gripes with the book, I think I'll dock it down to 2 stars. I didn't hate reading it; I just found the experience to be frustrating.

Rossamund is a foundling, an orphan educated and raised by the Emperor's charity. For all of his life, Rossamund has dreamed of adventure, and his chance arrives when he becomes of age and begins his life in service to the Emperor. However, his life is not what he had imagined, as he is forced to go on a dangerous journey, through monster-infested wilderness, to find a place he could call home.

Read this for book club. Overall, we really enjoyed this! We all gave it 4 stars, which is incredibly rare. Either we equally hate a book, or we have mixed feelings. Anyway, the worldbuilding is the shining star of this book. Apparently, the author spent a decade developing the world and you can really tell. I'm not sure when the last time was that I read a book with a setting that felt truly lived in. Maybe when I read Tolkien? Unsure, but if you're a fantasy reader that values worldbuilding, I highly recommend this book! The story takes place in a steampunk setting. The synopsis describes the world as Dickensian, but I've never read Dickens, so I can't confirm. It's technically YA, but it's perfectly enjoyable for adult readers. Imo, there's nothing really YA about it, aside from following a younger protagonist and it being a coming-of-age story, but even then, there are plenty of adult fantasies that are the same (such as Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb). We all thought Rossamund was adorable. He's so small and innocent (and also a little dumb lmao). The pacing was done well. Normally, I don't really like quest/journey books, but I didn't mind this. Overall, a very solid read! I'll probably check out the sequel sometime in the future!

The Running Grave is the seventh book in the Cormoran Strike series. Cormoran is contacted by a concerned father. His son, Will, has abandoned his life and joined a religious cult, and no one has heard from him in months. On its surface, the Universal Humanitarian Church does charitable work and promotes peace and connection. However, Cormoran suspects something darker lurks under its surface. With the church's wealthy ties and celebrity connections, investigating it will be difficult. To try to rescue Will, Robin decides to go under deep cover and join the cult. But once she reaches the cult's compound, she will be entirely on her own, isolated from the world and forced to rely on her own wits to survive.

Went on a camping trip and read the entirety of this book during it. I had a really good time! I keep saying this, but I think this is the best book so far. I didn't think it could top The Ink Black Heart, but each book genuinely gets better and better! Initially, I wasn't sure how I felt about the cult angle. I find many cult stories to be fairly predictable and repetitive, where the person slowly unravels with all of the cult shenanigans and ceremonies. But, this one was well-written and didn't feel too repetitive thanks to Robin's investigation and the slow drip of new information. The pacing was really well done. Just when I was feeling a little tired of things, the plot would immediately pick up. The scene where Robin finally manages to escape the cult had me breathless and I was absolutely hooked until the very end. I liked how much this book showcased the growth in Robin and Cormoran's partnership, where they each trust and respect the other's abilities. I also thought it was funny how much Cormoran moped over Robin. After reading multiple books of him being in denial, seeing him sulk is pretty funny.

Four years ago, Sarai decided to go with her friend to the capitol and study to become a petitor, a prosecutor who can use magic to detect lies. Born and raised in poverty, this opportunity was Sarai's ticket to a better life. However, her experience in the capitol ended in tragedy when she mysteriously fell out of a tower. She managed to survive but was left with a broken and mutilated body. Sarai believes she was pushed, but she can't remember anything about the incident or her time in the capitol. Now, four years later, Sarai decides to return and figure out what happened to her. But in order to do so, she needs to become a petitor during a time when petitors are mysteriously being killed, one by one.

I've been in a reading slump for most of the year (and reading Priory certainly didn't help). So, in an effort to break the slump, I decided to try something new. Fantasy romance isn't something I read often, but I was pleasantly surprised upon finishing this book. For the most part, I had a good time reading it. Admittedly, I guessed the answer to the murder mystery by chapter 2, but I had fun. That being said, I do have a lot of criticisms towards the book. For one thing, we're told over and over that Sarai and Cisuré are best friends, but it certainly didn't feel like it. Cisuré was an absolute cow to Sarai and overall, a pretty shitty character. The author's justifications for her being Sarai's only friend felt flimsy, considering she was a turbo classist pickme bitch that was gaslighting Sarai the entire novel. I feel like the author should have shown the friendship instead of telling us. As is, Cisuré is the farthest thing from a friend.

The worldbuilding was also clumsily done.

Mild spoilers I guess

I'm a little confused by the whole stormfall thing. The lightning shields were supposed to shield buildings from lightning but were faulty. However, there seems to have been a reduction in lightning strikes after their invention?? Or maybe I have the wrong idea and there hasn't been a reduction, but that just begs the question of why people didn't question them if they weren't effective. The shields are supposed to be powered by faith, but even then, I still think the number of strikes should cause suspicion. Like, did none of the judges or mages notice anything? Surely they would be like, "Hmm this shit isn't really helping," considering they are the ones that have to be outside redirecting lightning strikes every storm.

Overall, I thought the writing was fine. Serviceable. In the beginning, I was a little annoyed at the Capitalization of Certain Words, but got used to it. The author constantly describing Kadra's eyes also annoyed me. Like, I get the guy doesn't emote often, but wtf does a 'predatory' gleam look like, as opposed to 'hungry' or whatever? Why are his eyes always burning or shining or having a gleam or glimmer or lightening or darkening? Incredibly thankful I'm not a romantasy protagonist, because I would NOT be able to identify and decipher whatever the fuck his eyes are doing. Also I don't like men, but that's beside the point.

I did like Sarai as our protagonist. She felt realistically tough and vulnerable at the same time. I feel like a lot of romantasy FMCs are kinda cringe, from what I've seen. Like, snarky girlboss quirky chungus millennial types. Sarai wasn't like that. I found her and Kadra to be frustrating at times, but overall I thought their romance was fine. Although admittedly, I did want to smack them and tell them to just talk. This book would be only like 100 pages long if they just sat down and had a serious, thorough talk about what's going on and what happened at the tower. Since this is a duology, I'll probably check out the sequel if my library has it. Curious if the author plans on setting up a love triangle or if she'll continue with their relationship. The little teaser with the god(?)/demon(?) at the end did raise my love triangle alarm bells, but I also feel like their relationship is solidly established, so I don't think a love triangle would make much sense.

This is the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series. Elizabeth gets contacted by a man from her past, who claims he has been falsely accused of stealing diamonds from the mob. He now has a hit out on his head and wants Elizabeth's help to hide him while everything blows over. Unfortunately, days later, the man has seemingly vanished, and Elizabeth isn't certain if he was killed or escaped. She enlists the help of her friends to investigate.

Listened to this via audiobook. Honestly don't really have much to say. This series is basically brain candy, entertaining and not too serious. The characters are all so charming.

The Priory of the Orange Tree is an adult epic fantasy. The House Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years, where each queen conceives a daughter who will then rule once she becomes of age. Queen Sabran has yet to marry, let alone have a daughter, and with assassins at her doorstep, it is crucial she does so to ensure the security of the queendom. However, treachery is afoot and Sabran is unsure who she can trust. Ead Duryan is an outsider to the Inys court. She serves as lady-in-waiting, but secretly she is a mage and spy for an ancient order of mages, sent to protect and watch Sabran. Across the sea, Tané has trained all of her life to become a dragonrider but is forced to make a choice that could change her life forever. Meanwhile, a dormant evil is slowly awakening and the East and West must unite if they are to survive.

Read this for book club. One member rated it 3.5, I and another rated it 2.5, and the final member didn't even finish it. ("Life is too short to read bad books and also I'm getting too old to tolerate them!") Initially, I was contemplating a 3, but after complaining about it with everyone, I decided on 2.5 stars. I have issues with the worldbuilding, the characters, and the plot conveniences/fakeouts. Some of the worldbuilding doesn't make sense (like, why is the religion establishing a queendom when it reveres a man and a man created the queendom? Logically, that doesn't make sense. In real life, that shit would result in a sausage fest, not a supposed matriarchy.) The member who DNF'd the book complained about the lack of agency of the female characters (namely Sabran). This book is pitched as being 'feminist,' which I disagree with. There's nothing feminist about it, unless feminism is when female characters exist. Speaking of which, I didn't care for the characters (hated Roos, disappointed by Tané's story—needs more dragons). The romance was boring and contrived. Also, the plot was filled with conveniences. A problem would arise but then magically, something would appear or happen to save the day. There were so many character death fakeouts, but of course, no one died. I did think how the religions were tied together was interesting, although the reveals were kinda dumb. I also liked how easy the book was to read, considering it's an epic fantasy. The writing style was pretty simplistic. I feel like it's an epic fantasy for people who don't normally read epic fantasy or fantasy in general.

The Devils is set in an alternate version of Europe, where monsters lurk in the shadows and it is prophesied that the elves will return to reclaim their lands and eat everyone. Brother Diaz is sent on an important mission to find and retrieve a young woman and place her on the throne of Troy. The only issue is that she is a conniving thief, the farthest thing from royalty. To assist him, he is placed in charge of the Devils, a group of dangerous and monstrous convicts. He must learn to guide his new monstrous flock as darker forces at large seek to claim the throne of Troy for themselves.

Listened to this via audiobook. The Devils is Joe Abercrombie's latest release and his first adult work outside of the First Law universe. Since I've been having such a great time with First Law, I wanted to check this out. It was one of my most anticipated releases of this year. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a disappointment. I feel kinda eh about it. I don't think it's bad; it just didn't stack up to First Law. Joe Abercrombie's strength is his characterizations and unfortunately, I'm pretty indifferent to the characters. I liked Sunny the best. I found the plot to be pretty predictable. None of the twists surprised me in the slightest. I am a little bit curious about the worldbuilding (what with Jesus being a woman in this world), but as per usual, Abercrombie's worldbuilding is relatively vague and done in broad strokes. This book is more humorous than the First Law books, which didn't really work with me. I found it to be overdone and a lot of the jokes were too crude for my taste. I also didn't like how horny the characters were. Like, good gravy, go take a cold shower or something. As for the audiobook itself, it was great. As per usual, Pacey was a delight as a narrator. I'll probably continue on with the sequel, but I'm not interested in buying and adding this book to my collection. If I'm still feeling ambivalent towards the series after the sequel, I'll probably end up dropping it.

Hamlet is the classic tragedy play by Shakespeare.

This is a reread. I studied this play in high school and almost a decade later, decided to reread it since we picked a retelling for book club. I enjoyed this more now, especially in comparison to how I felt in high school. I didn't hate it by any means, and it was my favorite of all of the Shakespeare plays we studied, but at the time, I found Shakespeare to be very boring. I think now I can better appreciate it. I also didn't find the language to be daunting or hard to understand, whereas when I was a student, I was confused by some things. My edition of Shakespeare is the same annotated edition I used in high school and I actually found the annotations to be more of a distraction than anything else. Everyone always talks about the 'to be or not to be' soliloquy, but for some reason 'alas, poor Yorick' is the little bit that has stuck with me all these years.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a modern reimagining of the classic play by Shakespeare.

Read this for book club. Overall, we liked it. Two members gave it 4 stars, another 3.5, and I gave it 3 stars. Initially, I wasn't really liking it, but by the end, I came around. I'm still not a fan of the writing style, and I don't really like the liberties the author(s) took with some characters (namely Polonius and Voltimand). I did like how the author incorporated Yorick into the story. I thought that was clever, and it was probably my favorite aspect of the book. Initially, I went into the book wondering if it could be used to help teach Shakespeare, and I definitely don't think it could lol. It's too explicit for high schoolers, and there's not enough of the original text for college students. I think it's accessible for your average adult reader who wants to read Hamlet but is put off by the archaic language and references. It definitely skews more of an interpretation rather than a 100% faithful retelling of Hamlet.

This is the sixth book in the Cormoran Strike series. Robin is approached by Edie Ledwell, co-creator of the popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart. Edie is being stalked and harassed by someone online who goes by the pseudonym of Anomie, and she desperately wants to uncover who Anomie is, as they know things about her life that no stranger should ever know. Robin initially dismisses the case until a few days later, when she learns that Edie had been murdered in Highgate Cemetery, the setting of The Ink Black Heart. With Cormoran, she decides to uncover Anomie's identity by diving into the depths of obscure internet forums and chats.

Greatly enjoyed this! I think it's probably my favorite book so far in the series. I was super entertained throughout, and I loved the integration of chat logs as a multimedia element. Honestly, I was so tickled by the author mentioning things like the red pill, Chad and Stacey, and her explaining what a 'foid' was. I'm so curious what her research process was like. The image of her scrolling through forums or imageboards while studiously taking notes makes me cackle. I think my only complaint is that this book feels the least 'fair'. Kudos to anyone who was able to logically deduce who the killer was, because the hints this time are really minor and obscure. I didn't think any of the primary suspects did it, but I also didn't guess the perpetrator. I did clock them as suspicious in one (1) scene because of something that was off-handedly described, but I didn't really have a hunch by the end. I also kind of wished we heard more about what happened to everyone else at the end, but this also isn't that unusual. These books tend to wrap up quickly. I will say I love the developments in Robin and Cormoran's relationship and that he's eating crow for once. It's karma!

After a horrible incident, Carolyn and other children were adopted by a mysterious man named Father. He taught them the secrets of the universe but if they failed to meet his lofty expectations, the consequences were dire. Father was impossibly old and could resurrect the dead, light the sun, and stop time. Secretly, they wondered if Father was God. But now, Father is gone and Carolyn and her siblings are locked out of the library. It's only a matter of time before one of them finds their way back into the library, and when they do, that person will become the new god. And Carolyn is determined to be that person.

Read this for book club and none of us liked it lmao. I think this is the most we've hated a book so far. It had an interesting premise. I liked the idea of an immortal god-wizard raising 12 orphans, however the execution was utterly horrid. I was surprised by the writing. Based on the cover, I thought this book would slant more literary but it definitely didn't. It's like, the opposite of literary lol. I think I described it as being 'action slop' during our book club meeting. The worldbuilding was slapdash and shallow. The magic didn't make any sense (why didn't they just revive Dresden?). The characters were awful. You know it's bad when everyone's favorite character is a literal lion. The dialogue was ridiculously cringy and tryhard. Real people don't talk like that. The casual usage of violence and rape in the book was gross and incredibly gratuitous. I'm not opposed to reading books with violence or rape. I've read books that were way darker than this book. But the author just used violence, gore, and rape as a cheap shock factor. The reconciliation between Carolyn and Father at the end didn't make any sense. It was super weird and goes against everything before in the book. You're telling me Carolyn forgave the man that tortured her, was responsible for her various deaths (and resurrections), and was probably aware of her getting raped and tortured by one of the other orphans? Girl, what? The audacity of male authors.

One of the book club members didn't even finish the book. She found the child abuse within the book to be incredibly triggering and it gave her nightmares. She said that it was obvious that the author never experienced child abuse or never knew anyone who was abused, just based on his writing. During our book club meeting, I tried to explain the rest of the plot to her from where she stopped reading, but while I was explaining, I realized just how incoherent the plot was. I read some reviews on Goodreads and I didn't really understand them. People who say this is the weirdest book they've read probably don't read many books. I also didn't find it hard to follow. Sure, there were some flashbacks, but for the most part, the book was pretty straightforward. But maybe my brain is too big? In general, none of us understood the positive reviews or the sheer hype surrounding this book. I used to see this book everywhere. Genuinely, we wondered if we read a different book from everyone else. Incredibly grim that slop like this was so popular and well-regarded.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is the second book in the Emily Wilde series. After fairie assassins attack Cambridge, Emily and Wendell set off to the Austrian Alps to find a way into the fairie realm to stop the attacks.

While I still liked the book, I think this installment is weaker than the first one. The journal format didn't work as well this time. With journal entries, you naturally take a step back from events, leaving the narration feeling 'detached' from what's going on. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but usually you would also get in-depth reflections, insights, and descriptions. This book lacked those, and it felt like the author got lazy with her writing. The descriptions were vague and lackluster, and the characters were a lot more flat in this book, with developments happening off page. The author didn't do the best in her characterization of Ariadne either. Like, she's supposed to be annoying, and Emily's perspective clearly colors things, but at a certain point in the book, things shift and Emily starts to warm to her, and the reader is supposed to also. But I still found her to be an annoying brat. During a conversation with Emily, where Ariadne threatened her before they left for Fairie, I actually got so mad lmao. I briefly scrolled through reviews on Goodreads, and apparently this is where I differ from them. A lot of people criticize Emily for being horrible to her niece (to be fair, she wasn't exactly great), but I feel like her actions are understandable considering how annoying Ariadne was. Are they justified? No, not really. She's the Cambridge professor so she should be more mature. But still, I couldn't bring myself to dislike the way Emily acted. But maybe I'm just projecting myself onto her. In some ways, we are similar in terms of our prickliness lol. If I had to deal with Ariadne, I probably wouldn't be the most patient either.

February's pick for Bookbug! Read the review here

The Passage is the first book in an adult horror science fiction series. After discovering a novel virus hidden in a South American cave, the US government believes they can use this virus to create super soldiers to fight in their war against terrorism. The only issue is that the virus is incredibly deadly, with unspeakable side effects on the few who manage to survive. FBI agent Wolgast is tasked with collecting test subjects for the government. But when the secret US military facility is breached and the test subjects escape, all hell breaks loose. A deadly pandemic sweeps across the world, killing billions and turning millions into monstrous creatures called virals, with a thirst for blood. Wolgast is determined to protect six-year-old orphan and former test subject Amy from the horrors of the apocalypse. But in a ruined world where horrors stalk at night, survival seems impossible.

Read this for book club. First book club read of the year and one we all felt positive about! Truly, a miracle! I was the most 'negative' of the group, but I still liked it and don't regret reading it. Our final ratings ended up being 4.5, 4.5, 4, and my 3.5. Not too shabby! For me, this book had an interesting premise but a flawed execution. I also felt it was a little too long, but I might have been more sensitive to its length after reading three chonky Cormoran Strike books in a row. (It's only February, and I've already read almost 1/3 the amount of pages I read last year, just with these five books.)

First and foremost, I really liked the premise of the book. I thought the first part was incredibly intriguing and engaging. I practically flew through the pages while reading about the scientific project, the end of the world, and Amy and Wolgast. I found the concept of the Twelve (plus Zero) to be very interesting. Overall, I liked the whole vampire zombie thing. Then, there was a time skip, and we swapped to an entirely new cast of characters. For me, the colony section was a slog. The pacing overall was a little weird. We all agreed that the swap to the colony was odd, in terms of pacing and character and plot investment. We all really liked Wolgast's character, so the time skip was really jarring. Cronin excelled at building tension in certain parts, but the book moved at a snail's pace, giving a weird sense of whiplash where we would transition from high-action scenes to another character living in domestic bliss. Very strange. The epigraphs throughout the book also killed the pacing. Normally, I love fictional epigraphs that build upon the world, but the ones in this book were unnecessary and way too long. Cronin's prose overall was fine. It was good in some parts and overly wordy/clunky in others. He definitely has a fondness for very long compound sentences.

My main complaint is that Cronin would cop out when it came to consequences. It felt like the main characters had plot armor. Despite the super tense situations they were in, I never really felt afraid for their lives. There were multiple points where it seemed like a character was killed, only for us to learn that they somehow survived. And the death(s) that do happen felt very predictable. In my opinion, it was clear which character(s) would end up being killed for plot reasons or character motivations or whatever. Speaking of characters, I felt like the female characters weren't the greatest. Maus and Sara felt interchangeable. I liked Alicia at first but by the end of the book, found her to be annoying. It felt like the female characters were written with less depth than the male characters, which I suppose isn't surprising considering the book was written by a man. I feel like this is often the case with male writers. I will say that I love Wolgast and the themes of parenthood throughout the book. Cronin did a great job in showcasing fatherhood. You could definitely tell that he's a father and was drawing on his own experiences while writing this book. Wolgast's relationship with Amy was incredibly well done and very touching.

Anyway, back to complaining. I also didn't like that it felt like the author was changing the rules established in his world. In terms of the virus, if you are an original test subject, you turn into a giga viral with psychic abilities. Otherwise, you either die or turn into a regular, mindless vampire zombie. But, towards the end of the book, the author reveals that there's a third case, where you can be a super special not-vampire zombie thingie with all of the benefits and none of the drawbacks. It's very dumb. Additionally, in the latter half of the book, the virals just didn't feel scary anymore. They didn't feel like a threat and only really appeared when Cronin wanted something to happen with the plot. I especially found myself questioning the book during the characters' journey, where they barely encountered any virals and had no issues camping out in the wilderness, with no real shelter, when it was established previously that the virals had infested the land and hunted at night. I was also iffy on the more “mystical” aspects of the book in regards to the magical dreams, telepathy, etc. of the Twelve. It felt a little out of place, but the others disagreed. I suppose I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to not be bothered by it. Oh, also, I thought the fake expletive 'flyers' was very dumb. It's giving Brandon Sanderson-levels of stupid. In general, I have some minor quibbles with the worldbuilding. For instance, the way the colony was set up didn't make a lot of sense. A small, sequestered community like that would rely on the labor of everyone, including the children, so having the kids grow up sheltered didn't make much sense, logically speaking. I can understand, from an emotional standpoint, that the survivors would want to shelter their children, but having the kids transition from the school abruptly to the real world, where they would have to immediately choose their occupation, seems unreasonable. You could make the argument that a similar thing happens in real life, but in real life, we don't live under the threat of vampire zombies, with most of human civilization collapsed and humanity itself on the brink of extinction.

Spoilery Complaints

Okay no but seriously, the plot armor and death fake-outs were so annoying. It happened multiple times, with multiple characters!! What the hell, man? Expounding upon the Alicia thing, I liked her at first but thought the whole Colonel thing was dumb/very convenient. It contradicted her entire character. So you're telling me that Alicia, who is established to be an incredibly loyal person, would abandon her friends to join some random military expedition? That she would throw it all away because she made an oath as a child to a dead man she didn't even seem to like? The group clearly needed her. They just survived a series of traumatic events, including ESCAPING FROM BABCOCK, ONE OF THE TWELVE, but she was like, "Lol nah you're fine. You'll definitely make it without me. :)" Like, huh???? It just felt like a contrived way for the author to have conflict between her and Peter. Also, her becoming a giga not-vampire was really stupid. We all agreed it was dumb and a misstep by the author. During our meeting, I remarked that she felt like a product of her time—the girlboss character of the 2010s, like Black Widow. Very Marvel-esque. Oh, also I was disappointed that we didn't get to learn much about the Twelve (plus Zero/Fanning), aside from Babcock. Like, I know it's a series, but come on. They're the most interesting part! Well, for me, at least. I was super curious about Zero/Fanning.

Anyway, that's my review for The Passage. I said in our book club meeting that I could be convinced to bump my rating up to a 4, but I think I'll stick with my original 3.5. It feels right. I enjoyed aspects of the book and thought it was good, but it has its flaws. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series, though. The thing with books like this is that I feel like as the world expands, the plot often gets more ridiculous. And as I was reading this book, I feared that the plot would go off the rails in the future. I read summaries of the sequels on Wikipedia, and I think my suspicions are on the mark. While I'm super curious about the Twelve (and Zero), I'm not sure if I'm curious enough to endure all of that and two more tomes. My friend said she might read the sequels in the future, so I'll have her tell me how it goes before I decide to read them. (Although knowing her, she probably won't get around to them until like a year or two has passed lmao.)

"It was possible, he understood, for a person's life to become just a long series of mistakes, and that the end, when it came, was just one more instance in a chain of bad choices. The thing was, most of these mistakes were actually borrowed from other people. You took their bad ideas and, for whatever reason, made them your own."

"A baby wasn't an idea, as love was an idea. A baby was a fact. It was a being with a mind and a nature, and you could feel about it any way you liked, but a baby wouldn't care. Just by existing, it demanded that you believe in a future: the future it would crawl in, walk in, live in. A baby was a piece of time; it was a promise you made that the world made back to you. A baby was the oldest deal there was, to go on living."

The Serviceberry is the latest release from Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss. When I read her two books in 2023, she quickly became one of my favorite nonfiction authors, and so I was excited to pick this up! The Serviceberry is much shorter than the prior two books, clocking in at 112 pages. Originally an essay published in a magazine, Kimmerer uses the example of the serviceberry, which lives in a symbiotic relationship with the birds and its environment, to illustrate her point on economics. Kimmerer points out that our current economy system is unsustainable. Traditionally, the concept of economy is centered around the basis of 'scarcity,' but Kimmerer notes that things like food and water aren't actually scarce; it's just that our system makes them scarce. Kimmerer warns that the destruction caused by modern economics will lead to actual scarcity and suggests alternatives derived from biomimicry and/or indigenous culture, such as the gift economy. In the gift economy, or serviceberry economy, gratitude and reciprocity are the currency. Abundance is shared with others, and in turn, abundance is shared back to you, creating small webs of interdependence based on mutual aid. Kimmerer notes that she doesn't believe market capitalism will vanish but suggests that the gift economy can live alongside the market economy. She gives the example of destruction within a forest. In the gaps left behind arrive pioneer species, species of fast-growing plants that consume resources, crowd out others, and reproduce like crazy. Eventually, these species cannot continue this rate of growth and begin to die out. Incrementally, they start to be replaced by slower-growing species. The stressful conditions left behind by the pioneer species incentivize symbiotic relations and nurture cooperation, not competition. These latter plant communities are considered "mature" and sustainable, unlike their predecessors. Kimmerer notes that this transition from exploitation to reciprocity is possible with the gift economy. She believes with incremental change and disruption, gaps can emerge between the dominant and the new, and that gift economies can emerge in the gaps carved out of the destructive market economy.

Listened to this via audiobook before rereading it physically. The audiobook is really short, like two hours, and I wanted to make sure I understood everything the author was saying. The audiobook is good as it's narrated by the author, but I'd recommend reading it physically or via ebook. The book form contains illustrations, which are lovely! I adored the delicate hatching and cross-hatching the artist used. Overall, I really enjoyed it! It was a nice change of pace and has given me much to think about. With the current political climate and general enshittification of the world, the topic of mutual aid has come up a lot, and has been floating around in the peripheries of my mind. Kimmerer is adept at articulating similar thoughts I've been having, and I always enjoy listening to her perspective, both as an ecologist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation. With everything that's going on, it's easy to become overwhelmed and feel hopeless, but Kimmerer's writing always shakes me out of that funk and reminds me that things can get better.

"The wealth and security we seem to crave could be met by sharing what we have. Ecopsychologists have shown that the practice of gratitude puts brakes on hyperconsumption. The relationships nurtured by gift thinking diminish our senses of scarcity and want. In that climate of sufficiency, our hunger for more abates and we take only what we need, in respect for the generosity of the giver. Climate catastrophe and biodiversity loss are the consequences of unrestrained taking by humans. Might cultiviation of gratitude be part of the solution?"

"It was previously unthinkable that one would pay for a drink of water; but as careless economic expansion pollutes fresh water, we now incentivize privatization of springs and aquifers. Sweet water, a free gift of the Earth, is pirated by faceless corporations who encase it in plastic containers to sell. And now many can't afford what was previously free, and we incentivize wrecking public waters to create demand for the privatized. What induces people to buy bottled water from a corporation more convincingly than contaminated water flowing from the faucet?"

Troubled Blood is the fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series. While visiting family in Cornwall, Cormoran is approached by a woman who asks for his help in locating her mother, who vanished in 1974. The woman disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and the investigation was horribly mishandled. The lead investigator at the time was eventually forced to resign when it was revealed that he was in the middle of a psychotic episode that caused him to fixate on astrology and the occult. Although the chances of him figuring out what happened are vanishingly small, Cormoran agrees to investigate, as he is intrigued and has never taken on a cold case before. However, Cormoran's agency is increasingly busy, and they have only a year to solve the case, on top of all of the other investigations he and Robin are currently juggling.

Yippie, a rare five star read! This book was surprisingly pretty emotional at times. Poor Robin and Cormoran were really going through it. I loved their development (aw, they're best mates) and how Cormoran is learning not to be an insensitive blockhead. A certain character whose name starts with an M is still a dick, but I thought how Robin resolved things with them was kind of sweet. It was nice to see things finally resolved and my girl finally free. I've been enjoying my Cormoran Strike binge, but I might need to take a break. I feel like I'm not reading as closely as I want to, and the books are starting to blur together. Also, the books keep getting longer and longer. This one is over 900 pages long, and the next two are even longer. Yeesh!

"The problem wasn't that Robin didn't think she'd love her child. On the contrary, she thought it likely that she would love that child to the extent that this job, for which she had voluntarily sacrificed a marriage, her safety, her sleep and her financial security, would have to be sacrificed in return. And how would she feel, afterward, about the person who'd made that sacrifice necessary?"

"Morris, Robin thought, as she headed toward the Turbe, didn't actually like women. He desired them, but that, of course, was an entirely different matter: Robin, who was forever marked by the ineradicable memory of the man in the gorilla mask, knew better than most that desire and liking were different, and sometimes mutually exclusive, things. Morris gave himself away constantly, not only in the way he spoke to Robin, but in his desire to call Mrs. Smith "Rich Bitch," his attribution of venal or provocative motives to every woman under surveillance, in the barely disguised disgust with which he noted that Mucky Ricci was now forced to live in a houseful of females. Christ, I hope I never end up like that."

The fourth book in the Cormoran Strike series, Lethal White immediately begins where the prior book left off. Then, a time skip occurs to when the story currently takes place. One day, a distressed man visits Cormoran's office, claiming to have witnessed a murder when he was a child. The man is clearly mentally ill and under some form of psychosis, but Cormoran finds it hard to forget about his story. Meanwhile, he and Robin are hired by an MP to investigate blackmail, taking them into the halls of Parliament. Secrets from the past are revealed as events lead back to the grounds of a countryside manor, the same location where the mentally ill man claimed to have seen a murder.

Decided to give this entry four stars. Not because I thought it was worse than Career of Evil, but because I felt less involved in the mystery. Like Robin, I was struggling to see the connections between the crimes as well as who the culprit was. Not sure if I just wasn't paying attention or if the clues were more subtle this time. Again, I really loved Robin in this book and her standing up for herself. She really is such a well-written character. I loved the further exploration of the characters' personal lives. The author does an amazing job of writing complex, realistic relationships and showing the resentment that can build in a failing relationship. I was so frustrated for Robin, and seeing her finally addressing things was so cathartic. A certain character whose name starts with M is so pathetic, awful, and horribly realistic. They are so incredibly petty in a way that immediately reminds me of people that I've encountered in my life (and who coincidentally worked in the same field; finance people truly are the worst). Rowling did an amazing job depicting such a horrible character. I also loved the little details she always gives about the daily lives of characters. I like seeing what they're eating or what is going on in the UK at the time. During this book, London is preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and something about this backdrop felt so nostalgic.

"Geraint was representing me at that event, and it will go the way it always goes in the press when it all comes out: it will have been my fault, all of it! Because men's crimes are always ours in the final analysis, aren't they, Mr. Strike? Ultimate responsibility always lies with the woman, who should have stopped it, who should have acted, who must have known. Your failings are really our failings, aren't they? Because the proper role of the woman is carer, and there's nothing lower in this whole world than a bad mother."

"Life had taught him that a great and powerful love could be felt for the most apparently unworthy people, a circumstance that ought, after all, to give everybody consolation."

Career of Evil is the third book in the ongoing Cormoran Strike series. When a woman's severed leg is anonymously delivered to his assistant, Robin, Cormoran suspects that someone from his past is targeting him. The only issue is that he has four suspects. While the police focus on one suspect that Cormoran feels is the least likely to be the perpetrator, he and Robin focus on investigating the others. But there are two issues. One is that each of the suspects is equally capable and has the motives to go after him. The other is that he suspects that they may be targeting Robin in order to get to him, and he fears for her safety as a serial killer stalks the streets of London.

First book of the year and a strong start to the year! I feel like the books in this series keep getting better and better. The first was alright, the second was good, and Galbraith/Rowling really hits her stride in this one. The mystery was well done, and she does an amazing job at keeping you suspicious of each of the suspects, even as there are reveals throughout the book. Each suspect is equally horrible; they all have traits that link them to hints given about the killer, and they all have a genuine motive. Often, I feel like a lot of mystery books will kind of phone it in when it comes to alternate suspects/red herrings. They're usually pretty obvious, and you can just sense the author's hand in trying to obfuscate the mystery. Not in this book, however. The author is very clever in laying out clues while also keeping the mystery 'fair'. She is very meticulous in the details. She also did a good job in maintaining the tension in the story, both with the serial killer plotline as well as the personal conflicts of Cormoran and Robin. Their characters really shine in this book. Cormoran is blinded by his emotions from people from his past resurfacing as well as his concern for Robin, which leads to him inadvertently endangering her by keeping her in the dark. Robin, meanwhile, desperately wants to prove that she is not a liability, that she is no longer defined by a traumatic event in her life, leading her to act more recklessly than normal. Additionally, her perspective as a woman leads her to have a different take on things than Strike, and I appreciate that the author showcases these concerns that men may be blind to or not consider. Both of the main characters' personal lives are depicted in such a believable, detailed way. I also liked the few chapters from the killer's perspective. They were really creepy, and the author did a great job of leaving little clues while also keeping the killer's identity hidden. I will say that ending this book on a cliffhanger was a jerk move, though! I immediately started the next book because of it lol.

"Strike knew how deeply ingrained was the belief that the evil conceal their dangerous predilections for violence and domination. When they wear them like bangles for all to see, the gullible populace laughs, calls it a pose, or finds it strangely attractive."