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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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April Wrap-Up and May TBR
To start things off I just want to say HOLY SHIT I READ 10 BOOKS THIS MONTH!  It was definitely my best reading month in recent history, maybe of all time and I am incredibly proud of myself.  I also read most everything that was on my TBR from last month.  I did DNF From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout for reasons that I choose not to go into, but I was able to finish 10 books.  Also Shadow and Bone came out on Netflix and I binged it all in one night because I loved it so much and I’m so happy that it turned out so good.  Book adaptations rarely go that well, so I am incredibly relieved.
But without further ado, here are the books I read this month.
1. Beowulf by ??
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This was a requirement for my English lit class, so I won’t give it a star rating, but I can say that I liked it enough that I wasn’t tempted to read the summaries on Sparknotes and skip it.  The language was more accessible and understandable than some of the other books for my class, and I had read part of it in high school so it helped going into it.  If you’re looking for a classic English Epic with an extra strong hero, it’s a good place to start.
2. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
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I have a whole post about this book here, https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/647954326247129088/lets-talk-books-ruin-and-rising-by-leigh so check it out if you want some in-depth thoughts, but this is the third and final book in the Grisha trilogy.  I will say that I enjoyed this one more than the first two, and while it still isn’t a favorite, I felt that it wrapped up the trilogy really well, and I liked how Alina’s story ended.
5/5 stars (read my full review to find out why)
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 
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I’m sure I can’t say anything about this book that hasn’t already been said, but Six of Crows is phenomenal, and it is one of my favorite books of all time.  Taking place in the same universe as the Grisha trilogy, this book follows a team of teenagers as they try to pull off an impossible heist to kidnap a scientist who has developed a dangerous new drug.  Each member of the team has such a rich backstory and unique personality, and the story really puts a spin on what we think we know about the Grisha universe.  It’s addictive and quick paced and has none of the problems that I thought the original trilogy had.  I plan to write a whole post about this, and Crooked Kingdom sometime in the near future.
5/5 stars!
4. Majesty by Katharine Mcgee
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This book more just frustrated me than it did everything else, and I have a whole post about it: https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/648438132868595712/lets-talk-books-majesty-by-katharine-mcgee.  This is the second book in the American Royals Duology, and it essentially took each relationship from the first book, threw them out the window, and then gave some of the characters personality makeovers.  It was jarring, and uncomfortable, and I was not a fan.
2.5/5 stars
Books 5,6,and 7 belong to the same series and that is Stray, Rogue, and Pride by Rachel Vincent
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I don’t feel the need to add all three covers on here because I think I’ll do a full series post when I’m all done with it.  I picked up the first book because I needed an e-book to read on my phone while I used a bath bomb, and I wanted something light and easy.  I was not surprised to be immediately addicted and put all my other reading plans for the month on hold to read books 1-3 back to back.  
The Shifter series follows Faythe, who is one of the only female werecats in the country, and has run away from home to be a normal person and go to college.  Right as she is about to start her master’s degree, other female werecats start to get kidnapped and she is forced to go back home for her own protection and to try to help figure out who is kidnapping the women.  As the series progresses, she gets more involved in the Pride (her father’s group of werecats) and starts to try to create a future for herself within in.
This series is super cheesy.  It’s full of protective older brothers, a tall dark love interest, and a main character that seems to be cut from the same cloth as Maximum Ride.  By that I mean that to be considered a “strong” woman, Faythe is a snarky bitch that even I cringed at sometimes.  Also the male’s attitudes towards the women in their lives are not great, and the author tries to justify it by explaining just how rare the women are, but I’m not convinced.  To be honest, I’m not sure why I got as addicted to this series as I did.  I guess I’m just a sucker for the overprotective men cliche but I read all three of them in about 6 days.  I’ll probably read the other three later this summer.
3/5 stars for all three books.
8. Hamlet No Fear Shakespear Graphic Novel
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Another one for my English Lit class and let me just start by saying that I hate Shakespeare with a passion.  Not sure exactly why, but I’ve been like that since I was fourteen and had to read Romeo and Juliet.  So when I found the graphic novel that used language that actually made sense, I believe my first words were “Hell yes, sign me up.”  This whole story can be summed up in one sentence: Hamlet pretends he is a crazy bitch, which is a little bit crazy in and of itself, so maybe he really is crazy.
9. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
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First of all, I think this cover is so freaking pretty and I just want to stare at it.  Second of all, I really, really liked this book.  I am not someone who read this series when they first came out, so I’m pleased to say that as some YA Fantasy, it holds up. Graceling takes place in a world where there are people with two different colored eyes who are Graced with special talents.  The talents can be anything from fighting, to horse riding, to fishing or breathing underwater.  This story follows Katsa who’s Grace is killing, as she works as an enforcer for her uncle the king.  Katsa doesn’t like a lot of what he is doing, so she works behind his back to undermine his authority and help the common people, and along the way she stumbles into a kidnapping plot, an evil king, and a handsome prince with a similar Grace to her own.  What’s so great about this book is that Katsa really grows throughout the story and becomes her own person, and I just think that all the characters were written very well.  Also, for a YA Fantasy, this book was not predictable at all and I was surprised with the turn the story was taking more than once.
4/5 stars
10. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
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This is the sequel to Six of Crows and as I’m typing this I just finished reading it maybe an hour ago.  Crooked Kingdom takes everything that was great about Six of Crows and turns its intensity level up to 10.  It takes place right where Six of Crows left off and follows the team as they try to survive in their own city that has turned on them.  Again, I’m not going to go into too much detail because I plan on writing a whole post about the duology in a few days, but it’s just sooooooo good.  If you haven’t read this duo, then stop what you’re doing and get to it.  No joke.
5/5 stars
So, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about my reading plans for the month of May.  I’m excited to say that I’m not taking any summer classes, so my goal for this summer is to tackle a bunch of big fantasy books that I’ve been putting off.  To celebrate the end of the semester, I’m planning on spending a small fortune at Barnes and Noble to go get me started.
First though, I’m about to start Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb.  I loved the first one so much that I bought the illustrated edition of this and it’s so pretty.  I’m literally so excited to start it that I’m probably going to once I’m done reading this.  I’m also currently reading Flamefall by Rosaria Munda which is the second book in the Aurelian cycle.  When I’m done with that, I’m going to start Lore by Alexandra Bracken, and move onto the Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick which I’ve heard is Venetian inspired and I love Venice so I have high hopes.  When all of that is done, hopefully my hold on Dark Lover by J.R. ward is ready.  That is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I plan for that to be my by-the-pool read.  And FINALLY, I have had The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang sitting on my TBR shelf  for almost 4 years now, so I think it is finally time.
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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the darkling thought he was the most dramatic bitch on the block and then kaz brekker shows up and blows a street up in his face as a cool exit strategy
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Just finished shadow and bone and now I no joke have to go to my psychiatrist appointment that I’ve had scheduled for weeks now. How am I supposed to talk about my feelings when I just binged that show all in one sitting and can’t think about anything else???
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Shadow and bone spoilers but
Holy shit Kaz and the Darkling facing off...I am hyperventilating with excitement
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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4 episodes into shadow and bone so far and I have to say I’m pretty impressed. I’m way more invested in Alina and Mal’s relationship than I was when reading, and I like the crows even if it feels like Jesper is really just around for comic relief. We’ll see how their storyline wraps up and how it blends with Alina before I make my final judgement.
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - Majesty by Katharine Mcgee
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As I’m sure you can tell by the cover, this book is the sequel to American Royals, which I picked up because the premise intrigued me a bit.  The first book was decent, I rated it 3 stars. 
 Let me pause, and explain my rating system a bit.  1 star typically means I hated it and almost DNF’d it.  2 stars means I had parts of it that I didn’t like, but it had some redeeming qualities.  3 stars is I liked it but I most likely will not reread.  4 stars is I really liked it but not quite ready to call it a favorite.  And 5 stars is this is a new fave, will top my shelves and I need to buy a copy for myself eventually.
So.  Anyways.  I rated the first one three stars, and honestly probably wouldn’t have continued on with the series except I was curious to see if I predicted the endings and really just needed a light book to read at work.  Now that I have read it, I can officially say I did not predict ANYTHING that would happen in this book.  And while usually I love to be surprised, this book just felt like such a U-turn from where the end of the first book was headed.  It was jarring and the new relationships in this book I don’t think were very well fleshed out because the author was trying to do so much in so few pages.
But down to the nitty gritty.  This duology takes place in what essentially is an alternate universe where George Washington became King instead of President, and his descendants carry on ruling through time.  It follows four main characters, Beatrice, the first in line to the throne who is struggling to deal with the pressures of becoming the first queen of America, her little sister, Sam, who is tired of being the spare and wants to do things for herself, Sam’s best friend Nina who has a thing for Sam’s twin brother Jefferson and wants to live as much of a normal life as she can despite being constantly entangled in the royal family, and finally, Daphne, Jefferson’s ex-girlfriend who will do anything to get back together with him.
I think the fact that this book has four main characters who all have wildly different storylines is ultimately it’s downfall.  370 pages, split between four characters who don’t have much interaction with each other means that each character gets roughly 90 pages to recover from the events of the last book, begin their storyline and relationships, and conclude them all individually.  That’s a tough feat for any author, and I think if the storylines joined together more, or the book had an extra hundred pages or so, it would’ve been much better.  It felt very disjointed at times, and while I did like the ending for the most part, I did not like the way that we got there. Ultimately, I was disappointed by the execution despite the interesting premise of the story.
2.5/5 stars (3 stars on goodreads since you can’t do halves.)
Until next time :)
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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nothing compares to the calendar on this site. flat fuck friday. the halloween post that always shows up mid july. you see four anime girls and immediately know what day of the week it is. on the ides of march we all wake up and clown on some guy who got stabbed two thousand years ago. last week we celebrated down with cis day. I can’t wait for ever given and nov 5th anniversary memes. anyways have a lovely neil banging out the tunes day
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
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Part one of my task to catch up/reread the Grisha universe before the show comes out on April 23rd is complete!! And while I did have a good time reading this book, I was most excited to finish it so I could start my Six of Crows reread.
I fucking love Six of Crows.
But anyways, onto the facts.  Ruin and Rising is the third and final book to the Grisha Trilogy, and pretty much picks up exactly where the second book, Siege and Storm picks up.  Their army is decimated and Alina and Mal are forced underground to try to regroup and figure out what to do next in the fight against the darkling.  
I’m not going to really dive into the plot since it is the finale and I don’t feel like having a spoiler section, so here are a few of my general thoughts about the book/series overall.
This book is a lot like the first two in that it is YA fantasy, but not a great one.  It’s fast paced, and an easy read, but after reading Leigh Bardugo’s other books it feels like it’s very surface level and shallow when held in comparison, as though it was almost written for a younger audience than Six of Crows.  I did like this the most out of all three of them, and there was a PHENOMENAL plot twist that I definitely didn’t see coming (which is always a win for me because in a lot of books I can kind of predict the twists).  Because I liked this so much more than the first two, which I graded four stars, it only felt fair to give this one a five star rating.
Does it hold a place among my favorites of all time? No.  Can I really compare it to the rest of the five stars I’ve read this year? No.  But it did provide a really good ending to a decent trilogy and I do believe it elevated the whole series.
Alina was less whiny, and while I don’t share the same amount of hatred for Mal that a lot of the fandom does, I was less annoyed by him for sure.  I do wish there would’ve been more Nikolai but I liked his overall arc in the story.  I also really enjoyed the ragtag feel of their little crew they were traveling with, and I think that’s why I liked it so much more.  Instead of just Mal and Alina traveling together like it was in the last two books, this book had a whole crew of people that had a lot of good banter and just overall vibes that I loved.
5/5 stars
So what’s next?  I’m currently on page 264 of my Six of Crows reread, and then pretty much straight onto Crooked Kingdom.  While I do really want to read King of Scars and Rule of Wolves, I don’t think I’m going to try to do it before the show comes out later this month.  If they follow the books closely enough, Nikolai won’t even be in the first season, so I have plenty of time to catch up on his arc.
Until next time :)
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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March Wrap-Up and April TBR
I am so happy to say that I had a second strong reading month, reading seven books back to back.  I really thought it was going to be a slower month since my mom was in town for two weeks and I was doing a lot with her, but I guess I found time.  It also helps that some of these were audiobooks that I could listen to on the way to work and while I crochet.
Anyway, in the order that I read them, here are the seven books I read in March.
1. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
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I have a whole post about how much I hated this book and the relationship in it.  I’ve never enjoyed contemporary romance, but I thought I’d give this one a try and I ended up regretting it. Here are my thoughts if you want to dive deeper
https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/644767685050286080/trigger-warning-for-abuse-and-domestic-violence
1/5 stars
2. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
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Murder mystery at a boarding school?  Check.  Romantic tension between two leads?  Check. Narrator who is sometimes annoying as hell? Check.  Read this post for all my feels.
https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/645067224940429312/lets-talk-books-a-study-in-charlotte-by
3/5 stars
3. Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
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I have a full post about this book, so check it out if you want to know my in depth thoughts and feelings about this book, but regardless I liked it a lot.  It had everything you could want from a Shadowhunters book, and Cassandra Clare's writing seems to get better and better each time.
https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/645433280331759616/lets-talk-books-chain-of-iron-by-cassandra
5/5 stars
4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
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Again, I have another full post about this book, so go read that, but I was not the biggest fan of this book.  I'm not sure if it was a bad romance, or I didn't like it just because I don't typically like romance, but the show, Bridgerton, is sooo much better in my humble opinion.
https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/646152797812932608/lets-talk-books-the-duke-and-i-by-julia-quinn
2/5 stars
5. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
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There will never not be a time when I say that this is one of my favorite series of all times.  I have a post about the whole series already, but also just know these characters will always have a place in my heart.
https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/617204666435076096/lets-talk-books-the-red-rising-trilogy-by
5/5 stars
6. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
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Again I have a whole post about it if you want to check it out, but this book made Robin Hobb one of my new favorite authors, easily.  Despite being a little on the slow side, I truly grew so attached to Fitz, the main character, and I seriously can't wait to pick up the next book.
https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/647076966094209024/lets-talk-books-assassins-apprentice-by-robin
5/5 stars
7. Admission by Julie Buxbaum
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This last one was a random read for me, and I truly was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.  Admission follows 17-year-old Chloe Berringer as she navigates through senior year of high school and applies for colleges, only to discover that her parents have paid someone to fake her applications so she could get in.  Now, her actress mother faces jail time, and she is left with the realizations that her parents have no faith in her, and her life might just be ruined.  This is definitely inspired by the Lori Laughlin, Felicity Huffman, USC scandal, but it also has a uniqueness to it of the main character having to come to terms with the fact that she has been born into privilege and really struggling with how to make that right.  It's also told in two timelines, a "then" that shows her in the beginning of the school year forming her applications and taking the SAT's, and a "now" that shows her mother being arrested and paparazzi stalking her house.  I found the whole story just really intriguing from the very beginning, and I did feel a real sympathy for the main character and what she was going through.
4/5 stars
Now that the wrap-up is done, let's chat about the books I want to read for April.
For starters, my English lit class is going HARD this month.  I have to have Beowulf entirely read by tomorrow night, in two weeks I have to read Dante's The Inferno, and then at the end of the month is the entirety of Hamlet, which I already know is going to suck.  I hate Shakespeare.  So that is at least three books.
For my audiobooks this month, I just started Jade City by Fonda Lee which is another one of my favorite series, and I have the audiobook of Golden Son by Pierce Brown to finish up when I'm done.  Both of these are rereads but the audiobooks seem to really enhance it, so I'm excited to get into those.
In the physical book category, I'm currently reading From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout that I've checked out from the library.  I'm about halfway through because I couldn't finish it the first time I had it.  I almost DNF'd it the first time but I know that so many people like it, so I've been trying to give it another chance.  I also have Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo which is the final book of the Grisha trilogy that I want to have read by the time the show comes out this month.  If I can finish all of those, then I also want to reread Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo because I LOVE those books, but also because the show is coming out.  And FINALLY, if I can somehow finish all of those first, my hold for Majesty by Katharine McGee should be ready.  That's the sequel to American Royals that I somewhat enjoyed, but I'm really just curious to find out if everything ends how I predicted
I just counted and realized that there are 10 books on my TBR somehow.  I mean, I'll do my best to try to get through them.  I also have a school project due in a few weeks that I have to try to finish so we shall see what happens.
Until next time :)
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
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I have found a new favorite author.  I'm sure by just that sentence you can tell how this review is going to go.  This book is the first in the Farseer trilogy, which is Robin Hobb's first series in this universe.  It's also, from what I can tell from other reviews, the least liked book in the series, which, considering how much I did enjoy it, makes me so excited for the next two books.
The Assassin's Apprentice follows Fitz, who is the bastard son of the crown prince, as he is taken to court and learns how to be useful to the King, and really just figures out his place in the world.  It starts with him at age six, being an assistant to the stable master Burrich, and follows as he navigates different positions throughout the castle, interacts with the royal family, and eventually meets the aging assassin of the king, and begins to study the assassination trade himself.
This is not the fastest paced book, and it's not action packed.  This is the coming of age story of a boy who does not have anything handed to him easily, and must fight for his position at court.  I think that's what really got me hooked into this book, a lot of things that happen to Fitz are just unfair and really left me angry on his behalf.  At one point I was crying because of just how shitty some of the characters were to him.  The writing style is different in a way that made it slower for me to read, but did not hinder my enjoyment in anyway, shape, or form.  It's hard to explain but it has almost a fairytale-like quality where the words are almost lyrical and just flow really well.
There's also an interesting magic system in this world without the entire world being magical.  There are two abilities, one called Wit, the other Skill.  Wit allows a person to communicate with animals, feel what they're feeling, and send them thoughts, but it's also extremely frowned upon and people are actually put to death because of it.  Skill is similar, but with other humans and an ability to essentially telepathically communicate with them across space, and it is only used by members of the royal family and their relatives.  Fitz can use both, and from what I can tell he might be the only one who can do so.  I'm really intrigued to see where he goes with that.
All in all, I loved this book.  I'm so invested in the characters but Fitz especially, and I'm really excited to read the rest of Robin Hobb's books.  Now I just have to make my mind up if I want to buy them all or continue borrowing them from the library.  If this is the least liked of the trilogy, than the next two must be absolutely amazing.
5/5 stars
(Also, sidenote, I read the illustrated edition and the artwork is PHENOMONAL)
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
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I don't know why I keep doing this to myself.  I've never really liked romance, but I've also never read it as an adult reader, I've just steered clear of it since middle school.  Also, I really did like Bridgerton the show despite its problems, so I decided to try to broaden my horizons into a new genre by starting with something that I felt like I would like already.    Holy shit was I wrong.  It feels like this book took the problems that I had with the show and amplified it a few hundred times.  And maybe it was just because I was listening to it on audiobook, but the sex scenes were pretty cringey.  I enjoyed the sex scenes in A Court of Silver Flames, which was part of the reason why I thought I might warm up to romance, but these just felt extremely jilted and awkward and were definitely not for me.
  I'm not going to summarize this book, because I feel like everyone and their mother has seen the show by now or at least has some idea of what it's about, so just know that this book coincides with the first season of the show, and tells the tale of Daphne and Simon's relationship.    I'm really not going to have a pre-spoiler section for this book just because I'm worried about what would spoil the show if you haven't seen it, so SPOILERS AHEAD.  But also know I graded this 2/5 stars.
Alright so let's get into the nitty gritty here.  A lot of the problem I had with this book was the society's attitude towards women.  Don't get me wrong here, I understand that that is how it was in the regency era and for several generations afterwards but I didn't like it at all.  Maybe I need some unrealistic historical romance, I don't know.  But there's a line in here where Simon tells Daphne that he owns her and like...I don't even know what to say I fucking rolled my eyes so hard.  Gross.  In that scene it also seemed like he was pretty close to physical violence with her, which frankly to me is unacceptable no matter what time period you live in.  I'm glad that the show left that part out because I probably wouldn't have continued with it afterwards.    The other main thing that I think the show did a lot better than the books is fleshing out Daphne and Simon's relationship.  In the show they get like four episodes of flirtiness and sexual tension where the viewers can really see how much they like each other.  In the book they get maybe two scenes, a dinner party and an outing and then Daphne is basically dragging Simon in the garden to make out and that's when they're forced to get married.  I understand it's because the show had much more time for everything whereas the book only had about 350 pages, but it was still more enjoyable on the show.    Also in the book Daphne is basically viewed as this "not like other girls" girl that is friends with the guys and that's why no one wants to be with her.  There was a few hints of people not wanting to have to deal with her older brothers as well, but I liked that the show made her out as the diamond of the season who everyone wants, but they don't want to have to deal with Anthony.    Anthony is a major douche pretty much for the entire book.  He's a dick to Daphne and a dick to Simon and it honestly doesn't feel like they were ever friends because of how much of a jackass he is to him.  Although towards the end there's a scene where Anthony, Benedict, and Colin all show up at Simon and Daphne's house and refuse to leave until they're convinced that Simon actually loves her.  That was pretty cute.    I also want a drinking game where we take shots every time Daphne says she has four brothers for an excuse as to why she knows/can do something.  I'm glad that that's a trope that today's authors have sort of steered away from.    And finally, I have to talk about how Daphne rapes Simon.  Basically, if you don't know, Simon uses the pull out method to not get her pregnant because he doesn't want kids and when Daphne realizes this he forces her to finish inside her even though he pleads with her to get off him.  In the show, after that happens they have a big fight where Daphne explains what she learned and how she feels lied to and deceived.  I do kind of understand where she's coming from, but it's no excuse for what she did, and the story still would have been compelling if she had just confronted him verbally and that was the conflict, but she took it too far.    The book does it even worse.  In the book, she confronts him and they fight about it, which is what I wanted in the first place.  BUT then, DESPITE already having had the conversation and arguing about it, DESPITE knowing that he doesn't want children, she STILL rapes him anyway because he's basically too drunk to say no.  I never thought I would like how the show handled that situation, but compared to the book they did it soo much better.  Book Daphne is absolutely diabolical in that scene and it was really hard to read/listen to.    The book ends with Simon caving and deciding to have kids to make her happy, and as someone who doesn't want kids myself I had a really, really hard time with that.  Why should one person have to change something so drastically for their relationship to be happy?  While Daphne was slightly deceived, she also knew what she was getting into in their marriage.  I just wish there would've been some kind of compromise and they would have adopted a long lost cousin or something instead of Simon basically flipping a switch on what he has wanted to do his whole life.
   I'm sure I could talk about this book all night, but those are my main thoughts and feelings.  I'm debating on if I want to read the second book, just because I would like to know what will happen in the second season of Bridgerton, and maybe I need to give historical romance a second chance.  If you have read the second one, please let me know if it gets better and if I should continue. Until next time :)
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
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Damn it feels good to be back in the Shadowhunters world.  I loved the first book in this trilogy and going into it, I knew I would enjoy this one as well.  It has everything you would want from a Shadowhunters story, action, romance, plenty of angst, and some really loveable characters.  Cassandra Clare’s writing truly seems to just get better as time goes on and this book was no exception.
Chain of Iron pretty much picks up where the last book, Chain of Gold left off.  Following the children of Will, Tessa, and their friends from the Infernal Devices trilogy, this book takes place in Victorian London at a time where demons haven’t really been attacking frequently, so when Shadowhunters start mysteriously dying and all signs point to another Shadowhunter being the killer, everyone is baffled by what is going on.
Plotwise I can’t say much without spoiling it since it is a sequel for the first book but I really did enjoy it and I flew through the 656 pages in about three days.  It’s really fast paced, and I feel like it is much more character driven than the previous book and doesn’t rely as heavily on action which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences.  What I especially appreciated in this book is that each character very obviously has flaws and personal things that they are dealing with in a way that makes them seem very real.  Also the dialogue between them is amazing.  Cassandra Clare really does have a way of writing witty banter that makes the characters really come to life.
5/5 stars because it was just so enjoyable and really everything I could’ve asked for from a Shadowhunters book.
Now I do have some spoilery thoughts as well so read on if you’re interested.
Keep reading
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
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I got into this book thinking it was a genderbent, modern day version of Sherlock Holmes about teenagers solving crimes at boarding school.  It is not.
A Study in Charlotte takes place in an alternative universe where Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and James Moriarty were all real people who had stories published about them and were made famous.  Generations later, their descendants are still around and known far and wide thanks to the stories.  Our main character is James Watson, who meets Charlotte Holmes when he gets sent to America to go to boarding school, and they are quickly forced to work together when they become the prime suspects in a murder case.  So while it was close to what I thought it would be, I really missed out on the female friendship that I went into this book looking for.
Nonetheless, I did enjoy this book.  I think partially because I was listening to it on audiobook while I crocheted a blanket and I loved the narrator.  It wasn’t my favorite and there were definitely a few things I didn’t like.  Watson, mainly as a narrator can be a little insufferable at times. Early on in the story he has some anger management issues that were frankly just awkward and uncomfortable, and he also gets strangely possessive of Charlotte early on despite only knowing her for a few hours.  He also very obviously has a crush on her and some of the things he thinks are just a bit gagging, especially because it seems like he doesn’t even realize he has a crush on her.  Those aspects did get better later on as they both had their personalities more fleshed out.  But he does have a thought process that is like “Charlotte’s not like other girls” and he’s constantly making comments about her makeup when she uses it for disguises.  She also typically dumbs herself down when she wears makeup and it just has a bad overall vibe that girls who wear makeup are dumber than girls who don’t and that just left kind of a bad taste in my mouth.
The good parts though: The mystery they were solving really was intriguing, and the stakes were a lot higher, and there was more action than I was excepting for a couple of teenagers.  Towards the end their relationship with each other got more interesting and I’m looking forward to seeing how that continues later on in the series.  New characters were also introduced that definitely made the book more entertaining.  And although I didn’t like Watson, I found myself really liking Charlotte Holmes.  She has a nice arrogance about her but it doesn’t feel overblown. 
I honestly would’ve given this book 4 stars but then the big reveal happened and it was a character that I had suspected from about the halfway point.  That’s my favorite part of reading mysteries because I like to guess who it is and am usually wrong.  I thought for sure I would be wrong this time because it seemed so obvious, so I was disappointed when I was right. 
3/5 stars.
I do have some spoilery thoughts I want to go over so read on if you want
So starting with the ending, I called that it was nurse Bryony literally halfway through the book and while the reveal that she is connected to the Moriarty’s is cool it didn’t make up for the fact that I called it.  Also I definitely thought that Tom had some suspicious behavior, and was upset that again, I was right and he had bugged their dorm room.
Also it came to light later on in the book that Watson’s dad and Charlotte’s uncle had conspired to trick Watson to moving to America and enrolling in the boarding school just so the two of them would be friends.  I understand the reading behind it, but it’s such a shitty thing to do to your kid.  I do love his dad though.  Just how nonchalant he is about them being suspects in a murder case and how he essentially cares for Charlotte like she’s his daughter as well as Watson.  He seems like a really cool, genuine guy and any scene he was in I enjoyed. 
I loved Mr. Wheatley trying to help James but what a scumbag having his room bugged just to try to write a book.  Like bitch come up with your own ideas please.
Charlotte kissing James at the end because he was dying is suchhhhh an over-played trope but I also found it really cute that she’s legitimately trying for him.  No complaints from me here on that
And finally, I didn’t love Charlotte’s drug problem.  I understand that drug use was a thing for the original Sherlock Holmes, but a 12-year old getting hooked on cocaine and having it escalate from there just seemed a bit over the top.  Especially if her family is as strict and influential as they seem, why would they not just stop her from the beginning until it got so bad they shipped her out to America?
I will continue on with the series but the second book has some not-so-nice reviews on Goodreads so we’ll see what happens.  If the second book is not very good then I definitely won’t continue on.  This book was only get enough to get me curious, not to get me hooked.
Until next time :)
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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Let’s Talk Books - Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
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Trigger warning for abuse and domestic violence. Neither are ever okay and if you are in a situation that is similar to this book, I urge you to please go get help.
I hated this book.  Plain and simple.  I went into it thinking that I probably wasn’t going to like it because I tend to not like YA contemporary romance and that’s what Sarah Dessen is known for.  I know this sounds like a bad idea going in, but it was a slow night at work, I was in the mood for a contemporary, and there were not many ebooks available from my library that didn’t have a two week long wait time, so my selection was very limited.
So let me start by saying that this book is about Caitlin, whose older sister Cass has run away right before she was supposed to start college at Yale.  Caitlin is obviously upset about this, and so are her parents so Caitlin starts doing things that Cass would never do, to try to emerge from her shadow.  She joins the cheerleading team, and starts dating a boy named Rogerson who eventually starts to abuse her.
Rogerson is pretty much bad news from the start, that’s one of the reasons I hated this book so much.  There are sooo many red flags about him before they even start dating, that Caitlin’s choice to go out for him in the first place is just dumb.  Also the book is only 250 pages, and Rogerson is not introduced until page 50.  That would be fine, except the rest of the book is so rushed, that it’s hard to see why Caitlin stays with him even during the abuse.  They never really had good relationship building moments that had readers going “oh that’s cute”, so it was harder and harder to see why Caitlin loved this guy even despite all the abuse.
Asshole main guy character + main character who makes bad decisions + some of the stupidest parents I’ve ever read in a book =
1/5 stars.  
Honestly if it wasn’t such a short book I would have DNF’d, but I cruised through it all pretty easily in one night at work.  I was going to write out a more detailed section with my spoilers thoughts on the book, but now I can’t be bothered.
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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February Wrap-Up
Hello everyone.  Wow it really has been a while since I’ve posted anything but I had my best reading month in pretty much ever this month so I feel duty bound to do a wrap-up.  I also really do plan on posting more this year (which I say every year) but I really do mean it.  
This month I read a total of 7 books, three of which were for my English Lit class but I am totally counting them because they were long and took me a bit to get through.  The class is weird because some weeks I only have to read like 15 pages, but others I have to read like 250.  Anyways, I’m pretty impressed with myself because on top of work and school, I was also busy moving into my new house this month.  But that’s besides the point.  Here are the seven books I read for the month of February.
1. The Epic of Gilgamesh by ???
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I’m sure you can guess that this was for my English Lit class.  It’s a classic, and I know I’ve read part of it before for a class in high school but this was my first time reading it all the way through.  It was alright.  Really repetitive and Gilgamesh was kind of a little whiny at times.  I’m not going to give it a star rating, just because I don’t think it would be fair to grade this purely based on my enjoyment.
2. The Odyssey by Homer
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Another one for my English lit class, and also one that I had to read part of for high school, but I did enjoy this one more than Gilgamesh.  Maybe it’s because I’m familiar with the storyline due to Percy Jackson, or maybe because it’s Greek mythology and I have a thing for anything in that category.  Either way, I didn’t entirely mind having to read 250 very, very thin pages of this book.  Again, I’m not going to give it a star rating, but it definitely ranks the highest of the ones I’ve read so far for my class.
3. Resistance Reborn (Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) by Rebecca Roanhorse
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I was in a Star Wars mood for a solid week this month, so I re-watched a lot of the movies and picked this up.  This story takes place before movies 8 and 9 and follows the main characters as they try to rebuild after being decimated by the First Order.  I love Poe Dameron, he’s one of my favorite characters in the entire Star Wars universe so I was excited that this would be more Poe-centric, but a lot of the times he felt out of character.  It was like reading a watered down version of the character from the movies.  The book was enjoyable, but rather surface level, and while Rebecca Roanhorse did a good job of crafting a whole new Star Wars story, it ultimately felt like it could be skipped.  I was looking for a nice build up to the 9th movie, and this just felt like a weird fanfiction one shot.
3/5 stars.
4. Oedipus the King
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Ever heard of an Oedipus complex?  This is the origin.  Poor Oedipus receives a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother, so he decides to leave home and never see his parents again to prevent that from happening.  The catch?  He was secretly adopted, runs into his real father on the road not knowing who he is, kills him, and then goes and marries his mother not knowing who she is.  I didn’t expect to enjoy this but I found myself feeling really bad for Oedipus who was just trying to do the right thing.  Even though it was for my English Lit class, I’m glad I read it.  Will I ever read it again?  Probably not, but at least now I know the origin story behind the psychology. 
5. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
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If you’re looking for a creepy story with a ton of queer relationships, this is the book for you.  In the early 1900s at the Brookhants School for Girls, a string of mysterious deaths occurred.  Fast forward to the present, and Merritt Emmons has written a book about the deaths and supposed curse that surrounds the school.  The book is now being made into a movie and as the cast arrives to begin filming, weird, creepy things begin to happen to them as well, making them wonder if the place really was haunted.  It’s a story within a story within a story, and a lot of it genuinely creeped me out in a good way.  I enjoyed both the 1900s timeline and the present day timelines presented in the book, and I enjoyed almost everything about this book.  It was a five star read for me up until the last 100 pages because it had a very dissatisfying ending that left a lot of questions and overall just didn’t feel wrapped up at all.  It felt like the author realized how many pages she had written and thought that she needed to wrap it up in the next 10 pages.  Not a bad book at all, but there’s just too much to be desired with the ending.
4/5 stars.
6. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
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This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I am so glad to report that I really really liked it.  I’ll be honest, not much happened to continue the overarching plot of this series, but that didn’t stop it from being an enjoyable book.  This is told entirely from Nesta and Cassian’s point of view as they train and fight and just learn to be around each other every hour of the day.  I didn’t like Nesta in the original trilogy and found her to be very bitchy but this book explains it all and does an excellent job of it.  It’s a book about hurting, depression, healing, PTSD, and love.  And it is DIRTY.  Easily the sauciest of any of Sarah J. Maas’ books.  As I was reading it I kept thinking to myself “is this what it’s like to read adult romances?” I haven’t been able to answer that question for myself yet, but I didn’t hate it. I also love Cassian so much, so any book that he was a central character I already knew I was going to love.  Is it a literary masterpiece? No.  Does it become the Rhys and Feyre show occasionally?” Yes.  But could I overlook the little problems and just enjoy the story?  Absolutely.  The more I read it the more I realized that this whole series just has such a special place in my heart. 
4/5 stars
7. American Royals by Katharine McGee
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This is a contemporary story that answers the question, what if George Washington was made king during the American Revolution?  American Royals follows three royal siblings, the heir, Beatrice, and her younger siblings Samantha and Jeff as they navigate what it means to be royal as young adults.  Jeff and Sam are straight out of high school and trying to decide what they’re going to do with their lives, and Beatrice is under pressure to start dating and get married before she eventually inherits the throne.  The story also follows Nina, Sam’s best childhood friend who has always had a crush on Jeff, and Jeff’s ex-girlfriend Daphne as the two fight over him.  Although this book was predictable at times, I still enjoyed it.  It was a light, fluffy read that got me through my book hangover after a Court of Silver Flames. If it was an eight book series I probably wouldn’t continue, but there’s only one sequel so I’ll probably pick it up over the next few months.
3/5 stars
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rachaelslibrary · 3 years
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2020 Wrap-Up
What a year 2020 was.  And I don’t mean that sarcastically.  Negatives were being laid off from work, canceling my Hawaii vacation, canceling my wedding, cancelling my 3 week honeymoon in Europe, and just generally being in a shitty mood for 300 out of the 365 days in the year.  Positives were going back to work, not having to plan a wedding, and using our wedding/Europe money to buy a house instead.  We move in a few weeks and life is literally insane.
Another positive: I had a really good reading year this year and ended up finishing 39 books.  Considering my good reads goal was only 21, I’m very happy with these results.
So enough venting, here are all the books I read in 2020.
5 STARS
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - really good and super unique premise, I enjoyed it immensely and it was very impactful, though I don’t know if it’s one I’ll reread because I was just exhausted and felt so bad for the main character throughout the story
Jade City by Fonda Lee - literally my FAVORITE book this year.  It was so good I can’t stop thinking about it.  It would be a great tv show on HBO or something similar, and I’m going to read the second book as soon as I can.
Skyward (#1) and Starsight (#2) by Brandon Sanderson
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - I’m not sure why I gave this five stars to be honest, other than it’s one of my favorites in this series and has a special place in my heart
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon - I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did but I was hooked.  It follows a family on the Oregon Trail, which I’ve always been a little fascinated with since I grew up in Oregon and we spent a whole year studying it in elementary school.  Parts of it are a little rough, but I still thoroughly enjoyed and couldn’t put it down.
The City of Brass (#1), The Kingdom of Copper (#2), and The Empire of Gold (#3) by S.A. Chakraborty - I literally can’t say enough good things about this series and it wrapped up really well.  GO READ IT.  The first two were rereads and the third book came out this year
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (#2), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (#3) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (#4) Illustrated Editions by J.K. Rowling reread
Morning Star (#3) and Iron Gold (#4) By Pierce Brown - Seriously one of my favorite series of all time.  Can book 6 come out please??? reread
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 
4 STARS
Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra - I picked this up because I saw it was going to be a show on Netflix and was interested.  Read the book first and liked it a lot, but the show is literally AWFUL.  I made it through an episode and a half before I gave up on it.
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed - soooo good and insightful.  Very eye-opening and there are a lot of really insightful thoughts about police brutality and white privilege in general
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 
Trail of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse - first book in The Sixth World series, I’m planning to read the second soon
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - another series that I plan on continuing this year
Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud - second book in the duology and gets a higher rating because it was a lot more compelling and wrapped up the story well
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Don’t hate me for giving this 4 stars, I reread it in preparation for midnight sun and was pleasantly reminded that the books are ten times better than the movies even though they’re still cringey as hell. Reread
Incomparable by Brie and Nikki Bella - my only nonfiction read of the year
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) by Sarah J. Maas
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - reread
3 STARS
Sherwood by Meagan Spooner
Mirage by Somaiya Daud - first book in the duology and it’s a good start, but the second blows it out of the water, reread
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - reread
The Selection (#1), The Elite (#2), The One (#3), The Heir (#4) and The Crown (#5) by Kiera Cass - super predicable but still a nice easy read.  The original trilogy is better than the two sequels
Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz - reread after Hamilton came out
The Dark Prophecy (#2) by Rick Riordan
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
2 STARS
Eragon by Christopher Paolini - honestly this book was a struggle to get through, and if I hadn’t been given books 2 and 3 in the series, I probably would’ve just DNF’d
1 STAR/DNF
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer - I tried soooo hard to get through this but Edward’s thoughts were way too creepy.  I DNF’d it around page 150
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rachaelslibrary · 4 years
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Just a quick life update.
Work is a literal shit show. Words cannot explain the nightmare that that place is.  If they weren’t paying for my degree I would’ve quit a week ago when we reopened.
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