Books, books, books
Oct. 8th, 2021 08:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiriel123Ok, here is another book review post, mainly on the lighter side. A lot of YA in the list this time.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: 8/10
This took a while to get into. I was definitely tripped up by the names, and the royal we terms of address a few times, but once I got into the story I was hooked. Maia, a half goblin prince who was basically exiled to the outer reaches of the kingdom, inherits the throne when his father and siblings all die in a tragic airship crash. Along with the throne comes of course much political maneuvering and Maia is ill equipped to handle it. The plot is a bit slow - it's not a big action book. But the characters and the details of the court and the world were really well done. I also definitely cried at certain points - the author has a way of cutting to the heart with some of her phrasing. I'll definitely be reading the sequel, Witness for the Dead
Neon Gods by Katee Robert: 7/10
This is the first book I read of Katee Robert and I did not know she was an erotica author, so that was a surprise! In a good way! Lol, I did recommend this to my book club as a potential future option before I read it and I will be removing that suggestion at our next meeting though because not the type of book my book club goes for. It's a Hades/Persephone take, which is what drew me to it because Hades/Persephone mythology OTP. Persephone flees to the underworld to escape a marriage arranged by her mother to Zeus, and Hades scoops her right up. It features some very raunchy scenes and sex parties, and if that's your jam you'll like this! I'll be checking out other books by this author when I'm in the ~mood~
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price: 6/10
Cute enough story but it had some slow points and not one for the re-read list. But it was a light, enjoyable read. It's a Pride and Prejudice take where Lizzie is trying to become a barrister in London at her father's law firm (which is not what young ladies do) and decides to prove her capability by helping solve a recent murder, the accused murderer being nobleman Charles Bingley. Unfortunately for her, Mr Bingley already has legal representation in the form of his best friend, Mr. Darcy. Spark fly.
K-pop Confidential by Stephan Lee: 7/10
Very cute! Candace Park, Korean American who secretly longs to be a song writer and singer, ends up auditioning to become a trainee and ends up in the program. The book goes into the trainee program and what the kids who are enrolled in it go through. I really enjoyed reading it, and the alternate look into k-pop
Dial A for Aunties by Jessie Sutanto: 7/10
Also super cute! All the YA books were cute lol. Meddelin Chan accidentally murders the blind date her family set her up with. The problem is that date is also the host of the big wedding that her family was hired to coordinate. Oh, and did I mention that the other host of the wedding is her ex-boyfriend that she's still a little bit in love with? Yeah, it's a crazy weekend for her. The book has some surprising twists that I didn't see coming, and is a very fun read.
The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James: 6/10
Read this for the Halloween vibes. Flips between modern day and 1982. Carly, who's feeling adrift with the death of her mother, decides to take a road trip and look into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her aunt in 1982. She uncovers a ghost story and a serial killer she never expected. It's a quick read, and a decent mystery if you're looking for that October vibe
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: 1/10
Will never ever re-read this, and am actively trying to block it from my memory. I'm putting it here to remind myself never to read anything by this author again. This is the second book I've read by her and she is so not my speed. It was another book picked for Halloween that involves a book club infiltrated by a vampire. The author's writing is actually pretty engaging and very vivid but the problem is, it is TOO vivid. She writes extraordinarily grotesque scenes that even now live in my nightmares. If you can handle an in depth description of scenes such as, a woman in a dumpster eating a raw raccoon, a woman getting her ear bitten off, rats consuming a woman and what the body remains look like, then you can handle this book. Separate from the gruesome scenes, her book had a running theme of "think of the children" who are in danger from "the devil" and with today's q*non cult that really fell flat
The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McQuireL 7/10
This is the latest of the October Daye books, and I really liked it! I enjoyed seeing Toby continue to expand her powers, the Luidaeg is one of my fave characters, and also I really like reading interactions between Toby and her daughter. I'm a sucker for family drama. In this one, Toby is fulfilling the favor she owes to the Luidaeg by holding the Selkies to the bargain their ancestors made centuries ago. Of course there are some people that don't want that bargain held to, so drama ensues. If you like the October Daye books, you'll like this one.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: 8/10
This took a while to get into. I was definitely tripped up by the names, and the royal we terms of address a few times, but once I got into the story I was hooked. Maia, a half goblin prince who was basically exiled to the outer reaches of the kingdom, inherits the throne when his father and siblings all die in a tragic airship crash. Along with the throne comes of course much political maneuvering and Maia is ill equipped to handle it. The plot is a bit slow - it's not a big action book. But the characters and the details of the court and the world were really well done. I also definitely cried at certain points - the author has a way of cutting to the heart with some of her phrasing. I'll definitely be reading the sequel, Witness for the Dead
Neon Gods by Katee Robert: 7/10
This is the first book I read of Katee Robert and I did not know she was an erotica author, so that was a surprise! In a good way! Lol, I did recommend this to my book club as a potential future option before I read it and I will be removing that suggestion at our next meeting though because not the type of book my book club goes for. It's a Hades/Persephone take, which is what drew me to it because Hades/Persephone mythology OTP. Persephone flees to the underworld to escape a marriage arranged by her mother to Zeus, and Hades scoops her right up. It features some very raunchy scenes and sex parties, and if that's your jam you'll like this! I'll be checking out other books by this author when I'm in the ~mood~
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price: 6/10
Cute enough story but it had some slow points and not one for the re-read list. But it was a light, enjoyable read. It's a Pride and Prejudice take where Lizzie is trying to become a barrister in London at her father's law firm (which is not what young ladies do) and decides to prove her capability by helping solve a recent murder, the accused murderer being nobleman Charles Bingley. Unfortunately for her, Mr Bingley already has legal representation in the form of his best friend, Mr. Darcy. Spark fly.
K-pop Confidential by Stephan Lee: 7/10
Very cute! Candace Park, Korean American who secretly longs to be a song writer and singer, ends up auditioning to become a trainee and ends up in the program. The book goes into the trainee program and what the kids who are enrolled in it go through. I really enjoyed reading it, and the alternate look into k-pop
Dial A for Aunties by Jessie Sutanto: 7/10
Also super cute! All the YA books were cute lol. Meddelin Chan accidentally murders the blind date her family set her up with. The problem is that date is also the host of the big wedding that her family was hired to coordinate. Oh, and did I mention that the other host of the wedding is her ex-boyfriend that she's still a little bit in love with? Yeah, it's a crazy weekend for her. The book has some surprising twists that I didn't see coming, and is a very fun read.
The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James: 6/10
Read this for the Halloween vibes. Flips between modern day and 1982. Carly, who's feeling adrift with the death of her mother, decides to take a road trip and look into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her aunt in 1982. She uncovers a ghost story and a serial killer she never expected. It's a quick read, and a decent mystery if you're looking for that October vibe
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: 1/10
Will never ever re-read this, and am actively trying to block it from my memory. I'm putting it here to remind myself never to read anything by this author again. This is the second book I've read by her and she is so not my speed. It was another book picked for Halloween that involves a book club infiltrated by a vampire. The author's writing is actually pretty engaging and very vivid but the problem is, it is TOO vivid. She writes extraordinarily grotesque scenes that even now live in my nightmares. If you can handle an in depth description of scenes such as, a woman in a dumpster eating a raw raccoon, a woman getting her ear bitten off, rats consuming a woman and what the body remains look like, then you can handle this book. Separate from the gruesome scenes, her book had a running theme of "think of the children" who are in danger from "the devil" and with today's q*non cult that really fell flat
The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McQuireL 7/10
This is the latest of the October Daye books, and I really liked it! I enjoyed seeing Toby continue to expand her powers, the Luidaeg is one of my fave characters, and also I really like reading interactions between Toby and her daughter. I'm a sucker for family drama. In this one, Toby is fulfilling the favor she owes to the Luidaeg by holding the Selkies to the bargain their ancestors made centuries ago. Of course there are some people that don't want that bargain held to, so drama ensues. If you like the October Daye books, you'll like this one.
