#Book Review #ARC – The Attic Child; L. Jaye

Jaye, however, did a tremendous job here. Her writing style is poignant yet delicate, crafting The Attic Child with slow, sure strokes. Every word has been chosen with care and delivered with a strength that leaves you staggering. Staggering while asking for more.

#Book Review #ARC – The Sweet Shop of Second Chances; H. Lynn

What a great read! First thing first, the story arc is super. Great idea, great execution, the ups and downs are well-timed, and the MC is so relatable. You end up caring about Holly within the first chapter, about her struggles and the way she responds to them. Is she a bit naive sometimes? Of course *cough cough*. Is she able to overcome her fears and go through an excellent character growth? Yes. Color me satisfied.

#Book Review – Ask Not; M.M. Schmidt

So, Katie is your average lady: a husband, kids, a mediocre life, and an obsession with the Kennedys. Not so average, then. Katie’s life, her slow descent into madness is Ask Not’s main feature, and also the most poignant.

#Book Tour #Book Review – The Grooms Wore White; C. Lindhurst

Let me start by stating that I love the idea behind this book. It’s cute, it’s funny, and it’s well-thought-out: Lindhurst grabs some tropes and builds a story around them, using them as a starting point rather than relying on them. The latter is the easy way out, but also the mark of a lazy author; the former is trickier, but also a chance to showcase an author’s writing skills. Well done!

#Book Review – Setsuko and the Seven Samurai; V.M. Sawh

A retelling of fairy tales is always a good challenge, both for the writer and the reader. The writer has to weave a story using key elements–recognizable elements–while adding enough spin to make it stand out; the reader has to step away from the original tale and suspend their disbelief in places while looking for hidden tropes.

#Book Review #ARC #Mini Review – Here We Are… On Route 66; J. Hinckley

Travel books are comfort books. They’re there to take you on a journey–always appreciated–and show you new places. Or, old places you can’t get enough of. Here We Are… on Route 66 belongs to the latter category. I think I read a decent chunk of Route 66-related books, and I’m still coming back for more: there are so many attractions, so many cool places, and signs.

#Book Review – Merchants of Knowledge and Magic; E. McCorkle

Still, every now and again I happen upon a fantasy that waters my crops, clears my skin, and removes those twenty-odd years from my soul in zero point five. One page in and I’m that girl again, squeeing at world-building or raving about fantastic MCs.

#Book Mini Review #ARC – Inside Your Japanese Garden; J. Cali and S. Yasumoro

Another book caught in the bottleneck—there are 5-6 of them, I think—and I’m sorry because Inside Your Japanese Garden deserves the highest praises. No one rated it on GoodReads yet, I mean, which. A crime, let me tell you.

#Book Review – Truly, Darkly, Deeply; V. Selman

So if you’re wondering why I’m reviewing books at a slower pace, here’s your answer, and Truly, Darkly, Deeply is one of those novels caught up in the bottleneck. Is it a bad thing? Well. Not really, because the delay made me realize something: I couldn’t remember the plot anymore less than a month after shelving it. If you’re grimacing right now, I wouldn’t blame you–alarm bells and the likes.

#Book Review – Atomic; N. Aland

First thing first, Atomic is hilarious. I’m not talking about an open guffawing, belly-laughing kind of hilarious here, no; the humor is there, it’s often subtler than you’d expect it to be, but it’s well-executed regardless. Does said humor border on crass territory here and there? Sometimes. And it’s a good thing. A spade is a spade, and I appreciate a lot more someone willing to call it by its name rather than coating it with a PC layer.