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One of Us Is Dead: A Review

The Book:

Title: One of Us Is Dead

Author: Jeneva Rose

Published April 26th 2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Adult

Pages: 272

“Opulence. Sex. Betrayal … Sometimes friendship can be deadly.

Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.

Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …

Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …

Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …

Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?

Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.” –Goodreads

My Review:

The start of this book instantly hooked me. I was so intrigued to hear about these pretentious housewives and their lives.

One thing about the mystery books I have read, or just any book, is they cannot achieve the tension necessary to keep me begging for more. They reveal secrets to quickly. But this book… this book does it so well. It hints at things to come, but you dont know what the wives’ secrets are until it is necessary to reveal them. It keeps you ensconced in the story.

This one also had a play on the language is used. There are very few hints of death or talk of it in the beginning. But as the story grows more tense and more drama unfolds, more and more euphemisms and mentions of death are sprinkled throughout the end. It gave a good symbolism for that growing sense of doom the wives’ felt.

I did love the ending. There was a huge plot twist. I did not expect the ending, but I did, but I didn’t, if that makes sense. I cannot say much without spoiling, but the ending was good.

I have never read a book by Rose but let me tell you I definitely am going to check out more of her books. She wrote beautifully. I have not read a book in a long time that is written about a modern time that uses modern terms but is not cringey or cliche… if that makes sense. A lot of books using modern slang always come off so insincere and make me roll my eyes. This one didn’t though. I really liked it.

This book had everything. It had Real Housewives drama. It was a budding romance. It was about murder. It talked about how sh*tty adult white men are. I loved it so much.

I loved this book. This will definitely be on my top books this year’s list.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 4.5

Ten Books I Bought a While Ago but Havent Read

“Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” -That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s theme:

Books I Was SO EXCITED to Get, but Still Haven’t Read (bonus points if you tell us how long it’s been since you got them!)

City of Fallen Angels (and the rest of the Mortal Instruments series)-July 2021

2. Troubled Blood-Winter 2020

3. My Policeman-A month ago

4. The Crown of Gilded Bones-Spring 2021

5. Now I Rise-January 2021

6. A Darker Shade of Magic-January 2021

7. An Ember in the Ashes-2016

8. Wayfarer-2017

9. Legendborn-a few month ago

10. Vespertine-a few months ago

As always, thanks you for reading,

A Bookie

Repost: Worth it? Books Tik Tok Made Me Read Part 2

Hey!

I want to share with you an article I wrote for Her Campus for my school. I wrote about which books I see on Tik Tok are worth it or not. I have included an excerpt from the post. To view the whole post, click here.

“SORCERY OF THORNS BY MARGARET ROGERSON

Literally the best book ever

Now this book is first because it is amazing. If you don’t listen to anything else I say, listen to this: read this book! It is so good. I was addicted to this book. I loved the main characters. The plot was exciting and unique. The world that you enter is so vivid and has a little bit of everything for everyone. It is a slow-burn romance that made me swoon hard. It has adventure and intrigue. It is dangerous and heartfelt. I love this book. It deserves so much more hype.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION BY EMILY HENRY

If you want to

This book was good. I wasn’t blown away, but it was better than Beach Read by the same author. It really had nothing remarkable about it, but I did like how we jumped around on the main character’s vacation timeline. the story is also very cute and has some steamy elements to it.

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY BY MATT HAIG

A sort of must-read

This book was definitely a must-read, but by the end, it really just drags on. The main character becomes annoying, because the end was pretty predictable, and I wished I could strangle her to make the right decisions. I still recommend this book, just be warned.

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A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS

Must-read, but please stop talking about it

I am a huge Maas fan, just her work not her. A Court of Thorns and Roses or ACOTAR and the rest of the series is so overtalked about. If I were to guess, it is mentioned in one out of every three videos. It deserves some hype, but not all it is getting. It is definitely not her best work; I am a huge fan of Throne of Glass. Feyre and the main love interest (not going to spoil who) are amazing. It is definitely worth the read, but it doesn’t need to be in every book recommendation video.”

Check it out!

As always thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Gallant: The Newest from V.E. Schwab

The Book:

Title: Gallant

Author: V.E. Schwab

Published March 1st 2022 by Greenwillow Books

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Horror

Pages: 352

“Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?”-Goodreads

My Review:

Yes!

I finally did it. I finished a book within a week of it being published and am getting a review up.

It wasn’t hard with a book this good.

Schwab is not one of my top authors but with every book, I read she is slowly climbing up there. I loved this book.

It follows the story of Olivia who cannot speak while she tries to navigate a new familial relationship and the horrors that exist in her family’s house.

The plot is unique. I won’t give too much away because every little detail is so beautiful it needs to be discovered on its own. I craved more and could not put down the book every time I picked it up.

It was unique to read a book where the main character could not speak. The lack of dialogue made the book so much more. A lot could have been explained sooner if the main character would have been able to speak, but her troubles in navigating this make the book that much more suspenseful.

I am genuinely in awe over the illustrations in the book as well. Each time I saw them I noticed a new thing, a new message, trying to be conveyed to the main character and the reader.

This book honestly has no faults. Sometimes there were a few dull moments, but those were good to put the book down after you have been reading it for an hour or two. The only reason I am not giving it five stars is that I won’t be considering this one of my favorites. It will probably be on my top ten list of books this year though!

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 4.9

Book Review: An Enchantment of Ravens

The Book:

Title: An Enchantment of Ravens

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Published September 26th 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance

Pages: 300

“Every enchantment has a price.

With a flick of her paintbrush, Isobel creates stunning portraits for a dangerous set of clients: the fair folk. These immortal creatures cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and they trade valuable enchantments for Isobel’s paintings. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—Isobel makes a deadly mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that could cost him his throne, and even his life.

Furious, Rook spirits Isobel away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously amiss in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending upon each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, perhaps even love . . . a forbidden emotion that would violate the fair folks’ ruthless laws, rendering both their lives forfeit. What force could Isobel’s paintings conjure that is powerful enough to defy the ancient malice of the fairy courts?

Isobel and Rook journey along a knife-edge in a lush world where beauty masks corruption and the cost of survival might be more frightening than death itself.” – Goodreads

My Review:

After reading Sorcery of Thorns, I decided to go on a little shopping spree and buy every single one of this author’s books.

This is one of those books.

I devoured this book within two days of buying it. It is short and adventurous, but not as great as the first book I read.

These two books are unrelated, but they are similar in many ways. They both take place in a new world. They both deal with magical beings that the main character thinks are evil. They both deal with a kidnapping.

An Enchantment of Ravens’ word-building was a little underdeveloped. I felt like sometimes I was questioning what was happening. A lot of things were said as dialogue or thoughts to give background, but did not explain why things why they were. Each new land the main character visited was a bit confusing. I did not understand where Whimsy, her homeland, existed near all the fairylands.

It was a bit confusing.

This book lacked some of the Sorcery of Thorns’ wittiness. It seemed like a cheap imitation of the writing. The characters fell in love too quickly and they didn’t have the same quips as the other couple.

Everything else was great though. We had an interesting couple of twists and turns. I think we met some interesting characters.

The main character was charming. The love interest was a nice guy, but not necessarily anyone who peaked my interest.

This book was good but did have some downfalls. I am not sure if I would have felt the same about reading this book before reading Rogerson’s other book. I wonder if my expectations were too high. I mean if you did read my other review, I clearly said that Sorcery of Thorns is my new favorite book ever.

Anyways, I suggest you check out Rogerson’s works. I think they are beautiful. I am glad they are standalones. I do not have many fantasy books that don’t have sequels.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 3.8

Read This Book: Sorcery of Thorns

The Book:

Title: Sorcery of Thorns

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Published June 4th 2019 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Pages: 456

“All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.” –Goodreads

My Review:

This is my new favorite book.

I kid you not. I am obsessed. I just finished listening to the audiobook and I was appalled.

back when I swore that Harry Potter and Throne of Glass were forever going to be my favorite books. Yeah, apparently I lied and have demoted both of them to my favorite series of books.

This standalone was seriously the best.

I am at a loss for words. I am writing this right after finishing because wow I need to process.

I seriously am at a loss for words. No book could compare to this.

How do I review a book this good?

I have never read a book with such vivid details and such a stunning plot. The characters were lovable and attractive. The entire time I was at a loss for words.

Elisabeth is a kind and cunning young lady who lives in a library, which has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. She goes on this crazy adventure all to protect the most sacred thing to her heart, books.

She is the best character I have ever read. She cares about each person she meets but never forgets where she came from. She loves to read and feels at home wherever books exist.

Nathaniel, her dashing sorcerer companion, is my new favorite book boyfriend. The romance is a slow burn that had me aching for them to realize what they meant to each other.

Silas is a strikingly beautiful demon with a heart for his companions. He is my favorite character, not just in this book but of all of them. He surprised me so many times and made me fall in love with him.

The plot was so amazing. I have not read a book similar to it before. It was so refreshing. A lot of the fantasy books I have been reading lately have felt like endless copies of the same book. This one was so different it shocked me.

The book had twists and turns. My mind was changed many times. I was sitting there piecing clues along with Elisabeth.

UGH I CAN NOT GET ENOUGH

I love this book so much. I don’t think I have ever given a book five stars on here, or if so I have not given very many. This book deserves more than five stars, but my rating system doesn’t allow for any more.

Seriously, check this book out!

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 5

Colleen Hoover’s Newest: Reminders of Him

The Book:

Title: Reminders of Him

Author: Colleen Hoover

Published January 18th, 2022 by Montlake

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

Pages: 327

“After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.” –Goodreads

My Review:

Hoover is a genius. This is the best book I have read so far this year.

I have been on a hoover binge these past couple of weeks with reading Verity, Reminders of Him, and Ugly Love. I am also going to be listening to Heart Bones as soon as I get an Audible credit.

Reminders of Him honestly tore me up. It brought me so much pain and then patched me up one layer after the other. It was so beautiful.

I want to say this is one of her best works. The plot was amazing. You begin with this character, Kenna, that you’re not sure if you should hate or love, but you see her kindness and her devotion to getting the only thing she wants, her daughter.

We then get to Ledger, who is a beautiful soul, that just wants to do right by his extended family.

I think the book balanced both sides of this tragic love affair. Hoover held out information that was vital to the story to keep readers on their toes and waiting for the sweet reprieve to know that our gray character was good at heart.

We get to see two characters cope with their forbidden love while also navigating real-world situations.

Hoover’s writing always paints the most beautiful pictures of everyday life. She always makes me believe in love over and over through every word and every embrace.

I think this book has quite a bit for everyone. At the very least it will urge you to drive more responsibly and to hold your loved ones a little closer every day.

Hoover had me in tears by the end of this story. I devoured every page and finished it within a day. I highly recommend it.

If you have read it please comment, let me know what you think.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating 4.8

I Read Ugly Love, Here’s What I Think

The Book:

Title: Ugly Love

Author: Colleen Hoover

Published August 5th 2014 by Atria Books

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Pages: 324

“When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.” -Goodreads

My Review:

Halfway through this book, I thought I would be giving it a so-so review. It did not have a hold of me. I thought it was a nice, quick read. The love story was interesting and had some spice to it, but I did not love it.

Until the end.

This book got me with a right hook and kick to the groin in the last half.

I did not expect what happened at all. It was thrilling and almost made up for its average beginnings…

Almost.

Yes, the end was thrilling and the premise of the story was interesting. The severe lack of depth in the female characters or action in the first half of the book brought it down a notch.

The main female character, Tate was kind of boring. All her struggles were about the love interest. Tate’s struggles with hooking up with someone emotionally unavailable is relatable, but not unique.

I thought the story could use a bit more development for her and maybe focus a couple of times on her work or her schooling.

The guy, Miles, had depth and development. His story was heartbreaking, albeit a little incestuous, (actually a lot incestuous.) What is with everyone writing about incest?

Rachel, the step-sister, was 2-D and only viewed from Miles perspective (until later). I do not like when a woman is not thoroughly defined through literature. Hoover usually does a good job, but this book was a bit lacking.

The last half of the book was gut-wrenching and I cried. It is a real tearjerker, so do not let the sexy scenes fool you, BUT the first half was dull. Yes, it held me captive with the flashback to Miles dating his step-sister. The flashbacks were the only interesting parts though.

Still, despite the lack of anything in the first half, this book was good. The ending was unexpected and heartbreaking. If you like Colleen Hoover this book would be great to check out.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Stare Rating: 3.5

Once Upon a Broken Heart: A Cute Novel with Surprising Adventure

The Book:

Title: Once Upon a Broken Heart

Author: Stephanie Garber

Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart #1

Published September 28th 2021 by Flatiron Books

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Pages: 408

“For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings…until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy….” -Goodreads

My Review:

Once again, Stephanie Garber has one my heart. The Caraval series was beautiful and then this book, in the same universe and my favorite character, was magical.

Garber’s writing is significantly improved in this book. Caraval was a little choppy and less descriptive. This book had amazing descriptions and was less choppy.

The main character in this book was stunning. I want to dye my hair rose gold to match Ms. Evageline Fox. I think we are very similar in character. We try to do the right thing and are hopeless romantics. She believes in fairytales and wants to be the hero. I adore her.

Jacks, oh my Jacks, has been a naughty little boy, but how can you blame the Prince of Hearts. I wished the ending was a bit different for him, but we will see how it plays out in the sequel.

Since this takes place in an empire previously described in the Caraval series, we do not need a lot of world-building upfront which was nice to get the right pacing in the book. When we do have a change of scenery, we get the world-building while still being able to keep up with the story.

This book makes this Caraval universe become three-dimensional. Caraval and the others would have half-explained government systems, landmarks, and just general setting ideas. This book exceeded the last book, explaining the Meridian Empire and the Northern Empire so much more.

This book was honestly magical. My last thing to say is to Stephanie Garber. Please, please, and please finish and publish the next one already. I want more of Jacks!

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 4

Finally Reading the Mortal Instruments

Let me just say, the early 2000’s YA books were wild.

The Book

Title: The City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments #1

Published September 1st 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry Books (first published May 27th 2007)

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Pages: 486

“When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…” -Goodreads

My Review

The Mortal Instruments has been out for ages and was one of the original YA fantasy books. I am going back in time to read them because I never did as a kid.

I am shocked, disgusted, but also… happy?

You got Clary, who is a total “I am not like other girls” girl learning she has a crazy dark and mysterious history. She find this out because she met…you guessed it, a boy.

This book series is going to ruin me, and I mean this in a bad way.

The whole thing is gross. It has racist jokes, gay stereotypes, and politically incorrect words up the wazoo. Not to mention the (spoiler) incest plotline???

The negatives aside, the book was pretty good. If I had read this book back in 2010, I would definitely would have liked it.

By the end of the book, I found myself rooting for Clary. I hated her the whole book and now I am ready to read the second to see how it all plays out.

I think that is all I have to say for this book. I can’t compare it to anything recent because writing has evolved so much over the past ten or so years, which I am thankful for.

As always, thank for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 3.0 (It would have had four, but I dont stand for the bigotry scattered throughout this.)