My Favorite – House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig

This was such a spooky book that kept me coming back for more. Inspired by the Island of Dr. Moreau and the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrow, I loved the old-timey feel of the world, the character development of our protagonist, Verity, as she navigates adulthood for the first time, as well as a very creepy first time job. There were so many twists and turns that even when I thought I had it figured out – I didn’t.

This was as cute as they come. I don’t often read queen romance so this was a welcome change in my usual. Despite being neither a Prince or a child of the president, I found both characters relatable in their desires to make their parents proud, follow their dreams and also stay true to their hearts. Its quite the challenge! I rooted for them the entire book and once I was into it, I devoured the story. I can’t wait to watch the movie!

This is a tough series to review. I read this so fast – partially because I was interested and partially because I was horrified. The fae world in which Jude mostly lived in is so brutal and she is treated terrible for a vast majority of the series. She does go through a fair amount of growth and eventually come out on top but the journey to get there almost makes it not worth it. This is also one of the toughest enemies-to-lovers I’ve ever read. I struggled to forgive the enemy to get to the lovers part. You’ll have to read it and let me know what you think! (content warning – one of the main characters has a rat tail)

This was such an interesting book. I have loved Leigh Bardugo’s other series (Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows), both of which were successfully turned into a TV series. I wonder if she wanted a series that wouldn’t be able to be made into a TV series? While I liked the magic introduced in New Haven and the history that was associated but MAN was this a complicated book. There were Nine houses of magic (surprise, surprise) and another house in charge of policing them. There were tons of mentions of rituals and lots of ghosts involved as well. I liked the story but wished it was a little less convoluted. I spent a lot of it wondering what was going on! The sequel is on my list for October so we will see what happens in the next one.

I hate driving so I love listening to thrillers while I’m driving. It makes me excited to get back in the car (and go to work usually). This book was no exception – Tons of twists to keep you interested. It was a little slow to pick up but once it did, it felt like there was a new revelation on every page, and then a new revelation contradiction the previous revelation on every other. Really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to people who enjoy psychological thrillers. Also – Love a dual POV!

Ok I wanted to like this one so badly. I love retelling of classics – this is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, which had so much potential. I loved the 1920’s Shanghai location, it was well described and the opposing gangs were well fleshed out and I understood their machinations. But the BUGS. I could not handle the magic head tick plot. I finished the book because I wanted to know how it ended but I could have done with many, many fewer bugs.

I’ve read some Scarlett St. Clair before so I knew what I was in for with this one. She’s big in the smut world and this book was no different. This was a new series from her, based on vampire fantasy instead of greek mythology like many of her previous books. This one gave me similar vibes to From Blood and Ash. Is this the best book I’ve ever read? No. Was it entertaining? Sure was.

This was a hard book to read and a hard book to review. Homegoing was a journey through two separate sides of family history – starting with half sisters from Ghana in the 1700’s, going through tribal wars, slavery, the after affects of slavery, the increase in prison labor, up to just about present day. There are multiple perspectives throughout the generations, showcasing the impact of ancestry, generational trauma and poverty on these two family lines.

Each perspective was concise and powerful, managing to give the reader just a glimpse into the person’s life while still making it impactful enough to bring me to tears multiple times. Each chapter could be a book in its’ own right, with each individuals story deserving of being told. Part of the hard truth the reader has to swallow is that we will never get the full picture of these individuals due to the actions of the British and later, Americans. I’m still reeling from this one and it took me longer than normal to read but wow, was this a powerful book.