[REVIEW] Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

[REVIEW] Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

by louisereads ♥ 2 Comments

Another book where I had no idea what I was going into, but that completely surprised me by being better than I could’ve imagined.

Vanja, adopted by Death and Fortune after her own family abandons her, must steal and lie to survive but is cursed by a god she attempts to steal from.

Vanja is a new favorite. She was the perfect morally gray character, and I could really see her motivation for everything she did. I loved seeing her arc as she allowed herself to forge relationships with Emeric, Gisele and Ragne. I was rooting for her the whole way even when she was doing something I wanted to scream at her for.

The story was constantly exciting and so character focused. It also had LGBTQ+ rep and lots of casual mentions of trans people which I always love to see.

The ending did feel a bit rushed through, and I wasn’t sure about the narrative style it took, but it was such a small part of the story that I barely even noticed.

Definitely glad I read this fantasy, and I will be sure to pick up more of Owen’s works.

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Find Little Thieves at a local bookseller on IndieBound

WWW Wednesday | 2-9-22

WWW Wednesday | 2-9-22

by louisereads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words that asks us to answer the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: I picked Kingdom of the Wicked up again this week. I’m about 25% through, and I’m still unsure how I feel about it. I love the atmosphere so far, but nothing has really hooked me yet. I think maybe I’m not super into witches. I was reading at work and had to stop to end my shift–pretty sure I was about to get to the good stuff. Taking a flight on Friday, so hope to get some good reading time in then!

Recently finished: I spent the first week of February reading How High We Go in the Dark. I enjoyed it, but it was definitely hard to get to. I found myself putting this one down a lot just because of how dense it was. Ultimately glad to have gotten through it and onto something new.

Reading next: I got approved for an ARC of Kelly Piazza’s Don’t Overthink This. I think by the time I finish KOTW, I’ll be in the market for a good hard-hitting romance, which should be exactly what this one is. Not many reviews for this one yet, but the ones that are out are overwhelmingly positive, so I’m excited! I might even get to this one this weekend if I have some good reading days at work.

[REVIEW] How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

[REVIEW] How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

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This is one of those subjectively-objectively good books that I could not possibly rate lower than four stars.  The story, spanning space and time of life on and off Earth, was at times both touching and disturbing.   

I picked this one up because it was pitched as a story similar to Cloud Atlas.  While I didn’t enjoy Cloud Atlas as much, I did appreciate the story format, and this book’s premise was much more promising to me. The story format of How High We Go in the Dark was very similar, and I did end up enjoying the actual storyline more. 

The writing was really moving.  Sequoia is really great at driving home the feeling of connection across space and time.  I felt a strong connection through his writing to societal issues we are dealing with today, with the pandemic and aside from it.  I had chills reading the final piece of this story.  So, objectively, this was a very beautiful book, and I would recommend it to all interested in literary fiction. 

The reason I could not give this book 5 stars is because of the focus these kinds of stories have on the plot.  Sequoia did a good job of fleshing out characters in the limited time we have with them and connecting them to others in the story, but it was obviously very hard to feel connected to these characters with the time-jumps every chapter.   

This issue comes with the territory when telling the story of many different people at different times, and others will likely be more interested in a story that is plot-focused. 

For me, I need to have a deep or growing connection to characters to care about the plot, which just was not going to happen in this story.  I found myself putting this one down often when the middle especially became too dense with different characters and plot points.  This does not mean an issue with the book—I just have different reading preferences. 

Despite this, I can appreciate the story and am glad I read it. 

Rating: ★★★★

Find How High We Go in the Dark at a local bookseller here.

[REVIEW] Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

[REVIEW] Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

by louisereads ♥ 1 Comment

This is one of those books that I just fell in love with. I have nothing bad to say about it.

I listened to the audiobook of this. I’m not sure if the audiobook had something to do with how much I loved this book, but all I can say is Emily Woo Zeller is a fantastic narrator. Narration aside, I really loved Shiori and her story.

Shiori’s story was not a passive one. She really took charge of her own fate which I could not appreciate more. I loved the story so much for the decisions she made in the face of everything that had happened to her.

I’ve seen a lot of people say the story was predictable, but I really didn’t see the end coming. Well, maybe I did, but I could not say exactly what the motivation for each of the characters was. Even if I could have, this story was very character focused. When this is the case, I don’t feel like I need a super unique plot to follow. The characters are enough.

My favorite aspect of this book was the relationship’s Shiori had with different characters: her brothers, Kiki, Raikama, Seryu, and Takkan. Lim did such a beautiful job of making me care about each of these connections. I also think a spectacular love triangle is shaping up for the next book which I am surprisingly not mad about. Both Seryu and Takkan have my heart, and I cannot wait to see how this duology finishes up.

I haven’t been reading much YA Fantasy recently–many of the ones I’ve tried haven’t really spoken to me in any deep way. This one, though, made me rethink my distance from YA Fantasy.

Rating: ★★★★★

Find Six Crimson Cranes at a local bookseller here.

[REVIEW] The Moonstone Girls by Brooke Skipstone

[REVIEW] The Moonstone Girls by Brooke Skipstone

by louisereads ♥ 1 Comment

I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. Queer girls, 60s/70s culture, and a road trip to Alaska? Sign. me. up. It had everything going for it in the summary.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at about 65%.

What I liked:

  • Obviously, I love the queer girl representation. This book actually made me reflect a lot about my own queerness and my gender presentation. I think there is a lot of value to a story that discusses issues of identity.
  • There were parts where I really did like Tracy’s character and her story, especially at the beginning where she is exploring her newly discovered identity.

What I really didn’t like:

  • There was a lot of very uncomfortable comparison between the oppression faced by queer people in the United States and the oppression faced by Black Americans. Tracy would casually say things that suggested she thought life was much easier for Black Americans at the time than for queer people. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be a commentary on white feminism where Tracy is able to confront and correct her past remarks, but I highly doubt this happens in the short amount of pages left from where I DNF’d. I just did not see why this comparison was necessary.
  • The dialogue felt incredibly stilted and awkward. Every time Tracy had a conversation with someone else, especially with people in her family, it felt so incredibly forced. I can’t picture anyone saying most of the things Tracy and her family say to each other.
  • The pacing also just seemed… off. It felt like things were happening so fast with no pause to really get the full impact of the events. I get that it’s supposed to seem like Tracy is telling the story from the present and is going through the events of her life, but it just really did not work for me.

I’m definitely in the minority with my feelings on this book. Maybe it just wasn’t for me, but I gave it two stars for the queer representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★

WWW Wednesday | 2-2-22

WWW Wednesday | 2-2-22

by louisereads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words that asks us to answer the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: The Moonstone Girls by Brooke Skipstone

For some reason, I don’t often find books that take place in the 60s-70s which really is tragic. When I saw this book had that setting and followed a queer girl, it was hard to turn down. I’m about 23% into this one, and I’m really enjoying the story so far, though the dialogue seems stilted at times. I’m looking forward to really getting into Tracy’s journey to Alaska. Hoping to finish this one up this week, for sure.

Recently finished: P.S. I Hate You by Sophie Ranald

This was a cute romance, but nothing to write home about. Getting ARC Romances from NetGalley can definitely be hit or miss. I prefer more smut and tension in my romances, but this is definitely solid for those who like less of that!

Reading next: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerry Maniscalco

I originally started reading this one a few days ago, but put it on hold to read the ARC of The Moonstone Girls. What little I did read of it really captured my attention. I really loved the atmosphere. So, this one will be next. Along with the fact that I’ve had this checked out from the library for over two weeks now lol. Sorry for anyone waiting to read this after me!

What is everyone else reading on this snowy Wednesday?

January Wrap-Up

January Wrap-Up

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Books read this month: 12

Average rating: 4.25 stars

January was a good reading month for me. I went into 2022 wanting to really ramp up my reading habits for the year. Last year, I read a total of 76 books, a big increase from the 43 I read the year before. This year I want to go even bigger with my total if I can. So, January consisted of me trying to fit in time to read every day which I mostly succeeded at. Something that I’ve always wanted to make a good habit of is reading before bed so that I’m not on my phone right before I sleep.

My partner gave me a new Kindle for Christmas which I was over the moon about (my old one was from 2013). Reading on my Kindle has made it so much easier to read before bed while my partner sleeps and it motivates me to check more books out from the library through my Libby App, books I maybe would not have picked up at the bookstore for myself.

Now that my work and grad school have picked up again, my reading has slowed down. I still make sure to read before bed, even if it is just for a few minutes. I also have a few more shifts working at the library this semester, which gives me more time to read at the desk.

I feel good about my reading in January and hoping it sets a good precedent for February! 🙂

Favorite January reads:

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

So many people have raved about this romance, but I need to repeat what they’ve all been saying. This book is. SO. Good. Possibly one of my favorite romances of all time. Women in STEM and fake-dating trope are always a yes for me. So, so looking forward to Hazelwood’s next release!

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

I’ve been a little wary of Young Adult Fantasy recently, but this one was so much more than I could have ever expected. So many twists in the story and Shiori really took action–she was not a passive character in the least. This book had everything I need in a fantasy–good characters, brilliant plot, and a cute budding romance. Full review still to come on this one!

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

This is one of those epic tales I feel like everyone needs to experience. The story jumps back and forth in time from Marian, a pilot in the early 20th century, and Hadley, the girl who plays Marian in a new film. There is so much to this story that I can’t fully describe what it is or why it is so good. Mostly, I think it does an incredible job of capturing the human condition and life for queer women. It is a historical fiction novel, but Marian and Hadley’s lives really spoke to me. Definitely won’t forget this one for a while.

[REVIEW]: P.S. I Hate You by Sophie Ranald

[REVIEW]: P.S. I Hate You by Sophie Ranald

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Release date: March 3, 2022

Abbie has been with Matt for twenty years. That’s 7,305 days, not that she’s counting.

Ever since Matt saved Abbie from a pigeon when they were seventeen, they were meant to be. But fast forward, and their happy ever after is light on the happy. Their sex life is officially extinct, Abbie’s lingerie is officially dusty, and Matt officially doesn’t know how to use the dishwasher.

Hoping it’s just a phase – aka the longest dry spell on record – it’s time to initiate Operation Memory Lane. Maybe they can spice things up by recreating their first date (Nando’s fixes everything), their first holiday (getting jiggy on the beach), and even their wedding.

But revisiting the past isn’t always plain sailing… Abbie didn’t bank on her secret coming to light – the one she’s kept for two decades. And she had no idea that Matt’s been hiding something from her too.

Can they get their spark back? Or is Operation Memory Lane a sure-fire way to blow up their marriage, leaving Abbie single, terrified to mingle, and with a drawer of dusty underwear for company? [Goodreads]

It’s typically hard for me to really get into stories about struggling marriages. I’m not married, and thinking about people who were once desperately in love and now aren’t just depresses me, usually.  That being said, I am in a seven-year relationship (a long time for any 24-year-old).  Though they were married 20 years, Abbie and Matt’s struggles were ones I could certainly relate to.   

Ranald does an incredible job of showing what it takes, in my opinion, to make a relationship work.  Abbie takes advice from friends to recreate some of her and Matt’s past thinking she can spark a connection.  I absolutely love that this is not the solution Abbie thinks it will be.  This novel was really a display of how putting work into your relationship is necessary for it to thrive, and Ranald is so smart for the way she portrays this.  

I loved how normal Matt and Abbie are. So many novels will try to give you characters who proclaim themselves to be special or just different from anyone else in that world. Abbie and Matt are not those people—they could be anyone which makes them that more relatable.  

I also really appreciate how Ranald handles the topic of infertility. Not everyone who goes through IVF will end up pregnant, and I think it is really great to have that representation for couples struggling with infertility.  

I personally prefer romances with a little more tension between the two characters, but this this is a really solid romance with lots of emotion and value.  

Rating: ★★★1/2

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for and e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Librarian’s Week in Review 1/29/22: Questions for the Curious

A Librarian’s Week in Review 1/29/22: Questions for the Curious

by louisereads ♥ 2 Comments

This week, I had a patron come to the desk looking for help with the printers. She started off by declaring her question as stupid and continued to apologize multiple times as I was helping her. I felt guilty. Was I not being welcoming enough? Did I look unapproachable at the desk? I don’t think this was it. She began our interaction apologetically.

How many times in the past have I been too afraid to ask question or apologized in advanced for sounding dumb? Most of my reference questions this week were directional–where is this building or how do I get to that classroom? I can’t say how happy I am when I receive a question, even one like these. I love that my patrons feel comfortable enough to walk up to a stranger and ask any question, big or small.

For me, and for many, it takes courage to ask for help. Saying out loud that you need help tells others you are vulnerable, that you are not fully self-reliant. There is a certain shame in doing this in our individualistic society which is why I love when people admit that they do need help, that they can’t meet all of their needs and need others in a community to aide them.

So, a question for the curious: how do you find the courage to ask for help? What can others do to make asking for help or asking questions seem less daunting? Librarians, what do you do to make your patrons more comfortable in seeking your services?

Books Read This Week

Rating: ★★★1/2
Rating: ★★★★
Rating: ★★★1/2
Rating: ★★★★★

[REVIEW] Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie

[REVIEW] Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie

by louisereads ♥ 2 Comments

I had no idea what to expect going into this book. I thought it would have more art heist vibes, but then I saw it classified as a romance. My expectations were all over the place.

Despite this, or maybe because of this, Rules of Arrangement was a lot of fun. The story was so creative, so unlike any other romance I’ve read before. Adelaide Wright is a college senior who sells papers to her peers to get by. Declan, a childhood more-than-friend turned TA finds out and uses this fact to blackmail her into helping him get his art back from Jack Nolan, the art dealer who stole it.

When we first met Jack, I couldn’t help but picture him like Frank Lundy (my roommate and I have been binge-watching Dexter this week), a 60 year old man. I had to keep reminding myself he’s only 38. When I recalibrated my brain to picture Jack as my attractive next-door neighbor, I was able to enjoy the story much more.

On a serious note, Addie and Jack’s relationship was so compelling. I finished this book in two sittings (I had to take a break for sleep and work, unfortunately). While Jack annoyed me at times with his demands and I was a little uncomfortable with the age dynamic, the tender moments between him and Addie were perfect. Not to mention, those sex scenes were ****ing hot.

Mackenzie’s depiction of grief and Addie’s family dynamic were also realistic. It had been three years since her parents’ deaths, and I really felt the grief that came through on certain occasions such as holidays or when talking about her childhood.

I do feel like Addie’s friends, Imogen and Katy, got the short end of the stick. There really wasn’t any great resolution between the friend group in the end. It seems like Addie just kinda forgets about them in favor of her family and Jack.

However, I was really pleasantly surprised by this one. I’ll be interested to see what Maren Mackenzie will publish in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★☆