The Dollmaker of Krakow took me completely by surprise. I was already hooked after the first few chapters. The story begins in The Land of the Dolls where Karolina is happily living her life as a seamstress until the day the rats invade. One day she is transported to our world by the kind wind and wakes up in The Dollmaker's shop in Krakow. The Dollmaker is a lonely WWI veteran, who struggles with the pain of losing his parents. But the appearance of Karolina in his life sets a series of fortunate events in motion. The fog he's been living in starts to lift as he meets a welcoming Jewish family of two, who makes him feel wanted and appreciated. The story follows The Dollmaker and Karolina's … [Read more...]
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
Nyxia is the most racially diverse book I've ever read and it does it so well. The diversity creates an understanding of different cultures while also showing that we're all the same no matter color or culture. The story follows Emmett, an African-American teenager from Detroit. He wants to free himself and his family from the harsh reality of poverty. Along with nine other kids his age, he is selected by The Babel Corporation to board a lightship bound for an earth-like planet called Eden with the hope of returning home with the economical means to support his family. But in the search for a better life does freedom actually exist and who controls it? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out … [Read more...]
Odd & True by Cat Winters
Let me startoff by saying, I have never read a book by Cat Winters and boy have I been missing out. More than once, the story was so gripping that I cried. I am fond of historical fiction with paranormal elements and this book fits perfectly. Going in, I was expecting a quick and fun paranormal novel, but it's so much more than that. First and foremost it's a story about family. There are lots of secrets, which causes misery as secrets tend to do. That's not all though. It also deals with hope. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars. Comes out 12 September. Odd & True focuses on the close relationship between two sisters. I find it refreshing to read about sisters who stand up for each other, … [Read more...]
Drinks with Dead Poets by Glyn Maxwell
*I received an arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars. I'm usually intimidated by poetry because I generally don't understand it. It has always been either hit or miss for me, and sadly mostly miss. Then came along this peculiar novel. A professor, who shares the author's name, finds himself in a mysterious village, where he's expected to teach a poetry class. The story plays out over the course of the fall semester where each week is about a new poet. The poets, though dead, arrive in their corresponding week to perform a reading and have drinks with the class while answering questions from the students. The first thing that was clear to me … [Read more...]
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue follows Henry "Monty" Montague on his Grand Tour around Europe accompanied by his sister and his best friend. But what he thought was going to be one big party, turns into something much more exciting and complicated. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Initially, I wasn't overly interested in reading The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. But after finishing the last book in the To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han, I wanted to read something that was both fun and romantic. I picked up the audiobook on a whim, and I absolutely freaking loved it. The audiobook version is a little shy of 11 hours long, and a tad bit less when listening to it … [Read more...]
Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. We often see books and movies about going to another world, but what happens when the adventure ends? What happens to the characters when they come home? That's what Every Heart a Doorway is about. Spanning only 173 pages, this is a very short book. Yet it manages to say much more than just the words on the pages. It presents a different side of portal fantasy, one that deals with the cruel pain of experiencing a true sense of belonging just to have it ripped away. Stripped of one's significance. Banished to a life of conformity, not knowing when, or even if there is a way back home. Hope hurts. That's what you need to learn, and fast, if you don't want … [Read more...]
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Age of Myth is my first Michael J. Sullivan book and I can honestly say I'm impressed. It's the first book in a six book series set 3000 years before the events of The Riyria Chronicles. The Legends of The First Empire series is meant to work as a separate entry into the world of Elan, and it does not contain spoilers for the other books set in the same world. The Fhrey have ruled the world for eons. They vanquished the Dherg, routed the giants, and chased the goblins into the sea. They have no equal, no fear of any living thing – until now.” Gods are believed to be immortal, but when Raithe, son of Herkimer, crosses the path of one of the Fhrey, things become a bit … [Read more...]
And I Darken by Kiersten White
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Lada is brutal and sometimes downright cruel. She's a complex character, because she is also capable of love. As much as she picks on her 'weak' younger brother, Radu, when push comes to shove, she loves him like nothing else. The story is never black and white. The most important parts are in the nuances, which makes the story come to life and makes it able to impact the reader with honest emotion and unavoidable facts of life. Like the story, the characters are outlined with ink-black broad hard strokes and slowly layered with color and nuance of strengths and weaknesses. Vlad the Impaler reimagined as Lada is one hundred percent human, which is more … [Read more...]
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars “The circus arrives without warning.” The first sentence is bordering on iconic, it sets the mood instantly, raises your expectations and lets you know that you’re in for a treat. The Night Circus is written in present tense, set in the past and plays out over a span of 30 years. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the writing, but I soon grew to love it. It fits the story because it creates a sense of urgency, which made me as a reader more engaged in the story. The characters were interesting, but I wanted to get to know them and I never felt I quite got there. The person I cared about most and felt closest to was Bailey. His journey of finding his … [Read more...]
