january - march readsI literally will c&p from goodreads if my review there make any sense.circe

january - march readsI literally will c&p from goodreads if my review there make any sense.circe (madeleine miller) -  miller does it again. greek mythology and I have had a strained, rocky relationship since forced to study renault’s The King Must Die in high school freshman year. somehow with an incredible talent for both scope and attention to detail, miller carves out ruthless, bloodthirsty tales of Greek godhood meets greek mortality with delicacy and fragility. the result is a captivating, irresistible read. I couldn’t get enough of circe despite her generations of flaws and naivety then brutality and self flagellation. the best part is that all of it is not in vain; that circe attains the perfect closure that she would ever desire and isn’t that the best ending we can ask for? I think this is favourite no.2 so far this year.warcross (marie lu) - this book is so close to 5 stars for me it hurts (really a 4.5 more than anything). the first in its series engaged me right off the bat even with its usual y.a. tropes: down on her luck protagonist, life changes when she catches the eye of young-rich-genius-tall-dark-handsome CEO/creator/programmer (I’m not one to talk; I’m all for young-rich-handsome-genius ceos guffaws stupidly). the futuristic virtual gaming reality intertwined with reality was interesting and fun. the twists, though predictable, were also fun. however, what didn’t work for me were two things: 1) the romance and 2) the agreement to keep things on the dl and then having all actions of the protagonist pretty much disregard it. granted, the romance part was kind of redeemed at the end…I still feel like I didn’t need the little onsen getaway; no matter how nice onsens are. vassa in the night (sarah porter) - firstly, I have no preliminary understanding or knowledge of Russian folklore from which Vassa in the Night is based on. so to me, many things had no explanation and some narrative strands that were introduced actually didn’t provide any more insight to the story than mere random conjecture. it was pretty bloody and gruesome; I don’t like dolls; yet, I still enjoyed this weird, crazy, bizarre story.autoboyography (christina lauren) - disclaimer: I don’t actually like reading drama genre literature. although, there are exceptions. one can tell a lot of heart went into this: the writing truly captures the melodramatic uncertainty of teenage life and sexuality alongside the wider subject of religion and societal acceptance. I don’t know much about Mormonism besides a scattering or stereotypes from when I used to live in the states, so I’d say that this book was quite a gentle and unbiased look into the religion, its believers and their doctrine. barring the serious bad rebounding (god what is with rebounding it makes me cringe) I cared for both tanner and sebastian enough to invest in their relationship and even cross my fingers for a happily ever after for them. I will be picky and say that there was a little too much perfection going for both protagonists, but was willing to overlook it for all the angsty boypain. overall, a sweet composition tackling issues in a genuine manner and a romance to fall and root for.chainbreaker (timekeeper #2) (tara sim) - chainbreaker is a solid sequel to the first of its trilogy and it is not just a mere stepping stone for the finale, which is a joy to divulge in. there are some clever developments that move the original characters along. that doesn’t stop the fact that new characters are just as interesting and worth investing some time and emotion into. it’s a pretty crazy universe but I do love the historical fiction/steampunk/fantasy mashup. it works for me and I am excited to see what’s next in book three.the tea girl of hummingbird lane (lisa see) - please see disclaimer in bold above. there are many great elements to this novel that I can appreciate: the effects of culture and tradition of a minority group on a young, ambitious girl who strives to do and go beyond what is expected of her, the Cultural Revolution, the love and research into tea, specifically pu’er, how people can grow (for the better and for the worse) alongside societal changes. however, I had a particularly hard time reading past the first part. I can’t put my finger on exactly what, besides the fact this kind of drama literature isn’t my cup of tea… (haha bad pun soz)the lady’s guide to petticoats and piracy (montague siblings #2) (mackenzi lee) - you guys, I loved this sequel so much; what fun this was…! though I have to admit: the sentiment wasn’t the same from beginning to end. it took me a while to get into Felicity’s narrative but once she left London and went into cahoots with Sim and Johanna, I was sold. while monty lacked drive, felicity is all determination and stubborn will, and I enjoyed how the book addresses what is her strength is also her biggest weakness, a double-edge sword. I’m always a big fan of historical fiction in the 19th century despite the loose references being made. the intertwined focus of medicine and naturalism is great; some good research has obviously been made to ground the novel. above all though is how much I loved the gradual teamwork between the three women—their interactions, their combined strength from their own differences and inner will… truly a delightful read. I mean who doesn’t like pirates?! -- source link

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