archive: 2020
Sarah Rees Brennan is the Best Thing to Happen to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Review: Path of Night by Sarah Rees Brennan
6:47 PM
In an absolutely unsurprising move I'm ecstatic to inform you guys that I am still 100% Sarah Rees Brennan and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina trash.
archive: 2020
Every Bit as Breathtaking as The Storm Crow | Blog Tour, Review + Playlist: The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson
6:30 AM
Non-spoiler spoiler alert: The Crow Rider is brilliant. Just as brilliant as The Storm Crow. No, no, I take that back. It's even better. UGH. I'm in love.
archive: 2020
Breathtaking, Action Packed and Completely Electric | Blog Tour, Review + Playlist: Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena
6:30 AM
We all know how much I adored Tanaz Bhathena's debut novel A Girl Like That. So, it should come as no shock to anyone that I was absolutely excited for her first dive into fantasy. Boy, oh boy, did Hunted by the Sky live up to every hope I had.
After reading Ren's post re: this tag, I decided I'd join in on the fun! (Note: the original tag was created by ReadLikeWildfire and Earl Grey Books; it has since gone through several variations!) I always find myself wanting to go all out for the mid-year book freak out tag, but I kind of always forget to actually do it. And then suddenly it's a new year. This year, I was determined! Out of pure luck, I remembered to do it. I'm very proud of myself.
archive: 2020
Addictive, Swoon-Worthy and Undeniable Proof That Talia Hibbert is the Best Voice in Romance | Review: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
10:00 PM
Recently, I had the pleasure of binge-reading The Brown Sisters, and oh my God, it was perfect. And one thing is official: The Brown Sisters series is taking its place on my shelf with my favourite series, Krista and Becca Ritchie's Addicted/Calloway Sisters/Like Us/Bad Reputation. I. AM. IN. LOVE.
archive: 2020
The One Where Jessica Put Off Reading a Fantastic Book AND DEEPLY REGRETS IT | Review: The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
6:30 AM
The Storm Crow, and by association/creation Kalyn Josephson, officially owns me. I should have never procrastinated reading this stunning, magical and intriguing novel. Someone really needs to strip my rights from me. Immediately.
!jessica talks
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday Turns 10... the 10 Books I Cannot Live Without! (#95)
11:00 PMTop Ten Tuesday is 10 YEARS OLD? I'm shook. IT'S SO UNREAL TO ME. We're officially in the double digits, guys. How?! Jeez! Well, to celebrate a decade of TTT, I decided to celebrate some of my favourite books. Namely, the 10 novels I could not live without. (Any books from a series will be rounded up as the first book of said series.) What can I say? I'm dramatic. Also! Narrowing down my favourites, the ultimate ride or dies, was a lot harder than I expected.
archive: 2020
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is One of the BEST YA Novels of 2020 | Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
8:30 AMThings Melissa Bashardoust did: THAT. Seriously, this may be one of the best YA fantasy spins on fairy tales since The Hazel Wood. (For me, anyways.)
Okay, okay, yes, I'm sensing a theme here this week. I clearly am in a particular mood when it comes to my recent reading habits and A Sweet Mess was one of my favourites. Honestly, it made me feel as if I were on cloud nine--it's that much fun.
archive: 2020
Unexpectedly Delightful and Thoroughly Entertaining | Review: Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain
3:23 PM
Mr. Malcolm's List feels so under-hyped! (In spite of it becoming a film.) But, believe me when I say this book should be on your radar. (Oops, I just realized the L in Malcolm was left out. My keyboard is sticking in places and I didn't notice it. I will edit this when I have the time.)
archive: 2020
The Highly Anticipated Sequel to Last Year's "Waiting for Tom Hanks" is Nearly Here! | Review: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey
2:47 PM
While I had a lot of mixed feelings about Waiting for Tom Hanks, I was definitely looking forward to the second installment: Not Like the Movies. And, fortunately for me, this one worked a lot better for my personal taste.
archive: 2020
A Sweet and Aching Story | Review: Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay
2:12 PM
Paris Is Always a Good Idea is the type of story that tugs at heartstrings and at you own feelings of wanderlust. (And then the frustration of not being able to travel quite like you want to.)
archive: 2020
Kit Frick Sets a New Standard for Electrically Charged YA Thrillers | Review: I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
6:30 AM
Okay, Kit Frick. I SEE YOU. I Killed Zoe Spanos is, hands down, one of the very best young adult thrillers I've ever read. (It is now tied with Abigail Haas' Dangerous Girls.) And it soothes my Veronica Mars rewatch hangover beautifully.
Did I request an ARC of Musical Chairs solely because OUR LORD AND SAVIOR one of my favourite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid, blurbed it? Yes.
accidental
Completely Heart Wrenching and Beautifully So | Review: Accidental by Alex Richards
7:00 AM
Excuse me. Excuse me? Yes. Uh. Why didn't Accidental come with tissues? I'm asking for a friend. It's just. *sniffles* You know?
Estelle Laure's Mayhem had my attention at 'feminist YA', 'beach-gothic' and its comparison to The Craft. (Also, how beautiful is that cover?) I was like, yes, sold, 100%, sign me up. IMMEDIATELY.
Summer has never felt so strange. Thankful for escapism in the form of books! What's on everyone's TBR this summer? Mine is fairly simple. And odds are, I'll get to only a fraction of them because I just cannot stick to my own schedule. Oops!
archive: 2020
A Delightful Fantasy Inspired by the Princess Bride! | Review: The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning
7:00 AM
Sarah Henning had me at the synopsis, the stunning Charlie Bowater (!!) cover art and the fact that The Princess Will Save You was inspired by The Princess Bride. (Also, because it's written by Sarah Henning but I figured that didn't have to be said. It's kind of unspoken, right?)
archive: 2020
Although Not for Me, Stay Sweet Promises to be the Perfect Summery Read | Review: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian
6:00 AM
Stay Sweet feels like the perfectly indulgent cool-down contemporary. Unfortunately, I struggled with it and wasn't terribly keen on the story. (Still, I think fans of YA contemporary will positively devour it.)
archive: 2020
The Hype is REAL: Education is Every Bit as Fantastic as You'd Expect | Review: Educated by Tara Westover
5:08 PM
If you've been, like me, procrastinating reading Educated: STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. Pick up this brilliant work of non-fiction. Thank me later.
archive: 2020
Another Incredible Publication From Wattpad | Review: The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen
4:30 PM
Part of me knew that this novel was going to be special because of its catchy name. The other part of me was quietly freaking out over the gorgeous cover. The third part of me, that one that read this in one sitting, is beyond ecstatic to say: The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones should be at the top of your summer reading list and I'm still buzzing over how much I loved this book.
archive: 2020
These Books Are Still My Happy Place: Wherever You Are was Everything I Needed | Review: Wherever You Are by Krista & Becca Ritchie
4:01 PM
I am (1) Krista and Becca Ritchie trash (2) 98% coffee and show-tunes and (3) human. In that order. So, naturally, I adored Wherever You Are. I'm sad that the Bad Reputation duet is officially over (and held on for as long as I could because I didn't want to say goodbye) but something about reading it made me feel as though I was me again. And in a world so disorienting, this is exactly what I needed.
archive: 2020
Queen is Now Destined to be a Lifelong Favourite | Review: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
3:05 PM
Queenie is proof that if I procrastinate reading something long enough, it almost always turns out to be a favourite and then I spend months internally yelling at myself for taking SO DAMN LONG to read the good book. Someone should really start yelling at me.
archive: 2020
A Retelling That Provides Charming Escapism: Just in Time for Summer! | Review: Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz
2:42 PM
We all know two facts about me: (1) I own more books by Melissa de la Cruz than probably any other author (although, Cassandra Clare and Krista and Becca Ritchie ARE sneaking in on that territory) and (2) I love Little Women. Like. A lot. And, what happens when you love Little Women? You are always foaming at the mouth for more content. Always.
Sometimes, we add things to our TBR but never get around to them. And then, suddenly, you look back, and you're like, "Why?" Because you've just... forgotten them. Alas, there's just so many books out there--and so little time! (Edit: Black Lives Matter. Just so we're clear.)
archive: 2020
Not My Cup of Tea, But it May Be Yours! | Review: Happily Whatever After by Stewart Lewis
5:30 AM
Happily Whatever After was at the top of my spring/quarantine TBR. And with good reason! The title sparked the perpetually sarcastic side of me, and the dark comedic aspects of it sounded intriguing. Alas, it wasn't my cup of tea...
archive: 2020
Self-Care Had Me Laughing and Nodding My Head Constantly | Review: Self Care by Leigh Stein
5:00 AM
Not me requesting a book because its cover design is a bubblegum dream and the font is one of your favourites. (It is, in fact, me. A dumbo. Love that for me.) BUT, YES, I did it, and Self Care was so worth it.
aiden thomas
Magical and Completely Worthy of All Hype | Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
5:45 PMI was going to wait a little while closer to release date to review this/post my review of this beauty, but in light of J.K. Rowling's never-ending transphobic Twitter account, I bumped my review of Cemetery Boys up. Also, I'm rereading it, because I have absolutely no self-control and Aiden Thomas is a whole ass legend.
!jessica betrays herself
While Kiera Cass is a Definite Ride or Die, The Betrothed Isn't | Review: The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
5:07 PM
Like so many readers, I run when I hear Kiera Cass has a new book. The Betrothed was, of course, no different. I ran towards it eagerly and swooned at the design. (Seriously, under the dust jacket? All kinds of gold related swooning.) For years, she's been an excellent source of purely romantic young adult escapism. Sadly... this book wasn't my cup of tea.
archive: 2020
Smooth, Minimalist Poetry with a Kick | Review: Poems for the Moon: Vol 1 by J.R. Rogue
4:25 PM
As with most forms of modern poetry, Poems for the Moon may not be for everybody. But, for me, it was enjoyable.
Despite 2020 constantly giving us a few dozen speed bumps, I'm hopeful that things will start to look up soon! (Here's to hoping we aren't far off on finding, and testing, a vaccine. I still can't believe we are living in these uncertain times. A literal pandemic.) Even if they don't, I'm grateful for the fact that we are able to seek escape in various forms of entertainment.
While we may not be able to go on as usual this summer, there are plenty of books to keep us company! And here are the books that I picked for this week. Some of these may not give off full-blown summer vibes for everyone. For me, I either read them in the summertime or they give me that summery feeling.
While we may not be able to go on as usual this summer, there are plenty of books to keep us company! And here are the books that I picked for this week. Some of these may not give off full-blown summer vibes for everyone. For me, I either read them in the summertime or they give me that summery feeling.
andrew neiderman
The Origins of the Foxworth/Dollanganger Saga Continues | Reviews: The Shadows of Foxworth by V.C. Andrews
8:00 AM
Look, I can't shake this series. No matter what. Don't ask me why. Don't ask me how. Here we are. Drag me for it later, if you'd like. (No, seriously, do it, I could use the entertainment and need to be knocked down a few pegs.)
But, the (moderately) good news? The Shadows of Foxworth is definitely better than the prior two installments of this prequel saga. The bad news is that it still wasn't great and doesn't hold up to the earlier works of V.C. Andrews and ghost-writer, Andrew Neiderman.
But, the (moderately) good news? The Shadows of Foxworth is definitely better than the prior two installments of this prequel saga. The bad news is that it still wasn't great and doesn't hold up to the earlier works of V.C. Andrews and ghost-writer, Andrew Neiderman.