I Read a Book Once

As the title of this episode suggests, I finally had some luck with a YA fantasy novel. Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia, a witch hellbent on avenging her sister after her brutal murder, as she somewhat reluctantly teams up with one of the seven demon princes. I discuss why this YA fantasy worked for me, ask which of the Seven Deadly Sins you identify with, and do a deep dive into multiple character's personalities and choices.

I was so intrigued by the cover and premise of Sasha Alsberg's Breaking Time that I bought it right when it came out. This YA novel is set in Scotland where the final Pillar of Time (i.e., time traveler) and her protector from the past battle evil and maybe fall in love. I lament the disappointment of not enjoying this book, take the great premise and rewrite the story to make it more interesting, and question Klara's anti-college views considering she wants to be an astronomer.

After my brother literally dropped this book off at my desk while I was working, I finally picked up this popular mystery novel. Our main character Aiden is trapped in a crumbling old mansion waking up as a different person every day until he solves the death of Evelyn Hardcastle. I puzzle through who/what the 7.5 deaths are, discuss which plot twists I saw coming and which I didn't, and question the similarity of the title to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

The title of this episode pretty much says it all about The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. In this book we follow Hannah (the titular bodyguard) as she has to fake date her client (famous movie star Jack Stapleton) while he is home visiting his sick mom. I talk about how this book made me cry actual tears, discuss why it was the best romance of the year despite being a clean romance, and explain the difference between work friends and best friends.

To finish up my catch-up episodes after my hiatus, I did a very late Mid-Year Freak Out tag about the books I read in the first seven months of the year. I talk a lot about my favorite book of the year (A River Enchanted), tease my feelings about the book for next week's episode (The Bodyguard), and champion my surprise favorite sequel of the year (Homicide and Halo-Halo). 

So, my two-week break turned into a 21-week break... But I'm back and better than ever! In this special spoiler-free episode, I explain the reason for my unexpectedly long hiatus, give actually short plot summaries, and describe my feelings on each of the 21 books that I read during my break. Highlights include The Inheritance Games, the Six of Crows duology, The Hating Game, and Nicholas Sparks.

Rebecca Ross's adult fantasy novel A River Enchanted has renewed my love and faith in fantasy novels. Bard in training Jack is called back to the magical island of Cadence to help his former adversary and future clan leader Adaira to find the young girls who have gone missing. I predict what will happen in the second (and final) book, express my love for both the characters and the plot, and explain why I think this is one of the most inventive magic systems I've seen in a while.

To wrap up my seasonal winter reads I picked up The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis. This contemporary romance(?)/women's fiction(?) novel follows a fake dating situation brought on by a near death experience on the ski slopes in Lake Tahoe. I answer some of the book's discussion questions, break down the fight at the end and who I think was in the right and wrong, and bash on Jane's grandfather for his poor parenting skills.

This week I took a journey into space with Everina Maxwell's debut novel Winter's Orbit. In this space science fiction novel, Prince Kiem and diplomat Janian are forced into an arranged marriage, but as they are settling into their roles as husbands they are also trying to solve a murder and avoid an impending political crisis. I discuss the world building and my confusion in some parts, question the title of the book, and break down the relationship between the two leads.

You've heard me talk about my love for Spinning Silver before, but now I get to talk in depth about this absolute gem of a novel by Naomi Novik. Spinning Silver is a loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin set in a fantasy world. It follows Miryem as she is tasked with turning silver to gold for a Staryk lord, who is a dangerous ice fae. I question exactly what the rules governing the Staryk people are, explain the importance Miryem's Jewish faith plays in the story, and discuss the great character development throughout.