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annagwritesandreads's reviews
244 reviews
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
General Description: Stella's main love in life has been math, but she's being pressured to explore love outside of math. Stella has Asperbergers* and navigating social situations doesn't come as easily to her as spreadsheets do. In order to gain experience, Stella decides to hire an escort. Michael, he escort, realizes that he wants to help Stella beyond just the standard escort contract. But with business involved, both of them are confused. Will they develop real feelings for each other, or will they get lost in the negotiations of their contract.
*With the DSM-5, Asperbergers has been put onto the Autism spectrum. It was officially retired in 2013, but the author's description specifically mentions Asperbergers which is why it's in my description.
The good:
- The spicier scenes did not feel random and fit into the book seamlessly, which as not the biggest spicy reader, is nice to see.
- Stella's journey of self discover was inspiring to see.
- Based on my brief research, I believe the representation was good (if it was not, please let me know and I would honestly change my star rating if this was harmful for the ASD community).
The loss of 2 stars:
- THEY SAY MILK IN THIS BOOK. Instant half star off. Not sorry.
- The book does a sharp right turn that left me a bit jarred, especially when it comes to how their relationship evolves.
- This also had the worst third act break up I've ever read.
Overall, I don't think I'd actively recommend it unless the ASD representation is positive. It just felt like a mid book.
*With the DSM-5, Asperbergers has been put onto the Autism spectrum. It was officially retired in 2013, but the author's description specifically mentions Asperbergers which is why it's in my description.
The good:
- The spicier scenes did not feel random and fit into the book seamlessly, which as not the biggest spicy reader, is nice to see.
- Stella's journey of self discover was inspiring to see.
- Based on my brief research, I believe the representation was good (if it was not, please let me know and I would honestly change my star rating if this was harmful for the ASD community).
The loss of 2 stars:
- THEY SAY MILK IN THIS BOOK. Instant half star off. Not sorry.
- The book does a sharp right turn that left me a bit jarred, especially when it comes to how their relationship evolves.
- This also had the worst third act break up I've ever read.
Overall, I don't think I'd actively recommend it unless the ASD representation is positive. It just felt like a mid book.
Lean in: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Note: If you are not a corporate America girlie, I wouldn't recommend this :)
General Description: Sheryl Sandberg has worked at the top level of Google and Facebook. In her novel, she details tips and thoughts on how women should lean in more to corporate America, despite what women have been taught for years. She teaches you how to sit at the table, lean into opportunities, and overall advocate for yourself in your job.
The good:
- Maybe I'm just a sucker, but I did feel inspired by this book to speak up more in meeting and grow into myself as a corporate worker.
- All the talk around pregnancy still felt very relevant today and I feel like I'll take those tips into my life going forward as I one day hope to become a mom.
- The idea of taking initiative is not one that is intuitive to me, but this book made taking initiative feel more accessible.
- I've actually been able to apply tips from this book into my work life and I do think it's improved my work life.
The loss of a star:
- Reading this in a post covid world made some of the information seem very outdated, even though the book isn't that old. It made me glance over some statistics or paragraphs if I inherently knew that fact changed due to a post covid world. I would read an updated version book that included new information from the post covid world.
Overall, if you aren't sure where you want to go in corporate America, this book could be very enlightening.
General Description: Sheryl Sandberg has worked at the top level of Google and Facebook. In her novel, she details tips and thoughts on how women should lean in more to corporate America, despite what women have been taught for years. She teaches you how to sit at the table, lean into opportunities, and overall advocate for yourself in your job.
The good:
- Maybe I'm just a sucker, but I did feel inspired by this book to speak up more in meeting and grow into myself as a corporate worker.
- All the talk around pregnancy still felt very relevant today and I feel like I'll take those tips into my life going forward as I one day hope to become a mom.
- The idea of taking initiative is not one that is intuitive to me, but this book made taking initiative feel more accessible.
- I've actually been able to apply tips from this book into my work life and I do think it's improved my work life.
The loss of a star:
- Reading this in a post covid world made some of the information seem very outdated, even though the book isn't that old. It made me glance over some statistics or paragraphs if I inherently knew that fact changed due to a post covid world. I would read an updated version book that included new information from the post covid world.
Overall, if you aren't sure where you want to go in corporate America, this book could be very enlightening.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
General Description: The year is 2002. Shirin is a high school sophomore who wears a hijab. She's not truly known peace with other people, so she shuts everyone out. That is, until she meets Ocean James. Ocean will to anything to honestly know Shirin, but can she trust him? Will Shirin even be in town long enough for Ocean to get to know her, or will she move again to avoid the relentless bullying?
The goods:
- I ain't ashamed to say it, I liked the breakdancing subplot.
- Shirin was consistent in herself and her character development was pleasing to see.
- I liked Ocean's honesty, he seemed like the cream of the crop at that school. Other side characters were not bad, but I did have a soft spot for Ocean.
- I felt a lot of serious conversation occurred in this book, which led to reflection within myself which I love seeing in books, but...
The loss of a star:
-...after serious conversations, we'd go to surface level issues and it was a bit jarring. I wish we either stayed in the serious conversations until their conclusions, or stayed surface level. Switching back and forth took me out of the story.
Overall, if you're looking for a commentary on how the world is post 9/11, this is a great book to start delving into that complex commentary and it's accessible for younger readers.
The goods:
- I ain't ashamed to say it, I liked the breakdancing subplot.
- Shirin was consistent in herself and her character development was pleasing to see.
- I liked Ocean's honesty, he seemed like the cream of the crop at that school. Other side characters were not bad, but I did have a soft spot for Ocean.
- I felt a lot of serious conversation occurred in this book, which led to reflection within myself which I love seeing in books, but...
The loss of a star:
-...after serious conversations, we'd go to surface level issues and it was a bit jarring. I wish we either stayed in the serious conversations until their conclusions, or stayed surface level. Switching back and forth took me out of the story.
Overall, if you're looking for a commentary on how the world is post 9/11, this is a great book to start delving into that complex commentary and it's accessible for younger readers.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Note: Read We Free the Stars and We Hunt The Flame before reading A Tempest of Tea. There's no spoilers in this description, but spoilers in the book.
3.5/5 Stars
General Description: Arthie and Jin run a tea shop by day, but a blood house at night. The leader of their society, the Ram, would prefer Arthie and Jin's blood business stop, but Arthie and Jin are too sneaky to be caught. Instead, they want to take the Ram down. When a mysterious person tells Arthie a ledger from the Ram has been stolen, Arthie instantly knows this is her time to gain an upper hand on the Ram. The ledger is locked away in where the vampires gather in a place called the Athereum. Arthie pulls together her resources to plan the heist of a lifetime. Will she be successful? And what is on that ledger that the Ram so desperately wants back?
The good:
- The world was so unique, and that's after reading We Hunt The Flame/We Free The Stars. Hafsah's imagination is masterful.
- The mystery was interesting read about, especially with how many viewpoints we get around the heist.
- I think the characters themselves are why I will return for the second book. I do need to know what happens to all of them, they all sucked me in.
The loss of a star and a half:
- The build up to the final scene made me this we'd get a longer final scene. We don't. It's like 3 pages. Which just frustrates me in books. I want to sit in the final scenes longer.
- Maybe duologies are just tough for me, but the pacing felt weird again. We spend so much time building a world and building up the heist for very little action overall? I am curious how the second book will shape up, because it isn't as clear of a path as compared to Hafsah's first duology.
Overall, I think if you like a heist book, this one may be slightly disappointing, but if you're looking for a unique fantasy world with characters you'll want to follow, this is the next book for you.
3.5/5 Stars
General Description: Arthie and Jin run a tea shop by day, but a blood house at night. The leader of their society, the Ram, would prefer Arthie and Jin's blood business stop, but Arthie and Jin are too sneaky to be caught. Instead, they want to take the Ram down. When a mysterious person tells Arthie a ledger from the Ram has been stolen, Arthie instantly knows this is her time to gain an upper hand on the Ram. The ledger is locked away in where the vampires gather in a place called the Athereum. Arthie pulls together her resources to plan the heist of a lifetime. Will she be successful? And what is on that ledger that the Ram so desperately wants back?
The good:
- The world was so unique, and that's after reading We Hunt The Flame/We Free The Stars. Hafsah's imagination is masterful.
- The mystery was interesting read about, especially with how many viewpoints we get around the heist.
- I think the characters themselves are why I will return for the second book. I do need to know what happens to all of them, they all sucked me in.
The loss of a star and a half:
- The build up to the final scene made me this we'd get a longer final scene. We don't. It's like 3 pages. Which just frustrates me in books. I want to sit in the final scenes longer.
- Maybe duologies are just tough for me, but the pacing felt weird again. We spend so much time building a world and building up the heist for very little action overall? I am curious how the second book will shape up, because it isn't as clear of a path as compared to Hafsah's first duology.
Overall, I think if you like a heist book, this one may be slightly disappointing, but if you're looking for a unique fantasy world with characters you'll want to follow, this is the next book for you.
We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Note: This is the second book in a duology. There will inherently be spoilers. :) I would also recommend reading this duology before reading A Tempest of Tea.
General Description: Zafira and Nasir must continue to restore the hearts to Arawiya to bring back magic, even if they run into trouble at every turn. Nasir has to fight the magic in his blood and Zafira has to figure out her new relationship with a magically book called the Jawarat. On top of that, these two realize there are feelings developing quickly between them. Will they be able to restore magic, gain control of themselves, and find love? What loss will they face along the way?
The good:
- You get to delve even farther into the world that Hafsah beautifully built and I loved that.
- You do get resolution, which I appreciated.
- The battle scenes were action packed, but this just leads into my next critique.
ALSO: The romance as okay? I just wasn't truly sold on it. Neither a plus or minus in my opinion.
The loss of 2 stars:
- This was an 18 hour long audiobook. The pacing felt all over the place based on how long it was. I was either fully into the story or completely disengaged, with no real in between place to just enjoy it.
- The points of the book I felt were supposed to be climaxes felt extremely short. We'd build up to a scene that would last five minutes. There was too much tension building and not enough action for me.
Overall, if you read the first book, you should finish the duology, but I didn't think this was as good as the 1st book.
General Description: Zafira and Nasir must continue to restore the hearts to Arawiya to bring back magic, even if they run into trouble at every turn. Nasir has to fight the magic in his blood and Zafira has to figure out her new relationship with a magically book called the Jawarat. On top of that, these two realize there are feelings developing quickly between them. Will they be able to restore magic, gain control of themselves, and find love? What loss will they face along the way?
The good:
- You get to delve even farther into the world that Hafsah beautifully built and I loved that.
- You do get resolution, which I appreciated.
- The battle scenes were action packed, but this just leads into my next critique.
ALSO: The romance as okay? I just wasn't truly sold on it. Neither a plus or minus in my opinion.
The loss of 2 stars:
- This was an 18 hour long audiobook. The pacing felt all over the place based on how long it was. I was either fully into the story or completely disengaged, with no real in between place to just enjoy it.
- The points of the book I felt were supposed to be climaxes felt extremely short. We'd build up to a scene that would last five minutes. There was too much tension building and not enough action for me.
Overall, if you read the first book, you should finish the duology, but I didn't think this was as good as the 1st book.
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5/5 Stars
General Description: The Hunter has been feeding their people for year. Everyone assumes The Hunter is a man; however, The Hunter is a woman named Zafira. She is able to enter the magical forest of the Arz and come back out, something no one else is able to do successfully. Zafira is tipped off about a magical artifact that can bring magic back to the land, and she wants to get it. However, she's not the only one. Nasir, also known as the prince of death, also is headed to the magical artifact. When the two meet, neither of the know what to expect, but they're thrown together to restore magic. Will they be able to do it?
The good:
- The world described was magnificent. It was fantastical, dark, and well thought out.
- Once you get to the action, it's well done, fast paced, and engrossing.
- The magic system was unique and I was glad we have 2 books to explore it.
The loss of 1.5 stars:
- I did listen to it via audiobook and did not know the map and glossary was online until after reading it, which did affect my rating. Definitely preview the website before reading: https://www.wehunttheflame.com/
- The audiobook narrators were not the best at distinguishing the voices of different characters, which made it a bit hard to follow along.
- The first 5 hours of this audiobook were extremely slow. The pacing of the duology in general felt clunky to me personally.
Overall, if you like fantasy books with heavy world building, you'd probably enjoy the duology. But if world building is tough for you, this book may be harder to get through.
General Description: The Hunter has been feeding their people for year. Everyone assumes The Hunter is a man; however, The Hunter is a woman named Zafira. She is able to enter the magical forest of the Arz and come back out, something no one else is able to do successfully. Zafira is tipped off about a magical artifact that can bring magic back to the land, and she wants to get it. However, she's not the only one. Nasir, also known as the prince of death, also is headed to the magical artifact. When the two meet, neither of the know what to expect, but they're thrown together to restore magic. Will they be able to do it?
The good:
- The world described was magnificent. It was fantastical, dark, and well thought out.
- Once you get to the action, it's well done, fast paced, and engrossing.
- The magic system was unique and I was glad we have 2 books to explore it.
The loss of 1.5 stars:
- I did listen to it via audiobook and did not know the map and glossary was online until after reading it, which did affect my rating. Definitely preview the website before reading: https://www.wehunttheflame.com/
- The audiobook narrators were not the best at distinguishing the voices of different characters, which made it a bit hard to follow along.
- The first 5 hours of this audiobook were extremely slow. The pacing of the duology in general felt clunky to me personally.
Overall, if you like fantasy books with heavy world building, you'd probably enjoy the duology. But if world building is tough for you, this book may be harder to get through.
Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Note: Liselle always puts content warnings at the beginning of her books. You can also find them on her website: https://lisellesambury.ca/tenderbeasts/
General Description: Sunny Behre believed she'd run her family one day. She's the 4th sibling in a line of 5. After her mother unexpectedly passes away, Sunny was given a singular note from her mother stating she needed to "take care of Dom". Dom is the youngest Behre sibling and is suspected of murder. The entire family has been wary of Dom, but when Sunny finds him over another dead body, Sunny realizes it truly is on her to take care of Dom. Will she be able to protect her family, the people of their community, and herself? Will she be able to find whoever the killer is, or is the killer truly in her own home?
The good:
- The mystery was twisting and turning the entire time. I could have never predicted the ending.
- The rest of the family outside of Dom and Sunny add a layer of complexity to the book that makes the twists hit even harder.
- The school itself was a very interesting setting, considering how the school was created.
- The other students in the school and their perception of the Behre family was a layer of the story i wasn't expecting but appreciated.
The loss of a star:
- A half star off because it was a bit heavy to get through in the beginning. For a standalone, the pacing was a bit off.
- Another half star off because Sunny was just a bit too stuck in her own head for me. It got to the point where it was irritating when she literally cuts someone off before getting an answer that probably would have benefitted her.
Overall, Liselle Sambury does it again. If you want a YA thiller/horror/mystery to add to your TBR that's centered around family, this should be your next addition.
General Description: Sunny Behre believed she'd run her family one day. She's the 4th sibling in a line of 5. After her mother unexpectedly passes away, Sunny was given a singular note from her mother stating she needed to "take care of Dom". Dom is the youngest Behre sibling and is suspected of murder. The entire family has been wary of Dom, but when Sunny finds him over another dead body, Sunny realizes it truly is on her to take care of Dom. Will she be able to protect her family, the people of their community, and herself? Will she be able to find whoever the killer is, or is the killer truly in her own home?
The good:
- The mystery was twisting and turning the entire time. I could have never predicted the ending.
- The rest of the family outside of Dom and Sunny add a layer of complexity to the book that makes the twists hit even harder.
- The school itself was a very interesting setting, considering how the school was created.
- The other students in the school and their perception of the Behre family was a layer of the story i wasn't expecting but appreciated.
The loss of a star:
- A half star off because it was a bit heavy to get through in the beginning. For a standalone, the pacing was a bit off.
- Another half star off because Sunny was just a bit too stuck in her own head for me. It got to the point where it was irritating when she literally cuts someone off before getting an answer that probably would have benefitted her.
Overall, Liselle Sambury does it again. If you want a YA thiller/horror/mystery to add to your TBR that's centered around family, this should be your next addition.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
General Description: Soledad Barnes thought her life was all figured out. Married for years, three kids, and a homemaker. That is, until her husband is arrested for a crime she didn't even know he was committing. And the man that discovered her husband's crimes wants nothing more than to help her. But Soledad needs to discover who she is without a man, who she can be for her children during this difficult time and finding out she can live on her own, before allowing anyone else to enter into her life. Will Soledad be able to let anyone else in?
All the good:
- I was WAITING for Soledad's story and she felt consistent between Before I Let Go, which I greatly appreciated.
- While Edward SUCKED, he was weirdly compelling villain for this story? He gets everything in deserves in this book :)
- I loved seeing Soledad's journey of self discovery and I feel like I learned a lot about how to love yourself in this book.
- The children in this book were perfection. They were complex, witty, and added a layer of reality to the story.
- While the romance as good this felt like a book of loving yourself, which made the romance all the more sweeter.
Overall, if you like Before I Let Go, I thoroughly believe This Could Be Us will be another top read for you.
All the good:
- I was WAITING for Soledad's story and she felt consistent between Before I Let Go, which I greatly appreciated.
- While Edward SUCKED, he was weirdly compelling villain for this story? He gets everything in deserves in this book :)
- I loved seeing Soledad's journey of self discovery and I feel like I learned a lot about how to love yourself in this book.
- The children in this book were perfection. They were complex, witty, and added a layer of reality to the story.
- While the romance as good this felt like a book of loving yourself, which made the romance all the more sweeter.
Overall, if you like Before I Let Go, I thoroughly believe This Could Be Us will be another top read for you.
Fate Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Note: This is the 3rd book in a series, so definitely read the first 2 before delving into this one. The description will also have minor spoilers, but I held back from going in depth :)
General Description: The Champions are spread out all over the Realm. One Spindleblade remains, the sole hope of the realm or the sole reason it will be crushed. The Champions must find a way to find each other again, if they are all alive, and bring down What Waits once and for all. Will they be able to prevail in the end?
All the good:
- This honestly has one of the best tension filled romances I've read. "Haunt me" as a line STILL haunts me to my core.
- The battle scenes are like movie scenes in my mind, I felt like I was there.
- The travel scenes and the champions coming together felt like coming home, I was completely engrossed in every second of the book.
- There is clear resolution in this book, which I highly appreciate as a series finale.
- The world is magnificent and while I'm sad not to go back into the world, it was a great one to be in.
Overall: If you're read Realm Breaker and Blade Breaker, you have to finish it out with Fate Breaker. If you need a new high fantasy series to delve into, you should pick up all three books.
General Description: The Champions are spread out all over the Realm. One Spindleblade remains, the sole hope of the realm or the sole reason it will be crushed. The Champions must find a way to find each other again, if they are all alive, and bring down What Waits once and for all. Will they be able to prevail in the end?
All the good:
- This honestly has one of the best tension filled romances I've read. "Haunt me" as a line STILL haunts me to my core.
- The battle scenes are like movie scenes in my mind, I felt like I was there.
- The travel scenes and the champions coming together felt like coming home, I was completely engrossed in every second of the book.
- There is clear resolution in this book, which I highly appreciate as a series finale.
- The world is magnificent and while I'm sad not to go back into the world, it was a great one to be in.
Overall: If you're read Realm Breaker and Blade Breaker, you have to finish it out with Fate Breaker. If you need a new high fantasy series to delve into, you should pick up all three books.
Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I would check the content warnings before delving in, specifically related to dating violence.
General Description: 14-year-old Bri is heading off to fulfill her family legacy of attending Briarcliff Prep, a historically black boarding school. Her sister Belle has already been at the boarding school for years. However, Belle's boyfriend Logan is a new addition to the scene. Bri has to juggle what she witnesses between Belle and Logan, her own love life, and determining what kind of person she wants to be. This is a coming of age novel that tackles heavy issue head on. Bri must decide who she wants to be and it may not be everyone's favorite person.
The good:
- The way dating violence is handled in this book is complex and addresses all facets of an issue that is important for teens to learn about yet hard to talk about.
- Bri and Belle's relationship is a rollercoaster that I appreciated being on.
- Bri's own look into relationships felt extremely real, with not everything being the happiest ending.
- The social scene laid out in this book was intriguing and immersed you into the world completely, making the book feel extremely real.
The loss of a half star:
- The book was pretty slow at the beginning, but since I've learned this is turning into a series, the world building make a bit more sense, which is why it is only losing a half star.
Overall: If you're looking for a contemporary YA book that handles the topic of dating violence with grace, this is your next read. I would even recommend it as a book to discuss with any teen in your life.
General Description: 14-year-old Bri is heading off to fulfill her family legacy of attending Briarcliff Prep, a historically black boarding school. Her sister Belle has already been at the boarding school for years. However, Belle's boyfriend Logan is a new addition to the scene. Bri has to juggle what she witnesses between Belle and Logan, her own love life, and determining what kind of person she wants to be. This is a coming of age novel that tackles heavy issue head on. Bri must decide who she wants to be and it may not be everyone's favorite person.
The good:
- The way dating violence is handled in this book is complex and addresses all facets of an issue that is important for teens to learn about yet hard to talk about.
- Bri and Belle's relationship is a rollercoaster that I appreciated being on.
- Bri's own look into relationships felt extremely real, with not everything being the happiest ending.
- The social scene laid out in this book was intriguing and immersed you into the world completely, making the book feel extremely real.
The loss of a half star:
- The book was pretty slow at the beginning, but since I've learned this is turning into a series, the world building make a bit more sense, which is why it is only losing a half star.
Overall: If you're looking for a contemporary YA book that handles the topic of dating violence with grace, this is your next read. I would even recommend it as a book to discuss with any teen in your life.