keepcalmblogon's reviews
110 reviews

Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

After reading The Whispering Dark, Kelly Andrew became an autobuy author for me and I was so excited to hear Your Blood, My Bones is set in the same world (and we got some cameos!).  When I got approved for the NetGalley e-ARC, I immediately started reading it (sitting on the entrance line at NYCC lmao)! 

This book was as perfectly dark and bittersweet as I expected.  Wyatt, Peter, and James peeled back the sinew of my heart and nestled in together for a bloody lodging.  It’s actually hard to write this review without spoilers because in order to describe the love and friendship between these three I have to reveal the longing between immortal Peter and witchy Wyatt, and the heartbreak knowing that one of them must die to save the other–and the world.  James, the faithful, British best mate who betrays his father for the love of his friends, and who in turn is victimized by the man who was supposed to care for him, finds redemption through Wyatt’s unbelievable power and together, the friends stop the encroaching eldritch darkness, making every sacrifice along the way.  As per TWD, this story isn’t completely calamitous though, and those who survive leave us with a bittersweet conclusion that is the best one could hope for in a world of human sacrifice and the unbreakable bond between true friends and true love.

YBMB is, of course, all the stars, and all the tears, and all the feels.

Death's Country by R.M. Romero

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

R.M. Romero has become an auto-request/auto-buy author for me and I’m so lucky to be approved for her books because her novels in verse are always full of vibes and feels. Death’s Country, as a polyamorous Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, did not lack in atmosphere or emotions. Liora, Renee, and Andres find each other and fall in love, but they each have their own secrets that could damn them in the underworld. Watching the three of them grow in love with each other, but also in acceptance of themselves, was so beautiful and natural. Part of me wished this book wasn’t YA because there were themes that could apply to all ages, but the other part of me saw why this book had to be YA, for 16 is an age when so many teens are figuring out exactly who they want to be and begin to express themselves and defend their expression.

While this book has a smaller storyline, it did not lack in plot, so much of the action took place within these characters and I enjoyed that introspection. I especially enjoyed the theme of accepting one’s own darkness, that is truly a favorite trope of mine, as well as the theme of finding acceptance of every aspect of oneself from those we love. While I still think The Ghosts of Rose Hill is my favorite R.M. Romero book thus far, I still put Death’s Country in the five star category. I think queer and poly representation is so important, and Orpheus and Eurydice retellings always get me!

It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (but Were Never Told) by Karen Tang

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is the first audiobook I read as part of Macmillan’s Audio Influencer Program, and while I don’t usually read nonfiction, this book drew me to it for not only being out of my comfort zone but also for being relevant to me as a woman and person with a uterus.  

My first impression was that I was glad it was read by the author, @karentangmd , because I think someone unfamiliar with medicine would have been missing some je ne sais quoi quality that Dr. Tang possessed in order to make the content sound conversational and less dry or text-booky. My second impression was how glad I was that Dr. Tang addressed her use of inclusive language at the beginning of the book and stuck to her plan of inclusive dialogue throughout.  

I don’t usually immediately want to share a book I just read with everyone I know, everyone has different tastes and timetables, or may not enjoy reading 😱, but if I could afford to gift this book to every woman and person with a uterus in my life, I absolutely would without a doubt.

Sure, there was a lot of information in here that I was lucky enough to have already learned either from school or life itself, but as with most things, there was so much more information I didn’t even know I needed in my life—and not everyone is so privileged with the education they receive! I appreciated that this book didn’t come off as preachy or fear-mongering. I also feel like it was totally kismet this book came into my life when it did as I’ve had a little health thing come up that this book made me feel much less stressed about because it was so informative.

In the Acknowledgments, Dr. Tang states that she wants this book to start a movement to transform gynecologic health and understanding, and I strongly believe it can and it should. I give this book all the stars and will recommend it to everyone I know who requires gynecologic care.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-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? No

5.0

Anyone who knows my reading habits knows I don’t often read romance, and when I do I prefer the audiobook. I also prefer my romcoms in film form.  But, I was granted access to an e-arc of Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie on Edelweiss and when I read he Dear Reader letter from the editor and saw it has “a dash of Pride and Prejudice,” I was very excited to read it (no, I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice or seen either film adaptation, but I do love the Bridget Jones movies!).

Immediately, I was drawn in to how prickly and presumptive Emily was towards Mark–understandable in a situation when one’s mother is relentless in trying to set one up with a date! I don’t usually like an MC who makes too many assumptions about the people and world around her, but I could tell in this case Emily was going to come to learn differently and it would be fun to join that ride.

At first, Mark Chan is so much more an object in the story: of Emily’s mother’s plans and of Emily’s resentment, but he develops into his own person at the same pace that Emily learns just how wrong she was about him, and it was really enjoyable to watch his layers being peeled back.

Who doesn’t love a fake dating trope? The ease with which Mark agreed to the scheme made him immediately sympathetic to me–despite Emily’s treatment of him, he clearly was interested in sticking around this girl for whatever she had to offer, and that made him feel a little cinnamon roll-y to me, which is not a bad thing!

I think my favorite subplot of this book was Emily’s career as an author–which I’m sure the author Jackie Lau had fun writing in! It is not an easy or glamorous career and the sardonic and often bittersweet feelings Emily has towards her chosen path was really comforting to me as a writer and aspiring author. Some of the anecdotes Emily has for her writing, planning, and “research” were so relatable and also gave me hope for my own craft.

In the end, I actually enjoyed this book so much, even if I had to read with my eyes! It was funny, sweet, and spicy, and very well-written. Five stars!

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

adventurous dark 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

I was approved for the audiobook of Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear on Netgalley and missed the email!! This book came out on February 13th, and the audiobook was released on February 27th, and when I finally listened to it I loved it!

The reason this book was on my radar was because of Kelly Andrews posting about it on her stories. It seemed an appropriately creepy book for the author of Your Blood, My Bones (of which I was lucky to read an early copy!) to be promoting, and the book did not disappoint! To anyone familiar with YBMB, DTACTTA is like what would happen if Wyatt, Peter, and James hadn’t done the things they did. If you’ve ever seen Cabin in the Woods, DTACTTA is a lot like what happens after the you-know-what is released. It also reminded me of every single apocalypse episode of Buffy.

Sid was so easy for me to relate to–especially regarding the trauma of curly hair!–but also because of the way she describes feeling like an outsider in her town and in her family, but then having developed such a strong connection with her brother. Despite the apocalyptic overtones of this book, and the romantic undertones, it deals a lot with otherness, family dynamics, the complications of friendship, the choice of helping whether it benefits one or not, and the complexities of empathy. 

This book was full of quotable material, resilient teens who save the day, and enough romance to keep it light when zombies are at your door. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the above-mentioned as well as fans of The Darkest Minds. 5 stars!

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

adventurous lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Jamie Pacton became an auto-buy author for me after I read The Vermilion Emporium, so when I heard The Absinthe Underground was coming and it was also set in Severon, I needed a copy–and luckily I got approved on NetGalley!! Not only is this set in a new favorite fictional place, but it also involves a classic–Fae!! Jamie is so good at writing heists and adventures and bringing loveable characters to life. These two sapphic friends-to-lovers, Sybil and Esme, pine for each other with such beautiful longing throughout the story that even though FTL is one of my least favorite romance tropes, I couldn’t help but root for them! And Jamie does an excellent job drawing out that slowburn tension. She is also truly a master at normalizing queer representation and I love that about her writing!  

Sybil and Esme’s adventure is full of thievery, parties, gorgeous gowns, and, of course, absinthe! While some of their jaunts verge on the side of a frolic, the end of this story is high stakes indeed, with a Fae queen granting a boon that means the difference between life and death! This was four stars for me and I recommend it to anyone who loves Fae, sapphic romance, friends to lovers, slow burn, and heists! 

As an aside, I would kill for a Chloe book (iykyk!)!

Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-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? No

5.0

I don’t actually know where to start with talking about Hope Ablaze. Wow… I guess I can start at the beginning: I’ve not read any Muslim immigrant in America stories before. I have read a few books from South Asian/South Asian immigrant in America lenses, but as with most places in the world, South Asia isn’t only one race/ethnicity/language group, so Nida’s Pakistani Muslim immigrant point of view was wholly new to me. I think this book should be required reading. Period. Having a background in literature, this book would be wildly beneficial to anyone studying postcolonial criticism; I read it as an allegory of colonizers taking indigenous art–without spoiling too much, Nida’s poetry is entered into a contest without her consent.  But outside of literary critique, this story is so important for its representation of Muslim American life, especially post 9/11–& yes, while that was over twenty years ago now, its impact is still lasting in everyday American life.

Moving away from the above themes, on a writing level & surface of the story level, Sarah had me hooked from the start–I lately have had a hard time getting into text-based books as I become more addicted to audiobooks & the versatility they provide to my reading schedule. But Hope Ablaze set the stakes so high, the pace so consistent, & the writing so fluid that I had a hard time putting it down & only did when I absolutely had to do something else! Furthermore, the poems interspersed that gave us further insight into Nida’s mind & emotions could stand on their own in a book of poetry, or even as a novel in verse because there are times in the story when the poem before or after a scene actually gave us the plot of a preceding or following event.

I think one of my favorite aspects of this book were the various grey areas & moral ambiguities & the fact that the end doesn’t give us a “clean” solution, as life is truly messy & this story portrays LIFE. Yet, there was also this lovely magical realism subplot that I was not expecting & added a bit of je ne sais quoi that peppered the plot with literal color (iykyk).  

This book is the kind of book I want to scream about from rooftops & make everyone read, so yes, 5 stars, easily. Sarah has definitely become a new favorite author of mine, especially when considering her addition to the anthology My Big, Fat Desi Wedding that I also loved!

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I was so lucky to have gotten this arc of A Fate Inked in Blood from Del Rey Books at NYCC! This is my first Danielle L. Jensen book and I’m super into Norse inspired stories right now. I was also able to buddy read the arc with my friend @greenteabookme, which made it so much more fun!

Off the bat, we’re introduced to Freya who meets Bjorn as he ascends glistening from the fjord while gutting fish for her jerk husband. The pace of the book stays at this level of action with battle and murder abounding. Freya is definitely very powerful and strong-willed, which I like in a FMC. I could have gone without her guilt though.

I enjoyed the magic system regarding children with drops of god’s blood. I also enjoyed the romance as it had good buildup and tension and stakes. I didn’t like how it felt weirdly plot driven, despite not being obviously plot driven. Freya’s connections to friends and family and her people aren’t well-developed, which makes her motivations weak and her emotions seem based on nothing, and so that turned the possible characterization into nothing but plot points. Despite that feel, I will say this was four stars for me in the end as the story itself was still action-packed, interesting, and entertaining. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a chosen one trope, Norse mythology, and tattooed warriors.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous 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? No

5.0

I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book, and the First Look did not let me down!  Immediately the story has action, intrigue, and sex appeal.  Arthie is a self-made FMC who clearly has a secret history and Jin is her brother in arms.  We got two chapters, one from each POV, and I love them both so much.  This world clearly has societal splits between class and race that can already be read as an allegory of any modern day other vs the homogenous, and I think that’s important to represent in literature because the world is by definition heterogeneous and opening our eyes to that diversity paves the way for peace.  On the surface level, though, the plot follows this strong female protagonist and her loyal crew through a world of vampire politics and conspiracy, and the First Look gives us a tiny tip of the iceberg, and I cannot wait to see what happens!  Also, I’m wildly interested in sneaking a peek at Matteo’s’ abs again–maybe Arthie will too?

Final thoughts: I was so lucky to win the raffle for this book and get to read it before release, thank you Bookish First!  This book was an anticolonial fantasy with a heist, betrayal, found family, and bloo…tea!  The sword-in-the-stone homage was a fun and unexpected theme.  The romantic build-ups were some of the finest I’ve read.  The betrayals and twists were shocking.  The vampires, as usual, were the epitome of otherness and how the other is feared, misunderstood, and often exploited.  Arthie was one of the most badass FMC’s I’ve met, and I loved her for not fitting herself into a mold.  In the end this book is five stars and I am thirsting for the next with a vampire’s hunger!

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

I found Jackie Khalilieh on TikTok, which is funny because I never use TikTok but when I do I get ADHD and autism content on my fyp, and you might know she is an autistic author. Jackie is also a Palestinian-Canadian, so I moved Something More up on my TBR from autism interest to the war on Gaza that as a western white woman I truly did not grasp until recent events made me educate myself. Without going on a huge tangent because there is truly so much to scream about re: Palestine, it is so important to promote Palestinian voices, especially right now.

As far as the book itself, Jessie is not only newly diagnosed with autism, but she is obsessed with the 90s, particularly music and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that is everything to me. Jessie also makes it a goal to have two distinct eyebrows, and I relate to that so hard, especially before starting high school–that was me, and remains a battle to this day!

Jessie’s experience making girlfriends felt so real to me, I distinctly remember what girls were like in high school and trying to befriend them as someone who felt I didn’t fit in with them, or with anyone, was terrifying. Jackie brought that to life so well! As for the love interests–yes two!–both are absolute heartthrobs and classic iterations of the bad boy and the more wholesome just friend/nice guy. Jackie does an excellent job capturing what high school romance was like as well as that classic predicament of who to choose, the boy who already hurt you but asks forgiveness or the loyal friend who is so clearly something more (wink wink)? And not only does Jessie have to navigate these usual teenage problems, but she has to figure them out in her own way that maybe not every reader will relate to, but one doesn’t need to relate to a character to see inside their head, and I could see in there so clearly–but I also did relate!!

As a side note, I listened to the audiobook version of this, and I really enjoyed it. Overall this book was five stars and I will absolutely be looking out for more books by Jackie!