keepcalmblogon's reviews
181 reviews

Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle

adventurous mysterious 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

Curious Tides drew me in from a Barnes & Noble email, actually.  I was very happy to have found the Barnes & Noble book club edition still in stock–it has a bonus story!  Of course, I actually listened to the audiobook and then read the bonus story in the physical book and I loved the audio!

Immediately this book started off with a tragedy and a mystery, and while I don’t enjoy mystery books, I do like a mystery with my fantasy.  Emory is the only survivor of a secret initiation gone wrong and ends up with special powers.  Kieran tries to help her, but can she trust him?  Baz is so clearly in love with her, but does she feel the same?  And all the while, flashbacks and memories of Baz’s sister and Emory’s best friend Romie thread through the story.

Furthermore, to anyone familiar with The Magicians, there’s an element in Curious Tides of a book which may or may not be fiction and has important implications, downright plot points!, to the story.  I love a magical book and otherworldly travel along with secret societies and a corrupt government!

The only thing that was a little hard to follow in this book was the magic system and the history of the magic system, but I did enjoy that it wasn’t info-dumped!

I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Ninth House, Atlas Six, or The Magicians.  Five stars!

Our Immortal Hearts by Lara Buckheit

adventurous fast-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’m so lucky to call Lara my friend and further spoiled by having been gifted an ARC!  This book is full of badass FMCs, creatures, sexy MMCs, smut, fated mates, found family, and action!  Lara is so skilled at writing confident, sex-positive women and that’s one of my favorite aspects of her writing, so Rory right off the bat is a good time!  Quill is the vampire every Buffy girly wants to…you know lol.  If you’re a fan of Matthew Clairmont, or the All Souls Trilogy, Our Immortal Hearts is for you!  If you enjoy plot twists and smut, read this book!  If you love overcoming pain and finding your family, buy Our Immortal Hearts RIGHT NOW!

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

emotional funny hopeful sad 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

I was granted Here We Go Again on Edelweiss, and while it may not have been a book I would have picked for myself, it was actually a book I didn’t know I needed.  Here We Go Again is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance that shares its plot with the terminal illness of a mentor and grief.  On the outside, these two plots may not seem to go together, but Alison Cochrun weaved together the intricacies of young queerness, finding a queer mentor, dealing with various losses of a parent, adult relationship issues, neurodivergence, and slowly losing said mentor to cancer in a seamless story of loss, love, and perseverance.  

This book had me connecting so much with the ADHD of both FMCs and the grief of slowly losing a beloved elder.  It portrayed beautiful scenery throughout the Pacific Northwest and western and southern USA.  It also had poignant reconciliations for so many characters throughout.  As I said, I didn’t know I needed this book, but I’m so happy I read it. Five stars.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

dark 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? Yes

5.0

For all that I read the synopsis of The Familiar, I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into!  I saw Leigh’s name, historical fantasy, and magic and knew I wanted in.  I didn’t know that my heart would reside firmly in my throat until the very last two pages of the book finally released me like ash on a breeze.  I was so lucky to have won an ARC on Goodreads!  This book hooked me from line one and it was hard not to pick it up when I had other things I had to do!  

I wasn’t quite sure what Luzia and Santángel would be to each other upon their first meeting, but their dynamic and relationship develops magically.  As for Valentina, her character arc from antagonist to sympathetic is one of my favorite types of character growth.

The torneo is one of my favorite magic plots, and this one is higher stakes and more dangerous than most.  After the final challenge, I had absolutely no idea if and how the tragedy of this story could possibly be turned around.  I wallowed with Luzia and Teoda and wondered what was the point of Valentina’s change in tune?  The final chapters took me on a whirlwind dash through the ugliness of the Spanish Inquisition and a milagrera and familiar attempting one last milagro.

This book is 5 stars and definitely a favorite of the year!

Tiger Chair: A Short Story by Max Brooks

tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The Tiger Chair was an Amazon First Read for May and I picked it because I was looking for something short. Max Brooks is also the author of World War Z and while my copy is still sitting on my shelf, unread, I can say I’m a fan of his because I met him at NYCC years ago and he made an impression on me.

Tiger Chair is a speculative fiction short story based on a future in which China has begun World War III on much of the world, and succeeded, but has fallen into a quagmire on the United States front, having thought the politically and socially split country would be easy to vanquish and finding, when faced with assault, its inhabitants banded together despite their differences. 

What I liked most about the story was that it’s told from the POV of a Chinese officer writing a letter to a friend back home about his regrets and doubts about the war–the titular Tiger Chair being the torture he would face were his letter discovered by Chinese intelligence. I found the story to have been scary in that it was so realistic as a possible future, and yet it doesn’t actually focus on the war but focuses more on a man second guessing his country’s credo. I think POVs from unexpected sources, i.e. “the bad guy,” lend a layer of depth to characters and plots. In the end, this story was five stars for me.

Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Adiba Jaigirdar

emotional hopeful 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

Four Eids and a Funeral was an anticipated release of mine, so when I had the chance to choose it as a Macmillan Audio Influencer, I jumped! So many things brought me to want to read this book–first there’s the title, I love the riff on a classic romcom. Then there was the synopsis: ex-friends to lovers (read: enemies to lovers!), yes please! 

Immediately, I was endeared by the narrative style of a third person POV grecian chorus style introduction to the acts; it felt very fourth-wall breaking, which is something I love in books and film. The narrator then switches to first person for Said’s and Tiwa’s POVs, and I loved that all three POVs have their own audio narrators. I particularly enjoyed the vocals of Sandra Okuboyejo as Tiwa, her voice has a soothing quality while also expressing the teenage angst and grief Tiwa feels.

This book set romance and banter against a backdrop of grief, disaster, and racism, and I love setting heavy stuff against a lighter plotline. I also feel the relationship that reforms between Said and Tiwa grows naturally, and watching that progress was the reason I read (or watch) romance. The little dramatic twist at the end was also so unexpected, but a lot of fun!

I give this book five stars, and definitely recommend the audio as well!

Six More Months of June by Daisy Garrison

emotional funny reflective 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

There’s something about YA romance that appeals to me over adult romance. My best guess is that it’s because I’m such a huge fan of 90’s teen movies and I enjoy the aspect of characters discovering themselves as well as a significant other. Six More Months of June was a Macmillan Audio pick for me and even though I’m not the biggest fan of friends to lovers, the bittersweet sound to the end-of-highschool romance synopsis pulled me in—think Can’t Hardly Wait!

I think my favorite thing about this book was how it didn’t gloss over the more realistic aspects of modern teen life. A lot of YA romance avoids things like marijuana use, underage drinking, and sex, or if they’re not avoided they are mildly mentioned or even problematic in some way. This book accepts these things as facts of life for the cast of characters. Furthermore, this book represents these things as honestly as possible: messy, dangerous, but also showing their appeal and fun. Again, harkening to 90s teen movies. 

I also loved how this book dealt with trauma, “mean girls,” the nuances of friendship, and developing maturity in teens. 

While the main plot of the book–the developing feelings between best friends Caplin and Mina, was very well thought out and crafted, and left nothing to be desired, I actually think the subplot of “mean girl” Hollis, Caplan’s on again off again girlfriend, recognizing the reality of the situation and being super mature about it—and even acting as a sort of matchmaker—was an aspect that made this book five stars to me.

As for the audiobook narrators, a brief search suggests this is the first book for both of them (or at least I didn’t see others, so I apologize if I’m wrong!), and I did like them both.

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

adventurous emotional reflective 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

The Stardust Grail was a Macmillan Audio pick. I wanted something a little different, as I’ve been rediscovering my love for space sci-fi, and this book did not disappoint!

While on the surface, this story is about a quest to find a near-mythic device, it deals heavily in colonization, acculturation, cultural assimilation, friendship, and the theory that connects all life. This book represents historical context from varying angles that show context in and of itself can be subjective depending on where in a timeline the lens is placed and how deeply in or out it’s zoomed. In the end, this book accepts that history can’t be changed, but a civilization’s actions moving forward can be, and that’s what matters.

Maya faces a kind of trolley problem with the discovery at the end of her journey, and in the end, there really is no choice to be made. I loved her friendship with the alien Auncle; it shows how two individuals with different backgrounds and from different species can share commonalities, empathy, and goals. I also loved the side character Medix who brought to light questions of humanity and free will of an AI robot. Wil was an important character in showing that people of different ideologies and opinions can work and coexist, as well as become friends. It’s also worth mentioning the use of various pronouns across different species and civilizations; I loved that!

I think Katharine Chin did an excellent job as narrator, and while I haven’t heard her before, I’ll definitely look out for her now!

This book is five stars, and I recommend it to any sci-fi lover, whether you enjoy cozy reads or space-operas; I think this book would be loved by all.

There Is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

There is a Door in This Darkness is the first book by Kristin Cashore that I read that wasn’t Graceling—as many of you know, I’m a huge fan of the Graceling series! At first, I wasn’t sure if a contemporary YA was for me, but the description of this book being about magic had me really curious—how is something both magical and contemporary?! Also, this book is about grief, and that is something that does tend to draw me in, having had my fair share. 

TIADITD reminded me so much of the movie Big Fish (based on a book by the same name, that I’ve not read) because in a seemingly ordinary world, magic abounds and coincidence and connection sweep the MCs on a journey of discovery—and, in Wilhelmina’s case, overcoming loss and finding love.

This book also deals with the COVID Pandemic and the 2016 and 2020 elections, so basically this book is heavy, and yet it’s filled with light—both literal and figurative. It was kind of interesting to me that I didn’t always like Wilhelmina, she was often selfish, grouchy, and irrational, and yet I loved her journey, and I also enjoyed how she found her way out of those frustrations that I felt with her. I also loved the cast of characters; I feel like each one was well-rounded and solidly developed and the book would not have been the same without each and every individual side character because they all affected Wilhelmina and her adventure in different and important ways. James was, of course, my favorite—who doesn’t love a doughnut-slinging MLI who seems fated to enter one’s life?

In the end, I give this book five stars; but I will say the political commentary—while I wholeheartedly agree!—came off a little too pointedly to have felt natural on the part of the narrator, and I think would have felt less forced had the book maybe been in first person POV or the language been only used by the characters.

Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary

adventurous funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic came out in March, 2019, but the audiobook was recently available to request on NetGalley. My friend Kristen told me about it, knowing it looked like something we’d both be interested in reading. Thanks to Annick Press, my request was approved and I was able to read this audiobook in one sitting! Michael McCreary, the author, narrated the book himself, which is something I enjoy in non-fiction because who knows better how to deliver a message than the writer–especially one who is a stand-up comedian?! 

McCreary’s anecdotes about his life on the spectrum are at times universal, while other times definitely unique to him, and that’s an aspect about memoir I enjoy a lot, because while we are all different, seeing ourselves in others brings connection to the human experience.

While much of McCreary’s story is specific to his own life and experience, his overall message was that of understanding and accepting each other’s differences. He makes it very clear that autism does not look the same on everyone, and even shares how his autism differed to nearly the opposite for his brother, and that it’s important to see people as they are.

I enjoyed this quick audiobook, and I’m glad I now have a new comedian to look out for! Five stars!