keepcalmblogon's reviews
183 reviews

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!

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

adventurous dark hopeful 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

5.0

When Among Crows was one of my most anticipated releases this year as Veronica Roth is an all-time favorite author! I was nearly desperate to get my hands on an ARC, so when I saw it was an option for MacMillan’s Audio Influencer program, it was my number one choice!

When Among Crows is a novella about compassion, magic, and found family, and it packs so much into its small format. Of course it takes place in Chicago, but the city is an urban fantasy den where “monsters” and knights war for peace. Dymitr’s pain is pungent on the page, his emotions literally succulent smells to the zmory, stryga, and other creatures around him. Ala and Niko, two of said creatures, are so clearly people too, but the Holy Order has prejudice and hypocrisy at its core. Dymitr’s tenuous allyship with Ala and Niko leads the three on a chase through Chicago for the witch Baba Jaga, and while the book is small, the journey is epic.

In less than 36 hours, Dymitr, Ala, and Niko struggle against curses, family, and each other to overcome hate and violence spread down generations and discover the true meaning of humanity and family. 

As for the narrators, I particularly liked Helen Laser’s voice. I felt it was fitting to have two different male-timbred voices because the forest guardian’s leszy voice brought something other to the sound of his thoughts and dialogue. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this story going in, but in the end I was left with a feeling of wholeness, of fulfillment, that all the best books give me. Five stars!

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!