Posts

Confessions from the Group Chat Review

Image
    This is the second book in the Deer Hill Anonymous series by Jodi Meadows . The first book was Bye Forever, I Guess , which I read earlier this year, You can read that review here .  Confessions from the Group Chat is about Virginia, an eighth grade girl who has a rather toxic group of friends. She often finds herself acting mean like the rest of her friends, but every time she acts like them she feels guilty. She also has a crush on Grayson: a guy in her grade who used to be quite popular when he was a football player.  One day in their friend group chat, Virginia accidentally sends them a picture of Grayson she secretly took. The other girls start teasing her about liking "a loser" like him. The next day at school during lunch, Virginia kind of gets revenge on them teasing her by admitting a rather private secret of the girls out loud, named Kat.  Humiliated, Kat and another one of the friends named Mary Heather decide to take screenshots of all of Virgi...

Tidesong Review

Image
I actually read a book illustrated by the author of this book back in 2022, titled Mooncakes! You can read the review for that book here .  Tidesong   by Wendy Xu is about Sophie, who wants to enter a prestigious academy of magic, but first needs to refine her magic skill to pass the auditions. She gets sent to live and train with her great aunt and cousin. All they seem to do is make her do a bunch of chores, and she feels her magic still isn't good enough. One day she tries out a spell of her own and almost drowns, but is saved by a shapeshifting dragon prince named Lir. Sophie and Lir end up getting their magic powers tangled up, but when they start practicing together, Sophie finds her magic getting better! But eventually Lir has to return home or his father, the Dragon King, will be furious and probably cause a destructive storm... This was so sweet and whimsical! I loved the magic system and the mythology sprinkled throughout. I also love the way Sophie's mental health ...

The Galaxy and the Ground Within Review

Image
I can't believe I finally read the last book in this cozy sci fi series! You can read reviews for the first three books here: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet , A Closed and Common Orbit , and Record of a Spaceborn Few . The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers is set at a rest stop for space travelers. It is owned by a Laru named Ouloo. Her child, Tupo, helps her out around the place. An accident just happened that causes their communication lines and travel tunnels to become inaccessible. So everyone who stopped by when the accident happened is stuck there for several days. But they all try to make the best out of the situation. In this book, aside from Ouloo and Tupo, we also follow: Pei, an Aeuluon who is Ashby's girlfriend from the first Wayfarers book. Speaker and Tracker, two twin sister Akaraks (although we mostly follow Speaker she's she's the one in and out of their ship) Roveg, an Quilin who is on his way to see his children on his home plane...

The Reckoning of Roku Review

Image
I am so glad I decided to continue reading the Avatar novels of the Avatars before Aang! I had mixed feelings about the Kyoshi novels (you can read the review for the first one here ) and DNF'd the first Yangchen novel. I had a hunch it was because I didn't like the way the author of those books (FC Yee) writes. Luckily, Roku's books have a different author: Randy Ribay . I am glad to report this book was really good! I do prefer Ribay's writing style a lot more. The Reckoning of Roku is about how Roku (he's the Avatar right before Aang as shown in the original TV show) discovers he is the Avatar. He began his training in one of the Air Nomad temples under Sister Disha, but he's been struggling with his airbending and overall Avatar duties.  At the same time, Roku's friend Prince Sozin has plans to go to a reclusive island that is rumored to have very powerful benders who know rare forms of bending. Roku and his friend Gyatso end up exploring the island, to...

November Wrap Up!

  I read a total of 11 books and I DNF 2. Links to reviews if applicable. 5 star books: How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Perisco Almost American Girl by Robin Ha Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party by Edward Dolnick More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volume 7 by  Yoshino Fumikawa and Miya Tashiro Always a Catch! Volume 1 by  Mayo Momoyo and Kaki Nagato Fall in Love, You False Angels Volume 2 by Coco Uzuki    4.5 star books: Fall in Love, You False Angels Volume 1 by Coco Uzuki Always a Catch! Volume 2 by Mayo Momoyo Kaki Nagato   The only 2-star book:   Firefly Wedding Volume 1 by  Oreco Tachibana   The two books I DNF: Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party Review

Image
Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party by Edward Dolnick is, in a nutshell an informational book about how the discovery of dinosaur fossils during the Victorian era in England completely changed science as they knew it.  The book explores how over time, scientists came to discover fossils of ancient creatures and how they were able to determine what they were. It's not an easy process! For ages, people thought they were looking at fossils of mythological creatures (such as dragons), until they realized a lot of what they were looking at resembled skeletons of animals they already knew.  Also for a very long time, many scientists (including renowned ones) were actually people who worked for the Church. Religion and science were heavily intertwined because the goal of science back then was to see how did God create (a perfect) world. When they found out things such as extinction was a thing and the Earth was a lot older than they believed it was, it led to the schism of science and rel...

Spells for Lost Things Review

Image
I am so glad I decided to try another book from this author! Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch is a dual POV book about two teenagers: Willow and Mason. Willow has felt disconnected from her mother ever since her parents got divorced. Mason has been from foster home to foster home and never felt a connection with anyone.  The two end up meeting on accident when Willow is whisked away with her mother to Salem, Massachusetts to look into and sell the childhood house that Willow's mother inherited, and Mason's new foster family lives nearby. The two teenagers end up going on a scavenger hunt to find out the truth about Willow's supposed family curse. At the same time, Mason tries to figure out where in the world his birth mother is.  It's such a lovely story about healing from generational trauma! I also loved all the real-life witchy things that are sprinkled throughout the story. I gave this book 5 stars .