There is some miscommunication and the main character can be a bit annoying at times but I didn't mind it so much since it felt understandable.
its like a sports romance with chess
they are Very dramatic about chess
Male lead is described as 'the bad boy of chess' which made me laugh.
Closed Door but the door is talked about a Lot.
I found the romance in this very cute, and just like in the Queen's Gambit it made me want to be really good at chess. Strongly recommend if you're looking for a light-hearted romance
Book Description
Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist….
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
There were often internal monologues that were really long and didn't make a lot of sense to me and kind of bored me.
I would strongly recommend that you look at the content warnings as it is a little dark. If you have any triggers you'd like to know in particular send an ask and I can find out
This book is very different from anything I have ever read and I would have loved to read the whole thing, I'm just not someone who can focus on a book without a lot of dialogue and action interspersed between the description. I wouldn't recommend this book if you struggle with reading classics.
Book Description
The four Founders have created a transhumanist utopia, each leading their respective factions of progress. Now they are at odds and all out warfare seems inevitable.
Amidst the looming apocalypse, one man--with the help of his foxy accomplice (literally)--contemplates how to take the world for himself, no matter the cost.
More Reviews on Goodreads- People do not seem to share my opinion here
The main character has close friends and one of them is a boy and they have 0 romantic tension. (That's quite rare for YA)
Forbidden Magic
The love interest isn’t brooding
There’s a death in this book that made me cry for ages so if you can’t deal with child characters dying it is not for you.
This book made me want to read again, which is why the blog has actually been alive lately
The cover looks very cool and the title is also very cool but I have not been able to figure out how they are relevant. There is a sequel called Shadow and Flame
Book Description
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.
Spin off to the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series
Multiple narrators
Based on Greek and Roman Mythology
Percy Jackson is still in it but he is not in the first book.
Good for pre-teens and teenagers
There are 5 books in the series
Book Description
Jason has a problem.
He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?
Piper has a secret.
Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.
Leo has a way with tools.
When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who's gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?
Part of the shadowhunters series. This is the earliest series chronologically.
Set in the past
Love triangle (the ending to the love triangle is unique. And even though the two boys are friends this doesn't get in the way of their friendship
Brooding love interest who loves books
The other one is sweet and plays an instrument
You get quotes like
"For what it's worth, I don't think Will could fight in that dress either." "Perhaps not," said Will, who had ears like a bat's. "But I would make a radiant bride.
And like
Never trust a duck
But also like
No one can say that death found in me a willing comrade, or that I went easily
Book Description
Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
About a world in which VR is a very common part of life
Contains many references to the 80s
It's still great if you have no interest in the 80s or video games
A good light-hearted read
There is a sequel which I have not read yet. The movie about it is not great but its not awful.
Book Description
A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready? In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days.
When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune--and control of the OASIS itself.
Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he's beset by rivals who'll kill to take this prize. The race is on--and the only way to survive is to win.
Set after the Infernal Devices- Based on their children though the characters from TID show up a fair bit
Historical setting- Edwardian England
There is a lot of miscommunication in this series
It made me cry so many times( Maybe I'm just a wuss)
The love web in this one puts the web in The Mortal Instruments to shame
I love the characters so much
Currently 2 of the books are out - the third one is due in March 2022
Book Decription
Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.
Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.
James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.
A dark version of the Little Mermaid - loosely based on it
The female main character is very brutal at the beginning- I would argue she still is at the end therefore please avoid it if that would disturb you
I personally enjoyed it though some have found it confusing at times
Standalone
Book Description
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of siren kind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
The number of intermingling relationships in this series has been described as a love fucktangle, that is the most accurate description i have seen so far. its crazy.
This series is really quite fun and it gets so much better as you go along
Good for a lighthearted read because there’s not a lot of angst in it
I repeat it does get better. you may have seen the series hyped - it’s hyped for a reason- we are not delusional
there are 6 books in this series- there are multiple series set in the same universe which will also be here soon
Book Description
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
Whilst the main series (8 books with a companion, a mini-mystery and a compilation of short stories to come later this year) has come to a close, a new series in the same universe, following a character established in the original books is set to start in 2022
Book description
At Deapdean School for Girls, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have set up their own detective agency. But they are struggling to find any real crimes to investigate... (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't.)
Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. To add to the mystery, when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place.
Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?
She’s definitely morally grey but still a good person at heart
Most of the time, despite being very good at fighting she doesn’t look down on girly things.
She falls in love with someone who’s not her soulmate before finding her soulmate.
the king has outlawed magic but it does exist.
Enemies to lovers
Completed 7 book series with a prequel
Book Description
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
i like that in this book they actually acknowledge that the main character actually wants to be powerful. She works towards it.
The main character is morally grey.
There’s lots of spying and murder
Book Description
Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Its a take on murder mysteries that you dont often see, it focuses on the effects on the investigator just as much as the other characters
Realistic and gritty
YA
Currently a duology, with a World Book Day companion set to come out March 2021
The second is equally as good, if not better, than the first, although it does have a content warning as it is more graphic.
Note: I have recently learned that there is a different version in the US. According to a friend there are no differences in plot it's just not set in the UK anymore
Book Description
THE CASE IS CLOSED.
Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in the town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final-year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
Aliens( but its basically the same as any ya vampire book)
Best Friends brother
Broody male love interest ( i would describe him as a bad boy not bastard abuser which is good)
High school aged protagonists
Theres a shady government agency
Random bit of info: there is not a movie/tv series based on this but there is a choose your own story adaption of it, its either on episode or chapters idk which
Book Description
Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
