a uniquely portable magic

I'm Susan! I love reading books, talking about books, attempting to write books, and trips to the library. Mostly YA, but sometimes I spice things up with something else.

[loveandlibraries]

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

This book felt not quite finished to me like I was reading a second or third draft instead of the final product. I loved the idea! The entire premise, from setting to plot to characters, felt like something I could become obsessed with. I really enjoyed Sal as a narrator and the Left Hand were all great characters as well! I love a book that jumps right into the action, I love a royal court setting, and I especially love a kill-or-be-killed type competition. Unfortunately, the execution just didn't quite hit the mark for me. The stakes felt too low despite Sal's life being in danger literally the entire time and the plot felt a little clunky, some things dragging and others flying by with not enough detail. I still enjoyed the reading experience but I don't think I'd pick up a sequel.

(2/5 stars)

[daisyjoans]

books i read in 2015 - beauty queens by libba bray

“In school, they would tell you that life wouldn’t come to you; you had to go out and make it your own. But when it came to love, the message for girls seemed to be this: Don’t. Don’t go after what you want. Wait. Wait to be chosen, as if only in the eye of another could one truly find value. The message was confusing and infuriating. It was a shell game with no actual pea under the rapidly moving cups.”

[bookswithbenefits]

A list of amazing books: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.

[loveandlibraries]

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

This book just wasn't for me. It took me two starts to get through and I still somehow managed to miss what everyone else loves about it. It wasn't terrible! I loved the positive messages about girls not tearing each other down and being smart and capable. I guess heavy satire just isn't something I enjoy, or maybe I'm so displeased with the current world that it hit too close to home? I know the point of the book is to be funny and over and the top and outrageous with a good message but I couldn't get into it. Still three stars because I would still recommend this book to people who aren't me. Good message, good writing, just not my taste.

(3/5 stars)

[newtmqs-deactivated20200629]

“There’s something about you that makes me want to open up, and that’s slightly terrifying to me.” ― Becky Albertalli, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

[hualians]

simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda — i guess it was about loneliness. and it’s funny, because i don’t really think of myself as lonely. but there was something so familiar about the way blue described the feeling. it was like he had pulled the ideas from my head. like the way you can memorize someone’s gestures but never know their thoughts. and the feeling that people are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. the way you can feel so exposed anyway.

[quotemybooks]

But I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (via quotemybooks)

[loveandlibraries]

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

I didn't LOVE this book but I liked it just fine. I found some of the characters occasionally annoying but only because they were written like real teenagers (and I'm old now) which really isn't their fault. I also disliked the overuse of the term "stink eye" but that, too, is a personal issue. Overall, the positives far outweighed these little things. I adored the relationship between Simon and his family, particularly with his sisters. I loved how real everything felt, from the way the characters spoke to the drama of everyday high school life to how much cafeteria seating mattered. Simon's life felt familiar and relatable despite me being straight and female and many years out of high school and I think that's a testament to good storytelling. Apparently I'm a sucker for plots that involve letter writing? It's a favorite trope and this year's books have been delivering. Also, I just found out this is going to be a movie so I am very much looking forward to that!

(3.5/5 stars)

[loveandlibraries]

A Million Junes by Emily Henry

Reading this book felt to me the way chocolate tastes. It was delicious from the very first page. The story was not my favorite I've ever read but that didn't stop me from enjoying it all the way through. I found a lot of similarities between this book and the movie Big Fish (possibly my favorite movie of all time) but they were similar in a way that makes me suspect the author also likes the film and not in a way that made me feel like I was reading a rip-off of another story. All that is to say, this review is a little biased. Specifically, I loved the language of this book. The dialogue, the descriptions, the word choices were all beautiful without being over-the-top flowery. I found myself re-reading lines to savor the way the words fit together. The story moved a little slowly at times and I did get a bit lost in the final sequence of events, but as a complete piece I loved this book. It had just the right amount of magic for it to feel real and fantastic at the same time. This was my first book by Emily Henry so I can't say whether it's her best work but I look forward to reading more by her to find out.

(4/5 stars)

[apagewithaview]

Hatred served no purpose, except to plague its bearer.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (via apagewithaview)

[chapter5books]

Flame in the Mist, Renee Ahdieh

Pre-order your copy here.

[loveandlibraries]

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

I have mixed feelings on this book so let me start with the negatives. First, I found some of the plot confusing but I'm honestly not sure if that was a storytelling issue or an issue of me not paying close enough attention. The pacing felt a little disjointed toward the end of the book which made it a little difficult to be excited about the action that was taking place. I also felt like the ending didn't offer enough closure which is a problem I often have with YA series. Too much setting up for what comes next and not enough tying up story lines. I prefer a book to have a beginning, middle, and end, even if it's part of a larger story. All that being said, I still really enjoyed this book! Mariko was a great narrator and I looked forward to her chapters whenever I wasn't reading from her POV. I also liked that even the "bad guys" had motives and personalities and that no one was evil just for the sake of being evil. Depending on who was narrating anyone could be considered the hero or the villain and that makes the reading experience a ton of fun. I am excited to see what comes next for this series!

(3.5/5 stars)

[feyresmor-blog]

Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world.

[wordsnquotes]

‘No one is truly honest…Even if we don’t lie to others, we often lie to ourselves. And the word good means different things to different people.

Stephanie Garber, Caraval (via wordsnquotes)

[loveandlibraries]

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I feel exceptionally indifferent about this book which was not what I expected going into it. It started slowly for my taste. The blurb tells me there's going to be intrigue! and magic! and excitement! and the greatest game the world has ever seen! How are you gonna make me wait so many pages to get there? I know we need backstory but like, fill me in later. Make with the magic already! Also, as I've said about many books, I HATE when the narrator doesn't know what's going on because that means I don't either. Honestly, that's my own fault since I think that was the point of this book and I picked it up anyway. Caraval just didn't feel as magical as the description suggested it would. It read to me like a diet Night circus, made less magical by the fact that it was not at any point fun for the main character. That being said I was in the market for something not too deep and this filled that void nicely. I see from the epilogue that there's going to be a sequel and I will probably read that as well. I'm a sucker for shallow romance and magic and sometimes I wanna read something that doesn't rip my heart out or make my brain hurt. Three unenthusiastic stars for doing just enough.

(3/5 stars)

[phantomrin]

Juliet  (”Letters to the Lost” by Brigid Kemmerer)

[astreiants-archive]

ON THE FAVES SHELF | letters to the lost by brigid kemmerer

“what are you afraid of?” i look at declan, but he’s still staring out at the rain. his voice has gone quiet, and he’s not half as threatening as he was. “i don’t know,” i say.