Take A Walk With Me Through These Lives

M | they/them Here to scream about books I love into the void. No guarantees of being spoiler free.

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My rating system

No stars: Usually for educational books that I don’t feel right rating

★: I didn’t like it

★ ★: It was okay

★ ★ ★: I liked it

★ ★ ★ ★: I really liked it

★ ★ ★ ★ ★: I loved it!

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Point of Release - Riya Iyer

★ ★ ★/5

If you're looking for a fast-paced hockey romance (with plenty of smut) to add to your shelves, and you don't want to think too hard about the plot, this is for you.

2.5 stars and rounded up. This book had so much potential, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The pacing was all over the place, some scenes would be slow and drawn out, and others would rush by.

I really liked Alia, but that girl deserves to be single for at least a *little* bit after getting out of an awful relationship. And, let's be real, probably needs to be in therapy. I do appreciate her cricket arc, and I wish we could've seen more of her in her element, even though I knowww this is a hockey book. Callum... *sigh* he had his moments, but for the most part I found him to be kind of insufferable. He kept changing up what he wanted in a way that felt unfair to Alia and then wouldn't talk to her about it.

I think the characters could've benefitted from having an actual adult conversation about their relationship rather than just constantly getting their feelings hurt because they misunderstood something the other said. The miscommunication trope is heavy in this book I fear, and it just wasn't for me.

Thank you LoveNotesPR for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

Helllooo Naomi Novik, I'm backkk. As much as I liked Uprooted, Spinning Silver was honestly better. Drawing inspiration from the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, Novik writes a story that is more than just about turning silver into gold. She effortlessly weaves 6(?) different POVs without ever telling you who is who. That type of narrative voice and control is astounding. There's magic in this book, yes, but there's also the power of friendship and womanhood. Miryem going from the hated town moneylender (which she only did to stop the townspeople from walking all over her and her family) to the beloved Staryk queen (that ending had me gagged, the king really just went so let's get married for real this time), Wanda scheming a better life away from her abusive father (and save her brothers!), Irina going from the dukes overlooked daughter to the tsarina and having genuine care of her people (and changing the tsar, literally, for the better. I wish I had more coherent thoughts about this because, damn, it really blew me away.

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Mate - Ali Hazelwood

★ ★/5

1.5 stars for how much this shit made me audibly gasp and scream out loud. My poor ears. I made the mistake of listening to the first 60% of this book and let me tell you, it is so much worse when you hear it out loud. I genuinely couldn't keep going and switched to the e-book so I could be done with it faster. The dialogue is terrible, the characters have little to zero chemistry outside of literally being biologically wired for each other, or whatever it means to mates in this world, and the plot is a nothing sandwich. Boohoo, there's a cult. Whatever. Serena was a great character in Bride but in this book, her whole arc is getting saved by Koen's magic dick. Yes. Seriously. Some things should stay fanfiction.

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Nomad Century - Gala Vince

★ ★ ★ ★/5

One day, sooner than you think, the borders we drew around pieces of land will mean nothing. When the world becomes an unrecognizable place, when fires and floods and rising sea levels decimate states and countries, we will realize that separating ourselves from each other has made us weak. Alienating different cultures and languages did nothing for us. Preventing people from entering our countries due to the color of their skin did not make us great. There will come a time when we realize that humans were made to move, to migrate, and to live in harmony with the earth, not opposition. Unfortunately, I do think that realization will come far too late to reverse what we've already done.

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Finding My Way - Malala Yousafzai

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

I remember reading Malala's first book years ago, when I was super young. At the time, I thought she was so brave and strong, to stand up to oppression in such an impactful way. Reading this book, I realize that she is still those things, but also so much more. In this second memoir, Malala shares her struggles with college, friendships, relationships, PTSD, therapy, and more about her life that make you realize that, just like the rest of us, she's only human. She went through an incredibly traumatic event at such a young age that shot her up into the world's view. Reflecting on her story now as an adult, I realize how much that can mess with someone. She really is just a girl, relatable and funny and just trying her best to give girls and women educational opportunities. She is inspiring, yes, and strong, but that's not all she is, and this book did a great job of telling parts of her story the media and world like to leave out.

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The Powerless Trilogy - Lauren Roberts

Powerless: ★ ★ ★ ★/5

Reckless: ★ ★ ★/5

Fearless: ★ ★ ★/5

This series was by no means amazing, but I couldn't stop turning the pages. I never planned to read these books, I knew they blew up on BookTok a few years ago (the first read flag), but my curiosity got the better of me. It was entertaining, if only because it borrowed (borderline copied, to be honest) so heavily from other books I already knew I enjoyed- namely the Red Queen Series. The world Roberts built, with "Elites" and "Ordinaries," where the Elites have various powers that the Ordinaries do not, is the exact same as Reds and Silvers. That, coupled with the plotline involving an Ordinary girl, Paedyn Gray (stupid fucking name btw), who gets involved with two prince brothers and one of them is evil... I was experiencing some major deja-vu. When I wasn't feeling like I was reading a Red Queen AU, I was predicting the plot. Of course the little sister dies, of course Paedyn is a great fighter, of course the blond one is evil, of course she's secret royalty and he's actually a bastard (I really could keep going). The dialogue did make me laugh though, so it wasn't all bad. It wasn't the worst (despite me dogging on it for this entire review), but it definitely wasn't the best. If you enjoyed these books, I highly recommend reading the Red Queen series, it is far better and original (lol). Will I get flamed for this review? Probably. Idc.

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Uprooted - Naomi Novik

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

There is a Dragon who lives in a tower that steals away girls every 10 years. When they come back from their time with him, they're unable to fit back into the lives they once lived. Except the dragon is a wizard and the girls he takes have magic, and he is obligated by the law to train them. Uprooted is the first book I've read from Naomi Novik and wow, what a story it was. Agnieszka never expected to be taken by the Dragon, she prepared her whole life for it to be her best friend, Kasia. But when the Dragon takes Agnieszka instead, we see just different he is from the stories surrounding him. Yes, he is a moody and stubborn man (aren't they all), but he never takes advantage of the girls- he's actually surprised when Agnieszka tells him that the villagers all thought he was abusing them. Although I didn't care for the romance plotline between Agnieszka and the Dragon (he is old... ew) (also there's no way she wasn't in love with Kasia let's be real), I found this story enjoyable. The Dragon is tasked with keeping the Wood back from the valley. The Wood, after having been raided and essentially conquered by humans, is lashing out (understatement). It's Agnieszka who discovers what really happened and, while trying to save her village and the valley, helps the Wood finally rest in peace. It's a story about love and war and conquest, but there's a happy ending that leaves you satisfied. Overall, I really liked the story Novik told and I foresee more of her books in my future readings.

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The Faking Dating War - Sookh Kaur

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Work rivals to lovers? A trope that is an HR nightmare but so, so fun to read. I love the way Sookh writes women. She never lets the MMC be the thing that "fixes" the FMC. All her FMCs are able to do things on their own (I mean, once they get their shit together lol and stand up to their opps) and the romance is just an added benefit. Reema being a successful and ambitious person independently of the Man is so important to me! Sookh is definitelyy one of my favorite indie authors I've discovered recently.

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Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

Screaming, crying, throwing up, losing my mind over the ending of this book. I literally could not tear my eyes away from the last 100 pages. Fitz is a so dear to me and anyone who harms him deserves death (looking at you, Regal). I am so invested in this book and this world, Robin Hobb has such a captivating way of writing. The raiders, the plotting in the castle, Fitz's relationships with Molly and Verity and Burrich. The way Fitz describes the things that are happening, I'm obsessed with his narrative voice. And with this ending I am on the edge! of! my! seat!

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By the Unholy Hand - Kathryn Le Veque

★ ★ ★ ★/5

I was excited for this one, and it didn't necessarily disappoint, I just think I jumped into this world with the wrong book. There are so many name drops and I know these extra characters have their own books and spin-offs but omg they did not need to all be in this short(ish) book about murderous nuns. I was here for the murderous nuns, regicide gets so boring sometimes, the nuns added character! I also enjoyed Maxton getting domesticated by Andressa- she deserves nothing more than a man that will (and has) kill for her. We'll see where the wind takes me on this one, if I end up with more books from this world in my hands, I won't complain.

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The Last American Heiresses - Stephen Greco

★ ★/5

Ugh. Who let me read a book written by a man about famous women in the early 20th century, I should've known I wouldn't get the story I was hoping for. The blurb made this book sound fascinating, two young heiresses growing up to make names for themselves- how they misconstrued their friendship to the media to carve out a bit of peace for themselves. What we get instead is a book about 200 pages too long that adds a fictional modern story about the jewels they owned. I found myself wanting to skip past the moments in the modern age, I couldn't care less about Emma, sorry. It was slow and dragged on and honestly just wasn't for me. I'm sure there are worse depictions of these women out there, but this one definitely wasn't the best.

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Freedom is a Constant Struggle - Angela Y. Davis

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

It's no one's fault but my own that I've waited so long to read this book. I wish I could've read it when it first came out so that I could compare it to reading it in the current political climate. Alas, I have read it with current events in the forefront of my mind, and I can't help but wonder if Angela Davis knew the impact her words would continue to have over a decade later. For a book so short, it pacts a mighty punch; Palestine, Ferguson, prison abolition... that's a tall order to tackle in one. And yet, Davis does it in a series of essays and speeches and email-interviews. I had no idea she was arrested, or placed on the FBI's most-wanted list, and I'm about to go down a rabbit hole so deep... Regardless, her essays should be required reading, and I'm still kicking myself for putting off this book for so long.

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The Phoenix Keeper - S.A. MacLean

★ ★ ★ ★/5

This was a cute fantasy novel that takes place at a zoo full of mythical creatures. I know some people found it boring, and I will say that parts of it were a bit repetitive, but for the most part I found it enjoyable (if a little predictable... of course the man is evil- what else is new). Aila figuring out what gender she likes was incredibly endearing and her love and dedication for the phoenixes was so real. As an outdoor child myself, I found the conservation aspects of this world to be fascinating. And now I want to catch myself a griffin keeper... go figure.

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2025 Reading Wrap Up

83 books this year!

My top genres were fantasy (34), romance (26), and contemporary (19)

About a third of the books I read were digital (shout out Libby!) and were mostly 300-500 pages

My average rating was 3.58 (damn) and I gave 15 books 5 stars

My favorite book of 2025: Jade City by Fonda Lee (the whole series is amazing though)

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December Reads

Last of my 2025 books!

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish

The Passengers by John Marrs

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Slyvia Cathrall

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

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The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Everyone and their mother has read this book so I figured I might as well jump on the bandwagon. A fast-paced mystery, I found a couple aspects of it to be predictable but for the most part, I was just as stumped as they were. Honestly, I did not realize that so much of this would be religious, which is on me for not really reading the description. I know people think this guy is kind of crazy but lowkey he has a point (maybe not about jesus being married or whatever- I'm not religious so I don't really care) about how the church covers things up and rewrites history. For me specifically, it brings to mind how different translations of the Bible lead to interpretations that push an agenda (I'm looking at you, homophobes). Plus, it would be kind of funny if he was right on the nose and the major religion of the world that has fueled eons of oppression was completely fake (I mean...). Anyways! This was a good book to end on for 2025 with.