The Star Jar TBR Project

A review blog for the books I randomly pick from a jar and turn into stars! Main blog is akiwitch

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The Star Jar TBR project is me getting through my massive tbr by picking from this cute jar, and once I finish the book I fold the paper into a star!

I'll try to post reviews or at least updates here

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The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson

⭐️Hello can this place be real can I live there/10⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a great read and I deeply enjoyed it. It's the kind of fantasy I love and I had a wonderful time. I need book 2 asap!

There were a few weird pacing things and sometimes Kasira was a bit trying, but in the end I did like her a lot and the romantic subplot was really nice and slow burn and that's my favorite kind.

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February Reading Wrapup

Arcs - 2

She Drinks the Light

Wild at Heart

Books - 6

Favorite Read

Sorcery and Small Magics

Least Favorite Read

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places

DNF

The Sacrificial Maiden

Had a big deadline so didn't read as much as I wanted, but made some good progress!

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The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first five star read of the year! It's a bit Midsommar meets Mean Girls. Botanical daylight horror. With bees! Mars is a wonderful main character (and genderfluid!). The mystery and grief are intertwined beautifully.

Next up is The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle!

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The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

⭐️⭐️

I think a lot of the problems with this book would have been solved if they removed the swearing and made it middle grade. It reads middle grade.

I loved Cemetery Boys but this might have put me off of Aiden Thomas's books forever lol. It was bad. Like really bad. Repetitive with bland characters and barely there world building. Teo was an annoying main character. And the twist? Saw it coming a thousand miles away.

I slogged through it, but I wouldn't read the sequel unless someone paid me to. I just have nothing nice to say I'm so sorry.

Next up is The Honeys by Ryan La Sala!

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This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There's nothing I can say about this book except read it. I'm serious, I'm not taking any of your first experience of it from you. It's short and you won't regret it. (It's very weird and wonderful and you really just have to read it and decide for yourself if you like it)

Next up is The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas!

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Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fun read! Chuck Tingle really knows how to write. A few things were a bit "hm" but it was a super fun read and I really enjoyed myself. Highly recommend!

Not much else to say (though the lil speech about forgetting ace when the term aro is right there and never mentioned was kinda funny cringey as an aroace) but go read it!

Next up is This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone!

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The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

⭐️⭐️⭐️

It was fine. Just really boring. Nothing happened for hundreds of pages. It started to pick up around 40% in and the end was okay, but it was a bit of a slog.

Anyway if you like historical fantasy you'll probably enjoy it!

Next up is Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle!

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Wild at Heart by Penny Marsh

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Thank you for the ARC!

Wild at Heart is a cute why choose romance that also features Bigfoot. The romance is sweet and the characters are well rounded and believable (though I wish we had gotten a Milo POV).

I think this needed one more round of edits. There is a lot of repetition, a few weird spots (Rhett once refers to the journal as his grandma's even though it's Kara's), some weird timeline stuff (they left at dawn, drove an hour, bam it's sunset), a and a little more research needed (I don't think the author is aware of how cold and wet Washington is in November, or that most farmer's markets and campgrounds are closed in October. It's minor but like. I live in the PNW so I was like "oh we are NOT sleeping outside in wet clothes in November nuh uh". Also some of the cryptid stuff was wrong but I'm insane about cryptids so I don't think anyone else will notice).

Overall a cute why choose romance with nice characters that just needed a liiiiittle more polishing.

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Black Rose by Arlo Z. Graves

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is a novella which isn't my usual style, but I really liked it! A fun alternate history fantasy with interesting worldbuilding and really cool concepts. My only complaint is it's too short, I feel like it ended just as it really hit its stride.

Definitely recommend!

Next up is The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo!

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Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

And that's a wrap on the Simon Snow Trilogy! This was a great book and a great send off (the end!!! No spoilers)

I just don't have a lot to say besides read it.

Next up is Black Rose by Arlo Z. Graves!

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Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'll admit I'm amazed I read a few books between this and the first one. Road trip book! I think a few elements were off, but overall it was a good read (and intro to one of my fave characters).

Not as good as the first one, but a fun ride nonetheless.

Next up is Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell (see I didn't last long haha)

Also we're caught up to the beginning of January!

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Down Among the Sticks and Bones

⭐️⭐️

This didn't really provide anything new from the first book, Every Heart A Doorway. I hadn't read that one for a while but I do remember the twins and I wanted to see what happened to them after. Alas. This is a prequel. I also didn't enjoy the fairytale style of writing. McGuire is such a hit or miss author for me and this was a huge miss.

But hey it was short!

Next up is Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell!

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House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really enjoyed this. Grief and murder mystery and magical realism? Hello? Let's gooo. The vibes were on point. I kept getting lost in it in the best way. Another one I highly recommend.

Next up is Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire!

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All Systems Red by Martha Wells

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I've heard that if you don't like Witch King you'll LOVE Murderbot and it turns out that's true! I was a bit cautious going into this, but I LOVED it. Murderbot my beloved. I added the second one to my list immediately.

Another one where if you haven't read it, it actually does deserve all the hype and you should.

Next up is House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt!

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listen, we all knew this was gonna be a five star. I LOVED this book. Everything was lovely and I just had such a nice time reading it. I giggled. I kicked my little feet. This was my first Rainbow Rowell book and it was such a treat.

I won't spoil it just go read it if you haven't.

Next up is All Systems Red by Martha Wells!

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She Drinks the Light by Yasmin Angoe

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The cover is gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere created (plus very ingesting vampires based on western African folklore!). I liked Ada, our MC, a lot.

But unfortunately the writing is choppy and inconsistent. The other characters felt a little flat. At about 60% the book really takes off and it's a wild ride from there, but the end felt a little too easy and abrupt.

But all in all I did really enjoy it!