This month just flew by so quick! I'm not too upset about it because it's been so cold and dreary (which usually puts me right into hibernation/sleep mode), so I'm looking forward to the weather getting warmer and the days getting longer. We had two winter storms up here (and a couple of scattered snow/snow flurry days), which is more than we usually get but provided a great excuse to just curl up on the couch to watch anime or read books or play video games (not that an excuse is ever needed in this household). I had the chance to see friends in person, on calls (including a virtual celebration for Rachel's birthday!) and in game (hello, Animal Crossing, my old friend!); I also spent a significant portion of this month trying to get myself organized and staying on top of my habits. But the brightest spot in the month was unquestionably welcoming my newest nephew into the world! It's been such a joy to see this little dude and celebrate his arrival with his parents, and I look forward to all the memories to come.

Because I was deep into hibernation mode and because I was very much in an audiobook mood, I ended up finishing sixteen (16!) books. My favorite reads were Hood Feminism (a non-fiction book by Mikki Kendall challenging feminism and highlighting issues and needs that tend to be glossed over), The Poet X (a beautifully constructed YA novel by Elizabeth Acevedo told entirely in verse about a girl trying to make sense of who she is, what she wants and her place in the world, A Court of Silver Flames (the newest installment in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas that focuses on Nesta Archeron), Chain of Iron (the forthcoming installment in The Last Hours series by Cassandra Clare that once again details the shenanigans and secrets of a beloved ensemble cast), and a reread of Fable in order to dive into the sequel Namesake (a duology by Adrienne Young that centers around a young woman named Fable who is determined to survive and get the means to join her father's crew but discovers there is a lot more about her life and history that she didn't know).

Here are all the blog posts that went up last month:

Here are all the videos uploaded to the channel:

The Deathless Girls was 75% a beautiful edition purchase and 25% a story with an intriguing premise that I wanted to add to my TBR. Unfortunately, it ended up ultimately just not being a novel that worked for me. The Deathless Girls is about twins Lil and Kizzy, who are taken away from their beloved traveller caravan and forced into service to the cruel Boyar Valcar. They are forced to work in the kitchens, where they meet other girls in the same situation, and they learn about the Dragon, a mysterious figure who takes girls as gifts, only to discover that their fate might just be tied to his… This novel had such a compelling premise, and I fully expected an enthralling, haunting tale about two sisters and the hand they are dealt in their lives. Alas, the execution of this novel just didn’t work for me. The pacing was all over the place (including a slow start and a rushed latter third). The characters weren’t at all memorable, and felt very much like cardboard cutouts (thin, flimsy and lacking in detail). The writing wasn’t as lyrical as I’d anticipated, nor did I feel like the plot was anything to write home about. Even with a promising start, it saddens me to say that The Deathless Girls wound up being a disappointment in the end.

Pub Info: September 19, 2019 by Orion Children's Books | Add it on Goodreads

Pretty pleased to have kept up the tradition of reading a classic in the first month of every year (an unplanned tradition that started in 2018, that is)! The Picture of Dorian Gray had been on my radar for a while because I follow a few people who read it and absolutely loved it. Sadly, I didn’t end up enjoying it very much. This classic by Oscar Wilde is about a very good-looking young man named Dorian Gray, who gives up his soul in exchange for eternal youth and beauty. Dorian winds up living a double life where he remains a gentleman in polite society while indulging his desires in secret, as only his portrait bears the marks of his debauchery. Intriguing premise, right? Alas, the actual novel itself is unremarkable. It’s basically the classic version of a “train wreck” story (the type of tale where you just know bad things are going to happen or characters are going to make terrible life choices, but you can’t look away) and, while I normally find those interesting, there wasn’t much to recommend this tale to me. Dorian was very much a piece of work, though I’ll concede that he was also easily manipulated by others too so it may not be entirely his fault that he is the way he is. But his behavior and choices, when put together with the plot, just failed to elicit any reaction from me other than a raised eyebrow and an exasperation with humankind. While I can certainly see why this could be an interesting tale to discuss from a thematic perspective, it just wasn’t for me.

Pub Info: July 20, 1890 | Add it on Goodreads

As someone who grew up a Disney kid (and is very much still one at heart), I was immediately drawn in by the premise of City of Villains. Our protagonist Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior interning with the Monarch City police department. She finally gets the big break she’s been waiting for when the Chief assigns her to help out with a missing persons case involving the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen. But as the investigation goes on, Mary finds herself uncovering a much bigger conspiracy that involves the ever-growing conflict between those who once had magic and want it back and those who want magic for themselves. Great concept with so much potential, yes? Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t do it for me. Part of that has to do with not being in the target age demographic for this new series, I’m sure. But the other part of that is the storytelling style, with the chaotic world-building, uneven pacing and lack of character development. I did appreciate the nods to all the Disney properties sprinkled throughout the tale (and found some of them especially amusing), and the actual plot is alright (though the mystery is a little convenient). But while I don’t regret the time I spent reading City of Villains (because it’s a really quick read!), the novel is far less memorable for me than many other stories I’ve read this year.

Pub Info: February 2, 2021 by Disney-Hyperion | Add it on Goodreads

I finally read my second Beverly Jenkins novel! Night Song is all about the romance between the young teacher Cara Lee Henson and the handsome, capable Sergeant Chase Jefferson. While Cara does her best to resist the temptation to give in to Chase, and while Chase insists he cannot commit to a true relationship while still working with the cavalry, there’s an undeniable connection between them that’s just begging for them both to take that leap into the unknown together. This was the pick for January for the Historical Hellions book club, and I’m glad because it was a lovely romance to start the year with! The setting (a small town in the Western US), the meddling and extremely nosey (but usually well-meaning) neighbors, and the situations that presented themselves due to the town dynamics reminded me a lot of similar books I’d read as a kid. But what set this one apart was the sweet romance that blossoms between these two stubborn individuals. I appreciated that both Cara and Chase were very strong-willed and independent, though I was constantly shaking my head at their lack of proper communication when they needed it most. It was delightful to watch them eventually give in to their feelings for each other! I’ll admit that I didn’t necessarily love the latter portion of this book, as it does get a little too heavy on the drama for my tastes. But still, overall, Night Song was another solid romance from this author.

Pub Info: July 1, 1994 by Avon | Add it on Goodreads

A Notorious Vow was my first historical romance novel by Joanna Shupe, and I can confidently say that it’s definitely not going to be my last! In this novel, Lady Christina Barclay and her family have arrived in New York in disgrace, and she must quickly secure a wealthy husband to improve her family’s future. Enter Oliver Hawkes, her handsome neighbor and an inventor, and cue the platonic marriage that will save Christina from an intolerable suitor her parents have their eye on. The agreement is that their marriage is temporary, as Oliver is deaf and his focus is on the revolutionary device that could aid him and others like him. But neither of them counted on the fact that something more could spark between them… A Notorious Vow is charming! And the romance certainly had a refreshing dynamic between our main couple, as well as plenty of moments worthy of swooning and others that broke my heart. I really liked both Oliver and Christina (although the latter did have a tendency to be a touch too naïve in a number of instances), and could easily see how they brought out the best in each other. But, admittedly, A Notorious Vow isn’t perfect either as the latter portion of the story devolves into over-the-top drama and a villainous character straight out of those old cartoons where a damsel in distress is tied to the train tracks. While I didn’t particularly mind that too much, it did take away from the lovely start this story had just a touch. Still, A Notorious Vow was a lovely, easy to devour romance, and I’m eager to check out more of Shupe’s work.

Series Info: The Four Hundred #3 | Pub Info: September 25, 2018 by Avon | Add it on Goodreads

I’m happy that I finally read The Highwayman, as it was my first experience with Kerrigan Byrne! This complicated romance is between Dorian Blackwell, a ruthless, wealthy and influential man that will stop at nothing to seek revenge and get what he wants, and Farah Leigh Mackenzie, a beautiful widow who is keeping a powerful secret that could threaten her life. Farah accepts Dorian’s scandalous proposal to wed him for her protection in exchange for him using her secret to exact revenge on his enemies. But it turns out that there may be more that ties them together. And maybe, just maybe, Farah will be the one to help Dorian discover that he still has a heart underneath that villainous persona he puts on for the rest of the world. To be completely frank, I wasn’t initially into the story and was concerned I’d wind up not liking it in the end. But the way that Byrne writes is compelling, and she eventually reeled me in a way where I couldn’t untangle myself until I found out how it would all come together. I ended up appreciating many elements of this story: the various characters we spend time with, the action and mystery, the angst, heart and humor. It came together very well in the end! While I don’t think I loved this one as much as some of my friends do, it was definitely a solid start to a series. I’m definitely curious to see who the other books in the series are about in the future too.

Series Info: Victorian Rebels #1 | Pub Info: September 1, 2015 by St. Martin's Press

A Phở Love Story is a charming YA contemporary debut from author Loan Le about two teens – Bao and Linh - from rival families that run Vietnamese restaurants across the street from one another. It’s been years since the pair interacted, but they reconnect when a restaurant emergency and a school paper assignment bring them together. In the face of their growing feelings for one another, they decide that they need to uncover the real reason for the enmity between their families. But this isn’t the only thing that threatens their newly budding relationship, as both Bao and Linh have to grapple with familial expectations for their futures. A modern-day tale with a pinch of Romeo and Juliet vibes, a dash of coming-of-age struggles, a sweet romance, and a generous amount of Asian-American (specifically Vietnamese-American) culture and family dynamics sprinkled in? A Phở Love Story has all of the above! I enjoyed it a lot and for two specific reasons: first, it was very compelling (though it leans towards ‘slice of life’ and internal character struggles versus a lot of action) and second, I related so much to both the main characters (especially when it came to their family dynamics and emotional honesty). It also was just the right mix of sweetness and angst when it came to all the relationship conflicts. (But I think Le specifically resolves the familial conflict in a way that matched the drama but also didn’t diminish the authenticity of the feelings harbored by both families.) All in all, this debut was a delightful read!

Pub Info: February 9, 2021 by Simon & Schuster BYR | Add it on Goodreads

It’s always a lovely experience to pick up a novel by a new-to-you author and discover that you click immediately with their writing style and that, friends, is exactly what happened to me with Amelia Unabridged. I knew from the first couple of lines that I was going to devour this story – and that’s exactly what happened! Before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you a little bit about what it’s about (though it’ll be the bare minimum since I didn’t know much before going into it myself and that worked in my favor). This is a story about Amelia, who is wrestling with the void of grief and confusion left behind by the abrupt loss of someone she cares very deeply about, and how stories (and a specific book series) play a role in her journey towards making sense of her feelings & future. It’s a beautiful tale, complemented by Schumacher’s lovely, lyrical writing and the way she weaves melancholy and magic into the narrative. I appreciated reading yet another perspective on how one might handle grief and loss through the experiences Amelia had, though I’ll objectively admit that the whimsy, the air of destiny and the budding romantic connection that provides colorful background detail might not work for all readers as well as it did for me. I also really liked how Schumacher incorporated the magic and importance of stories and storytelling into her work. Stories can offer so many things to readers – an escape, comfort, a connection, perspective – and this theme is something I could get behind. Amelia Unabridged ended up being the good sort of reading surprise, and I look forward to whatever Schumacher releases next. (I also wanted to mention that, while this is a YA book, I strongly related to it as an adult reader and that’s probably because of my own personal life experiences.)

Pub Info: February 16, 2021 by Wednesday Books | Add it on Goodreads

I’ll fully admit that the mention of the Northern Lights (a natural phenomenon I’ve always found fascinating) was the reason that I wanted to read The Wide Starlight. Luckily, this YA debut ended up being a pretty good read! The novel centers around Eline Davis who, as a child growing up in Svalbard, saw her mother whistle for the Northern Lights and get swept away like Artic legend said. Years later, Eli sees a chance to reach out to her mother when the Northern Lights make an appearance over her current hometown of Cape Cod for a night. But the consequences of being reunited with her mother are too large and magical to be ignored for long. When her mom disappears again to set things right, all she leaves behind is a note asking Eli to find her again. With dangerous magical things shaking up the foundation of the world she knows, Eli travels back to Svalbard to put this mystery at rest once and for all. This novel is yet another tale where the main character grapples with grief, loss, abandonment, and anger with a fantastical aspect woven in, and it worked well overall. I liked that this felt like reading a modern fairytale with all the whimsy and lore woven in, as well as the incorporation of stories within the story itself. I also appreciated the unique setting (I’ve never read anything set in Svalbard, and it worked out perfectly that I read this when we had a winter storm), the complicated family dynamics, and the slower slice-of-life plot. Sadly, I didn’t connect to Eli or any other character on an emotional level which lessened my enjoyment of this read a touch. But I do think this is a solid YA debut, and I’m glad I read it!

Pub Info: February 16, 2021 by Razorbill | Add it on Goodreads