Throw Back Thursday Book Review 5/18/23

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Today’s book: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Date Read: May 14, 2019

Favorite Quote:

“Loveliness of the spirit is worth more than loveliness of the flesh.”
― S. Jae-Jones, Wintersong

Goodreads Synopsis:

The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride…

All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind, her spirit, and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds—and the mysterious man who rules it—she soon faces an impossible decision. And with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

My Thoughts:

My tastes lean more towards whimsical fanatasy, but this was delightfully dark. The characters were complex and intriguing. Many inspirations (Labryinth, Der Erlkönig, Mozart, Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast) blend together to make a unique story.

May 18, 2023

Throw Back Thursday Book Review 5/10/23

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Today’s book: The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Date Read: September 27, 2014

Favorite Quote:

“A heart was not a thing that should have an attack mode.”

~The Wishing Thread, Lisa Van Allen

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.

When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?

My Thoughts

This was a sweet story about sisterhood, magic and hope. Set in Tarrytown, the magical story gives lots of nods to Sleepy Hollow. Everyone says this, but it really if you like Sarah Addison Allen’s writing, you will love this book.

May 11, 2023

My Favorite Read of April 2023: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

“Libraries were full of ideas—perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”
― Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

My Thoughts:

I read this one as part of a challenge to read books that have been on my tbr pile the longest. I don’t why I waited so long. It was so good! I read a lot of fantasy novels with young, strong, female protagonists. But, Celaena stands out from the rest. Even though she’s faced many hardships and has lethal skills, Celaena still finds enjoyment out of life and holds true to her ethics. She loves dogs, reading, dressing up, and going to parties like many girls. She just happens to fight some dark forces along the way.

Reasons I liked Throne of Glass:

Celaena is incredibly relatable for an assassin

Even though some horrible things are happening in this world, there’s a thread of hopefulness throughout the story

Captain of the Guard, Chaol is a perfect combination of tough and kind

May 1, 2023

Throw Back Thursday Book Review

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Today’s book: Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance

Publishers: Berkely Prime Crime

Publication Date:November 4, 2014

Date Read: September 3, 2016

My Rating: 4 stars

Favorite Quote:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Miss Ophelia Flax is a Victorian actress who knows all about making quick changes and even quicker exits. But to solve a fairy-tale crime in the haunted Black Forest, she’ll need more than a bit of charm…

1867: After being fired from her latest variety hall engagement, Ophelia acts her way into a lady’s maid position for a crass American millionaire. But when her new job whisks her off to a foreboding castle straight out of a Grimm tale, she begins to wonder if her fast-talking ways might have been too hasty. The vast grounds contain the suspected remains of Snow White’s cottage, along with a disturbing dwarf skeleton. And when her millionaire boss turns up dead—poisoned by an apple—the fantastic setting turns into a once upon a crime scene.

To keep from rising to the top of the suspect list, Ophelia fights through a bramble of elegant lies, sinister folklore, and priceless treasure, with only a dashing but mysterious scholar as her ally. And as the clock ticks towards midnight, she’ll have to break a cunning killer’s spell before her own time runs out…

My Thoughts:

This book combines all of my favorite genres: romance, mystery, historical fiction and fantasy. As if that isn’t great enough, there’s also a fairy tale connection. This is a delightful twist on fairytale retellings, where they are investigating the truth behind Snow White’s story.

April 13, 2023

Throw Back Thursday Book Review: Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson

Welcome back to my weekly feature where I look at back at some of my favorite books that I read before starting the blog.

Today’s Book: Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson

Publication Date: May 31, 2005

Date Read: July 19, 2011

My Rating: 4 stars

Favorite Quote:

“Any man who would deny you dessert isn’t worth having.”

― Shanna Swendson, Enchanted, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she’s a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn’t help.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that provides tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie’s ordinariness is an asset.

Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor’s contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.

She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it’s up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and–hopefully–live happily ever after.

My Thoughts:

The premise of this book is unique. Most of us have just enough magic inside us for spells that hide the truth to work on us. But, Katie doesn’t have a drop of magic, and is immune to spells. This is exactly what Enchanted Inc. needs. The magical community is under attack, and they need someone who won’t be fooled by devious enchantments.

This is such a fun series. I chose to write about Enchanted Inc. book since it’s first in the series, but I think the later books are even better. Owen is one of my all-time favorite romantic leads. He is one of the most powerful wizards in the world, but out of fear for his potential, the magical community raised him to be insecure and shy. So, he is the perfect combination of powerful and sweet. The side characters are just as delightful. My favorites being Merlin (yes that Merlin) and Sam the gargoyle.

March 5, 2023

My Favorite Read of May 2022

“All this time, I’ve been afraid of my ability, when instead I should have been regarding it as a treasured weapon.”
Namina Forna, The Gilded Ones

Goodreads synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

My thoughts:

I haven’t read a book like this in a while. There’s enough craziness going on in the world, so I didn’t feel like reading anything with dystopian themes. This one appealed to me because of its “girl power” message. I enjoyed Deka’s journey as she discovered her own power. She is a dynamic character who changes greatly throughout the book.

This book is definitely on the older end of YA as it deals with issues of physical and sexual abuse. However, I found the overall message to be powerful for young girls. It shows strength and the power to overcome obstacles without downplaying the long-term effects of trauma. Above all, it showed the value of female friendship and standing together.

What I loved about this book:

Complex characters that are developed
Strong friendships
BIPOC and LGBQT+ characters as leads without race or sexuality being the main focus
Lots of action
A pet kitten that can transform into a dragon!

June 1, 2022

My Favorite Read of April 2022

I’ve been waiting for this one. I finished reading it on April 2, but already knew it was going to be my favorite read of the month. It’s not just my favorite read for April, it’s one of my favorite reads ever.

Goodreads Synopsis

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.

Things I loved about this book

Original concept: I loved this interpretation of the afterlife, where people are given time on Earth to adapt to being dead before crossing over
The characters: There are so many great, diverse characters in this book.
The message: the story has a great message about how to live your life and what really matters
Humor: When I read the description of this book, I had no idea how funny it would be. Not many books make me both laugh and cry, and this one did

May 1, 2022

My favorite read of March 2022

Goodreads Synopsis:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy

My Thoughts:

This is the third book I’ve read by Bardugo. Her world building is so thorough that it can take a few chapters to understand. Once you understand the world, the books are amazing. Since Alina didn’t initially know about her powers, the reader is learning about the Grisha world along with her. There are so many twists and ambiguous characters and situations, that I couldn’t stop reading. I am especially fascinated by the Darkling and can’t wait to see how the character develops throughout the series.