A book lovers blog
I have Officially Posted my Second BookTube Video and it features my June wrap up and my July TBR so if you would like to see more details about these picks make sure to check it out! July is my Birthday month so I am really hoping I have a bunch of 5 star reads, that is if I actually get any reading done this month… I will… I’m sure I will…HMM I guess we will see.
I can’t wait to see what my Birthday Month has in store for me!
I read this book for my Book club Pick for June and honestly I some really high hopes for it and spoiler alert, It didn’t meet my expectations.
“I used to think there was such a thing as emptiness, that there were places in the world one could go and be alone. This, I think, is still true, but the error in my reasoning was to assume that alone was somewhere you could go, rather than somewhere you had to be left.”
Julia Armfield, Our Wives Under the Sea
About The Book
Author: Julia Armfield
Publisher: FlatIron Books
Published Date: July 12th, 2022
Page Count: 228 Pages
Main Genres: Horror, Fiction, LGBT
GoodReads Rating: 3.84
Format: Physical Book
Leah is changed. Months earlier, she left for a routine expedition, only this time her submarine sank to the sea floor. When she finally surfaces and returns home, her wife Miri knows that something is wrong. Barely eating and lost in her thoughts, Leah rotates between rooms in their apartment, running the taps morning and night.
As Miri searches for answers, desperate to understand what happened below the water, she must face the possibility that the woman she loves is slipping from her grasp.
Synopsis From GoodReads
“The deep sea is a haunted house: a place in which things that ought not to exist move about in the darkness.”
Julia Armfield, Our Wives Under the Sea
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.I would like to point out that I don’t think this book should be classified as a horror read. This was not a scary book more suspenseful. So if you are looking for something to scare you, maybe skip this book.
I don’t have too many positive things to say about this book if I am completely honest. I was left with more questions than answers when I finished this book. It has a very ambiguous ending that made it feel like there was a second book but I don’t see the author writing a second one as there wasn’t enough of a storyline to make another book.
Some people really like endings that leave questions in your mind, but I am not one of them. I just felt confused throughout the entire book and nothing every felt satisfying. So why did I rate this 2.5 stars then? Clearly I had to like something about it or else my rating would have bene lower, right? Honestly, I rated this a 2.5 star because I was interested in the book, I really wanted to know what happened under the ocean during those six months so yes, I was intrigued, just left wanting so much more.
I also give some of the credit of my rating to the Titanic Sub that Imploded last month. My Heart goes out to the family of those lost, it was such a sad situation. However, it did seem like interesting timing that we were reading a book about a submarine that goes missing for 6 months when the titan went missing. This really got me interested in learning more about submarines and the titanic in general. So this was just really interesting timing for us to be reading this for our book club.
Majority of the people who participated in the book club pick did actually enjoy this one so take my review with a grain of salt.
“My heart is a thin thing, these days – shred of paper blown between the spaces in my ribs.”
Julia Armfield, Our Wives Under the Sea
QOTD: What Historic Event have you been interested in?
I started this book back in June 2022 when I first found out about Asexuality, That is one whole year of trying to read this. I didn’t finish this book last year not because I didn’t like it but because it is a heavy read! But I am so glad I was able to finish it and I am here to hopefully get a few of my friends to also pick this book up as well, as I think this book can be very beneficial to anyone and everyone whether you are ace or just curious about learning more about the Ace community and the idea of sex in general.
“The ace world is not an obligation. Nobody needs to identify, nobody is trapped, nobody needs to stay forever and pledge allegiance. The words are gifts. If you know which terms to search, you know how to find others who might have something to teach.”
Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
About The Book
Author: Angela Chen
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published Date: September 15th, 2020
Page Count: 210 Pages
Main Genres: Nonfiction, LGBTQ
GoodReads Rating: 4.37
Format: Physical
“Normal is often treated as a moral judgment, when it is often simply a statistical matter. The question of what everyone else is doing is less important than the question of what works for the two people in the actual relationship. It matters that everyone’s needs are carefully considered and respected, not that everyone is doing the same thing.”
Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through the world not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about consent, about compromise, about the structures of society? This exceedingly accessible guide to asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are conflicts that all of us need to address as we move through the world.
Through interviews, cultural criticism, and memoir, ACE invites all readers to consider big-picture issues through the lens of asexuality, because every place that sexuality touches our world, asexuality does too.
Journalist Angela Chen uses her own journey of self-discovery as an asexual person to unpretentiously educate and vulnerably connect with readers, effortlessly weaving analysis of sexuality and societally imposed norms with interviews of ace people. Among those included are the woman who had blood tests done because she was convinced that “not wanting sex” was a sign of serious illness, and the man who grew up in an evangelical household and did everything “right,” only to realize after marriage that his experience of sexuality had never been the same as that of others. Also represented are disabled aces, aces of color, non-gender-conforming aces questioning whether their asexuality is a reaction against stereotypes, and aces who don’t want romantic relationships asking how our society can make room for them.
Synopsis From GoodReads
“Compulsory sexuality is a set of assumptions and behaviors that support the idea that every normal person is sexual, that not wanting (socially approved) sex is unnatural and wrong, and that people who don’t care about sexuality are missing out on an utterly necessary experience.”
Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.“Straight people are rarely treated like they’re close-minded for knowing their sexual orientation, but aces are assumed to be unsure and always on the brink of finding the person who will change everything.”
Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
Look at how many tabs I have put in this book! This is officially the most tabbed/marked book I have ever owned! This book had so many parts that I could relate to or found so interesting that I ran out of tabs. I know for a fact I will be coming back to this book over the years just to read some of the quotes and to deep dive into some of the references this book had just so I can continue to learn more about Asexuality and just Sex in General.
Yes, This book mainly discusses what Asexuality is and how people who identify as ace see the world. But it is so much more than just being Ace, it deep dives into sexuality, feminism, the worldly views on sex and how they are outdated and so much more! There is a perspective in this book for nearly everyone despite sexual orientation, race and even disabilities. Sex is not as straight forward as the world makes us believe. I think this book is a must read as I learned a lot about myself and others that I would have never fully understood until I read this book. I will for sure be looking for more books like this one.
“Difference can be a gift. Being ace can mean less interpersonal drama and more freedom from social norms around relationships. It is an opportunity to focus more on other passions, to be less distracted by sexuality, to break the scripts, to choose your own adventure and your own values.”
Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
QOTD: What is a nonfiction book about LGBTQ, Feminism or just sex in general that you recommend?
“Relationships should always be a game of mix and match, not a puzzle that you have to perfectly snap into, or a Jenga tower that will collapse as soon as you try to wiggle one block out of place. Customizability is the best part, yet most people try so hard to make their relationship stick to its premade form, a one-size-fits-all shape. Many people don’t take advantage of their own freedom.”
Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
This review has been a long time coming! I started this book in January and I just barley finished it. I am so happy I finally get to share my thoughts with you and move onto the third book into this series. Make sure to check out my full review of the first book in this series Caraval.
“Every good story needs a villain.
Stephanie Garber, Legendary
But the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”
About The Book
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published Date: May 29th, 2018
Page Count: 451 Pages
Main Genres: Fantasy, YA, Romance
GoodReads Rating: 4.20
Format: E-Book
A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever…
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.
“Every story has four parts – the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.At the end of last year I finished Caraval and I said it was my favorite book of 2023 and honestly looking back I can’t say that I agree with that. I really did love the first book but I read so many other amazing books last year that saying Caraval was my favorite just doesn’t feel right anymore.
I immediately started this book after I finished Caraval thinking I would ride the high and devour this one, but it was quite the opposite. I did enjoy this book but I am just not someone who leans towards reading fantasy so it was harder for me to pick up and read.
The over all storyline was really great and I enjoyed the plotline of trying to find the girls mother. However I really wish we were following Scarlet still or just started following Tella from the beginning because I just didn’t care for Tella as much as I cared for Scarlet and I didn’t get much of Scarlet in this book.
I am excited to finish the Caraval Series but I can’t say I am going to jump right into it. But I also really do want to finish it as soon as possible so I can start the break off series “Once Upon A Broken Heart”. So I am sure you will be seeing some more Stephanie Garber Reviews from me over the next year.
“Not everyone gets a true ending. There are two types of endings because most people give up at the part of the story where things are the worst, where the situation feels hopeless. But that’s when hope is needed most. only those who persevere can find their true ending.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary
QOTD: What Fantasy Novels do you recommend?
“Her heart was still a little heavy, but she’d decided carrying it around would only maker her stronger.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary
This Months TBR is a bit different. I decided to start my own Youtube Channel so I pulled Prompts from a jar and found books to fit that prompt! I am so excited to finally have my own Youtube Channel. This was something I have been wanting to do for a very long time and I am so happy to get it off the ground! Thankfully Noah is going to be my video editor so that takes a lot of pressure off of my shoulders.
A Book With 5 or More Words In The Title
A Graphic Novel/Manga
A Borrowed Book
A Recent Purchase
A Book That Intimidates You
A Cookbook
I will Be Reading This for my Book Club Bai’s Reading Corner
I have been reading this for way too long I just need to finally finish it
I am one of the worlds worst TBR Reader. I am a Mood Reader by Heart so Picking and sticking to a TBR can be really hard. I am excited to see if using TBR Prompts will prove to be successful.
As always If you would like to follow me on my Other channels I would truly appreciate it.
I read this book for my Book Club Pick in the month of May. This book was Co Hosted by my Best Friend Bree and My best Bookish Friend Ireland. The Live Book Discussion is on 06/03/23 at 5 Pm MST.
About The Book
Author: Johnny Compton
Publisher: Tor
Published Date: February 7th, 2023
Page Count: 261 Pages
Main Genres: Horror, Gothic, Paranormal
GoodReads Rating: 3.54
Format: Physical Book
Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he’s desperate for money–it’s not easy to find safe work when you can’t provide references, you can’t stay in one place for long, and you’re paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.
When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.
The job calls to Eric, not just because there’s a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it’ll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running. A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father’s love, Johnny Compton’s The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making.
Synopsis From GoodReads
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.This book was neither a hit or a miss. I honestly have pretty neutral feelings towards this book. I loved the paranormal aspect to this read as I have been dying to find a spooky read that makes me questions if spirits are truly there or not and this book did give that! But I did have a few things that brought more questions than answers. With that being said I think if this book was just 50 pages longer I think this book would have ended nicely or even a second book about the family now that all this has happened.
This book had so many POV’s, in fact I think you get a POV from all main characters. I can count at least 9 POV’s from the top of my head. This caused a lot of confusion for me but was honestly needed for the book to make any sense. The Spite House has an Extensive history and without the Multiple POV’s I don’t think we as readers would have been able to grasp what was going on throughout the entire book. But having Multiple POV’s also left me wanting to learn more about each and every character.
Overall I am glad I read this book but I could have lived without ever reading it. This really gave off Stephen King Vibes such as The Shinning and Pet Semetary, so if those are your vibes you might like this book. Lasty, If there was a second book ever made about Stacy I would read it as I cared about her character the most and would love to know more about her situation.
“You can do anything you want, you just have to make it happen.”
Johnny Compton, The Spite House
QOTD: What is the best paranormal book you have ever read?
World of Bai