tw/cw: panic attacks, loss of a family member, bad parenting (manipulative), abandonment, cancer mention,new fave holiday book.... new fave romance <3
tw/cw: panic attacks, loss of a family member, bad parenting (manipulative), abandonment, cancer mention, cheating mention (side characters), biphobia, talk of housing crisis, vomiting, divorce of parents/parents not in a happy marriage, some inner thoughts about body image
i still really enjoyed this, and i still love the main characters with every ounce of my being, but it just didn➽ 1.) A Psalm for the Wild-Built ★★★★★
i still really enjoyed this, and i still love the main characters with every ounce of my being, but it just didn't hit the same as book one did for me, sadly! but i loved the discussions on community and building a community and showing for your communities - and it was all extra powerful. and i also loved the constant theme of boundaries and respecting others boundaries as well. truly a beautiful story, that feels like a warm and healing hug, and i hope becky chambers gives us more! but i also feel like they really ended this one with a beautiful sense of hope and wonder. there really can be so much beauty and power in allowing yourself to be vulnerable (and feeling safe enough with another to do so).
tw/cw: talk of bugs and insects and spiders, and talk and themes of death (and a... fish death!)
I really wanted to love this one the way i did the first book, but sadly that just was not the case. I still adore this au➽ 1.) Her Soul to Take ★★★★★
I really wanted to love this one the way i did the first book, but sadly that just was not the case. I still adore this author and everything they are writing to make people feel more empowered and showing lots of different ways to reclaim things. I really think they are doing really important things in romance and i have a lot of respect for them.
This story is told mostly at the same time as book one, just with two side characters from that book, and i feel like stories like that never really work the best for me. Even though this completely stands on its own, and has its own very different plot points and points of view of what is going on during this time!
Again, just the themes of reclaiming and healing from your trauma in different ways is really powerful and i can’t wait to read everything from this author. <3
Content Warnings from the author: This book contains sexual scenes, kink/fetish content, horror elements, drug use, scenes of trauma, anxiety, and PTSD, and depictions of "hard" kink/edgeplay.
other cw/tw i found while reading: Murder, death, cult depiction, a lot of blood depiction, a lot of bad parenting in the past with abandonment and neglect, panic attacks, loss of a loved one, human sacrifice, use of plan b, hospital settings in the past, talk of medical debt, talk of needles, unwanted touching, assault, talk of cannibalism, torture, drugging, vomiting, and grief and depression depiction.
[image] “It made me wonder what shape I'd be if I'd never met another human being”
this was so unexpectedly haunting in all the right ways. i truly [image] “It made me wonder what shape I'd be if I'd never met another human being”
this was so unexpectedly haunting in all the right ways. i truly knew from the first chapter that this was going to be a new favorite. the atmosphere, the mystery, the main character... all perfection. also, this book truly has twists upon twists upon twists, making it impossible to ever want to put down. and we always love a spooky summer camp in the woods setting, especially with a secret group of popular girls, with a extra hyped queen bee, up to maybe no good. i loved this book's discussion of the gender binary and in general i personally found so much of this story really powerful. and i think so many different types of readers will really love this one, so i recommend it with my full heart, but it can be very spooky, creepy, and gory so.... please keep that in mind!
trigger + content warnings: grief depiction, loss of a loved one, cancer mentions (childhood cancer mentions), blood depiction, talk of suicide, parental manipulation, anxiety depictions, funeral of a loved one, death, murder, violence, gore, lots of insect depictions (in a... horror book involving bees way... hehe), talk of spiders too, blackmailing (with manipulation/action of private photos being shown), bullying, harassment, misogynistic comments//sexism (always in a negative light), drowning depiction, fire depictions, and transphobia + homophobia.
“...it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.”
this was just t“...it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.”
this was just the perfect book for the exact right time that i needed to read it in my life. we all know books and words and stories have healing powers that are immeasurable, but this book truly feels like you're putting on a band-aid immediately. i am so eternally thankful for becky chambers writing it, and i know it is going to help and comfort so many readers forever.
this felt like a love letter to communication, to finding comfort, and ultimately to just not feeling alone. it touches on how healing nature can be, and how we are all truly connected through it. yet, we have so much we still can learn from one another. but also how there is so much in this world none of us will ever understand, but knowing we are so linked and experiencing so many things together... it makes it not so scary, not so daunting, not so... alone. especially when we are allowing ourselves to feel experiences fully and wholeheartedly. because we were truly put on this earth to do so much more than produce. especially when we are creatures with the ability to feel so very deeply.
and this story really helps emphasize how powerful a cup of tea can be. :]
tw/cw: talk of spiders + insects, mention of animal death, blood + wound depiction.
[image] (i took this book with me to the oogie boogie bash!)
Rin chupeco is an author who means a lot to me, and their stories (the full spectrum of the[image] (i took this book with me to the oogie boogie bash!)
Rin chupeco is an author who means a lot to me, and their stories (the full spectrum of the range in which they write) always feel like coming home to me. But a queer polyamorous with vampires and vampire hunters Castlevania inspired tale… it just felt extra good to read. The atmosphere was everything and i knew from the first chapter i was really going to adore this one.
Also, bonus extra i suppose: this book has like my favorite cover art of all time. I am obsessed.
tw/cw: death, murder, a lot of blood depiction, gore, violence, needle depiction, brief mentions of miscarriages/still births, a lot of talk of medical experimentation, a lot of talk of virus and mutated strands, ableist language (always in a negative light), parental abuse, unwanted sexual acts/forced prostitution/implied rape, and an animal death (horse).
“If we ran then we would have to admit there was something to run from.”
this year, i really want to read so much from t kingfisher! year after yea
“If we ran then we would have to admit there was something to run from.”
this year, i really want to read so much from t kingfisher! year after year, so many people recommend them and their stories to me so i knew i wanted to pick something up by them this first month of 2023. i really enjoyed this, the atmosphere, and the writing... whew... the writing was 11/10! but i think i would have enjoyed more if i would have reread the fall of the house of usher. not that you need to, this story completely stands on it's own! but this was still a powerful novella that i thoroughly enjoyed! and i can't wait to pick up something else by this author extra now! (also, the way i have read so many stories this month about spooky houses after finishing this one... completely unintentionally)
trigger + content warnings: mention of tumors for descriptions, talk of war, talk of surgery, insect depictions, death, animal death, talk of dead bodies, mention of suicide, loss of a loved one, brief mentions of transphobia
[jan 4] i finished! i know this is cruel... but i will post my thoughts and cw/tw on the 31st upon this books actual release but i am so excited to ta[jan 4] i finished! i know this is cruel... but i will post my thoughts and cw/tw on the 31st upon this books actual release but i am so excited to talk about everything then with you all! now.. brb reading new holly black !! <3
[jan 1] oh... we are starting the year off INSANE apparently <3
[image] ♡ thank you so much, tor, for sending me a finished copy!
i truly loved this. it felt like i was stepping foot and having a long rest inside the[image] ♡ thank you so much, tor, for sending me a finished copy!
i truly loved this. it felt like i was stepping foot and having a long rest inside the very walls of the waystone inn, the journey's end, and even harth stonebrew's tavern. these are some of my favorite places, some of my safest escapism, and some very large sums of my heart. this story was just perfect for me, and i am very thankful for this book.
building something you want, the way you want it, with the people you want it with... there is a lot of power in that, especially when it creates a found family and/or community. and healing and living and loving the way you want to too? so powerful and so beautiful, and my favorite magic in all the galaxies.
i hope you're able to build and find communities filled with unconditional love, because you deserve that always. <3 (bonus points if a succubus + warm cup of coffee are involved)
“All the time you've spent playing in the dark — is this what you were waiting for?”
this was the best romance i've read... in years. it can be a b“All the time you've spent playing in the dark — is this what you were waiting for?”
this was the best romance i've read... in years. it can be a bit darker at times, so please make sure you check out the authors warnings below, but this book just completely worked for me. i loved the main characters, i loved the set up, i loved the queer rep, i loved the steamy scenes, i loved the spooky setting, i truly just loved it all. i cant wait to read everything by this author now.
Content Warnings from the author: This book contains graphic sexual scenes, violence, kink/fetish content, horror elements, and depictions of hard kink/edgeplay. This book is strictly fictional and is not meant to represent realistic expectations of BDSM or kink. Kinks/Fetishes Within: consensual non-consent (CNC), breathe play/choking, bloodplay, spit, needle play (body modification fetish), pain play, fear play, public play, bondage, restraint, spanking/impact play.
other cw/tw i found while reading: captivity, enslavement, death, murder, human sacrifice, self harm to get blood for magic, needles, mention of insects, mention of cannibalism in past, anxiety depiction, trauma depiction, gore blood depiction, drugging, vomiting, scenes that i believe could be trigging for claustrophobia, torture, and cults.
i have loved everything tessa has ever written, but sadly the possession in this one just did not work for me at all... i thought it was going to go in another direction, and it didn't and... ahhh, i dont know but i just was not vibing with it... even if i loved every other aspect of this story.
tw/cw: parental abuse, animal death (bird), misgendering (always in a negative light), possession + unwilling possession, blood depiction, getting blood for a spell/magic, drowning depiction, assault, loss of a loved one.
“I’m frightened of this feeling that consumes me and promises to rip free of my body and set the entire palace ablaze. Of the way I want to ta
“I’m frightened of this feeling that consumes me and promises to rip free of my body and set the entire palace ablaze. Of the way I want to taste every part of her. Devour her whole.”
sleeping beauty, told from a fae villain's perspective, and completely for the sapphics. this was truly one of the best books i've read in a long while. i loved the writing, the setting, the descriptions, and obviously the characters. this was so well done and so impressively crafted. and i was absolutely living for the twists and turns. i don't necessarily know what i was expecting from this, but all i know is that i was delivered so much more that i could have ever dreamed to imagine! but that ending, whewwww! one of the best debuts, retellings, and just books i've ever read. i loved this completely and with my whole heart.
trigger and content warnings: a lot of blood imagery (human blood, animal blood, getting blood for spells), kidnapping, talk of child abandonment, talk of child experimentation in the past, loss of a loved one, anxiety depiction, captivity, mention of slavery, drug use, brief mention of suicide, torture, gore, violence, murder, death. (also themes of homophobia and misogyny - always in a negative light)
“So this was how it felt—to be dealt a blow, to pause, to keep going in spite of it. Not to start oARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
“So this was how it felt—to be dealt a blow, to pause, to keep going in spite of it. Not to start over but to continue.”
this book follows two women, throughout their teens and twenties, whose paths keep crossing. the star-crossed lovers vibes is so there, but this book is so much more than that too. this is a book ultimately about trauma and grief, but it is also about love and hope. we get to see these main characters be siblings, we get to see them make mistakes, we get to see them be preyed upon when they were so vulnerable, we get to see them triumph and realize they are deserving of good things no matter how many bad things happened in the past.
this is a hard book to talk about, and it really is filled with so much heartbreak, but it is beautifully crafted and really emphasizes that life is so short and so long at the very same time. and even though we are built on a lot of events that happened to us in the past, we are so much bigger than that. we all heal differently and we all cope differently, and we all keep going differently too. and i am so proud of you for continuing to keep going.
if you feel like you are in the right headspace to read some of these heavy themes and topics, i really recommend this one. and i can't wait to read more by nina lacour now.
trigger and content warnings: loss of a parent, loss of a loved one, depression depiction, grief depiction, talk of overdosing, missing loved one, panic attacks, child neglect, abandonment, parental abuse, sexual assault involving minors for money (brief, but brought up a lot, and very haunting), talk of periods, talk of blood, cheating/affair, divorce, power imbalanced relationship (not main characters together), heavy talk of drug addiction and drugs in general, brief mention of cancer, colorism, hospital settings, death, murder, homophobic family mention (briefly). this book goes into some really dark and intense places - so please use caution!
i enjoyed the second installment in this modern day, dark and gossip thriving, olympus romance series so much more than the first! i loved both psyche and eros so much and both of their stories were so compelling and so powerful together. i truly adored them both and their chemistry and dynamic from their very first impromptu meeting. and i really believe the author did an amazing job with the fake romance trope in this story! and i think this book really left the reader wanting the third book, which is always good thing!
both main characters are queer (pan or bi or no/all labels - no words used on page), psyche is fat and talks a lot about how society perceives her regardless of her loving her body, and i thought it was very well done. and there is a constant plot of parental manipulation and how that can impact a child who only wants to be loved, regardless of age.
trigger and content warnings: blood depictions, parental abuse and manipulation in past and present, grief depiction, brief mention of suicide, a shooting, themes of murder and death in the past, and violence in general.
“I've never been surer of anything. Except maybe cell theory.”
the love hypothesis is the best romance i've read in years. it's smart, funn
“I've never been surer of anything. Except maybe cell theory.”
the love hypothesis is the best romance i've read in years. it's smart, funny, and oh so swoon worthy! and it was truly one of those books that reminded me why i love reading. i fell in love with both olive and adam so quickly, but i also found this to be one of the most believable fake dating romances, too. from the very first page, i was absolutely hooked and only felt more and more endeared throughout! (and even more late into the night when i desperately was signing up for the author's newsletter so i could unhingedly get an adam pov bonus chapter!)
this book deals with some heavy themes at times, so please use caution and i'll list some warnings below. i personally felt like the author does a thoughtful and important job at highlight what women of stem can face in many lab settings, while also always shining light on how much more noninclusive (and scary) that it can be for bipoc women and nonbinary people of stem. (the author note at the end with some resources was really amazing, too)
i just appreciated so much of this book and this author's words. this story was a little niche to me and my personal life, so i think that also helped me fall in love! (i'm not sure if i can blame it on why i was giggling a sickening amount into my pillow - but i will pretend!) and i also want to note, that the word is never on page, but there was some demi rep in this story that i found very relatable and it meant a whole lot to me too.
i am so very excited to see what this author does next. this was nothing short of a treat to read. the friendships were everything, the banter was perfect, and the sex was 11/10.
trigger and content warnings: talk of cancer, loss of a parent in the past, talk of fear of needles, and sexual harassment, abuse of power, + bullying in work/college settings.
"The world is built on who carries what and for who"
2022 has truly just been the year of me devouring and loving all things by nghi vo, and this third installment was no different. i am very in love with cleric chih and their bird companion. i love seeing them pass through new parts in their journey and being told new stories. this entire series is truly a love letter to the power of stories and how they can be healing, escapism, comfort, knowledge, and remembering and retaining your history that would be rewritten and forgotten. but this installment has an extra emphasis on the power of remembering our past, too. while also the power of community and the power of preserving your communities stories.
and also good discussions on even within your communities, which stories are deemed more worthy of remembrance. and if those things could be based on the beauty and youth of the stars of the story.
i truly cant wait to see where this story goes next, and i'd follow chih through all the past and present adventures to come. i hope tor releases these forever. happy halloween, friends!
tw/cw: harassment leading to physical altercation, blood mention/depiction, murder, death, gore, violence, abandonment, and dead body descriptions. (some very brief mentions in the stories in this book of: kidnapping, assault, mention of what could be thought of as cannibalism.)
sadly, this just wasn't for me - but there was a lot of good and healthy things in this book that i really appreciated! maybe i'm just being a little sadly, this just wasn't for me - but there was a lot of good and healthy things in this book that i really appreciated! maybe i'm just being a little more harsh because i'm such a hades and persephone fan, and i just thought this fell a little flat. and truthfully, this just didn't do much for me romance wise. but i really did enjoy the aspect of the greek gods and seeing the 13 rule this version of olympus! i would love to read another book by this author in the future - so please let me know if you have a better place for me to start! (or even if i should go on to book two!)
“When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and to see that it i➵ The Empress of Salt and Fortune ★★★★★
“When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and to see that it is lacking.”
oh, this was a complete and utter masterpiece. 128 pages of power and perfection. not only a love letter to love, but a love letter to stories being told through generations and the power of stories being audibly passed down. and how those stories get distorted over time when others write them down, sometimes trying to make them fit in boxes they never belonged in.
and if you all are looking for sapphic yearning, and angst, and one liners that you will physically feel in your heart and soul, i recommend this story with everything. truly unforgettable, and the layers and depth to it all is so expertly done. nghi vo is actually out of her mind for these novellas, and i am blown away way passed the point of coherent words. but i can't wait to see what stories our cleric experiences next!
“Being close to her was like being warmed by a bonfire, and I had been cold for a long time.”
impoh, such a powerful first read of 2022 !!
“Being close to her was like being warmed by a bonfire, and I had been cold for a long time.”
impactful, lyrical, and so so so powerful. truly a masterpeice of a novella and the story is told in my absolute favorite way - where we get to see a character be told the story alongside the reader. the memories were beautiful and haunting and everything in-between. and the last line had me gasping for air! truly i loved this with my whole heart, and lake scarlet is now one of my favorite settings in literature.
i haven't picked this book back up in two weeks, and i just really don't want to force myself to read the rest and put myself into a worse reDNF @ 50%
i haven't picked this book back up in two weeks, and i just really don't want to force myself to read the rest and put myself into a worse reading slump than 2021 has already been. but i would 100% die for Violet, and i'm 99% sure i'd die for Will, too. i might pick this one back up at a later date, and if the reviews from my friends come back positive, but right now i just don't have the urge.
trigger and content warnings up until the 50% mark: blood depictions, loss of a loved one, murder, death, torture, captivity, violence, branding (willingly), colorism + racism (always in a negative light but still doesn't feel good to read, especially because it includes the use of words like rat and mongrel to the biracial south asian mc >.>), brief mention of animal abuse/death, and an impending arranged marriage with a very gross age difference (17 and 37 - again, always in a negative light)
oh, the last half of this truly cast a spell on me and i could not stop reading !! i am begging for boo[image] (yes, i brought a book to disney lmaooo)
oh, the last half of this truly cast a spell on me and i could not stop reading !! i am begging for book two immediately !! (and happy valentines day to you all) :]
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