Jaime Leigh > Recent Status Updates

TW:biting of hand and drinking of its blood

The first story seemed right for the amount of time it was given but this one seems especially short. I really wanted more time with the framing characters to care about them but especially the characters in the main story. I know their love but I don't feel their love.

TW:Drugging and betrayal

TWs:description of decaying body at the beginning, several mentions of various murders both by humans and tigers, descriptions of various animal and human trophies, and descriptions of animals being slaughtered. I'm sure there are more but I listened to most of this while folding laundry and it moved quick, so I missed recording them.

It is hard to distiguish what is the primary story and the story being told in this book via the audiobook. This was a little bit of a problem in the first book but is very apparent in the audio version of this book. I like hearing all the names and cities pronounced but might have benefitted from a physical copy.

TW:ceremonial suicide-brief

TW: Pretty sure they just subtly suggested that Bunny's lovers head was sent back in a container of wax.

"Save that anger. Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves."

"Later she would say the war had been won by silenced and nameless women."

Putting this down. It's not grabbing me. 😕

TW: Voilence against women and brief sentence regarding head removed to be on a stake.

Really hoping that this doesn't go over my head because I really want to love it and read all the others. I've heard fantastic things, love a sold novella, and would love to check another off my Backlist Books right before the end of the year.

"I don't like chains around my neck."
"Neither do I."

Maybe we can squeeze one more blacklist book in before 2024.

A Boy Called Christmas burned me out on Christmas books. Haven't heard of this before but I already like the narrator and it's a wintery tale, so we'll see.

TW: Both parents die on page in this book, the last of which is a self sacrifice/suicide.

That moment when you see your parents as flawed people rather than with childlike awe. Man. That's some character development.
TW: Harming/killing of animals, depiction of wounded animals, child in a cage, discussion of murdering said child

I can get behind nasty elves but having a whole middle chunk that ends with a trolls head exploding is really weird
Also this dude has been choked out like four or five times at this point. Maybe we leave the kid alone?

TW PTSD flashbacks, nightmares, and death of parent on page

I'm sorry but what the actual heck is happening with this murder happy pixie? So weird and out of left field and like not appropriate or humorous for children.

It's the end of the year and everyone on my feed is reading sexy books and I'm over here in my middle grade corner trying to spark childhood joy. 🤣

Having had this book come out several years ago and seeing the name of all the follow up books all the character introductions sound like name dropping now. 🤣
Also TW for choking, mention of heada exploding (which is so weird tonaly) and imprisonment.

Apparently Elves have the Force now?

Mika is so salty 🤣

I guess all Carladas are awful. Also TW for Child Abuse and death of a parent

Realized this is book 14 that I've read from my #backlistbooks list for 2023. I put more books on that list than I knew that I would get to, so 14 feels like a fantastic dent!

Caved and bought the audiobook for this. It has been on my TBR and on my shelf for at least two years and I swore I wouldn't watch the movie till I read the book. I wanted to get to it this year and none of the libraries had it, which sucks and is surprising considering it's popularity (which makes me think it's something with the audiobook rights distribution).
But I have a feeling it's going to be good 😊

All I can think of is that one episode of the Reluctant Traveler where they go to the Moldieves.
Also, how does this kid keep seeing the candy cane tattoos, for literally the last three books, and still doesn't put it together 🤦‍♀️

Whhyyyyyy is there so much lip smacking in this audiobook narration?! Surely there was a way to edit that out 😡