According to Goodreads I've read this book 4 times, but I for sure have read it more than that. Fangirl is a book that hits home for me, reading it isAccording to Goodreads I've read this book 4 times, but I for sure have read it more than that. Fangirl is a book that hits home for me, reading it is like being enveloped in a giant warm hug.
I jumped to get this 10th anniversary edition (even though I have 2 others ones plus the manga already) but why not have different copies of your favorite book?
Every time I read it I find a new little detail, but no matter how many times I read it, I love it every single time....more
Slave to Sensation has been on my tbr shelf as a paperback and ebook for YEARS. I always meant to get to it and never did. And then it became a book cSlave to Sensation has been on my tbr shelf as a paperback and ebook for YEARS. I always meant to get to it and never did. And then it became a book club book and I got so dang excited for an excuse to bump this one up.
I’ve read a few Nalini Singh books throughout the years and she truly is one of the best writers we have in the romance genre, especially paranormal romance. Her worldbuilding is top tier and reading this book I was full engrossed in the psy-changeling world.
Slave to Sensation is about Sascha, a Psy who is assigned to work with a Hunter changeling on a business project. Sascha has been hiding from the entire Psy community her entire life what she truly is: broken. For if they found out she could feel, she would be eliminated. Lucas is drawn to her right away, but most importantly he needs her to help track a Psy serial killer.
I really enjoyed this book and I am glad there are already so many books in this series because I can just dive into all of them if I want to. I love in shifter romance when we get a possessive yet loving hero and Lucas was just perfect. Mostly I loved Sascha’s journey of discovering what her life could be and letting go of her toxic community and background. I think a lot of this book was a metaphor for leaving toxic home situations and a new life with a found family. I absolutely loved it and I am excited to read more....more
A review in which I don’t actually review the book because I don’t want to give away spoilers.
What comes to mind the most when I thi firmly 3.5 stars
A review in which I don’t actually review the book because I don’t want to give away spoilers.
What comes to mind the most when I think of this book is this quote from the musical episode of Buffy (because I am a nerdy socially awkward millennial):
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Because the entire 1000+ pages of this book was basically filler. And I enjoyed it! Don’t get me wrong. But I now understand better why I quit reading the series with this book when I was a teenager, this book is a beast and despite setting up a lot of plot, not much happens.
A lot more focus on Rand in this book and some more of Perrin. Still some misogynistic things that made my head tilt while listening, but I have to remind myself this book was written over thirty years ago by well, a man. I still love the characters and am excited to see where this leads....more
I enjoyed this fourth book but it seemed to lack the same emotional punch as the first three books. Considering it was “last” when it was wri 4 stars
I enjoyed this fourth book but it seemed to lack the same emotional punch as the first three books. Considering it was “last” when it was written, reading it felt like closure on the series. I haven’t read the next book, so I’m curious as to how everything is in that one.
-Bee is spending the summer on an archaeological dig in Turkey. Sad that Eric seemed to make summer plans without keeping her in his thoughts, she ponders how she feels about him in her life. Bee also spends time at home, wondering how her family fell apart since the death of her mother and how she can put it back together again.
-Carmen is spending the summer at theatre camp. The last year of school she felt like she really lost herself and when she auditions by accident for a play, she discovers a talent she didn’t realize she had. Carmen also learns a lot about friendship and what kind of people you want to keep around in her life.
-Tibby is spending the summer in NYC with her boyfriend Brian stopping by whenever he is able. When something happens between them, Tibby is left shaken to her core and must decide what she wants in the future.
-Lena is attending art school and strikes up a friendship with another artist, who may help her forget Kostos (finally).
I thought this was an excellent addition to the series, it makes sense that a series with four main characters would have four (technically 5) books in it. My favorite parts were reading about Lena with Leo and about Bee and her family. I’m so glad I decided to revisit and reread this series, it was a gift for me....more
Rereading this series as an adult woman and falling in love with it all over again. I’m also slightly mad that my mother didn’t make friends with threRereading this series as an adult woman and falling in love with it all over again. I’m also slightly mad that my mother didn’t make friends with three other pregnant women in an aerobics class in the late 80's so that I could grow up with three best friends.
This summer is the last before the sisterhood begins college. All of them face life defining choices and none of them are easy to make.
-Bridget coaches at a soccer camp where she comes face to face with Eric, the boy she fell in love with two summer ago. Approaching cautiously, Bee vows to just be friends with Eric as she doesn’t want to fall too deep again.
-Lena is heartbroken still over Kostos (is this her life story? I am not a stan) and wants to attend art school in the fall. When her father demands she must leave art school and attend a regular university, Lena needs to prove to him and herself she has what it takes to become an artist. (Also this was the best Lena plot of the three books so far, imo).
-Tibby and her friendship with Brian is progressing to something even more. But when an accident happens close to home, she freaks out a bit and doesn’t know how to move forward.
-Carmen is going to be an older sister really soon. She’s spending the summer watching Lena’s grandmother Valia, who is miserable in Maryland after being ripped away from her home on an island in Greece.
I absolutely loved this book and I am so glad this series is standing the test of time. It may be outdated in terms of technology for Gen Z, but I think the plot and friendships are still something they very much could relate to....more
I feel like I am falling in love with this series all over again.
I loved the character development for 3 out of 4 of the main characters:
-Carmen is anI feel like I am falling in love with this series all over again.
I loved the character development for 3 out of 4 of the main characters:
-Carmen is angry, but most teens can be fairly angry. I thought it was great to see her relationship with her mom and how her rock after so many years changed a bit. Plus her relationship with her step siblings continues to form and grow stronger and I thought that was really sweet to see.
-Bridget (Bee) was probably my favorite of this book heading to Alabama to reconnect with her estranged grandmother. Bee is still reeling from last summer and over the last year she really lost sight of herself. So learning more about her mother and where she came from helped her a lot and she really transformed in this book.
-Tibby is still affected by the death of Bailey but not acknowledging it. She and Brian have become close friends over the last year since Bailey’s passing. Away at film school Tibby is struggling with leaving her parents and understanding her place in her family.
-Lena. Oh Lena. It’s funny because when I was a teen I loved her love story, but as an adult I really just want to scream at her. I don’t understand her connection with Kostos because they spend almost no time together (ever). I don’t remember much about the next two books but hopefully they get much better.
Overall, I am loving my reread of this series. I can’t believe that I donated my original hardcovers to the library....more
Four best friends discover a magical pair of pants that inexplicably fits all of them perfectly. During their first summer apart, the girls s 5 stars
Four best friends discover a magical pair of pants that inexplicably fits all of them perfectly. During their first summer apart, the girls share the pants while all experience new adventures and relationships.
I’m giving this book 5 stars because it’s been twenty years and it still makes me cry. I remember I read this book when it was released as a part of my middle school book club at the public library. I loved this series so much when I was a tween/teen! And I’m glad to say that twenty (yes, twenty!) years later this book still holds up! At least it does for this millennial.
I’m definitely going to have to do a reread binge of the entire series now. I’ve forgotten so much and rereading this book was like visiting old friends....more
Okay, this PAINS me to give this book less than a 4 star rating. BUT, this book did not hold up to my memories from when I read it when I w 3.5 stars
Okay, this PAINS me to give this book less than a 4 star rating. BUT, this book did not hold up to my memories from when I read it when I was a teenager. I have to agree with what I saw a lot of other reviewers have already stated, there was a lot of repetitiveness in this book. Lots of Nynaeve pulling her braid, lots of Mat saying “blood and ashes” that got old really fast for me.
But there’s a lot of good to this book as well. We see Mat beginning to act on the memories obtained in the last book, Nynaeve and Elayne get a lot of what they were set out to do done, Rand takes action as the dragon reborn. Now that I know series spoilers, there’s a lot that was obvious to me in this book for what was to come that wasn’t when I previously read it.
Lord of Chaos was the book where I quit the series the first time around so fingers crossed I can make it through this time. My goal is to finish the series now that the series is actually completed. ...more
41 hours. 41 HOURS!!!! That’s how long the audiobook is and I BARELY was able to finish within my 21 day library hold. But I did it!!
So fo 4.5 stars!
41 hours. 41 HOURS!!!! That’s how long the audiobook is and I BARELY was able to finish within my 21 day library hold. But I did it!!
So for those of you who don’t know, I am doing a reread of the WOT series about 17-18 years after I first began reading them. I remember this book, book 4, being one of my favorites of the 5 that I read. I feel like when you’ve reached this point in the series, you’re either invested in it or you aren’t.
There’s a lot that happened in this book and for spoiler reasons I won’t state them. But also, a lot should happen because this book is 1000 pages long. Perrin really comes into his own in this book. I mean, you can almost pinpoint the exact moment he leaves all of his boyhood behind and becomes a man. A lot happening for Mat too, and while it doesn’t seem as obvious in this book, it really comes into play in the next one if I can remember correctly.
One thing came across my mind during this reread was a same though I had reading these books as a teenager: why on earth are all these women madly in love with Rand? I don’t get it! He literally has like five different women pining after him. He must be dang handsome or something because personality wise, there’s not a lot to offer (Rand stands don’t murder me). Don’t get me wrong, love him as a character. But if I were to choose a crush in this book it would be Perrin or Mat.
Thanks for reading my nonsensical ranty review of this reread. Please consider picking up The Eye of the World this series is totally worth it. Amazing characters and world building, it’s all us fantasy lovers can ask for....more
The first five books of this series I might do comparison reviews because those were the five 4 stars!
First read in 2003/4 ish Audiobook reread 2021
The first five books of this series I might do comparison reviews because those were the five books I read all those years ago. Also, it’s difficult to summarize these books once the series gets going because there would be massive spoilers with every single review and since this is becoming a tv series, I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.
I honestly didn’t remember much about this book except that when I first read it, I liked it. Instead of focusing on Rand in this third book, we learn a lot more about Perrin and Mat and their journeys in this series. Mat is such a fun character and I’m glad I get to revisit him all these years later. If I remember correctly books 4 and 5 were among my favorites so I hope they hold up all these years later.
I’m not sure if it’s rereading these books in a different format (audio versus mass market) but I’m not as compelled reading them as I used to be. I remember this was a 5 star read for me back then but a 4 stars now. There were definitely times when I was choosing to listen to music instead of the audiobook on my commute and that’s telling. Overall, I really enjoyed it but hoping I rediscover that epic feeling I had when I was first reading this series all those years ago....more
“The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.”
I first read this b 4 stars!
“The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.”
I first read this book 17 years ago (yes, writing that out made me feel really old). Going into this reread I honestly didn’t remember much except they were searching for a horn and some weird chick kept showing up and disappearing. And you know what? I wasn’t too far off the mark with that memory.
The Great Hunt follows The Eye of the World. Rand and his friends leave Fal Dara in search of the Horn of Valere which has been stolen by the enemy.
That’s all of the summary I am willing to give, because well, spoilers. But I vaguely remember this book not being one of my favorites of the series when I read it, I remember books 3-5 were SO GOOD and then book 6 is where I perished in the series and quit. Nynaeve is a frontrunner for my favorite character in this series, Perrin and Mat I remember were some of the better ones too but oddly were not really featured as much in this book.
Listening to the audio is a great way for me to reread this series, and even though this was a 26 hour audiobook, it really didn’t feel that long. I was invested for every second of it and was thoroughly enjoying it. I can see how some people quit reading the series after this book because I would agree, it’s not the strongest one and it’s more exposition than even the first book was. But I look forward to my rereads of 3-5 and I’m still scared of book 6 because I remember it was so boring. I plan on sucking it up and pushing through so I can finally finish the entire series like I intended to 17 years ago (still hurts hearing that number).
This book series is set to become a tv series on Amazon later this year (2021) so if you want to get a jump on it, I recommend you start reading the books now!...more
You know how I know I’m getting old? I had this book on my tbr shelf and then 100+ pages in I thought, this seems familiar. I checked Goodreads and I You know how I know I’m getting old? I had this book on my tbr shelf and then 100+ pages in I thought, this seems familiar. I checked Goodreads and I read this dang book back in 2013. I had no memory of this. I even own the second book and found the bookmark in it where I left off probably about 8 years ago. Thanks brain.
Many of you may not know this, but high/epic fantasy is one of my first loves of reading. It’s all I read throughout middle school and high school and Mercedes Lackey is one of my all time favorite authors in the genre. I’ve probably read more than 20 of her books over the years, easily. I was feeling super nostalgic for her books and decided to pick up this series (I thought) I had never read by her.
In the timeline of the Valdemar books, this series takes place much later than what I can remember. It follows a young boy named Mags who is an orphan and raised in cruel practices in a jewel mine. When he is thirteen he is rescued by a herald and his intended companion (a white psychic horse for those of you not familiar with the series). Mags is brought to the herald collegium where he is given a better life and studies to become a herald.
The first 100 pages of this book are *chef’s kiss* incredible. I devoured that first 150 pages in one sitting. From there, the book kind of goes all over the place plot wise, but I can somewhat see now how Lackey was setting up future books in this first one. It is definitely my intention to complete this series now that all the books are released. I didn’t realize there were 5 in this series and then more series with Mags??? I’m expecting big things, I hope Mags lives up to the hype.
And one other random thing I’ve noticed over 20 years of reading this woman’s books…. Never read them hungry because reading her food descriptions are like watching the food network. Everything sounds really good and I am nowhere near talented enough to replicate it so I end up hangry a lot while reading these dang books....more
This book gave me all the Haunting of Hill House tv series vibes and I was here for it!!!
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When Maggie Holt was Reread October 2022
4.5 stars!
This book gave me all the Haunting of Hill House tv series vibes and I was here for it!!!
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When Maggie Holt was a small child, she and her family fled Baneberry Hall and never when back. Twenty-five years later, she and her family is famous because of a book her father wrote about the experience. The thing is, Maggie knows everything in the book to be false. So when her father passes, she returns to Baneberry Hall to renovate and sell the house. Except memories are coming back, and some things from her father’s book might actually be true.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I was completely enthralled. I normally just listen on my commute to work, but found myself taking walks around my neighborhood just so I could have an activity to listen to this book even more. I have to say, I didn’t guess many of the twists which was really great. The flashbacks were done really well, between the book her father wrote and the present day. I loved how this story was all woven together!
I’m definitely a fan of Riley Sager after reading this book and I want to read his entire backlist now!...more
The Night Swim is about crime podcast host Rachel while she is covering a new trial. Currently recording the third seaso Reread April 2023
4.5 stars
The Night Swim is about crime podcast host Rachel while she is covering a new trial. Currently recording the third season, Rachel follows a rape case in court, presenting the evidence to her listeners hoping for them to make up their own minds. While this is happening, Rachel receives mysterious notes about the death of another girl in the same town 25 years before.
This book was incredibly compelling, it grips your interest from the start and keeps it until the end of the book. I found myself thinking about this book a lot when I had paused reading it, and that’s a great sign of a good story. There are definitely some tough elements to this story, obviously from the start you know it’s covering a rape case so if that triggers you, be warned. But what stood out to me was how several people could see someone suffering and ignore it, fearing the same outcome would happen to them
My first audiobook read in 2021 and it was oh so good!! If you listen to audiobooks I recommend listening to this book because they did a fantastic job, especially because parts of the book are a podcast format. Overall you need to read this book period, regardless of format....more
Told in two timelines, The Broken Girls follows reporter Fiona as she investigates the discovery of a body unearthed during const Reread October 2023
Told in two timelines, The Broken Girls follows reporter Fiona as she investigates the discovery of a body unearthed during construction at Idlewild Hall. This is the same place where two decades earlier, Fiona's sister was found dead. The other timeline is four girls living at Idlewild Hall where an unlikely but beautiful friendship builds until one of them goes missing.
Simone St. James is one of my favorite "spooky" mystery authors. The pacing and tension building are done so well throughout the books with little reveals disbursed throughout. This is a book that hooks you at the beginning and while the pieces don't seem to work at first, they all fit together at the end.
Highly recommend the audio if you enjoy audiobooks.
------------------ 4.5 stars!
I don’t have much to say except this was SO GOOD and I am officially a Simone St. James fan! I wish she had a bigger mystery backlist because I very much want to binge all the books (but there aren’t any so I am sad about that).
Anyways, a haunting mystery about a boarding school and the horrible murder(s) that happened there. I will be recommending this book to my friends a lot!...more
Upgrading to five stars because I loved it upon the reread. I kept thinking how this book would make such a wonderful tv series i Reread October 2022
Upgrading to five stars because I loved it upon the reread. I kept thinking how this book would make such a wonderful tv series if it had the right creators behind it.
4.5 stars
I decided to listen to the audiobook of this without knowing the plot, and I ended up loving it! I kept finding tasks to do so I could listen to the audio while working instead of just listening on my commute. This is a mystery/horror novel and I liked both aspects of the story a lot. Not giving it a full 5 stars because I felt the middle was more compelling than the ending and a lot of things ended up being fairly predictable. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it like crazy....more
I've been a long time fan of TJ Klunes books, and I think when I first read this book in August 2020 Reread May 2023, upgrading to a 4 star rating
I've been a long time fan of TJ Klunes books, and I think when I first read this book in August 2020 I was in a bad mental space from covid and the pacing of this book was off (which I still think it is). I read it in ebook format the first time, and I can say for sure the audiobook format the second time around was the way to go.
I think what's special about this book is the kids and all of their individual stories and personalities. Definitely all a giant metaphor for being a queer or different child and it was really well done. My standout favorites are Theodore and Lucy. And this book has all the trademark humor we come to expect from Klune, as well as an extremely slow burn romance with little to no payoff until the end of the book.
The narrator of this book was excellent, I feel like he made the stories and the characters come to life in such a beautiful way and this production of this book was truly a great achievement.
As a larger sized woman, I still don't love the descriptions of Linus in this book, I don't think Klune meant harm with that but the endless descriptions of how large that character was bumping into things, round, etc still doesn't sit right with me. I can't quite put my finger on exactly why yet. I've also seen criticisms from Native readers and while I don't think Klune meant harm, he did step on some cultural trauma with this book and I can understand why people are upset with it.
Again, enjoyed it way more the second time around, I still have my criticisms. It's not a perfect book (but then again, what is?).
----------------------------------------------------- August 202o review, 3 star rating
It was cute, but took waaaayyyyy too long for the story to get moving....more
When I was in the 10th grade, I went through a big James Patterson phase. My parents were buying used copies of this books for me as stocki 3.5 stars
When I was in the 10th grade, I went through a big James Patterson phase. My parents were buying used copies of this books for me as stocking stuffers for Christmas, and I blew through a bunch of his books. My grandmother also loved his books dearly, so when I miss her, I pick up one of his novels.
Say what you will about James Patterson, whether he actually wrote his books or not (I actually believe he wrote his earlier novels like this one) he’s accomplished a great thing with the Alex Cross series. He has sold hundreds of millions of books, and that’s not something just anyone can brag about.
This is the third Alex Cross novel and Alex finds himself torn between two cases: a small black girl is murdered in his neighborhood, and high profile politicians are being murdered in DC. Alex works on both at the same time, one in secret, hoping to bring justice to all the victims.
Definitely an entertaining read. It’s been so long since I read it, I remembered almost nothing so it was like reading a new book. I do feel this style of mystery writing is outdated (mid 1990’s) and I had a hard time staying focused while reading. It didn’t really grip me like it had when I was a teen....more
“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.”
I first read these 4 stars!
“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.”
I first read these books back when I was 14 years old. I believe this first book was selected as a part of my high school book club at my local public library. I only made it to book 6, didn’t finish it, and then never picked the series back up. Well, it’s been well over a decade since I quit and instead of picking up where I left off, I am rereading because I can’t remember two hours ago, let alone 16 ish years ago. And let’s be honest, I really didn’t remember much about this book as I was reading it. Just that I had liked it when I did.
This book follows Rand, a young man in a small town on the outskirts of his world. When Trollocs attack his farm and injure his father, Rand is swept up in a race for his life along with an unusual band of travelers.
“Run when you have to, fight when you must, rest when you can.”
The Eye of the World is book 1 of 14 in an epic fantasy series. What you need to know is it’s a completed series (no need to fear what GOT fans face). And to me, these books are an expanded kind of LOTR. Actually when I first read these the LOTR movies had been airing and I was DYING for an adaptation. So 13/14 year old me screamed inside when I saw there is an Amazon series coming in 2021.
This is also the first series I remember reading as a teen and craving more romance. No matter what kind of fictional book I read, I will always be looking for a great romance. And if I remember somewhat correctly, this series has a few great ones.
Took me longer to finish this book than I expected. As a teen I had better eyesight and less obligations than I do in adulthood. So this reread I am doing will take a while. Especially if I hope to finish the series this time around.
“In wars, boy, fools kill other fools for foolish causes. That’s enough for anyone to know.”
“Everything I loved was taken away from me, and I did not die.”
I first read this book in my sophomore year of high school. I went through 4 stars
“Everything I loved was taken away from me, and I did not die.”
I first read this book in my sophomore year of high school. I went through a HUGE James Patterson phase and have read a large amount of his original works. My grandmother had loved him too, so it gave us something to connect over and I will always love James Patterson, if only for that fact.
Kiss the Girls is one of his best stories. A young doctor is abducted by a killer who calls himself Casanova. Casanova considers himself different from other killers because he claims he has the ability to love, and he is searching for the love of his life. Kate escapes, the only girl who ever has, and she works with the authorities to try and capture this man.
“Oh, I guess I want to fall in love, to stay in love for a while. I want to feel real romance every day that I possibly can. I want to feel something special in my life. I want to experience intimacy with another person. I'm not that different from everyone else. Except that I act instead of daydream.”
I enjoyed this book 15+ years ago, and I still enjoyed it modern day. I was a teen when I first read it (a sheltered teen too) I didn’t catch some concepts the first time around. Mainly I remember Casanova, but I totally forgot about the coast to coast killers aspect. I also noticed more this time around the racism Alex and Sampson faced when they were in the South working on a case. It was 100% present the entire novel, but I am glad Patterson addressed this aspect of being a black detective working in this environment.
I will say, the build up to the end of the book didn’t do much for me the second time around, maybe because I remembered vaguely who the killer was. But if you are one of those Patterson naysayers because he doesn’t write his books (which, let’s be honest, it’s obvious he doesn’t write the new ones), this book is proof that he’s a great writer, or at least was at one time. Now, I am off to watch the movie because reasons!
“A saying of Sun-tzu’s hammered through her head: “A victorious army wins its victories before seeking battle.”
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