Queen of Books

Saturday, 4 June 2022

MAY '22 WRAP-UP

Time for another wrap up!

Hello everyone! It's been quite awhile since I have done a wrap-up on this blog.

I have been reading a lot lately and in May I read a total of 14 books.

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first physical book I read was Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson. This is the third book that I read of Margaret Rogerson's and I really enjoyed it. Vespertine is about Artemisia who works alongside nuns at a convent and when an army of possessed soldiers intrude upon her home, she is forced to use a saint's relic that allows a very powerful revenant to share her body and helps her to protect the monastery. However, she realizes that these soldiers aren't the only people possessed and the only hope for her world is her and the revenant in her own body. I ended up writing an entire review on this book and I rated it 4 stars.

The second physical book I read was Twisted Games by Ana Huang. This is a bodyguard and princess romance book and it was such a fun time. I didn't really enjoy the first book in this series but I really enjoyed this one and rated it 5 stars.

The third physical book I read The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. This is the second book in the Bridgerton series which follows Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheffield. While I did enjoy this one, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would and I ended up rating it 3.5 stars.

The fourth physical book I read was An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. This is the third book in the Bridgerton series following Benedict Bridgerton. I loved this one. The main character of the book, Sophie, was so charismatic and I really enjoyed her relationship between her and Benedict. I rated this one 5 stars.

The fifth and last physical book I read was The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This was a reread for me that I read and I won't be saying too much since I've already read this one several times. I loved this one yet again and rated it 5 stars.

AUDIOBOOKS READ

The only audiobook I listened to in May was Caraval by Stephanie Garber. This was a reread for me as I am trying to finally read Once Upon a Broken Heart and its' sequel. Caraval is the first book in a YA Fantasy series following a magical circus game and two sisters and it is so whimsical and magical and is one of my ultimate favorite books. I highly recommend it. I rated it 5 stars once again.

ARC'S READ

The first ARC I read was My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth. I haven't read a YA contemporary that I have enjoyed in quite some time so I was a little wary going into this one but I ended up loving it. This is about Bel who doesn't know what she wants to study in college and one day, quite by accident, a teacher sees that she has a talent for engineering. So, the teacher sends Bel to the robotics team, however, the boys all ignore her and the only other girl present on the team, shows her dislike for Bel from the beginning. Teo, the robots team captain, sees the talent in Bel and decides to help her out and their relationship was so cute. I adored this one. It was a cute contemporary romance but also tackled things such as the way women are treated in spaces traditionally dominated by men and the way women have to work extra hard in order to be heard and taken seriously in those spaces. It also addressed the struggle of choosing what one wants to do with their life which is something so many young people, myself included, face, both in high school and in college. I loved this one and I am so happy that I got to have an ARC. I rated it 4 stars.

The second ARC I read was Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean. This is the sequel to Tokyo Ever After which was a favorite of mine last year. This is a spin on The Princess Diaries that follows Izumi who learns her father is the Crown Prince of Japan and she basically becomes a princess overnight. I don't want to spoil anything since this is the sequel but this one was just as cute as the first one and I highly recommend this duology to everyone. I rated it 5 stars.

The third ARC I read was The Holloway Girls by Susan Bishop Crispell. I honestly thought this was a fantasy thriller when I requested it because of how the blurb worded things but this was more so a YA romance than anything else. I really liked the concept for this book where the Holloway girls get a year-long season where they can gift good luck to anyone they kiss, however, I think it was very slow-paced and wasn't executed all that well. It was a little bit repetitive, though for a younger audience, that might be overlooked. I ended up rating it 3 stars.

The fourth ARC I read was Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler. This was one of my most anticipated YA books of the year and I definitely had high hopes for this one, but I'd like to say that it delivered. I read this in two sittings and it was a really fun and lighthearted sapphic romance. I rated it 4.5 stars.

The fifth ARC I read was How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder. This book is for sure going to make it onto a favorites of 2022 list for me. I went into this one expecting a cute romance with two Hollywood actors, however, what I got was a lot heavier. Don't get me wrong, the romance is still definitely at the center, but character development and growth was definitely at the forefront. This book tackles heavy-hitting topics such as grief and alcoholism and is definitely not simply a romance. This was such a good debut and I loved it and rated it 5 stars.

The sixth ARC I read was Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee. This was a novella which I liked the concept of but I didn't like the execution. It is a very short novella that left so many questions unanswered. I can definitely see the potential but a lot of it was vague and confusing and could have been better if it was longer. I rated it 2 stars.

The seventh ARC I read was The Warrior Midwife by E.P. Bali. This is the first book in a new fantasy romance adult series. It follows Princess Saraya who's father made a binding agreement with the fae king in order to protect his kingdom. The agreement was that Saraya must marry the crown fae prince and go live with him in his kingdom, never to return. However, things do not go as planned. This was so good. It easily could have copied plots by big authors who also write about fae, but it was so unique and different. I adored it and I am very excited for the next installment in the series. I rated it 5 stars.

The eighth ARC I read was The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond. This was such a surprise for me as I didn't expect to love this as much as I did. The Reunion is a romance book following two high school rivals who meet again ten years later and decide to enter into a marriage of convenience in order to solve their financial problems. It is so funny and cute and really uplifting

REVIEWS IN JUNE:

NONE

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

NONE

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S:

Rhys from Twisted Games by Ana Huang

Benedict from An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

NEW FAVORITE FEMALES:

Artemisia from Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Bridget from Twisted Games by Ana Huang

NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS:

Bridget and Rhys from Twisted Games by Ana Huang

Sophie and Benedict from An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

NONE

WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

There's so many more but these are the main ones!

NEW BLOG FINDS

NONE

SONGS ON REPEAT

You Ruined Nirvana - Mckenna Grace

killer queen - Mad Tsai

Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

About Damn Time - Lizzo

This Love (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift

Supermodel - Maneskin

Cate's Brother - Maisie Peters

Fulenn - Alvan & Ahez

Snap Out of It - Arctic Monkeys

Mata Hari - Efendi

BOOKS I RECENTLY PURCHASED OR ADDED TO MY COLLECTION

BOOKS I WANT TO READ NEXT MONTH

The graphics at the top belong to me. The background pictures for them, however do not.

Sunday, 29 May 2022

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson Book Review

This is a spoiler free review.

Vespertine

Written by Margaret Rogerson

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: October 5, 2021

Pages: 400
Source: Bought

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 14 and up!

Summary:

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

Vespertine is the third book by Margaret Rogerson who earned a spot on my favorites list when I read An Enchantment of Ravens, her debut novel.

COVER

Every cover of Margaret Rogerson's so beautifully convey the lyrical writing and the very essence of the story and what it is about.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world and magic system took a little bit of time to learn and get used to but I loved all of it. Learning the different castes and how the hierarchy of spirits worked (including their powers) was so interesting and done in a way that never left me bored. Rogerson was able to describe both the politics of the world, as well as the magic system in the prose in a way that was understandable and not info-dumping. In all of her previous books, she absolutely excels at world-building and it is very clear in this one as well.

Then there are the characters.

ARTEMISIA

Artemisia is a young woman who lives with the Gray Sisters, nuns who are devoted to the goddess named the Gray Lady. She posesses the sight which is the ability to see numerous different kinds of undead spirits. Although Artemisia could have easily fell into so many YA cliches, since she is a bit of a grump and wants to be alone, she didn't. Artemisia is closed off and reserved but doesn't fall into the "not like other girls" trope. She doesn't think she's special because of her powers or her task at hand. Artemisia also closely resembles many actual medieval holy women/saints such as Joan of Arc, and she frequently denies being a saint as she's scared of how other people will view her.

THE REVENANT

The revenant who was possessing Artemisia, was one of my favorite parts of the book. The revenant was very sassy and the banter between it and Artemisia was very entertaining and enjoyable. The revenant also had a hidden side, much like Artemisia, and that was revealed over the course of the book.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

The relationship between Artemisia and the revenant was the most important one shown over the course of the novel. Over the course of the book they develop a friendship and trust in one another and learn to respect each other's boundaries.

PLOT

Vespertine follows Artemisia who is a Grey Sister, who works alongside nuns at a convent. When she was a child she was forced to use extreme measures in order to purge a revenant who was possessing her causing her to have scarred hands and because of this past, she mostly keeps to herself. However, when an army of possessed soldiers intrude upon her home, she is forced to use a saint's relic that allows a very powerful revenant to share her body, and helps her to protect the monastery. However, she realizes that these soldiers aren't the only people possessed and the only hope for her world is her and the revenant in her own body. I loved how Margaret Rogerson incorporated research about medieval women saints and nuns and took matters of religion and Artemisia's own concerns and doubts very seriously. The plot was so unpredictable and unique and quite unlike anything I've read in the YA fantasy genre lately.

ROMANCE

There is no romance in this book.

WRITING

Margaret Rogerson's writing is always beautiful. Her prose is gorgeous but isn't confusing or pretentious and is understandable to YA audiences. It gives the writing and the book an overall Gothic feel to it which makes it more immersive and intriguing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Vespertine was such a beautiful book full of complex characters, beautiful writing and an intriguing storyline. I highly recommend this one for so many reasons.

Quotes from the Book:

“Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first.”

“They would martyr me themselves just to satisfy their hunger for a saint.”

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Crowns

Sunday, 2 January 2022

DECEMBER '21 WRAP-UP

Time for another wrap up!

Hey everyone. Happy New Year! I hope you are all doing well.

I actually read three new favorites this month which I am very happy about and read a total of eight books!

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first book I read was The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. This is about Olive who is a third year Ph.D. candidate who doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships but she convinces her best friend that she is dating and she panics and kisses the first man she sees who happens to be a the young hotshot professor that all the Ph.D. candidate students hate. This ended up being one of my favorite books of 2021. I loved the storyline and the characters and the romance was well developed. I rated it 5 Crowns.

The second book I read was Glint by Raven Kennedy. This is the second book in the Plated Prisoner series which is a King Midas retelling about a woman named Auren who is King Midas'' favored because of her ability and when she is taken by a rival kingdom, she is forced to reconsider her life with Midas. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first and I am excited to see where the story progresses. I rated it 5 Crowns.

The third book I read was The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. This is a very hard book to explain but it is a dark academia book that follows a group of students who are chosen to be a part of a sort of secret society that has a magical competition. This book has a lot of hype and I really enjoyed it! I rated it 5 Crowns.

The fourth book I read was A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli. This was a romance book about a woman named Niki who has always made practical decisions but when she loses her stable analysit job, she decides that being practical hasn't really paid off for her and so she books a last-minute flight for her friend's wedding in India. She arrives in India right in time for Diwali and meets London musician Sam who she is immediately drawn to. I thought this was fun but I didn't love it. I rated this one 3.5 Crowns.

The fifth and sixth books I read were City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. I liked these two a lot better than the first three as the plot felt a lot more developed and so did the characters. Everything felt a lot easier to understand as well. I rated both of them 4 Crowns.

The seventh book I read was City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. This is the last book in The Mortal Instruments series and I think it was a solid finish to the series. I preferred the last three books a lot more than the first three because I think they were better written and had a lot more character development and character driven plotlines which I liked. I rated it 4 stars.

The eighth book I read was Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is another book that made it onto my favorite books of 2021 list. Malibu Rising is about four famous siblings who throw a huge party to celebrate the end of the summer but over the course of 24 hours, their lives change forever. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did but it ended up being a new favorite of mine. I rated it 5 Crowns.

AUDIOBOOKS READ

NONE

ARC'S READ

NONE

REVIEWS IN JUNE:

NONE

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

Winter 2022 Anticipated Releases

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: