Ritika Bhattacharjee

rating-3/5

review contains spoilers

this just makes me want to go to maui on a fake honeymoon with a 6”4 tall dude who i hate.

idealistic fictional scenarios aside, i thought this book was a decent read. Recently, I've been on a contemporary binge and that just makes me appreciate this chaotic, unusual plot even more. After having read so many books in similar settings, this felt a little out of the box and different in the best way possible. The premise and the vacation setting was also refreshing. While other books with a fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers plotline would have me swooning, this one had me laughing out loud.
The banter between Ethan and Olive, the situations they find themselves in, amused me to no end. the couples massage? the scuba diving changing room scene? paintball with a bunch of teens? all of it had me cracking up. Their dynamic feels so natural and spontaneous that you just can't help but smile and try to keep up with their snarky banter.

a few pages into the book and i was sure this was going to be a five star read for me, until you know.. the second half happened.


SETBACKS
the second half of the book was just not for me i guess:( it brought my rating down to 2.5 stars but the ending and the epilogue was kinda cute:) so eh. 3 stars it is shrugs in defence
okay so the things I didn't like:

⇢ the pace inconsistency was extremely disorienting. i don't know if it's just me, but suddenly there was just WAY too much happening. The transition from Ethan and Olive supposedly hating each other to being a thing is TERRIBLY done, to the point where i even checked if my copy of the book might have like a chapter missing.

⇢ they should've called the book the unlucky honeymooners (or the unlucky marriage deception? the unlucky game? not very original i agree)
although the different views about luck was pretty cool, with the number of times they mentioned luck i was just annoyed. sorry not sorry.

⇢ the ami - dane plotline
mixed feelings about this whole thing. it felt very offtrack; and it wasn't because it didn't focus on ethan and olive. I love when subplots and side characters are more developed, so i feel like i would've loved it, if it was done better?
the whole ‘everybody doesn't believe Olive because she's a pessimist' was just not it. It was literally a ‘he said - she said' situation and BOTH Ami AND Ethan pick Dane's side? like they just dismiss everything Olive says??? because she's not the most optimistic person?? um hello?
i was extremely disappointed with Ethan here:( he was definitely in the wrong and i find it weird that Olive is so easily forgiving in the end.

⇢The faux hatred
the reason for all this ‘supposed hatred' is dumb and the fact that they spent two years being snarky to each other without a confrontation is unrealistic.

⇢Rushed ending
After the couple gets back from their fake honeymoon, there are tons of issues the book tries to deal with: finding Olive a dream career (Olive conveniently decides to be truthful and is fired from her job so this can work), changing her pessimistic outlook towards life, giving Ami a satisfying ending, appreciation for her large family, her desire for love. And while i'm guessing the author intended these moments to provide emotional value, none of them standout or hit the mark.


Overall, even though there was a ton of ridiculous stuff happening in the first half, followed with a lot of set up convenience, i did enjoy it. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the later half and the book significantly went downhill for me there.

rating- 4.5/5

definitely made it to my favourites:) The book just progressively gets better and better, and i thought it was really great to start off with.
Casey McQuiston's writing is really unique and is equal parts of ‘easy to devour' and ‘heart wrenchingly beautiful'. My favourite part of the book is definitely the banter between Alex and Henry. The banter is extremely well written, to the point where their conversations made me laugh out loud (the turkey bit- bahah).
“I'm having my entire life haunted by a deranged American Neanderthal and a pair of turkeys apparently”- henry to alex “The phrase ‘see attached bibliography' is the single sexiest thing you have ever written to me.”― henry to alexThe development of Henry and Alex's relationship is also gradual and doesn't jump to an immediate love interest. especially how, despite being in a relationship and knowing that they both love each other, they both struggle to be open about that: to the point where Henry believes that Alex doesn't love him back and will leave. (slowburn? for a standalone?) although this does have other complex factors like keeping their relationship secret as well as the fact that they're both important people and have not come out yet, involved.

PREMISE
Alex Claremont Diaz, the first son of the United states has always hated the prince of England, Henry Wales. To him, no matter what he does, he will always be compared to him. It doesn't help that he's half mexican and the son of the first female president of America (people really are stupid). When a mishap at the royal wedding brings his dynamic with Henry into the papers, he's forced to stage a friendship with the seemingly proud and uptight prince to maintain international relations.
“You are”, he says, “the absolute worst idea I've ever had.”-alex to henry
CHARACTERS
The characters have so much life in them and are presented in such a quirky, fun and endearing manner, that you can't help but like them. And when i say that, i mean ALL characters. every. single. character. had a story to tell. Most often, side characters are brushed off, only included into the story for conflicts or to help the main character with a redemption arc. (which doesn't sit right with me, since more often than not, my favourite characters are not? the main characters?) And, although the story focuses on Alex and henry's relationship; Nora, June and Ellen's stories really reach the readers because of the way they were written. Zahra, Amy and Cash also end up being an integral part of the story despite their small amount of page time. (might i add, Zahra is such a badass and i absolutely love her personality. -referring back to where i say, my favourite characters are not the main characters) But, obviously i love the main characters as well. Henry is just adorable and i personally think, Alex is literary perfection. He's bold, passionate and straightforward (also a such a nerd sighs) in a way i can never get tired of reading.

a few of my favourite parts of the book//
first off, the book touches the topic of grief beautifully. Bea talking about henry's grief is something that really helped me understand the profound hurt and despair in people's lives due to the loss of a loved one.
secondly, despite being humorous and quick witted in theme, the book doesn't fail to bring across the theme of society's view on gay relationships and marriage. The underlying hurt and sadness due to people's inability to accept their relationship can be felt throughout.
“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I'll fit into it one day, I guess.”- alex to henry, in their mails Lastly, the small bits of information given to us along the way, really sets the book apart and helps greatly with character development. For instance, henry went from seeming stubborn to being absolutely lovable and a literary genius. This doesn't happen suddenly but gradually with the smallest details, like alex calling henry for the first time only to find him watching the Great British bake off, to finding out his dog is named david after david bowie. {it's the tiniest details:)}

a few setbacks//
this is me trying to be critical since i'm an extremely lenient reviewer and can't stop rating books with 5 stars,
-I personally think the book would have been so much better in first person since i love reading things from a character's point of view. The third person did put me off a little bit, but the emails and texts definitely added a personal touch that saved the third person from ruining it for me.
-I did talk about how the book did a great job at giving equal preference to all the characters and it did, except for one character : Pez. Honestly, in the beginning and how he was introduced did seem like he would be an important part of the story, but it almost felt like the author forgot to talk about Pez after a point. His character had immense potential and did almost seem like a literary equivalent of June and Nora for Henry, but then after a point, he just disappears? (lazy writing?)
(didn't stop me from giving it a 4.5 star review though, just saying)

Overall, i loved the book and i think it is exceptional for contemporary romance to be both impactful as well as endearing and beautiful. The book does a great job at delivering a heartfelt romance while also having an overview of politics and addressing current problems in the world.

rereading this edition because I'm annotating it for a friend, and ITS SO pretty. The sprayed edges, character art and the cover page is just *chef's kiss*. Super glad I decided to do this because i forgot just how much i loved this book.

Rereading a book is such a different experience because this time you KNOW what happens, so you notice the little details you missed on your first read and the foreshadowing you might not have picked up when you were trying to understand the plot. I absolutely loved reading it again (maybe even more than the first time). Can't wait to reread [b:Crooked Kingdom|22299763|Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763._SY75_.jpg|42090179] next:D

Check out my Six of Crows review here :)

rating - 3.5 / 5 (only for kenji <3 )

Didn't read the synopsis and therefore the Kenji pov was a surprise! super happy to finally see his pov and voice. I've always known humour was his coping mechanism but seeing it actually written about is so sad ugh:(

“it's nice to have a space at the end of the night to be alone with my thoughts. Somewhere to hang the happy face I force myself to wear even when I'm having a shitty day.

does not stand out

add anything to the plot

“but when I look around the room I see the audience members begin to stir. Their shirts are torn and their faces are scratched, but no one appears to be dead.”

so they're not dead?

PLEASE. this book is so precious:''')
I was putting off reading this for a while now because i haven't read any graphic novels before, but this did not disappoint AT ALL! nick and charlie own my heart now:)

The illustrations are so pretty sighs in love. I found myself reading slowly so i wouldn't miss the little details in the illustrations (like they're nothing out of the world? BUT so simplistic and perfect< 3???!!)

ALSO WHAT WAS THAT ENDING.
watch me binge-read all the volumes today (angry huff)

“My heart knows your song, as yours knows mine. And I will always come back to you.”

rating- 3/5

SO. I FINALLY finished reading this. Took me almost a month (yes) and since i can't read more than a book at a time, it put me into a maaajor slump. But well, it is what it is. You'd think that after spending THAT long reading it, it would atleast be a 4 star read, but here we are.
To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement.

WRITING
First off, the world building is commendable. The author definitely put in a lot of work into research and character building. However, it somehow didn't work for me.
I knew going into a standalone fantasy; there were going to be lots of names, characters and places, but didn't anticipate the slow pace. I think that was definitely the book's setback. While a lot seemed to be happening event-wise, the writing was slow and prolonged. In contrast, the ending the book leads up to, is rushed and very averagely done.
The writing during the battle scenes was also not the best and I had trouble picturing it, due to lack of significant details (and abundance of insignificant ones- for example, i don't want to know how the sides of the ship look like, but would very much like to know how exactly they're positioned relative to the other ships, since characters seem to be swimming from one ship to another? and there's also a huge draconic beast in the water??)
I also had a really hard time trying to figure out the religion of the six virtues in Inys. Dukes? Duchesses? Knights?? of different virtues?? and places??
For like the first 200 something pages I was constantly referring to the characters and glossary section in the back (i was reading the ebook, which made it so much harder) trying to remember who Duchess of Justice was, and who in the world was Duke of Edinburg.
Honestly, still don't think I've figured it out.
Don't get me wrong, i love well thought out complex worlds but somehow i was lukewarm about this one.

CHARACTERS
The Priory of the Orange tree is definitely more character-driven, which is usually not the case in the fantasy genre.
In this case, character-driven =
-the plot is practically non existent/not done well
-the characters pretty much CARRY the book. so if you don't like them, then it is very likely that you WILL hate the book.

Lucky for the author, I did like the characters. (well, most of them). The Characters and their relationships are extremely well done.
◆ Ead's pov is refreshing. Her character, backstory and personality makes for a good protagonist. I loved reading her chapters and the way the book starts with her pov as an outsider in the castle really sets up the story.
◆ In contrast, i did not like Tane's character in the beginning but warmed up to her eventually.
◆ I had mixed feelings about Loth's character, there was a little inconsistent characterisation but it was minor and didn't divert from the plot.
◆ Niclays Roos, was a brilliantly done character. His flaws were laid out for everyone to see. He's selfish and grief stricken and thinks only and only for himself. His decisons were so terrible that I absolutely despised him and his pov from the get-go, and i think that makes his character well written.

THINGS I LIKED
Despite the few things I've mentioned above, there's a lot to like in The Priory of the Orange tree:
-I loved the consistent theme of duality: the east and west; wyrms and dragons; siden and sterren; water and fire. It stands out to the reader and is conventional yet refreshing.
-The characters in a female-female relationship. Absolutely love them.
-Dragons
-Diversity and the rep.
-The gender equality (women also in positions of power)

It's worth noting that it took me SUPER long to read this book and I was mostly relieved to be done. The pacing was a major issue for me and I debated giving it two stars. However, when I did start listing the things I liked, I realised there's plenty for the average fantasy-reader: Dragons, queer relationships, talking birds, mythical creatures, (did i mention dragons?).
You should definitely pick this up if you've been meaning to read a standalone epic fantasy, it's easy to follow and doesn't have very complex writing.

rating- 4/5buddy read with pratha < 3 book trigger warnings: depression, anxiety, emotional abuse, animal cruelty(review might contain minor spoilers)!“I wonder- if nobody is listening to my voice, am I making any sound at all?”― Alice Oseman, Radio Silencesometimes it takes me a while to really understand how much i like a book. this is one of those books. i bumped this up on my tbr so I could do a buddy read. (never done one before and loved it. absolutely recommend). Going into the book, I expected a thriller (just me?) with plot twists and surprises. There were surprises for sure, but the book was far from a thriller with out of the world plot twists. Ironically, realism was one of the things that stood out to me in this book. The author was able to portray themes of teenage emotions, depression, anxiety and academic pressure in an extremely genuine manner (probably the best i've seen in any book). I loved how different this book was from anything else i've ever read. A podcast based sci-fi show? diversity and representation that didn't seem forced? layered characters with unstructured thoughts and real emotions who don't have everything figured out? also wait for it: platonic male and female relationships. it had it all.Honestly though, this is something i have to say: if you relate with everything Frances and Aled had to go through, i'm sorry. i'm sorry that the education system has brainwashed you into believing your grades define you, and low grades would mean you're destined for failure. that is absolutely not true. grades are just letters at the end of the day, and that's about it. it's upsetting how grade oriented our learning is. I'm indian, so throughout the years i have been judged only on the basis of my grades, so much so, that i didn't really see how it affected me. Like Frances, i put all my energy into just proving my academic potential and later struggling to meet those high expectations i set for myself. Needless to say, this book resonated with me. It truly makes you feel like somebody's listening:) “I got four A grades [...] I expected to be happy about it. I expected to be jumping up and down and crying from joy.But I didn't feel any of that. It just wasn't disappointment.”“It must be useful to be smart,” she said and then laughed weakly. She glanced down and suddenly looked very sad. “I'm like, constantly scared I'm going to be a homeless or something. I wish our whole lives didn't have to depend on our grades.”The only reason it was a 4 star read for me was because of the simplicity of the plot (but looking back i think this adds to the realism aspect of the book)In my opinion, [b:Radio Silence 25322449 Radio Silence Alice Oseman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448470869l/25322449.SY75.jpg 45055773] is one of the most realistic and authentic contemporary books i've read. I couldn't put it down and was constantly thinking about the characters, who are again extremely well written. I would recommend this to anybody who has struggled or is struggling with anxiety and academic pressure (which, let's face it, is pretty much every teenager ever.)edit: also found out that this existed, months after reading the book and now i like it even more:- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRHhZ2y6V9ygqpZpCByznhvnVCrPMJ8Aq

rating - 4/5
honestly, I'm concerned i liked the dude but yeah ignoring a lot of things that would otherwise ick me out, solely because this was mafia; (guilty pleasure much?) it was a fun, fast-paced read.
I could see the conflict/coming from a mile away but loved reading it nonetheless.

rating - 4/5

“I hate the lackadaisical ennui of a sun too preoccupied with itself to notice the infinite hours we spend in its presence.”

did i think the prose was really good? yes. did i also think it was a tad bit excessive? yes.

“I spent my life folded between the pages of books.In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”

underwhelming

there is a problem, if ALL you're using is metaphors.

“and please and please and please—”“He looks so familiar so familiar so familiar to me.“There are 400 cotton balls caught in my windpipe.”“My jaw is dangling from my shoelace.”

really liked the world-building and evolution of the different relationships

slow

development

quite fast paced in the sense of reading time

here for Juliette's character arc

rating - 3/5

review contains major spoilers

kinda wanted to write a super detailed review because most of my grishaverse reviews are LoNg, but honestly i could sum it up for you:
i like it and i don't?
the plot wasn't my favourite, but my love for nikolai and now zoya, carried me through this book.
AND zoyalai. THE SLOWBURN please- i waited two entire books for somethiNg, ANythINg to happen. the tension practically killed me.

things that just weren't for me:
-while i liked the crows' cameo and it kind of told us about what they were all doing currently; as of writing this review, i'm not sure how i feel about this. Alina's cameo on the other hand just felt very off character to me.
These just seem unnecessary and forced in this already complicated and hard to follow plot.

-The alternating point of views were disorienting because they were just so different and kind of broke the flow/ narrative for me?

-THAT DEATH Leigh has to stop killing off characters out of nowhere. David:'''(. Genya has already been through enough:( that just broke me.

basically, this book is a 3 star read solely because of Nikolai and Zoya. period. did not care for any of the other characters as much.
–(not so sure about Hanne and Nina's ending but the grishas ruling fjerda plotline is pretty cool. LOVE that)
–(don't even get me started on the darkling: in my head, he died at the end of ruin and rising.)

Most of what i said in my king of scars review applies here too, hate that it completely undermines the grisha trilogy since it's one of my favourites. But THE WAR scenes were so beautifully written. loved that this book had a war setting since all the previous books hint at immense conflict and this would have lead up to nothing, otherwise.

Also the last line- SOC 3?????!!

anyways, going to go cri now because i'm done with the grishaverse:(( and i'm so attached to these books and characters.

“You are strong enough to survive the fall”― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

rating- 4.5/5

//This review contains A LOT of spoilers for the grisha trilogy and king of scars. Do not read this if you haven't read the books.\

buddy read with shreya:)


okay but this book was so hard for me to rate. I absolutely love the characters (cough cough nikolai cough cough) and i loved it? but there's also a few major things i didn't like:(

i'm going to start with what i disliked, so i can get that out of the way:

Undermines the Grisha Trilogy:
what upset me was how [b:King of Scars|36307634|King of Scars (King of Scars, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.SY75.jpg|57978319] takes everything you've learnt about the grishaverse so far and throws that out of the window.
a grisha's power isn't limited within the orders? between the orders? they have been using amplifiers wrong this whole time?!! (the entire original trilogy focuses on the search of the three amplifiers. please-)

i don't know if it's just me but the whole “we are all just things” ideology seemed very abstract to me. scientifically, it does make sense you know, because all elements are ultimately made of atoms. But but, that would mean all grisha could manipulate everything? there would be no limits to their powers? this is just all over the place-

somebody tell me why [a:Leigh Bardugo|4575289|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] was so determined to change everything??? I ABSOLUTELY loved the original grisha trilogy (maybe even slightly more than [b:Six of Crows|23437156|Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628438817l/23437156.SX50.jpg|42077459]. yes we exist.) I agree she wrote it a while ago and might want to change the way she's done a few things. But changing the entire grisha magic system? and it all happened so fast agghd.
[ i find it hard to cope with change, leave me alone :( ]

note: i know this is set up a little bit in the shadow and bone trilogy as well, through morozova's journals but he's continuously passed off as a man consumed by too much power. And i just liked how organised the grisha system is okay? angry huff.

The Darkling:And i don't know how to feel about the darkling being back:/. I absolutely loved the way things ended in [b:Ruin and Rising|14061957|Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957._SX50_.jpg|19699754] (well atleast for the darkling *sigh*)“In this moment he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity."And it just felt right. everything. where alina kills him with a tiny tendril of his own power, when they were both burnt. It was this profound moment where somebody who was essentially thought to be immortal and who had immense power was defeated by this young self deprecating orphan from keramzin. His character arc was closed in [b:Ruin and Rising|14061957|Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957._SX50_.jpg|19699754] really well, and his resurrection feels contrived to me idk.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. i don't like how this book undermines the original trilogy when it's one of my favourites:/

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THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS
I was considering rating the book about 3.5 stars, and then i read the last few chapters. And they completely blew my mind. Kind of like [b:Ruin and Rising|14061957|Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg|19699754] tbh, The author has a thing for crazy endings i guess.
The plot twists were unpredictable and weren't something i expected.
What's with Brum appearing out of nowhere in the grishaverse haha. i feel like all his appearances are like that.

BUT what fascinated me most was the Ehri-Isaak-Mayu thing. i've read some reviews and none of them mentioned this. like- I DID NOT EXPECT THAT? THEY WERE BOTH GUARDS PRETENDING TO BE ROYALS?!!! why is that so cool.
Okay but killing the ravkan king & their fake princess and framing Fjerda for it? The Shu are so smart please. I feel like we always forget that, and paint fjerdans as the real villains. Parem, Kherguud. ALL shu. (shurewd shu. why am i like this?)

Nikolai and Zoya
NIKOLAI is another reason this book is up there. He's literally so incredible please. i loved the charming, confident, sarcastic nikolai that we see from alina's pov and i love self-doubting, using-his-charm-and-humour-as-a-defense-because-he's-not-as-confident-as-he-seems-nikolai that we see from his own pov. (To all the reviews i read, that said “he's not the nikolai i fell in love with” pLEasE. you guys can't handle a character that's self deprecating, like not everybody has high self-esteem??? and it just makes him seem so much more realistic in my opinion.)

“He was a king who had only begun to make mistakes. He was a soldier for whom the war would never be over. He was a bastard left alone in the woods. And he was not afraid to die this day.”

Soldiers did not cry. Princes did not weep. Nikolai knew this. But the tears fell anyway. “Dominik the brave. Hold on a little longer.”Dominik squeezed his hand. “This country gets you in the end, brother. Don't forget it.”

ZOYA

“In that moment, he wished things might have been different. That he might not die tomorrow. That he could be led by his heart instead of duty. Because Zoya was not kind and she was not easy. But she was already a queen.”

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rating-4/5This review may contain spoilers, please do not read it if you haven't read the book yet.“She didn't know how to be semi-interested in something. She was either indifferent . . . or obsessed.”― Helen Hoang, The Kiss Quotient The Kiss quotient follows Stella Lane, an econometrician who is on the autism spectrum and wants to improve her skills in the physical aspects of dating. She decides to hire an escort to help her do this and ends up meeting Michael, a male escort who is financially struggling. Soon enough their arrangement starts to make sense and they find themselves drawn to each other while still dealing with their own problems.I loved the book! It was a fun, fast paced read and had me smiling throughout. Stella's character was extremely well written. I loved how the author portrayed disorders and the stigma, the mental turmoil and everyday problems that come with living with it. I've had it on my tbr since i found out it was an own voices novel of a woman with Asperger's and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. A few minor setbacks for me were: - how Michael was put on a pedestal for simply being a decent human being - a few instances where Stella was apprehensive of trying something and Michael talks her into trying it out felt a little icky to me.- some of the side characters were very flat and had inconsistent characterisation.However, there was more to like than dislike in [b:The Kiss Quotient 36199084 The Kiss Quotient Helen Hoang https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527983633l/36199084.SX50.jpg 57828311]. The protagonists stand out as well developed characters. As I mentioned above, I loved Stella. How she defined love as a variable in economics was also unique and something I loved. Our male protagonist, Michael was also an absolute sweetheart. The depiction of his family, culture and Vietnamese heritage is an integral part of the book. His interactions with his family, the banter with his sisters and the love and support shown by them throughout, stood out to me. What makes this book and others with mental health representation truly important, is that it helps people become aware and increases diagnosis rates. Infact the author's research for this book helped her understand her own symptoms, seek a therapist and get diagnosed on the spectrum.You should definitely pick this up if you've had it on your tbr:)

BAH! HUMBUG!

haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about a Christmas carol by Charles dickens and now i can finally say i've read it. It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility. I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here:

https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk

and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning. The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself, and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)

“Looking back on it, it's weird thinking about the moments you don't realize are important. The sentences, the touches, the actions that seem so innocent in that second, you take them for granted.” rating-3/5Okay that was..different?? I have a lot to say and also don't really know what to say. i.e. this review is going to be chaos. (just preparing you) My friend recommended this to me and i did have former warning that there were only emails/letters/IMs for about 40% of the book which is why I was prepared. Although I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't been prepared, I'd be constantly thinking about when it would switch to a first person pov. [a:Mariana Zapata 5760202 Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1330380214p2/5760202.jpg] definitely did a good job at a unique writing format for this book. (not saying it worked.., but it was unique.)It also had a pretty good premise: An online service that connects soldiers to people who are willing to write to them. Ruby and Aaron meet through HaS (help a soldier) and end up writing to each other for over a year. Soon they become really close and *insert friendship, flirty banter and romance *So potentially, really great plot; although, it somehow didn't end up working for me. A lot of people did not enjoy the first half of the book because of the format and the pace, however it was the reverse for me. I liked the online conversations slightly more than the in-person bit. Don't get me wrong, almost half the book with just random topics of conversation is A lot. Cutting out a few of these chapters definitely would have been more ideal, but it is what it is. I read the online convos as if they were screenshots of texts, instead of thinking of how they contributed to the plot in any manner. This made it easier for me to read them without being exasperated at the lack of direction or plot. What appealed to me in these online convos was how real they seemed. I loved that we could see the protagonists getting more comfortable talking to each other over the course of time. The toilet and butthole jokes weren't for me but Ruby's mother had me laughing out loud at her overprotective nature. I reached for my phone and sent my mom a message telling her I was alive.It was three minutes later I got a response from her that said “Good. Keep it that way.” love that. Overall, the first half of the book was very accurate for an online friendship and well written (only downside: too many chapters).In contrast, i did like a few scenes from the second half of the book but i also have lots of complaints:(➻ I loved the scene where they finally meet, when they first talk on the phone, the beach, etc. All of it was so realistically portrayed and also so cute < 3 FINALLYYY reading from a first person perspective after all of those emails added to the experience for sure.➻The slowburn more like sloooooowburn had me dying (not really sure if it was in a good way or a bad way tbh. i have a love-hate relationship with slowburns.)➻ Ruby's character although very childish for her age, (she seemed more 16 to me than 23 plis) tick lick?? really? was very well written. The anxiousness, self doubt etc. seemed super layered and her character didn't feel flat. Can't say the same about Aaron though. I feel like a few of the chapters from his perspective would've done the trick. The author could've elaborated on the ptsd from being in the army and his family. We feel disconnected to his character because he's more closed off and shares less about himself.➻ The side characters?? the first half of the book did a great job with this. I was intrigued about Jasmine and Ruby's side of the family. But in the second half, Aaron's friends: Max, Des, Britanny and other girl whose name I'm forgetting literally appear once?? I understand that the book focuses on Aaron and Ruby but wtf was that? a cameo?? they are in the book for the length of a car ride and that is about it.➻ Something else i really disliked was how intense their dynamic was. Or rather how intense Ruby's pov was. Loved her inner monologue otherwise, but everytime it had something to do with Aaron, she's SO INTENSE. For example-Aaron says something like:It wasn't until you that I heard myself laugh, Ruby.” and then Ruby's inner monologue T_T:“i sniffed, touched by his words, and so freaking in love with this guy I wanted to make a potion that would make him fall in love with me so I could keep him forever”(yes that is actually in the book, i did not make it up)like this wasn't even one time. EVERYTIME Aaron spoke or made breakfast (which is a lot of times), her monologue had something along those lines. It got very repetitive and annoying to me. sorry not sorry, love romances but this was djfkfkkc.➻ the epilogue? what? I'm so confused? is he living with her or is he back in the army?because they're talking about getting dinner together but also about how he only has to stay in the army for another year?Ruby: How's your day going anyway? Aaron: Fine. Aaron: My CO is in a shit mood Ruby: Sorry. One more year and then you can rethink what you want to do againSo.. is he away from home?Aaron: I touched your face before I left and thought you were feeling warm. Go to the doctor.Aaron: What are we having for dinner? Ruby: Whatever you decide to bring home.Or.. at home?weird. (somebody plis tell me if i missed something)Wow. That was way longer than i intended. But that's all my thoughts in words, so there you have it. Wasn't sure how i was going to rate this because it was very well written, but i didn't really like it? 3 seems fair. This was my first [a:Mariana Zapata 5760202 Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1330380214p2/5760202.jpg] book, and there's so many more on my tbr so absolutely can't wait to read those:) you should definitely give [b:Dear Aaron 35404657 Dear Aaron Mariana Zapata https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497156593l/35404657.SY75.jpg 56654039] a chance and add it to your tbr!

rating - 5 / 5
This book basically said: ‘everything you know so far? well.. that was a lie.'

Like I said in my review of Restore me, the second half of the series takes a complete 360° turn from the first. It's better written, more mature and just reads better. However, if you thought Restore me was crazy, just wait till you read this.

(the rest of the review contains spoilers. not spoiler tagged)
I honestly don't know how to review these. It felt like middle school me was cruising through a dystopian series, back in 2016. I read the entire book in one sitting, and didn't expect any of the plot twists/ revelations, which is great. Also, I'm practically obsessed with Aaron so I could read about him watching paint dry, and still not be bored. (i.e I'm not the best person to objectively review this).

LOVED the Kenji pov. And juliette ella and warner ahhhh<3. Their backstory adds so much more depth to their story.

“because it didn't matter how many times he reset the story or remade the introductions- Aaron always fell in love with her.

rating - 4.5 / 5

I genuinely don't know what to say. what the absolute fuck just happened in this book???

When I found out that the first five shatter me books are usually considered separate from the last six (restore me series), I was kinda intrigued. Ignite me, (the last book of the five) does not end on a cliffhanger, and one can stop reading the series there, with a pretty satisfactory ending; In fact, quite a few people do. Not gonna lie, I did consider stopping at Ignite me?

“Ignite, my love. Ignite”

absolutely loved it.

resolved

stop reading for a bit so the characters can still be suspended in time with no problems in life?

“Did he ever tell you,” Anderson says “what he had to do to prove that he was worthy?”

Because holy crap. I was just staring into space for about an hour before i could write this review.

Tahereh Mafi takes the restore me series to a whole different level.

top tier

plot twists were insane

The end had me like ??????

the polaroid of aaron and ella. (I WILL SOB. I am genuinely not strong enough for this.)

tad bit slow

character development

unpack

banter

so much more rounded and polished compared to it's predecessors

ominous tones

“Most adults see teenagers as confused kids who don't understand much, while they're the pillars of knowledge and experience and know exactly what is right at all times.I think the truth is that everyone in the entire world is confused and nobody understands much of anything at all.”rating - 4/5
If you read for escapism, Alice Oseman's books aren't for you.
Honestly though, her books are the closest thing to real life i've found. The way she somehow manages to make characters on paper feel so real and authentic has always fascinated me.
I've always loved reading fiction because for once, the problems aren't mine. So naturally, I've strayed away from contemporary fiction that isn't romance. This book made me reconsider though. Hit a little close home, but it does a great job at discussing important topics while also having beautiful writing and diverse characters.

I annotated this for my bestfriend and we started talking online because of a boyband, so that was fun. There was A lOt of highlighting and capitalization. absolutely recommend. go pick it up rn.

a short story to see if Sally Rooney's writing is for you

idk how to rate short stories but i loved reading this so:
rating-4/5

Death was, of course, the most ordinary thing that could happen, at some level I knew that. Still, I had stood there waiting to see the body in the river, ignoring the real living bodies all around me, as if death was more of a miracle than life was.”

I read this because i wanted to know if Sally rooney's writing was for me or not.

lack of quotations.

transpiring between the characters.

longer

short

depth and nuance,

complexity of relationships, human emotions and just mundane life experiences is something she's incredible at.

relieved i loved this

This is a great book to decide if you want to give her work a chance.

overall rating- 4.5/5okay i did not expect that? i picked this up expecting a short novella of the grishaverse and it turned out to be a whole collection of stories that are so beautifully written. like this should literally be a standalone instead of a novella. I'm so impressed?! [b:The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic 34076952 The Language of Thorns Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (Grishaverse, #0.5, 2.5, 2.6) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491842507l/34076952.SX50.jpg 55087763] is a small collection of six folk-tales. All these tales are beautifully crafted, short and yet convey important profound messsages. I used to read tons of folk tales when I was a kid, so this made me feel super nostalgic:(AYAMA AND THE THORN WOOD- 5/5 ☆☆☆☆☆this was definitely one of my favourites. it's a story of courage and outcasts, of those who are different and of wanting to be heard. i loved it even more because of the little stories ayama tells the beast. the message of the story: “tell the true stories instead of the easier ones” and i think that's so important because we've all heard the usual fairytales- princes saving girls, beasts turning into princes, the ‘they lived happily ever afters' but what if it that wasn't actually the case. what about honorable beasts and weak, evil kings, females saving the day instead of your conventional prince? this is such a beautiful story and honestly I wish i grew up reading more stories like this, instead of the fairytales we were fed.THE TOO-CLEVER FOX- 3/5 ☆☆☆https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4174921964THE WITCH OF DUVA- 2/5 ☆☆https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4181077942LITTLE KNIFE-4/5 ☆☆☆☆https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4188079548THE SOLDIER PRINCE-5/5 ☆☆☆☆☆okay wow. Leigh's writing. period. ( that's three periods, i know. go away) I was so excited to read a folk tale set in Ketterdam and this did not disappoint at all. The story flows extremely smoothly and the different povs were also done well. Droessen's character was so creepy but like also, so interesting??? i'd read an entire book about him honestly. And the ending- Althea-WHEN WATER SANG FIRE-5/5☆☆☆☆☆This was definitely my favorite of all these stories. it was also the longest and considering i was in a little bit of a slump, i kept putting off reading this and i really shouldn't have bothered because it's by far, one of the best short stories I've ever read.Despite it being only about 80 pages long, it's definitely up there in my list of books. Something else that stood out to me, is the world-building. Considering i didn't know anything about this world, I wasn't confused at all. The world building is beautifully done due to the author's way of tangling the world building with the plot.‘When water sang fire' is a tale of sildrohers - a magical race of sea folk who inhabit the waters off the coast of Fjerda. (kinda like mermaids). The story follows Ulla and Signy, two little sildroher girls who aren't very special and yet the magic they create together, brings them to notice of the young prince. There might even be blood magic and going to human lands involved. (just saying. )Trouble roused that day as two girls tangled together like rockweed, but then closed its eyes, pretending to sleep, leaving Ulla and Signy to their games and whispered confidences, letting them murmur their secrets and muddle their dreams as the years passed, waiting for winter and the prince's birthday party.OVERALLI love how real & raw these folktales are, the dark theme and wrongness of all of them.an excerpt from the author's note:“I think many of us hear in familiar tales, because we know—even as children—that impossible tasks are an odd way to choose a spouse, that predators come in many guises, that a prince's whims are often cruel. The more I listened to that note of warning, the more inspiration I found.”I love the recurring themes of freedom and discovering yourself in all these stories, and [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s storytelling is just chef's kiss. The element of surprise and unpredictability in all her writing draws me to her books everytime, and i'm not complaining.Language of thorns has short stories that are all extremely well written and have no connection to the main grishaverse novels. These books are a great way for somebody to get a taste of the author's writing and i'd definitely suggest everybody to pick them up.

rating - 4 / 5 overall series rating - 4.5 / 5“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”(aaron warner crossover?)

I LOVED this series. When i started reading it, I thought this would be kind of predictable, but boy was I wrong- everything right from the actual killer to the ending, I couldn't have guessed.
This was more than just about the romance and the incongruous, mismatched pair of Lana and Logan.

“that's what happens when you're a serial killer dating an FBI profiler who hunts serial killers.“It's sad that I want to hide my bodies now so that my boyfriend gets a break and can spend more time with me” It was about revenge, justice and victims whose voices have been silenced, corruption and the lines between right and wrong being blurred
“And you treat her like a monster. Why? Because she kills? Do you treat your military like monsters? Do you stare at your own reflection with such disdain? Because I've seen your file. You've shot and killed thirteen serial killers since your career began. Those were real monsters, just like all the men Lana has dispatched.”
The whole shift in Logan's stand was done in such a great way. Book 4 practically left me broken; so seeing everything fall back into place and right itself was the absolute best.

“Her head falls to my chest, and my lips press against the top of her head as I hold her as close as possible. And we dance.”“Nothing I stood for was worth more than her. Nothing I valued held any true value at all. Everything I have is pointless without her.�� (* screaming *)

And the epilogue? chef's kiss. topped it all. The whole killing people the system can't touch is such a beautiful way to continue the legacy of the absolute goddess: LANA MYERS.
loveddd jake, loooved hadleyy and LOVED LOVED LaLo. (def inspired by lilo T_T) You're a 100% missing out if you don't read this series. Just make sure to check all the trigger warnings before you do.

rating - 3.5 / 5

the low rating only because this book was literally everything i was dreading, since i started the series. All the gory details, Logan finding out. It's all in there.

“I'm Victoria Evans. The daughter of the man you killed. The sister to the boy you let die. The victim you turned into a monster. And I'm going to kill you all.”

They think Lana is Kennedy, which makes no sense; And they're literally the fbi, but okaayy. Can't wait for him to find out the rest of the story.

“what you do for a living does not determine if you're a monster,”

terrified —

rating - 5 / 5

Absolutely loved the whole showdown with the Boogeyman and the Hadley bit. Wasn't so sure about Hadley's motives in book 1; but learning about her past and the fact that Lana and her bond over being victims was a really nice plot arc, I didn't really expect.
Honestly, the author does a great job at slowly giving us more layers to the characters. I'm super impressed with the way the plot's flowing and I'm most definitely HOOKED, if not obsessed. The ending in book 3 did not have as much shock factor as the ones in book 1 and 2; but the background is established only so much, that you just HAVE to keep reading. I love that the author divulges details over the course of the book. This keeps us interested and also doesn't feel like too much information at once.

On to book 4 :)

rating-3.5/5

I loved the book but didn't really see any connection between Dallas and Diana until about the 45-50% mark. I just saw an overly helpful neighbour and a very, in-her-head woman trying to raise her nephews; both living their individual lives for the first half of the book. It did start to get better once you could see that he did really like her through the little things he did. (I know, I know. I've to get used to MZ's slowburns still, clearlyy).
But I did think that both the character's feelings were pretty hard to decipher in Diana's pov because of how the boys's and their upbringing was her primary focus. Parenting as a single parent, living with grief, divorce, family dynamics and multiple other things were also given a lot of focus throughout the story; which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because I'm pretty sure I'd be bored reading a 600 page book, otherwise.
I do wish there was better resolution to multiple things like Dallas's brother, tension with Diana's mother, Nana pearl's comments etcetc; but I loved the book otherwise. Josh and Lou have my entire heart <3

I read this before ‘The Wall of Winnipeg and me' T_T and thus couldn't appreciate the cameos more, but that's on my priority tbr now. (as soon as i am in the mood for a slowburn, i promise.)

rating - 4.5 / 5These just keep getting better and better T_T.

The cliffhangers are honestly gonna be the death of me. I thought book 1 had an anxiety inducing ending. boy was i wrong—
I loved how there were multiple cases/storylines going on at the same time and how they all tied together. It seemed realistic for the fbi to have multiple cases at once and was done really well. Loved the different characters. Lisa, Hadley, Duke all stood out, despite having less page time (?)

Honestly i don't even know if i want Logan to find out:P The sneaking around is so much fun + i kinda wanna avoid the conflict. Although, i do love how he's so close by the end of this book. Man literally knows everything about our unsub except for physical attributes. The deduction skills and profiling are also really well depicted i think, because i was convinced that's how it happens irl.

On to book 3 > Read these books if you haven't yet¡ they're so fun.

rating - 4 / 5 should i be concerned that i liked this as much as I did?

LANA MYERS is one hell of a fmc. genuinely obsessed. The books itself are super fast paced and short, so that's fun.

I'm curious to see how this goes down; specifically with Logan finding out she's the serial killer he's after. Love the setting, the backstory and the dual pov. The writing is not spectacular but works for the plot and is to the point. The einstein/confucious quotes are a fun touch. Overall, a pretty great first book.