Wonderfilled Reads

WWW Wednesday – March 16th, 2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

Currently Reading

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams – audiobook
Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee – physical book

I’m less than halfway through The Reading List and I’m already in love. Books about books are always good, but something about this one actually evokes the emotions and connections you make as a reader. I can’t explain it. I haven’t even finished this one yet and I already want to recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Jade Legacy is obviously the best. At this point, I truly think Fonda Lee can do no wrong. This series is so unique and interesting and I love every second of it. My only regret is that I hadn’t done a re-read before diving into this finale. There’s so much I’ve forgotten!

What did you recently finish reading?

House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2) by Sarah J. Maas – physical book
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley – audiobook, buddy read
The Luxe (Luxe, #1) by Anna Godbersen – physical book, buddy read, re-read
Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1) by Brandon Sanderson – audiobook

I’ve had a really great reading month in March so far. We can say that I’ve been too busy reading and that’s why I haven’t been posting lately, HAHA! But it’s been a bit of a mixed bag in the books I’ve picked up. I was really disappointed by House of Hollow and Stalking Jack the Ripper. I have THOUGHTS about Sky and Breath (probably unpopular ones honestly), but I did enjoy Firekeeper’s Daughter and Luxe.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O’Neil – ebook, ARC
Court (Crave, #4) by Tracy Wolff – physical book
A Tale of Magic (A Tale of Magic, #1) by Chris Colfer- physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – February 23rd, 2022

Currently Reading

House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2) by Sarah J. Maas – physical book
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley – audiobook, buddy read
The Luxe (Luxe, #1) by Anna Godbersen – physical book, buddy read

Still slowly making my way through Sky and Breath. I can’t speed read through this series, as they tend to be very dense with so much going on at once. Definitely the type of book to slowly savor, at least for me. I just started Firekeeper last night and am barely a couple of chapters into it, so not much of an opinion just yet on it. I have also started rereading Luxe. I first read this trilogy back during my freshman year of college and loved it. I don’t remember a whole lot about it, so it’ll be interesting to see how goes this time around!

What did you recently finish reading?

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak – ebook, ARC
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan – audiobook

I really enjoyed Our American Friend! I haven’t read any Cold War-centered fiction before (at least that I can recall), and so this was a unique perspective that I really enjoyed. I loved seeing how life could have been for those living under the Soviet regime. I definitely recommend this one if you’re in the mood for a different kind of historical fiction read.

Sadly, I cannot say I recommend Age of Witches. The story felt unnecessarily long with very slow pacing. The conflict wasn’t interesting, though I did like the characters.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee – physical book
Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O’Neil – ebook, ARC
Court (Crave, #4) by Tracy Wolff – physical book

WWW Wednesday – February 16th, 2022

Currently Reading

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak – ebook, ARC
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan – audiobook
House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2) by Sarah J. Maas – physical book

I’m very close to finishing up Our American Friend and boy, has it been an interesting ride. My feelings with this one have been all over the place, so I’m really interested in seeing how it ends. I should have the review posted up either later this week or next. But if you’re at all interested in historical fiction set during the Cold War, I recommend picking this one up. It just released yesterday!

I have barely started House of Sky and Breath and Age of Witches, so not much to report on them yet. However, the prologue for Sky and Breath was crazy. I can already tell this one is going to be amazing!

What did you recently finish reading?

The Merciful Crow (Merciful Crow, #1) by Margaret Owen – ebook
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas – audiobook, reread

Earth and Blood was a reread for me and I’m sure y’all are more than aware of my feelings on it by now. But if not, just know that I 100% believe it to be Maas’ best work so far… YES, EVEN BETTER THAN ACOTAR!

And what can I say about The Merciful Crow? Well, I definitely loved it. Yes, it did get a little repetitive in the middle for a bit but it was still a fun ride. Owen is quickly joining another Margaret on my auto-buy author list! (Margaret Rogerson is the other one, because obviously. She’s flawless!)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee – physical book
Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O’Neil – ebook, ARC
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley – audiobook, buddy read

WWW Wednesday – February 9th, 2022

Currently Reading

The Merciful Crow (Merciful Crow, #1) by Margaret Owen – ebook
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas – audiobook, reread

I’m close to finishing up The Merciful Crow and what a ride it has been so far. I’m really interested in seeing where it all goes from here, but basically I just want Fie to keep kicking ass. Side Note: Not insanely invested in the romantic sub-plot still but maybe it’ll get better.

Slowly working my way still through Crescent City. I may be regretting deciding to listen to the audio (27 HOURS, Y’ALL!) instead of just rereading a physical copy, but I’m gonna stick with it. I’m over halfway through so I can’t stop now. The narrator is great and I still love the story, I’m just finding less and less time to actually listen.

What did you recently finish reading?

Daughter of the King (Defying the Crown, #1) by Kerry Chaput – ARC, physical book

I was able to finish this one up over the weekend and I ended up liking it more towards the end. I think the pace in the beginning is what slowed this one down for me the most, but I have a feeling the sequel won’t have that same issue. Full review should go up next week!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee – physical book
Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak – ebook, ARC
Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O’Neil – ebook, ARC

ARC Review: The Big Reveal

If you’re in the mood for a story that delivers up some awesome body positivity and female empowerment, then you’ll love The Big Reveal by Jen Larsen. It’s full of friendship, rebellion, and a little bit of teenage romance (because DUH!). It was my first read by Larsen, but after the fun I had while reading it, it definitely won’t be my last.

A dazzling YA novel about a girl who isn’t afraid to be big and sexy and dance her heart out, and a discussion-provoking exploration of the mixed messages our society gives young women about their bodies and sexuality.

Addie is a talented dancer, a true-blue friend, fat, fierce, and driven. When she’s accepted into the prestigious dance program of her dreams, she thinks nothing can bring her down—until she realizes she doesn’t have enough money to go. Refusing to give up, Addie and her friends decide to put on a top-secret, invitation-only burlesque show to raise funds. But word soon gets out, and the slut- and body-shaming begin. Has Addie been resisting the patriarchy, or playing right into its hands?

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Mathieu and E. Lockhart, The Big Reveal asks hard-hitting feminist questions while reveling in some of life’s greatest joys: chasing your passions, falling in love, and embracing yourself exactly as you are.

I really enjoyed Larsen’s writing style. It was fairly straightforward, which I prefer in my contemporary stories, while also including some really hard hitting sentences that you felt deep in your soul. There were a few times when I caught myself tearing up or fist pumping the air! When a book makes me physically connect to it, I know it’s a keeper for me.

Addie was the star of this book for me. I loved her strength, especially when it came to shaking off all of her insecurities. She felt like a real character and person, someone who I immediately connected with. Now there were a few decisions she made that I didn’t necessarily feel were very realistic, but I guess that’s the case with most fictional stories. Gotta have that conflict, you know! But other than that, I felt she really gave us someone to root for and want to make a difference in how body positivity is such a great movement. As for the other characters, they were all interesting in their own right, if a little forgettable as a whole. I wish we could have gotten to really know them each a bit more individually, but this was really Addie’s story so we only ever get to experience them from her perspective. I did love their little friend group dynamic though. They were such a supportive bunch and I loved how they pushed her to shine. The romantic lead, Jack, was cute, but I’m glad that the romance was just a little sub-plot and not the focus of the story. Also, and I mean this 100%, fuck her mother. She is a terrible and selfish woman.

Now there were a few issues that I had with this book. While I loved the idea of an underground burlesque show to raise money, the actual show was such a tiny part of the book. I wish it had been given more time and description than what it was given. It happened, we glanced over it, and then it was over. For supposedly being such an integral part of the plot, it didn’t really stand out. Also… I NEED MORE DANCING. As a dancer growing up and in school, there was a lot of dance talk but not a lot actual dancing. I would have loved more scenes in dance class or practicing. To be fair though, this is really just my personal issue lol! The pacing also dragged a bit in the middle of the book, but I tend to feel that way about most contemporary novels in general.

With that being said, I feel like any issues I had with the book just melted away at climax, when it comes time for Addie to make her final stand. I don’t want to give too much away but… OH. MY. GOD. I haven’t read any speech in a novel before that moved me and left me feeling quite as empowered as Addie’s did. It was exactly how women and girls everywhere have felt at one time or another, and reading it being expressed like that was extremely powerful. If for no other reason than that, you should read this book.

Final Verdict: 3.5/5 Stars

Have you read The Big Reveal yet? If so, what did you think of it? How did THAT speech make you feel when you read it? Do you enjoy books with feminist messages?

WWW Wednesday – February 2nd, 2022

Currently Reading

The Merciful Crow (Merciful Crow, #1) by Margaret Owen – ebook
Daughter of the King (Defying the Crown, #1) by Kerry Chaput – ARC, physical book
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas – audiobook, reread

I’m in the middle of rereading (or listening to this time) Crescent City, so I’ll be ready for the sequel when it comes out later this month. I’m so glad I decided to reread because I had forgotten sooo much that had happened!

I’m also close to finishing up Daughter of the King. While it’s a very well-researched book, the writing seems a bit dense and it’s taking me longer to finish than I thought it would. I also am pretty early on in The Merciful Crow but I’m loving it so far. It’s very interesting and after reading Owen’s latest book last fall, I know I’m in for a good time.

What did you recently finish reading?

A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw – eARC
The Sandman, Part 1 by Neil Gaiman – full production audiobook, comic

I finished these two over the weekend and really enjoyed both of them. Wild Places was very intriguing and had me guessing what was going to happen next, thanks to all of the twists it kept throwing at me. I definitely recommend it! I’ll be posting a full review soon on it.

Gaiman is basically a writing god, so no surprise that his foray into DC comics was amazing. I loved all of the little details tying Morpheus’ story to the rest of the Justice League. If anything, this has only made me even more excited for the show adaptation coming to Netflix this year. It’ll be interesting to see if DC lets them keep all of the tie-ins to the greater JL universe.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Court (Crave, #4) by Tracy Wolff – physical book
Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1) by Jay Kristoff – physical book
Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee – physical book

WWW Wednesday – December 15th, 2021

Currently Reading

The Song Rising (The Bone Season, #3) by Samantha Shannon – audiobook, reread
Dune (Dune, #1) by Frank Herbert – physical read

I have been steadily working my way through Dune over the past few weeks. And boy, it has been a ride. To say that I’ve become obsessed would be an understatement. This book has quickly become a new favorite for me, even with all of the info dumping and heavy philosophy. I saw the movie on opening night and can’t get enough of it ever since.

I’m still working my way through Song Rising. I haven’t listened to it much recently, focusing on podcasts instead but I’m flying back home for the holidays tomorrow and hope to listen to it a lot during the trip.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Boy Next Door (Fear Street, #39) by R.L. Stine – physical book, buddy read

I am delighted to announce I’ll be a guest on tomorrow’s episode of the Fear Street Book Club podcast hosted by my dear friend, Hannah! For this episode we read and reviewed Boy Next Door with our other book friend, Heather. It was so much fun and I hope you all go check it out!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten – physical ARC
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw – eARC
Just River by Sara B. Fraser – physical ARC

WWW Wednesday – November 17th, 2021

Currently Reading

The Song Rising (The Bone Season, #3) by Samantha Shannon – audiobook, reread
Cazadora (Lobizona, #2) by Romina Garber – ebook

I haven’t been listening to Song Rising. It’s been sat to the side in favor of some podcasts instead, specifically reality tv related podcasts. Haha! But I should get back to it soon… Hopefully.

I’ve picked Cazadora back up after sitting it aside for a few days. It’s going pretty good so far but it’s just now really hit an interesting plot line. This is such an interesting series and the story is super unique. I don’t see it getting mentioned, but I wish it would!

What did you recently finish reading?

The Big Reveal by Jen Larsen – ARC
Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse, #3) by James S.A. Corey – physical book
All the Feels (Spoiler Alert, #2) by Olivia Dade – ARC

Of course I absolutely loved Abaddon’s Gate. That series just keeps getting better and better with each book. I also really enjoyed The Big Reveal. I loved the empowering feminist and body positivity message. It definitely did it much better than other books, I think. Which may be why All the Feels really fell short for me. I’ll dive more into it soon with a full review. But for now, just know it wasn’t my favorite.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten – ARC
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw – ARC
Just River by Sara B. Fraser – ARC

ARC Review: Little Thieves (Little Thieves, #1)

I have never read The Goose Girl, but I do know the overarching plot of the story. However, Margaret Owen really tears it down to the bones and rebuilds it as one of the best retellings that I’ve read in recent years. Little Thieves may be the underrated hit of 2021.

Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of “The Goose Girl” about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.

This was my first Owen experience and I loved every second of it. She really leaned into the Germanic influence of the original tale, letting it provide the culture and world that this story is set in. My medieval German background is iffy at best (HA!) so I did struggle a tad bit in the beginning with all of the different terms, but I caught on once the story really got going. Which is a good thing because the plot moves pretty fast with this one, specially in the beginning when you are immediately dropped into the story. I love books that really start off with a bang and so I was happy that I can add this book to that list.

Vanja is a little devil. And I mean that in the best way possible! She is an acerbic wit and always has a comeback locked and loaded. I liked that Owen really leaned into her independence and need to not let anyone get too close, as she has always been burned by relationships in the past. I have to say that this was one of the more realistic portrayals of someone who’s been affected by a traumatic event in their life. I actually connected with that story and immediately grasped to why she felt that way and let it dictate the decisions she would make. And for me, that doesn’t always happen. I also enjoyed the side characters, Gisele and Ragne. Ragne was hilarious and the perfect sidekick. And Gisele was very interesting and had much more depth than I would have expected. Then there’s our sweet cinnamon bun, Emeric. He’s very smart and a great “junior” detective. I thought he was the perfect love interest for Vanja, as they are complete opposites. And also, who doesn’t love a good enemies-to-lovers trope?!

Like I mentioned earlier, my only real issue with this book was the heavy German influence on the terms and titles used. It took me a while to piece everything together and remember who was who or what such and such was. But luckily. things started to make sense as the story progressed. It definitely didn’t deter from my reading experience in any way.

Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year so far. It was fun, fast-paced, and full of memorable characters. I liked the open ending, but now I’m really happy knowing that there will be a sequel so we can see where our favorites all end up. I really recommend this book to anyone, whether you’re familiar with original Goose Girl story or are not. It really brings a fresh flavor to the story, while still delivering the original fairytale. I do warn that some of the flashback segments mention/describe child abuse so just be aware of that, as well as some PTSD from that situation.

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

Have you read Little Thieves yet? If so, what did you think of it? Do you enjoy fairytale retellings? What are some favorites that you would recommend?

WWW Wednesday – November 3rd, 2021

Currently Reading

Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse, #3) by James S.A. Corey – physical book
The Song Rising (The Bone Season, #3) by Samantha Shannon – audiobook, reread

Still making my way through Abaddon’s Gate. This series is pretty dense in general so I tend to read it slower than normal. But man, do I love it! I’ve finally reached the halfway point and shit has hit the fan. I don’t want to put it down!I also did make some progress in Song Rising, though still not a quarter of the way through yet. I hope to listen more this week but work has been crazy lately so not sure if it’ll really happen or not.

What did you recently finish reading?

Nothing this week!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Dune (Dune, #1) by Frank Herbert – physical book
The Big Reveal by Jen Larsen – ARC
Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten – ARC

I am participating in #NetgalleyNovember this month so other than Dune, expect to see a lot of ARCs on my TBR for the next few weeks. 42% is not good and my goal is to get up to good standing again. Which also means y’all will be getting a lot of reviews coming your way. Stay tuned!

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Final Verdict: 3.5/5 Stars

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Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

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