5 mini book reviews
Monday, March 8, 2021
Announcement: I got a Kindle for my birthday and it's the best thing ever.
99p books? A dozen of them stored on my little device that I can stash into my bag and carry with me everywhere? That I can pull out whilst I'm at work and accidentally read sex scenes in the staff room? I'm in. (This last one is a true story - I sent photos of it to my friends working so I didn't have to burn alone.)
Am I thrilled that it's connected to Amazon? Of course not. But I am going to do my best to balance my ebooks with purchases from independent book sellers, charity shops (eventually) and book swaps. My Kindle is helping me read more than I have in years. It's so accessible, especially for those of us on a tight budget. I'd been reading books on the Kindle app on my phone for weeks until I finally decided to commit my birthday money to one, so definitely take advantage of that if you're in the same boat! Allow me to report on a handful of the books I've read recently.
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
This book had been on my peripheral vision for several years before I picked it up but I always remembered the premise - anything dramatic and drastic and a little bit dark always stirs my wicked soul and The Wrath and the Dawn did not disappoint. A Khaliph who marries women and then hangs them the following morning? A bride clever enough to weave stories to stay alive night after night? Hello. I'm in. It wasn't as dark as I wanted it to be (it softened once the romance started) but Shahzrad was such a bad bitch. I loved her. She was the highlight of the novel for me and was the only reason I dragged myself through the disappointing sequel. 4/5 stars.
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Turns out I'm a slut for silly little regency romances. The smuttiness of them all just emphasises that. The Viscount Who Loved Me is the second novel in the Bridgerton series and it was a huge step up from book one. Our main characters were fiesty and sexy and complex. Fears, both logical and illogical, were explored in a way that felt real both in their own right and within the romance and I loved that layer to the plot. Julia Quinn adds some truly questionable instances to these stories, though, and there's a scene in particular that made Anthony seem like a predatory prick. I hate the way men act in these regencies sometimes, but I suppose it makes it authentic to the era. Could still do without tho! 4/5 stars.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
I truly had to drag myself through the first half of this book. There was a lot of torture experienced by one of the main characters and it was hard to read because within her narrative she was so weak minded. She suffered and I felt it and I didn't like it. She irritated the fuck out of me at points, too, and I really disliked reading her chapters. Despite that, I did quite like the book on the whole and it was written incredibly well. It's a little outside of my tastes these days, though, and were I still in my dystopian Hunger Games phase I would have eaten this up. 3.5/stars.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
Regency romances are truly the easiest books to read in all the land - The Duchess Deal being one of the easiest yet. It was silly and romantic and sexy and exactly what I needed. I love that there's always such coldness and arrogance within the men of these novels but what they all really want is a woman to dominate them. It never fails to thrill me. Emma is probably my favourite regency heroine to date and I loved the inclusion of her weird and eccentric friends. All the yesses to this one. 4.5/5 stars.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Have you ever read a book that unexpectedly comes for your heart and soul and demolishes you so thoroughly that you just sit and stare for a while after finishing? This is the second book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that has made me feel this way (the first being The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.) Does the woman write anything but masterpieces? Daisy Jones & The Six is comprised of interviews giving the full story on the beginning, middle and drastic end of one of the biggest imaginary bands from the 1970s. It's full of drugs, sex and rock n roll but also vulnerability, addiction, trust and heartbreak. I inhaled it. I read it through the night into the small hours until S pried my Kindle from my weary hands and I finished it the second I opened my eyes the following morning. 5/5 stars all. day. long.
I'm currently 9 books deep into my reading challenge for the year which means I'm almost halfway to my goal already! Yaaaaas. However I've kinda reached the stage where I've read everything good I own soooo... I guess that means I need to buy more books. What a colossal shame. Can you recommend anything for me?
{ Currently playing ; Like That by Doja Cat }
