en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:57:14 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 387 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Sophia 0 currently-reading 4.62 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 43558747
Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn't the end of the plan---it's just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei's head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.

Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?]]> 403 Natasha Ngan 0316528676 Sophia 0 currently-reading 3.77 2019
author: Natasha Ngan
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 34433755
In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable -- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.]]> 385 Natasha Ngan 0316561363 Sophia 4 3.80 2018
author: Natasha Ngan
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves:
review:
Hi I finished a book at last also Lei deserves all the hugs.
]]> 83818248
19-year-old Farrah Lin is going to fall in love for the first time during her year abroad in Shanghai. She's sure of it.

The only problem? Her would-be leading man is her new friend’s boyfriend.

罢丑别谤别’蝉 nothing worse than being in love with someone you can’t have...or at least, she thinks it’s love.

But if that’s true, why can’t she stop fantasizing about someone else, specifically the cocky blond athlete with the world’s biggest ego (and greatest dimples)?


***
Blake Ryan is—was—a college football star who shocked the sports world when he quit after his third national championship. Instead of dealing with the fallout, he escapes to Shanghai, where he vows to keep life simple.

No football. No commitments. No romance.

But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t keep a certain beautiful brunette off his mind...or out of his heart.

What starts as a physical attraction develops into something much deeper as Blake and Farrah get swept up in the magic of Shanghai—and each other. But they only have one year, and there are forces outside their control that threaten to rip them apart.

Can their relationship survive the test...or was it just not meant to be?

WARNING: This is the first book in a duet. It's a full-length novel with no sudden cliffhangers, but Blake and Farrah’s story concludes in book two, If the Sun Never Sets, which takes place five years later.

If We Ever Meet Again is a steamy strangers to friends to lovers romance. Recommended for 18+ due to adult language and explicit content.]]> 294 Ana Huang Sophia 0 currently-reading 3.53 2020
author: Ana Huang
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 52934483
With political unrest and perilous forces aiming to undermine Zetian at every turn, can she enact positive changes as a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance?]]> 540 Xiran Jay Zhao Sophia 0 tried-but-failed-finishing DNF @ 35% 3.88 2024
author: Xiran Jay Zhao
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: tried-but-failed-finishing
review:
DNF @ 35%
]]> 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 432 Emily Henry Sophia 0 will-i-review-this 4.19 2025
author: Emily Henry
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: will-i-review-this
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]]> 36504691 200 Ryoko Kui 197532644X Sophia 0 4.48 2017
author: Ryoko Kui
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
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]]> 35488056
After finally reaching the fifth floor, it's time for the adventurers to face their greatest challenge yet. They're putting their lives on to the line in a fight with a monster with crimson hide that turns away even the toughest steel and a fiery breath that turns even bones to ash. Can they save Laios's sister? ...And maybe just as importantly, can they eat dragon meat?!?]]> 192 Ryoko Kui 0316446408 Sophia 0 4.58 2017
author: Ryoko Kui
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 214274128 176 Nekokurage 164609347X Sophia 0 4.50 2024
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/19
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]]> 36373464 New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil's twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she's fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she's got is not the one she's scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.]]> 336 Sandhya Menon 1481495402 Sophia 0 tried-but-failed-finishing 3.59 2018
author: Sandhya Menon
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: tried-but-failed-finishing
review:

]]> 52753485 Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she's made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy—who is a total Harvard-bound mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer.

When Samir’s internship falls through, leaving him with an unplanned summer, he gets a text from Pinky asking if he’ll be her fake boyfriend in exchange for a new internship. He jumps at the opportunity; Pinky’s a freak, but he can survive a summer with her if there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they'll never forget.]]> 354 Sandhya Menon 1534416811 Sophia 0 3.84 2020
author: Sandhya Menon
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/17
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves:
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]]> 214269388 Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.

Rowan knows exactly what they want to be: to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan's eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they're capable of being the protector they've always dreamed of becoming.?

With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadaisical sheep herder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone's own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?]]> 240 K. O'Neill 0593182308 Sophia 0 4.35 2025
author: K. O'Neill
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
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]]> 216237742 Fujino Omori Sophia 0 4.63 2023
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/13
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]]> 209105561 194 Fujino Omori Sophia 0 4.57 2023
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 53138247 Past and present, friends and crushes collide in a YA debut about a girl who takes off on a flight and lands 25 years later.

Jenny Waters boards her flight in 1995, but when she lands, she and the other passengers are told they disappeared . . . 25 years ago. Everyone thought they were dead.

Now contending with her family and friends fast-forwarding decades, Jenny must quickly adjust to smartphones and social media while being the biggest story to hit the internet. She feels betrayed by her once-best friend and fights her attraction to a cute boy with an uncomfortable connection to her past. Meanwhile, there’s a growing group of conspiracy theorists determined to prove the whole situation is a hoax. Will Jenny figure out how to move forward, or will she always be stuck in the past?]]> 374 Michelle I. Mason 1547604085 Sophia 0 3.60 2021
author: Michelle I. Mason
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves:
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]]> 215994024 A Cinderella-inspired, slow-burn historical romance with a paranormal twist set in Taisho-era Japan!

Overlooked throughout her life, Miyo Saimori was dismissed as magically untalented and cast out of the house where she grew up. But despite all odds, she managed to find love and a place to belong with Kiyoka Kudo, the young head of a powerful family.

Although Miyo is now engaged to Kiyoka, nightmares plague her and weaken her health. In search of answers, the couple are led to the mysterious Usuba clan's estate. There, they learn that Miyo's mother was an Usuba and Miyo has inherited the clan's rare Gift, itself a secret so fiercely guarded that few outside the family even know what it is. Miyo's newfound relatives insist that she stay with them and learn to control the formidable power within her.

When Kiyoka objects, Miyo's cousin Arata Tsuruki challenges him to a duel. Will Kiyoka manage to rescue his fiancée—and will Miyo learn to master her mysterious Gift before it destroys her?]]> Akumi Agitogi 1646098544 Sophia 0 4.26 2024
author: Akumi Agitogi
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
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]]> 125078727 192 Fujino Omori 1646519183 Sophia 0 4.18 2023
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 80367864 208 Fujino Omori 164651744X Sophia 0 4.34 2022
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 80367862 208 Fujino Omori 1646517431 Sophia 0 4.19 2022
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 75699504 192 Fujino Omori 1646517423 Sophia 0 4.08 2021
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 60978951 192 Fujino Omori 1646516249 Sophia 0 4.06 2021
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 35181839 Delicious in Dungeon!]]> 192 Ryoko Kui 0316412791 Sophia 0 4.45 2016
author: Ryoko Kui
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves:
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]]> 195263575
What makes a girl "beastly?" Is it having too much ambition? Being too proud? Taking up too much space? Or is it just wanting something, anything , too badly?

That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.

When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle.

As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her true a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.

When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau -- spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting, and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night -- only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion.

If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts, and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.]]> 324 Jennifer Donnelly 133880944X Sophia 2 tried-but-failed-finishing DNF @ 57% 3.68 2024
author: Jennifer Donnelly
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: tried-but-failed-finishing
review:
DNF @ 57%
]]> 51337956 A traitor. A prisoner. A fugitive.
Wanted by the Regime. Destined to save the planet.

Laterre is on the brink of war. The Third Estate are rioting against the injustices of a corrupt system. The Patriarche, reeling from the murder of his only heir, makes brutal attempts to quash the unrest, while a new militant faction launches a series of deadly attacks.

And three outlaws find themselves pulled into the fray....

Marcellus is now a traitor to his planet, willing to do anything to stop his grandfather from seizing control of Laterre, even if it means joining the Vangarde, a rebel group back from the dead.

Chatine is a prisoner on Bastille. Desperate to survive the harsh conditions of the moon, she becomes embroiled in the Vangarde’s dangerous attempt to free their infamous leader.

Alouette is a fugitive who has been lied to her entire life. Searching for the truth about her mysterious past, she soon finds herself hunted by the Regime for reasons she’s only beginning to understand.

But when Laterre is threatened by the emergence of a deadly new weapon, these three renegades must risk everything, traveling to the far reaches of the System Divine and into the white-hot center of a planet ready to ignite.]]> 704 Jessica Brody 153441066X Sophia 4
The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.

launched me onto another planet last year with the authors' retelling of Les Misérables in space.
I'm super excited to get the chance to read the sequel in the System Divine trilogy because the first book promised some shenanigans are going to be in store. And I definitely don't remember what happened in the first book, so cracking open to an overview of the first book is a blessing. If you're like me and you reread maybe 1% of the time, you're in good hands.

The second book in the System Divine trilogy starts right where Sky Without Stars ends, with each of the characters on their own path:

]]> 4.27 2020
author: Jessica Brody
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: review-copies-arcs, on-the-blog
review:
Reread in 2025

The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.

launched me onto another planet last year with the authors' retelling of Les Misérables in space.
I'm super excited to get the chance to read the sequel in the System Divine trilogy because the first book promised some shenanigans are going to be in store. And I definitely don't remember what happened in the first book, so cracking open to an overview of the first book is a blessing. If you're like me and you reread maybe 1% of the time, you're in good hands.

The second book in the System Divine trilogy starts right where Sky Without Stars ends, with each of the characters on their own path:


]]> 34050718 192 Ryoko Kui 0316473057 Sophia 0 4.35 2015
author: Ryoko Kui
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 32856010 192 Ryoko Kui 0316471852 Sophia 0 4.36 2015
author: Ryoko Kui
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 207299285 184 Hajime Komoto 1974749517 Sophia 0 4.35 2023
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 199793635 A steamy new rom-com from the popular author of?Happy Endings?and?Full Exposure,?where two friends get the opportunity to work together on their dream project—a Cinderella rock musical with an all-Asian cast—and discover that falling in love was the easy part…

Zoe Tran is living her best life, designing plus-size lingerie at her own award-winning clothing boutique, when suddenly her college best friend reenters her life. Derek Bui is offering a tantalizing chance to recapture a forgotten dream: designing costumes for the musical they created together years ago.

Derek has loved Zoe since freshman year but never had the guts to confess his true feelings. Now he’s directing the Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical they dreamed up in college. The stakes are high: it’s the first production with an all-Asian cast and creative team at Washington, D.C.’s largest theatre and if they can make it work, they’ll head to Broadway. But his real goal: get Zoe back in his life.

A proud demisexual, Zoe only ever saw Derek as her best friend, but working on their dream production together brings them closer than ever. Sparks ignite under the hot spotlights. But when the theatre’s artistic director pressures Derek to make the musical “less Asian,” he and Zoe clash on whether to stay true to their vision or compromise to keep the production alive.

Will Zoe and Derek finally let love take center stage or will their creative differences close the curtains on them forever?]]> 336 Thien-Kim Lam 0063237385 Sophia 0 to-read 3.72 2025
author: Thien-Kim Lam
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205977782 A brave and captivating graphic memoir about the power of therapy to heal anxiety and generational trauma

When Sacha Mardou turned forty years old she was leading a life that looked perfect. But for reasons she couldn’t explain, the anxiety that had always plagued her only seemed to be getting worse, and then she began breaking out in terrible acne. The product of a stoic, working-class British family, Mardou had a deep-seated distrust of mental-health treatment, but now, living the life she’d built in the United States and desperate for relief, she finds herself in a therapist’s office for the first time. There she begins the real work of growing up: learning to understand her family of origin and the childhood trauma she thought she’d left in the past.]]> 336 Sacha Mardou 0593541367 Sophia 4 4.41
author: Sacha Mardou
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
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]]> 17616168 Mothers Who Can't Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters, Susan Forward, Ph.D., author of the smash #1 bestseller Toxic Parents, offers a powerful look at the devastating impact unloving mothers have on their daughters—and provides clear, effective techniques for overcoming that painful legacy.

In more than 35 years as a therapist, Forward has worked with large numbers of women struggling to escape the emotional damage inflicted by the women who raised them. Subjected to years of criticism, competition, role-reversal, smothering control, emotional neglect and abuse, these women are plagued by anxiety and depression, relationship problems, lack of confidence and difficulties with trust. They doubt their worth, and even their ability to love.

Forward examines the Narcissistic Mother, the Competitive Mother, the Overly Enmeshed mother, the Control Freak, Mothers who need Mothering, and mothers who abuse or fail to protect their daughters from abuse.

Filled with compelling case histories, Mothers Who Can’t Love outlines the self-help techniques Forward has developed to transform the lives of her clients, showing women how to overcome the pain of childhood and how to act in their own best interests.

Warm and compassionate, Mothers Who Can’t Love offers daughters the emotional support and tools they need to heal themselves and rebuild their confidence and self-respect.]]> 288 Susan Forward Sophia 4 4.33 2014
author: Susan Forward
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
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]]> 62983704 Instant New York Times Bestseller

From the bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, a road map for understanding and moving past family struggles—and living your life, your way.

????Every family has a story. For some of us, our family of origin is a solid foundation that feeds our confidence and helps us navigate life’s challenges. For others, it’s a source of pain, hurt, and conflict that can feel like a lifelong burden. In this empowering guide, licensed therapist and bestselling relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab offers clear advice for identifying dysfunctional family patterns and choosing the best path to breaking the cycle and moving forward.
????Covering topics ranging from the trauma of emotional neglect, to the legacy of addicted or absent parents, to mental health struggles in siblings and other relatives, and more, this clear and compassionate guide will help you take control of your own life—and honor the person you truly are.]]> 287 Nedra Glover Tawwab 0593539281 Sophia 3 4.34 2023
author: Nedra Glover Tawwab
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 195887500
“This wonderful book is a compass, a blueprint, a mirror, and a friend. Kohli gives language to what many of us feel but can’t yet articulate.”—Erika L. Sánchez, New York Times bestselling author of I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

“Loving, culturally informed, and holistic... [Kohli] compassionately shares her own story, and guides readers through the nuances and pain of assimilation, individuation, and mental health. How I wish I had this book back when I was trying to figure it all out for myself!” —Ramani Durvasula, PhD, author of It’s Not You

A deeply personal, paradigm-shifting book rethinking traditional therapy and self-care, creating much-needed space for those left out of the narrative

Writer and therapist Sahaj Kaur Kohli grew up knowing exactly what it means to straddle multiple cultures at once. Like many children of immigrants, she has often found herself plagued by Can I establish my own values and embrace where I come from? Is prioritizing my mental health really rejecting my culture? How do I set boundaries and care for myself when family and community mean everything? Even after becoming a therapist herself, she saw those same gaps in the mental health world, leading her to wonder, like so many children of what about us?

While conversations around mental health are becoming increasingly open, our models remain largely Eurocentric and focused on individuality. Sahaj has sought to challenge these long-held models, using deep personal reflection, therapy, community building, and a whole lot of trial and error, eventually navigating her own way to understanding and acceptance. Here, she shows us how to get there, all the while reminding us that personal healing is inextricably connected to collective healing.

But What Will People Say? elegantly weaves together personal narrative, anecdotal analysis, and comprehensive research. Sahaj offers advice and tools for everything from navigating generational trauma, guilt, and boundaries, to breaking down stigmas around therapy and celebrating cultural duality. Democratizing and decolonizing the way we think about mental health and self-help, Sahaj’s incredible work is nothing short of a revolution.]]> 429 Sahaj Kaur Kohli 0593491203 Sophia 4 4.57 2024
author: Sahaj Kaur Kohli
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 212808709 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 464 Ali Hazelwood Sophia 0 will-i-review-this 3.93 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: will-i-review-this
review:

]]> 26849517
Chapters Breaking Up Versus Taking a Break, Best Friends Forever No More, Breaking Up With Family, Kissing Community Goodby, eRelabeling Your Sexuality and Gender, Breaking Up With Your Career, Breaking Up With Anyone Else, Being Broken Up With. How to Break Up With Anyone provides the tools for anyone to initiate a breakup, the encouragement to get through it, and the wisdom to recognize that they don’t have to settle for anything less than productive, healthy relationships.?

Covering a variety of relationships, How to Break Up With Anyone is a timeless resource for people of all ages.]]> 243 Jamye Waxman 1580055982 Sophia 3 2.88 2015
author: Jamye Waxman
name: Sophia
average rating: 2.88
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 213960809 Office worker Riko Kozakura lives to play video games, but her life changed forever when she adopted a kitten! Now she has two cats and takes lessons from video games to help raise them.

Office worker Riko Kozakura continues to learn and grow with her two cats. With twice the fun, twice the laughs, and twice the trouble, Kozakura has her work cut out for her! “Leveling up” in skills, surprises, and adventures, Riko discovers what it’s like living with two cats!]]> 160 Wataru Nadatani 1506736661 Sophia 5 4.42 2022
author: Wataru Nadatani
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 214151347
Twilight is on the ropes after his battle with an Ostanian spy! Can Nightfall save Twilight from disaster? Will WISE manage to recover their stolen secrets? And what will become of Loid and Yor’s marital crisis? Meanwhile, Anya’s friendship scheme gets thrown off by an unexpected gift from Damian!]]> 200 Tatsuya Endo 1974751988 Sophia 4 4.32 2024
author: Tatsuya Endo
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 56623544 “Sure, you know the story of those wretched Dalmatians. But don’t I deserve a chance to tell my own side of the story? It is fabulous, after all.”


You may think you know the tale: a happy young couple, one hundred and one Dalmatians, and the woman determined to turn them into a perfectly spotted fur coat.


But who is that monster, that scene-stealer, that evil thing? Who is the woman behind it all? Before the car crash, before the dognapping, before furs became her only true love, there was another story. This is the story of Cruella De Vil—in her own words.


Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. After all, nothing is as simple as black and white.


In this first graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times best-selling Villains series, Arielle Jovellanos brings Serena Valentino’s darkly captivating world to life with beautiful and haunting illustrations in a stunning new visual format.]]> 128 Serena Valentino 1368068162 Sophia 4 3.79
author: Serena Valentino
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 60021308 Disney’s New York Times best-selling Villains series comes to life in this graphic novel adaptation of the book that started it all in this tragic tale of love and loss, the untold story of Snow White’s Wicked Queen.


The tale of the young?princess, Snow White, and her evil stepmother, the Wicked Queen, is widely known—the Queen was jealous of the girl’s beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen’s attempt on the sweet, naive girl’s?life.


But what caused the Queen to become so, well, wicked ? Perhaps the Queen hated her stepdaughter for her resemblance to the King’s first wife. Perhaps she resented the girl for her beauty. Could the Queen simply have been born that cruel? Or does it have to do with a mysterious mirror, gifted to her upon her wedding and swirling with dark magic?


And who is the man in the mirror? Is he the reason for the Queen’s downfall?


This tragic tale of love and loss is the untold story of the Wicked Queen, a woman who just wanted to be the fairest of all...]]> 128 Serena Valentino 1368068170 Sophia 3 3.61 2023
author: Serena Valentino
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 143330475
BCCB Mississippi, 1930s. Magic simmering beneath the surface, kept in check by unjust laws and societal expectations. But for six extraordinary women, the roar of enchanted engines and the thrill of the forbidden broom race offer a chance to rewrite their destinies.

Meet Billie Mae, captain of the Night Storms racing team, and Loretta, her best friend and second-in-command. They’re determined to make enough money to move out west to a state that allows Black folks to legally use magic and take part in national races.

Cheng-Kwan – doing her best to handle the delicate and dangerous double act of being the perfect “son” to her parents, and being true to herself while racing.

Mattie and Emma -- Choctaw and Black -- the youngest of the group and trying to dodge government officials who want to send them and their newly-surfaced powers away to boarding school.

And Luella, in love with Billie Mae. Her powers were sealed away years ago after she fought back against the government. She’ll do anything to prevent the same fate for her cousins.

Brooms is a heart-pounding graphic novel soaring with magic, friendship, and rebellion. It's a Fast and the Furious with broomsticks instead of cars, a historical spotlight on struggles silenced by time, and a celebration of the indomitable spirit that dares to defy the odds. Buckle up, witches and dreamers, for this ride is about to take flight.

P R A I S E

“Draws on the fantastical to amplify and confront issues of both the past and the present. The result is a heartfelt, gripping, and resonant story about power—how the majority wields it, and how marginalized groups reclaim it.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred) ★

“Fascinating… Though readers will enjoy the dramatic racing scenes, this is truly a story about queer folk and people of color who have created a space where they can joyously and freely be themselves.” —Booklist (starred) ★

“Pulse-pounding broom races and comforting domestic sequences… An evocative Fast and the Furious–flavored graphic novel.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)? ★

“This is the queer, magical, broom-racing version of A League of Their Own that I didn’t know I was missing… The representation in this graphic novel is so diverse and among the best I think I’ve ever seen. It’s clear that Walls and Duvall put equal parts passion and research into this beautiful story. If you don’t read it, you’re missing out.” —Rachel Brittain, Book Riot

“A sweet, entertaining found-family story that weaves magic with historical injustice; recommended for teen graphic novel shelves. —School Library Journal?

“Six witches get caught up in the excitement and danger of illegal broom racing in an alternate historical Mississippi… highlights the broadly diverse experiences of folks in the South… highlighting the fact that there has always been and will always be room for queer folks in our communities.” —Kirkus?

"[A] mix of exciting racing scenes, a story about overcoming the odds, and mesmerizing depictions of magic, plus some of the not-so-pretty parts of our country’s history, and it’s done in a way that is compassionate and uplifting." —GeekDad

“Brooms Is Your Next Favorite Fantastical LGBTQIA+ Sports Story” —The Mary Sue

“Brings vivid characters (queer, broom-racing witches) to life in an equally vivid setting.” —Gizmodo (io9)]]> 240 Jasmine Walls 1646143574 Sophia 5 4.21 2023
author: Jasmine Walls
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 210395729 They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.]]> 352 Laura Steven 1250333881 Sophia 0 to-read 3.76 2025
author: Laura Steven
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212174157 From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.]]> 656 Antonia Hodgson 152933988X Sophia 0 to-read 4.48 2025
author: Antonia Hodgson
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221473209 The first book in Maggie Stiefvater's?#1 NYT bestselling series The Raven Cycle, now gorgeously illustrated as a graphic novel!

Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics. Only, she has never had the same clairvoyant abilities they had and has always felt too ordinary within the magic that surrounded her. Enter Gansey, a rich student from Aglionby, the town’s all-boys private school teeming with wealth, privilege, and trouble. Blue's always made it a point to stay away from its students, the Raven Boys.

But when Gansey asks her to join him and three other Raven Boys on his quest to find a long-forgotten Welsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of their quiet Virginia town, Blue doesn’t hesitate. She jumps at the chance to finally be a part of something real and full of magic, a world she was born into yet one that always stood just out of reach. Soon enough, she’s swept into a strange and shifting world woven into theirs, one far more dangerous than anything they could have dreamt up.

Now reimagined as a stunning full-color graphic novel adapted by Stephanie Williams and illustrated by Sas Milledge, The Raven Boys unravels a thrilling plot around a cast of characters impossible to forget.]]> 256 Stephanie Williams 0593621182 Sophia 0 to-read 4.35 2025
author: Stephanie Williams
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62856435 208 Fujino Omori 1646515609 Sophia 0 4.02 2021
author: Fujino Omori
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 209544441 IN SEARCH OF FUR-GIVENESS

The sudden appearance of a horde of demons puts the royal capital of Grifford Kingdom in danger of being destroyed! While the people cry out for help, young King Robbins, who can do nothing but overlook the brutal Dowager Empress’s misrule, meets the witch whom the kingdom once exiled. Meanwhile, in a corner of another world, those who are guided by a cat have encounters that continue to change their past, their future, and their entire world, bit by bit.]]> 168 Hiro Kashiwaba Sophia 0 4.15 2022
author: Hiro Kashiwaba
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 203164248
You know how Medusa’s story ends, but you’ve never heard her tell her own story… until now.

The only mortal daughter of two sea gods, and a priestess of Athena, Medusa was a woman who thought she had found her place in the world. But when Medusa suffers a horrific violation at the hands of Poseidon, Athena is outraged over the desecration of her name and sends a message by transforming Medusa into the snake-haired monster of legend. With one look, any who meet her gaze is turned to stone. Word of her monstrosity travels fast, igniting a king’s fear so greatly that he commands the boy-hero Perseus to bring him her head. With a power that will spare no one, Medusa begins to wonder if this is a blessing or a curse. Medusa only knows that she must leave the city she has come to call home before she harms another soul.

Searching for a haven free from mortals, anger buoying her every step, Medusa journeys across ancient Greece. Her eyes are hidden beneath a blindfold, with nothing but the snakes for company. Through her travels, Medusa discovers solace and understanding in the mythical figures she stumbles upon: A debaucherous wine god, an alluring nymph, and a three-headed dog. But one cannot escape fate forever. As Perseus closes in, Medusa faces a choice: become the monster everyone expects her to be, or cling to the last piece of her humanity.]]> 432 Nataly Gruender 1538765349 Sophia 0 to-read 4.00 2024
author: Nataly Gruender
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 207298403
Innocent Zero’s youngest child, Domina, steps in to put a stop to his father’s pursuit of Mash. Using the reprieve afforded them, Mash’s friends race against the clock in hopes of getting him to Meliadoul, the only hope he has of surviving without a heart. Meanwhile, as Mash hovers between life and death, he encounters a mysterious figure.]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974748855 Sophia 0 4.45 2023
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> 203316513 After breaking a “curse”?on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

Having solved the curse of the late emperor, things are back to usual for Maomao at the Jade Palace. Yinghua brings her along to an evening social gathering being held in the inner court, then Jinshi requests her to accompany him on a hunting trip. There, Maomao finds herself getting involved in yet another new case...!]]> 176 Nekokurage 1646097688 Sophia 0 4.69 2023
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 150244693 After breaking a “curse”?on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

Having figured out the trick to navigating the corridors of the ancient mausoleum found within the Inner Court, Maomao does an admirable job solving the current mystery in front of the emperor and Jinshi. And then the Empress Dowager comes to Maomao, asking her to investigate the late Emperor’s curse. Jinshi’s past and parentage are revealed!]]> 183 Nekokurage 1646097300 Sophia 0 4.68 2023
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 58754519 336 Stacy King 1947808966 Sophia 4 4.12 2014
author: Stacy King
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/12
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 51901147
The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.]]> 541 Suzanne Collins Sophia 0 3.99 2020
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 52459864
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.?

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia?. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.]]> 394 Xiran Jay Zhao 0735269939 Sophia 3
A copy of the book was provided for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore does not affect the opinion or content of the review.

Iron Widow was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read, but I think I walked in with higher expectations that I should have. Xiran Jay Zhao’s debut novel takes inspiration from Chinese mythology and history, reimagining Empress Wu (the only female emporia in Chinese history) as a mecha pilot in a futuristic world where girls service male pilots as concubine-pilots to power Chrysalises (war machines taking inspiration from various creatures in Chinese mythology) in Huaxia’s ongoing war with the Hunduns.

(The concubine-pilots typically die unfortunately.)

I loved Zhao’s take of Empress Wu in Iron Widow and the different figures throughout Chinese history and mythology. When her sister is killed as a concubine-pilot in the army for one of the pilots, Zetian hatches a plan (not the greatest, but hey, it's a plan and that's step one) to follow in her sister’s footsteps and enlist under the same pilot that killed her so she can take her revenge. Only things don’t work out exactly to plan (or maybe it did depending on who you ask), the tables turn, and Zetian ends up killing the pilot during a battle where theoretically, she should’ve died from her mind being consumed. She didn’t even have to actually murder him.

(Not gonna lie, I love how that plan turned out.)

In an effort to control her, the army places her with Li Shimin, who we’re first introduced to as a monster who killed his family and would be executed if he weren’t so useful to the army (even if every girl he’s paired up with ends up getting killed, unless you’re Zetian, who miraculously survives, much to his surprise). But as the book progresses and Zetian works with him more, Shimin turns out to not be so monstrous as everyone makes him out to be (still looks like he would stab though). Completing the trio is Yizhi, a soft cinnamon roll who really deserves better in life and regularly met with Zetian monthly before she enlists.

Iron Widow moves at a rapid-pace, going from one moment to the other quickly, and there’s never a dull moment. Zhao’s novel is fun and entertaining as Zetian schemes her way up the ranks while taking down powerful figures who want her to be subservient and compliant (or better off, get killed). She doesn’t hesitate with bending and breaking rules to make demands and exposing the corruption of the system, and Zhao doesn't shy away from making the novel dark. However, I personally feel the fast pace of the novel bounces from point A to point B quick enough that I feel like it misses on some of the world building, and focuses more on progressing the plot and moving the story along. When it does take time, it’s like a sudden stop with an info dump of sorts before starting up and repeating the cycle. Despite that, I still found myself fascinated and absorbed into the world Zhao built around the mechas.?

While the pacing didn’t work out for me and world building felt like it was lacking in some parts, I still enjoyed Zhao’s debut with the concept, characters, and themes explored throughout the novel. Iron Widow unfortunately didn’t turn out to be a new favorite like I hoped it would since it was one of my most anticipated releases, but 滨’尘 still looking forward to the sequel and diving back into the world.


]]> 4.03 2021
author: Xiran Jay Zhao
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: review-copies-arcs, on-the-blog, all-the-audio
review:
Reread in 2022 in audiobook form (ARC copy was eBook from Netgalley) and in 2025 in ebook

A copy of the book was provided for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore does not affect the opinion or content of the review.

Iron Widow was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read, but I think I walked in with higher expectations that I should have. Xiran Jay Zhao’s debut novel takes inspiration from Chinese mythology and history, reimagining Empress Wu (the only female emporia in Chinese history) as a mecha pilot in a futuristic world where girls service male pilots as concubine-pilots to power Chrysalises (war machines taking inspiration from various creatures in Chinese mythology) in Huaxia’s ongoing war with the Hunduns.

(The concubine-pilots typically die unfortunately.)

I loved Zhao’s take of Empress Wu in Iron Widow and the different figures throughout Chinese history and mythology. When her sister is killed as a concubine-pilot in the army for one of the pilots, Zetian hatches a plan (not the greatest, but hey, it's a plan and that's step one) to follow in her sister’s footsteps and enlist under the same pilot that killed her so she can take her revenge. Only things don’t work out exactly to plan (or maybe it did depending on who you ask), the tables turn, and Zetian ends up killing the pilot during a battle where theoretically, she should’ve died from her mind being consumed. She didn’t even have to actually murder him.

(Not gonna lie, I love how that plan turned out.)

In an effort to control her, the army places her with Li Shimin, who we’re first introduced to as a monster who killed his family and would be executed if he weren’t so useful to the army (even if every girl he’s paired up with ends up getting killed, unless you’re Zetian, who miraculously survives, much to his surprise). But as the book progresses and Zetian works with him more, Shimin turns out to not be so monstrous as everyone makes him out to be (still looks like he would stab though). Completing the trio is Yizhi, a soft cinnamon roll who really deserves better in life and regularly met with Zetian monthly before she enlists.

Iron Widow moves at a rapid-pace, going from one moment to the other quickly, and there’s never a dull moment. Zhao’s novel is fun and entertaining as Zetian schemes her way up the ranks while taking down powerful figures who want her to be subservient and compliant (or better off, get killed). She doesn’t hesitate with bending and breaking rules to make demands and exposing the corruption of the system, and Zhao doesn't shy away from making the novel dark. However, I personally feel the fast pace of the novel bounces from point A to point B quick enough that I feel like it misses on some of the world building, and focuses more on progressing the plot and moving the story along. When it does take time, it’s like a sudden stop with an info dump of sorts before starting up and repeating the cycle. Despite that, I still found myself fascinated and absorbed into the world Zhao built around the mechas.?

While the pacing didn’t work out for me and world building felt like it was lacking in some parts, I still enjoyed Zhao’s debut with the concept, characters, and themes explored throughout the novel. Iron Widow unfortunately didn’t turn out to be a new favorite like I hoped it would since it was one of my most anticipated releases, but 滨’尘 still looking forward to the sequel and diving back into the world.



]]> 196849306
In her youth, Jeanne was a powerful witch who vanquished the evil Demon King and saved the world--but over time, the people she rescued have forgotten about her and her noble deeds. Now she is a short-spoken old woman, living by herself in a secluded forest...until she summons a cat from Earth to her home. The former city kitty is now the size of a giant, and must acclimate to this new world at Jeanne's side. Through eating the food Jeanne prepares, and offering a head for pats, can this furry feline soothe the loneliness of the forgotten witch?]]> 168 Hiro Kashiwaba Sophia 0 4.27 2024
author: Hiro Kashiwaba
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 63838867 After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

When two beautiful foreign envoys with designs on the Emperor come calling with a tale of old about a spellbinding courtesan who captured the imagination of their family patriarch, it’s up to Maomao to concoct a theatrical scheme to give the ladies a whopper of a story to take home! Later, Maomao goes back to sniffing around the Inner Court to find out the truth about the troubling prevalence of those foreign perfume oils that could spell disaster for the throne's future heirs...]]> 188 Nekokurage 1646096215 Sophia 0 4.60 2022
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 62583370 After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

A festive mood comes to the Inner Court with the arrival of a long-awaited merchant caravan, but does ill intent aimed at a pregnant consort lurk behind its perfumed wares?!

As Maomao and Xiaolan delight in browsing the caravan's offerings, they once again cross paths with the maid who caught the kitten. As it turns out, she and Maomao are two eccentric peas in a pod…much to the chagrin of those around them!

And the latest request from Jinshi seems to be connected to another incident, which unearths yet more mysteries to be solved!]]> 0 Nekokurage 1646096207 Sophia 0 4.53 2021
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 61844995 After breaking a curse on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

The truth of Maomao's identity revealed?!

After losing to Maomao at elephant chess and passing out from the "poison" he drank as his punishment, La Kan dreams of a long-lost past and his affair with a certain courtesan, as well as the events leading up to meeting his daughter for the very first time.

Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a courtesan of his choosing and take her home as his wife! Who will he pick?!]]> 181 Nekokurage 1646096193 Sophia 0 4.61 2021
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 57448794
Joy suddenly becomes involved with a secret group of superpowered individuals due to a genetic trait. Joy's fate changes rapidly as she gets caught up in a war between the superpowered. Things grow complicated as a top-class superpower user named Moowon becomes dangerously attracted to Joy...]]> Wann Sophia 3 4.06
author: Wann
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/11
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 61048560 MAOMAO FOILS A PLOT, BUT IS THE THREAT GONE FOR GOOD?

Proving herself indispensable yet again by saving Jinshi from a horrific fate, Maomao is given the chance to explain her rash behavior during the holy ritual. But when she continues her investigation into the foiled plot, a bizarre outcome awaits, leaving the plucky apothecary impressed by the sheer nerve of the culprit behind it. But admiring the exploits of another won't get Maomao very far when Jinshi tasks her with a feat of her own—to present him with blue roses at the needling of the eccentric La Kan! How will Maomao respond to this provocation from the man she despises the most?]]> 194 Nekokurage 1646091205 Sophia 0 4.43 2020
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 59082292 CAN MAOMAO DULL THE CHARMS OF A HEAVENLY MAIDEN?!

When the ever luminous Jinshi asks for her help in disguising himself to see to a matter beyond the palace walls, Maomao must dig deep to mar her employer's divine allure! And to make the ploy believable, Maomao herself is roped into a spot of theater right alongside her master.

But the "business" at hand takes the pair right to the gates of the Pleasure District, leaving Maomao to wonder if all her hard work has been for a mere assignation or if there's yet another mystery afoot...]]> 178 Nekokurage 1646090861 Sophia 0 4.55 2020
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 58305942
Far from being fearful of her new surroundings, however, Maomao has her insatiable curiosity piqued by the soldier-occupied eastern wing, where she's been forbidden to go but where it seems further mysteries await...]]> 178 Nekokurage 1646090748 Sophia 0 4.34 2019
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 57033897 MAOMAO STUMBLES ONTO AN EVEN BIGGER MYSTERY...

The trail of the garden banquet leads Maomao to the Garnet Palace! Aiming to uncover the identity and motives of the culprit who nearly succeeded in turning the festivities into a tragedy, the young apothecary-turned-lady's maid temporarily takes up there at Jinshi's behest. Home to Lady Aduo—the consort with the longest tenure in the Emperor's affections—the Garnet palace harbors many intrigues, some more shocking than even Maomao could have imagined! Will solving the mystery at hand lose Maomao her job...and maybe even her life?!]]> 194 Nekokurage 164609073X Sophia 0 4.48 2019
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 57033876 MAOMAO REAPS THE REWARDS OF HER FEATS!

After putting on a successful and sensual(?) show of food tasting at the garden banquet, Maomao is the talk of the palace! But she soon discovers that notoriety isn't the only thing the party has granted her! Her collection of hairpins from the event brings the young herbalist a brief window of freedom beyond the palace walls, as she returns to the pleasure district for the first time in ten months! But while reunions with her father and her friends await, so too does another mystery...]]> 194 Nekokurage 1646090721 Sophia 0 4.40 2018
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 54735505 THE EMPEROR TURNS HIS GAZE UPON MAOMAO...?!

When word of her accomplishments falls on the ears of His Imperial Majesty, Maomao finds herself tasked with a direct request from the throne. Turning down the emperor is out of the question for the former(?) apothecary if she wants to keep her head! But while acquiescing to the emperor is expected of all subjects, Maomao is about to discover that ladies-in-waiting have still more taxing duties to which to attend, as preparations of the garden banquet get underway! Concocting an aphrodisiac might be second nature to Maomao, but smiling prettily for the officials of the court could prove far more difficult...]]> 178 Nekokurage 1646090713 Sophia 0 4.45 2018
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 51943415 THE GREAT DETECTIVE OF THE INNER PALACE IS BORN...?!

Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. Though she yearns for life outside its perfumed halls, she isn't long for a life of drudgery! Using her wits to break a "curse" afflicting the imperial heirs, Maomao attracts the attentions of the beautiful Jinshi and is promoted to attendant food taster. But Jinshi has other plans for the erstwhile apothecary, and soon Maomao is back to brewing potions and...solving mysteries?!]]> 178 Nekokurage 1646090705 Sophia 0 4.35 2017
author: Nekokurage
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 58701949
Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time, angering most of the gods in the process. To repay his debts, he is sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt down violent ghosts and troublemaking spirits who prey on the living. Along his travels, he meets the fascinating and brilliant San Lang, a young man with whom he feels an instant connection. Yet San Lang is clearly more than he appears... What mysteries lie behind that carefree smile?

This Chinese xianxia fantasy novel series built around the romanticized love between two men (danmei) is the newest work from author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and has spawned an ongoing multimedia franchise that's beloved across the world--including the animated series (donghua) that amassed 100+ million views in just its first month. The Seven Seas English-language edition will include covers from 日出的小太陽 (tai3_3), and exclusive, all-new interior illustrations from ZeldaCW.]]> 416 Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù 1648279171 Sophia 0 will-i-review-this 4.61 2020
author: Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: will-i-review-this
review:
Only took me like a near 6 months to finally finish this
]]> 199798614
Mash shows off the hard-won results of his strenuous training against his greatest and final obstacle before confronting Innocent Zero—Doom! Now that he knows the extent of his body’s capabilities and how to control them, Mash’s strength has grown to an unimaginable level! But Doom, having found a worthy opponent, responds by unleashing his own true power! Meanwhile, the eclipse is almost here, and Innocent Zero’s power is near its zenith. Who will come out on top in the battle between ultimate powers?!]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974745821 Sophia 0 4.33 2023
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 176443798
Orter, Rayne, and the others join forces to try and take down Innocent Zero’s eldest son, Doom. But Doom overwhelms them all, and according to him, he’s still holding back. With Doom unaffected by their attacks, the situation seems desperate. That is, until their ace in the hole arrives. Will?humanity’s greatest creation?be the light?it needs in its darkest hour?]]> 200 Hajime Komoto 1974743233 Sophia 0 4.37 2023
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 101159396
Rayne is driven into a corner by Innocent Zero’s fourth son, Delisaster. Finn tries to jump in to help, but Rayne stubbornly refuses his brother’s aid. Meanwhile, Lance and Dot run into the third son, Epidem, but ignore him and start fighting each other instead. Elsewhere, a violent beast tamer and his cerberus catch up to the unconscious Mash, placing the fate of the world in Lemon’s loving hands!]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974741079 Sophia 0 4.22 2022
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 101158446
Right before the destined day of the eclipse, an army of demi-humans invade, throwing the land into chaos. Renatus and the other visionaries?launch a counterattack, but they immediately find themselves face-to-face with Innocent Zero’s four remaining sons. Later, after a crushing display of power, Innocent Zero demands the frightened populace hand the unconscious Mash over. Can Meliadoul find a way to recharge Mash in time for him?to defend himself?]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974740471 Sophia 0 4.15 2022
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 60200133 THERE'S A MEW VILLAIN IN TOWN

“We will teach humans to fear the feline race!” They may seem cute and cuddly, but these kitties are up to no good! Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm.]]> 133 Pandania 1638585873 Sophia 3 3.80 2020
author: Pandania
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:

]]> 34513785 A thief. An officer. A guardian.

Three strangers. One shared destiny . . .

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.

Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…

Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spying on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.

Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a traitor. Groomed to command by his legendary grandfather, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when he discovers a cryptic message that only one person, a girl named Alouette, can read.

Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.

All three have roles to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables.]]> 582 Jessica Brody 1534410635 Sophia 4
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I totally skipped over Sky Without Stars?at first.
Hello, I'm confessing that I scrolled straight past?Sky Without Stars until someone said the words, "Les Misérables in space."

Then all the grabby hands came out because I love that movie AND I love space????And I sure as hell am not going to read 1000+ pages of the classic.?Hahaha, required reading scarred me.

Sky Without Stars has the feel of?Les Misérables.
It's been like 5+ years since I?watched the movie so I don't remember much from the movie aside from the French revolution. I also recall having a fascination with ?ponine, who I don't recall having much screentime. Despite not remembering much from the musical, Sky Without Stars gave off the vibes and had many elements frequently nodding to the classic.

The different perspectives worked in favor.
This whopping novel is divided between three different characters who will all eventually play a role in the brewing revolution on Laterre. With such a long length, having one perspective could have easily bogged down the story and be boring. But having three characters who each brought their own perspective and struggles? I enjoyed learning about each of them while reading?Sky Without Stars.

Chatine: Chatine, based on ?ponine (I think?), is by far my favorite perspective out of the three. She dresses up as a boy to go about her life in the Frets because she feels being a girl would put her at a disadvantage (and it really would). With the goal of leaving Laterre one day, she goes about her life stealing on the streets to save up for the passage.

Alouette: Y'all, I hated Cosette for some reason but I adore Alouette??? Brody and Rendell give Cosette a very nice upgrade here in?Sky Without Stars that fit into the timeframe here! Alouette, despite not knowing much of her past and living underground, is curious and crafty as she occasionally navigates aboveground.

Marcellus: Poor Marcellus is divided between believing his grandfather as he's always had growing up or his now-deemed-traitor former governess. Despite being the least interesting perspective I read, I enjoy seeing his internal conflict and want to know what he will do in later books.

There's apparently a love triangle.
Younger me found the revolution too fascinating to care about trivial things such as romance. Lo and behold, I didn't even notice the love triangle until near the end, whoops. However, romance is a minor aspect of Sky Without Stars, and I found myself more swept away by the world.

A lot of worldbuilding on Laterre.
Drop yourselves into a rocket ship and let's go soaring into space because the worldbuilding is A+! Sometimes I found myself overwhelmed because I am a character development and fast-paced action person in books. However, I think it's well worth going through nearly 600 pages of mostly setup. Brody and Rendell will sweep you away to another world while bringing in elements from the original.

Solid beginning to a series.
Sky Without Stars is a solid start as a first novel, and I enjoyed seeing Brody's and Rendell's take on Les Misérables! This book is perfect for those who are fans of the musical or enjoy a good sci-fi with a brewing rebellion on another planet.

]]> 3.90 2019
author: Jessica Brody
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: review-copies-arcs, on-the-blog
review:
Reread in late 2024/early 2025 so I can finally get around to finishing the trilogy.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I totally skipped over Sky Without Stars?at first.
Hello, I'm confessing that I scrolled straight past?Sky Without Stars until someone said the words, "Les Misérables in space."

Then all the grabby hands came out because I love that movie AND I love space????And I sure as hell am not going to read 1000+ pages of the classic.?Hahaha, required reading scarred me.

Sky Without Stars has the feel of?Les Misérables.
It's been like 5+ years since I?watched the movie so I don't remember much from the movie aside from the French revolution. I also recall having a fascination with ?ponine, who I don't recall having much screentime. Despite not remembering much from the musical, Sky Without Stars gave off the vibes and had many elements frequently nodding to the classic.

The different perspectives worked in favor.
This whopping novel is divided between three different characters who will all eventually play a role in the brewing revolution on Laterre. With such a long length, having one perspective could have easily bogged down the story and be boring. But having three characters who each brought their own perspective and struggles? I enjoyed learning about each of them while reading?Sky Without Stars.

Chatine: Chatine, based on ?ponine (I think?), is by far my favorite perspective out of the three. She dresses up as a boy to go about her life in the Frets because she feels being a girl would put her at a disadvantage (and it really would). With the goal of leaving Laterre one day, she goes about her life stealing on the streets to save up for the passage.

Alouette: Y'all, I hated Cosette for some reason but I adore Alouette??? Brody and Rendell give Cosette a very nice upgrade here in?Sky Without Stars that fit into the timeframe here! Alouette, despite not knowing much of her past and living underground, is curious and crafty as she occasionally navigates aboveground.

Marcellus: Poor Marcellus is divided between believing his grandfather as he's always had growing up or his now-deemed-traitor former governess. Despite being the least interesting perspective I read, I enjoy seeing his internal conflict and want to know what he will do in later books.

There's apparently a love triangle.
Younger me found the revolution too fascinating to care about trivial things such as romance. Lo and behold, I didn't even notice the love triangle until near the end, whoops. However, romance is a minor aspect of Sky Without Stars, and I found myself more swept away by the world.

A lot of worldbuilding on Laterre.
Drop yourselves into a rocket ship and let's go soaring into space because the worldbuilding is A+! Sometimes I found myself overwhelmed because I am a character development and fast-paced action person in books. However, I think it's well worth going through nearly 600 pages of mostly setup. Brody and Rendell will sweep you away to another world while bringing in elements from the original.

Solid beginning to a series.
Sky Without Stars is a solid start as a first novel, and I enjoyed seeing Brody's and Rendell's take on Les Misérables! This book is perfect for those who are fans of the musical or enjoy a good sci-fi with a brewing rebellion on another planet.


]]> 62919701
Just as the battle with Doom and Mash is nearing its climax, something goes wrong with Mash’s body. Luckily, the Divine Visionaries arrive, prompting Innocent Zero and Doom to withdraw. But the battle isn’t over yet! Innocent Zero has the Wand of Beginnings and plans to use it to bring destruction to the world. With the final battle in sight, Mash, Dot, and Lance undergo a series of trials to prepare themselves for their biggest conflict yet.]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974738612 Sophia 0 4.14 2022
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 61273661
With Lévis defeated, Mash must face his toughest opponent yet—his brother Domina, wielder of water magic. Desperate for the approval of his father, Domina aims to claim the Wand of Beginnings, which Innocent Zero could use to bring the world to ruin. To put a quick end to their bout, Domina summons a power as devastating as a Divine Visionary’s. But Mash has a trick up his own sleeve. Will Mash come out on top in this sibling rivalry?!]]> 200 Hajime Komoto 1974736644 Sophia 0 4.25 2022
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 61273629
The Trimagicathlon—the event that will determine Mash’s destiny—has finally begun! Easton and Walkis have sent their best into a spooky manor filled with scary spells and unimaginable curses. Enemies and allies alike find themselves scattered in this maze, and to make matters worse, Mash is quickly caught in a trap by Lévis! Faced with the overwhelming magic supremacy of the students from Walkis, it’s time for Lance and Dot to show what they’re made of!]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974736121 Sophia 0 4.15 2022
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 60321368
Mash has narrowly avoided Innocent Zero’s attack, but more danger is soon to come as Mash faces his most loathsome foe yet—the end-of-semester test! Will his friends be able to save him from a failing mark and subsequent expulsion? Meanwhile, a certain someone still refuses to accept Mash and is going so far as to interfere in his Divine Visionary candidate interview. Assassins are coming out of the woodwork, and the final trischool competition to become the next Visionary is about to begin!]]> 216 Hajime Komoto 1974734196 Sophia 0 4.12 2021
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 209330004
When the lost statues suddenly resurface and a powerful classmate is found dead, all signs point to foul play from the fae. The Descendants finally have the chance to take back what's rightfully theirs and break the curse. To pull this deadly heist off, though, they must assemble an elite crew:

THE VAMPIRE: After a century of burning hunger, Evangeline is out for blood.

THE SHAPESHIFTER: Nicholas yearns to restore justice to his people—and make peace with his past.

THE MORTAL: Alice seeks the truth of her mysterious heritage, and this mission may be the key.

THE WEREWOLF: Tristan will do anything to break free from the monstrous wolf inside.

Only these four have the power to save the Descendants, but the wrath of the fae waits at every turn. One wrong move and the fate of their kind will come crashing down. . . .]]> 416 Katie Zhao 059364641X Sophia 2 Zodiac Rising was a disappointment; I wish I could say otherwise.

This is the first book in Zhao’s newest YA fantasy series, Descendants of the Zodiac. It’s based on the Chinese zodiac, which was something that instantly appealed to me. The synopsis gives off nostalgic 2010s YA vibes — namely The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, which I also didn’t enjoy, so I guess we’re not surprised why I didn’t like this one as much as I hoped I would. But 滨’尘 a firm believer reading tastes change over the years, and sometimes that nostalgic vibe? It works out, like it did with *. I mean, that one didn’t with , but at least it was good fun.

*It’s not my intention to compare Zhao to Yarros or vice versa; Fourth Wing just turned out to be the first book that popped up into my head in recent books that give nostalgic YA vibes of the early 2010s.

Zodiac Rising was not it. So where did it go wrong for me?

The writing felt… bland? I was talking about this with a friend while reading this and they put it as “very baby fanfic writer” which I feel sums the writing pretty accurately (except I don’t read fanfiction so it’s choppy and not flowing well). The plot and pacing felt off, and I don’t think the writing style helped either, even if it was easy to read when I actually sat down and had no other books available to read without WiFi; it ultimately felt like the book was dragging its shoes in the sand.

The characters? Honestly, I don’t remember any of them, outside of maybe Tristan. And an unknown character that we get introduced to at the beginning of Part Two that gave ominous villain vibes. They didn’t seem to have anything other than surface-level personality.

The world? It feels like there’s a lot going on and some of the logic doesn’t make sense. I feel like this is my biggest pain point in books that have this nostalgic vibe.

We have this secret school in Manhattan (Earthly Branches Academy) where the descendants of the Chinese zodiac have been hiding in since the twelve zodiac statues got vandalized and five of them were stolen, resulting in everyone but the House of Boar getting turned into various creatures. That’s dandy and all, but what truly grinds my gears here is we have the High Council going to school for like 100+ years, just like… all the other students?

It’s like they have nothing else better to do — surely there’s only so much content about Vampire Nutrition and Advanced Mandarin that you can go through before it just starts getting repetitive. And they’re the high council leading the descendants. 罢丑别谤别’蝉 got to be better things than attending classes, but I honestly just got a Mean Girls vibe if there was a plot to overthrow them from one member.

I think if I read Zodiac Rising ten years ago, I’d probably have a much better time enjoying this and wouldn’t question the writing or world building choices. But for now? I just didn’t vibe with it, and I feel like I was in denial for longer than I wanted before I decided to call it quits.

.]]> 3.36 2024
author: Katie Zhao
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: review-copies-arcs, on-the-blog
review:
Zodiac Rising was a disappointment; I wish I could say otherwise.

This is the first book in Zhao’s newest YA fantasy series, Descendants of the Zodiac. It’s based on the Chinese zodiac, which was something that instantly appealed to me. The synopsis gives off nostalgic 2010s YA vibes — namely The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, which I also didn’t enjoy, so I guess we’re not surprised why I didn’t like this one as much as I hoped I would. But 滨’尘 a firm believer reading tastes change over the years, and sometimes that nostalgic vibe? It works out, like it did with *. I mean, that one didn’t with , but at least it was good fun.

*It’s not my intention to compare Zhao to Yarros or vice versa; Fourth Wing just turned out to be the first book that popped up into my head in recent books that give nostalgic YA vibes of the early 2010s.

Zodiac Rising was not it. So where did it go wrong for me?

The writing felt… bland? I was talking about this with a friend while reading this and they put it as “very baby fanfic writer” which I feel sums the writing pretty accurately (except I don’t read fanfiction so it’s choppy and not flowing well). The plot and pacing felt off, and I don’t think the writing style helped either, even if it was easy to read when I actually sat down and had no other books available to read without WiFi; it ultimately felt like the book was dragging its shoes in the sand.

The characters? Honestly, I don’t remember any of them, outside of maybe Tristan. And an unknown character that we get introduced to at the beginning of Part Two that gave ominous villain vibes. They didn’t seem to have anything other than surface-level personality.

The world? It feels like there’s a lot going on and some of the logic doesn’t make sense. I feel like this is my biggest pain point in books that have this nostalgic vibe.

We have this secret school in Manhattan (Earthly Branches Academy) where the descendants of the Chinese zodiac have been hiding in since the twelve zodiac statues got vandalized and five of them were stolen, resulting in everyone but the House of Boar getting turned into various creatures. That’s dandy and all, but what truly grinds my gears here is we have the High Council going to school for like 100+ years, just like… all the other students?

It’s like they have nothing else better to do — surely there’s only so much content about Vampire Nutrition and Advanced Mandarin that you can go through before it just starts getting repetitive. And they’re the high council leading the descendants. 罢丑别谤别’蝉 got to be better things than attending classes, but I honestly just got a Mean Girls vibe if there was a plot to overthrow them from one member.

I think if I read Zodiac Rising ten years ago, I’d probably have a much better time enjoying this and wouldn’t question the writing or world building choices. But for now? I just didn’t vibe with it, and I feel like I was in denial for longer than I wanted before I decided to call it quits.

.
]]> 60321337
Innocent Zero arrives to claim Mash! While Wahlberg faces down the villain, Mash and the others fight Innocent Zero’s cronies in a race to help their headmaster. But they encounter a major setback when Lance and Dot are suddenly turned into babies and sapped of nearly all their power! Meanwhile, Wahlberg finds himself up against an unexpected opponent when his long-dead teacher Adam is resurrected to fight him! Will Mash and the others be able to save the school from its greatest threat yet?!]]> 216 Hajime Komoto 1974732355 Sophia 0 4.12 2021
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 59366055
Mash manages to crack the goddess statue and overcome Carpaccio, wielder of one of the Master Canes. Now Mash must triumph over his next opponent, Margarette Macaron, a caster of sound magic and this year’s favorite to become Divine Visionary. But before the battle begins, Divine Visionary Kaldo Gehenna, the head of magic talent administration, insists on assessing Mash to ensure he’s worthy of becoming a Divine Visionary by challenging him to a not-so-friendly game of you look, you lose.]]> 192 Hajime Komoto 1974732053 Sophia 0 4.16 2021
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 59366021
Mash is enjoying a long-awaited visit home with his friends, unaware that a dangerous agent has been sent to stop him from participating in the Divine Visionary selection exam. Luckily, Rayne is there as well! During the ensuing clash, Rayne unleashes a power of which only a Divine Visionary is capable. Things are heating up, and the exam hasn’t even started yet! Will Mash be able to overcome society’s rules?!]]> 200 Hajime Komoto 1974729028 Sophia 0 4.14 2021
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 43250655 192 Yoh Yoshinari 1975357426 Sophia 3 on-the-blog Note: This review is over the entire 3 volumes

I love magic schools so much, and Little Witch Academia absolutely sold me on this when I saw it on Netflix while browsing for a new show to watch. I got hooked from the first episode despite taking my sweet time finishing both seasons, and I immediately went searching for other adaptations of the show. Lo-and-behold, one day, I found a manga version.

(There's also the game, which I have on my wishlist and found before I found the manga, but I have not played yet. One day, though. And there's a light novel, too!)

The manga follows the anime pretty well at its core concept: the story is about Atsuko (Akko) Kagari, a girl who's had a dream of becoming a witch ever since she heard Shiny Chariot say the words, "Reach out your hand, and your story will begin!" at a magic show when she was a child. Shiny Chariot is her absolute inspiration (and she hopes to meet her one day), so she's over the moon to attend Luna Nova Academy, a prestigious school training girls to become witches — the same school Chariot attended. But Akko isn't from a magical family like her peers, so she struggles in her studies — from flying on a broom to successfully transforming herself into something else.

Akko very much gives off an in your face energetic vibe from the get go, and because I'm not the biggest fan of those types of characters, she actually came off slightly annoying at first. But she was such an endearing character that never gives up and her antics were humorous that one can't help but grow to love her as the protagonist. Plus, I think the rest of the characters just balances her out because they're so polarizing to her in characterization that it's a bit comical.

Reading the manga was an absolute treat, and I loved seeing the anime getting brought to life through a different medium. Keisuke Sato really captured the characters in the art right down to the expressions. But while I did enjoy Little Witch Academia, I feel like it cuts it off and goes into the side stories that really just complement the anime rather than being a sole adaptation. And by cutting off, I really mean it cuts off in a clunky fashion rather than a smooth transition

I love the side stories though: some of them aren't part of the anime, and some are vaguely touched upon. It was overall really nice diving further into some of those scenes and the backgrounds of some of the side characters that don't get covered as much in the anime (though the development isn't as great as the show when reading as a stand-alone without the prior knowledge). But while I enjoyed reading it overall, it feels like there's an assumption people reading the manga of Little Witch Academia are already fans of the anime and have watched it or are in the process of watching rather than the possibility of the other way around. This was wholesome and cute, but I'd highly recommend watching the anime over the manga.

.]]> 3.87 2018
author: Yoh Yoshinari
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/24
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: on-the-blog
review:
Note: This review is over the entire 3 volumes

I love magic schools so much, and Little Witch Academia absolutely sold me on this when I saw it on Netflix while browsing for a new show to watch. I got hooked from the first episode despite taking my sweet time finishing both seasons, and I immediately went searching for other adaptations of the show. Lo-and-behold, one day, I found a manga version.

(There's also the game, which I have on my wishlist and found before I found the manga, but I have not played yet. One day, though. And there's a light novel, too!)

The manga follows the anime pretty well at its core concept: the story is about Atsuko (Akko) Kagari, a girl who's had a dream of becoming a witch ever since she heard Shiny Chariot say the words, "Reach out your hand, and your story will begin!" at a magic show when she was a child. Shiny Chariot is her absolute inspiration (and she hopes to meet her one day), so she's over the moon to attend Luna Nova Academy, a prestigious school training girls to become witches — the same school Chariot attended. But Akko isn't from a magical family like her peers, so she struggles in her studies — from flying on a broom to successfully transforming herself into something else.

Akko very much gives off an in your face energetic vibe from the get go, and because I'm not the biggest fan of those types of characters, she actually came off slightly annoying at first. But she was such an endearing character that never gives up and her antics were humorous that one can't help but grow to love her as the protagonist. Plus, I think the rest of the characters just balances her out because they're so polarizing to her in characterization that it's a bit comical.

Reading the manga was an absolute treat, and I loved seeing the anime getting brought to life through a different medium. Keisuke Sato really captured the characters in the art right down to the expressions. But while I did enjoy Little Witch Academia, I feel like it cuts it off and goes into the side stories that really just complement the anime rather than being a sole adaptation. And by cutting off, I really mean it cuts off in a clunky fashion rather than a smooth transition

I love the side stories though: some of them aren't part of the anime, and some are vaguely touched upon. It was overall really nice diving further into some of those scenes and the backgrounds of some of the side characters that don't get covered as much in the anime (though the development isn't as great as the show when reading as a stand-alone without the prior knowledge). But while I enjoyed reading it overall, it feels like there's an assumption people reading the manga of Little Witch Academia are already fans of the anime and have watched it or are in the process of watching rather than the possibility of the other way around. This was wholesome and cute, but I'd highly recommend watching the anime over the manga.

.
]]> 36673763



Those words changed young Atsuko "Akko" Kagari forever, sparking in her a lifelong dream of becoming a real witch. Now she's been accepted to the same school as her childhood hero, Shiny Chariot-the prestigious Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy. As the only student to come from a non-magical family, Akko finds herself surrounded by prodigies from around the world, but giving up isn't in her vocabulary. Whether it's making friends, proving the doubters wrong, or just flying on a broom, Akko is going to make her fantasy a reality!]]> 180 Yoh Yoshinari 1975327454 Sophia 4 3.73 2013
author: Yoh Yoshinari
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/17
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 62690831 Explosive and enthralling romantasy debut from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall...

Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.]]> 496 Rachel Howzell Hall 1649374402 Sophia 3 The Last One is Rachel Howzell Hall’s first foray in romantasy, and it’s pretty obvious: the book very much felt like a contemporary novel slapped inside a fantasy world, but I still had a little fun reading it. Very vibes.

It’s certainly quick and easy to read, which is the same vibe I had with Yarros’s novel. The storyline moves relatively quickly: we’re thrown right into the story from the very first page when Kai wakes up in the woods with no memory of who she is or why she’s in the woods completely naked. And there’s a thief stealing her clothes and Very Important Amulet?, which leads her to this small village of Maford that begins her journey searching for the answers to her identity.

罢丑别谤别’蝉 a lot going on in The Last One, but sometimes I felt like there was too much going on. We’re bouncing from place to place and meeting various characters here and there as Kai discovers she needs to reach the Sea of Devour to fully find the answers she’s looking for. She starts making her way there, but like any journey, it’s not without setbacks and trials. I enjoyed the world-building and following Kai’s journey, but I felt like we get info-dumped, especially as we get toward the end. It made the reading experience feel a little disjointed.

The characters just overall seemed… meh aside from one or two characters. 罢丑别谤别’蝉 not much I can say about them development wise aside from the bare minimum: one of them is a blacksmith, one of them is his adopted sister, another seems to hold a key to Kai’s past — almost all of them holding their own secret.

I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the instalove that immediately takes place and felt like it detracted from what’s going on in the story multiple times — Kai would talk about their next steps and then her thoughts would run into a tangent about Jadon’s hotness or making innuendoes that were pretty irrelevant to the conversation going on before bouncing back. (But take that with a grain of salt because I generally dislike instalove and your mileage may vary.)

At first I didn’t mind it too much, but eventually it got to where it felt exhausting because it felt like a constant back and forth and repetitiveness. I enjoyed their back and forth though, and Kai’s quips and thoughts as she goes about figuring things out and unlocks her powers are probably what made the book much enjoyable since they were so comical. The Last One overall felt like it was dragging its shoes in the sand otherwise.

This honestly might be my least favorite book from Red Tower. I didn’t hate this one, but 滨’尘 also not super jumpy about picking up later books. Maybe if I were in a very particular mood, I’d probably enjoy it more. If you enjoyed Fourth Wing a lot, you might enjoy The Last One a lot more than I did because I definitely think this is targeted toward a specific audience. 滨’尘 not exactly that audience, so this falls more of a miss for me.

.]]> 2.76 2024
author: Rachel Howzell Hall
name: Sophia
average rating: 2.76
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: review-copies-arcs, on-the-blog
review:
The Last One is Rachel Howzell Hall’s first foray in romantasy, and it’s pretty obvious: the book very much felt like a contemporary novel slapped inside a fantasy world, but I still had a little fun reading it. Very vibes.

It’s certainly quick and easy to read, which is the same vibe I had with Yarros’s novel. The storyline moves relatively quickly: we’re thrown right into the story from the very first page when Kai wakes up in the woods with no memory of who she is or why she’s in the woods completely naked. And there’s a thief stealing her clothes and Very Important Amulet?, which leads her to this small village of Maford that begins her journey searching for the answers to her identity.

罢丑别谤别’蝉 a lot going on in The Last One, but sometimes I felt like there was too much going on. We’re bouncing from place to place and meeting various characters here and there as Kai discovers she needs to reach the Sea of Devour to fully find the answers she’s looking for. She starts making her way there, but like any journey, it’s not without setbacks and trials. I enjoyed the world-building and following Kai’s journey, but I felt like we get info-dumped, especially as we get toward the end. It made the reading experience feel a little disjointed.

The characters just overall seemed… meh aside from one or two characters. 罢丑别谤别’蝉 not much I can say about them development wise aside from the bare minimum: one of them is a blacksmith, one of them is his adopted sister, another seems to hold a key to Kai’s past — almost all of them holding their own secret.

I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the instalove that immediately takes place and felt like it detracted from what’s going on in the story multiple times — Kai would talk about their next steps and then her thoughts would run into a tangent about Jadon’s hotness or making innuendoes that were pretty irrelevant to the conversation going on before bouncing back. (But take that with a grain of salt because I generally dislike instalove and your mileage may vary.)

At first I didn’t mind it too much, but eventually it got to where it felt exhausting because it felt like a constant back and forth and repetitiveness. I enjoyed their back and forth though, and Kai’s quips and thoughts as she goes about figuring things out and unlocks her powers are probably what made the book much enjoyable since they were so comical. The Last One overall felt like it was dragging its shoes in the sand otherwise.

This honestly might be my least favorite book from Red Tower. I didn’t hate this one, but 滨’尘 also not super jumpy about picking up later books. Maybe if I were in a very particular mood, I’d probably enjoy it more. If you enjoyed Fourth Wing a lot, you might enjoy The Last One a lot more than I did because I definitely think this is targeted toward a specific audience. 滨’尘 not exactly that audience, so this falls more of a miss for me.

.
]]> 200093524 208 Tatsuya Endo 197474860X Sophia 5 4.40 2023
author: Tatsuya Endo
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/18
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 107525704 208 Aya Yajima Sophia 4 4.35 2021
author: Aya Yajima
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/28
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58438413
Mash and the gang are in a celebratory mood after defeating the Magia Lupus, but it isn’t long before the mysterious criminal organization Innocent Zero comes to threaten the peace! Abel is overwhelmed by the power of the dark-magic users, but Mash refuses to back down. Sadly, however miraculous Mash’s physical strength may be, it’s not magic, and when rumors spread about his inability to use magic, Mash finds himself in magical court!]]> 200 Hajime Komoto 1974727130 Sophia 0 4.16 2021
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:

]]> 58438387
After getting separated, Mash and the gang face off against individual members of the Magia Lupus, the group of Lang Dorm baddies who have been stealing magic power from other students. Mash manages to put a stop to his speedy opponent, but Dot struggles to take down Love. With his back against the wall, Dot unleashes a devastating new power. Meanwhile, Abel, the leader of the Magia Lupus, awaits Mash for a decisive final battle!]]> 208 Hajime Komoto 1974725375 Sophia 0 4.13 2021
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:

]]> 204294896 The fourth exciting entry in Rick Riordan's best-selling Heroes of Olympus series is now a graphic novel!

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.]]> 160 Robert Venditti 1368092667 Sophia 4 4.42
author: Robert Venditti
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 125133123
In her youth, Jeanne was a powerful witch who vanquished the evil Demon King and saved the world—but over time, the people she rescued have forgotten her. Now she is a lonely old woman living in a secluded forest...until she accidentally summons a cat from Earth to her home! The former city kitty is now gigantic and must acclimate to this new world. Can a cat from another world soothe the loneliness of the forgotten witch?]]> 168 Hiro Kashiwaba Sophia 0 4.15
author: Hiro Kashiwaba
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 75253535
A browbeaten and mistreated daughter is cast out of her home and sent to audition as a bridal candidate for the heir to one of the most powerful families in the land…

Miyo Saimori, the eldest of her clan and yet unblessed by the supernatural talent that graced her father and half sister, is sent off to marry into the Gifted Kudo clan. The young and aloof clan leader, Kiyoka Kudo, finds himself intrigued by this girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand. All too soon, Kiyoka comes to regard Miyo with affection.

Kiyoka and Miyo make their engagement real and official, but Miyo still worries she lacks the training to be a wife worthy of the Kudo clan. Enter Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, who takes it upon herself to tutor Miyo—and tease Kiyoka along the way!

Suddenly, Miyo and Kiyoka encounter a mysterious man named Arata Tsuruki. What does he want, and what connection does he have to the enigmatic and powerful Usuba clan that Miyo’s mother hailed from?]]> 224 Rito Kohsaka 1646097262 Sophia 0 4.34 2022
author: Rito Kohsaka
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 62984822
Sent to the Kudo clan—itself preternaturally powerful—as a potential bride for its heir, Kiyoka, Miyo is surprised to experience kindness for the first time in her thus far sad life.

Though the rumors make him out to be cold and haughty, Kiyoka Kudo quickly warms up to the Saimoris' eldest daughter. Intrigued by the girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand, Kiyoka soon comes to regard Miyo with affection.

Just as Miyo believes she may have found happiness at last, her jealous half sister, Kaya, kidnaps her and locks her in a cellar. Kaya's eyes are red with rage as she declares her intention to dissolve Miyo's engagement to Kiyoka and replace Miyo as his fiancée herself! Will Kiyoka's supernatural abilities deliver her from Kaya's clutches in time?]]> 224 Akumi Agitogi 1646091566 Sophia 0 4.39 2021
author: Akumi Agitogi
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 205807467 Office worker Riko Kozakura has successfully expanded to a two-cat party at home, and she continues to level up in pet ownership!

Living with cats Musubi and Soboro every day is an adventure, and in her daily quests, Riko couldn’t ask for a better team! “Leveling up” in skills, surprises, and adventures, Riko discovers what it’s like living with two cats!

Wataru Nadatani’s hilarious manga series is translated by Zack Davisson (Demon Days, Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan) and lettered by Susie Lee of Studio Cutie. Nominated for the “Best Manga” Harvey Award in 2022 and 2023!]]> 168 Wataru Nadatani 1506736653 Sophia 0 4.39 2021
author: Wataru Nadatani
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 56898058
Lang’s vicious hunt for coins is in full swing! To stop them from monopolizing the chance to earn a Divine Visionary position, Mash teams up with his Adler compatriots. Afterwards, the Sixth and Seventh Fangs of the Magia Lupus swoop in to attack Mash while he’s cleaning the owl huts. Then, when his friends become the next victims of the Magia Lupus’s callous dog-eat-dog philosophy, an enraged Mash is ready to face them head-on!]]> 216 Hajime Komoto 1974725111 Sophia 0 4.12 2020
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 56898037
In the midst of a battle with a chosen magic user graced with two marks, Mash makes a shocking discovery about his opponent. Then, more trouble is on the way when Mash’s dorm gets paired with Lang, a dorm full of bad characters, for outdoor activities. Now Mash is caught up in a fight for coins and the pride of his dorm!]]> 200 Hajime Komoto 1974723518 Sophia 0 4.13 2020
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 55711445
Mash just wants to live in peace with his father in the forest. But the only way he’ll ever be accepted in the magic realm is by attending magic school and becoming a Divine Visionary—an exceptional student revered as one the chosen. But without an ounce of magic to his name, Mash will have to punch his way to the top spot.]]> 216 Hajime Komoto 1974719294 Sophia 0 4.09 2020
author: Hajime Komoto
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 23129659 If you grew up with an emotionally immature, unavailable, or selfish parent, you may have lingering feelings of anger, loneliness, betrayal, or abandonment. You may recall your childhood as a time when your emotional needs were not met, when your feelings were dismissed, or when you took on adult levels of responsibility in an effort to compensate for your parent’s behavior. These wounds can be healed, and you can move forward in your life.

In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhood. By freeing yourself from your parents’ emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment. Finally, you’ll learn how to create positive, new relationships so you can build a better life.

Discover the four types of difficult parents:



The emotional parent instills feelings of instability and anxiety

The driven parent stays busy trying to perfect everything and everyone

The passive parent avoids dealing with anything upsetting

The rejecting parent is withdrawn, dismissive, and derogatory
?]]> 201 Lindsay C. Gibson 1626251703 Sophia 4 4.36 2015
author: Lindsay C. Gibson
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 218024708 Sara Wolf Sophia 0 to-read 4.80
author: Sara Wolf
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.80
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 127305686 New sparks. Old flames. And a mission that's playing with fire.

A year has passed since superstar Winter Young last saw secret agent Sydney Cossette. After barely surviving their first assignment together in London -- and their intense chemistry – the two haven’t spoken at all. Though they’re never far from the other’s thoughts, or fantasies.

So when Syndey shows up at Winter’s studio one day with a new mission from Panacea, he has no choice but to accept. With the clock ticking, the duo prepares to head to Singapore to rescue an operative in danger -- only to learn he’s none other than Sydney's ex, a rogue agent known as the Arsonist.

Of course, nothing is ever simple when it comes to Winter and Sydney. Especially not with the glamorous Gavi Ginsburg, a globe-trotting socialite and Winter’s one-time girlfriend, in the mix. Is she back for Winter’s heart – or does she have her eye on another prize?

The smoldering sequel to New York Times-bestselling Stars and Smoke follows Winter and Sydney on yet another treacherous mission that grows more sinister with each twist and turn. To make it out alive, they'll have to figure out how to be partners again -- and if they can resist the burn of something more.]]> 320 Marie Lu 1250852919 Sophia 4 3.90 2024
author: Marie Lu
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 220908971 A teen descendant of a Japanese dragon god must team up with a cute rogue agent to subvert a corrupt time travel organization and find out the truth of what happened to her missing sister in acclaimed author Kylie Lee Baker's magical new YA romance, I'll Find You Where the Timeline Ends.

When you’re ready, come find me. I will keep you safe. -Hana

Descended from a Japanese dragon god, Yang Mina was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. Then Mina’s world is uprooted when she moves to Seoul and finds a note from her sister–a sister who no one remembers, as if she had been erased. The only people who could have made her sister vanish so completely are part of the very agency that she’s been working so hard to join. So now Mina has a new mission, infiltrate the agency as quickly as possible to find her lost sister.

And, as if things weren’t complicated enough, a strikingly handsome rogue agent has determined that Mina is the only person who can help him put an end to the Descendants' corruption. Placed in an impossible situation, Mina must decide how much she’s willing to risk to find the truth.]]> 304 Kylie Lee Baker 1250381983 Sophia 0 to-read 4.15 2025
author: Kylie Lee Baker
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58671043
Her coworkers can’t quite figure her out—she never talks about her personal life, she never works overtime, and she never joins them for happy hour. Is she antisocial? Nope, she’s rushing home to play video games! One day, a stray cat is found in the office parking lot, and before Riko knows it, the cat has moved in with her! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand her behavior through a cat's worldview.]]> 200 Wataru Nadatani Sophia 5 will-i-review-this 4.17 2019
author: Wataru Nadatani
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves: will-i-review-this
review:

]]> 202352670 160 Wataru Nadatani 1506736645 Sophia 5 4.42 2020
author: Wataru Nadatani
name: Sophia
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 139400708
As a child living in exile during the Cultural Revolution, Ai Weiwei often found himself with nothing to read but government-approved comic books. Although they were restricted by the confines of political propaganda, Ai Weiwei was struck by the artists' ability to express their thoughts on art and humanity through graphic storytelling. Now, decades later, Ai Weiwei and Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini present Zodiac, Ai Weiwei's first graphic memoir.

Inspired by the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac and their associated human characteristics, Ai Weiwei masterfully interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life, family, and career. The narrative shifts back and forth through the years—at once in the past, present, and future—mirroring memory and our relationship to time. As readers delve deeper into the beautifully illustrated pages of Zodiac, they will find not only a personal history of Ai Weiwei and an examination of the sociopolitical climate in which he makes his art, but a philosophical exploration of what it means to find oneself through art and freedom of expression.

Contemplative and political, Zodiac will inspire readers to return again and again to Ai Weiwei's musings on the relationship between art, time, and our shared humanity.]]> 176 Ai Weiwei 1984863002 Sophia 3 3.69 2024
author: Ai Weiwei
name: Sophia
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves:
review:

]]>