Tamara鈥檚 Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2023

18,711

pages read

books read

Tamara

Shortest Book

pages

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Longest Book

541

pages

Average book length in 2023

359

pages

Most Shelved

5,675,122

people also shelved

Least Shelved

10,212

people also shelved

Tamara鈥檚 average rating for 2023

3.7

Highest Rated on 欧宝娱乐

4.38 average

Tamara鈥檚 first review of the year

it was amazing

(Originally published on my blog, )

Legends and Lattes is one of those novels where you鈥檙e not really sure what to expect - surely a story about opening a caf茅, even in a high fantasy world, cannot be too interesting? However, I was pleasantly surprised from the first page - it鈥檚 a cozy, wholesome read with skilful writing that keeps the reader turning page after page.

Viv, an accomplished mercenary, is getti (Originally published on my blog, )

Legends and Lattes is one of those novels where you鈥檙e not really sure what to expect - surely a story about opening a caf茅, even in a high fantasy world, cannot be too interesting? However, I was pleasantly surprised from the first page - it鈥檚 a cozy, wholesome read with skilful writing that keeps the reader turning page after page.

Viv, an accomplished mercenary, is getting tired of the head chopping business. A chance encounter with a drink she鈥檚 never heard of before - coffee - allows her to dream for something more. Settling down in the city of Thune, where no one heard of the drink either, she works hard to make this dream a reality, making new and unlikely friends along the way. When someone from her past - not quite friend and not quite foe - returns to threaten this dream, Viv finds out just how valuable the life she built for herself is.

I think I need to start by saying I love Viv - while the idea of a mercenary retiring to open a quaint caf茅 is a bit ridiculous at surface, it works well, especially as she鈥檚 a fleshed out character, with doubts, fears and dreams. She鈥檚 resilient, and hardworking, however, finds it difficult to trust some of her new friends at first, and believes there is little else for her besides work. A lot of growth happens for her over the course of the novel and feels natural - in fact, I would say this is the primary focus of Legends and Lattes.

While relatively short, Legends and Lattes does w good job of developing the other characters as well. The friendships I alluded to above were fantastic to experience as a reader. As for the only romantic relationship here, it was rather sweet - honestly, I would love to see more of those two together, but the feelings developed by the characters in question are undoubtedly not rushed and thus feel grounded and real.

The pacing worried me most going into this novel, however, it is very well done. Whether it鈥檚 waiting for Viv to make decor choices for the cafe, or the possibility of losing the place she and her friends built, I was equally invested. However, the added peril and danger introduce action and definitely up the stakes in what is otherwise a wholesome, cozy read.

With a gripping plot that proves low stakes stories do not have to be boring, Legends and Lattes is a fantastic read, worth every bit of praise it received. Highly recommend, even for readers who aren鈥檛 too fond of fantasy! ...more

罢础惭础搁础鈥橲 2023 BOOKS

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

it was amazing

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

it was amazing

really liked it

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

The Hound of the Baskervilles and other stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

it was amazing

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The London S茅ance Society by Sarah Penner

it was amazing

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

it was amazing

Tamara鈥檚 last review of the year

really liked it

(Originally published on my blog, )

'City of Nightmares' was on my 'to read' list for while, however it has gotten lost among the tens of books I seem to add to it every day (it's honestly becoming as much of a problem as my book shopping habits). I would probably miss out on this fun, camp adventure if it wasn't for a book subscription box, and it would be a real shame - let me tell you why!

Ness Near鈥檚 worl (Originally published on my blog, )

'City of Nightmares' was on my 'to read' list for while, however it has gotten lost among the tens of books I seem to add to it every day (it's honestly becoming as much of a problem as my book shopping habits). I would probably miss out on this fun, camp adventure if it wasn't for a book subscription box, and it would be a real shame - let me tell you why!

Ness Near鈥檚 world revolves around avoiding dangerous situations, which is quite difficult, given she lives in Newham, a city riddled with crime. Oh, and did I mention every person may turn into their worst nightmare as soon as they fall asleep? The odds for survival clearly aren鈥檛 great, but Ness does her best to stay out of trouble. Trouble finds her despite that - in form of a simple job meant to preserve her safe haven in the not-cult Friends of the Restful Soul... which literally blows up in her face. Ness and the only other survivor of the catastrophe, Cy, soon find themselves in a race against time to uncover the truth about the sinister attack, while contending with their own past and secrets.

Ness Near, a member of the not-cult Friends of the Restful Soul, is a coward. She鈥檚 well aware of it, but given her history, and the fact she lives in a world where anyone might turn into their greatest fear as soon as they succumb to sleep (and crime is absolutely rampant) it鈥檚 hard to blame her. In fact, I found Ness to be a refreshing protagonist - her self-awareness is almost meta, and her growth over the course of the novel does not feel rushed or forced at all. Furthermore, her inner monologue had a very distinct voice compared to other characters, and also had me laughing out loud on many occasions.

There鈥檚 only a handful of characters that we get to know closely besides Ness, however, they all seem to have their own secrets and demons to contend with, with motivations that are truly grey, which is fantastic. I enjoyed reading about Cy鈥檚 internal dilemma, and the unlikely friendship Ness develops with him, as well as Priya鈥檚 insistent work towards achieving her goal of getting accepted into Nightmare Defense. As Priya is not present for a big portion of the novel, I hope we鈥檒l get to see a lot more of her in the future. She is currently close to falling into the token best friend category, which would be a shame, given that she is clearly her own, interesting person.

I did have some issues with the dialogue in this novel - it oscillates between funny (the bizarre kind of funny, that is) and almost juvenile. However, given the age of the characters, perhaps that could be excused - on the other hand, they have grown up in incredibly harsh conditions, which in theory would make them more mature faster. The prose also felt a bit off at times, but I wonder if this a stylistic choice, reminiscent of the tone of penny dreadfuls (which also make an appearance here in form of 鈥榩enny novels鈥�). Thankfully, the pacing feels right, without dragging on or trying to cram too much into just shy of 400 pages. The epilogue also piqued my interest on the direction this series is going in.

The worldbuilding in 'City of Nightmares' is one of its best qualities - it kind of feels like 'Welcome to Nightvale', just with a lot more serious crime and a more pronounced supernatural element. The setting also gives off a rather camp, fun vibe, with the hilarity amplified by the fact our strait laced protagonist who likes order is plunged further into chaos with each chapter.

'City of Nightmares' is a fun, camp novel with a lot of heart at its core, and I am excited to see where this series goes next. I would recommend it for anyone looking for an entertaining mystery with a dash of meta, willing to overlook some juvenile dialogue. ...more

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