Another week has passed, so here’s another edition of Bite Size Reviews! This time for the week of 4/25. It feels like I didn’t do much reading last week, but I did finish two audiobooks. Short ones! I’ve been listening to them when I’m at work, meaning I get a lot of reading done that way. There are some series I’m planning on finally getting to this year, and I’ve found this a great way to do that.
Like I mentioned in my April Wrap Up post, this month is going to mostly be me reading off my undread cart, with audiobooks sprinkled in. And a few re-reads because the new Hunger Games book comes out this month. Trying to plan my re-read to line up with the new release! I will also definitely be reading that book immediately when it comes out.
Check out previous week’s reviews for 2020: 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 4/25
House of M: World of M by Daniel Way (4/25)
With this, I’ve finally finished all the House of M stories! For the most part, most of the side stories weren’t my favorite. This one is a collection that includes Wolverine, Captain America, and Black Panther. The best one out of these was probably the Wolverine one, in my opinion. It made the most sense in comparison to the main House of M story, which is still probably the best one out of the collection. But now onto the next big Marvel event: Civil War! (3 stars).
The Selection by Kiera Cass (4/27)
I started these audiobooks while I was waiting for the next Cassandra Clare book from the library. This is a futuristic society that’s similar to the show The Bachelor. 35 girls from different castes are chosen for a competition to win the hand of Prince Maxon. America enters, thinking there’s no way she’ll get chosen. When she does, things get more complicated than she could imagine. Now she might be in love with two boys. I can see why people love these books so much, but they seem a bit too dramatic to me. There are also a lot of elements that seem to relate to The Hunger Games, though more so in the second book. We’ll see how I feel about it when I finish all the books (3 stars).
We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett (4/27)
After Revna is caught using illegal magic, she’s afraid of being imprisoned and branded a traitor. Linne fears the same when she’s caught as a woman disguising herself as a man in the Army. Instead, the two girls are sent to a woman’s military flight unit, one that uses the exact magic that Revna was using. This book was on my TBR cart for ages and I’m so glad I finally read it. Not only is it a fantasy with disability rep, but it’s also a YA fantasy with no romance. Revna and Linne can’t stand each other at first, but they must learn how to rely on each other. A fantasy based on real historical events, this was definitely worth every moment (4 stars)
The Elite by Kiera Cass (4/29)
The second book in the Selection series, and I’m sorry to say that this one suffers from second book syndrome. For me, almost nothing happened in this book. The Selection is still going on, but America can’t decide if she loves the prince or a boy from her home, Aspen. We get a bit more information about the history of their country, and glimpses of the rebellion that keeps attacking the castle. I hope more action happens in the next book, and that a lot of questions are answered because there’s still a lot of stuff that doesn’t make sense (3 stars).
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu (4/30)
Another historical based fantasy, this book looks at the life of Nannerl Mozart, who was a talent musician just like her brother. However, because she was a woman, she wasn’t allowed to compose music like he was. Lu re-imagines their childhood with a magical world called the Kingdom of Back, a place where Nannerl would be free to pursue music. But there are dangerous effects of going into this world. The best thing about this book is the way that Lu portrays the emotions that Nannerl feels. Her disappointment is heartbreaking, and she just yearns to have the freedoms that her brother has. An excellent book about a forgotten figure in history (4 stars).
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (4/30)
This classic follows Holden Caulfield as he explores New York after getting kicked out of his most recent school. Though the book itself doesn’t have a lot of plot, Holden is struggling with growing up, searching for some sort of connection. There are a lot of complaints in reviews about Holden being immature, but I think that’s part of the point of the book. He’s a teenager after all, trying desperately to hold onto his last pieces of childhood. Glad I finally got to this classic that I’ve been meaning to read for ages (4 stars).
The Road to Civil War by J. Michael Straczynski (5/1)
This is a prequel to the Civil War event in Marvel comics, giving background to the events that are about to happen. A good portion of this book features Spider-Man, which is probably why I liked it so much. There’s so much Spider-Man snark in the second half of this book and it’s fantastic. And I feel like I’m more prepared to embark on the large event that is Civil War (4 stars).