It’s time for my bite size reviews for the Week of 11/28! Sorry I’ve been a bit MIA this week. I have finished up my last two papers for the semester finally, so more time for blogging! And other things, like painting, reading, etc. I am honestly so ready to have something off my plate. Though, I did still get a lot of reading done when balancing two jobs. Just wait and see what happens when I have more free time! I will also definitely make it to 300 books for the year, the most I’ve ever done! Stay tuned for some yearly wrap up posts to come in the next few weeks. Though reading for the Week of 11/28 was definitely dominated by audiobooks.
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 11/28
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir (11/28)
This was a part of my re-listen before the final book in this series came out and it’s just such a good series. Elias and Laia are on the run, going to save her brother from the prison Kauf. But nothing ever goes as planned and dark forces get in their way. What I like most about this series is the way that Tahir weaves hope into the story, even at the character’s darkest points. The world is engrossing, the characters are well rounded and so incredibly likeable. If you haven’t read this series, now is definitely the time to start! (5 stars)
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk (11/29)
Cleo and Layla were best friends. Until they weren’t. Now, Cleo’s determined to erase every memory that had to do with Layla, which proves to be difficult when she’s assigned as Layla’s English tutor. Even as Cleo starts to make new friends, she’s unsure if they’re going to last. After all, Layla was supposed to be her best friend forever, and now she’s not. This book is a close look at the emotions we go through during a friendship break up, and Woodfolk nails it right on the head. Plus, the characters feel incredibly real (4 stars).
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (11/30)
Tiến’s family immigrated from Vietnam, and he reads fairytales with his parents in order to help them better learn English. However, Tiến is also struggling with how to tell his parents that he is gay. Nguyen tackles tough subjects through fairytales and family relationships and stunning illustrations. Each aspect of the story is illustrated in a different color, and Nguyen absolutely transports you to another world. A graphic novel that should be in everyone’s collection (5 stars).
A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir (12/1)
I’m not sure what more to say about this series, but this book ends on such a bittersweet note. Thank goodness I can finally listen to the final book in the series, which is what I’m doing now. I need Elias, Laia, and Helene to be okay by the end, even if they probably won’t be. I know Tahir likes to put her readers through the ringer. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about that book next week! (5 stars)
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson (12/3)
Isobel is known for her stunning portraits that she paints for the fair folk, who cannot paint themselves. Or write. Or do any sort of human craft, even though they crave it. When she receives her first royal patron, Rook, she makes a mistake and paints sorrow in his eyes. Now, that mistake might cost her her life. If she doesn’t fall in love first. This was another audiobook listen (which I did a lot of this week, I guess!), and it was so enchanting. I think I like Rogerson’s second book, Sorcery of Thorns, better, but this was still highly entertaining. What I really liked was the way Rogerson created this world, with all of these rules. It felt so unique, even if there are a lot of YA books about fairies (4 stars).
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor (12/3)
This was a bit of slow going for me, not because the writing was bad per se, just because it was too long. This is the 8th book in the Logans series, but it can be read on its own, because I haven’t read the other books in the series. This follows Cassie as she finds her place in the world, becoming an adult during the start of the Civil Rights Movement. There is a lot of great history in this book, history that’s really important. I honestly just wish the book was a bit shorter (3.5 stars).
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone (12/4)
Quan starts writing letters to Justyce after he’s arrested for shooting an officer and admits to it. Quan’s story is told in a series of flashbacks and letters; he thinks he was destined to a life of crime, since any time he tried anything else, it didn’t work out. Ultimately, this is a story about how society treats Black boys and it is heart-wrenching. I would even say that it is more powerful than the first book, Dear Martin. Because you know that there are kids stuck in this situation, kids that don’t get the support that Quan ultimately gets. This is going in my top reads of the year because it is just so powerful, and I read it all in one night, effectively rounding out the Week of 11/28 (5 stars).
[…] A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir (5 stars, audiobook) […]