Happy Saturday, everyone! We’re at the end of another week, but also at the beginning of September. Yay! It’s finally not 90 degrees anymore and I am so grateful. 90 degrees is just way too hot. Anyway, I had a fantastic reading week this week! For the Week of 8/28, I read a total of 8 books! A few audiobooks, a few ebooks, a few library books. It was just a good week for books!
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 8/28
Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach (8/28)
I already wrote a review for this this week, so just a few thoughts here. This book had a lot of great characters and discussed a lot of important topics. While the pacing felt a little off to me, overall, I really enjoyed the story. It was engaging and just great to read (4 stars).
The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard (8/29)
This is a graphic novel that is a collection of horror stories. I think there were five stories in here, if I remember correctly. As someone who doesn’t usually like horror, I actually found this really engaging. The art suited the genre and subject matter well, making them even more creepy. Someone who is looking for a horror graphic novel will definitely enjoy this one! (4 stars).
Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson (8/31)
For Olivia, the Farmland Music Festival is just what she needs to get over her previous break up. A weekend with her best friend, no romance involved. Tori, on the other hand, is just about to start college and unsure what she wants to do after the death of her father. The two meet at the festival and immediately, sparks fly. Johnson is a master at writing romance, that’s what I got from this book. However, I think there was just too much in this book. I wish it had focused on just the relationship, rather than bringing in the other plot points (3.5 stars).
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (8/31)
I’ve already talked about how much I love this book, and this is a re-read! I actually listened to the audiobook this time around, and I love the narrator they picked for Cash. He really captured his voice really well. Plus, they used one of Zentner’s own songs at the beginning of the audiobook, which I thought was really cool! (5 stars).
Steelstriker by Marie Lu (8/31)
After Mara falls to the Federation, Talin is captured. In order to save her mother, the Premier forces her to become a Skyhunter, cut off from everyone she’s ever loved. But in order to bring down the Federation, she has to rekindle her connection with Red. Like usual, this was a great conclusion from dystopian powerhouse Marie Lu. Readers will definitely be satisfied with this conclusion, and there are a lot of great action scenes in this one, too! (4.5 stars)
Witch for Hire by Ted Naifeh (9/2)
Faye is an outsider at school, and that’s just fine with her. When a lonely freshman, Cody, joins their table at lunch, a strange chain of events starts happening around the school. Pranks start going drastically wrong, and as an actual witch, Faye finds herself stepping in. This is a new graphic novel, and unfortunately, I wish that it was just a bit longer. I didn’t feel like the story was fleshed out enough. The art was amazing, but it could have added like 50 more pages to make it truly spectacular (3 stars).
Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson (9/2)
It’s 1909 and the Seattle Alaska-Yukon Expedition is happening. Jack is the assistant for the Enchantress, one of the best illusionists around. Wilhelm is ward of the newest illusionist in town, Laszlo. When the two assistants meet, a star-crossed love is sparked from the beginning. Usually, I’m a fan of Hutchinson’s work, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I think it was just a tad on the long side. And overall, the pacing was just weird. I’ll be writing a full review next week! (3 stars)
Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (9/3)
Godolia’s rule is spreading quickly with their giant mechanical weapons called Windups. Eris is a Gearbreaker, dedicated to taking down the Windups. Sona is a Valkyrie, one of the pilots from Godolia. When Eris is captured, she finds that Sona might just be on her side. If you’re looking for queer sci-fi, look no further! The beginning is a little bumpy, but once it finds its footing, it’s difficult to put down! This actually reminded me a bit of Crier’s War, so if you’ve read that, you’d definitely enjoy this one! (4 stars).