The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown 3/5 Stars

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 5/5 Stars
Just as wonderful and easy to get lost in as The Name of the Wind. The second book in the trilogy picks up where the first one leaves off. I thought I’d be sad when Kvothe left the University but his adventure was just as exciting. Readers have been waiting over a decade for the third and final book in the trilogy to be written but I love these books enough to feel patient for it and I look forward to rereading before it does come out.

What the River Knows (Secrets of the Nile #1) by Isabel Ibañez 4/5 Stars
I read this for a book club and it is a great book club read. There were three of us; we all had a lot to say about the characters and plot and were all affronted by the ending. It’s not fair we have to wait ten months for the next book! I really like the plot and setting and the magical realism element of this book. A big part of my reading wheelhouse is a victorian lady adventure story and this one fits. Inez goes to a dig site with her uncle and I really loved the details on what she packed for the trip. I also liked the banter between Inez and Whit. I don’t like how immature and juvenile Inez is; her actions are frustrating and take me out of the story. I feel she could have been either more mature or just a few years older and we still could have had the conflict that propels the story along. It reminded me a lot of the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn; one that I love and the protagonist is a bit older so not immature like Inez is, but there’s no magic.

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine 2/5 Stars
This one was too cheap romance/chick-lit for my taste. I couldn’t stand Cassie and all of her awful decisions and how there was no substance to the story. It was very unbelievable in a non-entertaining way.

When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry 2/5 Stars
It took me a couple of tries to get through the beginning part of this book because of how “high school” it is. I just couldn’t relate to the ghost hunting thing they were trying to do or how… teenagery they are. And I mean yes they are teenagers, but I think because it is a group of them it was more difficult to enjoy. Contrary to most books that may lose you in parts of them (I feel usually the middle is what is hard to get through), the middle of the book was very interesting and compelling to me. It was the beginning and ending that I didn’t really enjoy. Emily Henry is one of my favorite writers so I think if this book appeals to you, you have a good chance of enjoying it. I read it because of loving her other books and wanting to give all of her books a read but it’s just not one for me.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden 5/5 Stars
The Warm Hands of Ghosts was a very slow start for me but I’m so glad I stuck with it. I almost abandoned it but kept reminding myself how much I enjoyed other works by Katherine Arden. Around 40% it really picked up, but what made it slow in the beginning for me persisted throughout the whole book: I didn’t feel a connection with Laura. So we get all this back story about Laura and her brother Freddie but it doesn’t mean much, I’m not very invested in their story in the beginning. After we learn quite a bit about them and interesting things start to happen, I can’t say I am 100% invested in them them but enough to be curious to know what happens to them.
This book is great. It’s a unique story with a hint of magical realism and I really liked the dual timelines that eventually meet. It provokes reflection on the story and I think it would be a great one to discuss in a book club.
I was given a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Del Ray!

A Castle in the Air (A Stitch in Time #4) by Kelley Armstrong 5/5 Stars
I love, love, love, love Kelley Armstrong’s A Stitch in Time series. I usually don’t keep reading series where the main characters/couples switch for each book because I get so invested in the first ones but all of these books are just really great. I had a major book hangover from this one and had a hard time starting another because I wasn’t ready to leave this world. Highly recommended!

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 4/5 Stars
As I’m reflecting on the book I just read it’s not the characters, setting, themes, or hot topics, but the way Zevin has sucked me into caring about (almost) all of the things she has written about. If it weren’t for the bewitching writing, I would not care as much about the professional and personal relationships between three college kids and what it takes them to make a video games and a production company, which is an overly simplified description of the book. I really enjoyed the different ways we got the story too: prose, dreams, and from the points of view of being in a coma and a video game. It was a delightful read from a technical standpoint, though I felt that the social and political commentary felt more like the author trying to insert her points of view into her book rather than occurring organically within the story. If one hated video games I don’t think it would be a good fit, but otherwise I think this is so cleverly written that it deserves all of the awards and nominations it has received.