ROMANTASY WAS FOR ME, UNTIL IT WASN'T

From: Hemingway Bookstore

I haven't read YA or Fantasy in a while because I am in my pretentious literati era—I say this as my compendium of Clarice Lispector stories, Pablo Neruda poems, and Anna Karenina lay unfinished on the side. I had just finished Beware of Pity before reading Fourth Wing. The sudden change is definitely whiplash-inducing, but Fourth Wing was necessary to reawaken me after being put to sleep. 

YA, Fantasy, and Romantasy are fun. It's indulgent and nostalgic. It makes me giddy reading the same tropes and lusting over the cookie-cutter male lead with the female protagonist. It brings me back, and it's a great escape from life and the "serious" books I try to read.

NAMAIKIZAKARI + ANONYMOUS NOISE REVIEW

I know I'm late to this review train because Namaikizakari ended in December 2021. I stopped reading the series around chapter 80 because it got annoying and repetitive, but I recently saw that the author had some new stuff and felt the urge to finish it.

This series ran from 2013-2021! I remember following it and reading it in high school. I thought Naruse was so cute. Then, I found his moodiness annoying. Yuki is one-dimensional, frustrating, and quite boring. They're both childish. A great reflection of who I was and still am... 

PAIN AND K-POP IDOLS | BLACK WINTER MANHWA REVIEW

Black Winter

by Jeong Ina

    On a dark winter night, a young boy was cursed and a young girl had sinned.

    One cold winter night, Haesa seeks shelter in an old house in the mountains, where she meets a slumbering stranger named Yuan. That's when tragedy begins to befall Haesa’s friends, plunging the young girl into a sad and lonely youth. Ten years later, as Yuan starts to regain his lost memories, he realizes that this cursed fate goes back much further, to a time only he can recall. But with sinister forces at play, will they be able to break the toxic cycle and step into the warmth of spring?

BEST BOOK I READ IN 2021

The Grace Year

by Kim Liggett

read by Emily Shaffer

Wednesday Books | October 8, 2019

        No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.
        In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.
        Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.
        With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

Purchase via Bookshop (Affiliate) 

THE STARLESS SEA

The Starless Sea
by Erin Morgenstern
Anchor Books | August 4, 2020

    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world--a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

    Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues--a bee, a key, and a sword--that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth.

    What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians--it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose--in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Purchase via Bookshop (Affiliate) 

ACOTAR COULD NEVER

A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic #1)
by Elise Kova
Silver Wing Press | November 26, 2020

      The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

      Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen.

      To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer.

      That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.

      Everything Luella had thought she'd known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

      The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another... but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

 Purchase via Bookshop

FIRST AUDIOBOOK OF 2021

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue 
by Mackenzie Lee
Katherine Tegen Books | June 27, 2017

    Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

    But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

    Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Purchase via Bookshop 

I STILL LOATHE SHAKESPEARE

Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare

     In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud.
     In this death-filled setting, the movement from love at first sight to the lovers’ final union in death seems almost inevitable. And yet, this play set in an extraordinary world has become the quintessential story of young love. In part because of its exquisite language, it is easy to respond as if it were about all young lovers.

I READ THE OURAN MANGA

Every shoujo-loving person has encountered Ouran Highschool Host Club in their career. I first came across the series, the dubbed version, on the Funimation channel. I still can't believe they were on cable, and I was heart-broken when they left because there are little to no animes on TV in America, especially ones that play throughout the day. I was drawn to the bright colors and flashy characters. Tamaki is ridiculous, and everyone has stilts for legs! I loved the crazy antics they got into, and the elaborate costumes for every club meeting. This comedy about wealthy elites' children and their free time was quality entertainment. 

I NEED TO STOP READING TEEN ROMANCE FOR A WHILE

Crave (Crave #1)

by Tracy Wolff
Entangled Teen / Tantor Audio | April 7, 2020

     My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

     Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

     Which could spell death for us all.

     Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

TORTURE DOWN TEEN ROMANCE LANE V

I doubt anybody knows this series, but I will be rereading the Gods & Monsters series by Kelly Keaton. This series is probably unknown for a reason. It's one of the many things I read on PulseIt, now called RivetedLit. I have a history of not enjoying books from this publisher, so maybe I will do a whole reread dedicated to this publisher, LOL! I am sure the reason I liked this series was because of the romance, but as I continued with the series, I realized how awful it was (the romance and the plot.) I do remember this is set in New Orleans, but it's dark and somewhat post-apocalyptic. I also remember that it has some Greek mythology. It's tragic to see stories with potential fail. 

Note: the Goodreads summaries have more spoilers than my reviews. If you are interested in this series, don't read the summaries (they're in a blockquote,) read the reviews. 

THE MOST IMPORTANT REVIEW OF 2020

The Queen of Nothing
by Holly Black
Little, Brown and Company | November 19, 2019

     He will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.
     Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to. Jude learned that lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.
      Now, as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is left reeling from Cardan's betrayal. She bides her time, determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.
      Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines, she becomes ensnared in the conflict's bloody politics.
     And when a terrible curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity...

CRUEL BEAUTY REREAD | WILL IT REMAIN ONE OF MY FAVORITES?

Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1)

by Rosamund Hodge

Balzar & Bray | January 28, 2014

     Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.
     With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
     But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.
     As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

AUDIOBOOK BINGE

I mentioned in a previous post that I have a Scribd 30-day free subscription, totally recommend it if you haven't used it already. Because of this subscription, I was was able to prune my TBR and give audiobooks another try. In my Call Me By Your Name review, I mentioned my abhorrence towards audiobooks and the book. I think I had a poor experience because the book was not my cup of tea, and because of the narrator, sorry Armie... The narrators of my recent audiobooks do voices, which made distinguishing the characters easy. Though, I still had an active listening/reading problem. I made a hasty conclusion about audiobooks after one bad experience, which was my mistake: audiobooks are great, especially on public transportation!

(KIND OF) TORTURE DOWN TEEN ROMANCE LANE

The Dark Calling (The Arcana Chronicles #5)
by Kresley Cole
Valkyrie Press | February 13, 2018

      In a world teetering on the edge...
When Evie received life-changing—and possibly game-changing—news, she has trouble believing it. Why doesn't she feel any different? Is it possible someone she trusts might be lying?
      With enemies at every turn...
Tensions seethe inside the castle of lost time as Evie starts to doubt her own sanity. Answers can be found outside their stronghold, but will Death help her find them—or prevent her from learning the truth about her future and Jack's possible survival?
      Darkness beckons.
A mysterious, sinister power begins to affect the Arcana in its path. Forced out into the wasteland alone, Evie must depend on unexpected allies. But as a battle with Richter looms, can her new alliance defeat the Dark Calling before hell reigns on earth?

TORTURE DOWN TEEN ROMANCE LANE IV

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1)
by Kresley Cole
Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers | August 19, 2014

     She could save the world--or destroy it.
Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life--until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, killing everyone she loves, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future--and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.
     But she can't do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally trust Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?
     Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side...

YET TO BE MAJORLY DISAPPOINTED

Echo North
by Joanna Ruth Meyer
Page Street Publishing Co. | January 15, 2019

      Echo Alkaev's safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes. 
      In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf's enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.  

TORTURE DOWN TEEN ROMANCE LANE III

The Pledge

by Kimberly Derting

Margaret K. McElderry | November 15, 2011

     In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.
     Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

TORTURE DOWN TEEN ROMANCE LANE II

Whenever I reread novels like these, I set out to hate them; I'm a more mature reader, I have grown out of this genre, I have read more poignant novels, I have to hate them to prove that I've matured. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel, it felt nostalgic! A year ago, I swore off JLA books after reading The Struggle because I hated where it was going, and that I "had" to read another book: I quit cold turkey. After being JLA sober for a year, I went back to my dealer-the bookshelf-and I am allured again. 

TORTURE DOWN TEEN ROMANCE LANE I

I distinctly remember reading Hush, Hush on PulseIt, now RivetedLit, years ago; I fell in love with the book, and I went to B&N to buy the entire series. As I continued with it, I hated it more and more: it dragged, there was petty drama, and I didn't understand the point of it. In middle school, I met some friends who also loved to read, and they liked this series... Is there something wrong with me? Am I the only outlier?