Goodreads: The Death of Baseball Publish date: 19 November 2019 Publisher: Cloud Lodge Books Genre: Literary Fiction, LGBTQ+ Panda Rating:
Former Little League champion Kimitake โClydeโ Koba finds strength in the belief that he is the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe as he struggles to escape the ghost of his brother and his alcoholic father.
Born on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, teen prodigy Raphael Dweck has been told his whole life that he has a special purpose in Godโs plan. The only problem is, he canโt shake off his doubts, his urges, or the trail of trouble and ruin that follow in his wake.
A decade later, Raphael and โMarilynโ find each other wandering the plastic-bright streets of Hollywood and set out to make a documentary about the transmigration of souls. But when the roleplaying goes too far, they find themselves past the point of no return in their quest to prove who and what they are to their families, God, the world, and themselves.
Utterly unique in its astonishing intimacy, as jarringly frightening as when it first appeared, Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me defies our expectation that we would surely know if a monster lived among us, worked alongside of us, appeared as one of us. With a slow chill that intensifies with each heart-pounding page, Rule describes her dawning awareness that Ted Bundy, her sensitive coworker on a crisis hotline, was one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He would confess to killing at least thirty-six young women from coast to coast, and was eventually executed for three of those cases. Drawing from their correspondence that endured until shortly before Bundy’s death, and striking a seamless balance between her deeply personal perspective and her role as a crime reporter on the hunt for a savage serial killer — the brilliant and charismatic Bundy, the man she thought she knew — Rule changed the course of true-crime literature with this unforgettable chronicle.
Where do I even start in reviewing a book like this? My mind is still trying to process everything that I’ve read. Plus, I’ve just stumbled down an Ann Rule-Ted Bundy-Carol Ann Boone wormhole and after watching an interview of Bundy on YouTube (why did I do that?) I’m still not sure I’ve been fully spit back out yet. I’m covered in full-body chills and it’s a sweltering 35โ right now!
โAnd, like all the others, I have been manipulated to suit Tedโs needs. I donโt feel particularly embarrassed or resentful about that. I was one of many, all of us intelligent, compassionate people who had no real comprehension of what possessed him, what drove him obsessively.โ
I’m not usually a non-fiction reader but this book has been on my radar for several years now. I don’t know when I first learned about Ted Bundy and I’m pretty sure that the majority of people in my circles wouldn’t know who he is or at most his name might ring a bell. I knew he was good looking and charming but I never knew the details of when, where and how he operated. I never knew how much of a sociopath he was. I didn’t know how he was caught and for what he was actually convicted of. This book answered so many questions I didnโt know I had about him, but it also left me with more questions about his psyche too.
I canโt even fathom what it took Ann Rule to write this book. I know I just read it but Iโm still not sure anyone will ever really understand what it’s like to write a detailed account of cruel and violent murders perpetrated by someone who you (thought you) knew so well. Someone who you were close to; someone whose connection with you was formed based on the loss of your brother; someone whose persona you knew to be so different to how others described him. It makes you think: how is it possible to judge a character so wrongly? Based on what Rule shared in this book, it’s not that difficult to understand when it comes to Bundy because he had so many sides to him it was almost impossible to know which was the REAL one, even at the end.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Bundy was a deeply disturbed individual. What he did was… I don’t even have the words for how angry and beyond disgusted it makes me feel to think about what he did and what he got away with so easily and for so long! Ted Bundy was a man with chameleon-like good looks, with a bright mind and endless charm, and I think what really got to me while reading this is how Rule managed to somehow… humanize him? Even though it took a long time for her to come to terms with his guilt, she didn’t excuse or try to justify what he did and I honestly don’t think she intentionally tried to make readers feel sympathetic towards someone as deplorable as him. And yet you can’t help but feel a little mournful(?) of the waste of life (all around) and how differently things could’ve turned out for him (and others like him) if his childhood was better… I know that’s an oversimplification and perhaps it was inevitable for him to turn out this way, it maybe would’ve taken him longer, but you canโt help envisioning him as the person that Rule initially described him as. Just to be clear, this isn’t me sympathizing or feeling sorry for him — no way! — this book just took me (emotionally) by surprise.
“According to the FBI information and several reporters who were deluging the Pensacola detectives with calls, they had caught a man suspected of thirty-six murders, a figure they found hard to believe. When Chapman asked him about that during the post-taping conversation, Ted had reportedly replied, “Add one digit to that and you’ll have it.” What had he meant? Was he being sarcastic? did he mean thirty-seven murders? Or, no, it couldn’t be… did he mean a hundred or more murders?”
I don’t know how to emphasize how horrifying it was to know how easy it was for Bundy to fool everyone around him. That he was smart and so meticulous about not leaving a single clue at each scene was beyond terrifying and it blows my mind to think how long this would’ve continued had he not been caught for other things. My gut churns knowing that the remains of the women he killed will never be found… and who knows how long he has been killing and how many women he actually killed in his lifetime… But I digress. Kind of. I don’t want to go on too much about what I read and learned, not because I don’t want to spoil the book, as I’m sure you can find the majority of information online or by watching the documentaries about him and the movie based on the book. I could go on about my thoughts on this but I’d likely end up repeating myself because there really are no words.
In the end, would I say I enjoyed this book? I mean, if you consider that I didn’t want to leave this book for too long, then yes, I did enjoy it because I read it faster than I thought I would. Every time I put it down I would think about it until I picked it up again. But it also feels wrong to say that because of what it’s about. The contents of this book have been tumbling over in my head since I finished reading it and I have a feeling that it’s one that will stick with me for a long, long time.
Have you read The Stranger Beside Me? Do you enjoy true crime?
A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.
In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncanโs devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy..
You know that feeling when you so badly want to love a book but there’s just something about it that ultimately lets you down? Friends, this is how I felt about Wicked Saints and I could not be more disappointed… I’m not saying it was a horrible read, I liked the parts I enjoyed (lol) but there was just something about it that stopped me from losing myself in the story and it left me feeling pretty ‘meh’ towards the end. It took me so much longer than expected to finish this book.
It started off really strong and I was hooked from the first paragraph. But as the story progressed the pace really slowed down and I found myself struggling to pick the book back up every time I had to leave it. Again, it wasn’t that it was wholly unenjoyable, there was just some missing element(s) that had me frustrated trying to work it out.
I think much of it had to do with the predictability of the plot and the inability for me to connect with any of the characters and the story itself. I have to admit that I read countless passages over and over again because I just couldn’t get a grip on the writing. I thought the world building was set up well and I thought the magic system was interesting, but I often found myself getting lost in the author’s explanations about how things worked that I feel like I didn’t know anything despite just having read about it. A lot of the time I felt that we were also told things instead of shown things. I noticed a lot of foreshadowing about characters and events that were so obviously told to us as readers, that it ruined the possibility of any surprise in the story.
I also have to mention the one gripe that many readers had and that was the character names. While I didn’t have an issue with most of them, I did find myself repeating Malachiasz’ nameso many freaking times because I had no clue if I was pronouncing it correctly; and the same goes with many of the cleric’s names liberally sprinkled throughout. I think this book would’ve really benefited from having a glossary for the characters and I was disappointed to find there wasn’t one.
I also found the characters a little flat. I wanted to know more about Nadya, Serefin and Malachiasz’ backstories, and while we learn more about the latter two than we do about Nadya, it still wasn’t much. I thought the side players showed more character in certain respects, especially Parajihan and Rashid, and I found myself disappointed that they all but ‘disappeared’ as the story went on. I really wish that the characters were better developed as it would’ve made me feel more invested in what would happen to them, and especially in the romance that blooms.
There were certain elements to the story that I did like though. I haven’t read many Russian inspired stories so I enjoyed reading one so heavily influenced by it. Like I said earlier, the magic systems in both countries were interesting. I liked how Nadya, the last cleric of Kalyazin communed with the Gods and how she was gifted their powers. I also thought the blood magic, dark though it was, was pretty cool. I definitely wanted to know more about the books they used to conjure spells and I wanted to better understand what makes one blood mage more powerful than another, but more importantly where blood magic came from.
The action really picks up in the last few chapters but I sadly found myself trying too hard to focus on understanding the author’s writing (I really read so many passages countless times), that it really took away from my reading experience. I’m not sure that I understood much of what happened, but what I did get had me racing towards the finish, especially when things took another turn that I was pleasantly surprised by because it was a little unexpected.
By the end though I just felt that there was so much potential for awesome in this story but I was let down by the execution of it. I originally thought I’d rate this about 2.5 stars but the final events did get me excited for the sequel, so I’m boosting it up to 3 stars. I got the e-ARC of Ruthless Gods recently so I’m looking forward to seeing if it will be an improvement and if it’ll change the way I feel about this series so far.
Have you read Wicked Saints? What’d you think of it? Let’s chat in the comments!
Goodreads:Under Locke Genre: Contemporary Romance Panda Rating:
He was my boss, my brotherโs friend, a Widower, an ex-felon, and a man Iโd seen casually with a handful of women. But he was everything that gripped me, both the good and the bad. Worst case scenario if things turned awkward between us, I could go somewhere else. Iโd gotten over epic heartbreak before, one more wouldnโt kill me.
After moving to Austin following six months of unemployment back home, Iris Taylor knows she should be glad to have landed a job so quickly… even if the business is owned by a member of the same motorcycle club her estranged father used to belong to. Except Dex Locke might just be the biggest jerk sheโs ever met. Heโs rude, impatient and doesnโt know how to tell time.
And the last thing they ever expected was each other. But it was either the strip club or the tattoo shop. โฆ she should have chosen the strip club.
It’s official: I’m a big Mariana Zapata fan and I think she’ll be an auto-read (maybe even auto-buy) author from now on. I’m so glad that Jen recommended this to me becauseI absolutely loved it! I was waiting for the right time to start reading this because past experience has shown me that once I start a Zapata book I won’t want to put it down.
Under Locke was surprisingly not as much of a slow burn compared to her other books; although compared to most other romances, it was still very much a slow burn. I don’t think there’s anyone who does slow burns as well as Zapata and it’s always so damn satisfying when the MCs finally get together. I can safely say that it’s absolutely always worth the wait and this one was no different. Although Dex did grate on my nerves a little bit with his extremely volatile temper and asshole-ish behavior, I pretty much fell in lovelust with him at the same pace as Iris did. Although his attitude does soften as the story goes on (especially towards her), he’s unapologetically himself and while I can see how that can rub people the wrong way, I appreciated that about his character. Can I also say that tattoos + men + me = (almost) guaranteed win? They’re kind of like my Achilles heel? Especially when they’re tall, brooding and totally inked (mega bonus points to Dex for owning his own parlor)!
Unsurprisingly, Iris is the total opposite of Dex. She’s sweet, shy, very innocent and it doesn’t take much to make her blush. She’s a pretty strong and resilient character, and did I mention that she’s also bookish and smart? Iris has been through some pretty tough shit in life that made her have to grow up faster than usual. While she’s only in her early twenties, she comes off as pretty mature and I really admired her character! Is the dynamic between Iris and Dex sounding a little too clichรฉ and tropey right now? Well, maybe it isโฆbut Zapata really does it so well and I wasn’t mad about it! Their chemistry was FIRE and those steamy scenesโฆ Damn, those steamy scenes! ๐ I was doing a lot of swooning while reading this book (lmao).
What I also really loved about Under Locke were the side characters. The friendships that form between Iris and the rest of the artists at the parlor really gave me ‘found family’ vibes and I was here for it! The banter (oh, the banter) between everyone that worked at the store had me genuinely bent with laughter and the scenes that showed Dex relaxing/laughing with the group were also some of my favorites! Iris’ half-brother was another character that really grew on me and I really hope that we get his story because he’s such marshmallow/cinnamon roll and I want to know more ASAP!
Overall, I clearly loved this book and it definitely is a contender for my top Zapata book next to The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Wait For It. I took off half a star because of some repetitive things some characters did which I found slightly eye-roll inducing. I’ve definitely noticed this repetitive trait in Zapata’s characters in other books too though; so by now it’s not unexpected, it’s just a little eh. But that won’t stop me from reading her books because LOVE ๐
Have you read Under Locke? Are you a Mariana Zapata fan? Let’s chat in the comments!
Goodreads:Frankly In Love Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Young Adult Romance Panda Rating:
Frank Li is a high school senior living in Southern California. Frank’s parents emigrated from Korea, and have pretty much one big rule for Frank – he must only date Korean girls.
But he’s got strong feelings for a girl in his class, Brit – and she’s not Korean. His friend Joy Song is in the same boat and knows her parents will never accept her Chinese American boyfriend, so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom.
Frank thinks fake-dating is the perfect plan, but it leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love – or himself – at all.
My heart! I’ve had time to digest my thoughts on Frankly in Love and I’m still not sure if this will even be a semi-decent review. I really suck at writing good reviews y’all, but bear with me and sorry in advance for the rambling and incoherent thoughts! If you want to read a great review for this book I’d recommend checking out CW’s postbecause it is awesome. For those who look at this beautiful and cheerfully colored cover and read the synopsis thinking that you’re getting a lighthearted YA contemporary romance, I’d say adjust your expectations because this story is much more than that. It’s about immigrants, culture, identity and understanding yourself in a world that expects you to be one thing when you so badly just want to be.
Before I dive into my reflection, I want to take a moment to appreciate the friendships in this story; particularly between Frank and Q. They are the epitome of a bromance. Their interactions are so geeky and pure, and I don’t even have the words for how full of warmth they always left me feeling. I felt strongly for Frank’s character, but my love for Q knows no bounds! He’s the one that inspires you to forever protect because he deserves ALL THE GOOD THINGS. There’s a twist to Q’s arc at the end of the book that I kind of felt coming 3/4 of the way through the story, so when it happened I wasn’t necessarily surprised. However, I don’t know why Yoon threw it in because it didn’t add anything or really go anywhere, so that was a little confusing. That said, the scene still left me in tears because everything was ending and I was just so proud of that gorgeous, nerdy-licious, pure nugget. *insert a million heart-eye emojis*
Yoon’s debut was a well-written story full of heartfelt emotion and quirkiness. Frank and his friends are all pretty big huge nerds and that really came out in the way the story was written. I thought it was endearing, but I thought the quirkiness went a little OTT at times, although it did make me more fond of the characters. As I mentioned earlier, this book is less about romance and more an exploration of the immigrant identity, culture, racism and family (the parent-child relationships). The representation in this book was pretty amazing. I learned a lot about Korean culture and norms, and I enjoyed seeing the immigrant story through the eyes of a coming-of-age young adult. Frank’s parents were really racist and I thought it was an interesting perspective showing that other ethnicities can be racist too, which you don’t see a lot in many novels. It was pretty upsetting at times and I wish that Frank stood up to his parents more, even if he didn’t believe they would ever change. I thought all the teens were pretty ‘woke’ though and the discussions on racism and other sensitive topics were done well.
While it’s marketed as a romance, I think that aspect really takes a backseat, although it does stem from Frank’s desire to start dating Brit, a white girl (which is a huge no in his parent’s book). While a lot of the sensitive issues were handled well, my least favorite aspect of the story was how the whole fake-dating situation was dealt with because if there’s one thing I really hate, it’s exactly what Frank did.
Could you see that the situation was heading in this direction? Yes, but I was still a little disappointed that Yoon took it there when it could’ve been avoided. I was also a little ‘meh’ on the whole outcome of Frank’s relationship at the end of the book too. After going through all that drama I thought it would’ve been nice for a happier ending, but knowing that there is apparently going to be a sequel makes me curious to see if there’s a reason Yoon left it this way. That said, all of the disappointing romance drama didn’t massively affect how I felt about the rest of the book because for me it wasn’t about the romance; but it is where points came off on my final rating.
“I feel like I don’t belong anywhere and every day it’s like I live on this weird little planet of my own in exile,” I say all in one breath. […] “I’m not Korean enough. I’m not white enough to be fully American.”
Now’s the part where I reflect lol I’m not Asian-American and I didn’t grow up in America. I did however grow up internationally as a “Third Culture Kid”. From the age of 3, I went to American/International schools in several countries and by the time I hit my mid-twenties and realized that I’d have to move to Indonesia, I was feeling more than a little apprehensive. Indonesia is my passport, is where I was born, is where I came from but I knew almost next to nothing about the place and that was terrifying. I came back and the struggle was on: I wasn’t Indonesian enough to be seen as Indonesian, but I wasn’t foreign enough to be seen as a total foreigner either, and that identity struggle is still something I deal with today. So reading about Frank’s struggle with his identity really hit home. How he compared his relationship with his family to those of his friends and recognizing the stark differences in the warmth and openness was also something that I did growing up. TL;DR although I don’t have the same ‘background’ as Frank, there was so much about the exploration of his identity and relationships that really resonated with me and I think it’s what made this book great for me.
While the ending wasn’t really what I expected it to be, I thought everything was wrapped up nicely. I liked that Frank had a greater sense of optimism and assurance about who he is because despite the not-so-happy ending, there was still a sense of hope to it. Frankly, I fell a lottle in love with the story of Frank Li (yuh, I went there) and I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a well-written own-voices story about immigrants, culture and identity. It wasn’t the book that I thought I’d get it was a great story nonetheless.
Have you read Frankly In Love? Were you happy with it or was it different to what you expected?Let’s chat in the comments!
Goodreads: Birthday Girl Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Romance Panda Rating:
JORDAN He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He doesn’t use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He doesn’t treat me like I’m nothing, take me for granted, or make me feel unsafe. He remembers me, laughs with me, and looks at me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work. I have to stop this. It can’t happen. My sister once told me there are no good men, and if you find one, he’s probably unavailable. Only Pike Lawson isn’t the unavailable one. I am.
PIKE I took her in, because I thought I was helping. She’d cook a few meals and clean up a little. It was an easy arrangement. As the days go by, though, it’s becoming anything but easy. I have to stop my mind from drifting to her and stop holding my breath every time I bump into her in the house. I can’t touch her, and I shouldn’t want to. The more I find my path crossing hers, though, the more she’s becoming a part of me. But we’re not free to give into this. She’s nineteen, and I’m thirty-eight. And her boyfriend’s father. Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.
*BIRTHDAY GIRL is aย stand-alone, contemporary romance suitable for ages 18+.
This isn’t the type of romance that I often read and I don’t know what pushed me to pick it up since I had never heard of this author or book beforehand, but pick it up I did and … Yeah, it just wasn’t my jam. I liked that it was a slow-burn romance. I admit that the chemistry between Pike and Jordan was fire and the steamy scenes between them were all pretty hot and explosive. If my rating would be based on those scenes alone, I’d probably give this a 4-star rating.
But unfortunately, most of the story was just a little… meh and unbelievable? The majority of the characters were plot devices and I didn’t want to do anything but slap them for being truly awful people (especially Cole and his mother–I could not have rolled my eyes harder at these two characters. Just plain old disgusting). It was really hard for me to have any sympathy for a lot of these characters. One thing I’m glad of is that there was really no ‘love triangle’ aspect to this story because I honestly would’ve DNF’d it if it did (that’s really how much I hate love triangles because you know this panda does not DNF books lol). But there’s actually none of that in this book because Cole is the ultimate douchebag from page one and his hot/cold I-care-and-then-don’t-care attitude was just shitty and shady throughout. I would never cheat on someone but… Damn, Cole did not deserve half the respect that Jordan, and I’d even go so far as to also say Pike, gave him. I didn’t even care about his “redemption arc” at the end and I don’t feel it added anything at all. ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ
There were moments that I found the relationship between Pike and Jordan a little weird because he’d act all reprimanding like her dad would and then obviously, there were the many other times when he’d have indecent very-not-fatherly thoughts about/towards her. I also found Pike annoyingly immature at times. Like, mate, you should be acting well above this immaturity right now. Some of his monologues also came off as sexist and fairly condescending towards Jordan/Jordan’s sister, and it just wasn’t a good look. For the most part, I did like Jordan’s character. She was strong, pretty mature (for her age and in comparison to the others), hard-working and wasn’t overly annoying or had unrealistic expectations about her life and relationships. Unsurprisingly for someone going through a tumultuous time in her early twenties, there were moments where she did get on my nerves, but I think Pike’s character managed to irritate me more.
I will say though that this was oddly addictive because I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It was like another “The Stopover” moment for me where I was thinking “what the hell am I doing reading this book?!” and then at the same time being unable to stop reading it. ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ So I guess there’s that going for it?
Have you read Birthday Girl? How do you feel about love triangles? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
Friends! Can you believe? Two months until 2019 is over and I honestly still can’t believe it. I have no idea where this year has gone but it’s definitely gone in a blink! October was such a hectic month that I don’t even know where the days went because time moved so quickly. That said, I’m surprised that I managed to read 19 books this month, which brings my Goodreads reading challenge up to 175/90.
Thinking about it again, I’m not surprised I read 19 books this month because I read a ton of romances which I always speed through (at most it takes me 2 days to read one). While I took a little step outside of my comfort zone this month with Rules for Vanishing, I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t read any other spooky read, although being a mood reader I know that forcing myself to read something I’m not feeling just wouldn’t work.
I’m clearly still very much on that romance vibe, although I can also start to feel myself becoming a little jaded with some of these romances (maybe as evidenced by the lower ratings because I just wanted to roll-my-eyes-so-hard). But I think I’ve been hitting the romance so hard because my brain is just… TIRED? Like… I have no mental energy left on most days and that means I love reading romances that not only give me swoony feelings but I also don’t have to think very hard about. Let’s see if the romancing mood will continue in November!
Just like last time, you can find all my weekly memes in my menu bar since I’ve organized that a bit more. You can find the rest of the posts that I’ve made this month below. I actually didn’t write a whole lot of reviews this month, I’ve just been ‘too busy reading’ and that’s okay because I know I’m not obligated to write a review for every book I read (unless it’s an eARC) but I’ve come to realize just how much writing reviews really helps my memory! So… I’m on a mission (maybe tomorrow) to sit down and write some reviews before I forget even more than I already have!
ALSO I’ve been toying with the idea of giving my blog a bit of revamped look but I don’t know if I should do it right now (it’s not even been a year but playing with blog layouts has always been a fun time for me! LOL ๐ ). Might give it a go this weekend but will play it by ear! What do you think?Do you like changing up your (blog) look or is that just confusing?
I hope you all had a great reading month in October and I hope that November continues to be awesome! What was your favorite read this month? Come let me know in the comments & let’s chat!
Let me ask you a question: If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose? Word around campus is . . . it was no accident.
That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior yearโand the draft. Now, Iโm a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall.
They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. Sheโs the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way.
One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth — Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again — no matter how good my forearms look. Little do we both know, sheโs about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.
I’m not that big of a sports fan IRL (except for when it comes to tennis and footy) and I know maybe next to nothing about baseball but that didn’t stop me from really enjoying The Dugout! I found myself swooning and laughing my way through this story.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it because Carson comes off as an entitled asswipe from page one and I didn’t like how he was so unnecessarily rude and abrasive. I get that he had a chip on his shoulder but it’s just not a good look, mate! That said, he really grew on me as the story went on and I’m positive a lot of that had to do with the introduction of Milly into his life. Milly is AWESOME. She’s a little bit nerdy, down-to-earth, and insanely smart and talented at coaching baseball! Want to know a random/fun fact about baseball? Milly can supply. Having trouble getting your shit together on the field and need coaching? Milly is your girl. I was worried that there would be one of those “She’s All That” moments where the nerdy girl suddenly transforms into this stunner by shedding the baggy clothing and stepping out in “sexy clothes”, but she sticks true to herself and I was here for it! I really enjoyed seeing Milly and Carson’s relationship grow from friendship to love and their banter was spot on. I like that she continued to be straight up with him, but that his softer and more mature side was brought out more because of her. They had great chemistry and I’m glad Quinn built that up well. I’d probably give the heat factor a four in this book. I think there were more steamy scenes in this one (and it was definitely hotter) than the other Quinn books I’ve read. Ain’t mad about it either ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ lol
While I liked both MCs, I think that my favorite thing about this story were the friendships. Milly’s best-friendship with Shane and Jeremy was hilarious and pure. They brought an extra little spark of fun and quirkiness that I really enjoyed. What I really loved though was the camaraderie between the whole baseball team. When Milly went over that night to get introduced to the boys, I don’t think I stopped laughing and swooning once! Seriously, from the minute the door opened I was bent over cracking up. I wanted to give them all hugs forever–they were SO CUTE I wanted to know more about all of them and I really hope that they all get stories. Seriously, I really hope so *hint hint Meghan Quinn!*
The reason I took off half a star is because I thought how some characters reacted in certain situations (especially during their monologues) was a little OTT. There were also moments where the narration would switch from first person to second person and back and it was a little annoying. Overall though, I had such a fun time reading this book and I can’t wait to go back to book 1 of this series because I’m definitely curious to know more about Carson’s BFF, Knox (you don’t need to read it to understand this book though).
Have you read The Dugout? Are you a fan of sports romances? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
Goodreads: Last Time I Lied Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction
Panda Rating:
Have you ever played two truths and a lie?
Emma has. Her first summer away from home, she learned how to play the game. And she learned how to lie. Then three of her new friends went into the woods and never returned . . . Now, years later, Emma has been asked to go back to the newly re-opened Camp Nightingale. She thinks sheโs laying old ghosts to rest but really sheโs returning to the scene of a crime. Because Emmaโs innocence might be the biggest lie of allโฆ
Holy wow, what a ride! Excuse me while I still try to scrape my jaw up off the floor. I was meant to read this as part of a group read organized by Mel @ My Nights Booked but in typical Dini fashion, I managed to forget that I signed up for it and missed the conversation ๐ But I’m so glad I decided to pick it up anyway because once I did I absolutely couldn’t put it down! This is my second Sager book and it’s now clear to me that he likes to throw a jaw dropping twist at the very end of his stories!
I’ve been in a restless reading funk over the last few days, so the pacing of the story was a bit slow for me to start. I initially wasn’t sure that I could resist putting it down for something else, but I kept on and as the story progressed, I quickly found myself hooked and jumping from 20% to 49% to 80% in the blink of an eye! Last Time I Lied was deeply atmospheric–I definitely got all the creepy camp vibes with the many hidden clearings, the legends/myths of Lake Midnight and Camp Nightingale, and the cabins and woods. I did think that it would be more ghost-spooky than mystery-spooky but I’m so glad that it wasn’t because it would’ve taken me so much longer to get through it!
I usually find unreliable narrators really frustrating so I’m surprised that I never felt that about Emma, as she was a very unreliable narrator and her desperation to understand what happened and figure out what was wrong had me often itching with the need to know myself. I was questioning so much of what happened and what was happening as I read because I was constantly questioning Emma’s narrative. Was she actually schizophrenic and hallucinating everything that happened and was happening? Was she the one who actually made the girls disappear? Was everyone playing along with her by making believe that she was okay when she really wasn’t because of some misguided desire to protect her? But then was everyone else guilty as well? I mean I don’t think there was one moment in the story where I didn’t think everyone was guilty because in true Sager style, he makes you question everything and every character he puts before you! I couldn’t settle on whodunit up to the very end and even then it actually wasn’t who I expected.
And I mean, that ending though?! Talk about being completely thrown by it! I really thought I was going to be a bit disappointed with how everything was playing out but I actually barked out loud (with shocked laughter) when Sager threw that final twist because of course everything we learn at the very end had my jaw dropping even further! I really love how Sager is able to take his stories in such unexpected directions–it really makes the whole reading experience so much more exciting. Even though that ending still left me with questions and the strong need to know more, I’m actually pretty satisfied with it. Although I’ve only read two of Sager’s books, they’ve both really been a hit with me and I’m eager to read his others to see if I’ll feel the same way about them.
Have you read Last Time I Lied? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
Goodreads:The Black Mage Publish date: 29 October 2019 Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult Rating: โ โ โ .5โโ
When St. Ivory Academy, a historically white wizarding school, opens its doors to its first-ever black student, everyone believes that the wizarding community is finally taking its first crucial steps toward inclusivity. Or is it? When Tom Token, the beneficiary of the school’s “Magical Minority Initiative,” begins uncovering weird clues and receiving creepy texts on his phone, he and his friend, Lindsay, stumble into a conspiracy that dates all the way back to the American Civil War, and could cost Tom his very soul.
Wow, this was a cool concept for a story: Harry Potter meets American Civil War history and the KKK. I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy novel that incorporates deep elements of racism in it! This artwork isn’t the type that I usually like, but I think it suited the story and I especially liked the use of all the colors. I really enjoyed the HP setting of the school! Honestly, it was a little terrifying to see all the KKK outfits being worn by children in school (even if it’s just fiction) and the thought of them having ‘magical powers’ in a fantasy world where they are still the oppressors, was also a terrifying thought.
One aspect that I didn’t enjoy so much at the start was that there’s a lot of text in the speech bubbles and I felt like I had to really zoom in to be able to read it all properly (so that broke up the panels a bit weirdly). As the story progressed there was still a lot of text in certain speech bubbles but for the most part it lessened. Since this is a standalone(?) the story progressed very quickly and it also wrapped up very quickly and neatly, which was kind of “eh”. I honestly would’ve liked to have the story be longer so that we get to learn more about the characters, and to get some character development in the story as well. The ending while “happy” not only felt too abrupt but also a little unresolved — I mean, how does the school still exist? I want to know more. Overall though, I’m glad that I decided to pick this up. It was an interesting read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy in exchange for an honest review! This graphic novel is out 29 October 2019.
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