Short AF Book Review | The Ballad Of Songbird And Snakes

 Hi friends! Today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Ballad Of Songbird And Snakes" by Suzanne Collins. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the capital, eighteen - year - old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once - mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of the female tribute from district 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes."

 So the reason I wanted to read "The Ballad Of Songbird And Snakes" was because I'm still in my little break from ARC reading and I kept seeing spoilers of the movie on tiktok so decided I had to read this book as soon as possible so I could watch the movie as soon as possible (yes I'm one of those girls. I read "The Hunger Games" when the first movie came out and I genuinely did not know how they were going to expand on this story ESPECIALLY considering this is before "The Hunger Games" was set. This book shocked me in so many ways. There were so many things that genuinely took me by surprise and I was not expecting at all. I cannot believe this book started me off loathing a character to somewhat liking them to loathing them again. I really loved learning more about Snow's past and as much as it didn't make me like him any better it certainly made me understand his way of thinking bit more (even if I still don't agree with it). I found myself picking this book up and reading it into the middle of the night because I just didn't want to put it down. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loved "The Hunger Games" series, or even if you just want a good dystopian. As someone who grew up with a lot of dystopian novels it's really fun to see them coming back! For me, I'm definitely going to take some time next year to re-read "The Hunger Games" series.

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads! 

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Legends & Lattes

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"High fantasy, low stakes - with a double shot of coffee.

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream - for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can't go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune's shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more.

But the true reward of the unchartered path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv could have imagined.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is a cosy, heartwarming slice - of - life fantasy about found families and fresh starts - perfect for fans of TJ Klune, Katherine Addison and T.Kingfisher."

So the reason I wanted to read "Legends & Lattes" was because I wanted to take a little break from ARC reading and wanted something cute and cosy to just relax with when reading at the end of the night. Friends, I couldn't of picked a more perfect book. This book was honestly one of the cutest, cosiest stories I have read in a long time. It was nice to spend time in a world and not all of the story be full of action and disaster. Getting to spend the end of the nights with this book on my kindle, my heated blanket and a cup of tea was such a vibe. Especially considering how cold these last few nights have been. There was such a perfect representation of found family within this book and how even with your found family you can have your ups and downs. I was so emotionally invested in these characters and the author did such a good job and making sure I felt exactly what these characters were feeling. I would honestly recommend this to anyone who loves cosy fantasy, even if you don't, please give this book a read I will 100% be picking up a physical copy as well as "Bookshops & Bonedust" next time I'm in my local Waterstones. 

I have this book a 5/5 star rating on Goodreads!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Until We Shatter | ARC Received By Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Until We Shatter" by Kate Dylan. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"An action - packed, epic heist fantasy from the author of Mindwalker, perfect for fans of Six Of Crows and A Darker Shade Of Magic.

A desperate thief, An impossible heist. Survive... or shatter.

No matter where she goes, Cemmy's life is under threat.

The Church would see her killed for having any magic.

The council of Shades wants her dead for not having enough.

So when her mother falls ill, Cemmy has no choice but to turn thief. And when she's offered a job that could solve all their problems, it's impossible to resist.

The catch? Cemmy will have to work with Chase - beautiful, dangerous, and full of secrets - to steal a powerful relic the Church has hidden within a deadly realm of shadows.

If she succeeds, Cemmy will finally be safe. But if she's caught, she risks igniting a spark that could destroy the city - and everyone inside..."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I saw it on Netgalley and the story sounded really cool. Friends, I'm so glad I got chosen to read this. I loved almost everything about this book. First of all, the magic system was really cool and I'm really glad that there was a guide to explain each magic at the start (even though I didn't need it very often as the author kept explaining what each of their magics could do). The found family aspect book was incredible and made it all the more easier to empathise with each of side characters as well as Cemmy. The twists and turns of this book had me in a chokehold for most of the way through and I honestly think if I hadn't of been so sick this past week I would not of put this book down. The only downside to this story is I did feel like there were some parts which were a little drawn out for longer than they needed to be but the moment those parts were over we got back into the action - packed story. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who wants a good heist fantasy story and I will definitely be picking a copy of this book up!

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads!

This book is already out!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | The Spirit Bares Its Teeth | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" by Andrew Joseph White. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet - eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen - year - old Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he'll be married by the end of the year. It doesn't matter that he's needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness - a mysterious disease sending violet - eyed women into madness - and shipped away to Braxton's Sanitorium and Finishing school. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton's innards and expose its rotten guts to the world - as long as the school doesn't break him first.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I'm trying to consume as much LGBTQIA+ media this year and honestly, I applied for all of the books Andrew had available. As you saw in my last review, I felt a bit meh about "Hell followed with us" so I didn't know how I was going to feel about this one but wanted to give his writing another chance. Friends, I am so happy I did. I LOVED this book so much. Before I get into the review, I would like to say, if you're going to read this book PLEASE look up the trigger warnings. The author does put the TWs in the start of the book also but I was not expecting it to be as graphic as it was. I surprisingly love horror, I love when a book grips you and does not let you go and this is exactly what this book did to me. The atrocities that happened in this book felt so awful because they felt so real. Whenever the MC felt panic, I felt panic, whenever the MC felt sadness, I felt sadness. It was really easy to emphasize with the characters in the book, and I found it so hard to put down. I definitely would recommend this to anyone who wants a good gritty YA horror to read, especially if you're in the LGBTQIA+ community like myself.

I gave this book a 5/5 star rating on Goodreads!

This book is already out!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Hell Followed With Us

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Hell Followed With Us" by Andrew Joseph White. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Prepare to die. His kingdom is near.

Sixteen - year - old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him - the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world's population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can't get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.

But when cornered by monsters born from destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teams from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC's leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji's darkest secret: the cult's bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.

Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use it's powers to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick's terms... until he discovers the ALC's mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.

A Furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing it's power against your oppressors."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because as y'all know I'm trying to consume as much LGBTQIA+ media as possible this year and when I saw the description on Netgalley I thought I would absolutely love this story. I'm not gonna lie friends, I was a little meh about this book. We'll start off with the good parts about this book. 1: If you want a book with a lot of diversity this is absolutely the book for you, there's so many different characters and I'm sure almost anybody would be able to find someone that they could relate to within this book. 2: The concept of this book was really cool and interesting to read, and I really wish we got to know more about "the flood". 3: The way the author discusses LGBTQIA+ issues within this book is incredibly thought through and I love that Andrew was able to take from his own personal experiences. Now onto the bad, unfortunately, as cool as a concept that this book had, I didn't enjoy reading it. Yes, there's a lot of diversity in this book, but there was so many characters name mentioned I was struggling to keep up with who's who. I also found that this book was a little to juvenile for me (yes, I'm aware this book is a YA BUT I usually love YA books) especially for the topics that this book was hitting. I ended the book wanting to know so much more and I feel like so many questions weren't answered. Will I pick up another book from this author? Absolutely, I think I have two more ARCs of his to read. Was this book my favourite? Unfortunately not.

I gave this book a 3/5 star rating on Goodreads!

This book is already out!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!