I Read a Book Once

On the heels of one of the more average fantasy novels I've read recently, I picked up one of the most unique fantasy novels I've ever read. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty follows the titular character, a 40-year-old mother who is both a pirate and a devout Muslim, as she comes out of retirement for one last job. I spend time detailing the many unique facets of this novel, talk about the pacing, and discuss the role religion played in this book.

Rounding out my vacation reads is The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen. This YA/NA fantasy novel follows Meren, a secret princess, after she is kidnapped prior to her sister's coronation. I explore the one innovative plot idea in this book, pose multiple questions about the curse that makes no sense to me, and explain the standard fantasy tropes we see in this book that are used all the time.

I finally got on the Tessa Bailey train and picked up her newest novel Secretly Yours. It follows Hallie as she reeks havoc on a wine tasting business and writes secret admirer letters to her high school crush Julian. I talk about reading a Tessa Bailey book for the first time, go over why I thought this book was a blast, and complain about the cover.

I finally read one of my most highly anticipated books of the year: A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross. This book is the conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology and follows Jack, Adaira, Sidra, and Torin as they try to heal a mysterious illness and bring balance back to the island. I break down the character development of each of the main characters, express my joy at being back in this world, and provide a critique of the climax of the novel.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Talia Hibbert's highly anticipated YA debut novel Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. This book follows Celine and Brad friends turned enemies as they compete in a camping expedition for a college scholarship. I provide an overview of the great representation in Hibbert's books, explain my conflicting feelings about Celine's character, and discuss aliens and conspiracy theories.

When I found out Cinda Williams Chima was starting a new YA fantasy series, I couldn't wait to read it. Children of Ragnarok follows Eiric, who is trying to sail to a magical island with his sister Liv, and Reginn, who is a magic user working to uncover buried secrets. I spend too much time talking about Chima's other books, make predictions for the next books, and discuss the shady things going down.

After searching tirelessly for months, I finally found a copy of Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P Manansala. This cozy mystery follows Lila as her untrustworthy cousin Ronnie moves back into town and becomes a murder suspect. I talk about my difficulty finding this book, discuss the guessability of this mystery, and wonder where the heck Jae was in this book.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin has been absolutely everywhere and winning all the awards. This book follows Sam and Sadie the ups and downs of their friendship and career as video game creators over 30+ years. I complain about the false advertising, and dig into my main qualms with this book, and touch on the redeeming qualities.

Back-to-back episodes where I cover two books at once! This time I cover Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti and In 27 Days by Alison Gervais. I uncover two random similarities between the books, detail how I found In 27 Days, and explain my feelings about both books.  

Over Thanksgiving I read The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. I'm way behind on my posting schedule, so that means I'm finally getting around to the books I read over Thanksgiving at the very end of January. I give an actually short plot summary for each and then do a deep dive into my thoughts and opinions on both books!

I've finally caught myself up to my concussion wrap up episode. It only took me two months to get there. In this episode, I provide brief overviews and opinions on five of the seven books I read during my concussion hiatus. The books include The Final Gambit, Sign Here, Beach Read, For Butter or Worse, and The Rose Code.

I finally finished the third and final book in Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked series. Kingdom of the Feared follows Emilia and Wrath as they navigate their betrothal, Vittoria's betrayal, and the disappearance of Greed's general. I discuss the secrets that were revealed and my questions that remain, explain my feelings on Vittoria's actions, and predict what future books may look like.

It's time for my favorite episode of the year! I review my reading year looking at how many books I read, the genre breakdown, and a few other fun statistics. I also discuss my favorite and least favorite books of 2022. 

I return to historical fiction with a book lent to me by my aunt. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge tells the story of two giraffes who survived a hurricane in 1938 and were then driven across the U.S. to become the first giraffes at the San Diego Zoo and touch the hearts and lives of all who come in contact with them. I parse out fact from fiction, ponder the quiet tragedy of this book, and explain the appeal of this historical fiction novel.

Happy Holidays everyone! This year I tried Book of the Month's Christmas romance selection for the third time, and for the first time it actually hit! Alison Cochrun's Kiss Her Once For Me follows Ellie a broke bisexual who agrees to marry her landlord only to find out that his sister's is the woman she had a one night stand with last Christmas. I fangirl over the amount of Taylor Swift references in this book, explain the messy drama that I was living for, and break down the fabulous representation in this book.

I couldn't help myself. I had to read the much anticipated follow up to The Love Hypothesis. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood is a steminist enemies to lovers romance following Bee and Levi as they try to build a neural helmet for astronauts. I discuss whether Hazelwood's two books use the same plot and tropes, express my enjoyment of the full circle nature of the epilogue, and explain my minor gripes about some convenient plot points.

If you love character driven stories, then this is one for you. Sarah Addison Allen's Other Birds follows the residents (both human and ghost) of an apartment complex following the death of one of the residents. I discuss how there's not a lot of plot, ask if you believe in ghosts, and spend a good deal of time talking about my family's ghost encounters.

After a few weeks off, I'm back with the second installment in Kerri Maniscalco's new "YA" fantasy series. In Kingdom of the Cursed, Emilia arrives in hell to marry Pride but must battle her conflicting feelings for Wrath as she tries to solve her sister's murder. I explain the two different ways I was tricked by this book, discuss second book syndrome and whether this book falls into it, and ask a whole bunch of questions about where things are going.

I loved Katherine Center's newest book so much that I picked up one of her previous releases: What You Wish For. This book follows elementary school librarian Sam as she butts heads with her former crush and new principal Duncan due to their opposing views on how to run their school. I spend a lot of time discussing the benefits of joy and color theory, reveal my own opinions on uniforms, and act as a mediator between Sam and Duncan's school safety arguments.

Like the title says I literally read this book TWICE in a row despite my initial hesitation to even pick it up. Jillian Medoff's novel When We Were Briefly Bright and Beautiful has the sister of an accused rapist tell the story of his trial but something darker lurks under the surface. I discuss my initial hesitation and the MANY content warnings for this book, express my surprise at the plot twist despite the majority of Goodreads figuring it out themselves, and question which characters knew which secrets.

As the title of this episode suggests, I finally had some luck with a YA fantasy novel. Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia, a witch hellbent on avenging her sister after her brutal murder, as she somewhat reluctantly teams up with one of the seven demon princes. I discuss why this YA fantasy worked for me, ask which of the Seven Deadly Sins you identify with, and do a deep dive into multiple character's personalities and choices.

I was so intrigued by the cover and premise of Sasha Alsberg's Breaking Time that I bought it right when it came out. This YA novel is set in Scotland where the final Pillar of Time (i.e., time traveler) and her protector from the past battle evil and maybe fall in love. I lament the disappointment of not enjoying this book, take the great premise and rewrite the story to make it more interesting, and question Klara's anti-college views considering she wants to be an astronomer.

After my brother literally dropped this book off at my desk while I was working, I finally picked up this popular mystery novel. Our main character Aiden is trapped in a crumbling old mansion waking up as a different person every day until he solves the death of Evelyn Hardcastle. I puzzle through who/what the 7.5 deaths are, discuss which plot twists I saw coming and which I didn't, and question the similarity of the title to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

The title of this episode pretty much says it all about The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. In this book we follow Hannah (the titular bodyguard) as she has to fake date her client (famous movie star Jack Stapleton) while he is home visiting his sick mom. I talk about how this book made me cry actual tears, discuss why it was the best romance of the year despite being a clean romance, and explain the difference between work friends and best friends.

To finish up my catch-up episodes after my hiatus, I did a very late Mid-Year Freak Out tag about the books I read in the first seven months of the year. I talk a lot about my favorite book of the year (A River Enchanted), tease my feelings about the book for next week's episode (The Bodyguard), and champion my surprise favorite sequel of the year (Homicide and Halo-Halo). 

So, my two-week break turned into a 21-week break... But I'm back and better than ever! In this special spoiler-free episode, I explain the reason for my unexpectedly long hiatus, give actually short plot summaries, and describe my feelings on each of the 21 books that I read during my break. Highlights include The Inheritance Games, the Six of Crows duology, The Hating Game, and Nicholas Sparks.

Rebecca Ross's adult fantasy novel A River Enchanted has renewed my love and faith in fantasy novels. Bard in training Jack is called back to the magical island of Cadence to help his former adversary and future clan leader Adaira to find the young girls who have gone missing. I predict what will happen in the second (and final) book, express my love for both the characters and the plot, and explain why I think this is one of the most inventive magic systems I've seen in a while.

To wrap up my seasonal winter reads I picked up The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis. This contemporary romance(?)/women's fiction(?) novel follows a fake dating situation brought on by a near death experience on the ski slopes in Lake Tahoe. I answer some of the book's discussion questions, break down the fight at the end and who I think was in the right and wrong, and bash on Jane's grandfather for his poor parenting skills.

This week I took a journey into space with Everina Maxwell's debut novel Winter's Orbit. In this space science fiction novel, Prince Kiem and diplomat Janian are forced into an arranged marriage, but as they are settling into their roles as husbands they are also trying to solve a murder and avoid an impending political crisis. I discuss the world building and my confusion in some parts, question the title of the book, and break down the relationship between the two leads.

You've heard me talk about my love for Spinning Silver before, but now I get to talk in depth about this absolute gem of a novel by Naomi Novik. Spinning Silver is a loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin set in a fantasy world. It follows Miryem as she is tasked with turning silver to gold for a Staryk lord, who is a dangerous ice fae. I question exactly what the rules governing the Staryk people are, explain the importance Miryem's Jewish faith plays in the story, and discuss the great character development throughout.

We return to Willow Creek with the third installment of Jen DeLuca's Renaissance Faire romance series with Well Matched. In this book April agrees to fake date Mitch but as feelings start to emerge, they run into some issues with her desire to move and insecurity about being 10 years older than him. I introduce a new segment called Characterization Check In, talk through my initial skepticism and how I was won over, and quickly complain about the back of the book summary.

My book club finally picked a book I've been interested in: Circe by Madeline Miller. This retelling of the Greek myth of Circe spans a thousand years and some of the most famous figures and stories in Greek mythology. I discuss my ongoing issues and interactions with my book club, share my feelings about the ending, and question whether there are any good characters in the book.

After months of hesitation, I finally picked up People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. In this friends to lovers romance, best friends Poppy and Alex go on vacation together to try and pick up the pieces after a falling out two years ago. I talk through my hesitation, discuss the importance of the dual timeline, and dissect my favorite parts about Poppy and Alex's relationship.

This week I talk about a book that mysterious appeared in my bedroom with no warning. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is an unusual romance novel following a genetics professor trying to find the perfect wife and a Rosie a wholly unsuitable match looking for her birth father. I express my dislike of Gene, talk about my hesitation going into this book, and discuss the joy this book brought me after a string of heavy reads. 

After almost DNFing, I finally finished The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker a debut YA fantasy novel. Our main character Ren, who is half British Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami, must travel to Japan to try and serve the Goddess of Death and escape her past. I talk about my mixed feelings and why I almost DNFed this book, discuss the importance of having a biracial main character, and wonder what will happen in the second (and final) book.

Before moving forward into 2022, I needed to first look back at my reading year in 2021. In this episode I go over my reading stats for 2021 included the total number of books read as well as genre breakdowns. I also discuss my favorite and least favorite books of the year as well as some potential reading goals going into 2022.

Happy Holidays everybody! I try yet again to be a seasonal reader with the clean romance novel The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox, which follows two identical twins who switch lives. Cass pretends to be Charlie and films a baking show and Charlie tries to keep the family bakery from going under. I marvel at the fact that I finally read a clean romance novel, discuss which sister and which romantic relationship I like better, and bring up some of the questionable parts of the plot.

Taking a break from the more serious books I've been reading, this week's episode is on one of my favorite YA novels. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum tells the story of Jessie, who has recently moved across the country following her dad remarrying, and her friendship with the anonymous SN. I joke about inviting my own SN to email me, rant about the dad's poor decisions, and breakdown my thoughts regarding SN's identity.

I stepped outside my comfort zone again with my book club's November pick The Power by Naomi Alderman. This science fiction dystopian novel asks the question what would happen if teenage girls gained the power of electricity? The answer is chaos. I talk about my surprise at how graphic and intense this book was, recap the conversations I had at book club, and discuss the interesting framing of the book.

This week was a hefty 580+ historical fiction novel that could potentially be the next great American novel. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles follows four boys on a trip to New York City in 1954 and the ensuing hero's journey. I put on my English major hat and analyze themes, contemplate what comes after the ending, and compare and contrast my favorite and least favorite character.

I return with the third book in the League of Extraordinary Women series - Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore. This historical romance follows rich, girly girl Hattie as she is tricked into marrying Lucian a businessman with a mysterious past. I spend over half of the discussion section talking about my feelings about the ending, express my enjoyment over the conversations about class and intersectionality, and compare the male love interests across the three books.

I've talked about my love for this book so many times on this podcast, and now it's time for it to finally get its own episode! Bringing Down The Duke by Evie Dunmore is a historical romance novel following a bluestocking named Annabelle and a duke named Sebastian as they battle over the Married Women's Property Act and love. I discuss rereading and my revelations the third time around, ask what my love of this book says about me, and revisit my A Rouge of One's Own episode.

It's time for the final part in my Finch Merlin Halloween series. This last episode covers all the twists and turns that the last three books bring including double crossing, plot twists, and tears. And we finally learn if Finch will get his own happily ever after. I share my anger and heartache over the events in book 15, express my shock over the ending of the second to last book, and discuss my overall thoughts about the series as a whole.

Happy Halloween (pt. 2)!! Welcome back to the second part of my three part Halloween special. In this episode I cover the middle three books in Bella Forrest's Finch Merlin series. In these books Finch gets the last things needed to get to Atlantis and we find out why Erebus wants to go there in the first place. I get extremely emotional talking about the last book in this set, express my shock over Erebus's reasons for going to Atlantis, and keep on making my hilariously wrong predictions.

Happy Halloween! Welcome to the first part of my three part Halloween special on the Finch Merlin series by Bella Forrest, which is a fantasy series about magicals (a.k.a. witches and wizards). This episode covers the first two books in the series and the beginning of Finch's adventures as a servant of Erebus. I introduce the series and give a brief recap on the Harley Merlin series, question and criticize Erebus and his motives, and express my joy at being back in this familiar world.

I'm not normally a seasonal reader, but this week I tried out a Halloween themed romance: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling. This romance follows Vivi and Rhys two witches trying to break a curse before it takes down the entire town. I waffle about how much I liked this book, talk about the advertising around the book, and wonder what the point of a pen name is when you reveal your real name in the very same sentence.

I joined a book club and they made me read a psychological horror novel taking me WAY outside of my reading comfort zone. Shirley Jackson's classic novel The Haunting of Hill House follows four people as they stay in and are tormented by a haunted house. I talk through my thoughts about joining a book club, explain why I didn't find this book scary, and try to figure out if the house was actually haunted.

It only took 47 episodes for me to turn my podcast into a drinking game and with an unlikely book at that. Amy Stewart's historical fiction novel Girl Waits With Gun follows Constance Kopp and her sisters as the deal with the reign of terror brought down on them by a shady silk man. I introduce a new segment called are there romantic undertones or am I just a romantic?, discuss Constance's characterization, and talk about where fiction meets reality in this novel.

Have you ever read a book so you good you thought your heart might burst? No? Well then you clearly haven't read Ali Hazelwood's novel The Love Hypothesis, which follows Olive, a Ph.D. student at Stanford, who ends up fake dating one of the professors in her department. I reveal that I'm a simp for these characters, talk about the spoilers I received going into the book, and generally praise the writing style and plot for being absolutely hilarious.

Zoraida Córdova's debut novel The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is probably the most surreal fantasy novel I've ever read. In this book, Orquídea calls her family to collect their inheritance (magic in some cases), but it causes some unexpected complications as the secrets of her past are unveiled. I debate my feelings about this book, write the premise for a television show based off the book, and focus on one aspect that makes no sense.

It's I Read a Book Once's one year anniversary! I can't believe that I've been sharing my opinions on books and summarizing them with too much detail for a year now. To celebrate I decided to do an extra special episode where I reflect on my journey this past year. I reflect on the lessons I've learned, talk about the challenges I've faced, do a little bit of data analysis, and attempt a "meet the book podcast" segment that was a bit of a hot mess.