i used to think the more I revisit my fond memories the more clearer they become, like brushing away dust on an old photo frame. But after reading The Lantern of Lost memories, I realize that it’s the opposite. The book says ‘The more important a memory, the more we find ourselves revisiting it. But in doing so, the details can begin to evade us . . .’
This realisation that clinging so tightly to my favorite memories is causing them to blur caught me off guard. Am I wearing out my memories ?
Once I used to be proud of how good my memory was, but unpleasant circumstances in the past led to me suppressing some good memories along with the bad ones.
Even the ones I’m nostalgic about, the details seem to be fainter, the faces and the features unclear.
Hiiragi’s book gives me a new perspective on remembering, and letting go. On fleeting moments, and cherishing the past. On understanding that memories can’t last forever.
I know this doesn’t constitute a proper review rather than my reflections so I would like to add that It’s a beautifully written book about memories but the central character in all the stories – Hirasaka – doesn’t have any memories of his past life. Shows how deeply empathetic he is towards the memories of people coming to the studio.
I rated this a 4.75 ✨
If you love cozy comforting stories, then this book is for you! Thank you NetGalley and Panmacmillan for providing an eARC for review.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. This tour is being hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. You can check the rest of the blog tour schedule and the amazing people who are part of it from here
Heiress Takes All is written by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: Young Adult Thriller/Romance
Publishing Date: June 4, 2024
Book Synopsis :
The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s 11 in this thrilling YA adventure about a teenager determined to pull off the perfect heist in the midst of her father’s wedding.
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Owens isn’t thrilled that her dad’s getting remarried…again. She’s especially not thrilled that he cheated on her mom, kicked them out of their Rhode Island home, and cut Olivia out of her rightful inheritance.
But this former heiress has a plan for revenge. While hundreds of guests gather on the grounds of the gorgeous estate where she grew up, everyone will be thinking romance—not robbery. She’ll play the part of dutiful daughter, but in reality she’ll be redistributing millions from her father’s online accounts. She only needs the handwritten pass code he keeps in the estate’s safe.
With the help of an eclectic crew of high school students and one former teacher, Olivia has plotted her mid-nuptial heist down to the second. But she didn’t plan for an obnoxiously nosy wedding guest, an interfering ex-boyfriend intent on winning her back, greedy European cousins with their own agenda, or a vengeful second wife. When everything seems like it’s going wrong, Olivia has to keep her eyes on what really matters: getting rich. And when she’s done, “something borrowed” will be the understatement of the year.
My Review:
I read this book in one day probably in 2-3 hours right before I posted this review. I got caught up with work that I couldn’t finish the book on time right until today and man oh man if the book wasn’t good enough I wouldn’t have been able to finish it off.
Olivia Owens and her unlikely crew were unbelievable at first but the writing made it compelling. We get to know why she plots this revenge and her motivations are driven by betrayal that starts early on in her life and makes it believable.
Like I said, the twists keep coming, some fun and some to keep you guessing but throughout the story never lets you down. The authors tried to add some drama and tension by including some hindrances during the execution of The Plan which contributed in keeping me, the reader happily hooked.
Slightly Spoiler-sh:
And from the title you would know, Heiress takes all and not just money but she also gains trustworthy relationships and learns to be forgiving.
End of Spoiler
I really enjoyed reading the book and rate this book 4/5 stars ✨✨✨✨✨and I’m looking forward to a follow-up series that was hinted towards the end.
Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka met and fell in love in high school. Austin went on to graduate from Harvard, while Emily graduated from Princeton. Together, they are the authors of several novels about romance for teens and adults. Now married, they live in Los Angeles, where they continue to take daily inspiration from their own love story.
“One of the Good Guys” is a cleverly written book with multiple POVs, sparking debates on important topics. From the very first pages, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that it’s a perfect book club pick, because there’s a lot to unpack.
The first part is narrated by Cole, who recently separated from his wife and moved to the countryside to start anew. His POV portrays him as the quintessential ‘good guy,’ who managed all domestic responsibilities while his entrepreneur wife focussed on her career. He befriends Lennie, an artist who has also moved to the countryside.
When two women advocating against gendered violence, disappear in Cole and Lennie’s neighborhood, they become entangled in a police investigation.
The second part, narrated by Mel, Cole’s wife, offering a different perspective of the same story shared by Cole. Meanwhile, the missing case unfolds in the third part of the book.
By the end of the first two parts, readers are left utterly shocked and speechless.
The book employs a mixed media format, incorporating tweets, news articles, and Reddit threads discussing the missing case and its connection to the main characters. Some of these misogynistic social media comments reflect real-life parallels.
While I didn’t fully warm up to the characters or the twists, I understand their purpose in the narrative.
“One of the Good Guys” is a book you won’t want to overlook. Even better when you try the full cast audiobook.
An ambitious and juicy whodunit doused in Hollywood lore, perfect for readers of sexy summer thrillers like The Twin by Natasha Preston and The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson.
No one at Hollywood High knows who’s behind We’ll Never Tell—a viral YouTube channel where the anonymous creators trespass behind the scenes of LA’s most intriguing locales. The team includes CASEY, quiet researcher and trivia champ; JACOB, voice narrator and video editor, who is secretly dating EDDIE, aspiring filmmaker; and ZOE, coder and breaking-and-entering extraordinaire.
Now senior year is winding down, and with their lives heading in different directions, the YouTubers vow to go out with a bang. Their last episode will be filmed at the infamous Valentini “murder house,” which has been left abandoned, bloodstained, and untouched since a shocking murder/suicide in 1972. When the teens break in, they capture epic footage. But someone trips an alarm, and it’s a mad dash to get out before the police arrive—at which point they realize only three of them escaped instead of four. Jacob is still inside, slain and bleeding out. Is his attack connected to the historic murder, or is one of their crew responsible?
A week of suspicions and cover-ups unfolds as Casey and her remaining friends try to stay alive long enough to solve murder mysteries past and present. If they do, their friendship may not survive. If they don’t, the house will claim more victims.
Review:
Its been a long time since I participated in blog tours and decided on a whim to restart it. This YA book about four teens was an engaging read from start to end. What I liked majorly about it was the premise. These days YA whodunnits are centred around kids in detention, pranks and anonymous blackmailers but this one was different in that it revolved around the teenagers behind a viral Youtube channel who film content in places that are hard to get into – for the thrill of it and “satisfying people’s curiosity”.
Zoe is the programmer who can hack into security systems to gain access, Eddie supplies the filming cameras and directs the shots while Jacob edits them and Casey – the narrator of the story, is the researcher and voice-over script writer. It all seems so cool, a bit unrealistic for someone like me but I get it.
The 4 misfits decide to shoot in an abandoned villa where a famous Hollywood couple were murdered, for their latest (last) video but things get out of control and one of them gets hurt seriously. The rest of the story is Casey trying to figure out who did this and why.
The plot also focuses on the murder from the past told in the form of news articles, letters etc. Among the characters, I loved Casey’s grandma and JJ, Jacob’s dad – both the adults that are more commonly mentioned in the plot.
The author is very good at maintaining the eeriness and suspense throughout the book which is really important to keep the reader engaged. Also I liked that the queer characters were the “main” couple of the story as its usually straight couples who rule the plot and queers are mere side characters.
I was able to predict how all the plots would be tied up but still this was an engaging and enjoyable read.
I rated it 4/5 stars!
Moodboard
If you are interested in checking out the book, please do check the links given below.
Thank you to TBR and beyond tours for the opportunity to read this book early, I am also leaving a link to the tour schedule, if you want to check out what other reviewers have to say about this book.
Wendy Heard is the author of suspense and thrillers for adults and teens, including THE KILL CLUB, SHE’S TOO PRETTY TO BURN, and DEAD END GIRLS. Wendy has spent most of her life in Los Angeles, California, which is on fire more than she would honestly prefer, and can often be found haunting local hiking trails and bookstores. She loves all things vintage and has a collection of thrillers and adventure books from the 80s.
It’s been so long since I posted anything other than books. Feels weird to write a blog these days when people have moved on to Instagram and Twitter. Well , when I started using Instagram, this blog started dying too. it was easier to post something short with a picture and easier to comment and follow others there. Blog-hopping and blog contests were long forgotten. When I occasionally check this blog’s email account and see a mail notification for life update blog posts from friends from all those years, it always brings me a smile. I keep wondering what’s going on in their lives. But I’ve also changed a lot in all these years and avoid as much interactions 😅
I started this blog ten years ago, wrote a lot of personal rants and then archived them to show only very few personal ones and concentrated on book reviews. Now it feels like I’ve come back here again, wondering whether I should start writing here bcos I keep going between having a lot to say and don’t wanna over share. Now Instagram is full of real life friends and internet friends that I’m reluctant to share more. I may frequent this space depending on how much I wanna word vomit coz who still reads these blogs anyways 😅
“It’s more than romantic. It’s better than romance. It’s friendship.”
It comes as no surprise that I loved this book.
I’ve never read any book that was focused on platonic friendships with all its highs and lows told in a very compelling way. This book as it says in the cover, is not about romance but about love. Between friends and their love for video games.
Can I also say I’ve never liked any other book that talked about video games as extensively as this one? The book is well written and and keeps you invested in its characters – the kind of characters who are flawed and stay in our mind long after we close the book – and the games they develop, their creative process and how they design it.
Aside from gaming, the book deals with love, trauma, disability, grief, gun violence, sexism and Sadie & Sam’s on-and-off friendship that gets strained over the years. I could relate to their constant fights and periods of hating-each-other coz I do that with my best friend. At the risk of spoiling the book, I’ll just say I truly empathized with Sam when he learns about Sadie’s relationship.
Sadie and Sam were complex and annoying most times, Marx was easy to love. But Sam eventually became likeable. Even though he doesn’t like to talk about his disability or pain, they are cleverly constructed into the games they develop. At times, when Sam was suffering and Sadie couldn’t see through his pain or reach out, I resented her.
If you expect this book to give you the warm fuzzies, you will be disappointed. This isn’t a book you would ABSOLUTELY love, but it’s well-written and will
If you are looking for a character-driven, slow-paced coming-of-age book, this one’s for you.
Thank you to the publishers for providing an eARC of the book.
I read Little Thieves back in June and loved it. The story is a retelling of the Goose Girl which I’ve never read so I went in not knowing anything at all. Owen’s writing was slightly similar to Leigh Bardugo probably because of the German words mixed in with the plot but this isn’t a heist story to give off the exact same vibes.
The author provides content warning at the beginning of the book, kudos to that.
If you read the synopsis, you ought to know this is the story of the maid Vanja who steals the identity of a princess and is cursed by an immortal when she does something wrong.
Vanja is perceived as the selfish anti-heroine who is greedy and steals from nobility. Still, Owen has been successful in making this character likable because she is whip-smart and also there’s an obvious backstory for why she is, the way she is which makes her actions forgivable. Vanja assures herself to not panic when she gets into situations and I liked that sort of level-headed thinking. There’s also an equally show stealing character who is gender-fluid – Ragne who helps Vanja to break her curse.
I enjoyed the writing and after a certain point it started following the fairytale format where the wrongs are righted. I’m not a fan of the rushed ending but I’m very much excited about how the next book would go.
The world is a bit complex with its politics and currencies but keeps you engrossed. Other than Ragne we have few amazing secondary characters and the awkward LI.
Also I need more books told from the villain/anti-hero POV and more of the morally-grey-MC-falling-for -the-person-who-is out-to-kill-them trope.
My rating 4.5 stars , recommended for YA fantasy lovers (please check content warnings before reading)
Incase you are not convinced yet, If you have already read Spin the Dawn duology (I haven’t) I’m told there are recurring characters from there in this book, so a lot of Easter eggs to look out for..
If you are looking for a change from reading about faes and or fantasy royal families based on the west, or want to read something oriental AND YA, this book is for you.
Elizabeth Lim surely has a way with words and I’m pissed at myself for not yet picking up her debut duology. I’m really really looking forward to this sequel. I want more of a certain Dragon in book two !
Slight spoiler : There’s a curse in the book and I was acting up like I was the one inflicted with it and didn’t utter a word for hours while finishing the book 😂 But truth be told, one part of the curse made no sense to me, as to whether the bowl on the head can allow others from seeing Shiori’s eyes, whether she can see them or not.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Do watch out for this amazing book that releases on July 8th 2021!!!
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé was one helluva ride.
An Anonymous texter known as Aces ruining the lives of two Black teens in an elite private academy that gives you ‘Gossip Girl- Pretty Little Liars- I know what you did last summer’ vibes but scarier. (I haven’t watched Get Out so these are the 3 comparisons I can make). That’s the one line plot summary I can think of but the book offers so much more!! One of the best books I read this year and to think it’s a debut, well done👏🏻👏🏻
Also +1 for the author to include trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.
Even if you read the synopsis and go in with some knowledge of what the book is about, you will still not be prepared for it, I say!
Not sure how to be not-spoilery, but the horrifying things the main characters Chiamaka and Devon go through in the name of racism makes your blood boil and lose your faith in people. How hard is it to be just kind 😭
I hate that these systems, all this institutional shit, can get to me. I hate how they have the power to kill my future, kill me. They treat my Black skin like a gun or grenade or a knife that is dangerous and lethal, when really, it’s them. The guys at the top powering everything.
I liked the contrast between the two main characters and also the fact that they weren’t unnecessarily romantically involved just for the sake of the plot. Chiamaka is a complete badass and full of spirit, she knows what she wants and is willing to achieve it whatever it takes, even though she is rich she has to struggle her way through the top because of her skin color. Devon is an introvert with hardly any friends and a scholarship student who likes his invisibility. And when they are forced to join hands together to fight Aces, there evolves this beautiful friendship. The book also talks how being queer in a BIPOC community is like and the homophobia that exists.
Totally recommended and I’m really looking forward to Faridah’s upcoming books.
So so grateful to the publishers and Netgalley for the E-ARC. Also I’m very happy about the attention this book is getting and the way it’s getting special edition/ book of the month editions etc as compared to a white author’s book. I hope more BIPOC authors get this deserving treatment.
Thank you to Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for providing me an eARC in return for an honest review.
TW: Body shaming, bullying, suicidal thoughts, self harm, domestic abuse.
The Yearbook by Holly Bourne brings out the brutal side of secondary school bullying and how school isn’t a pleasant memory for everyone. The main protagonist Paige works for the yearbook and is the silent observer that notices everything that happens in school especially the bullying done by fellow class girls and notes them down in her journals for years. She doesn’t retaliate or step in for any of the victims out of fear of being the next target. Her home situation isn’t that great as well as she has to suffer in silence through her father’s domestic abuse, unable to get any help from her brother or aunt. Her only outlet for the rage she feels against all the injustice around her, is her journal and also annotating on her library books. In one of the library books, she notices a like-minded person’s scribbling on red ink and tries reaching out to the stranger.
Can we read old books the whole way home and share the best bits we find in the margins while eating mint Aeros please?
Up until Paige meets red-ink the story was progressing at a very slow pace.
There were a lot of trigger warnings that made me think school is definitely scary these days. But for all the anger that Paige has, the ending didn’t justify it. Like it feels powerless and not enough.
Also the bullying is more focussed on the mean girls and not on the guys, and the way teachers chose to ignore it, showing all of them in a bad light was also slightly disappointing.
I loved the friendship that evolves between red-ink and Paige and kept looking forward to their encounters. Overall a 4 star read for me!
If you have read this book, do share your thoughts on the same.
Little Voids 