booksborrowed's reviews
117 reviews

"Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your head."

I have not read a book with this writing style before and I I found it quick paced and intriguing. Chih, a cleric from Singing Hills, and Almost Brilliant, a neixin, travel to Lake Scarlet and stumble across an old woman, Rabbit, staying on the lake. Chih and Almost Brilliant spend a few days collecting stories about Rabbit and her servitude to Empress In-yo. This novella follows Chih, but it is Rabbit who steals the lead. 

I look forward to continuing this novella series!

"The first day was for listening, the second for wanting, the third for praying, the fourth for feeling, and the fifth for repenting. 

But sixth days were special. Sixth days were for music."

Sofi is a 16 year old girl whose only dream is to become a Musik, like her father, Frederick Ollenholt.  The only five people allowed to perform with an instrument in public were Musiks. Sofi's father played a bone lute, and Sofi is eager to earn it. She is forced to quickly learn more about herself and her father as things don't go quite as planned at the auditions. 

I thought the magic system was portrayed uniquely. Magic is open for public to use, as long as civilians are able to aquire "Papers." The Papers have individual spells attached by witches, who have disappeared for many years, and once used the papers word would tattoo itself on to the user so everyone were to know of the spell. Musiks were expressly forbidden from using magic. Thus, Sofi loathed those who had used it.

The story is medium paced in the beginning through middle chapters. However, this changed, and the plot felt very rushed towards the end. The rushed resolution was a major reason this book didn't receive 5 stars, along with repetitious wording. 

I would have asked for more relationship building with certain family members, and the  resolution expanded on in the end, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's generally different than most other plots and easy to read. I will recommend listening to the Audiobook because the narrator does a devine job bringing a tonality to each character. 

Josephine created the Mother Earth Water Walkers, an Indigenous and Water advocacy group. The Water Walkers are trying to bring awareness to climate change and the effect of our industrialized world. I really enjoyed this short introduction to Josephine and her granddaughter Autumn. Without book recommendations like this, I wouldn't be aware of the work done. This short listen, 15 minutes, is well worth the knowledge gained.

The way that the author was able to weave a poignant tale in 'To Shape a Dragon's Breath' is marvelous. This story follows an Indigenous girl, Anequs, on her journey to becoming Nampeshiwesit, a dragons companion. Not only does she need to navigate learning to be a "dragoneer", she is also navigating the Anglish world and the many people who look down on her.

The sadness of this story is the truth behind every arrogant and misguided idea that one culture should force another to be "civilized". Anequs is quite advanced in her ability as a scholar, however is impeded by judgment from those whom are meant to teach her. 

Along the way, we meet many characters that do not fit into Anglish society. The group of friends Anequs draws together is quite diverse, and the amount of  representation included was seemless with Anequs' jouney. 

My only struggle with this story was pronunciation of many words as it is original to the story. However, the author does include a pronunciation guide in the beginning to reference back to. I look forward to continuing this series.

The Hedge Witch was a whimsical cozy YA fantasy. I was interested early on with Rowans, forced, summer adventure to visit her Aunt Winne. 

Cari Thomas was able to create a fun magical world for us to enjoy a glimpse of. I would enjoy reading more of Rowans world. There is so many ideas put into this little novella that would be wonderous for Thomas to expand on. 

My only disappointment with the novella is the somewhat abrupt ending. I enjoyed the message that was presented of finding ones self, and would highly recommend for anyone looking for a little joy in a magical world.

The Duggar phenomenon is something I don't think I will ever truly understand. However, I took my part in watching this family and being entertained by how they lived. 

Though most of the information regarding her family was not wholly new, Jill's raw expression of her experiences was thoughtfully presented. There was a natural flow and pace while listening to the audiobook that made it easy to digest. 

My favorite part of the book is the 'Authors Note' and how Jill expressed that though she was put through hardships, she can recognize the good as well. It is an important message for anyone struggling with trauma and mixed emotions regarding how we may have been raised. 

I recommend this memoir for those who were mesmerized by the show and those looking understand how to heal from trauma.

Caspian is the youngest brother of five. He doesn't fit in well with his family or the family business, especially since his mothers passing. Captain Jack comes into the Sunken Cities port for mysterious business with Caspians' father. Caspian takes the opportunity to follow Captain Jack through Sunken City and back to his ship and when Jack sees the almost stealthy stow away, Caspian is offered a spot on the crew.

This pirate adventure follows the Chained Maidens crew with multiple points of view from Captain Jack, Caspian (the thief), Rhaefn (the sharpshooter), and Tsu (the assassin). I enjoyed being able to learn more about these characters and their stories from their own perspectives. Each crew member is struggling with traumas that gives insight into the characters' behaviors and choices. 

What I enjoyed the most from this novel is the kinship and camaraderie on the Chained Maiden. Captain Jack has found a bunch of misfits and brought them together. He trusts his crew and the sense of found family is a major theme throughout the novel. In particular, the friendship between Ace, Rhaefn, and Caspian feels effortless. Ace is a spit fire and seasoned with a blade, so he takes on the task of training Caspian to fight. The three boys stay by eachothers side. It becomes trickier when Rhaefn and Caspian start to become attracted to one another.

Getting to the climax of the novel felt like it would have been better paced if Rhaefn and Caspians' relationship was more balanced with the adventure. By the end of the book, their relationship, which was chaotic, took the front seat. I would have enjoyed the crews adventures to be more fleshed out as the Chained Maidens adventures came to a quick end. 

Overall, I would recommend this to YA readers who enjoy romance, pirate adventures, and found family tropes.

This was a digital ARC from the author for an honest review.

*I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Henry Winkler, the Fonz, as he is most recognized as, shares his life as he sees it. Winkler often mentions his parents, Jewish immigrants, who fled Berlin during WWII. Winkler had a tumultuous relationship with his parents, much of he equated to his dyslexia. Not having a name for why he couldn't read or understand mathematical equations, Winkler especially struggled memorizing scripts during his career until his stepson was diagnosed with dyslexia decades later. The most introspective parts of his memoir come when Winkler examined his relationship with his parents and wife. His wife speaks from her own point of view on several occasions, and I truly enjoyed her insight into her husband's mindset and how she handled being married to him.

I felt like I was at a party with Winkler, and he wanted to make sure I knew everything. I decided that this audiobook would best be listened to in smaller increments. Though I found his life interesting, I felt Winkler was asking himself many questions about his experiences without a lot of answers. 

Henry Winkler's memoir was nostalgic and brought many memories of staying up late to watch Happy Day's reruns. I would recommend for Winkler fans.

Lauren Graham's commencement speech is not just for highschool students, but anyone feeling a bit stuck in life. I listened to her audiobook version and was pleased to find a bit of hope in this short 30 minute read.