Whole-Year Reading Recaps & Short Review(s)

Hi there ❤

Welcome to the first official post of NEW Sparkling Letters!! I know I said that this will no longer be a book blog, but I kinda feel like I should start the post with something bookish as a warm up 😉

Since I started working in 2017, I read less and less over time. I just got busy with life and parenting and I just… stopped reading. I felt that I’ve got no time to read for fun. I read for my daughter but I stopped reading for myself. WHICH IS SAD. That’s why since end of 2022, I tried to go back to reading regularly, and now that I got myself a BIG bookshelves and a kindle, it all becomes easier to read regularly.

Last year I read quite a lot of books even if I still didn’t achieve my 2023 reading goals of 20 books, but this year I set a higher goals of 40 books and I’m already 55% to achieve my goals 😀

It’s not a lengthy review like it used to be, but I want to share some highlights on the books I had been reading so far. Buckle up because this is gonna be a looong post!!

Diving into non fictions.

When I first got back to reading, it was through non fiction books, especially parenting books. As a new mom, there was sooo many things to learn about breast feeding, complimentary feeding, baby sleep, read aloud, etc etc. I joined several seminars and watched youtube videos, but I know I learn best through reading so I started to read books on parentings.

There are so many good ones out there!! Not just from theoretical perspectives but also laced with personal experience from the authors. Here are some titles that I read lately:

1. The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel : This book is about balancing between a child’s left & right brain and front & back brain. There are sample stories and strategies to deal with children such as: when they are in tantrum, their part of brain that deals with logical reasoning completely shuts down so there is no use trying to reason with tantrum kids, or that when a child is too logical (left-brain), we need to get them to focus on feelings (right-brain). I get the idea, but the way it was written was too boring for me. Took a while to finish this one.
2. The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie : I love love this one so much. As a big reader myself who have started reading for my daughter since birth, I feel so happy to read this book and know sooo many benefits from reading aloud for children. It’s not just about the speech, but reading aloud helps children to maintain focus, understand new concept, build healthy reading habits, and especially bond with their parents ❤ if you are new parents, I suggest you to read this.
3. The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (8th edition) : Sarah Mackenzie wrote her book based on this book, the original book on read aloud. This one provides many example & benefits of reading aloud from research perspectives. I love the theory about vocabulary in this book. The more we read to our children (listening), the more speaking, reading, and writing vocabularies they will have later.
4. The Gentle Parenting & other books by Sarah Ockwell Smith : There are a lot of gentle parenting series books written by this author. I almost have all of the books, but what I love the most are:
   • The Gentle Sleep Book – I was so stressed out by daughter’s sleeping pattern but this book provides so many insights for me. I wish I had read it during pregnancy.
   • The Starting School Book – I’m so confused about starting school but this book has helped me made a decision on when to start pre-school for my daughter ❤
5. Calmer Easier Happier Books by Noel Janis-Norton : I have two books from this series: Calmer Easier Happier Parenting & Screen Time. I love all the strategies from this book, they’re all applicable although only for some amount of time (because then I forgot to apply the strategies again hehe). The main focus of both books rely on how to build cooperative kids — kids that do what we ask them to do without fuss.

Aside from non fiction parenting books, I also tried to read about general non fic, especially those related to relationships & marriage. But there was 1 book that I like the most.

1. How to be Perfect by Michael Schur : This book explores how to live a good life from philosophical point of view, written in a fun & sarcastic way. This book is so much fun, it feels light even if it talks about ‘heavy’ topics. I didn’t understand about existentialism when I learned philosophy in college, but I understand now from reading this book. The key to reading this book is just to read through it — do not think too much!!
2. Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix : This book talks about marital relationship but it feels to psychoanalytic for my logical brain 😀
3. The State of Affairs by Esther Perel : I have mixed feelings about this book but I’m not feeling comfortable discussing this too deeply, so I’ll just say that this book offers a new perspective and it’s something good to learn for me. Too many repetitions though.

Back to My Favorite Genre: Fantasy

Fantasy has always been my favorite genre, but I felt not in the right mind to read fantasy for a while now. Fantasy books are looong and require readers to memorize the world building and the rules of the books and the names. I started off by re-reading The Bear in the Nightingale by Katherine Arden and it was so good I immediately ordered the next 2 books. Then I started reading some books from my fave authors which were on kindle sale!!

1. The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden has become 1 of my favorite series ever. I love the writing, the world building, the characters, I even love the cold winter vibe radiating from the book.
   • The Girl in the Tower : 5 out of 5 stars, the stakes & tension are so high in this book.
   • The Winter of the Witch : A good conclusion to the trilogy, even though the last book might be a little too complicated, I still enjoyed every bits and satisfied with the ending.
2. Babel by RF Kuang : Love the world building of this awesome book. I love almost everything from the premise, the MC, the friendship, the plot twist, I even enjoy all the lectures about translation & languages!!
3. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo : Another dark academia book I read this year. I think this one is DARK and BIZZARE. At first, it was difficult for me to understand what this is about, what are the societies, what is Lethe, what kind of magic they perform, etc. The world building was honestly difficult to grasp so for the first few chapters although afterward this get better and the plot becomes so interesting. The ending was very twisty, but I’m looking forward to read the next book soon.
4. The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab : I was so excited to know there’s a whole new series in the Shades of Magic!! I read as soon as possible but I cannot remember many things from ADSOM 🤣The book started slow with introducing new characters, re-introducing old characters, some background stories & fill us in what happened between ACOL to this book, and careful & intricate world building as usual. I admit I got impatient at first but 20% in and it finally got SO GOOD. I love Kell, Rhy, I even like Lila a lot this year and all the new characters are interesting as well.
5. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan : It took so much willpower & commitment for me to finally finish this book. It has so much promise because the plot is interesting, but it was not well-written, especially the characters and the chemistry between them so it felt so flat. 2.5 Stars for me and I’m not sure I would read the sequel </3

YA & Adult Fiction for a quick read

This is my comfort genre where I can just read without thinking too much and I know (most of the time) it will end happily 😛 Most of the books I read were from kindle deals.

1. As Long as The Lemon Tree Grows by Zoulfa Katouh : My absolute favorite ❤ I love this book so so much it’s so heartbreaking and beautiful. I love the writing, the characters, and reading this in the middle of Palestine genocide makes it even more heartbreaking. I finished this in less than 24 hours, that’s how good this book is!!
2. The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoang : All 3 books are so fun and nuanced. I love all the love stories especially book 1 & 3.
3. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys : I re-read Salt to the Sea last year and suddenly I love Ruta Sepetys writing so much. This is a historical fiction but it feels like your contemporary YA novel. It’s page turner and easy to read and I feel like I’m reading a usual teen heroine, only this was set in 1954 New Orleans which had this dangerous vibe.
4. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Novels – Carrie Soto is Back, After I Do, and Forever Interrupted. I love her writing so much, it’s so easy to read I can finish each of her book in 1 day. I love Carrie Soto & After I Do but Forever Interrupted — not at all.
5. Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West : I used to love Kasie West’s books especially The Distance Between Us, On the Fence, and PS I Like You back when I read them 8 years ago, but I guess I’m getting tired by the formula. I quite like Abby in this book but I don’t feel her chemistry with Cooper and I didn’t root for them.

Exploring Japanese Literature

This is definitely a whole new genre for me. I read Haruki Murakami’s books years ago but it felt too heavy, now when I get back into reading suddenly I see J-Lit books everywhere!! Young readers are talking about them on X and it made me curious. After reading several books, I noticed some things in common : there’s this vibe that reminds me of chill anime songs, like Ghibli, there’s no big & tense plot, and it’s usually slow pace and only involve a handful of characters.

1. Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa : This feels like ordinary book but it’s deep & profound you can just feel the sadness from this book. It’s about an old woman with a sickness & a man who makes dorayaki for a living.
2. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa : It’s a healing story about a woman who just broke up with his boyfriend, finding solace in a bookshop where she found lost family, new friendship, and blooming love.
3. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata : Talks about a woman with autism who works in convenience store for a long time because that’s where she can be the best. It tackles issues on society’s expectation on adulthood : work full time, get married, and have babies. I like the concept but the writing felt too weird.
4. The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino : This has a little bit of fantasy element about a store who receives consultation for personal problems. I swear it’s the most talked about book on LitBase but I still haven’t got to finish it 😦

Last but not least, Local Indonesian Books.

I admit I haven’t ready many local books lately but few that I read are absolutely GOOD ❤ These books are written by 2 of my favorite female authors and they never disappoint.

1. Laut Bercerita by Leila S. Chudori : I love Leila’s previous book “Pulang” and I fell in love with her writings again through this book. This talks about one of the darkest tragedy in Indonesia, penculikan para aktivis di tahun 1998. Although it’s a heavy topic, it’s still a page turner, enjoyable, and I didn’t realize I had reach the end of the story. It’s emotional & heartbreaking and an important read for all Indonesians.
2. RAPIJALI by Dee Lestari : I can say this is the lightest book by Dee (if we compare to Supernova & Aroma Karsa) but I like this so much. It’s about a country girl with musical talent who comes to the city because of some family issues. There, she created a band with her school friends. It’s supposed to be simple, but I don’t know how Dee can write it into a beautiful stories about dreams, friendship, romance, mental health issues, and family ❤

Alright everyone, we are finally at the end of my post. When I started writing, I didn’t realize it would be THIS LONG to try to summarize all the books I read since last year 🤣

Have you read any of the books I shared in this post? Let me know what you think ❤

Review : A Crown of Wishes // Finding Yourselves and Falling in Love in a Magical Land

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

I don’t know if this is a good way to start a positive review but a couple of years ago I read Roshani Chokshi’s first book The Star Touched Queen, and I disliked it so much. I thought it was too insta lovey, too lyrical, and the truth is, it didn’t make a lot of sense. I simply thought that maaaybe Roshani’s writing isn’t for me—because I know plenty of people love it.

So when A Crown of Wishes came out, I wasn’t so eager to read it. But then the reviews started coming and even the people who dislikes TSTQ, loved it. I’m weak for brilliant reviews, so I gave it a chance and I’m glad I did because this was a lot better than The Star Touched Queen.

Let me start by saying that Roshani Chokshi has improved a lot in characterization. While Maya—her protagonist from TSTQ—was lack in personality, Gauri was not. She is fire and sword and sweet things. She’s complicated—strong, and with a heart of gold. I love her character development in the book so much. I also love Vikram aka the fox prince, he’s so charming and fun and smart and God—he’s the perfect match for Gauri.

The romance between them gave me all the mushy feelings in the world. It was slow burn and filled with lots of hilarious banter!! But more than that, I love how Roshani Chokshi portray the love between them. Love is easy and difficult, falling in love is complicated and inevitable—and also risky. You know the narrative in books that when you find the right person everything will magically work out? Let me tell you something, falling in love is s.c.a.r.y. It’s one of the most wonderful feeling in the world, sure, but putting your heart in someone’s hands require so much trust and doesn’t come as easily as books sometimes portray it. So I was really happy to see Gauri didn’t give in so quickly and instead take the time to figure herself out and the relationship itself. I guess parts of the reason I dig the romance in this book is because I relate so much on a personal level 😛

The plot itself was intriguing, but I think I fall in love more with the idea of the plot than the actual execution. It’s lovely and intriguing and I just love the idea of playing to win a wish, but the execution feels just a little… disjointed. Though if you think about it, it could be traced back into two things, the writing and world building.

The world building felt a little off for me (emphasize on “a little”). Despite its elaborate description, I couldn’t clearly imagine the settings and all the weird creatures so when things happened involving them, I only like 80% understood. The lyrical writing doesn’t really help, but I admit that it was a lot better than TSTQ. I found the gorgeous proses a lot more readable and I did leaf through the book quickly. Plus I’ve recently been in love with lyrical writing, so.

There’s one thing that make me curious though… why is Gauri’s POV in first person but Vikram & Ashaa’s are in third person? Didn’t realize it at first but something did feel a little different and now I wonder why? I think I’d love it better if Vikram’s POV was also in first person, imagine the depth it will bring to the story…

Anyway, deciding on 4 stars rating wasn’t an easy decision—I went back and fourth between 3 and 4 and almost settled with 3.5, but when I got to the ending… I just loved it. I think it was satisfying and wrapped things up nicely, so here are my 4 stars for A Crown of Wishes. Without a doubt, I will add Roshani Chokshi’s next books on my TBR—in fact, I’m thinking of rereading The Star Touched Queen.

Book Title : A Crown of Wishes
Author : Roshani Chokshi
Publisher : St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date : March 28th 2017

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes – a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

Have you read A Crown of Wishes? What do you think of it? Let’s TALK—do you ever dislike an author’s book but decide to give them a second chance? And if turn out you love their other books, do you consider rereading the first one you don’t like? I’d love to hear your thoughts! ♥

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Review: OBSIDIO // A Perfect Conclusion to a Fantastic Trilogy

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • TBD • Illuminae Review • Gemina Review

Five stars, without a doubt. This book BROKE me in so many ways possible but I. LOVED. IT!!! This is everything I ever wanted and never asked for all in one : intense, brutal, tragic, comical, sweet, heartbreaking, unpredictable, and more. And frankly I wouldn’t expect anything less for a conclusion to this fantastic trilogy that is so dear to my heart ♥

I might have trouble writing coherent review so bear with me 😛

If you remember my Gemina review, I said that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. I mean, it was mind blowing and all that, but also confusing. A little tad too narrative for my taste and honestly? All the technical sci fi explanation got me all dizzy 😂 I was a little wary Obsidio might disappoint, but it didn’t. Not even for a second.

I don’t know whether it’s because we’ve covered all of the basics in the previous two books, but all the sci-fi, outer space, ships & military & technology aspects in Obsidio are a lot easier to understand. I could read without pausing to think too much about what’s happening 😛

Plot wise, Obsidio successfully delivers the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. After what happened at the end of Gemina, Kady & Ezra and Hanna, Nik, and Ella finally met at the Mao ship and worked through their plan together. There comes the new characters : Asha Grant, Kady’s cousin who’s still in Kerenza along with thousands other survivors and Rhys Lindstorm, her ex-boyfriend who’s now a BeiTech specialist stationed in Kerenza. The dynamic between them is GOLD. It’s almost as good as my darling Kady and Ezra’s. Just as good, dare I say.

In this book, we finally got to see the interaction between all the characters. There are a lot of people involved here, but they have one thing in common : they’re all gray characters. They’re good people who do horrible things, and horrible people doing good deeds. Things are never black and white between these characters and just like AIDAN said, everyone is hero in their own story. It’s just a matter of perspectives.

This book showed us how the crew of Mao worked on their plan to survive, working side by side (though a million galaxies apart) with the survivors of Kerenza. We’re never explicitly told what the plan was, but it’s shown so clearly through the documents that I was mind blown. It was genius. And the plot twist… SO MANY PLOT TWISTS. There are so many things I didn’t see coming, it was all so unpredictable and I loved it. It kept me at the edge of my seat all the time. In fact, I stayed up until 2 in the morning reading this because it was just that good.

Now on to the brutal parts. If you’ve read the first two books, I’m sure you know how brutal this story could get. After all we’ve watched a planet, a ship–no, two ships, and one jump station being blown to pieces, right? What’s the worst that could happen now?  I’m gonna go ahead and tell you not to ask or even consider asking that question because the answer is anything, anything could happen in the book. I had to watch another thousand of deaths and characters I loved died in page. It was tragic and frankly, a little too graphic at some point. All those gunshots and blood and deaths–of children and innocent people nonetheless. I think I had a lot of figurative heart attacks during my read 😦

Some of it are thanks to our (not so) favorite artificial intelligence, AIDAN, whom I used to dislike but now I–sort of–adore. I finally got the appeal, guys. I finally got why you people love AIDAN so much. It’s intriguing. Now that I could understand its motives, what it knows, its calculation, the reasons behind everything it did, I got a little attached. And to see things ended the way it did… well, you have to read for yourself 😛

Aaaanyway, I have so many more things I want to say about Obsidio, but I realized that all these thoughts and feelings would probably make my reviews confusing and not so helpful, so I might as well stop here. Bottom line is, Obsidio is a fantastic ending to this amazing trilogy and if you ever had any doubt on whether it will disappoint, don’t. It’s gonna blow your mind and sadly break your heart but you wouldn’t mind because it’s just that great.

Book Title : Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)
Author : Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Publisher : Knopf Books
Release Date : March 13th 2018

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

Have you read Obsidio or the previous Illuminae Files books? What do you think about it? This is the first book I really loved in a long time so I’d love to hear your thoughts! ♥

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Review : Strange the Dreamer // Strange, Beautiful, and Monstrous

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

Strange the Dreamer, much like its title, is strange indeed. Strange, beautiful, exquisite, lovely, and heartbreaking. Exactly what I expected from Laini Taylor. If you know how much I love Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy (A LOT), you’ll be surprised of how long it took for me to finish this book.

I started this not long after its publication date, but then I got bored because it was slow and I was busy and impatient. So I stopped reading at the end of Part I and only picked it up a few days ago—or weeks, by the time this review went up. And boy did I regret not picking it up sooner because I. LOVED. IT. It’s without doubt THE MOST beautiful thing I’ve ever read. Laini Taylor always has her way with words, and it’s straight to my heart because I’m falling in love with her writing all over again.

It’s lyrical, poetic, gorgeous. It’s like lullaby to my eyes but instead of lulling me to sleep, it keeps me awake at nights (see my attempt at extravagant description here? :P) along with its gorgeous writing was its slow pace—which I’m almost sure always go hand in hand. The story build up slowly, full of lush description of people and places and feelings. And feelings, most definitely, because I’m sure I got my heart ripped out all over again. So many feelings of love, hate, despair, hope, and revenge.

Sarai and Lazlo instantly became my favorite characters. Lazlo with his hope, naivety, and dreams. He’s just so pure I can’t stand horrible things happening to him </3 and Sarai, with her empathy and conflicting feelings that I relate so much on personal level. I know how she feels to stand between two opposite sides and want to try to bridge the difference but gets it all wrong instead. She’s my precious little monster. I love the star-crossed lover dynamic between Lazlo and Sarai so much, but even I have to admit that it was pretty insta-lovey. 

The other characters also have so much depths. I love how Laini Taylor explored their feelings and the reasons why they did what they did. It makes things gray instead of black and white, and I love it. Sparrow, Ruby, Minya, Feral, Azareen, Eril-Fane, Suheyla, they all have their places in my heart.

Just like the pace of the plot, the world building was slow. You don’t instantly get this image of Weep from just reading a chapter or two. But as you slowly read, you’ll see Strange the Dreamer has one of the most vivid world building of ever—Weep is hauntingly beautiful. It’s… it’s gorgeous and mysterious and lovely. And Lazlo’s version of Weep, full of colors and flowers and CAKES. How sad is it that Sarai and Lazlo NEVER even tasted cakes before so they had to imagine the taste for their make-believe?? 😦

Have I mentioned that it was MONSTROUS?? I mean, it”s in the title of the post but I feel like all I’ve been saying was how BEAUTIFUL it is  but it’s also full of blue monsters and it miiiiight remind you of Avatar but this one is so much more gorgeous. Also, brutal and tragic, especially the ENDING I can’t even with that ending </3 though I’m glad we’re only 4 months away from Muse of Nightmares so I don’t have to wait that long.

All in all, Strange the Dreamer is strange and hauntingly beautiful. With rich and lush writing that would sway you, this book will take you to an amazing adventure. It’s slow, so maybe not the best book for when you’re in the mood for something fast and action packed. The only reasons I’m not giving it full 5 stars are 1) it gets too poetic at several inappropriate moments and 2) it’s too insta lovey—would have been a whole lot better if it was slow burn. But to redeem it, it’s also full of feelings and you’ll probably cry but ALSO IN LOVE WITH THE BOOK ♥♥♥

Book Title : Strange the Dreamer
Author : Laini Taylor
Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date : March 28th 2017

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

Have you read Strange the Dreamer or any other books from Laini Taylor? What do you think about it? Do you love lyrical and poetic writings and slow paced books? I’d love to hear your thoughts! ♥

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Review: History is All You Left Me // Character Driven, Complex, and Beautiful

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

It’s a little disappointing to see that I’ve fallen into the hype. In case you didn’t know, I loved More Happy Than Not and this book is honestly one of my most anticipated releases this year. This is gonna be an unpopular opinion but unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed.

History is All You Left me follows the story of Griffin, a high school senior whose ex-boyfriend Theo just died in a drowning accident. Theo was Griff’s best friend, first love, and probably end game as well. They broke up before Theo went to college in California. In there Theo started a new relationship with Jackson, despite saying that Griff would be his end game as well.

Review : The Hate U Give // Powerful, Important, and Provocative

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

Five stars and more, and I don’t think any reviews will ever do this book justice. It’s so powerful, wonderful, and undoubtedly the most important and honest book I’ve ever read in my life.

As could be inferred from the blurb, The Hate U Give was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Going into this book, I almost didn’t know what to expect. I heard it was amazing, unapologetic, and possibly one of the best books everyone’s ever read. But still, I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was so much… more, than I could have expected. This book was so honest, strong, brilliant, and it evoked so many emotions in me. Hours after reading that last page, I’m still reeling with my emotion. There are so many things I want to discuss about this book.

Review : A Quiet Kind of Thunder // Important, Relatable, and Sassy

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

Hello everyone! ♥ if you pay attention to my posting schedule, you’ll know that Tuesday is for random posts and review is supposed to be posted on Thursday. This Thursday is almost the end of March, which means I’ll be posting my monthly recap. So here’s a review on a Tuesday! 😀

Review : The Bear and the Nightingale // Cold, Dark, and Captivating

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

There are two things that drawn me into this book : 1) Russian folklore and 2) gorgeous cover. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book and I thought, even if I didn’t, the cover only was worth buying 😛 After reading it from end to end, I could say that The Bear and the Nightingale is one of those bizarre books that just work.

I always enjoy books with Russian vibe, but this book takes place in a rarely seen side of Russia. The characters live in this land called Lesnaya Zemlya, the northern part of Russia where the winter is so long. Since most of the stories take place in winter, the atmosphere of the book was cold and dark. Its depiction of winter nights and forests gave me chill. You just can feel the cold… figuratively.

The pace of the story was slow. It started before Vasya, our main character, was even born and ended until she was roughly 15. It was told from third person point of view and while at first I felt disconnected from the characters, I grew to love it as the story progressed. The way it was told was whimsical. It’s like hearing a fairy tale being read to you on a cold, dark night while you huddle under the blanket near the fire place. The prose is so rich, lyrical, and detailed. It was enchanting, but maybe not for those who prefer their stories fast paced and action packed. This isn’t that kind of story.

The Bear and the Nightingale has some of the most complex and profound characters I’ve ever read about. They’re just endearing! ♥ At least some of them, while the rests are infuriating but still equally complex. I love Vasya to pieces. She’s so brave and caring, loyal and innocent, but not naive. She loves her family and her horses and the magical creatures so much. It hurts to see her misunderstood by so many people. I didn’t realize how much I care about her until I cried for her 😂

I adore almost all Vasya’s siblings as well. Olga, Sasha (!!!), Irina, and Alyosha (!!!) (sorry Kolya, you didn’t make the list. You’re annoying). They’re so sweet and loving especially Alyosha. I love seeing his relationship with Vasya. He takes care of her. He’s skeptical, but he always believes in Vasya and he’s willing to get involved in whatever weird things Vasya does just so she won’t be alone. It’s sweet ♥ Sasha’s exactly the same, too bad he went to Moscow early in the book and we didn’t get the chance to see more of him 😦 Their father Pyotr isn’t bad either. He’s complicated and I like it. The only person I don’t like from this book is Anna Ivanovna, Vasya’s stepmother. She’s mean and cruel to Vasya </3

The plot didn’t really kick until the third part of the book. The first part was more about introduction and history. It talked about who’s who, Vasya’s mother, the kids’ childhood, and the original tale of the Winter king. Part 2 mostly talked about Vasya’s life during her adolescence and her relationship with the magical creatures around her. Now part 3 is when the story gets serious. I tell you, IT’S CREEPY. Like, seriously! I was scared??? I had to close the book because I read at night and the story started to spook me. Some of the scenes were really graphic too 😂

By the end of the book, I was feeling content but also unsatisfied at the same time. Content because it didn’t end in cliffhanger and we actually got to see the resolution of the conflicts. Unsatisfied because while one conflict was resolved, we know that there will be more to the story, so much more, and I can’t wait to find out what will happen next. I’m also incredibly excited because I heard book two will tell us more about Olga and Sasha, Vasya’s elder siblings who both live in Moscow.

ALL IN ALL, The Bear and the Nightingale was an enchanting story with rich and whimsical prose that will sway you with its magical vibe. It’s dark and cold and creepy but it will also charm you, especially because the characters are so endearing. However, this isn’t for the readers who like their story fast paced because this one is slow, but worth it ♥

Book Title : The Bear and the Nightingale (The Bear and the Nightingale #1)
Author : Katherine Arden
Publisher : Del Rey
Release Date : January 17th 2017

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

Have you read The Bear and the Nightingale? What do you think about it? I’d love to hear your thoughts ♥ Also, I’m open to recommendations if you have any favorites Russian-inspired books 😀

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Review : A Conjuring of Light // Intense, Comical, and Perfect

RATING : 

Goodreads • Amazon • The Book Depository

Click here for my review of A Darker Shade of Magic • A Gathering of Shadow

SO, SO WORTH THE WAIT!!

In case you didn’t know, Shades of Magic is definitely one of my MOST favorite fantasy so naturally, I was really looking forward to this book. And guysss, the wait was so worth it because THIS IS AMAZING! This book is EVERYTHING I wanted and MORE ♥ This is one of those books that is SO GOOD it’s hard to review….. so bear with me while I try to find words? 😛

Plot wise, there’s no doubt this book was splendid. It picked up right where we left off on A Gathering of Shadows when Lila tried to go after Kell to White London. So yeah, we’re getting action since the first chapter and IT WAS INTENSE. I was already on edge from the start and stayed there until 5 chapters before the end. However, it wasn’t… as brutal as I feared it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it was VERY brutal with blood and deaths everywhere but I was kinda expecting something even more brutal. I’m morbid, I know.

Review: Caraval // Strange, Magical, and Enchanting

RATING : 

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TRIGGER WARNING : PARENTAL ABUSE

Going into a hyped book could be utterly terrifying. There’s always that dreaded question of “what if I don’t like this book?”. That’s why I was so, so wary of starting Caraval, especially since I’ve been in fantasy slump for the past 3 months. But wow, this book was pretty amazing! It reminded me of how much I love fantasy and got me back in the game. Though I kinda bounced between 4 and 5 stars the whole time I was reading it. Basically this is how I felt :