Summer Biannual Bibliothon Book Tag

Hi guys!

I may have just found out this was today’s challenge (whoops), so I’m kind of scrambling to pull this together (oh dear).

Alright, let’s get started. First, the host of this challenge is Nana over at 4TeenLiars, so be sure to check her out!

Now let’s get to the tag.

 1. What are you planning to read for the Summer Biannual Bibliothon?

I’ve created a TBR for this, which consists of four books: Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel, The Witches by Roald Dahl, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, and Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi.

Also, I started Palace of Spies today. (Just thought I’d add that there. Um. Yeah.)

2. What is your favorite genre to read in summer?

Contemporary. All the way. I know, I know, everyone says this, but there’s a reason why. I mean, what better way to spend your summer than reading about someone else’s summer? (A lot of contemporaries are set during summer vacation.) (Although any contemporary will do. All light and fluffy books are good 👍.)

3. Where is your favorite place to read in the summer?

Honestly? Not much different from during the winter. *looks sheepish* Either the table (boring, yes, but also comfortable because I have to bend down a lot reading on the couch and then my neck and back start aching, but at the table it’s the perfect height and position 👌), or my bed.

I love my bed.

4. What is your favorite challenge done in the Summer Biannual Bibliothon?

My favorite challenge is read a book with less than 1,000 Goodreads ratings. We really should read more underrated books. 🙂

5. What fictional character would you hang out with in the summer if you could?

There are so many to chose from—how am I supposed to pick?

Okay, I suppose I’ll pick Emily and her gang (Frank, Matthew aka Collins, and Dawn). Oh, and Sloan. Come on! They’re the perfect summer buddies. (And it’d be pretty cool to see what’s on Emily’s list that we can complete together. 😉 )

6. What are your plans for summer?

Mmmm… This summer is rather uneventful, but I am going to the beach in August. It’ll be great to relax on the beach and read a good book. ☀️

7. Do you have summer reading playlist, if not what would be on it?

I do, in fact, have a summer reading playlist, although it might be an issue listing it here because it’s umm… a bit long.

Also, it may or may not consist of only kpop songs. Heh, heh.

But, I do have a few recommendations that are really fit for summer.

1. “Why” by Taeyeon
2. “Ko Ko Bop” by EXO
3. “Closer” by OH MY GIRL

8. What is your favorite summer movie?

*thinks really hard* *keeps thinking* *can’t think of anything* Aha! Legally Blonde. Elle Woods was the best.

9. What book do you read every summer, if not what thing do you do every summer?

I either reread the Percy Jackson series or try to get over procrastinating (the procrastination part is a work in progress).

10. What other book tags are you planning to do this summer?

Hmm… Maybe the Reading Habits tag.

Whew. I hope I made it.

Thanks for reading! 👋

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Bonus Song:  “Forever” by EXO (I know, I know, my friend called me a “walking advertisement for kpop” the other day).

 

 

 

Summer Biannual Bibliothon TBR

The Summer Biannual Bibliothon is coming up, and I’m excited to say that this is my third time participating! (Goes from July 23-29.)

You know what’s even better about this year?

There are blog challenges!!

Of course, these challenges are just for fun, but no matter. *does happy dance*

Or how about a cutesier dance, reminiscent of the good ol’ Tom and Jerry days?

Now, all we have to do is wait for these challenges to be revealed. *sits and waits impatiently*

Anyway.

I used to think I’d read seven books to complete all seven challenges (hahaha—who was I kidding?), but I now know that isn’t happening because I failed to do so the past two times I participated in this reading challenge.

So, this time I’m being realistic (it’s a new thing I’m trying) and have chosen just four books. 👍

1. Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel (Read From a Host’s Favorite Genre)

This relates indirectly to my current obsession with all things French. You see, I have given up slightly (only slightly—I’m still searching, so if anyone’s got any suggestions…) on finding books set in Paris (or other parts of France), so I have expanded my horizons to Europe.

And that’s when I remembered this book. I’d been perusing the shelves of my library one day when this book drew my attention (I mean, it’s called Palace of Spies), but I’d never gotten to actually reading it.

Now I’ve got the chance since I know it’s set in England, most likely Victorian England. (There was a time when I was obsessed with this too, though I still love books set there—if it isn’t a genre, it should be. There are so many historical fiction books set in this time period.)

Oops, that reminds me, almost forgot to add—this book pertains to Caz’s favorite genre. You guessed it: historical fiction!

2. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Read a Book That Has Been Banned)

I’ve seen this book floating around the blogosphere (that’s a thing people say, yes?), and it intrigued me.

I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, so reading a book about the Islamic Revolution by a person who actually lived through it (made more interesting because she was a child at the time—a kid’s perspective makes everything better) would be a great option.

Also, there might be the fact that this book is technically both a memoir and a graphic novel.

What? Graphic novels are perfect for read-a-thons! *knows some of you are silently judging, but doesn’t care*

3. The Witches by Roald Dahl (Throwback Challenge)

As I’ve mentioned before, Roald Dahl’s books were my childhood. My childhood. *holds hand over heart*

So, I’ve chosen the “read a childhood book,” or something along those words, challenge, and what better book to pick than The Witches? 

Now that I think about it, that book must’ve been pretty scary to some children… (I know I was a bit creeped out when I first read it). They probably started believing witches existed. Do they? *looks around nervously*

4. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (LGBTQIA+)

*squeals very loudly*

This book might have been my most anticipated read of this year. Now that it’s been released, I cannot wait to read it.

In fact, I’m just itching to pick it up right now… *slaps own hand* Stop it! Must. Have. Self-control. *struggles*

*gasps* And I have just read a review of the book and it mentions the book takes place in Paris at some point!

Oh, book, you and I were meant to be. (Okay, okay, enough drama 😂.)

Alright, that’s my TBR!

Are you participating in the biannual bibliothon? If so, is this your first time participating? What books are you planning on reading?

Let me know in the comments below! (Just realized that rhymes.)

Thanks for reading! 👋

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Problems of a Bookaholic

The are many perks to being a bookaholic, such as getting to delve into wonderful stories and live vicariously through characters’ lives… *heh, heh*

But, there are also a few problems you encounter when you are a lover of books and reading.

So, I’ve compiled a list by consulting a few my friends who are as obsessed with reading as I am, and… well, myself. 😅

1. When You Get Food On Your Precious Book

There are two situations you encounter when it comes to food: The Crumbs, or The Stain.

The Crumbs is when you’re eating a delicious cookie (or cracker, or biscuit, or anything crumby) and you get the crumbs of it stuck in the middle of the opening of the spine (you know, when the book’s open) and you guiltily bang against the poor spine (oh the second-hand pain of hurting your book 😭), but the crumbs JUST DON’T COME OUT.

Now what do you do?? *crisis!!*

Then, there’s The Stain.

This problem occurs when you’re eating anything that isn’t crumby that’s able to be dripped on the page of a book.

ACK, it’s the worst when you’re eating a spoonful of yummy soup and it drips on the page of the book you’re reading (admit it, you’ve read books while eating meals too). HOW DO YOU GET THE STAIN OFF THE PAGE?? You don’t. You just can’t. You cannot afford to wet the page with water and damage the already unlucky pages even further.

Which brings us to the next issue.

2. When You Accidentally Drop Your Book Into a Wet Area (eg. the toilet)

True story from my friend: she once managed to drop her book in the toilet. Don’t ask me how. She was unwilling to disclose any further information (understandable).

When this happens, this doesn’t ruin just one page, but it destroys the ENTIRE BOOK. The. Entire. Book. 

Even after you take it out of the water, it’s sopping wet, and after you dry it, ALL THE PAGES ARE CRINKLY.

Now your whole book is ruinnnneeeed. *has mental breakdown*

3. When You’re Forcefully Dragged Away From Your Book

You know when you’re reading a reaaally good book, but there’s always that one person who has to come and spoil your fun by jolting you to reality and reminding you of your very real duties and obligations?

Especially. When. It’s. A. CLIFFHANGER!!

Preview of Next Problem: Not only does that person remind you of more important, immediate responsibilities (*shakes head vehemently* no, no, reading is my most important responsibility) and make you leave on a cliffhanger, but they don’t give you enough time to put in a bookmark before dragging you away and YOU LOSE YOUR PAGE.

4. When You Accidentally Lose Your Page

Here’s the scenario: You’re reading your book when, say, your neighbor’s dog starts barking very loudly and you get shaken out of your good-book induced stupor and accidentally let the book slip and the pages fly about and you lose the page you were reading.

Now you have to flip through the book all over again just to find the specific page you were on, which is hard because normally you would be flipping very quickly through and miss the exact page you were on.

Which is what always happens to me. It takes forever to find the page again because I am an impatient person who just wants to get back to what I was reading—I was just about to find out [insert character name here]’s secret! 

And a bazillion hours later I finally find the page. *smacks forehead*

5. When That Person Just Doesn’t Let You Go

There’s the person who drags you away from reading to your real responsibilities, and then there’s the person who doesn’t even let you get to reading in the first place.

You have to keep listening to this person babble on and on, but you don’t even know what they’re talking about anymore because you stopped actually following the conversation a while ago. However, you don’t want to be rude (we all must remain upstanding citizens and obey the social laws), so you just continue nodding and “mhm-ing” when you think you need to. 

Eventually, you come up with an excuse and blurt it out. Either it’s: “I need to go to the bathroom!”, but you never come back (does this tactic sound familiar to anyone?).

Or it’s the not-so-subtle art of taking out of your phone and pretending to check something when you’re actually reading that e-book you downloaded.

Or you come up with the first thing that pops into your head like: “Um, I have to go now because my neighbors need me to feed their dog while they’re on vacation!” (What is it with neighbors and their dogs in this post?)

Then you run away to the book that has been waiting for you all along.

6. When You’re Not Paying Attention To Your Surroundings and Crash Into Something

As a book-lover, you should know how it feels when you’re absorbed in a really intense moment in your book and you can’t stop reading when suddenly—

You crash straight into a tree. Or a door. Or a person.

And you know how sometimes you apologize to an object or something that doesn’t talk?

Yeah. That’s what you do. Or, you say “OW!” and rub your head, confused at what just happened.

Or, if it’s a person, then you apologize and quickly head on your way before things get awkward.

But, you never learn, right?

Sooner or later you’ll be reading another good part of a book and you’ll crash into something again. It’s kind of inevitable. *heh, heh*

Extra: There’s also the tripping. Tripping over steps. Over tree roots. Over your own shoes. Over thin air. 😅

7. When You Go Book Window Shopping

If you’re a regular person, you go window shopping for clothes, shoes, etc.

However, if you’re a bookaholic, then you’re most likely gazing through the window at that book you’ve been wanting to buy forever—except you’re already way over budget.

But it can’t hurt to buy just one more book, right?

*No. Must. Resist. Urge. To. Buy. Book.*

So you must remain strong and merely window shop.

Unless, of course, the urge to buy the book is too strong and you give in and a few minutes later you’ve got enough books for a book haul.

Whoops.

Anyway. This is what usually leads to the next problem.

8. When You Run Out of Room On Your Shelves

This happens as a result of your terrible self control (as mentioned above^).

Once you run out of room, you’ve got no choice but to stack your books next to the shelves *cringes at self*.

Now you’ve got to spend even more money and go even farther beyond your budget to buy more shelves so all your books are treated fairly.

9. When You Can’t Fit Your Book In Your Bag

You know when you have to go on vacation? Or a short trip? Or, um, anytime you head out the door?

You don’t want to ruin your poor book by shoving it in, but sometimes you don’t have a choice if you want to read the book that has not only been calling your name, but is a perfect vacation read (this is when paperbacks and ebooks come in handy).

So, you (very, very, very) guiltily push and squeeze your paperbacks in (you can’t afford to bring your beautiful hardcover, nor can you bear the weight *ouch, my poor back*).

But sometimes you just can’t fit that 600+ page novel you’ve been wanting to read into your bag.

The same problem applies to suitcases when you’ve already packed clothes (and other things) in there and have also packed ten other books, but you’re just sure you’re going to need more. But, alas, there is no longer any space.

*covers face in despair*

Although, this issue’s got a solution, I suppose. E-books. Though nothing compares to the feel of a physical book in your hands… *sigh*

10. The Unexpected DNF (Surprise! Wording change *grins*)

There are those terrible times when life gets in the way and you’ve got all these things to do and…

You forget about your book. I know. It’s terrible just thinking about it. *shudders*

And that’s when the book gets DNFed.

Or, you finally get that book you’ve been wanting to read since forever and throw the book you’re currently reading aside to read the shiny, new, beautiful book.

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So, that’s all I have for reader problems!

What other problems have you experienced?

My Current Obsession

Yes, I become obsessed with different things so often that I’m making this a monthly thing on this blog. (Sometimes I can’t really relate my obsessions with books, but this time I finally can! *squeeeee*)

Oh. The posts will be about monthly bookish obsessions. (Don’t worry. I didn’t forget that this is a book blog 😅 .)

Let’s see.

Last month I was obsessed with the Percy Jackson series…

The month before I was in a bit of a contemporary kick…

The month before that I binge-read the Vampire Academy series…

And so on.

As you can see, I’ve got a “thing” every month. Can you guess what this month’s “thing” is? *hint, hint* *see featured image above* ↑

It’s France! More specifically, Paris. I have been desperately trying to find YA books (or any contemporary books) set in Paris, so if anyone has any recommendations, throw ’em at me!

As a result of my current obsession (actually, let’s not call it an “obsession,” shall we? Let’s call it… an interest) (oh, who am I kidding, let’s just stick with obsession—it’s got more of a ring to it anyway), I have been searching through the depths of my brain trying to remember books I’d read that were set in France, and came up with a whopping two books:

1. Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I remember thoroughly enjoying reading Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer, so I didn’t even hesitate to pick it up again. I finished it in one day, eyes glued to the text, flipping through the pages, not being able to wait to find out what happened next.

This was the most fun I’d had reading a book in a while (though I suppose that doesn’t mean as much considering I’ve been under an enormous reading slump for quite a few weeks).

On the even brighter side, because of this book, I have finally gotten over my reading slump! Thank you, France! 🤗 *hugs france even though i know it is not physically possible*

But now, I am in a bit of a pickle.

You see, you’ll notice that the only other book on the *incredibly vast list* I have come up with is Anna and the French Kiss. And I am very reluctant to pick it up again.

Issues I Had With Anna and the French Kiss: 

1. The writing for some reason did not sit well with me.
2. The romance. (I know. This is a bit of a problem since the book is technically a romance book.)
3. Étienne is a walking cliché. (Sometimes that’s okay. Except not this time because of this one flaw that the author chose to give him despite having billions of other flaws to choose from.)
   • The One Flaw: Mr. Perfect has a girlfriend and spends the entire book chasing after another girl.
   • [SPOILER WARNING] Étienne did not have the sense to just break up with the girl from the beginning. (Okay, I know that’s harsh and much harder than it sounds, but come on, man. You could have at least had the decency to break up with her before you started making out with Anna!)
4. A Tinier Issue: Some of Anna’s actions bothered me. A lot. As in [SPOILER WARNING] she just haaaad to obsess over a boy who had a girlfriend, and then not do anything at all to at least attempt to make sure nobody got hurt (or at least not as hurt as they all ended up being *insert eye-roll here*)

DESPITE ALL THIS, I am still considering picking the book up again because, yeah, I am just that desperate to read a book set in Paris again.

So. Please. Recommendations??

*ahem* *regains composure*

While we are on the topic of France, because of my newfound interest in it, I am attempting (though not really succeeding at this point) to learn more about France and also learn the beautiful language.

So if anyone is knowledgable (or at least knows something) about France, speaks the language, or both, I am open to learning about anything, so let me know in the comments below!

(If only I were less busy… *oh, the woes of life*)

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That’s it for this month’s bookish-ish obsession! (Yes, we are allowed to invent words here.)

Thanks for reading! 👋

Weekly Quote #5

This is so me. There’s nothing better than settling down in a comfy spot, drinking tea or coffee—I drink both, though not at the same time—and pulling out your favorite book. Also, the books I read are never long enough… *sigh*

This quote is perfect for all those book and tea lovers out there who love sipping piping hot tea (or warm, whichever you prefer) while reading a good book (is it just me or did that sound like I was advertising this quote?).

Of course, if you’re a coffee lover, then all you’ve got to do is replace “tea” with “coffee,” and poof! You’ve got the quote that fits you. 🙂 ✨

What do you like to drink while reading?

 

Coffee Book Tag

Time for another tag!

Okay, so I don’t drink coffee all the time, but I do like a good cup of coffee every now and then. And can we talk about how amazing coffee smells? Mmmm… Just thinking about the wonderful aroma of coffee makes me want some.

*focus, self, focus* Whew. Back to the tag.

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1. Black: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.

Lord of the Rings. I’ve got a friend who absolutely adores the series—perhaps “adores” isn’t the best word. I suppose you could say she thinks the series is “literary genius.” However, it’s just so hard to get into. I tried reading the first book, but if I’m being honest, I got quite bored reading it…

2. Peppermint Mocha: Name a book that get’s more popular during the winter or festive time of year.

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories. This one’s a bit obvious, I know. “Holiday” is literally in the title. But that’s why everyone reads it during the holidays, right?

3. Hot Chocolate: What is your favorite children’s book?

The Witches by Roald Dahl. And every one of his other books. Because we can’t forget about Matilda, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and all his other fantastic stories. Why I picked The Witches first though was because I loved the book so much when I was younger that I reread it and reread it and reread it. Of course, now that I think about it, I reread Matilda quite often as well.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading to the library to check out all of Road Dahl’s books to get over this awful reading slump that has come over me.

4. Double Shot of Espresso: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis. I flew through this book in one day. Every time I got to a new chapter I thought: “Must. Continue. Reading. Must. Know. What. Happens.”

Really. You must read the series. Just get past the first book and you’ll be whizzing right through. (This is the rare series where the books get better and better as you go on). (Also, just as a warning, ignore the terrible cover change for the last book.)

5. Starbucks: Name a book you see everywhere.

The Hunger Games. This is a pretty generic answer since a lot of people have said this, but that just means this book really is seen everywhere. And if you haven’t read it—um, have you been living under a rock?

6. That Hipster Coffee Shop: Give a book by an indie author a shoutout.

Angelfall by Susan Ee.

I’m not 100% sure if this book was written by an indie author, but it was listed under “indie” in Goodreads and I haven’t heard book bloggers or booktubers really talk about this book, so I’m just going to put it as my answer.

Anyway. Angelfall is fantastic. Wonderful. Amazing. All the other adjectives I can’t think of right now. You should definitely pick this book up. Now. Please?

7. Oops! I accidentally got decaf: Name a book you were expecting more from.

Before I answer this question, I have to ask: How do you “accidentally” order decaf?

Back to the actual answer. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich. I was expecting A LOT more than what it gave me… A lot more.

8. The Perfect Blend: Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying.

The Vampire Academy series. The last three books… Man, those were definitely bitter, but at least the series ended with sweet moments…

9. Green Tea: Name a book or series that is quietly beautiful.

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki. The art style, the simple color palette, the story, everything together…

10. Chai Tea: Name a book or series that makes you dream of far off places. 

The Falconer series by Elizabeth May. It made me dream of Scotland, yeah, but mostly about the land of the fae. Okay, I’m well aware that it’s incredibly dangerous there, I would most likely die as soon as I stepped foot there, blah blah blah… But perhaps I could go during tourist season? Visiting hours? *looks hopeful*

However, I just have to include Anna and the French Kiss here (not because I loved the book though, I actually thought the story itself was just “meh”), but because I am so intrigued by France, Paris especially. I really do dream to go there… (There’s also the upside that this is actually an achievable dream, though you never know 😉 ).

11. Earl Grey: Name your favorite classic.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I cannot describe to you the impact this book has. It really makes you think back to when you were a wee child, imagining up millions of things that only exist in your head, lost in your version of the world.

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That’s it for now!

If you want to do this tag, I tag you. (Especially you coffee lovers out there ☕ ).

Thanks for reading! 👋

My DNF Pile

 

Hi, again!

Just wanted to let you guys know that from now on, I will post a weekly quote every Tuesday, as well as another post related to books on other days (or, if I don’t have time, just the weekly quote).

I really want to stick to this new schedule because I think consistency instead of sporadic posting would be better for all of us (like, *pop* oh, a new post! 6 weeks later *pop* oh, another post! 8 weeks later *pop* oh, another new post! 7 months later *pop* *new post appears* *crickets chirping* *more crickets chirping*).

*whistles* Anyway…

So, I don’t have too many books in my DNF pile (at least, I think), but I do think listing them all would still be a bit too much. So, I’ve chosen my top five most recently DNFed books.

1. The Valiant by Leslie Livingston

I had high hopes for this one because I thought it was so cool that the main character would end up becoming a gladiator… But, alas *insert dramatic head tilt and back of hand on forehead*, I was disappointed. From the very beginning. See, the very big issue I had with the book was the fact that it started out with the main character involved in a scene with her crush… and then, *gasp* they end up kissing! (That wasn’t much of a spoiler since that happens around the first 10 or 15 pages of the book.)

Then, somehow, her crush proposes to her? Am I remembering wrong? (Not much of a spoiler either because this all happens in the first 10 to 15 pages.)

I think I should have known I wouldn’t like the book from there, but I continued reading because I still had hope. For the rest of what I read, however, there wasn’t much of an issue with the plot or ridiculous scenes, but with the writing. I just didn’t like the writing style that much and didn’t feel connected to the story, so I decided to stop reading the book.

That said, perhaps one day I’ll give the book a chance… (yay, optimism). And many others have liked to book, so just because I DNFed it doesn’t mean you will. I wouldn’t really say there were any issues, just that I wasn’t drawn to how the story was told.

2. Royce Rolls by Margaret Stohl

The reason why I chose to DNF this book was because of certain parts that felt especially unrealistic. And the romance that would inevitably turn out like this: “OMG you’re the first guy who doesn’t know who I am and likes me for me!” *gasp*

Pushing the romance aside, another aspect that caused me to decide to put this book down was a specific part where Bentley was talking about what she would write in her college application/essay. The way it was written really didn’t scream “I’m applying for college!” Instead it screamed: “I’m writing a journal entry and trying to make myself sound super different and special, but I’m also trying to be way too casual!”

All that said, while I was rereading the college application part of the book for this post, I actually read a few pages further and felt the urge to continue reading the book.

So, I might actually give it another chance. We’ll see. 🙂

3. Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Ah… This book. I can’t think of any other way to describe how I felt when reading this book other than… odd. I really thought I would love this book at first because the writing was sophisticated and I enjoyed the style, but then we got to the statue part. The part where the main character was attracted to the statue. Very, very attracted.

No words. My full review can be found here. Did you know there’s a name for when a person is attracted to a statue?

Yeah… I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are willing to push aside the questionable romance (which would be hard since the romance gets pretty overwhelming at quite a few points).

4. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

I was really enjoying this story and the tiny sparks of a romance until I hit a love triangle. And this love triangle didn’t even try to be a good, slightly-less-annoying love triangle. No—we went straight into (this is a reenactment):

*huff, huff* “Wanna fight?” “Yeah, I wanna fight!” “She’s mine!” “No, she’s mine!” “I’m way manlier!” “No, I’m manlier!” *drawing of giant weapons and ultimate manly man battle*

As you can clearly see, I am not a fan of ridiculous love triangles. And this book included a prime example of a ridiculous love triangle.

I’ve already expressed and elaborated more upon my intense frustration and annoyance on this love in a post, so you can find that in my post Love Triangles. Heh, heh… Be prepared for a looong rant.

However, to make clear my thoughts on terrible love triangles (I don’t mind “good” love triangles as much), here is this wonderful quote I found:

Dear Authors – Pointless love triangles waste everyone’s time. Seriously.

So, I think you can understand why I abandoned this book. I do know some people really love not only this book, but the entire series, so don’t think you shouldn’t give this a book a chance if you’re a lover of love triangles or don’t mind them (though if you *dislike* love triangles as much as I do, reading this book would not be recommended).

5. Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

… *sigh* Interesting premise, very disappointing execution.

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this book at all… *cough, cough*

See, this book didn’t work for me. I thought I would like it, but really early on I was hit with two big issues.

First, very big issue: As soon as the main character met her “knight in shining armor,” she didn’t have to worry anymore. She was the damsel in distress and her savior had come to solve all her problems. *very long sigh* *starts banging head against desk*

Whyyy did such a terrible message have to ruin the story?

Second issue: The story felt like it dragged on and on… I’m not sure of the actual page number until things finally started happening is very much, but it just felt like such a long time… I was really excited for the thriller aspect of the story, but all I read about was the beginning of the romance until I gave up. (Yes, as soon as I hit the unfortunate romance I knew I could not finish the book.)

*blinks* Anyway. I explain in much more detail on the issues I had with the book, so I suggest you check out my mini-review here. *smiles innocently*

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I’m sure the conclusion you guys can make after reading this post (if you’ve made it this far 😅) is I’m picky with my romances. Now, I used to love all romance, but as I’ve grown as a reader, I’ve realized that the unrealistic romances are a bit pointless since they just create unrealistic expectations (although I’ll admit sometimes the cheesy or adorable romances are fun to read), and I’ve developed *opinions* on what makes a good romance.

Despite all my romance opinions, I wouldn’t say I don’t enjoy a sappy or cute romance now and then. 😉

Sooo, that was my DNF pile. Thanks for reading! 😊👋