February Reads - Tim

Anatomy: A Love Story

Dana Schwartz (352 pages)

A funny, fast paced story that has bits of Frankenstein, bits of Sherlock Holmes, and is quite enjoyable. Dana Schwartz does a great job with quick, bouncy dialogue that keeps the story moving.

Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s

Dan Epstein (368 pages)

Polyester, Astro-Turf, and disco, a fun look at the swinging decade of the 70’s. Baseball labor fights (and on-field fisticuffs) highlight this book and show how everything from free agency to the designated hitter came to exist.

Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America's Empire

Jonathan M. Katz (432 pages)

The man who was seemingly involved in every US military action from the Spanish-American War to the start of WWII. A fascinating look at the situations that Butler and the US Marines came into contact with from the Philippines to Cuba to Philadelphia and how his actions impact those locations to the present.

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome

By Emma Southon (352 pages) 

A look at the relationship Ancient Romans had with death and murder. From crucifixion to gladiatorial combat to family homicide this book does a great job of showing that even though Rome wasn’t as bloody as Hollywood movies and shows depict it as, it isn’t too far off

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

Have I been live texting my best friend who read this before me...yes. Has she told me to go to bed on time....also yes.

Me literally taking anything that could possibly be related to Throne of Glass or ACOTAR and going with the crossover theory:
 
Me trying to predict the plot of this book: 

The. Otters. That is all.
Syrinx. We worship him. He is sphinx cat, you can't prove me wrong. 
Bryce is an icon and we stan. Also. We also stan Hunt. I will not be taking comments.
The characters. Fantastic. The commentary on grief and trauma. Chef's kiss. Like. fjkldsa. I don't have words I just have live reaction texts... and gifs/memes that would spoil....
Like...the last 150 pages. were a ride. 

816 Pages

The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

Does this remind me of Sydney White, but with magic. Yes. 
Am I suspicious of everyone, yes. Is it because the story is being meta and talking about horror films. Also yes.
Can we please just love the boys.... Because....like. 
416 Pages 

Heir of Fire

 

Heir of Fire

By Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 565

"Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?"

Love triangle is not utterly destroyed though it seems like we have a new potential? I really cannot wait to see how the relations continue to develop but they have taken a backseat as Celaena works to unlock and control her inner fae, confronts her scheming aunt, and decides to return to her home to help her old friends and her people.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

It's the girl saying she wants to be a surgeon in a man's world in the 1800s for me. Oh and the grave robbing. And the grave robber. 
There's the Stalking Jack the Ripper and Audrey Rose vibes
Jack is great. I love him. ....I apparently have a thing for characters named Jack...
When the author says there might be a sequel, I say tell me more. 

352 Pages

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

The book was well-written and the world building was cool, but I just didn't vibe with the book. Maybe if I was in a better headspace?
544 Pages

Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

It's Morozko for me. I love him. We have always known this. 
The relationship growth.  Excellent. 
The magic system. Excellent. 
I loved that the story did revolve around real characters and real events (even if they were tweaked, and simplified).
I cried, but I am, surprisingly, ok. 
402 Pages

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan

Have I been drawing family trees and like...taking notes so I notice all the things....yes.
There were some Cinderella vibes, and like...some Beauty and the Beast vibes. 
Brie was cool, and like.... Ronan and Finn each had their own pros and cons....
It borders the line between YA and NA....
I just wanna know who to ship. I have a ship that I like, and I have a ship tat I want to work, but someone has decided to ruin it. *glares
I have OPINIONS on love triangles and like "the good guy" and "the bad guy" trope, but I don't have the strength atm.... men are stupid. 
The plot twists were kind of predictable, but like.... I'm here for any kind of content.
464 Pages

The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa

Ok but Evenfall. Like. The concept. Chef's kiss
I love that we in Ash's perspective. We love him. We stan. 
Grimalkin stealing the show, as always.
......it's that cameo for me....like....all the victory screeches. 
Awooo

Alexa play Monster from Frozen the musical.
Hey it's that scene from the Avengers sequel (unspecified because spoilers)
I keep thinking of Greed from FMA....and the weird white monsters. 
304 Pages

Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

I thought the plot and concept were really interesting, but I wasn't invested in the characters--maybe because of the story-telling/narration style?
336 Pages

Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

I had trouble connecting with the characters, so it was hard for me to focus and really understand what was happening.
It was pitched as being like Six of Crows, and I can see why, but it felt like it lacked some of the heart and like...relationship/connections that really made Six of Crows shine. And I get why, but still.
352 Pages

The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee

My baby is so anxious and I feel so seen. 

"I ain't going to no secondary location"
Percy again. for the win. 
"you'd apologize if someone poured soup in your lap" ...I know that reference

This book has the audacity to make me cry because it makes me feel seen. Like.... the tension of having conversations with people. Staaaaaap. Also like...Sibling relationships in relation to trauma and like...working on sibling relationships. 
It's the mental illness and anxiety representation for me. 
592 Pages

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Ok but how the atmosphere feels like a fantasy and like old times, but it's also in space and is in the future.
There was an interview with the author in the audiobook, and like, it made me love the premise more, because of how like.... religion and culture are integrated into a society and viewed as other, and how things would progress in the future.
But also like. Language and poetry and literature. and gahhh.
The ship. I'm worried bad things will happen, but I love this ship.
336 Pages

Ozland by Wendy Spinale

So the book felt rushed, and there was a lot of telling instead of showing, and a lot of action happening off page. and I like...couldn't figure out who some of the characters were (Ed note: it would have helped if I had known that Dorothy's last name was Gale, lol).
I missed having the perspectives of the characters from the first two books, and like...it felt disconnected. 
288 Pages

Umberland by Wendy Spinale

Alyssa and Maddox were cool and I liked their relationship. Like. The Mad-hatter is cool. 
Also Alexa play Wonderland but say Umberland. 
304 Pages

Beast Boy Loves Raven: Teen Titans #3 by Kami Garcia, Illustrated by Gabriel Picolo

Summary: "While Raven Roth is finding a way to get rid of her demon father Trigon, Garfield Logan is understanding his newly found shapeshifting ability, and when their paths cross in Nashville they both feel a strong connection to one another."

So cute, I need so much more. Gar, my son, I love you.

I can't wait for the next one!

208 pages

goodreads | MOBIUS

Everland by Wendy Spinale

*forgets to post review because being sick is fun. lol I read this in January, but we'll count it in February because....chaos. 
I have a ship and I have like....another ship that might be less painful....I blame the line "Peter losing Wendy" for all of my dread. 
Alexa play Somewhere in Neverland. 
336 Pages

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Summary: "Vivienne Jones handled the biggest break-up of her life the way that any witch would: vodka, bubble baths, and a curse on her ex. That was nine years ago. Now Rhys Penhallow, descendant of the town's founders, breaker of hearts and still irritatingly gorgeous, is back. Rhys has returned to the quaint town of Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival. But when his every move results in calamity, Vivi realises that hexing her ex might not have been so harmless after all . . ." 

I kinda wish I had waited to read this until Halloween to better appreciate the fall vibes. Oh well. Twas cute and an easy read. I wanted a bit more, but it is what it is. 

308 pages

goodreads | MOBIUS

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Pride and Prejudice retelling but make it modern and with persons of color. Sign me up
I always love a Darcy character, so like. This is perfect. 
I loved the way that they handled the Wickman situation. 
304 Pages

Red Tigress by Amelie Wen Zhao

I'm loving the new characters and like..
Ok but the mention of the third book's title. 
448 Pages

Crown of Midnight

 

Crown of Midnight

By Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 420

    "From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil."

    This sequel really pivots from the focus in the first book. The love triangle(?) fades to the background while the action and plot against the kingdom starts unfold from the events and clues we received in the first book. However, by the end of the book everything changes again when a tragedy turns Celaena from everyone she loves and trusts and she shares one of her secrets with what has become one of her worst enemies. I have already opened the next book as I cannot wait to see how the choices made at the end will effect the three characters that all now have their own intertwined plotlines.

Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani

Ok but I love this. It's a collection of fairy tales in short story form, rather than like....a whole book-full.
Soman Chainani making me feel things, and crying. Did one scene remind me of the episode of The Twilight Zone that attacks me on a personal level. Yes. 
 336 Pages

The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

I hate Rand. Sorry not sorry.
I've started hating the characters I like, and it's started playing into stereotypes/tropes about men and women which, like, for the 90s isn't surprising, but I'm in the 2020s and this wouldn't fly. 
I like....only half-listened to this and I didn't feel like I missed much. Maybe it's because I'm used to being spoon-fed, but it felt like the characters didn't have clear goals/motivations.

TLDR: I was irritated the entire time I read this book, but Momma didn't raise not DNF, so I'll probably read the "what happened in this book" summary and get more out of it, and I'll be way less irritated. 
944 Pages

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

This ship y'all. I can't.
...Did my brain think of Frosty the Snowman..... 
The research.
I'm like...trying to figure out how the last book will go....and I am concerned for my well-being.
400 Pages

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

It's the Little Mermaid. Sign me up
The research. Like. The fact that we're going into African mythology, where there were mermaids (there were mermaids, y'all)....fricking representation. 
I am, as always, concerned for my mental health because of the sea foam bit....
(there's a sequel..cause it's a duology)
336 Pages

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family by Kathleen Flinn

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family by Kathleen Flinn

Pages: 288

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Kathleen Flinn started to write a memoir of her childhood and realized she needed to go back to her grandparents to get a true picture of her family. She interweaves the family history with favorite family recipes. Everything from farm jam to the pizza her parents sold in San Francisco. 

She realizes that her love of food and cooking comes from multiple generations of her family and she is thankful for all that they have taught her. Most of her life her family lived in the Midwest and her stories of farm life are a mixture of stories my mom and dad told me and my own experiences growing up. 

For me this memoir was like a familiar friend, sharing their life story, ups and downs, burnt toast and all. 

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Alexa play "The Archer"
Dragons. I fricking love dragons.
The baby prince. Protec
Ok but the way that Xingyin and Liwei meet and how their relationship develops. Fantastic.
Chinese mythology is just. Chef's kiss. 
So now I need the next book..because my ship. 
512 Pages

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

Summary: "After learning that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, Izumi travels to Tokyo, where she discovers that Japanese imperial life--complete with designer clothes, court intrigue, paparazzi scandals, and a forbidden romance with her handsome but stoic bodyguard--is a tough fit for the outspoken and irreverant eighteen-year-old from northern California."

So cute! I enjoyed it. The cover is A+. Looking forward to the next one!

322 pages

goodreads | MOBIUS

Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden, and the Stolen Election of 1876 by Roy Morris, Jr.

Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden, and the Stolen Election of 1876 

by Roy Morris, Jr. 

320 pages

Following the Civil War and Reconstruction the nation faced an election that could change everything…and they totally bungled it. With contested elections from Florida to Oregon, a committee of legislators and Supreme Court justices were forced to decide who actually would be the next president. 

- Tim

To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West by Mark Lee Gardner

To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West 

by Mark Lee Gardner 

336 pages

The death of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett are brought to life in this book. The author does a great job showing the difficulty in capturing (and then recapturing) the famous outlaw. And the outrage of the community following his death. If you like westerns this book does a great job bringing the truth from the tall tales surrounding these legendary gunslingers.

- Tim

How Baseball Happened: The Truth, Lies, and Marketing of America's First Sport by Thomas W. Gilbert

How Baseball Happened: The Truth, Lies, and Marketing of America's First Sport

by Thomas W. Gilbert 

324 pages

This book tells the “true” (if such a word can be used) story of baseball, sorry Abner Doubleday fans. Looking back at old newspaper articles and interviews with players, Gilbert attempts to tell the facts from the fiction (at least from the most fictitious). 

- Tim

The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama, and Death in Nineteenth-Century America by Nigel Cliff

The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama, and Death in Nineteenth-Century America

by Nigel Cliff 

336 pages

Telling the incredible story of Shakespeare in America, this book focuses on the Astor Place Riot, an event that was started over who was a better Macbeth, an American or a brit. Almost unbelievably  this event led to the near destruction of the theatre, the arrest of some of the perpetrators, and the deaths of some others. Come for the play, stay for the beatings. 

- Tim

The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey

The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World

by Catherine Nixey 

352 pages

This book tells about how the followers of Christianity smashed, looted, and burned the ancient shrines of their “pagan” neighbors. It’s an in-depth look at how the persecuted became the persecutors’

- Tim

In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland

So this book toes the Young Adult, New Adult line....
There's lots of queer representation in all different forms. 
The magic system is cool....and also like....
Look at my boy, so precious.
Bro I want blue hair. 
400 Pages