Sandra Gibbons

recommended a book almost 3 years ago

almost 3 years ago

I originally DNF’d this in October 2020, after putting in about 120 pages. Nothing was grabbing at me, which is odd, as typically I can find something that captivates me whether it be the prose, the magic system, the characters, or a particular singularity around the plot. After finally reading this (physical + audio), sadly my thoughts haven’t changed. There were a lot of pacing issues right up until the end. Lots of exposition and detached passive narration, which made this feel even slower. So much of the cast felt like shades of the same character, with little to distinguish their voices. Arguably, one character who stood out—and was my favorite for the levity they created—was killed off about a quarter of the way through. Disappointing as the story needed more of that. So much more. The writing is fine—nothing wrong with it. From time to time, I came across passages with pretty phrasing that resonated with me, but many belonged to said killed-off character. I appreciate the author’s efforts around diversity, specifically women and queer relationships, but these somehow fell flat for me. They felt spur of the moment and underdeveloped. There were many deaths and tragedies in which the execution of these scenes or discoveries felt rushed, which made me feel somewhat jilted. I have to call out one scene in particular that made me scratch my head. I’ll try to keep it vague for spoilers, but essentially one of the key characters suffers a highly traumatizing miscarriage and then turns around and has sex with another main character. Personally, I had a hard time believing that would immediately happen, as someone who’s given birth and experienced a great deal of pain and other issues around carrying a child. But what do I know? 🤷🏻‍♀️ All in all, this wasn’t what I myself consider an unputdownable good story. It just wasn’t for me. I’ve heard good things about the author’s other series, which I still intend to read at some point, but this one just felt bland to me. But here’s a line I appreciated that got a laugh: “He never liked my poetry, you know. Only a soulless husk could hate poetry.”

The Priory of the Orange Tree

From the bestselling author of The Bone Season, an epic high fantasy about a world on the brink of w...

recommended a book almost 3 years ago

almost 3 years ago

My heart aches after finishing this. A sad, pulverized little thing, just twisting in my chest. What a bittersweet tale of 3 totally arresting characters. I think I need to ruminate a while. ☹️

The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story (the Theonite Series)

recommended a book almost 3 years ago

almost 3 years ago

Loved every word. I’ve read so many grim and serious stories lately that it was refreshing to read something so light and bantery, yet having such important underlying themes around ethics and consent and finding your own family. Read The Love Hypothesis if you enjoy: • women in STEM • consent • smut • mentions of Taylor Swift • copious amounts of PSL & other sugared goodness • academia • k drama-style cuteness • lol silliness I also grant bonus points for the mention of Final Fantasy. "You can fall in love: someone will catch you."

The Love Hypothesis

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws...

recommended a book almost 3 years ago

almost 3 years ago

I think this was my first read following Priory of the Orange Tree (which I found highly disappointing), and it was just the thing to snap me out of my post-chonky-book grumpiness and abject boredom. Among Thieves is fast. Like really fast. With short chapters you fly through, Kuhn doesn't waste time with stiff worldbuilding or spelling out the cast of characters for you. No bloated exposition here. Instead, she dumps you right in the meat of scenes while giving the dialogue generous helpings of humor and bite—there is LOTS of comedy and snarkiness to go around, and then some. I think my favorite character is Ryia (Kuhn's proud assassin baby 😉), followed closely by Evelyn. I enjoy reading honorable, dutiful characters who end up being less squeaky clean from when they started—plus she's a feisty redhead to boot! And of course I was intrigued by Nash and the reveals around her own rough upbringing on the streets of Golden Port. Really, all the women were treats to read. Now, I tend to favor more "cozy" writing—i.e. a bit slower pacing and more imagery so I can take my time and relish what's happening—but I didn't really mind the fast pacing of Thieves all that much. Though I found the plot a little predictable, I did have an absolute blast with this story. Solid setup for book 2. Kuhn has a really strong first book here, and I look forward to Thick as Thieves. I need to know more about Ryia and Nash's experiences and see some of this romantic tension between characters play out! LOL.

Among Thieves

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A thrilling fantasy debut—a high-stakes heist novel set in a gritty world o...

recommended a book almost 3 years ago

almost 3 years ago

For the sake of transparency, I need to preface this review by sharing that I had the honor of meeting Karen at my nonprofit's 40th anniversary gala. Karen flew in from Vancouver to kick off her US book tour—in Springdale, Arkansas of all places—and I had the opportunity to listen carefully as she shared her incredible survival story before reading an excerpt. This woman is an unstoppable force. I was completely engrossed in Karen's story, which went beyond the abduction, the multiple assaults, her bold escape. Instead, I was painted a more vivid picture—Karen's upbringing, her past relationships, formative experiences, challenges with her father, his secrets. Karen went so far as to explore the issues of patriarchy and feminism, and I'm not ashamed to say I learned a few things as an experienced, 30-something minority woman myself. The sex industry, pornography, violence against indigenous girls and women of color—Karen lays it all bare, turning us on to this idea of "logical feminism" by showing us what horrors patriarchal systems have inflicted and continue to perpetrate. Karen supports each of her points through ample context and research, which I appreciated when I wanted to learn more about the issues raised and do my own homework. But more than just being a biographical tale and survivor story, Victim certainly did not read as your average nonfiction work. There was so much poetry and artistry to Karen's style of writing, that I found myself rereading passages after they'd hit me so powerfully. Such a beautiful, nuanced way of sharing an otherwise profane story and the hard-fought wisdom earned.

Victim: A Feminist Manifesto from a Fierce Survivor

posted an updateabout 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

Guys. This is the ACOTAR book I didn't know I needed. NO WONDER they decided to remarket these books as Adult Fantasy rather than YA—there was some seriously filthy smut in this one, and I was here for every word of it. !!! If the F word offends you, probably sit this one out. But this book completely turned around how I felt about Nesta, especially after reading Frost & Starlight. This is a third-person POV story, written from Nesta and Cassian's perspectives, about overcoming abuse and trauma and finding the willpower to love yourself and keep on living. Do you want to find out what last Winter Solstice's present was that Cassian threw into the river? Read the book! Do you want to see what Feyre and Rhysand have been up to? Read the book! Do you want to get teased and strung along with developments for Elain, Mor, Azriel, and Eris? Read the book! This book has me dying for the next one, but I can't see how SJM + Bloomsbury can stretch this series out for more than two more books. A Court of Silver Flames is hands down my favorite. If you're visiting reviews because you've read the book and want to see what others are saying, I just posted a spoiler discussion video on my YouTube channel that you can check out. Hope you love this book as much as I did! SJM is a queen.

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started following about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

upvoted I Celebrate My Skinabout 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

recommended a book about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

A message worthy of sharing! I can't adequately put into words how darling and precious this book is. This is a book for kids, illustrating the beauty of diversity and inclusion—skin color, gender, disability, cultural background—and it teaches them to love who they are... to love their unique skin. To fix the world it takes love, and that starts with teaching our children how to accept and love themselves AND others so that they become the world-changing adults we always dreamed they would be. My four-year-old son had a wonderful time reading through this story (I have a video posted on my YouTube channel). The illustrations are colorful and community-centered, and in the back of the book, there are pages of fun exercises for you to do with your kiddo. “I celebrate my skin. It is beautiful... just the way it is.”

I Celebrate My Skin

recommended a book over 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

It was supposed to be a routine research mission on an uncolonized planet. But when xenobiologist Ki...

recommended a book over 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

An illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy, that started with The...

recommended a book over 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

"The mighty isn't one, but many." I'm honestly stumped as to why Burning Glass is only averaging a 3.42 rating here on Goodreads. Let me tell you why. Whoever described Burning Glass as Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone captured the tone and setting of this book perfectly—major vibes all the way. I'm shocked more people haven't read this series. Burning Glass has a dark, intricate plot with characters who mercilessly pull you under. The prose is beautiful, the overall tone could be described as melancholy, and the romantic intrigue is more sweeping and complicated than any other YA love triangle I've read. If you've read Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series, imagine the attraction and emotional tension between Mare Barrow, Maven, and Cal, but much more complex and intoxicating in its own way. Burning Glass boasts aching romance, and I can't argue with it—it really, honestly does. The melancholy, the burning love interests, all of it makes for the perfect wintry read. I couldn't put it down. The extreme emotional tension in this series is exponentially compounded by the fact that our protagonist, Sonya Petrova, is an Auraseer. What does that mean exactly? Imagine if your superpower was empathy, and imagine your empathy being so all-consuming and vast that you can literally feel the emotions of everyone around you without having to touch them. If they harbor hatred or envy, uncontrollable lust and desire, profound sadness, physical torture, violent intent... Sonya can stand in the middle of a crowd and feel ALL of it. Imagine not knowing whether the emotions you felt belonged to others, or if they were actually your own. That is who Sonya is. This is further complicated by the fact that she isn't just any ordinary Auraseer—she can also feel the final emotions of those who've died when coming into contact with their blood or other organic matter. Even that of animals. And while the story seems to be about Sonya sorting through her feelings toward each royal brother—Anton and Valko—there is something deeper happening beneath the surface. This is a YA Fantasy trilogy with lots of political intrigue, games, and ideologies. If you enjoy those elements along with the heavy-handed romantic element woven throughout, you may want to see what Burning Glass is about. I will also mention: the first chapters have one of the most tragic openings I've read in YA Fantasy to date. Sonya has been through a lot, she's coping with the terrible things she's wrought, and that makes her an incredibly fascinating protagonist in my opinion. "I am Sonya Petrova. And I am not broken." Oh, my dear, but you are. From those riveting opening chapters to the very last sentence of the book, book one came full circle and I was feeling rather weepy for our heroine. The author Kathryn Purdie was a pleasant discovery of mine, and now I'll be interested in reading whatever else she creates. I just finished Burning Glass 2 (Crystal Blade), and I enjoyed it so much. Can't wait to read book 3: Frozen Reign. Don't sleep on Kathryn Purdie.

Burning Glass

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

The Lost City: The Omte Origins (from the World of the Trylle)

started following almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle Book 1)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

Before (5) (The After Series)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

After Ever Happy (4) (The After Series)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

After We Fell (3) (The After Series)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

After We Collided (2) (The After Series)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

After (1) (The After Series)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

100 Days of Sunlight

is reading a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

The Graveyard Book

is reading a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

Every Breath an Ending

is reading a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

The Lost City: The Omte Origins (from the World of the Trylle)

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

Four Dead Queens

About me

Book vlogger, podcaster (Story Darlings), writer, and content marketer. Also the 30-something mom to a very curious and imaginative little boy. I enjoy my coffee black, stories blacker, and a hefty dash of smut for good measure. Say hello—don't be shy.