I’m already missing summer! The first day back for teachers in my district was July 29, which means no more lounging around and reading books all day or watching anime. The dread typically starts to set in the first week of July, so I made sure to make the best of my last few weeks of freedom. Hit that ‘Continue Reading’ button below to see my quick thoughts on my July reads.
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First, I was able to read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. This was my first chance to read a novel by this author, even though this and Uprooted have been on my to be read list for years, and I will definitely be checking out more of her work. It was a solid 4 star read, with beautiful storytelling and imagery. If you’re not familiar, Spinning Silver is based on Rumpelstiltskin, the little gold obsessed goblin who kidnaps a girl to make her spin straw into gold. Spinning Silver is historical fiction, magical, set in a fictional tiny town that’s giving Eastern Europe. There are two primary female leads, both end up married to literal monsters, and eventually the ladies team up to try to kill them. The first half is very slow with lots of world building and character introductions, but it’s never boring. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of literature, fairytales, and magical stories.
Second, I read Prince of the Palisades, as an arc provided by NetGalley. Prince of the Palisades is a young adult book with a Black, gay prince from a fictional country somewhere across the ocean who’s been exiled to America. For me, it was an instant ‘yes’ based on that premise alone. There are absolutely loveable characters in this novel, but it does feel rushed (this is probably just a me problem, as a girly who loves her thick 500+ epics). Most of all, I was underwhelmed by the event that was the catalyst for the whole plot. It just didn’t make sense to me that he would be hated so fervently by the citizens of his country for calling a politician a bastard (I’m heavily paraphrasing). Again, I did love the characters, and this is much more a coming-of-age story about Jaden than it is a romance, and the development of his friendships. There was funny banter and a lot of cute scenes. I would eat this up as an XO Kitty/To All The Boys/Heartstopper Netflix show.
Next, I finally read Blood Like Magic, the first in a duology, and another pick that has been on my TBR for quite a while. I absolutely love this cover and was so excited to read another fantasy with a Black female lead set in America (even though it’s the future). However, the main character is absolutely one of the most annoying characters I’ve read in a while. It takes literally the last few pages of the book for her to make a decision that isn’t stupid as fuck. Overall, I feel this is one of those stories where the MC has to be so stupid just for the sake of keeping the story/plot going. I didn’t hate it though, which is why I did end up giving it 3 stars. There was a mystery subplot that was very interesting (she discovers an aunt that she doesn’t remember, so she starts investigating to find out what happened to her and why her and her cousins memories were erased).
Last, I finally finished the last book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, along with the side stories in The Demigod Files and The Demigod Diaries. As for the short stories, I enjoyed them for what they were, but they were just little snippets. I’m not a big fan of short stories or one shots, but since it’s characters and a world that I’m familiar with, it was fine. The Last Olympian was absolutely fantastic! When I started the series, I struggled so hard to complete the first book. This is a middle grade series and the writing is very much quintessential 12-year old boy (as it should be, but I think even if I were a 12-year old girl I would have struggled), but as Percy and the gang get older and the stakes get higher, it becomes much more enjoyable even for us older readers. If you’re like me and worried about getting into a middle grade at your advanced age, I say go for it.
Before you go, please watch SUPACELL on Netflix!
