April 2024 Wrap Up

Apparently I just forgot last month to hit publish. Ah well, here's hoping I remember to hit publish this time round. 

April has the Orilium Spring Equinox Semester (henceforth called OSES) and I read pretty much just for that. I got through seven books, completing his required coursework for the semester!! Let's get on with the wrap up!

1: This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero - I loved this book. Not nearly as much as the previous novel of his that I read, but this one was definitely up there in scope. I loved following Adrian and Zooey and what they get up to sharing the single body as they do. I'm not sure that the whole gang plot line worked, but it did give it a somewhat Holmes & Watson vibes as they tried to solve this ridiculous mystery. I'd definitely recommend it (but also would highly recommend reading Meddling Kids first). 

2: The Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley - This was wonderful. I picked it for my prompt "read a book you think could break a slump" and boy was I right. We follow Mariel, a witch who is really bad at being a witch, as she learns exactly how to access her power properly. I liked watching as Mariel finally learned that maybe her family did not have her best interest at heart and that she was a good and powerful witch in her own right. I liked as she learns who she is and what she wants and how to go about getting it. 

3: Jackaby by William Ritter - This reminded me a lot of Lockwood & Co. And I'm not sure if that's good or bad? I had just watched that series (which I think is based on a graphic novel series? Don't quote me), and Jackaby himself made me think a lot of Anthony Lockwood. The 'detective' who is confident in his skills to the point of nearly being an incompetent imbecile. Who has a new female partner who is actually the brains. I liked it well enough. 

4: The Last Heir to the Blackwood Library by Hester Fox - Beautifully written. I loved the way the new lady of the house was just so confused as to why or how she was even the heir. I did pick up immediately on the things are not as they appear thing. Something was very wrong. I knew it had something to do with the Library itself and I was surprised to find out what it actually was. I liked it. It was well written and I am looking forward to reading more books by her.

5: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes - This was funny. It was a retelling of the story of Medusa and Perseus, but it wasn't anything like any other retelling or even the originals. We have a handful of the various perspectives from around Olympus, Ethiopia, Greece, and probably other places I'm not remembering. I loved how this was basically told through Medusa's side making her not the villain, but definitely a victim. She did not ask for any of it and was punished for things that she had no control over.

6: The Cloisters by Katy Hays - The lowest rated book on my list so far. I didn't really like it. It's felt like the book itself was just the filler sections from another much longer book. Surprisingly boring for all it was worth. There was no intrigue of any nature. We literally only followed a girl as she just went to work and went home and got a prospective boyfriend. It wasn't captivating at all. I accidentally figured out the mystery before there even was a mystery to figure out. One of the characters was obviously skeevy right from the start. Would constantly ask really invasive questions and needle until they were told what they wanted to know, but would then deflect completely and shut down if they were asked the same questions. I knew they had done something terrible when they were first introduced. They just...hadn't done it yet. I'm unlikely to ever reread this one. 

7: The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen - I did enjoy this one mostly. It was a good break up from the things I'd been reading. I liked the predictability of it. Its your standard first novel in a fantasy series. I liked how the main character is not the damsel in distress type and instead helped herself out of trouble in very unique ways. I thought it was well written and I'm looking forward to possibly getting the next book in the series.