The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf: A Stunning and Emotionally Charged Historical Debut

4.5 stars Emotionally moving, steeped with history, and full of meaning, Hanna Alkaf's The Weight of Our Sky is set during the historic race riots in 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Melati Ahmad looks like your typical Beatles-obsessed sixteen-year-old, but she believes she harbors a djinn inside her--one who threatens her with horrific images of her mother’s …

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty (ARC): Spoiler-Free Review of this Incredible Sequel

4.5 stars The Daevabad Trilogy (The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper, currently) is a sweeping adventure that conjures a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic; where blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom. …

Writing ARC Requests + Why It’s a Dying Art

I think you all probably know that I have had shockingly little success with writing ARC requests, despite me being lucky enough to receive a lot of ARCs in general. If you haven't read my transparency post about stats (find it here!), I talk a little bit about requesting physical ARCs and my success rate. Which …

#MailboxMonday: A Photo Journey of the Book Mail I’ve Forgotten to Share

I always feel really lucky to receive a lot of amazing bookmail--both from friends, authors, publishers, and giveaways. There's always an inner battle for me between thanking the person (and I am so grateful to be able to read these amazing books) and trying to not flaunt my privilege in a way, especially because I …

Phantom Wheel by Tracy Deebs (ARC): Hackers and Action, Sci-Fi and Corporations

3.5 stars Believing they have been recruited by the CIA, six teen hackers arrive in LA for a hacking aptitude test with the promise of a college scholarship and a job with the CIA after graduation. But one of the teens, Owen, walks out, refusing to participate. The other five complete the tests, but when …

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (ARC): A Loveable Girl Gang on an Adventure Saving Sea Monsters

4.5 stars Felicity Montague is through with pretending she doesn't dream of becoming a doctor. After returning from England, Felicity has two goals: avoid the marriage proposal of Callum Doyle, a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh; and enroll in medical school. But men, the sole guardians of science, do not see her intellect and passion for …

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (DRC): A Hard-Hitting Feminist Fantasy That Actually Embodies the Word “Feminist”

5 stars When the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been. When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she has no memory of what came before she …

Wildcard by Marie Lu (ARC): Mixed Feelings on a Highly Anticipated Sequel (Spoiler-Free!)

  3.5 stars (note: No major spoilers for book 1!) This made me so sad that I wasn't completely blown away by this. I was hoping this would be the standout second book I was yearning for. I have a lot of mixed feelings, but in the end, it was slightly more positive than negative. …

What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra (ARC): A Dark, Genre-Bending Fantasy You Won’t Want to Miss!

4.5 stars When she turns eighteen, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncovers its dark secrets. Hayden tried to put the past behind her, but now it's all catching up with her: her mother's mysterious disappearance a decade ago, her father's outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race called the Nibelungs, and …

Wrapping Up #ARCAugust 2018: What Did I Read?

Normally I don't write wrap-up posts for reading challenges, but I thought it would be nice to sum up what I read during #ARCAugust. You can read my sign-up post with more detail about the challenge here, but the gist of it is that you try and read as many ARCs as possible in one …