Review - Like Never and Always

Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre

* Received from the author for review.

4 gnomes out of 5 gnomes

This is the kind of book that slowly creeps up on you and before you know it, you can't put it down. Part tragedy part maybe ghost part mystery part let's say complicated romance equals a book that will have you rushing to see what happens.

After a car wreck Liv wakes up in the wrong body so you'll definitely wonder what's going on right away.

There's plenty of surprises and suspense as Liv tries to navigate her new world. Her best friend Morgan had some very scary secrets and now she has to deal with the fallout.

The voice and complicated relationships including friendships are really well done. Go in expecting a bucketful of emotions and surprises and you won't be disappointed.

Review - The Queen of Ieflaria

The Queen of Ieflaria by Effie Calvin

4 out of 5 gnomes

This book was great and the world really draws you in.

Love how open the book is about sexuality and that Esofi is able to marry a man or a woman without problem. There's just the question of possible heirs but with the magic in this world there are solutions. It takes a great look at gender and that it can be fluid.

Esofi and Adale definitely don't seem like a great match at first. Over time though they really grow and so does their chemistry. No instalove here, this relationship takes some work.

My favorite part was the ending and all the twists and surprises it contained. A mix of fantasy and magic and gods equals a book full of awesomeness.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Review - The Glass Spare

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

4 gnomes out of 5 gnomes

 

If you’ve read any of this author’s previous books then you already know that you should prepare to have your heart torn out and stomped on a little. The love and heartbreak kind of jumps off the page at you at times. Saying that though I am really glad that I picked this book up and read it. It’s unique and a world I can’t wait to go back to.

You have a plethora of courtly politics and then you throw in things like curses and mysterious illnesses. This equals one jewel of a book.

This fantasy world makes you care right away. The sibling relationships especially are pretty well done. Then there are the romantic relationships including a rather unique take on the love triangle. The use of multiple points of view really helps too though I wish there had been more of her brother’s point of view.

Overall, a book well worth checking out.

Review - One Con Glory

One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn

4 out of 5 gnomes

I have a weird relationship with this book, I've known about it since it was first released and recognize the very distinctive cover. Yet I didn't read it until yesterday when I was reviewing another book by this author and saw that she'd written this book too. So you never know when you might find your way back to a book you've been meaning to read.

This story was short yet awesome. If you're looking for a quick read that'll also make you smile, then this book is definitely for you. There is a lot of cursing but it's really almost part of the charm of the story and characters/makes them feel realistic.

Some of the references are a bit outdated (like guitar hero but I too remember when that was the game everybody played) but it makes it fun if you remember them too.

Julie’s quest to get a Glory action figure because she is forever losing ones she’s had before is quite the journey. It leads her to an unexpected relationship that just might work out. Plus by the end I kind of want the TV show/comic Periodic 7 the action figure was based on, to be real.

Review - Moxie

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

* bought a copy but also received an ARC via NetGalley

4 out of 5 gnomes

I could not stop reading this book, it’s the fastest I’ve finished a book in quite a while. The whole situation grabs you and draws you right into the story. It reads a bit small town soap opera-ish at times but this also makes you really want to know what happens next ASAP.

Vivian discovers that maybe being dutiful and not causing waves is not the road she should be taking through life. This book shows what feminism and standing up for yourself can do. It really shows how to find power in who you are. High school drama aplenty plus a big dose of female empowerment leads to a really fun and interesting story.

Review - The Hush

Hush by Skye Melki-Wegner

4 gnomes out of 5 gnomes

This book is the kind of fantasy that just draws you right in. It’s a fantasy mixed with a mystery and a heist as Chester tries to figure out what happened to his father. In this world music and magic are melded together. There’s regular music and then there’s Music which can pretty much control the entire world.

You have to be licensed to connect to Music and if you’re caught the Songshapers are not known to be forgiving aka you get sentenced to death. Plus being licensed and going to school isn’t really offered to you if you’re not rich.

Chester is untrained but finds himself breaking into Music while he’s supposed to only be playing music more often than not. This leads him to some very big trouble and to meeting a very interesting group of people.

This group shows him how different the world really is and shows him a lot of new tricks. The whole heist aspect of the story is great and the Music really adds to the danger.

The story is full of surprises and great relationships/friendships, plus it has a couple of major twists that I definitely didn’t see ahead of time.

Review - Miles Morales

Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds

* Read via NetGalley for Review

4 out of 5 gnomes

It was nice to read more about Miles Morales as Spider-Man. I know a little bit about him from the comics but it was great to get a whole book about him. There’s just the tiniest hint of an origin story but it works really well, you’re pretty much just thrown into his world.

This Spider-Man really reads like a teenager not an adult trying to act like a teenager so you’re not jarred out of the story but drawn into it. Also shows that Spider-Man problems can be just as crazy as regular high school problems.

This is more a Miles story than a Spider-Man story until almost the very end. I wish there had been more Spider-Manning because he is a really awesome Spider-Man. Saying that though you do read/hear about some of what he's done as Spider-Man and all the drama and trauma that he’s already been through. I’m hoping there are future books about Miles by this author.

The villain is definitely new to me aka one I hadn’t heard of before. This villain is also a sinister surprisingly old evil too. Plus it just seems believable from a real world and comic book point of view that a villain who believes this could form and cause chaos very easily.

His family life is well done. There is plenty of drama but also a lot of love between him and his parents. I have to mention his friend Ganke too, he is really entertaining and brings out a fun side of Miles.

I wish there had been more of a resolution with the ending. It was good but there are some loose threads that I’m very curious about.

Review - When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“Strange things were happening in the pit of his stomach. Fun things.”

“Even his eyebrows looked embarrassed, somehow. Dimple felt a little bad for him. But not that bad, because he was the one who’d said it.”

“And then, once you’d been together awhile, bam. The gauzy lust-curtain fell away and you realized you’d married an alligator with bad breath.”

“The realization was alarming. Concerning. And not altogether unwelcome.”

“...but all he felt was this warm, almost gooey feeling in his chest. Like his heart was wrapped in microwaved Nutella.”

4 out of 5 gnomes

Dimple & Rishi is a pretty darn adorable book.  

When they first meet, they couldn't be any more different. Dimple is about as nontraditional as she can get and Rishi is all about tradition. Both characters are well written and will make you feel for them.

It gives you a look at tradition versus new and whether arranged marriage could work for them. There are some great characters and chemistry abounds.

The banter between Dimple and Rishi is very well done. It's a fun read for the most part as you get to know them and see their relationship grow. They slowly well as cliche as it sounds they find themselves.

The story gives a great look at culture and identity and the ending especially feels like a Rom Com movie. It's the kind of book that will just make you smile while reading it.

Review - Alien Education

Alien Education by Gini Koch

* Provided by NetGalley for Review

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“It’s not easy saving the world.”

“In other words, I’m an Earth Girl, but I’ll never make it easy.”

“As I well know, everyone’s a critic. As long as you’re doing the best you can, for the right reasons, no one else’s opinion should matter.”

“Oh, never think that, Missus Executive Chief. That’s pretty much you daring the universe, and we all know that the universe loves to take your dares.”

“You don’t know us.”

“Just be yourself. That’s always the best advice I or anyone else can ever give you.”

“It’s called seeing the best in people, and some of you could freaking try it.”

4 out of 5 gnomes

This is one of my go to series. I love all the characters and the story always pulls me in aka almost makes me late to work a lot because I just don’t want to stop reading.

Yes, the mastermind was taken care of but as always there are plenty of enemies out there and a plethora of surprises.

There was danger in this book yes, but it didn’t feel as dangerous as the last one did. I liked the drama and family aspects of everything, especially what Siler and Lizzie bring to everything. Plus the politics of it all are always intriguing.

I think the talents of all the kids though could mean big trouble in the future. To use a modified song lyric let’s just say, “Mommy’s alright, daddy’s alright the kids are a little weird...” This trouble might show up when their helping goes too far.

The ending of this one seems like the calm before a very big storm.

Review - The Dragon Finds Forever

The Dragon Finds Forever by Kristen Painter

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“He put the super in supernatural.”

“He was the best man she knew. And she wanted to keep him.”

“...but things will never outweigh the value of a person. Not for a dragon.”

“Your smile is a little scary, just so you know.”

4 out of 5 gnomes

Van and Monalisa are a very interesting pair. I've always wanted to know more about the only dragon shifter in town. Plus I loved that he adopted an awesome dog.

Monalisa's whole mythology is intriguing because she has the potential to be very dangerous maybe even more so than a dragon.

Family drama abounds and these two have great chemistry. This was a quick/fast paced read. Also I like that the secrets don't stay secret for long.

Really looking forward to reading Julian's story next.

Review - At the Edge of the Universe

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“He said we have to fall in love with the idea of a person before we can fall in love with the actual person.”

“People are assholes.” “You’re not an asshole, Ozzie.”

“...and no one can tell me where the light comes from without a goddamn sun!”

“GOOD-BYE, MOON. SO LONG, STARS.”

“The real world took my future. Don’t let it take yours.”

“Maybe some doors are better off closed. That way we can focus on the ones still open in front of us.”

“That’s not how the world works, Ozzie. Some things, you have to learn for yourself.”

4/5 gnomes

This book is trippy as heck but I really liked it. It's surreal for sure but will have you racing to find out how it ends.

Ozzie is the only one who remembers his boyfriend (to everyone else, he never existed), oh and the universe shrinks more everyday.

The shrinking of the universe makes the prose pretty claustrophobic at times but really draws you into the plot.

I don't want to spoil the end but it was darn near perfect. I liked it but still wished a little bit for more concrete answers.

Review - You're Welcome Universe

You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner

* Read via NetGalley for review
* Book will be released March 7, 2017

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“Six stencils in and it’s gone. Okay, the tag had vanished by Stencil Two, but I have a point to prove here. I’m not covering up your scribbled slur with just anything. I’m making art here. I’m creating. I’m on fire.”

“It’s only the beginning.”

4 out of 5 gnomes

A quick really interesting read. Makes you think more about the world of graffiti.

Julia’s Deaf and gets kicked out of her school for a graffiti incident. Integrating into a non-Deaf school is more than a little problematic.

Getting into a graffiti turf war is only the beginning. You get to see her make friends, loose friends and figure out more about who she is and what she wants to do.

Julia and her Moms are a great family unit. I like that they're definitely in her life and just aren't regulated to the background.

Her friends too are interesting one in a bad way the other in a surprising way. Both friendships felt very real though.

It was a pretty wild ride and I like the illustrations included in the book. This book will show you how graffiti can be an art.

Review - Poison's Kiss

Poison’s Kiss by Breeana Shields

* Read via NetGalley for review

4 out of 5 gnomes

A superb mix of Indian and other folklore/stories. This felt like a very shiny/new kind of read. The characters, setting, pretty much all of it draws you right in and will have you clamoring for more.

Marinda is one heck of an intriguing character. She’s been made into a poison maiden meaning anybody she kisses dies not long afterwards. Being an assassin is all she knows basically. All the family she has is her brother Mani which is complicated too because he’s sick.

She is really stuck between a rock and a hard place because she truly believes that she has no other choice than to do what her handler tells her to. If she doesn’t bad things happen.

The story is filled up with awesome characters and a story that is full of surprises. It takes a serpentine twist and just keeps going on.

Deception, Daggers, Death, Drama and plenty of Poison equal a story that you should read ASAP.

Review - Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

* Read via NetGalley for review

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m deeply concerned about my carbon footprint, but I’ve watched enough horror movies to know that when I’m home alone, I’m 98 percent less likely to die if the lights are on.”

“Why do people keep telling me to be myself? Honestly. It’s like they’ve never even met me.”

4 out of 5 gnomes

This book shows how harsh a mental illness can be. I like that the story doesn’t pull any punches and shows the good and bad days.

It’s great that her mom is in the picture and that she is so understanding of everything. I think it would have been interesting to see things from her point of view too but what we do learn is still important.

Then there’s Luke who has the whole boy next door thing going on. The slow build between him and Norah is well done. It all just comes down to understanding.

The ending was unexpected but I think it was well done. I also really liked that love doesn't magically fix everything and that it will likely be an ongoing struggle. The story does leave you with hope for the characters too.

Review - Showing Off - (Upside Down Magic #3)

Showing Off - (Upside Down Magic #3) by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins

4 out of 5 gnomes

These books continue to be a lot of fun. It’s always great to learn more about the kids in the Upside Down magic class. You even get to find out what their teacher’s power is.

This book lets you learn more about Pepper and Nory too. I love Pepper’s idea for the future. Plus Nory might finally be able to accept herself (hopefully.)

The main events here are a surprising new friend and the whole school has a talent show. The talent show of course leads to plenty of conflicts but also shows what everyone can do.

Review - Iron Man: The Gauntlet

Iron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer

* Read via NetGalley for review

4 out of 5 gnomes

This book is so much fun. It would make a really great cartoon or movie. Everything is really easy to visualize especially if you’ve seen any of the Iron Man movies. The author really gets this character and makes you care for/curious about each new character you meet.

I like this author’s writing style, I don’t know how to phrase it really but it all reads really comic book like and makes the story come to life more. The tone and changing viewpoints just let the story fly by.

I don’t want to spoil anything but let’s just say the conflict was very surprising. Plus it was really an intense read. There was plenty of humor and snarkiness to go along with the action too.

The ending was a nice twist and I love how it tied back to the beginning of the story.

Review - Holding Up the Universe

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

4 gnomes out of 5 gnomes

This book was full of drama but with some great humor too.

Jack and Libby have plenty of problems sure and there are a lot of interesting choices made by both of them. My brain pretty much consisted of a running commentary telling them to just talk to each other. Plus tell someone about your problems....

The dual point of view really helped the book and made it so I didn't want to stop reading. Their groups of friends and the background characters helped the story shine too.

I really liked that the parents were in the picture because most of the time you got to see all the support from them.

The ending was great and gives you hope for the future of these characters.

Review - Sticks & Stones (Upside-Down Magic #2)

Sticks & Stones (Upside-Down Magic #2) by Emily Jenkins, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle

4 out of 5 gnomes

I love these books, they're just so sweet. The covers really stand out too.

This diverse set of characters are a blast to read about. All the different types of magic are entertaining and the Upside Down magic even more so. Plus I really want kittenball to be a real thing.

The two points of view work even better this time. I still adore Nory but it was awesome to see things from Baz's view. I've wanted to learn more about the kid that can flux into a rock since the first book. His magic and potential makes you make wonder what he will do in the future.

I like how they go about solving problems and how they stick together. The relationships are all really well done. The kids and their actions, even with all the magic feel realistic and kid-like.

I can't wait to see what happens next to these characters and the intriguing world they live in.

Mini Review - Breaking the Rules

Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

4 out of 5 gnomes

Love looking back and seeing how Echo and Noah got closer. Plus shows how a relationship is not always easy. This book really shows how they've grown as people. This trip shows how much they have struggled and adds in some new troubles too.

McGarry's writing continues to be entertaining and I'm always interested in seeing what her characters are up to.


My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“Who’d have thought I’d be the responsible type?”

“He shrugs casually. “It was an ACT word. Figured if I had to learn the shit I might as well use it.”

“Like a diploma somehow gave the world and myself a magical maturity.”

“Yep, I said it.” That’s right, world, I’m capable of a sexual conversation.

“You really aren’t going to leave me, are you?”

“Easy access, baby.”

"The insides are supposed to kick ass because in truth, we all should be shinier on the inside."

"I’m the girl who is going to live not for her talent, but for the people in her life."