Book review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

 Book description:

    Coriolanus Snow is a mentor for the 10th annual hunger games. Odds are against him because he has been given the girl tribute in district 12. Every choice he makes could lead him to triumph or lead him to ruin.

Book review:

    Coriolanus is a complete dick. This is a good example of how to write an intriguing backstory for an antagonist without trying to make it make him seem good because he has a tragic backstory. He is a dick because he is simply a dick. I'm glad I read all the hunger games books before the new ones come out. This book does show how the hunger games came to be how they did in the original book.

Book review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 Book description:

    In the Midnight Library, Nora must find herself a new life from another reality. Lives where she had done something different from not quitting swimming to being a rock star to being a glaciologist. While trying to find a new life she learns what it means to live, and what makes life worth living.

Book review:

    This book has its place in exploring alternate universes for readers new to the speculative fiction and sci-fi space, but it wasn't for me who has been reading about this kind of thing for a while. I knew what was going to happen within 50ish pages of this book. I originally dnfed this book but read it all the way through this time because a family member got it for me for Christmas. One would think that they would send her into a new life with a bit more information like who was important and close to her so she didn't seem to people like she was losing it and needed help with her failing memory.

Book review: Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

 Book description:

    Jake volunteers at a nursing home, loves skating, and loves his grandma. But he has an eating disorder, and the less he eats, the bigger he feels. His family notices and gets him up, and it is up to Jake whether he wants that help or not.

Book review:

    I have a better appreciation of books written in verse than I did as a kid. I do think that these kinds of books that talk about eating disorders, depression, etc. are important for kids because these things aren't talked about a lot still. I wish I had read more books like this when I was younger cuz I think it would've helped me as a kid.

Book review: Metal from Heaven by August Clarke

 Book description:

    Marney is the only one who survives the massacre that unfolds at the ichorite factory she works out. She now has one mission, kill Yann Chauncey. Marney gets her chance of revenge when Yann is looking for a suitable match for his ward.

Book review:

    I was so bored and the author was, in my opinion, trying too hard to do something similar to Gideon the Ninth. I would not have finished if I hadn't paid for the audiobook. The person doing the audiobook would pronounce multiple words incorrectly over and over again and it took me out of the story. There was at no point where I was rooting for Marney or anyone else for that matter. About 60% way through I was barely paying attention because I didn't like this book. There was also so much nonconsensual sex in it, that made it super uncomfortable for me. Also the talking as a dead person/to a dead person in the 2nd person was weird for me, and not in a good way.

Book review: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

 Book description:

    Precious Ramotswe has opened the first woman detective agency. She wants to help people with the problems in their lives. She is hired for many different things to finding missing husband to kidnappings.

Book review:

    This is one of the better mysteries I've read because I liked how short the cases were. There were times where I did cringe but other times where it was going in an interesting way. I didn't like how she assumed that every time another woman came for her help she automatically think it was for an unfaithful husband, or for different people it was drug use.

Book review: Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

 Book description:

    Valentina loves Valentine's Day. But when the the truth of her family's situation comes out and that her family is unlucky with love, she realizes love is a lie. She has to prove that she can find true love before it's too late.

Book review:

    I loved the color choices for this. I love that love isn't presented as all sparkles and rainbows and you have to find the right person for you instead of trying to make things work out with the wrong person. The thing with Saint V I found a bit weird but I understand his place in the story.