I listened to the audiobook of Last Tang standing while the presentation was excellent; the overall plot felt dry. I picked up this book because it's described as the next Crazy Rich Asians. I do think Last Tang standing would make an excellent movie; however, as a book, the author spent too much time writing about Adrea's day-to-day/ work-life for the book to be very engaging to this reader. This leads to the middle of the book being dry and the pacing slow.

While I didn't dislike the book, I did spend a lot of time wishing the audiobook to pick up and for the ending to arrive sooner. I also did not particularly enjoy the relationship being Andrea and her co-worker and continually got confused being Andrea's varying cast of friends. I did enjoy aspects of themes of finding happiness in a work-life balance and pursuing your dreams at any age.

Overall, I would not recommend this book to a beginner in the general fiction genre like I was. I'd rate the book 3 stars for its slow pacing and hope to see the story on the big screen.

I have seen a lot of reviews of this book on TikTok, and they are highly critical, to say the least. I don't think this book was terrible; however, it is clearly a filler book. The plot isn't very extensive, but the reader is introduced to several characters who have a larger plotline in the overall Grishaverse. In that aspect, this book is critical.

Seige and Storm is Bardugo's second novel, and I think it is important for readers to remember that. This book was published in 2013? Of course, this book isn't going to be as good as Six of Crows or King of Scars. Bardugo had 8 more years and several series to hone in her craft.

Was this book award-winning? No. It is a filler book, creating a setup for her epic conclusion in the series finale. I rate the book 3 stars.

I really enjoyed Adrienne Tooley's debut novel Sweet & Bitter Magic. This is a great sapphic YA fantasy romance. The author creates an engaging story and builds an exciting world I hope the author explores in future books. This book was fast-paced and well written with an interesting cast of characters.

The book features a banished witch, Tasmin, and a source, Wren. The girls go on a journey of self-discovery to save the world from dark magic. Tasmin and Wren's relationship develops rather slowly throughout the book, and it is difficult to find moments when Tasmin beings feel anything about Wren. The author does not explain the developments of Tasmin's feelings in reference to the curse. I wish that part of the book was more fleshed out.

I also disliked how the adult witches talked about Tasmin's banishment and punishment. The way the witches react and talk about Tasmin makes it seem as though Tasmin fully understood the consequences of using dark magic and did so maliciously. Rather than Tasmin simply wanting to save her sister at age 12. If the author age Tasmin up to the age of 16 or 17 when she first used dark magic, than this problem would have been solved.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and rated it 4 stars. I look forward to reading this author's next work.

Fable is an engaging story about the socio-economics of trade and not piracy. The author creates a complex world centered around trade and diving for gems. The main character, Fable, has been tasked by her father to get off a harsh island. She succeeds and attempts to reunite with her father.

This book made me cry. Anytime Saint and Fable were on the same page, I was sad. There were aspects of this book that were heartbreaking and harsh. I hope Fable and Saint's relationship improves in the sequel; however, my hopes are incredibly low.

There were certain moments in the plot the author left underdeveloped. She just skipped over parts that would have been interesting to read about or were set up like an integral part of the plot. This felt similar to Adrienne Young's In Sky Deep. While she has improved as a writer, with Fable feeling less rushed and more planned out, there are definitely ways she can improve her writing in future books.

Overall, I rate the book 4 stars and will be reading the sequel.

Acevedo created another hit. With the Fire on High is an excellent example of a complex contemporary YA with a pregnancy plotline that is not your stereotypical pregnancy book. Emoni Santiago is a senior in high school, granddaughter, and mother. She dreams of becoming a chef, but worries about her responsibilities as a mom, taking care of her grandmother, and financial difficulties.

The story contains several recipes for different parts of the book. It was a great way to engage the readers with Emoni's love for cooking and something I look forward to trying in the future.

Acevedo leaves love, loss, heartbreak, and inspiration throughout this novel and keeps readers engaged in Emoni's life around Philly and into Spain. Overall, I rate the book 5 stars.