As much as I enjoy Dan Slott as a comic writer, I do think it's probably time to let go of the spider-verse storylines. They do start to feel a bit repetitive after a while, and this volume felt that way by the end. Though the sort of alternate timeline thing with Peter Parker was interesting; I liked that piece of the story. And the art was pretty good overall, too!

This is an informative account of the LA Riots in 1992, connecting the Korean and Black communities in LA at the time. Though this is only the second book I've read from Yoo, it's clear that she does her research when working on these books, and has a writing style that's easy to follow and engaging. The narrator of the audiobook also does a good job hooking you in with his narration style.

If you haven't checked out Paula Yoo's work before, I'd definitely recommend checking her out! Especially if you're interested in the general fight for Asian American rights in the United States.

An overall sweet ending to this series, with Nekota feeling comfortable in his family and figuring out what he wants to do with his future. Definitely a good light-hearted read for the weekend.

This is still simultaneously strange and cute. I'm still not sure about this whole world with cat people, but I liked the cat antics and the relationship between Nekota-kun and Neneko-chan is pretty adorable. It's a good, low-key read, if that's something that you're looking for!

This was pretty cute! A human adopted into a roller derby team of vampires in order to help them win their protection from the outside world is such a fun concept. I actually learned a lot about roller derby in the process, and I absolutely loved the color palette in this. It worked so well with the story, and the art in general was just really good.

I do think overall, the world needed to be developed a little more, as pieces of it still didn't make sense by the end. But it seems like there might be more books in the future for this, so I'm excited to see where it goes next!

Thanks to Random House for sending my library an advanced copy of Zodiac Rising!

This is a fantasy that is a blend of a lot of things, with a heist at the center of the plot (but there's also a lot going on outside of that). There are vampires and werewolves and shape shifters and mind readers; really any kind of magical being you could think of, it's probably in this book!

Overall, the pacing feels pretty good for an urban fantasy, with quite a bit of build up to the actual heists. It's needed, however, to introduce us to the pretty big cast and the intricate world that Zhao has created. There are quite a few POVs throughout the book, giving us a broader picture of what's going on. It also allows us to get to know some of the side characters of the heist as well.

However, at times, it feels like there's almost too much going on. It's hard to get a grasp on the overall world because there are a lot of details introduced. I think the switching between the characters makes it slightly difficult to get a full picture of the world that Zhao has created.

There is a pretty good plot twist, though, and a cliffhanger that will definitely make you want to read the next book. If you like Asian inspired fantasy, definitely think about picking this one up in October!

This book is an absolute delight. I discovered it as one of the free audiobooks for librarians this month on LibroFM, and then I saw Vico Ortiz narrated it, so it was an immediate add. If you're sleeping on Vico Ortiz (yes, the Vico Ortiz from Our Flag Means Death) as an audiobook narrator, don't. Their narration style is fantastic, and they have so many great voices. I'll honestly probably listen to anything they narrate.

If you enjoy queers in space, this is the book for you. Especially when it involves accidental heists. The premise is fun, and it has a cast of characters that are almost immediately likable. The romance at the center is worthy of a rom-com, all set to the backdrop of trying to get back to Earth. It has adventure, suspense, romance, space, and just a lot of great qualities that make this a perfect summer read.

My only complaint is at times, I would forget whose point of view we were in, because it does kind of switch on occasion. However, I do think this was partly because I was listening to the audiobook, so I'm not sure how reading the physical book would affect this.

All in all, if you're looking for a sapphic, space adventure romance, definitely pick this one up!

Thanks to Usborne for sending an early copy of this to my library for review!

Erin and Max are exes, trying to escape their town in Ohio after graduation due to the anti-trans laws in their state. When they end up stranded in a small town in Kentucky, one of them is going to be offered as a sacrifice to the local monster. The thing is, the locals need a female for the sacrifice. For Erin and Max, the question becomes: how do monsters consider gender?

This book comes out in September, and fall/spooky time will be the perfect time to read it. If you enjoy stories with cryptids and spooky small town legends, this checks all of those boxes. Though the beginning is a bit slow, once you get to that small town, the book is nearly impossible to put down. Kisner paces the chase so well that you are going to be desperate to see what happens to Erin and Max.

There is quite a bit of telling at the beginning of this, but I think it's necessary to understand Max and Erin's backstory, which factors in a lot as they are fighting to survive. I will say, be wary of the trigger warnings included at the beginning of this book, because in addition to the horror aspects, Kisner deals with a lot of heavy issues surrounding trans teens. All well done, but be wary if that's something you might not be in the mindset for it.

All in all, definitely keep this horror in mind when it comes out this fall!

Thanks to Delacorte Press for sending an advanced copy of this to my library! I was hooked by the cover, so I knew I absolutely needed to read this. And I was pleasantly surprised!

Delilah is about to go on her Calling to become a witch; she's decided to break her family's curse: whoever falls in love with them will forget them. However, her Calling is hijacked by Kieran, who wants her to break his curse instead: his twin is siphoning his magic, meaning he will soon die. As they look for answers for Kieran's curse, they realize it might be more complicated than they first thought.

The magic system in this book was so interesting! The idea of curses and going on journeys to earn your magic felt different than most YA fantasy I've read recently. I do wish some of the overall world was fleshed out a little more, but you don't need it much for Delilah and Kieran's journey.

As Delilah gets to know Kieran and Briar, as readers, we come to love them as much as she does. There's definitely an overall found family aspect to the story that is wonderful, especially in the face of how horrible Kieran's blood-related family is. 

The overall tone of this book does feel a little fairytale-esque, definitely with some Beauty and the Beast elements included throughout. This is such a lovely queer fantasy full of love, curse breaking, and forging your own path in the world. Definitely check it out when it comes out this August!

Though this took me a bit to get into, once I was about a third of the way into the book, I was hooked. Things pick up when Nesbit and his friends are thrown back a week before their friend's death, with everyone forgetting who he is. It was definitely that mystery, and the supernatural pieces surrounding it that kept me hooked in the story.

The core cast of characters are all well developed, and I enjoyed the way magic was used in the story. It felt unique in a way that I haven't read in a while. There are also important discussions about mental health and what it might mean to "cure" someone of their mental health that I appreciated were included.

All in all, this is a pretty good debut! Especially if you like witchy, queer horror.