Pax was a heartwarming novel about the connection between a boy and a fox, Pax.

The plot is a bit slow and repetitive, to be honest, I was expecting much more and in the end felt a bit underwhelmed. There are very important themes of war, anger, forgiveness and friendship. It had heartwarming moments and the best parts in this book were in the fox's perspective - it was a good surprise and original to have part of the story told that way!

The ending was what I expected and, in my opinion, the right ending for the story. However, there was no sense of closure for me, I wish it would have been done differently.

Peter basically does the same exact thing he did in the beginning, he tricks Pax and leaves. I didn't like they went trough the entire ordeal just to end the same way they begun, I was left with a sense of betrayal, again. Animals aren't stupid, specially not foxes, and the trust, fidelity and innocence of Pax is used twice in service of the plot - I cannot appreciate that.

Recommend if you like stories about journeys, bonds between people and animals, and the effects of war on people, families, communities, nature and the environment.

I listened to this as an audiobook (it was an average production), so I didn't experience the illustrations, and because of that I'm considering doing a physical reread to experience it in a different way.

Short and uncomplicated, this "feminist manifesto" brings nothing new or revolutionary but nonetheless very important. I really like Ms Adichie's writing, where beauty is not sacrificed by its simplicity.

It's a very short piece, written as advice to a friend, so you cannot expect to find deep thoughts and disscussions. It isn't very broad in terms of exploring intersectional ideas, but I understand that given the context: A letter to a brand new mom with advice on how to start raising her baby daughter a feminist in Nigeria. I have read The Thing Around Your Neck and my understanding is that there is still a very, very long way to go on the fight for equality in Nigeria - I consider these 15 suggestions a good starting point. The best way to ease someone into such a complex subject (because of how much it covers, from history to politics, from biology to religion) is exactly by starting with the "ABC" and keep going from there.

Recommend it to everyone, including people that will find this basic - sometimes it's good and necessary to be reminded of the basics and remember that what is so familiar to some of us might be a completely new and revolutionary thing for others!

So, given the context, I do believe Ms Adichie has done an excellent job! Who knows, maybe little Chizalum will grow to be strong, kind and aware because of the advice her mom was given by auntie Chimamanda =)

My expectations were really high, wich certainly influenced my opinion, and, while I did enjoy the book, it wasn't everything I was expecting it to be!

In general, I enjoyed the writing and the story telling, there are some quite good passages. I didn't like, however, how a point of view would change almost mid sentence, reverting to the previous one two sentences ahead.

The concept (the façade of the suburbia crumbling when a outsider comes along or when an event occurs, starting a domino effect that unravels people's lives) isn't new, the characters aren't new and while their development is there it also feels like I have seen it before (I have seen similar characters developing in very similar ways). The plot is a bit too dramatic at points, being at the same time mostly predictable and using the miscommunication device to enhance said drama, particularly towards the end - with which, by the way, I was a bit disappointed.

While I didn't connect much to any of the characters, I cared enough to “feel the feels” when they were caught in difficult situations and to want to know more about their past and how their story would resolve.

I liked the moral greyness of the book, the existing different perspectives, the issues the books centers around and the time the author chose to place it, despite thinking it goes conveniently hand in hand with the miscommunication necessary to the more dramatic parts of the story.

All in all, I enjoyed it and was engrossed while reading the story but, at the same time, as expectations were high going into it, I was hoping for something a bit more innovative and impactful.

I will certainly be reading Everything I Never Told You and keeping an eye on future works from Celeste Ng!

The Last Wish is a fantastical and rich collection of short stories!

There are six short stories and another one that is split into seven parts ("The Voice of Reason"), serving the purpose of introducing the next story in the narrative.

I enjoyed our protagonist, Geralt of Rivia very much, finding his stories and his past very compelling. He has a very distinct personality and an unusual way of dealing with people and his problems.

Geralt is a Witcher. Witchers are essentially beast hunters and "magical problem solvers". However, people, in general, don't regard them very well. Geralt, in particular, is known for being exceptionally powerful, efficient and brutal! It is interesting to see how much of his reputation is true to his actions and intentions and how much comes from dramatic story-telling.

Both minor and characters that I suspect will become very important in the subsequent books are introduced to us. From the entire cast, the one I liked the most was Nenneke: her sense of humour, the way she scolded Geralt and the way she put people in their place with only her imposing attitude. The only other character that we get to know better, and I believe will be more present in the next books, is Dandelion, that serves almost like a sidekick for Geralt in a couple of stories. I liked how loyal he was to Geralt and his sense of humour, but his ability to be inappropriate often got them in trouble (he was so annoying at times). In the last story

("The Last Wish"), Yennefer, someone that I knew previously has significance in Geralt's life,

is introduced. While I overall liked the beginning of the arc for these two characters, I was put off by a couple of aspects... I am hoping that future books will explain better some of the things that happened.

This World is very complex and, because we are always changing places in each story (except for "The Voice of Reason") and meeting new characters, I found myself confused. Plus, the edition I read has no world map, so I didn't have a good grasp on the geography and political borders. Nonetheless, what we get to see and explore only left me eager to read more and know more about the world, its history and its lore.

Each story focuses on a new problem Geralt has to solve, some reading as retellings of well-known fairy tales, and by the end of each one we understand how important that episode of his life is and how it relates to is current situation in "The Voice of Reason".

I liked the stories equally, so I am not rating them individually. Overall, I give this book a very solid 4* and do recommend to every fantasy lover and person that played the game adaptation!

Can't wait to read the next volume :)

I really really liked Winterwood!!!

It is the perfect atmospheric read, you can feel the cold and isolation of the setting, the magic is nature related (my favourite!) and the Wicker Woods are an eerie place that demand respect but also awake a sense of awe and curiosity - they feel like a character themselves!

I liked the writing, but the inner monologue of the main character about her heritage and legacy is often repetitive. There are beautiful descriptions and I quite a few poignant sentences.

As for the plot, it was slow, but I feel like that is a crucial part of the atmosphere of the book. The main plot twist was interesting but a little too obvious. I think the author tried to give the hints in a way that the reader would gradually fit the pieces of the puzzle together (my favourite way of reading a mystery), however my first guess was accurate. I didn't disliked it, but I wasn't taken by surprise either, unfortunately.

For me, the characters were the weakest part of the story. The romance was too insta-love and I felt like there was a lack of depth to every character, we are given only one facet of each and I wish we had more, with a slow plot we had time for that, but because of the repetitiveness of some of the story we lost time that could have been invested in getting to know the characters on a deeper level.

I really liked Winterwood and Shea Ernshaw's writing, I read it really fast and at the perfect time, while it was still cold outside. Recommend it if you like stories about witches, old magic, cold settings and fantastical woods that have a life of their own!

Will be reading The Wicked Deep and more of what this author publishes in the future!

This book was mind bending!

I found the concept interesting, as time travel and timelines is something that, for now, no one actually knows how it works. The timelines are constantly splitting with each decision the character makes and by the end the mess is real!!! The tension is pretty high throughout the novel, I really liked the different timelines and you never knew what you were getting with each new one.

The main character has an interesting development and moments, but his inner monologue gets repetitive and with it the moral of the story gets a bit tiring. Also, unfortunately, I was spoiled for the mystery of the first part of the story and the audiobook wasn't great (the narrator made terrible voices for the female characters).

All in all, I really liked both the concept and the thriller aspect of the story, and was satisfied with the ending.

Will read more from Blake Crouch and do recommend Dark Matter - going into it knowing as little as possible would be the best way to experience it!

This was an enjoyable YA fantasy, with an interesting world and main character!

I particularly liked the concept of the magic system with the witches and the heartless, but we don't get to know a lot about it. The plot really is mainly centred around the interactions of the cast of characters and the political as social intrigue of the world - I wish we had more world building and history.

What I liked most about the main character was her humor and general attitude! The rest was all a bit predictable, with a so not surprising plot twist in the end.

Recommend if you like fantasy with court centred plots and an uncomplicated intrigue!

*Thank you to the editor Capstone for providing an e-ARC copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Lovely illustrations and fun design of the text make this story a quite immersive, even if too short, experience!

The Library of Doom seems like a really atmospheric, secretive and ancient place , with tons of secrets and magic relics from all Eras of History. An amazing concept that I always love to see!

This is a book I would have been delighted to read when I started reading. As an adult, I only wish there was more of it!

3.5*