Suzanne Collins, when I catch you Suzanne Collins. The trauma is even worse than the last time. I can't believe how young Katniss and Peeta are when they're being abused by the government, used as pawns in the political games between the Capitol and District 13. I did in fact cry multiple times during this, never so much as when I was reading Prim's death. Katniss realizing that it was yet another political play by District 13 to turn Katniss into a weapon one more time was heartbreaking. We still haven't learned I guess.

I think this is so much more intense than the first book because Katniss and Peeta did everything they could, yet they were still forced back into the games. Again, it's insane how much this applies to real life. I think Collins is a master in writing the effects of trauma on all of the victors. The actual games were short, with two thirds of the victors dead in 2 days. The people of the Capitol are gaudy and disgusting and yet they reflect the real life 1%. Trust the government to punish those that stand against the status quo. Also, Collins, that cliffhanger was insanity.

This hits even harder as an adult. I think when I was 10/11/12 reading these books, 16 felt so grown, but as an adult, imagining myself at that age, my brothers who are in the age group to be reaped, it's horrifying to think of. Collins did a fantastic job portraying Katniss as a vulnerable, unreliable 16 year old girl. I loved her selflessness, even when she tried to justify her actions to herself as selfish. It's crazy that the political commentary in the Hunger Games is still relevant to today, maybe moreso than when it was written. Every day we see news of children dying in Palestine, and it's interspersed with news trying to humanize Israeli genocidaires, interspersed with the newest celebrity gossip, and it's just a continuation of bread and circuses.

Oh god this was so pretentious and flat. Maybe it's because I'm a certified Shakespeare hater but this was a drag to get through. The plot was boring and predictable. I hated the casual misogyny and honestly the homophobia in this book. Oliver was so clearly in love with James, yet he never wanted to name his bisexuality for what it was. Also, Alexander is the stereotypical partying gay predator who likes to turn straight guys gay. The mystery aspect was so contrived and information is given so easily to Oliver as he needed it. All of the women were one dimension and flat. It was such a waste of time.

This felt like a good sequel to the first Emily Wilde novel. It seems like the biggest issue I had with the first were mostly resolved in Map of the Otherlands. Map of the Otherlands had a much stronger start to the story than Encyclopaedia of Faeries. It slightly dragged in the middle but it was less noticeable. I loved Emily and Wendell's banter and the progression of their relationship. I liked grumpy Dr. Rose but I disliked that he and the other human characters didn't have as much of a part or weren't as noticeable as they were in Encyclopaedia of Faeries, including Emily's niece. All in all, another fun, lore filled cozy fantasy and I can't wait for the third book to release. 

This was such a fun, whimsical book to read. I really enjoyed how all of the stories the dreamers brought to Penny were interconnected. I thought it was interesting to bring animals into the dream world, as well as characters like Santa Claus. I think it really added to the magical aspect of the story. I also really enjoyed the part where nightmares were used to help customers persevere through life and how the soon to be deceased could leave dreams for their loved ones to receive at a given time.

I really liked several aspects of this novel. I think the slow burn coworkers tl lovers romance was cute. I enjoyed the faerie lore and the footnotes in the journal. I loved that Emily was autistic coded and I loved that Wendall was a cry baby who’d do anything for Emily.

I do think the pacing was atrocious and I had a terrible time trying to focus for the first half of the novel. And then once the pace was finally consistent, the ending felt rushed. I did really enjoy the journal format and thought it was interesting and I liked the characters enough to read the second book.

This was so self deprecating and corny. The audiobook narrator was monotone. The twist was obvious from the jump. I was so annoyed throughout the entirety of this. The ghost was the most interesting part, which isn’t saying much because there wasn’t much to her. The only good parts of the story was Jo shitting on Mara.

This is one of my absolute favorite dystopian novels, ever since my
childhood. I adore how Farmer developed science fiction themes and analyzed the ethics of cloning, personhood, organ harvesting, and the slave and drug trades. I think Farmer handled it extremely tactfully for a middle grade audience. The beginning was a bit slow but I don’t think it was detrimental to the development of the characters or the plot. The characters were complex, the introduction of complex social and scientific topics in a way middle schoolers could understand was masterful, and it’s a book I could go back to over and over again

This book is credited with starting/influencing the 4-B in South Korea and it’s clear why. I felt so so angry while reading this. Jiyoung grows up during this push for feminism time period in the 90’s and 2000’s, where her mother had to give up schooling to work but where Jiyoung and her sister were able to go to college even though their younger brother is the best treated in the family. 

The misogyny that she dealt with from a young age, in school, at home, in the workforce permeated her entire being and the way she interacted with men and women throughout her life. She spent her life having to show men, especially when working that she was “one of the good ones” infuriated me. This novel touched my heart deeply. I didn’t quite understand why she began acting like other people post-partum but otherwise I think this was an important insight into Korean gender bias.