zoeelizabethk's Reviews (642)

Tried the first hour or two of the audiobook and I don’t know if this just has a slow start and gets better later, but nothing is compelling me to continue and I don’t feel like spending my time on something I don’t care about right now. Sad.

A Memory of Light was such a satisfying ending to Wheel of Time. So many amazing moments and things that we've been waiting for so long! While I didn't love every second of every book and I have some critiques of the writing in places, I've absolutely loved the world of the Wheel of Time, and I already cannot wait to read it all again. I absolutely do not regret spending a year reading/listening to this. I'm not sure MoL was a 5 star, but definitely a 4.5.

Blood Water Paint is a historical fiction story in poetry and prose. It weaves the stories of figures like Judith, Suzannah, and others with our protagonist's story to emphasize the struggles of women from antiquity to now. It's pretty heartbreaking in a lot of places and the writing is beautiful, though I think I would have liked it better if I had read it instead of listening to it. Ultimately though the tone felt a little too "angry feminist" to me, something I'm usually not very fond of in books. It wasn't bad by any means, just not really for me.

There are some scenes of rape, torture, and mutilation, so if you're sensitive to those things I would know that going into it.

I really enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic. It has a fascinating magic system (plus the quadruple Londons!) and fun, interesting characters. I feel like it slowed down a little for me in the middle/early end but then picked up again. I'll definitely be reading the next one and am excited to see where we go from here, plus I'm just here for more about Kell.

The Last Rabbit is a heartwarming and magical middle grade novel steeped in Celtic folklore about the importance of family, sisterhood, and forgiveness. After their parents died, Albie and her sisters ended up on the lost, magical island of Hybrasil as rabbits in the care of an old magician. But the island is sinking and Albie's sisters have all sailed away one by one of the Boy's boat and left Albie on the island to find their destinies. The Boy is back and offers to help Albie find her destiny and become a human girl again, but Albie just wants to stay on the island with her vegetables and the magician. In order to save the island Albie must leave and search out her sisters, but this may take more courage than she thinks.

I loved this book so much. It was a perfect mix of heartwarming lessons and humor in a magical, atmospheric setting. The illustrations are mimalistic, so beautiful, and I think they capture the spirit of the story so well! For me The Last Rabbit transcends age and has something for everyone at every age, and the "lessons" are without judgement, handled softly, and honestly really applicable to everyone, not just middle graders. I will definitely be buying this book to have on my shelf and for my sister. 5 stars, highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Random House and Wendy Lamb Books for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and ratings are my own.

True Loaf is a short story that feels like a modern day fairy tale. Riley bakes bread and a customer requests a special ingredient, but getting that ingredient and what happens after is not what she expected. The story is so short, it’s a little unclear whether there is a broader point, but this would be a wonderful teaser for a longer novella or book. It definitely intrigued me with it’s Red Riing Hood vibes and the questions it raises.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Xpresso Book Tours for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and ratings are my own.

Real Food Every Day is a very approachable cookbook that allows for a variety of food systems and prioritizes making (and eating!) fresh and satisfying food. I really liked how she leans into the "food freedom" concept and acknowledges that what everyone wants and needs from "healthy" food is different.

"You can still enjoy your favorite foods while living a very healthy lifestyle. In fact, I venture to say, an even healthier lifestyle, because you can release the mental traps that come with the extremes. There's a wide array of "healthy" that falls between a strict one-thousand-calorie-a-day diet designed to maintain a certain size and continually consuming processed fast foods and shotgunnings sugar-laden sodas. This book represents that healthy. They healthy that still loves to have pizza every now and again but is mindful of how it affects your body." (from the introduction)

I just really appreciated this approach and it results in a book of recipes that includes sweet, savory, healthy, AND cravable recipes. I also really appreciated her section of simple recipes that basically just use what's in your pantry and a handful of fresh foods, and the instant pot section. These are so great for weekday nights and easy meals that still allow me to fuel my body with the things that make me feel good. But there's also adventurous and more complicated. Overall it was such a nice mix, I've liked everything I've tried to make from the cookbook, and am looking forward to working some of these recipes into the regular rotation here.

Quotations are from the pre-publication review and may not reflect publication changes. Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Vasilisa by Julie Mathison is one of the most authentic Russian fairy tale/folklore retellings I've read. Vasilisa and her family have settled down in Edenfall, PA after fleeing the revolution, and her papa has gone away to the war and is presumed dead. Meanwhile a local rich Russian has is trying to win her mother's affections and strange things are happening in Edenfall and all is not as it seems. Vasilisa must be brave to save her family and those she loves from ancient legends and stories.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but this book felt like a mix of a small town cozy mystery meets fairy tale portal fantasy. I was unsure of the setting intially, but both Edenfall and Old Rus won me over. I really liked the folklore and fairy tale elements, and I thought they were pretty well done - not something I can say for every Russian retelling I've read. It felt like reading the actual fairy tales in a lot of ways, but with a new spin on the tale of Koschei the Deathless and Vasilisa the Brave. I also liked that Mathison did not pit folklore and religion against each other the way some other Russian-inspired stories have. I liked our characters - I felt that Evelyn was slightly unnecessary, but she was fun. I also really liked the ending and how things were resolved but left open for more in the future.

Things I didn't love: It's a little slower paced - which may be your cup of tea or not. I would sort of liken this to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik perhaps. Lots of interesting things happen but the pacing felt a bit slow at times. I don't mind that, I just was wanting it to be a little more gripping when I was reading. I felt confused by the age of the characters. Our main characters are all in the 14-ish age range, so it's a little unsure if this is a middle grade or a YA. I think this would have been stronger for just committing to being YA and allowing the children to be older. I think the characters' actions and love interests would have been more believable. I think it works because in a real fairy tale you know to suspend disbelief and you know that certain characters inevitable love each other. But I think if you go in ready to suspend your disbelief just a little and embrace the fairy-tale atmosphere it won't bother you. Last thing: at least in my ARC, there was no glossary. Mathison drops a good amount of Russian and fairy tale lingo into the story. For me this made it so much more vivid, familiar, and real, but if I didn't know Russian I think it would frustrate me that there was no glossary.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I loved how Mathison really captured the Russian fairy tale feel for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Starr Creek Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So far I've enjoyed everything by Angie Thomas that I've read. She writes in a very compelling way about complex topics that are near and dear to her heart, and gets them across to me - someone who shares pretty much nothing in common with her or her characters - in a way that makes me connect with her characters and story. I highly recommend the audiobooks and am looking forward to picking her newest up.