zoeelizabethk's Reviews (642)

I'm a bit torn on A Condition Called Love. This is not going to be a manga for everyone. It's very slow and character driven and only spans about a month in this volume. The art is cute, as is the story. I like our MC, but the love interest worries me a bit. I think he's meant to come across as earnest, but he comes off feeling slightly shady and like there might be some red flags in the relationship. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Volume 1 enough to go on to Volume 2.

Thanks to Kodansha and Netgalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautifully sweet picture book! The art is beautiful, and I love all the discussion and obvious love for nature that MacKay pulls out in Frostfire. I would love a paper copy to read to my toddler!

Thanks to Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and Netgalley for an eARC of Frostfire in exchange for an honest review.

dnf at 20%. I find monks commenting on women’s bodies very icky to read

Dnf at 50%

Dnf at 60%

Dnf at 30%

Hate to Fake It to You is so wacky but I also had a good time with it. The premise - two broke college dropouts deal with the stress of their circumstances by creating an influencer account where they pretend to be a zen, positivity, yoga mom type figure. When someone reaches out to meet "Lillibet" they find themselves in a ridiculous situation in an attempt to keep up the ruse. I went in assuming it was going to be fake dating. But no it’s like fake life-ing, plus some fake marriage, plus some side fake dating. It was utterly ridiculous and I never quite figured out how seriously Sellet was taking the story. Nevertheless, I had fun with it, and there was some great commentary about real life vs online life and the importance of friends. Go in expecting wacky, and enjoy!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adults who grew up with the original 'Twas the Night Before Christmas will find this book very familiar as it adheres pretty closely to the original. Nevertheless, Clement Moore's bear-themed version and beautiful illustrations lend a lot of fresh charm to this age-old story. A great way to introduce little kids to Christmas traditions and a classic children's story.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so disappointed by the Lost Story. Maybe I went in with too high - or wrong - expectations. I adored The Wishing Game, but I was so bored by The Lost Story. The pacing was so slow, I did not connect to the characters, and the magical realism fell flat for me. I also really disliked the narrative structure where we would hop around povs somewhat randomly and have lengthy flashbacks interspersed. It made the narrative feel clunky and took away from the magic of the magical realism. I also felt a little bait-and-switched by the marketing and the romance set up - but I won't get into details because of spoilers. I'm so sad to not have loved this one, but I will definitely try Meg Shaffer's next book.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.