Kiwiria's July Reads
Jul. 31st, 2026 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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christianreaderThe Way I Used to Be - Amber Smith, 4/5, 385 pages
If I had read this as a teen, I would have absolutely adored it. Dark and angsty - it would have been right up my aisle.
As somebody who hasn't been a teen for almost 30 years ... I prefer my books to not be quite as devastating. I read to escape - not to hurt.
THAT SAID! I am glad I've read this book. Partly because it's my niece's favourite book, and I loved that she wanted to share it with me. Partly because it is an important story to tell! I find it all too realistic how a rape victim could fall through the cracks like this, and while I wanted to shake Eden's parents for not sending her to a shrink once she started acting up, I can completely see how an experience like hers could make a girl freeze, withdraw into herself and try to self-destruct. Other reviewers complained that it wasn't explained why Eden suddenly started calling her parents by their first names - I found that an extremely powerful form of storytelling, and a clear indication of how their relationship deteriorated without having to say it in words - showing rather than telling.
She was lucky to have a friend like Mara though. I liked her, and loved how she stuck with Eden through it all.
The book hurt me to read, and through most of it I wanted to YELL at Eden to just tell somebody already, and stop destroying herself. But when the resolution came, I felt it was a realistic outcome - even if I do wish the book had been just a tiny bit longer. I wanted to read how Eden's parents reacted. I wanted to see Mara and Eden make up again. And most of all, I wanted Kevin to get what was coming for him. I realized some of this may show up in the sequels, but from the reviews I've read, it won't be all of it. ... and I'm not sure I'm ready to hurt my heart like that again anytime soon.
Fake Skating - Lynn Painter, 4.5/5, 448 pages
Fake dating trope - people either love it or hate it. Personally, I love it when it's done right, which it was here. I'm less keen on enemies-to-lovers, but that too worked better than I had expected it to. This book was seriously laugh-out-loud funny in places, and SO cute. I loved reading about Dani finding a home, setting down roots, and even patching things up with her old grump of a grandfather.
I did not like ...
- Dani's father.
- Benji.
- the fact that some things were left unanswered.
- the fact that a certain someone never had to answer for what he'd done.
- the fact that since this was YA, I just KNEW there would be a third-act breakup at some point.
Fortunately, though I was right in that last bullet, it wasn't for the reason I had feared, and was resolved a lot faster - and in a much less cringy way - than I had feared. So despite there being ~20 pages I just skimmed past, ultimately I really enjoyed the book, and found it cute enough that I'd recommend it regardless.
My Roommate Is a Vampire - Jenna Levine, 3/5, 341 pages
A fun read, but ultimately utterly ridiculous! You find out that your roommate is a vampire, but you don't ask anything about how he got turned? I know people make fun of Twilight, but at least Bella made Edward tell her his history! Cassie just cares that Frederick needs her help and that he's hot!
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, but I enjoyed it in spite of its ridiculousness. In fact, I preferred the first half, while they were getting used to living together, before she found out that he was a vampire. Her reactions to his random comments and crazy questions were absolutely hilarious. Once she discovered his secret, it turned into a spicy romance instead.
This is cotton candy. Fluff with no substance whatsoever. Sweet, but forgettable.
The Butcher's Masquarade - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~24hrs
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~27hrs
Still really enjoying this series! They're LONG books, but so much happens, that they're worth the length.
The Blue Castle - Lucy Maud Montgomery*, 4.5/5, 218 pages
With the exception of certain Anne-books I think this is probably my favourite book by LMM. The way the marriage between Valancy and Barney is depicted is probably the main reason for this. Sure, the beginning is cliché and the ending utterly unrealistic and contrived, but the middle is just delightful. Unlike most of LMM's other books, we're actually allowed a glimpse into the life of a married couple, seeing how they live together, how they interact, how they learn that silence together with somebody you're comfortable with never gets awkward. With Anne and Gilbert running a close second, I think this is the most realistic portrayal of a marriage in LMM's books.
I do wish she'd thought up a better ending though. It's the original third-act breakup and thus thoroughly disappointing, but I put up with it for the sake of the rest of the book.
Books Read: 72
Book of the Month: Fake Skating. Really cute YA.
Biggest Disappointment: None. My Roommate is a Vampire wasn't amazing, but I wouldn't call it a disappointment either.
If I had read this as a teen, I would have absolutely adored it. Dark and angsty - it would have been right up my aisle.
As somebody who hasn't been a teen for almost 30 years ... I prefer my books to not be quite as devastating. I read to escape - not to hurt.
THAT SAID! I am glad I've read this book. Partly because it's my niece's favourite book, and I loved that she wanted to share it with me. Partly because it is an important story to tell! I find it all too realistic how a rape victim could fall through the cracks like this, and while I wanted to shake Eden's parents for not sending her to a shrink once she started acting up, I can completely see how an experience like hers could make a girl freeze, withdraw into herself and try to self-destruct. Other reviewers complained that it wasn't explained why Eden suddenly started calling her parents by their first names - I found that an extremely powerful form of storytelling, and a clear indication of how their relationship deteriorated without having to say it in words - showing rather than telling.
She was lucky to have a friend like Mara though. I liked her, and loved how she stuck with Eden through it all.
The book hurt me to read, and through most of it I wanted to YELL at Eden to just tell somebody already, and stop destroying herself. But when the resolution came, I felt it was a realistic outcome - even if I do wish the book had been just a tiny bit longer. I wanted to read how Eden's parents reacted. I wanted to see Mara and Eden make up again. And most of all, I wanted Kevin to get what was coming for him. I realized some of this may show up in the sequels, but from the reviews I've read, it won't be all of it. ... and I'm not sure I'm ready to hurt my heart like that again anytime soon.
Fake Skating - Lynn Painter, 4.5/5, 448 pages
Fake dating trope - people either love it or hate it. Personally, I love it when it's done right, which it was here. I'm less keen on enemies-to-lovers, but that too worked better than I had expected it to. This book was seriously laugh-out-loud funny in places, and SO cute. I loved reading about Dani finding a home, setting down roots, and even patching things up with her old grump of a grandfather.
I did not like ...
- Dani's father.
- Benji.
- the fact that some things were left unanswered.
- the fact that a certain someone never had to answer for what he'd done.
- the fact that since this was YA, I just KNEW there would be a third-act breakup at some point.
Fortunately, though I was right in that last bullet, it wasn't for the reason I had feared, and was resolved a lot faster - and in a much less cringy way - than I had feared. So despite there being ~20 pages I just skimmed past, ultimately I really enjoyed the book, and found it cute enough that I'd recommend it regardless.
My Roommate Is a Vampire - Jenna Levine, 3/5, 341 pages
A fun read, but ultimately utterly ridiculous! You find out that your roommate is a vampire, but you don't ask anything about how he got turned? I know people make fun of Twilight, but at least Bella made Edward tell her his history! Cassie just cares that Frederick needs her help and that he's hot!
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, but I enjoyed it in spite of its ridiculousness. In fact, I preferred the first half, while they were getting used to living together, before she found out that he was a vampire. Her reactions to his random comments and crazy questions were absolutely hilarious. Once she discovered his secret, it turned into a spicy romance instead.
This is cotton candy. Fluff with no substance whatsoever. Sweet, but forgettable.
The Butcher's Masquarade - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~24hrs
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~27hrs
Still really enjoying this series! They're LONG books, but so much happens, that they're worth the length.
The Blue Castle - Lucy Maud Montgomery*, 4.5/5, 218 pages
With the exception of certain Anne-books I think this is probably my favourite book by LMM. The way the marriage between Valancy and Barney is depicted is probably the main reason for this. Sure, the beginning is cliché and the ending utterly unrealistic and contrived, but the middle is just delightful. Unlike most of LMM's other books, we're actually allowed a glimpse into the life of a married couple, seeing how they live together, how they interact, how they learn that silence together with somebody you're comfortable with never gets awkward. With Anne and Gilbert running a close second, I think this is the most realistic portrayal of a marriage in LMM's books.
I do wish she'd thought up a better ending though. It's the original third-act breakup and thus thoroughly disappointing, but I put up with it for the sake of the rest of the book.
Books Read: 72
Book of the Month: Fake Skating. Really cute YA.
Biggest Disappointment: None. My Roommate is a Vampire wasn't amazing, but I wouldn't call it a disappointment either.
