My True Love Gave To Me [ Spoiler Free ] Review

Title: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
Edited by: Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 3/5 stars
Date read: 12/14/18

My True Love Gave to me is a collection of shot stories from many different YA authors and they are all holiday themed. The actual average rating when I typed it out on the calculator was 3.2 stars. I really enjoyed most of the stories and here are my ratings and thoughts:

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell- 4.5/5 stars
Really enjoyed this one. It was cute and I liked the characters and writing. I was also really surprised on how much I enjoyed it since Rainbow Rowell's books are not my favorite. This one takes place on New Years Eve over several years.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link- 1/5 stars
I never heard of this author before and was glad to be reading something from an author that I probably would not pick up if it were not in a short story collection. I was sad that I did not like it at all. The writing style was not for me and I was very bored and confused. I think this one is about a guy who only comes when it is snowing. I skimmed it.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena- 4.5/5 stars
This is another author I never heard of before but I really enjoyed this short story and will probably pick up some of his other works. This one is about a boy cat sitting a cat during Christmas and plans to spend it alone since he cannot afford to go home for the holidays.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han- 3/5 stars
I really enjoyed this short story. It was cute but not my favorite. This one follows a girl who lives in the North Pole. She is not an elf though. It reminded me of the movie Elf a little based on the concept but it is NOTHING like Elf. The only thing that is similar is that the person came to the North Pole when they were a baby and they are a human living among elves.

It's a Yuletide Miracle Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins- 5/5 stars
This one is probably my favorite of all the stories. I really liked the writing and the characters. This is a cute Christmas story about a girl who goes out to buy a Christmas tree.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan- 3/5 stars
I do not remember much about this one at all other than it was enjoyable but not the best. I do remember it has to do with a guy pretending to be Santa.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black - 2/5 stars
I sadly did not like this one that much. I really enjoyed the Holly Black books I read in the past but this short story is probably not for me. I was just very confused on what was going on and did not care much about the story.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman- 3/5 stars
This was a fun read. I liked the writing which was expected since I enjoyed Gayle Forman's other works. It was enjoyable but not that memorable. It follows a girl name Sophie Roth who meets this guy at college I think. Do not remember much about it.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire-2/5 stars
I did not like this one that much but it was not the worst. It is about a play at a church. I also never heard of this author before and am glad I read this short story since I would never would of picked up her works if it were not in this collection.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White- 5/5 stars
My fist read by Kiersten White and I loved it so much. It was such a surprise read and I am so excited to pick up her other books now. It is about a Christmas Diner.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter- 3.5 stars
I never read anything by Ally Carter before but I have heard of her books and this was also a surprising read. It was very enjoyable and I will probably try her other books. This one is about a girl who changes plane tickets with this girl she meets at the airport.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor- 2/5 stars
I wanted to love it but I was just so bored and not really into it. I will say though I did enjoy her book Daughter of Smoke and Bone. This one was not for me and I remember nothing about it.

Overall I did enjoy most of the short stories and am glad that I finally read it! If you love the holidays I would highly recommend that you pick this one up.

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Furyborn [ Spoiler Free] Review

Title: Furyborn
Author: Claire Legrand
Series: Emporium #1
My rating: 5/5 stars
Date Read: 10/30/18

Finishing October on a high note! Like one star reads, I rarely give out 5 stars but this is one of those books that as soon as I started reading it, I knew I would love it.

This is a fantasy story following two badass ladies, Rielle and Eliana. There stories are 1000 years apart. Both are prophesied queens. One is a sun queen and one is a blood queen. Rielle exposes herself as one of the queens when saving a friend and has to go through trials. Yes I love the trope of trials and it did not bother me at all although I do know some people really are tired of the trope. Well I am not. Eliana isa bounty hunter for the empire and when her mother vanishes, she joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she thought.

This book is told in alternating chapters. One chapter from Rielle's point of view and the next from Eliana's. I loved that part of the story because there were so many times that I just wanted to keep reading a chapter and it would end on a cliff hanger and then I would read the next one and that one would end on a cliff hanger. You get the point. It managed to keep me hooked and wanting to read more to find out what happens.

Which point of view did I prefer? Well in the beginning I did like Rielle's chapters more but it switched to Eliana about halfway through, but then I preferred Rielle's again. Basically both of them are great and I loved both of their story lines. I did find it very unique on how two people living during completely different time periods have their story connected and it added a nice unique touch to the story.

I loved the world and I really liked the magic system although I do wish that the magic system was explained a bit more because sometimes I would get confused. There is a table that helped a bit in the back of the book, or at least the one I have, so flip to the end and find the table if you are a bit confused with the magic system because it cleared a lot of thing up, at least for me.

I think the biggest let down, if I were to be honest is the ending. The epic part happened and then we had a few more chapters to say hey, everything is calm again, before ending. I wished the story ended a bit sooner because then it would of ended on an even bigger cliff hanger than it already did. It just felt more closed off the way the author ended it even though there are so many possible things that can happen in the next book, if you know what I mean.

Yes I will definitely be reading the next book. I loved this one so much and so glad to be ending the month of October on a high note. I do recommend it, especially if you are a fantasy lover who loves the trope of trials!

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24 Days of Book Recommendations

Welcome to the 24 days of book recommendations post. This will be updated every day from December 1-24. Each day I will be recommending a book to all of you till Christmas! Hope you enjoy!

Day 22: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Furyborn is a fantasy that follows two prophesied queens. One is a blood queen that would bring destruction to the kingdom, the other is the sun queen that would bring prosperity to the kingdom. We follow both of the queens and they live 1,000 years apart. I love both of their points of views although I did prefer Rielle's in the beginning. If you love fantasy you will probably really enjoy this one. It had some popular tropes in it but it also had a unique twist to it which I really enjoyed.

Day 21: George by Alex Gino

George is a middle grade book with a trans main character. Yes, this is a middle grade book featuring a trans main character. It is such a cute read and fast read that made my heart so happy. It is such an important read and especially since it is middle grade, it targets a younger audience teaching them to be more accepting from a younger age. This is one of my favorite under hyped reads and I think everyone should read it. It is the absolute perfect book to read if you need a quick read since I do remember reading it very fast.

Day 20: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval is about a girl name Scarlett who lives with her father and sister Donatella known as Tella. Both of the sisters admired the The Caraval Master known as Legend and she and Tella always dreamed of going to Caraval. One day Scarlet gets an invitation inviting her to Caraval. With the help from a sailor both of them escape to Caraval. However Legend has decided on kidnapping Tella for the game. Suddenly the game becomes more personal to Scarlet and she now has to find her sister. I love this book so much and I really enjoy the world and the writing style.

Day 19: The Orphan Queen by Jodie Meadows

The Orphan Queen is a fantasy duology following Wilhelmina whose kingdom was conquered by the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne. This book is so good and it is a duology and a fantasy so if you want to read a fantasy and have a lot of commitment I would recommend this one. This is another one that I think is underrated and that I wish more people would read.

Day 18: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Forest of A Thousand Lanterns is an East Asian inspired retelling of the Evil Queen. We follow the main character Xi Feng and her journey to becoming the "Evil Queen". I really enjoyed this book and it is a recent read. I love how this is inspired by East Asian culture as I am East Asian and it was nice to see a diverse fantasy book. The main character is not likable so if you do not like reading books featuring an unlikable character this one may not be for you. I love reading from unlikable characters so it was not a problem for me. This is the perfect book for those looking for a diverse fantasy and love villain origin stories! 

Day 17: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea is a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II about events that are not usually talked about. We follow several refugees whose paths paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. I fell in love with the writing, characters and story. It was a very informative story but it was also a gripping heartbreaking one as well. It was evident that the author did research before writing this book. I definitely think this book is under hyped. If you love historical fiction you will probably love this book.

Day 16: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

TW: Child Abuse

Monday's Not Coming is about a girl name Claudia who seems to be the only one who notices and cares that her friend Monday is missing. Throughout the book, we are piecing what happened to Monday through the eyes of the character. I will also say this book has a lot of different timelines. We see Claudia when Monday was still there, her when she learns that Monday's missing, and present day. If you do not like books that have that sort of jumpy timeline you may not like it. I personally loved it and I really enjoyed learning about what happened to Monday.

Day 15: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End takes place in a world where people can now know when they are going to die. There is a company called Deathcast who calls people on the day they are going to die telling them that they are going to die that day. The main characters Rufus and Mateo both get the call. They use the app Last Friend, which lets people meet others who are also going to die that day, and they meet and spend their last day together. This is a sad book as you can tell by the title but I really did enjoy it. I know I lot of people cried while reading this book (I did not but I rarely cry while reading) so if you are looking for a book that would make you cry you may want to give this a try!

Day 14: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands is a fantasy book that follows a girl name Amani who is a who is a really good sharpshooter. She always wanted to escape the dustwalk and the perfect opportunity comes and she ends up on this amazing adventure. This book is really short and is a fantasy so it is a very quick read for fantasy lovers that need to catch up on their reading challenge. I will say that if you are a plot driven reader you may not like this book that much since the plot is not the strongest but still loved since the world is amazing and the characters are great!

Day 13: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Geekerella is the perfect book for fangirls and boys. This is a retelling of Cinderella following a girl name Elle who is a huge fangirl of a fandom called Starfield (which is sort of the Star Wars of that world). She is also the creator of a very popular blog about the fandom. One day there is a reboot movie of Starfield and the main character is going to be played by Darien who is someone that Elle and a bunch of other people of the fandom disapprove of but Darien is actually a a huge fan of Starfield and knows a lot about it. This book is so cute and has so many elements of Cinderella and is one of the best contemporaries and retellings that I have read.




Day 12: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

We are halfway through! One of Us is Lying is about five students that went into detention and only four came out alive. It is a who done it sort of story. During the story, we follow the four currently alive characters to try to figure out who killed him. I loved the story even though I will admit, I did not like the ending at all. It was very interesting to see what was going on with each of the characters. I will say there is also not the best mental health representation in this book so please be aware of that. The story is amazing though and it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened.

Day 11: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Looking for a high fantasy? I would highly recommend Falling Kingdoms. It is one of my all time favorite series and I plan on rereading the entire series before tackling the last book. Falling Kingdoms takes place in 3 separate kingdoms. Two kingdoms get in some sort of quarrel which causes one of them to visit their other fellow neighboring kingdom to ask for help. This book is action packed and filled with magic. In my opinion, the books get better and better as the series continues. The characters are great and if you are looking for a book similar to Game of Thrones, you will probably enjoy this.

Day 10: Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross was my fourth favorite book of last year so of course I had to recommend it. I still need to read Wildcard. This year I have been terrible with new releases. This books follows a girl name Emika who is a bounty hunter, tracking down the people who use Warcross illegally. When money comes short she decides to hack into the Warcross opening games and accidentally glitches herself into the game and instead of being punished she is invited to Japan and offered a job by the creator of Warcross to track down the person who is trying to damage Warcross.

Day 9: Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Love, Hate, and Other Filters is an own voices novel following a girl name Maya who is Indian American. Her parents want her to go to a local college near home and study something "practical", while Maya wants to attend film school in NYC. There is a terrorist attack that happened near where they live and the main suspects shares the last name as Maya. People start treating her differently even though she never met nor is related to this man. This book tackles the subject of Islamaphobia which is a very relevant topic in today's society. This was one of the most surprising reads I have read this year (in a good way).

Day 8: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Invictus is a time travel book following a boy name Farway who was born outside of time. During the heist of the sinking Titanic he meets a girl who is always one step ahead of him and leads Far and his team to the frightening truth. I love the Invictus crew and there is also a red panda in this book who is adorable. The crew had such an amazing friendship and I did enjoy it so much more than I thought I would! If you are looking for a book with time travel and a great cast of characters you may enjoy this one.

Day 7: Renegade by Marissa Meyer

Renegades takes place in a world where there are heroes called the Renegades and villains called Anarchist. Both have powers. We follow two characters. Nova who is an Anarchist and absolutely hates the Renegades and Adrian who is a Renegade and believes in justice. So basically this is a superhero story and if you are a fan of Marvel I would highly recommend it. It is the only book I ever read that had a superhero and villain type of feel! Also one of my new all time favorites. (Still need to read book 2 but I have not been disappointed by a Marissa Meyer book yet and I have read all of them but the last Lunar Chronicle graphic novel!)

Day 6: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

TW: Murder, blood
Stalking Jack the Ripper follows a girl name Audrey Rose who is very interesting in forensic studies. She lives during a time where women are not really allowed to study it. She works with her uncle and Thomas Cresswell. Audrey Rose lives in London during the time of the Jack the Ripper killings and naturally gets very invested in the murders and tries to figure out who the murderer is. There is a mystery element in this book and also this book introduces one of the most swoon worthy love interests that I have read in awhile and I actually ship the two characters together! I would say if you are a Halloween lover you may want to save this read for next Halloween! (Have not read book 3 yet)

Day 5: American Panda by Gloria Chao

American Panda follows a Taiwanese American girl name Mei whose parents want her to be a doctor, but Mei is a germophobe. She is always trying to please her parents. She is attending MIT to become a doctor and along the way she finds herself falling for a Japanese boy name Darren who is not Taiwanese which means that her parents would never approve by him. She reconnects to her brother who was estranged from the family for dating an un family approved women and learns she needs to start making her own choices. This book is an own voices book.

Day 4: A List of Cages by Robin Roe

TW: Child abuse

A List of Cages is an under hyped book. It is about a boy name Adam who takes an elective to be serving aid to his school's physiologists. One day he is asked to find a child who keeps dodging her and he finds that that boy is Julian, his former foster brother. Adam is excited to see Julian again. As they get to know each other more once again, he learns that Julian is hiding something and he wants to help him. I really enjoyed this book even though it is a hard hitting story. The author seems very informed about the subject and it is clear research was done when writing it.

Day 3: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

This book is about Alosa who is the daughter of the pirate king who is sent on a misson. She gets herself purposely captured to try to find the second piece of an ancient map that would lead them to find the legendary treasure. I love the banter between Alosa and the other character Riden so much and it made the books such a fun read. This is also a duology (still need to read book 2) so there is not a lot of commitment. I loved it so much and a perfect book to read when you are slumpy and not in the mood for contemporary.

Day 2: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine Mcgee

This book takes place in futuristic New York where people now live in a thousand floor building. The more wealthy you are, the higher up you live in the tower. We follow 5 different points of views and each person has their own secrets. I will admit this book is not for everyone but if you are looking for a book filled with drama you probably will enjoy it more. Very drama filled but also very addicting. All the books in the trilogy are released already and I have read all the books and I did enjoy them all1

Day 1: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

TW: Depression, Suicide

The Astonishing Color of After is about a girl name Leigh and when her mother commits suicide she is convinced she turned into a bird. Leigh travels to Taiwan to visit her grandparents who she never met before trying to piece together why her mother died. Leigh is half Taiwanese and half white. This is a own voices book. Even though it deals with a heavy topic, I still really enjoyed it. I am a own voices reviewer for the Taiwanese representation as well. If you love books dealing with heavy topics you will probably really enjoy this one.