Moonward Society

It’s been a while since a book really made me emotional. And Light from Uncommon Stars not only made me sob once, it made me cry multiple times throughout my reading of it. This book was intriguing, weird, and overall just a joy to read. One of our main characters, Katrina, has not had an easy life. The trauma and the seemingly endless amounts of little cruelties that the main character Katrina goes through and the resulting self doubt/ emotional baggage that she carries with her is just heartbreaking. I really just wanted to slap anyone who was mean to her. I absolutely loved the writing style of Ryka Aoki. She jumps around quite a bit, but I didn’t find it that hard to follow as all the characters are very distinct from each other. All of the main characters in the book are complex and multifaceted with their own rich backgrounds and histories. Light from Uncommon Stars, while heart-wrenching at certain points also has a nice balance of quirky & lighthearted sections. This b...

WARNING: Spoilers ahead! . . Let me just start with this- this book is dark. Please check content warnings before reading. Also if you hate Shakespeare, this is probably not the book for you. As a Shakespeare nerd, I loved this aspect of the book. The characters attend a school where they only perform Shakespeare plays, learn about his works in their classes and have developed their own distinct way of speaking to each other entirely through Shakespeare verses. The whole book is structured with nods to Shakespeare’s works. But if you’re not a fan, the references to the Bard might seem a bit gratuitous. For me, they are a huge part of why I enjoyed this book. As soon as I got to this line: What is more important, that Caesar is assassinated or that he is assassinated by his intimate friends? … That,’ Frederick said, 'is where the tragedy is. I knew this group was in trouble. Someone was going to die, and it was most likely the person playing Caesar (Richard). I do still have quest...

The Witch King is the first of the books I’m reading as part of the Trans Rights Readathon. I really liked the beginning of this one, but I thought it got a little bogged down and flat in the middle. I wasn’t quite sure what the goal was at certain points and felt like the plot meandered a bit. I loved that there was so much good representation and diversity in The Witch King. I really enjoyed several of the characters we are introduced to, my favorites being Briar and Jin. I wish we’d had more of Jin overall! I’d also love to hear more from Briar’s side of things, I think it would be really interesting. At first, I really found myself drawn to the main character Wyatt and his story. One of my favorite lines of his in the early pages of the book was: “Gender is weird. The rules are all made up and people should just do whatever they want” That’s so true, and I really relate to that feeling. But as the book went on I found Wyatt to be a bit annoying at times. The book is told throu...

If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy with lovely descriptions of magic and the sweetest found family you can imagine, this is the book for you. The authors’ descriptions of the residents’ everyday lives made me want to live at Nowhere House so badly. I want Ken and Ian to be my grandparents and I want Lucy to be my surrogate mother. Of course you can’t help but like the loveable grump Jamie. One of the lines about him I found so relatable was this: Death had taken enough from him and every person here was going to live fucking forever. The main character Mika Moon is a witch who has never fit in, which I think a lot of us can relate to (not the witchy part, but maybe that too for some people). She fits in perfectly at Nowhere House and it’s clear this is where she was meant to be. I enjoyed following along her journey to find love and family. While a little slow at parts and a bit predictable in others, it’s a great light read that will leave you with a smile on your face. ...

Warning: spoilers ahead! . . This sequel to The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels is very similar to its predecessor. It’s light and funny, with a slight tendency to overdo it on the amount of innuendo used. It’s Austen-esque, and definitely means to invoke Jane Austen’s style as the main character Charlotte makes a ton of references to Austen’s characters. Charlotte views many of them, particularly Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, as role models. As a big fan of Jane Austen, I liked this aspect of it, but I can also see where it gets to be a bit too much at times. My favorite part of this book is the banter between the two main characters Charlotte and Alex. It’s witty, quick and very funny. It’s obvious from their very first meeting that they will end up together, but I enjoyed the journey of them getting to that point. I love how the author writes both of their characters and their dialogue. Like the first novel in this series, the women are in charge here. The L...

Warning : possible spoilers ahead! . . I honestly did not think I would like this book that much, but I ended up loving it. It definitely does not get enough hype. When I first started this book, I was a bit worried about not liking the main character as I found Eleanor to be quite rude. When she didn’t tip any of the service people she came into contact with, I was very annoyed with her. However, as I kept reading and learned more about Eleanor, she grew on me. Her literal way of interpreting things, while still rude in some cases, was refreshing in others. Then of course, as we find out more about Eleanor’s past, her oddities begin to make more sense. Her traumatic upbringing and college years are haunting, and made me tear up in a few spots. I kept wondering why did no one get her into therapy when she was young? I ended up finding Eleanor to be very funny, even if she did not mean to be at times. When she discusses getting ready as a woman or muses about being fed to zoo anima...

I was worried this one was going to be overhyped for me, but I really enjoyed it! I love a good found family and this one is fantastically written. There’s a ton of great queer rep and the characters are all so lovable, I want to be friends with all of them. This is an extremely cute story that will give you the all the feels. Some of my favorite quotes: New York takes from her, sometimes. But she takes too. She takes its muggy air in fistfuls, and she packs it into the cracks in her heart. This one got me:  Sometimes the point is to be sad, August. Sometimes you just have to feel it because it deserves to be felt. And because I love Niko and Myla so much: Niko, everything I’m about to say to this guy is a complete and total lie, and I love you and will marry you and adopt a hundred three-eyed ravens or whatever it is your weird ass wants instead of kids. ★ ★ ★ ★   Rating: 4 stars