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readingrobin · 2 years

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Got a little summer readathon update for y'all. It's been a very productive reading month so far and I'm glad I'm really starting to hit hard on that TBR list.

Books Finished

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - This is my second time reading this book, though on this occasion I checked out the audiobook version. Some of the voices didn't match up to what I had in my head, naturally, with some being a little grating, but still the story was as comforting and soft as my first time experiencing it. (5/5)

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu - I talked about this book in my tbrbuster post so I'll just say that I loved Ropa as a main character and I'm excited to see where she goes as a character, though there were some plot elements that did disappoint me, such as a sort of undefined nature of this post-apocalyptic setting and the underuse of the titular library. (3.5/5)

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune - I found that this was an excellent book for me to just switch my brain off and enjoy. In a book full of superhero antics, there is a lot of dramatic irony surrounding the identities of the heroes, which is made all the more hilarious by the protagonist's complete obliviousness. Nick is probably one of the dumbest characters I've seen in a YA book, but I say that with a total love in my heart for this character. He's cringey, but in that same way we were all cringey at one point in high school with our own special interests and obsessions. Honestly, it was like staring in a mirror at some points. There is a sort of twist upon an obvious twist that happens, but I had my suspicions towards that as well. Going to continue with this series, though I was really surprised to see that book three is coming out next month? How was this not on my radar? (4/5)

Out of the Blue by Jason June - Just a really really cute queer story about a nonbinary merfolk coming to land to engage in #fakedating with an adorable, plus size lifeguard but THEN FALL IN LOVE FOR REAL. Again, a really good brain switchy off book that I always looked forward to coming back to. It has this mature ending that follows the lines of focusing on the identities we gain from loving and understanding other people and I don't really want to explain that or else we get into spoiler territory. (4/5)

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Really surprised I dug this one as much as I did since I often have such an odd relationship with books that typically get so much buzz. I love the whole concept of a story centered around a fictional 70s band that reads like a transcript of a "Behind the Music" documentary. It has the interesting challenging of trying to introduce and develop characters without the help of narration or conventional plot progression. Even with that, you get a really good sense of who these people are and the struggles they go through on their road to fame. Daisy Jones is a messy icon and I love her. (4/5)

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw - What started out as a really cool, ghostly and atmospheric mystery quickly turned into something a little more ho hum during the second half. There is a twist in the middle of the story that kind of makes the rest of the book seem uneventful in comparison. I really have mixed feelings about the ending, regarding character motivations and just some odd implications in general, but yeh, spoilers. (3.5/5)

My Last Summer with Cass by Mark Crilley - A nice and richly illustrated graphic novel about friendship and what we're willing to do to make sure it survives even the harshest of situations. The art style has a rough, sketchy style that I always enjoy, and since it takes place mostly in New York, it captures the spirit of the city so well. If you're any kind of artist I definitely recommend picking this one up, as it follows two childhood friend artists trying to discover their styles, especially in how they work together and how they differ. (4.5/5)

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller - Seeing as how I constantly see this book recommended when it comes to pirate fiction, I was a little bit let down. I didn't really find Alosa all that engaging of a character. Everything seemed to come so easily to her and, sure that gets explained later in the book, but it doesn't change the fact that it makes for a boring read and ultimately fails to make any sort of tension or sense of investment. The romance was very uninspired, I didn't even believe that these two actually liked each other and it wasn't all just some big ploy. The book doesn't even feel like it has an end, as it's just the first part in a longer story, but I'm not exactly rushing to see how it all shakes out. (2/5)

Currently Reading

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Good Omens (reread) by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

To Be Read

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

#summerreadathon22 #reading challenge #readathon #summer reading

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