review
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Thereâs something intoxicating about the idea of a crumbling castle tucked in mist, a forbidden university where the walls remember their ghosts, and a brooding professor whose secrets are as thick as the fog rolling off the cliffs. Gothikana promises all of thatâa romance draped in mystery, laced with melancholyâbut the execution left me adrift
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âď¸âď¸âââ When I picked up KinnPorsche by Daemi, I was hoping for a thrilling, emotional dive into a mafia romance â a genre that, when done well, can be equal parts intense and addicting. Unfortunately, this novel left me more frustrated than enthralled. On the surface, KinnPorsche offers plenty of intrigue: bodyguards, forbidden romance, family
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Sometimes you crack open a book expecting a slice of lemon drizzle cake and end up with a dry scone. The Stormborne Vine isnât a bad read by any meansâit has flavor, it has charmâbut the textureâs just a bit off. Weâre introduced to Fern Oakby, a self-sufficient spinster with a sharp mind and a
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Taylor Jenkins Reidâs The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an intoxicating tale of old Hollywood glamour, ambition, and the price of fame, woven together with themes of love, identity, and sacrifice. A novel that blends historical fiction with contemporary storytelling, Reid delivers a compelling narrative that lingers long after the final page. The story
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There are some books that make you question everything around youâlike, say, that weird patch of fungus growing on your back porch. T. Kingfisherâs What Moves the Dead is one of those books. A retelling of Edgar Allan Poeâs The Fall of the House of Usher, this novella takes everything unsettling about the original and
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If you love historical fantasy with dark, atmospheric storytelling and complex sisterly bonds, The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen is a book to put on your radar. Set in 17th-century Norway, this debut novel weaves magic, revenge, and the struggle between belonging and rebellion into a haunting tale of two
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I just finished Sunrise on the Reaping, and wowâI have so many feelings about this book. Suzanne Collins has once again delivered a prequel that is just as brutal, thought-provoking, and emotionally devastating as the rest of the Hunger Games series. A Return to the Arena This time, we follow Haymitch Abernathy as a teenager
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Sheila Hetiâs Motherhood is an introspective, meandering meditation on one of the most fundamental questions a woman can ask herself: Should I have a child? Blending fiction, memoir, and philosophical inquiry, Heti crafts a novel that is less a traditional narrative and more an intellectual and emotional exploration of what it means to be a
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Hum by Helen Phillips is a novel that presents an intriguing premise but, at least for this reader, ultimately struggles to live up to its potential. The book weaves together elements of speculative fiction, psychological drama, and existential inquiry, all centered around a world where communication feels increasingly ambiguous and disconnected. While Phillips’ writing is
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Beneath the hills of the Buckinghamshire countryside, a secret society meets. A playground for the idle rich to live out their debauchery, the Hellfire Club is infamous for its elite members. But when their warden, Anthony Pennington, is murdered, it becomes clear just how unethical this club really is. With Pennington gone, it’s up to
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