ARC Review: The Radical Element by Jessica Spotswood and more

Title: The Radical Element Series: A Tyranny of Petticoats #2 Written by: Jessica Spotswood and more Published: March 13, 2018 by Candlewick Press (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis:In an anthology of revolution and resistance, a sisterhood of YA writers shines a light on a century and a half of heroines on the margins and in the intersections. To respect yourself, to love yourself—should not have to be a radical decision. And yet it remains as challenging for an American girl to make today as it was in 1927 on the steps of the Supreme Court. It's a decision that must be faced whether you're balancing on the tightrope of neurodivergence, finding your way as a second-generation immigrant, or facing down American racism even while loving America. And it's the only decision when you've weighed society's expectations and found them wanting. In The Radical Element, twelve of the most talented writers working in young adult literature today tell the stories of the girls of all colors and creeds standing up for themselves and their beliefs—whether that means secretly learning Hebrew in early Savannah, using the family magic to pass as white in 1920s Hollywood, or singing in a feminist punk band in 1980s Boston. And they're asking you to join them.

I read A Tyranny of Petticoats in 2016 and I totally enjoyed it. I don't read a ton of short story anthologies but I loved that one and I was excited to read more, especially with the amazing authors in this collection, and I was not disappointed.

Like the last book, this one was full of diverse stories. It spanned different locations and centuries and immersed the reader in the period and the setting. Each author did a great of establishing the time and place. Some of the stories and locations were familiar and others were completely new to me. Some of the stories had some magic to them, and others were rooted in reality. I think some of my favorites were ones that had more fantasy elements like When the Moonlight Isn't Enough By Dhonielle Clayton and Glamour by Anna-Marie McLemore. I also loved The Magician by Erin Bowman, Step Right Up by Jessica Spotswood, and Land of the Sweet Home of the Brave by Stacey Lee. Obviously some stories were better than others but I don't think there was a bad story in the bunch.

I think one of the best things about this book and the real connective tissue is the characters. Even though they were so different, they all had one thing in common. For one thing, they are all these kick ass female characters. But the real reason they all felt so familiar is that they all had this yearning. This yearning and desire to be more than they are or exactly who they are even though it may not be what people expect for them. It made them really engaging and likable characters. I rooted for all of them and wanted to seem them achieve their goals. Each author really did such a great job with the characterization in such a short story.

This was a really short and easy read. Each of the stories was engaging and interesting and it was easy to read them in short bursts. But before you know it you have finished the entire book. Each story on it's own was really great but collectively this is look at amazing young women throughout history who were completely themselves and achieved their yearning for more. It's a fantastic collection of stories of kickass women that I really enjoyed.

I give The Radical Collection by Jessica Spotswood and more 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! This was a really good read. I enjoyed the stories a lot and I think not only will fans of anthologies or short stories will like it but also fans of historical fiction.

Have you read The Radical Element? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Title: The Language of Thorns Series: Grishaverse #0.5, 2.5, 2.6 Written by: Leigh Bardugo Published: September 26, 2017 by Imprint (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price. Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love. Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

I really enjoy the Grishaverse books from Leigh Bardugo but I have never read any of the short stories (well except the one about the Darkling in the Ruin and Rising special edition), so I was so excited to read this collection of stories. They were fantastic fairy tales retellings with that trademark Leigh Bardugo magic.

The fun thing about these stories is that they are all familiar and unique at the same time. These are stories that are inspired by classic fairy tales but with a Grisha twist. You can see the obvious familiarity in stories that are reminiscent of Hansel and Greta, The Little Mermaid, and The Nutcracker. But they all still feel like they are their own stories. They have surprising twists and are even darker then the Grimm’s Brothers versions. If you like fairy tales I would definitely recommend this one, even if you aren’t a fan of the Grishaverse.

But if you are a fan of the Grishaverse, you will love them even more. It had that Grisha magic to it. Some of the stores you can tell are attempts at maybe explaining the origins of Grisha powers or used to explain why Grisha are either good or bad depending on the culture. And I say culture because there are stories from different countries. It was really cool seeing the different locations and the different stories that the characters would have read or told their children.

Usually when it comes to short story collections there are some stories that are better than others, and while that was definitely the case with The Language of Thorns. I think my favorites were probably The Witch of Duva and When The Water Sang Fire (which has a cameo from a character that will have you so excited because of what it means for the larger series). The great thing about both these stories is that they did not go the way that I thought they would. They had interesting spins on the original stories and were dark and magical. But there were no bad stories in this collection they were all really good.

The other great thing about this book was how gorgeous it was. Each story had these amazing images. The more you read, the more the image unfolded. And then at the end of each story there was a gorgeous two page illustration that summed up the story. It is honestly one of the most beautiful books that I have read. It added something even more special to this book.

The Language of Thorns was a fantastic short story collection that fans of Leigh Bardugo and the Grishaverse definitely need in their lives. It’s beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated. But even if you don’t know the series you will enjoy this book. It’s got amazing fairy tale retellings.

I give The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Seriously, this book is gorgeous and every Grishaverse collection needs a copy. But even if you haven't read the original series this is a great way to start to ease into the world and tone of the series. If you like fairy tales or YA fantasy I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Have you read The Language of Thorns? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: A Tyranny of Petticoats Edited by Jessica Spotswood

Title: A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & Other Badass Girls Edited by: Jessica Spotswood Published: October 11, 2016 by Amulet Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines.  Criss-cross America — on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains — from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today’s most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.

I really liked this collection of short stories. I'm not usually a fan of short stories but with this collection of authors writing an anthology of badass females I knew I had to read it and I'm glad I did.

For one thing, this is a very diverse collection of stories. It spans decades and the entire continent of North America giving us stories of young women from all walks of life. And because of that, every story is so different. It was really great to be able to see such a wide collection of stories. As a fan of historical fiction I enjoyed being taken to different places and being immersed in the different historical times and places. So many of them are not often written and explored periods too, which was great and made for really unique reads.

But the settings and the stories wasn't the only diverse thing about this collection of stories. The characters too were extremely diverse. And I don't just mean that they were different characters, I mean that they are characters from all walks of life. It gives us characters who are different races, ethnicities, and have different sexual orientations. Every character is different and unique which was fantastic in not only differentiating the stories but actually in connecting with the stories. All these badass young women were well, badass and I loved meeting and connecting with each and every one too.

The stories were also really different in their tone. There are a few stories that have more of a fantasy tone to them which was a pleasant surprise to me, while others had a strong mystery element, and others still felt more like traditional historical fiction. This too made for a diverse and interesting collection of stories. They were all really good but dmittedly, some of them were better than others. I think my favorites were The Journey by Marie Lu which had a fantasy feel, Madeline's Choice by Jessica Spotswood, The Red Raven Ball by Caroline Tung Richmond which had spies and mystery, The Legendary Garrett Girls by Y.S. Lee which was a great old west kind of story, City of Angels by Lindsay Smith which was set on the homefront during WWII. But honestly there wasn't a bad story among them.

I listened to the audiobook for this and while I thought at first that I would have rather each story had it's own narrator I honestly think that the narrator here, Bahni Turpin, did a great job. Each story did have it's own feel and the characters all sounded so different. She did a great job setting the scene and helping you connect with the different times and places as well as the diverse characters.

If you love historical fiction or you are trying to explore the genre a little more, I would definitely recommend this anthologies. I'm not a huge fan of short stories but if there are more like this I could maybe warm up to them.

I give A Tyranny of Petticoats Edited by Jessica Spotswood 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. Absolutely read this book. Listen to the audiobook. Even if you don't like short stories anthologies or historical fiction, give it a try. It's really fantastic. I liked it just as much as I thought I would if not more.

Have you read A Tyranny of Petticoats? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins and more

Title: My True Love Gave to Me Compiled By: Stephanie Perkins  Published: January 24, 2014 by Del Rey (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.  Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love

Have you ever read a book that you thought might not work for you, but you decided to give it a try anyway? I mean reading tastes change. Sometimes books surprise you. So when I saw that this was my book club book for December, despite the fact that I don't usually like short stories or contemporary romances, I decided to give this one a try. Unfortunately, despite liking a few of the stories, it wasn't my kind of read.

For one thing I just generally don't like short stories. I am the kind of reader who likes to be able to get to know a character on a deeper level. I don't often connect with someone right away so I need to be able to take time to get to know them. I want to see some character growth or development. With short stories I often feel like just when I am relating to the character it's over. And same can be said with the plot of the stories. Just when I'm starting to enjoy things, it's over. Now, I'm not saying that authors can't make it so I connect with a character or world in a short story, but that's often tough for me. So in a book full of short stories, I'm already at a disadvantage.

But some authors were able to do that for me. My favorite was probably Midnights by Rainbow Rowell. I have yet to read anything by Rainbow that I didn't love. She just puts so much humor in her writing and always creates characters who feel realistic, making them easy to relate. I found her story to be really fun and unique. I also really liked Krampuslauf by Holly Black. Despite being a prolific writer I have only read one Holly Black book and I didn't love it. But I found her story to be really interesting. It was a little darker than some of the others and had more fantasy to it which in a book of mostly contemporaries I liked that. It took a turn about halfway in which honestly reinvigorated my enjoyment of the book. I was honestly feeling a little bored before that.

There were also a few stories that I thought were pretty good. The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor for example. This one was also a little darker and had some fantasy elements. I also think Laini did a good job with characterization. What the Hell Have You Done Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman was also pretty good. I've been avoiding reading her books because I don't do sad on purpose but this had good characterization and plot development. Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter was good as well. I love Ally Carter and though this one was pretty fun because it had a bit of a mystery to it and if it didn't then I figured out the twist.

Many of the other stories while not particularly bad, just seemed to blend together for me. Even some of the ones I listed already didn't have much of a hook for me. They either felt like they were a little short or sometimes even too long. In general this book is geared towards fans of romances. It's all about couples getting together. Most of the stories felt like a bunch of holiday insta-love stories or holiday meet-cutes straight out of Hallmark made-for-TV movies. For most of them if this was maybe the beginning of larger book I think I would liked them a little bit more. But not being a fan of short stories, much less romances this book wasn't my cup of cocoa.

On the whole, while I did find this to have some good stories My True Love Gave to Me isn't my kind of read, being someone who is not really a fan of short stories or contemporary romances. But I know a lot of people really loved it so if you are a fan of romances don't let my thoughts persuade you against it.

I give My True Love Gave to Me compiled by Stephanie Perkins 7.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are a fan of contemporary romance and are looking for something to get in the holiday spirit then pick this book up. If you are not then I would probably pass on this book.

Have you read My True Love Gave to Me? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!