An Ode to All the Books I Can't Read Because of College

(Okay, so this technically isn't an ode, but it's still me lamenting over some specific things.)

When school demands your full attention, there's not much you can do to resist; especially when a degree is on the line. With all the reading and studying I've had to do this semester, I've barely had any time to read for fun. I figured I would torture myself a little more and make a list of some books that will be published in the time before I graduate. Basically it's a "look but don't touch" list, and I might regret this in the future. If any of these seems like something you'd like, I would definitely recommend checking them out. I put links to all of their goodreads pages in the title.

Wink Poppy Midnight

Publication Date: March 22nd

First of all, look at that cover. Isn't it gorgeous? If I hadn't read the first couple chapters through the publisher I probably would have picked it up based on the cover alone. But putting that aside, the language and characters of this novel just seem so fascinating, and there's this huge mystery that I really want to see all the way through.

The Winner's Kiss

Publication Date: March 29th

The last book left us on such an awful cliffhanger, and I'm so desperate to get this book in my hands. I've seen wonderful reviews on Twitter (which btw I am 110% jealous of those lucky people), which makes the wait so much harder. Need this book in my life pronto.

When We Collided

Publication Date: April 5th

I haven't read anything by this author yet, but I've been trying to branch out and read more contemporary. I will say that I follow her on Twitter and she is hilarious—I was kinda sold on that point. Overall, this novel sounds like a pretty cool YA romance.

The Star-Touched Queen

Publication Date: April 26

Another author I haven't read, but honestly this whole novel seems right up my alley. Plus it's inspired by Indian mythology, which I would love to learn more about. Bonus 2: it's a standalone. Waiting years for a series to finish is so hard sometimes.

The Rose and the Dagger

Publication Date: May 3rd

Another last book in a series, and I am burning with questions that need to be answered. This one had a cliffhanger as well, but all the little teases of what's the come got me the most worked up. Another book I can't wait to finally have in my hands!

Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories

Publication Date: May 17th

I absolutely LOVED the holiday version of this, so I'm just ecstatic that Perkins put together another list of great authors. This will be published right around the time finals are finished, so I'm thinking of rewarding myself with this book. I can't wait for the adorableness.

So there you have it! Six books that I will be pining over as I simultaneously cry over my textbooks for about two and a half more months. Happy March!

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury | Spoiler free review

I am the perfect weapon.  

I kill with a single touch. 

Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favor of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch. 

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girl she truly is. 

Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...

Rating: 3/5
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance

High fantasy novels have a consistent history of presenting unique, compelling worlds and solid, inspiring characters. In my opinion, it's what makes the genre so awesome and one of my favorites. So, I would love to say The Sin Eater's Daughter fulfilled all of those expectations since I had heard such good things, but I was personally disappointed. The Sin Eater's Daughter was an interesting read with its world building and language but unfortunately a lot of other aspects lacked the same quality.

Getting through this book, in all honestly, was a bit difficult. The beginning was intriguing because of all that had to be introduced about the world, but after that it was a whole lot of build-up and not enough results. The pacing was slow enough that I lost interest, and I wanted more development in multiple ways. And after reading through it, I have a couple scenes in mind where I honestly have no idea what they were trying to support plot, character, or theme-wise.

The characters are what gave me the most trouble. I don't want to give a lot away, but I'll just say I was disappointed in character development. Twylla is a product of her peers, and I struggled to find her true personality. Nothing seemed to set her apart. And if you look at the genres you'll see there's romance, but I'll keep it brief by saying I didn't believe it. It was all kinds of awkward and I wanted to skip some scenes because they were very drawn out. Usually I'm all for the fluff, but there was something off about the relationship presented in the novel.

I will say that The Sin Eater's Daughter is well-done in its setting and history. It all comes together nicely, and past events connect well to present ones. The last third of the book was also exciting and enlightening—the best section of the whole novel. I also thought Salisbury did a good job with her themes, especially when presenting them through a certain character that I choose not to name, but they were honestly the most fascinating to read.

While I lost interest in this story, it has still gathered a steady following, so I would recommend this to anyone interested in a high fantasy novel with solid world building and fairy tale-esque twists. It is also the first in a series.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken | Spoiler free review

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now. 

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not. 

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.

Rating: 4.5/5
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Before I get started, a quick note to those who have read The Darkest Minds series: expect differences. And maybe that's incredibly obvious, but when I love the first series from an author, I struggle a bit when a new series is published. That one series is all you have to go off of, and you haven't yet seen all the author's tricks, so it's something I just have to keep in mind. Basically, when you get super into one series, it's characters, themes, settings, then it can be harder to transition. The Darkest Minds had very dark themes, and there was a lot of inner conflict because of Ruby's powers. Passenger touches on some similar themes, as most YA do because of the universal coming-of-age thing, but its tone is so much different. But it's still "morally complex," of course (suck it Bergstrom). So to be clear I'm not bashing it—I find it incredibly exciting because who knows what else Bracken will come up with! Just wanted to make sure people don't expect a repeat of her first series—Passenger is captivating in its own unique, wonderful way.

Onto the actual review! I was super excited to be able to read this ARC because I love Alexandra Bracken, but then it got even more intense when I opened it up to William Ernest Henley's poem "Invictus." This may be a stretch, but I feel like if you love that poem, then you will not be disappointed in Passenger. The two fit so well, and with all the time traveling, I have a little headcannon that the poem was inspired by the characters. But that's definitely a far stretch, so I'll just be happy in my little fantasy.

And one of my favorite things about Bracken's work is her theme choice and how she presents it. Time traveling stories take a lot of planning and thought since everything gets much more complicated, but I didn't see any fault in her twists and turns. And it's no surprise that "choice" was a heavy motif—since it's common among time traveling plots—but you'll love how she weaves it through her character's actions and thoughts. It's incredibly inspiring, and I have so many highlighted quotes in my copy. The language flows so well in classic Bracken style of fun dialogue and then deep inner thoughts, so if you know her work you'll see that her writing capability has not faltered at all.

Character wise, Etta and Nicholas are a force to be reckoned with—both individually and together. They shine in their own ways, and they blend seamlessly as partners. Their dynamic is so fun to read and observe, and it honestly was probably my favorite part out of the whole novel. Characters are what keep the readers interested, so that's an incredibly good sign. I found it very easy to connect to Etta, even though I definitely do not have time traveling powers, so there was no disconnect in that sense. Be ready to love these new characters Bracken introduces and soak it all up.

Overall, the only thing I had an issue with was the pacing at the beginning. It was a lot of telling and switching settings, so it was honestly a bit jarring. But it all smoothed out in due time, and then it was easy to forget once it all got rolling. I would recommend this to anyone interested in a historically captivating time traveling story with strong characters and complex twists and turns.

Passenger is out in just four days, so be sure to look out for it!

(P.S. Please excuse the tears in my copy—I took it on a family trip and it unfortunately got a bit beat up!)