“My Sister, the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Here’s another novel I read because of the hype surrounding it. It was buzzed about so much last year that when I was considering what mystery novel to get my cousin for Christmas (to break her away from James Patterson’s books), I immediately decided to get her this. At the time, all I knew was that the protagonist’s sister is probably a serial killer and that the book is GOOD because that’s what everyone said in their reviews.

They weren’t wrong.

Genre:

Mystery

Series:

n/a

Pubbed:

2017

Goodreads summary:

A short, darkly funny, hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends

“Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer.”

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Top 5 Tuesday #28: Book Hangover

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm.

This week’s topic:

Top 5 books that caused a major hangover

When putting this list together, I realized that the types of books that tend to give me a hangover are those with either a really engrossing story or world or one with really good writing. After reading such books, I tend to take FOREVER to write the review or move on to another book either because I’m intimidated by all the thoughts and feelings I have about the story or because I want to keep the memory of the story as current as possible before moving on to something else.

I have here 7 books that gave me a book hangover. I just selected a few and stopped when I had to go do something else. That’s how I ended up with 7.

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

“The Deep” by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes

Everyone loves this book. I was drawn to it because of the hype. It made me curious to see what it’s all about, and I also thought it was pretty cool that the inspiration for it came from a rap song. But although I appreciated what the story does, I didn’t like it as much as everyone else did.

Genre:

Fantasy

Series:

n/a

Pubbed:

2019

Quick summary:

The Deep is a fantasy novella about a group of merpeople called the Wajinru who are actually descendants of African slaves. The protagonist, Yetu, serves as the historian for the Wajinru and is burdened with all the memories of her people’s traumatic experiences. She passes on these memories to other Wajinru in a ceremony called the Remembering, at the end of which she is supposed to take back the memories. But with such a heavy burden gone, Yetu takes the opportunity to escape the heavy responsibility of holding onto such painful history. (Goodreads)

Book Haul #59: We’re in 2020 Now For Sure

Big books, tiny books, cute books, and audio books.

Oh yeah, and comics too. 🙂

Purchases

Top 5 Tuesday #27: Exceeds Expectations

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm.

This week’s topic:

Top 5 books that exceeded my expectations

Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future by Lauren Redniss (illus.)

This is an illustrated nonfiction book about the weather that I learned about from YouTube. I heard that it was great, and it was that and more. I learned so much from this book and liked the illustrations that accompanied the many facts. It’d say it’s geared toward teens and adults, but you could read it to kids and will most likely need to explain some stuff to them. I highly recommend it. Check out my review to see some of the illustrations.

“The Fall” by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The second novel in the Strain trilogy was not what I thought it would be. Although it started slow, the first book was engrossing and easily hooked me. But this one was a slog sometimes.

Genre:

Horror

Series:

The Strain, book 2

Pubbed:

2010

Goodreads summary:

Humans have been displaced at the top of the food chain, and now understand – to their outright horror – what it is to be not the consumer, but the consumed.

Ephraim Goodweather, director of the New York office of the Centers for Disease control, is one of the few humans who understands what is really happening. Vampires have arrived in New York City, and their condition is contagious. If they cannot be contained, the entire world is at risk of infection.

As Eph becomes consumed with the battle against the total corruption of humanity, his ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire herself, is ever-more determined to claim their son, Zack.

“The Lady in the Coppergate Tower” by Nancy Campbell Allen, narr. by Elizabeth Knowelden

I continue with the Steampunk Proper Romance series. This time, a beautiful young woman with long golden hair is whisked off to a tower in Romania by her mysterious uncle to help her supposedly crazy twin sister.

Genre:

Paranormal; Romance; Historical Fiction; Steampunk

Series:

Steampunk Proper Romance, book 3

Pubbed:

August 2019

Goodreads summary:

Hazel Hughes has spent her life believing she is a Medium—someone who can talk to ghosts. But as of yet, that skill has remained frustratingly elusive. She is also suffering from a reoccurring childhood dream of someone who looks almost exactly like Hazel, but this dream version of herself is slowly going mad.

Sam MacInnes is a talented surgeon who runs in the highest social circles thanks to his family’s position and history. When Sam hires Hazel to assist him with his medical practice, he is immediately drawn to her intelligence, wit, and beauty.

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy (illus.)

A beautifully illustrated children’s book about friendship.

Genre:

Children’s…. Self-Help?

Pubbed:

October 2019

Goodreads summary:

Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book based on his famous quartet of characters. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse explores their unlikely friendship and the poignant, universal lessons they learn together.

Radiant with Mackesy’s warmth and gentle wit, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse blends hand-written narrative with dozens of drawings, including some of his best-loved illustrations (including “Help,” which has been shared over one million times) and new, never-before-seen material. A modern classic in the vein of The Tao of Pooh, The Alchemist, and The Giving Tree, this charmingly designed keepsake will be treasured for generations to come. (Goodreads)

“The Colors of History: How Colors Shaped the World” by Clive Gifford, illus. Marc-Étienne Peintre

The Colors of History is one of the best picture books I read in 2019. It is also the least popular book I read that year, so I hope this review will get more people interested in it to share with kids.

As the title says, this is a nonfiction book all about colors and their impact and use throughout history.

Genre:

Children’s Nonfiction — Art; History

Pubbed:

2018

Goodreads summary:

Why did Roman emperors wear purple? Which color is made from crushed beetles? What green pigment might be used to build super-fast computers of the future?

Find out the answers to these and many more questions in this vibrant exploration of the stories behind different colors, and the roles they’ve played throughout history. From black to white, and all the colors in between, every shade has a story to tell. Each color group is introduced with a stunning and interpretive double-page spread illustration, followed by illustrated entries exploring the ‘colorful’ history of particular shades. With vivid, thought-provoking illustrations and engaging bite-sized text, this book is a feast for the eyes and the mind, ready to enthrall budding artists and historians alike. (Goodreads)

Top 5 Tuesday #26: The Unexpected

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm.

This week’s topic:

Top 5 books that were not what I expected

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

Although I liked what I read, it wasn’t what I expected. The cover made me think the story would have a strong “Wild West” vibe. Although there are some elements of the Wild West and American frontier in the story, it wasn’t to extent I thought it would be. I thought that I’d feel transported to that time as I read, but that didn’t happen.

The Good Luck Girls is Davis’s debut novel. It’s the first in a YA fantasy series about a group of girls who escape from a brothel after one of the girls’ sister accidentally kills a client. The girls run away to escape the harsh repercussions but also to find freedom and a better life. I had some issues with the story, but it was a decent read.