Tag: books

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/16/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ My daughter’s Market Day happened and she sold 3 bookmarks. She was kinda bummed but I had to point out that’s what happens with a small business plus the “market” was flooded with bookmark sellers. I think 5 of them in her class made bookmarks! And that was only HER class, there are 80+ second graders so who knows how many made bookmarks. She was able to buy some really interesting crafts like air dry clay keychains, air dry clay coasters, and there were services too – she got her shoe “shined” lol – I thought that was cute. And another kid was doing removable tattoos. Cool right? Also she bought 3 bookmarks from her other friends. I was very proud of her!

+ My daughter also had her school’s annual Songfest and I loved their performance. The theme this year was Cultural Diversity – and I love it especially with what is happening in our government that their school is not afraid to embrace diversity and inclusion. Hard to not embrace it here in Hawaii where we are a very diverse population here. It was a fun show and it kicked off Spring Break!

+ We are not doing anything special for Spring Break. My daughter has math camp for 3 days, just 90 minutes a day at school but yeah…we are just hanging out. Also my hubby does have to fly into DC this week for a 2 day conference.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – I’m obsessed!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Hangry Hearts by. Jennifer Chen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Hangry Hearts

Author: Jennifer Chen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 3/18/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT+, Trans, Romance, Family, Foodie Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Love, family, and food collide in this sparkling Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.

Julie Wu and Randall Hur used to be best friends. Now they only see each other on Saturdays at the Pasadena Farmers Market where their once close families are long-standing rivals.

When Julie and Randall are paired with ultra-rich London Kim for a community-service school project, they are forced to work together for the first time in years. It quickly becomes obvious that London has a major crush on Julie. But Julie can’t stop thinking about Randall. And Randall can’t stop thinking about how London is thinking about Julie. Soon, prompted by a little jealousy and years of missing each other, school project meetings turn into pseudo dates at their favorite Taiwanese breakfast shop and then secret kisses at the beach—far from the watchful eyes of their families.

Just as they’re finally feeling brave enough to tell their grandmas, the two matriarchs rehash their old fight and Julie and Randall get caught in the middle and Julie’s brother finds out they are dating. Their families are heartbroken.

But it’s the Year of the Dragon, an auspicious time to resolve disagreements and start anew, and Randall isn’t going down without fighting for what—and who—they love. Could the Lunar New Year provide not only a second chance for Randall and Julie, but for their families as well?

Jennifer Chen’s Hangry Hearts is a funny, big-hearted romance about friendship, family, and first love—and being brave enough to have it all.

+ I love that this is a foodie romance and it features Asian foods like Korean and Taiwanese foods. It definitely made me hungry! Two families, one Korean and the other Taiwanese, are enemies at the food market, but they weren’t always this way. These two families used to be super close.

+ Randall is trans, and I thought it was a nice representation. I love how his grandmother accepted him when he told her how he felt. The support he has, even from Julie who is his “ex-friend”, is sweet.

+ Family is a main theme in this story and yes it’s very Romeo and Juliet – Julie and Randall are forbidden to be together because both families have bad blood. But I love how they resolve things at the end.

+~ The love story between Randall and Julie is an ex-friends to lovers romance. I thought it was a cute love story, especially because they used to be best friends. For the most part I thought they were cute together but this reads very young adult, there was the teen angst, longing and drama between them. This is definitely for younger YA readers.

~ Some of the family drama was ridiculous especially when it came to Julie and Randall hiding their relationship. I was surprised Julie didn’t rebel when she got caught and basically submitted to her brother watching her like a hawk just so she stays away from Randall. I understand that family came first but I also wanted Randall to fight for their relationship instead of ghosting her sometimes.

~ There were some pacing issues – it switched quickly between Julie and Randall’s POVs which made the story move quick but also made it feel choppy at times.

Final Thoughts:

I love the Asian food representations in this story, it definitely made me hungry! I found the theme of family really enjoyable also even though I do think it went too far at times when they tried to keep Julie and Randall apart (I’m looking at you Tyler). I mean, let these young ones fall in love! Randall as a trans rep was nice and watching him fall for Julie was sweet. There were some pacing issues for me and I do feel like this will appeal to younger YA readers, but for the most part, I enjoyed it and it’s a quick read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Artifacts of an Ex by. Jennifer Chen | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 3/12/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Next week is Spring Break for my kids – can’t believe it. But maybe I’ll have time to read more books!

What are you currently reading?

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland – 30% – audiobook

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn – 11% – finally!

Holy Terrors by. Margaret L. Owen (arc) – 4% just started this one.

Pride or Die by. CL Montblanc (arc) – 1% just started this one.

What have you just finished reading?

All the Stars Align by. Gretchen Schreiber (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beautiful Maddening by. Shea Ernshaw (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Five Broken Blades by. Mai Corland (borrowed audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee (KU) ⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

What are YOU reading right now?

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 504

Publication Date: 1/19/18

Categories: Dystopia, Young Adult, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Series


Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?


Content Warning: violence

I finally finished Thunderhead! And I would have been finished earlier if I was reading it as an ebook but that was my fault for letting that expire. Thank goodness I actually have the hardcover books on my shelf huh?😅

There are a lot of things happening in Thunderhead and it follows a bunch of different characters throughout. Rowan’s character goes through a lot whereas Citra is doing well with Scythe Curie at her side. Another character, Greyson, has a big role in the events that transpire in this story.

I found Thunderhead’s thoughts really fascinating especially because in our real world we are on the verge of AI being everywhere. I also found what was going on in the Scythedom really interesting because of the power plays taking place and how I feel like it represents the Vatican. It really is amazing to imagine the world becoming the way it is portrayed in this book. The medical science and convenience of some things – like not needing to work – sound amazing. But the story explores the other side to this conversation too. The story is complex and the world-building is great.

The book is long and I was bummed Rowan and Citra was apart for almost all of it! But overall I was entertained.

The ending was unexpected and crazy. I’ll be jumping into book three hopefully next month.

Quotes from the book:

“I have pondered the records of the mortal age and long ago determined the two sides of the coin. While freedom gives rise to growth and enlightenment, permission allows evil to flourish in a light of dat that would otherwise destroy it.”

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman

Final Thoughts:

What a sequel to Scythe! I love reading the Thunderhead’s thoughts and I really wasn’t expecting the story to take the turn it did. It was great to be in Rowan and Citra’s world again but it’s one that is collapsing under the strain of what’s happening in the Scythedom. I can’t want to see how this story ends.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Book Review | Scythe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/9/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Nothing exciting happened this week – I did get my flu shot finally and so I was dealing with feeling a bit feverish afterwards but it coincided with my PMS/hot flashes lol…so I was used to that.

+ Just did the usual cleaning, laundry, blogging, reading and dropping off the kids and picking up the kids. I feel like I’m doing less spending now that the economy is shaky and uncertain. I mean that’s good for me I guess! I did buy an ebook though – Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn. I couldn’t help myself lol.

+ This week my daughter has Market Day at school. The second graders made their own products, my daughter decided to do bookmarks – I helped her cut the cardstock and put the tassels but she’s doing all the artwork for the bookmarks. They get tickets from their teacher to buy stuff from the market also so we’ll see how that goes! I think it’s a fun idea.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Running Point (Netflix) – I love Kate Hudson and this was so funny and also heartwarming.
  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – What an album! I love it – it makes me want to dance!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Queen of Shadows and Ruin ( The Nightfire Quartet, #4)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 491

Publication Date: 3/6/25

Publisher: Second Sky

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Second Sky for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Zarya must become the darkness…

Soaring through the sky to the frozen mountains of Andhera, Zarya knows that only she can save her home from annihilation. Ruthless armies hunt her friends and toxic dark magic spreads through the land, consuming all it touches. To fight back, she and Rabin must find dangerous new allies.

In a palace of black marble, Zarya finally meets her father—the mysterious Raja Abishek. She approaches warily. For years she was told to fear this man, that he seeks to steal her power. But Abishek welcomes her with open arms, with gifts and lavish celebrations.

Rabin is sure the king can help them, turning the tide of war and decay. And when the magic binding Zarya’s heart to Rabin begins to fail, only Abishek can offer a cure. Zarya dreads the thought of placing their lives in his hands… But can she hesitate, when Rabin might be torn from her forever?

As Zarya makes her choice, ancient magic breaks loose, and her world shatters. In a ruined and long forgotten city, her love for Rabin will be tested to its limits. An army of shadows marches against her, destroying all in its path, and everything Zarya loves will be lost, unless she can face the darkness inside her—and release its devastating power.

An absolutely gripping fantasy romance that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Carissa Broadbent, Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the epic final volume in the Nightfire Quartet.

Content Warning: violence

+ Zarya and Rabin are together but they are visiting with her her father, Abishek, and her suspicions about him are spot on but she’s also trying to keep an open mind. They both have to navigate being in his kingdom, but Rabin is trying to convince himself that Abishek means them no harm. His instincts are very wrong. I do feel like this was the biggest challenge to befell Zarya and Rabin and they come through it all in the end. There are some spicy scenes between them.

+ Yasen, Zarya’s bestie, is with her in the beginning but they do split apart in the book because they he and Miraan have to return to Ishaan because of what’s happening there. So I think it’s nice that Yasen has his own big role in this story.

+ A lot of loose ends get tied up and there is even a few twists in the story.

~ I thought the story was a bit too long and dragged in the middle, especially because Abishek is trying to keep Zarya and Rabin in Andhera, and that was repetitive. Clearly, he was lying to them but Zarya gave him the benefit of the doubt. But I felt like that part could have moved faster.

Final Thoughts:

I think this books was a bit long and the middle slowed down but it does finish off with more action. But I do think this is a good conclusion to the Nightfire Quartet because it tied up all the loose ends. Zarya and Rabin’s love is as strong as ever as they rise to all the challenges against them. Overall, this was a solid addition to the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heart of Night and Fire by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Nightfire Quartet, #1)

Dance of Stars and Ashes by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Nightfire Quartet, #2)

Storm of Ink and Blood by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Nightfire Quartet, #3)

*****

Trial of the Sun Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review (Artefacts or Ouranos, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rule of the Aurora King by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review (Artefacts or Ouranos, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fate of the Sun King by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review(Artefacts or Ouranos, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms Duology, #1)

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Chinese Mythology

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


n a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother’s soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This author is becoming a must-read for me. I love her last series and now this one has started off amazingly. The world-building sucked me in! I love the magic, and martial arts.

+ Àn’yīng has been through some trauma at the hands of the Kingdom of Night which is run by mó (demons). She’s the caretaker for her family now that her father is gone, and to save her mother she takes part in the Immortal Trials in order to win the pill of immortality for her. But it’s a challenge to pass the trials when her competition wants her dead.

+ Àn’yīng meets someone on her way to the trials and the enemies to lovers trope going on between them is so good. Yu’chén is powerful, gorgeous, and gets on her nerves. To make it worse she finds out he is half mó. Àn’yīng hates demons because a demon killed her father and harmed her mother, so she’s warring with her feelings about Yu’chén throughout the whole book. The spice is mild but the angst and tension between them is intense. I loved it from beginning to end. I am rooting for them.

+ The trials taking place gives us more insight into the Immortals and the history of the war going on between the kingdoms. I love the twist and reveal at the ending of the book and it makes me very curious to see what will happen next.

~ The romance seems doomed as things play out but please I hope this does not become a love-triangle. I’m vested in Àn’yīng and Yu’chén, I love the two of them together, but with the way this book ended, it makes me curious as to another character who has gotten close to Àn’yīng.

~ Would love to see some growth with Àn’yīng. I could see why she was angry and distrustful, because of her trauma, but she was always kind of weak in the competition compared to everyone else. With what is revealed at the end, I wonder if she gets stronger when it comes to magical powers? I do love her fighting skills.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book and read it in two days. I was hooked with the world-building, the murder mystery, and the tension-filled romance. This was a quick, entertaining read with some twists and I am excited to see what happens in the next book. I have watched K-drama but never C-drama, but as I read this, I could see this being a drama show I would totally watch just to see Yu’chén come to life! Loved it and can’t wait for book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Tigress by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | Blood Heir ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 3/5/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

It’s March! Can you believe it? I’m working on a few books at a time right now, which isn’t the best idea but I’m determined to at least finish Thunderhead and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes this week. I’m trying to do more audiobooks but we’ll see how I do.

What are you currently reading?

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee (KU) – 23%

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman – 197/504 – Got a lot reading on this one during this weekend!

Tale of the Heart Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli (borrowed) – 11% – last book in the series.

The Beautiful Maddening by. Shea Ernshaw (arc) – 23% – what the enchanted tulips?! This book is kind of strange, but we’ll see how it goes.

Five Broken Blades by. Mai Corland (borrowed audiobook) – 22% found this on Libby as an audiobook!

What have you just finished reading?

One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang (borrowed audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Under the Surface by. Diana Urban ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Of Earthly Delights by. Goldy Moldavsky (arc)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Journey to Us by. Lady B ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

What are YOU reading right now?

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/2/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ My hubby is a federal worker so let’s just say, every week since Trump has been in office has been a circus. He never knows if he will still have a job. So far he does…but he’s stressed. I’m stressed too but as long as he has his job, I try to stay positive.

+ Went to the library to pick up two books: Under the Surface by. Diana Urban and To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn

+ Made some beaded bag charms/keychains for my Etsy shop because I realize I have a lot of beads in my craft boxes. I don’t know if any of you readers are crafters, but you know how you have a little bit of everything lying around? 😅. It felt good to make stuff – I kind of miss it.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 541

Publication Date: 5/19/20

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Series


It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.


Content Warning: death, violence, murder, hanging, death of children

I finally read this prequel to The Hunger Games and this is what I thought:

+ I liked getting to know Coriolanus Snow’s background. Yes…he is who becomes President Snow in The Hunger Games. This is his story, how he is living in Capitol poverty and ashamed of it and trying to hide it. It’s interesting to see how it shapes him.

+ This is in the early days of the first few Hunger Games so it’s interesting to see how different it is compared to when Katniss is a participant. In this book, the Hunger Games isn’t as sophisticated and high-tech yet, but it’s still very cruel – maybe moreso because all they do is throw these kids into the zoo of all places and then try to lure them out with food to kill one another. I did learn more about why the games were started, and why they felt like it was a good way to keep the peace.

+ Lucy Gray is the sunshine in this story. She is quirky, unconventional, she doesn’t seem like someone who could kill and win the Hunger Games but she surprises everyone. The romance between Lucy and Coryo is surprising and yet…not…because he didn’t seem like a psychotic, power-hungry person yet. Not when he was with Lucy and thinking of running off with her. But things change so much.

~ The story was slow moving except for the last part of the book. It took me almost two weeks to finish. I wish it moved faster. Also I didn’t feel like the Hunger Games was as focused on. This was all about who Coryo is and what shaped him.

~ The crazy thing is I didn’t even see Coryo as scary in the beginning. He was ashamed of his station and wanted the best for his family and to survive. Wanting best for your family is a good thing, right? But there was a feeling that the Capitol hated him and he didn’t know why. I was hoping he would actually turn against them instead when he met Lucy and in District 12 but nope, that experience and then some pushed him harder into his convictions about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. He believed the Capitol was right and the Hunger Games were a necessity, unfortunately. Slowly we see him try to justify all his bad actions and even kind of lose it in the end because of Lucy Gray.

Quotes from the book:

“No one would ever let him have enough.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“His terror was a private thing, not meant for public display.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life…then how did you survive?

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“Who are human beings? Because who we are determine the type of governing we need.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“I’m being erased, he thought. And to erase me, they must erase the Games.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“It was never meant to be anything more than theoretical. And who but the vilest monsters would stage it?”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

Final Thoughts:

I expected this one to be fast moving and intense like the The Hunger Games series but it wasn’t so for me it was an okay read. The beginning was slow, even through the games, and it only picks up at the end. I did like getting to know Coriolanus Snow more and I like how Lucy Gray was sunshine to his dark life. I thought this book gave me good insight into the man who will become President Snow in the series but I did expect more.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble