Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

genre: fiction

Catherine house is an exclusive place. Ines knows that, based on her past, admission to any college is a miracle but the reality of Catherine is even better than she could have imagined. Soon after arriving, however, Ines notices that what she has been told about Catherine and what Catherine actually is may be two different things. In the crumbling halls, there are both secrets and a cunning strangeness that make this college experience hard to quite understand let alone articulate.

I sorta liked this, and it was also slow for me. Sometimes it felt like I was swimming through a lot of words to try and understand what was happening. Often the language is beautiful and other times it felt so ambiguous I was a little frustrated. There are some really interesting ideas here and there and parts of it did surprise me. The trope of secretive and eclectic colleges was played out really well but the randomly casual sex that didn't really add to anything and at least one glaring anachronism made me feel out of touch with the story. Maybe I just never fully connected with Ines, I don’t know what it is that I was missing.

All of Us with Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil

 genre: new adult magical realism

Xochi arrived in San Fransisco alone - so alone.  Fleeing from a painful past and ready to try and take charge of her life for the first time in her seventeen years, Xochi takes a job as a companion/nanny to Pallas.  Pallas is an extraordinary twelve year old girl, wise beyond her years but living in a house full of grown ups - only two of whom she's related to - and having Xochi around has allowed her to be a child for a little longer. Except, Xochi's pain is deep and complex and when she an Pallas accidentally summon two fae into the real world, Xochi is going to have to start to face the experiences that made her who she is.

This is a hard one to talk about, truthfully. There is so much that's just deeply uncomfortable about it - an age-inappropriate relationship, sexual assault,  upsetting images - that unfortunately it sort of overwhelmed for me all that is beautiful and gloriously healing about it.  The writing is luscious, the San Francisco setting palpable, the imagery and anthropomorphism of one of the characters was so intriguing and I do love a "family you choose" story.  I really appreciated watching Xochi's slow realization of all that had happened to her and that it wasn't her fault.   But between the drugs and the heaviness of rape and assault and the choices Xochi makes when she's a mess, it's hard to read.  The romance in it is so uncomfortable, I wouldn't even call it romance.   I can't give it more than three stars.  I wouldn't hand this to a teenager unless I knew they could handle and would be aware of what in it is not okay.

The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

 genre: new adult urban fantasy

When Vivi decides she is going to go to college at Westerly, she has no idea that their most exclusive sorority, Kappa Rho Nu, is so much more than the fancy Southern charm on the surface. Kappa Rho Nu is actually a coven of witches, and one of their most upstanding members has a dark secret that even fellow witches would condemn her for.  When Vivi decides she wants to try pledge, she has no idea how it's going change the trajectory of her Freshman year - and her life.

Okay, is a B-movie horror chick flick in book form.  I know.  But it was was exactly the sort of atmospheric, creepy, witchy book I was looking for so I'm not going to blame it for being exactly what I thought it would be when I picked it up.  Plot holes abound, the love is insta-style and the writing isn't spectacular but hey - reading about witchy sorority girls on a dark October night is a vibe, so sue me :)

3 stars

The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi

 genre: new adult contemporary fiction

When you live in Bennet House, you know you’re joining a house full of women who want a particular college experience. For EJ, Resident Assistant and engineer extraordinaire - she wants friendship, loyalty and for her life after graduation to be stable and successful. With all she's up against as a Black woman in the sciences, if that’s all she gets out of her time at Longbourn University, then her time and effort will be worth it. A real romance is NOT on EJ’s list - she doesn’t have time for that - and when the famous Will Pak arrives for the year, his behavior confirms it. She does not have the time or interest for commitment, despite the encouragement of her friends to give him a chance.

It’s a Pride and Prejudice remix! It’s modern times - socially aware with a diverse group of characters that are complex and interesting. It’s a fast, fun read. Didn’t require much of my brain and people are in some ways a little TOO perfect or predictable but when you’re reading a fanfic (and this is better than many I’ve read) you do sorta know that’s what you’re gonna get. The last bit dragged for me but overall, this was a fun choice for my “fanfic” prompt for Read Harder. If you like Pride and Prejudice already and like strong and capable Black heroines, give this a try.

Note: language and sexual situations

Reset by Sarina Dahlan

genre: dystopian, science fiction

Aris loves tabula rasa, the cleansing that the earth's population goes through every four years where minds are wiped clean and the world is a blank slate.  No attachments to create jealousy, no grudges to foster the kind of hate and war that nearly destroyed the world.  Just a peaceful NOW, to appreciate while you can. Not everyone loves this idea, though, and some people believe that memories that should've been erased may exist in dreams, the kind of dreams that can remind you of what you've loved - and lost.  People who believe that, though, are a threat to the uptonian society that the Planner created.  And that's a problem.

This book is a bit of a mixed bag.  The plot and ideas are big and interesting but the execution left me wanting.  There are plot holes everywhere and unfortunately, I feel like the characters were pretty flat.  I finished with so many questions - and not the kind that makes me want a sequel, but the kind that make me feel like all the details weren't sorted out for me.  If you aren't picky about that sort of thing and you enjoy interesting romantic plots, you might still enjoy this.

note: some language and mild sexual scenes

180 Seconds by Jessica Park

genre: new-adult fiction

Allison’s walls are amazing. She has built them over a lifetime of being shuffled from foster home to foster home. When she starts her junior year in college, she knows exactly how to live her life so that she will feel safe. It mostly involves being alone and not investing in people. Because people always leave. Allison’s only true friend is at school in California and her adoptive father, Simon, is trying. He really is.  But she knows the truth about “parents."

Then one momentary lapse of judgement, one bizarre circumstance and Allison is introduced to Ebsen. And instead of walls, Ebsen is like a beautiful open gateway, a believer in human good, a major player of social media amazingness. And as opposite as they are, Allison can’t help but be aware of him and the freedom he seems to have. A freedom she thought she’d never find.

I was in a serious funk. I asked my sister to recommend something that was fluffy, romantic, and that I could read quick. This was her recommendation and even with my crazy life, I read it in a day. I cared about Allison by the end. Her anxiety and trauma felt very real. The romance is fun and lovely but also poignant as Allison figures her stuff out. I liked how this book dealt with mental illness and attachment problems, straight on and with compassion. Several of the characters are too good to be true and there is a bit of a cheesiness factor but it turns out that was exactly what I needed right now. It’s a feel-good story, very contemporary with the social-media piece, but I certainly had a lot of feelings at the end. Maybe a couple tears when things were particularly tragic.  This book was just what my reading funk needed.

note: for sensitive readers, there is some sexualtiy of a more adult nature - not graphic but not recommended for younger teens

Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

genre: new adult fantasy

read Court of Thorns and Roses and Court of Mist and Fury first :)

It's time.  Hybern is ready to march on the world and those against him have to find a way to unite or there is no chance of survival.  But Feyre isn't at home preparing with her family, she is in the Spring Court, playing spy and trying to learn all she can.  Can Feyre figure out who to trust in time to find a way for Fae and Human to come together and defeat Hybern?

This is a swift-paced, violent and battle-filled book.  There is action and secrets and plot twists and heartache.  It completely engaged me and I think I liked it best of the three.  I liked how pieces from the first book shifted into place, how ideas that had already been planted in the past could be shaped to change the future.  It is desperate and yet filled with hope.  There were a couple parts that bordered on cheesy for me but I already cared enough about the characters that I could let it go.  I really liked how the bits and pieced tied together at the end, one scene even made me teary in a good way.  This was a pretty epic story overall and between the characters and their powers and the world-building, I was all in.  Great story.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

genre: NEW adult fantasy

Feyre survived her harrowing experiences Under the Mountain, but at a very steep cost.  Not only is she in a newly made body but her heart feels shattered.  Broken and depressed, being with Tamlin SHOULD make her feel safe again, but it doesn't.  And it doesn't help that Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, is now calling in his bargain to spend part of every month with him in his court of darkness.  When she starts experiencing a power she doesn't understand, Feyre knows that she needs to learn more than how to be politically suave and host dinner parties - but with the world becoming an ever more dangerous place, that's not going to be easy.

First off, this was an absolute page-turner for me.  I loved what happened with these characters and all the new ones I met.  Feyre is an intense and sympathetic woman who learns a lot about herself and what she's capable of - both good and bad.  I appreciated that what she went through Under the Mountain affected her so deeply and how hard it was for her to work her way through.  Second off, I need to note that this is NOT a book for young adults.  It has many graphic sexual scenes that I wouldn't hand to a young teenager.  Sometimes it bordered on gratuitous and it was frustrating because people would be having important, plot-relevant conversations about things while having detailed sex and so when you skipped you missed stuff.

Overall, though, when I get past that, I couldn't get enough of the story.  The magical world-building, the abilities, the romance.  I loved it.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

genre: NEW adult fantasy

In order to provide for her destitute family, Feyre has become a hunter - and she's very good and very focused.  When desperation leads to her to kill an animal that's more than it seems, Feyre is taken from her home to the land of faerie - where humans are most unwelcome.  With a shape-shifting captor (who of course is also incredibly handsome in his faerie-form) and a stubbornness and strength that will either allow her to earn her freedom or get herself killed, Feyre knows one fact: nothing is what it seems.

This story engaged me really quickly.  It's a mesh of Beauty and the Beast and Tam Lin, which worked great for me.  It's violent and sometimes more racey than I'd anticipated but the plot moves along quickly and Feyre is an intriguing character.  I liked the secondary characters a lot also and even though it was vaguely predictable, I enjoyed this read enough to continue the series.

Find Me by Laura Van Den Berg

genre: new adult apocalyptic

The silver bubbles on your skin are the first sign.  But by this point, even though you can't see it, your mind is turning to mush.  You are forgetting everything to the sickness that is spreading like wildfire across the United States.  Joy, who somehow does not get sick, finds herself in The Hospital, where she and others like her are waiting and donating their bodies to helping find a cure.  The endless waiting, the swirling winter, it plagues Joy as thickly as any sickness.  As lonely as a person can possibly be - can Joy find a way to feel anything real?

I tried this one because I do enjoy apocalyptic fiction - and the premise of this one does not disappoint.  A raging epidemic, a select few that are immune, that plot line grabbed me.  But Joy is a tricky person.  And I mean TRICKY, the wells of her sorrow and loss, the depth of her pain and desire to mute it all, that was hard for me to read.  I never found myself relating to Joy as a character - and there are several extreme coincidences, completely crucial to the plot of the story, that I just found myself unable to completely immerse myself in.  The writing is SO BEAUTIFUL, I mean, this author has a captivating way with words, but sometimes the things she is saying and talking about are just dripping with hopelessness and depravity, it reminded me somewhat of The Road.  Almost like I was walking around in a strangely psychedelic dream, high on some kind of drug, with things trudging along very slowly.  Things seemed like they SHOULD matter but I just couldn't figure out how.  Every once and a while something beautiful would shine through but mostly not.  I can see why people like it, but the lack of real redemption just makes it too dark for the place I'm in right now.

The Cave by Michela Montgomery

genre: new adult

Kate's plan was perfect: spend four days hiking through Wind Cave with her best friend Ano and her mentor, Percy.  Having just finished her degree at Standford, this trip through one of the world's longest caves would be the perfect time to tell Percy how she feels about him him, as well as do some in-the-field scientific research.

Of course, nothing ever really goes as planned.  Instead of a party of three, they end up heading into the cave with a party of six. Naive and with no family of her own anymore, negotiating large groups is not Kate's greatest strength and when something like an earthquake rocks the cave, she is just ready to be done and get out.  But, there is no getting out.  Because what seemed like an earthquake was actually a devastating attack on the United States and the only way to get back out is through the cave - hoping there is something to come back to on the other end.

I am a sucker for apocalyptic stories so when I got a review request for this one, I decided to give it a try.  The writing itself isn't stunning - not poetic or lyrical, but I found myself drawn into the plot anyway.  It's a unique type of survival story with twists that kept it moving right along.  I like the best friend character and the love triangle was predictable but not lame.  Kate drove me crazy sometimes - she was super wishy washy with the boys and indecisive enough I sort of wanted to shake her.  And yet, I got it.  When boys liking you is new, even if you're in your 20s, it's still hard to figure out what you want.

Point is, I liked it enough that I do really want to know what happens next - even if I didn't love it.

Note for sensitive readers: two vaguely explicit scenes that you might want to skip over.


note: if you're interested in the content of the books I read, please go to http://ratedreads.com