fantasy – Page 5 – LairOfBooks

Spoiler Free Review: Lobizona by Romina Garber

Title: Lobizona

Author: Romina Garber

Pub. Date: August 4th 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Format: eGalley

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 400 pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

“I am that leftover ace of diamonds. I don’t fit into any of the groupings around me, and the things that make me different always seem to count against me”

Lobizona tells the story of Manuela Azu aka Manu as she lives a quiet sheltered life in Miami alongside her mother. Manu has been on the run from her father’s Argentine crime family since birth. Now she hides from ICE raids in the United States by blending in as best she can. For Manu this means homeschooling from Perla, sort of an adoptive grandmother who shares a lie for literature with Manu. Perla has also shared folklore from their mother country of Argentina. One of the superstitions Manu has always felt a connection with is that of the 7th consecutive sons & daughters born in Argentina being either a wolf or witch. This story starts with Manu’s menstruation, a painful time for Manu directly correlated with the moon cycle. Manu’s mother gives her a sedative which puts her to sleep through the majority of her cycle. She remains indoors most of the time but when she does go out she wears shades to cover her unnaturally yellow as the sun eyes. Manu follows her mothers rules in order to keep from being detained & deported but she yearns for freedom and friends her age.

Manu’s entire life course is upended when her mother is detained by ICE & she finds herself on her own. Searching for answers with little to go on, she manages to stumble upon a group of teens off the side of the road. What at first seemed like just group of teens ends up looking a lot more like the Argentine Folklore passed down to her by Perla. Could Perla, the adopted grandmother have been trying to tell her something about her origins? or was it just superstitions passed down from her mother country? Could these people have answers to questions she hasn’t thought to ask? We follow Manu as she dares to uncover secrets and lay claim over her very existence.

It’s been about two weeks since I finished this book & I still remember the raw emotions it stirred up in me. During a time in the United States where we’ve seen children torn away from their families, this one hits hard! Manu left Argentina at the age of 5, on the run from her father’s crime family. Life in Miami has been spent mostly within the walls of her home building. Her very existence is deemed “illegal” in Argentina & in the U.S. and the author made sure to convey Manu’s feelings of displacement. I LOVED the magic in this world! in many ways this has all the elements of a Fantasy set within a school with even their own magical sport. There are witches being trained to use their elemental magic as well as wolves training in physical strength. There’s discussion on gender & identity, the fact that their world is stuck in rigid antiquated beliefs. Their laws make it so they cannot move beyond a binary system & therefore who they may love is also dictated by the assigned sex at birth. I felt this opened the floor for discussion and also set up the foundation for the next book. Manu is reclaiming her identity & with that comes hope for change within their world. I felt so many emotions reading this book but also hope because it feels like Manu’s journey will be one where she fights for equality.

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

September 2020 TBR

Fall is absolutely in the air, it’s been a long time since I’ve braved posting a TBR here simply because the past 2 years have been mood reading heavy. Unintentionally this TBR is giving off major fall vibes & I am here LIVING for it! although I’ve found a new love for Summer, the Fall season will always be my one true love. It’s when I do the most reading, rock the cute hoodies, and drink all the seasonal drinks…I’m looking at you Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew 😉

By the time this post goes live I’ll be in the process of reading 2 or maybe 3 of these titles, one is definitely an audiobook. All of the titles listed below are eGalleys/ARCS/ALCS I am very thankful to have received & will be trying to review within this month. If I manage to make my way through these, I have a few add-ons to choose from but ummm…

Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) by Lyssa Kay Adams-Lyssa Kay Adams can continue writing in this world & I will buy all of her books. Here we follow Noah Logan the unofficial Bromance Book Club member who is a tech savvy nerd/hacker. As with all of these books there’s a guy who is in need of better understanding the female love interest. I’m only 15% into this book & already it’s getting hard to stop reading so fast. I love that we follow the important themes discussed in the previous book with sexual harassment at the work front. The men are still hard at work shedding toxic masculinity seen first hand at the very start when we learn that Liv (previous female love interest) has entrusted all wedding arrangements to her fiancé Braden Mack. Braden has gathered his book club to make paper carnations & GAH! I LOVE these characters so friggin much!

Horrid by Katrina Leno-In the spirit of continuing to read Horror, this could not have come at a better time. Set during the Autumns season we see a girl whose father has passed away & with her mom returns to her home town. Creepy vibes in this house where there’s a “storage”room that runs out to be a little girls bedroom. Our MC also faces bullying in this town & from what I can gather, this may come down to grieving & mental illness or something actually dark & secret. I’m intrigued but will definitely be reading this with the lights on & no my Kindle back light won’t cut it 🙂

Fable (Fable #1) by Adrienne Young-Pirates are my drug of choice but give me female pirates & now I don’t know how to act. I LOVED Adrienne Young’s Sky in the Deep & jumped at the chance of reading this on Netgalley. After losing her mother to the Sea, our MC is left to be raised by her father who in turn abandons her. Left alone to fend for herself, she sets out to make her way back to her father to convince him that she is worthy of being a member of his crew. What she doesn’t know is that during the time she was away from him, he’s picked up quite the rivals in his trade business. No one is to be trusted & nothing is as it seems…

A Deadly Education (Scholomance # 1) by Naomi Novak-I am about 15% into this book & I in NO way am here to support she who shall NOT be named. However, this book really does feel like the Slytherin story I never got. This I guess in many ways is Dark Academia with a MC who to many will come across as unlikeable. I happen to LOVE this type of character, her inner monologue has me wicked chuckling smh. She has all this dark power within her & can cast some powerful spells but doing that would bring about destruction. While others are working simpler spells to make life easier, she can’t summon anything basic. In many ways she comes across as a Bitter Betty but I can’t help LOVING her!

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole-Thought this was just a thriller but early reviewers are saying this leans more towards Horror. This is the year where I’ve started to take an interest in horror so I’m here for it! I’ve already started the audiobook via Libro.fm (my referral code) & the narration is A+! set in Brooklyn we meet a MC who is in the midst of watching her neighborhood go through the changes imposed by gentrification or is it? did the neighbors really relocate to the suburbs? I hear our MC may be a bit of an unreliable character & I love me a paranoid MC! here for it!

Kingdom Of The Wicked (Kingdom Of The Wicked #1) by Kerri Maniscalco-My! My! MY! I have yet to read a Kerri Maniscalco but this author has remained intriguing AF to me. Happy to satisfy my curiosity with this tale of twins, one Is gruesomely murdered & the other is left to find her murderer and avenge her death. Somehow, she gets thrown into meeting one of the Princes of Hell who is in charge of investigating the deaths of numerous women?!? Dark Romance?! HELL YES!

Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn– Southern Black Girl Magic? sign me up! Queer characters & secret societies within a school setting? with magical weapons? HIGH hopes! early reviews are all leaning towards this being a potential 5 star *fingers crossed*

Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Brujas #3) by Zoraida Córdova– The 3rd book in the Brooklyn Brujas trilogy & we finally get Rose Mortiz as the main POV! the littlest sister who is a rebel at heart, I’m beyond stoked! won’t go into deets cause spoilers but this is such a awesome Latinx trilogy to get into filled with magic and adventure.

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

FRIDAY READS & THANGS…

Happy Friday Book Lovers! I’m a little all over the place today but I’m stoked to get the weekend started. This weekend I’ll be flexing my newly found green thumb skills as I expand my at home window garden. I really thought this was something I sucked at smh since my past experience with plants were TERRIBLE. Whelp! (many things I thought I would suck at have turned out to be quite the opposite, never doubt yourself luvs) I have managed to keep my succulent Leo alive since the start of this year. Many will ask themselves (like my good friend Taylor @Nerdnarration), how do you kill a succulent? well it happened to me 2 years ago & I was set on never letting it happen again. Leo is now ready for siblings & my BFF IRL is bringing me a seedling from his very own garden! excited for this & have already ordered a few things for their arrival. On the bookish front, I have started a contemporary set to be released in 2 weeks & a few single issue comics. I also have plans for some outdoor activities with my tiny humans in a safe social distancing space.

The Faithless Hawk (The Merciful Crow #2) by Margaret Owen– I had no idea this was a duology but I’m so satisfied with how everything wrapped up! The world was further fleshed out as was the magic system & our MC’s were put through the wringer. I did NOT expect to finish it with tears in my eyes but it sure happened to be that way. I have a full review coming next week.

Wynd Issues 1 & 2 by BOOM Comics! – If you’re a fan of all things Fae then this will be one to keep an eye out for. I’m already craving more from this story & appreciate so much the plus size rep as well as there being POC characters. Wynd is a Fae Queer boy living in Pipetown where all with magic in their blood have been exiled. Wynd is in hiding, he was taken in by a family when he was just a baby left behind in a basket. The family has taken great risk in hiding him while the King has hired help to eliminate any found within his kingdom. There’s also talk of a land where those with magic live freely, can’t wait to read more!

A Man Among Ye Issues 1 & 2 by Image Comics– I love all things pirates but its the female pirate stories that have given me LIFE! this comic is based off of the real Irish Pirate Anne Bonny. We get a female MC who is very confident & just a bad a**! aboard Captain Jack’s crew. Other than Jack who may be a love interest, the crew is very sexist & anti Anne. Mutiny is definitely afoot. Now I’m not sure if she will remain on his crew or venture off based on how issue 2 left off. I am absolutely in need of issue 3 cause it seems we will be getting more female POC Pirates. I have a feeling this will be a favorite & I’m really hoping it gets a trade paperback *fingers crossed*

The Roommate by Rosie Danan

House Rules:
Do your own dishes
Knock before entering the bathroom
Never look up your roommate online

This was about all I had read from the Goodreads Synopsis before I clicked on request on Netgalley. So far its been receiving really good reviews & I can see why. Since starting it last I found myself quickly going through the pages with no real want to put it down except for the much needed sleep. I’ve heard it’s a very sex positive read & that one of the MC’s has a profession not typically seen in books…I’m intrigued 😉

“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power tells the tale of Adora, a teenager who can transform into the heroine She-Ra and leads a group of other magical princesses in a rebellion against the evil Lord Hordak and his Horde.”

I’ve just started watching friends & can’t stop! thank goodness for slow work from home days amiright? haha! there are POC & plus size characters that I have absolutely been charmed by. These characters have quickly become faves! Final thoughts will be in my August Wrap-up.

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

July 2020 Wrap-Up

This summer could’ve easily been a bust but I’m happy to report that July was possibly the BEST month I’ve had this year. After being stuck indoors for quite some time, I spent most of my personal time by some body of water. It was a blessing to be able to escape the city & experience some freedom while also reading some great books. I also rediscovered my love for all things Grease & listened to the soundtrack whenever possible…to be understood as all the time 🤷🏻‍♀️😌😂 When I wasn’t listening to Grease or reading, I went down the rabbit hole that is Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix. The thing is, this show creeps me out & I could only watch it with someone OR during the day. Otherwise I was for sure having dreams of cracking cases in my sleep & startling awake at all hours of the night. All that being said, I already have plans to watch I’ll Be Gone in the Dark on HBO MAX cause a part of me enjoys scaring myself to sleep smh…

Quality wise, I enjoyed all of the five reads I picked up in July and found some new authors I’m really excited to read more from. I’m considering making a special post dedicated to Silvia Moreno-Garcia as I make my way through her back-list. As always, the goal is to prioritize reading diverse books with an emphasis on intersectionality. This has made reading way more pleasurable and put a lot of black & Latinx authors on my radar. I have reviews posted for all of the books listed below for what I feel is the first time in a very long time.

HERE TO STAY BY ADRIANA HERRERA – ✨4.5 STARS✨ (My Review) I cannot stress this enough…Adriana Herrera is an author to keep an eye out for! we get Latinx characters who fall in love while crushing their goals and taking care of their mental health & space. There’s also an awesome friend group here that I would’ve loved to be a part of myself! for now I’ll comfort myself thinking I’m an honorary member of the Gotham Exiles Club 😉

FOREST OF SOULS BY LORI M. LEE – ✨4 STARS✨ (My Review) This story contains one of the best F/F friendships I’ve ever seen & if you’re one looking for a more adventure/platonic based Fantasy then this is a solid choice. Hella atmospheric with imagery that will give you the creeps when you enter the Dead Wood. Shamans practicing elemental magic + an ending to leave you reaching for more!

YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN BY LEAH JOHNSON – ✨5 STARS✨(My Review) I listened to the audiobook version on Libro.fm & LOVED our MC a queer black teen who comes from a poor family with a lot of love. This is a story about second chance friendships, living your truth, and being seen when you feel invisible.

MEXICAN GOTHIC BY SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA – ✨5 STARS✨(My Review) Atmospheric & haunting; this book teleported me from a sunny day on the beach IRL to the gothic vibes inside of High Place, the mansion where it all takes place. Our MC is headstrong & way ahead of her times, I truly enjoyed being led into this mystery despite my aversion to anything creepy/scary.

YOU HAD ME AT HOLA BY ALEXIS DARIA – ✨5 STARS✨ (My Review) Save the best for last? I don’t know cause Mexican Gothic really competes with You Had Me at Hola for my fave read of the month. Gahhh! an ode to telenovelas aka soap operas! it was everything I could’ve asked for & more! I wasn’t expecting mental health, PTSD, codependency & physical consent on the set while filming as themes in this book but I’m beyond grateful for this book. To take Latinx characters & portray them in a positive light as they climb the success ladder and experience heartbreak at a time where we simply just don’t have these stories…feels AMAZING!

Binge worthy they say? I was HOOKED from the very first episode but as previously mentioned, I couldn’t watch this by myself for the life of me 😂 I did watch the majority with my boyfriend who pulled up Google & further intensified my obsession with this show. We were those people who googled to see where they were with each of these cases & STILL are following the page for any updates smh. Shortly after finishing this show I found myself needing closure & so I ventured into this next show…

Although this is a very old show, in 2017 Netflix streamed one of their seasons & yes yes I did binge this right after Unsolved Mysteries. However, unlike the previous show which left me feeling hopeless (still a well put together show) this one has solved cases. Through the great strides in technology & DNA, all of these cases were solved usually within a 30 year span. This show gave me hope that the new cases in Unsolved Mysteries will be solved.

JUly WAS a month of relaxation & honestly just taking a step back from stressors which called for a change of scenery.I did do some retail therapy (BOOK HAUL)while also unhauling/donating 100+ books from my shelves. In many ways july was when i centered myself & in turn laid out some new goals in my journey. drop some luv in the comments book lovers! i hope you’re all doing well & reading some great new books! ❤

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

July 2020 Book Haul

July will forever be marked as the month of endless summer nights turned into trips to the book store. Nights curled up with a good book under the night sky was where I found my zen this year. This also means that I more than made up for my sort of book buying ban in June, let’s be real not a month goes by where I don’t one click some Kindle deal or another. July was also the month where I purchased sequels to series I’m currently reading & really enjoying. I finally dived into The Daevabad Trilogy (My review) & continued in the world of the Brown sisters with Take a Hint, Dani Brown (My review). It also marks the month that I started to request on Netgalley again after a long hiatus of about 2 years. I’ve been blessed by the book Gods with some EPIC titles I’m already reading and will be reviewing both here & on my Bookstagram. August will be a MUCH slower book buying month, if I buy any at all simply because September in the bookish world is known as being big on releases.

For more Bookish photos, click on the photo to follow LairOfBooks on Bookstagram

Kindle Steals

I’m actually really proud of myself in not going click happy in July! these are the only 4 I downloaded for either $1.99 or $2.99 which is pretty hard to resist. I’ve heard only the best of things about all 4 titles & hope to get to them in the very near future.

CRIERS WAR (CRIERS WAR #1) | RADIANCE (WRAITH KINGS #1) | THE BLACK PRISM (LIGHTBRINGER #1) | THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO (CHRONICLES OF THE BITCH QUEEN #1)

Dipping my toes slowly into requesting on Netgalley & Edelweiss again since I still want to continue reading through my back-list books. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse was actually a wish granted on Netgalley which made my month all the better. These are 6 books I’ve been HIGHLY anticipating & will be reading throughout the next couple of weeks starting with Fable by Adrienne Young since it will be hitting shelves on September 1st! *book shimmy*

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

Spoiler Free Review: Forest Of Souls (Shamanborn #1) by Lori M. Lee

Title: Forest Of Souls (Shamanborn #1)

Author: Lori M. Lee

Pub. Date: June 23rd 2020

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Format: eGalley

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Pages: 400 Pages

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

We don’t often see YA Fantasy with a strong female/female friendship at its core but they’re SO needed! Forest Of Souls has ZERO romance my fellow book lovers, instead we got the ride or die friendship of a lifetime. Our MC Sirscha was orphaned at a very young age & then recruited by the Prince/Queens Army. On the side she trains for the coveted/competitive spot of Queen’s Spy where she is trained by Kendara, an older woman who is the current spy for the Queen. Challenged & tested every day with hopes that she gets selected but unsure of who her competitors are, Sirscha is determine to prove everyone wrong. She has no house to claim her & no wealth to back her, she is looked down upon & often taunted to get her to leave her training. The only friendship she’s managed to make is with Saengo who has the complete opposite of upbringings. The daughter of a well respected prominent family, Saengo trains in the Queens Army as a way to rebel against expectations placed upon her. She isn’t disciplined when she steps out of line but that isn’t for want. Saengo craves to be treated like every other soldier & hates seeing Sirscha get the brunt of the discipline for the both of them.

When side tracked during their camps travels one day, they find themselves in a world of danger & consequences are set in motion. All eyes are on Sirscha when in a moment of life or death, her Shaman abilities are activated unbeknownst to her. Bringing Saengo back to life after an attack from a Shaman wielding the fire element left her for dead. The only issue is that in this world there is nothing worse than being a Shaman. To be discovered to have Shaman abilities is to live a life imprisoned or be killed. This is because the Queen had her own family wiped out by Shamans and since then has not been able to pardon any who cross her lands. This of course poses a conflict since Sirscha was a top contender for the title of Queen’s Spy. Word gets out & gets back to Ronin, the Spider King who is in charge of The Dead Wood where souls can be found trapped within the trees. No one dares go into the Dead Wood without an invitation from The Spider King & even he can’t promise you complete & total safe passage. Ronin takes interest in Sirscha believing her to be the only living Soul Guide which puts her in a odd position. Her powers seem to control the souls reaching out from the trees & Ronin means to utilize her. Sirscha is up for the task but she wants answers to her questions & to get to the root of the problem. Saengo may be back from the dead but is beginning to show signs of the rot/decomposition. Sirscha will do anything to keep her friend alive especially because they are now bound in more ways than one (spoilery won’t say) making it a necessity.

The strongest aspects of this book are within the core friendship between Sirscha & Saengo as well as the message of self worth. Sirscha doesn’t know her worth, she constantly feels the need to prove herself to her superiors & craves approval. Driven by that need to be accepted & valued, she is hell bent on the position of Queen’s Spy & then thrown off kilter when that seems unlikely. If not the Queens Spy, then who will she become? this is always at the forefront of her actions. Sirscha is honorable, loyal, fierce & wicked with her fighting abilities but she doesn’t see her own value. I LOVED her character growth, seeing her reclaim the power within & realizing she is absolutely more than enough. As far as the world building, it’s very atmospheric & eerie especially the scenes in The Dead Wood. I only wished there was more exploration of Sirscha’s own Shaman abilities. At the very beginning we get a whole Glossary for this world however we don’t really see all of it used in the text. I kind of wish we had because some of the abilities in the Glossary for some of the Shaman sound unique & interesting. I also was hoping to get an appearance from the feared Queen herself but that didn’t happen. The side characters however were really clutch! Prince Meilek at one point sort of gave me love interest vibes but that may have just been me, I did enjoy his character. The ending of course left me wishing I had the follow-up in my hands. It seems Sirscha’s adventure is far from over, in fact it’s just begun…

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

2020 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hello Hello Book Lovers! I’m a bit past the mid-point of the year but I was reading some FAB books I couldn’t put down & risk them not making this list. I’m pretty sure there are still some new faves out there I’ve yet to read but I’m also very happy with the ones that did make the cut in this tag. The fact that we’re still finding joy in a hobby we love in such tough times is a blessing in & of itself. This tag took me just about a day to work through but while working on it I caught up with some Booktube videos as well as my binge of The Cold Case Files on Netflix.

Best book you’ve read so far this year

Without a doubt the honor goes to All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson! (My review) this book will forever stay in my heart & soul as a genuine collection of stories (essays) that are raw & powerful. George gives us a intimate look at life growing up as a queer black man in America. At times it was very hard to listen to & others I felt like an honorary guest at the kitchen table. Race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic differences are all explored here. Poignant & life changing, this is a book you want to have read Luvs!

Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

Out of all the prompts in this tag, this is the one I can say was the reason for this tag going up past the month of June. I was honestly holding out to read a few more sequels that I’m pretty certain are going to blow my mind but for now I have selected Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan! (My review) This was 10 times darker than Wicked Saints & I was sort of anticipating this since I follow the author on Twitter. This book is more focused on Serafin but overall the character development was *chefs kiss* & the set-up for the final book which btw will be driven by a Malachiasz POV…was just A+! slower paced sequel & worth every page 😉

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson (Goodreads)🖤 First off I’ll start by saying that I love reading all things witchy, even before I had read the synopsis this book was in my cart. Described as a feminist fantasy with gothic vibes that takes on race, misogyny, religion and homophobia to name a few. I received my copy in the mail about a week ago & will be reading it in August!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Brujas #3) by Zoraida Cordova the final book in a witchy series I absolutely fell in love with! This book will be following the youngest of the sisters Rose as she comes into her newfound powers. This is the third & final book so I’ll just leave it at that cause spoilers. If you’re looking for more Latinx Representation, Zoraida Cordova is such a talented writer who has become one of my top 3 favorite authors!

Biggest disappointment

This is the year I’ve re-discovered my love for reading & that’s partly because I’ve made it a priority to only read what my spider senses detect will be a hit. I’m sort of riding the wave between mood reading & arc timely reading if that’s even a thing. No disappointing reads to report as of yet and a gal is crossing her fingers it stays that way 😉

Biggest surprise

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (Goodreads) When I first saw this book announced I knew that I had to read! not only for the Latinx representation but also because it’s centered around telenovela stars which I figured would be pretty nostalgic for me. This book was more than what I expected in the best of possible ways. We see two Latinx characters cast in a major telenovela that is set to break barriers & stereotypes for the Latinx community. This is also the first time I read a book with Latinx characters where the Spanish in text is not italicized which gave me a more organic reading experience. I have a review in the works but for those that are interested, some of the content warnings are PTSD, anxiety, talk of loss of a parent, Cancer, alcohol as coping mechanism.

Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

I’ve recently fallen down the rabbit hole with buying all of anything written by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia with ZERO regrets! I read Mexican Gothic (review coming) this month while at the beach & was just teleported to High Place with its Gothic/Horror vibes turned all the way up! I’ve legit started collecting Moreno-Garcias books since I plan on binge reading for a future blog post. One thing I have noticed about this author is that she isn’t boxed into any particular genre. So far I’ve seen books she’s written under the Horror, Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, Magical realism genres. The one thing that makes Moreno a favorite for me besides the A+ writing is that her characters are all Latinx. I’m really looking forward to reading all of her back-list books.

Newest fictional crush

I’ll admit I’ve never had a fictional crush but then Talia Hibbert went & changed all that with Zafir Ansari in Take a Hint Dani Brown (My review) he is the perfect balance between sweet cinnamon roll & a knight in shining armor. Not that Dani needed one at all but he’s old school & seeing to his ladies needs/wants is at the top of his priorities. Zaf is attentive & nurturing, he’s also super supportive. To top it all off, he has. foundation where he helps young boys shed toxic masculinity by providing a safe space where they can talk about their feelings. Zaf has my heart!

Newest favorite character

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas (my review) was the last book I purchased before Quarantine in NYC & I LOVED it to pieces! There are so many stand-out characters but one in particular stole the show…Lehabah the small & curvy Fire Sprite. Lehabah is bashful & loves watching Fangs & Bangs. Her love for Fangs & Bangs is only rivaled by her love for our MC Bryce Quinlan. Lehabah fretted over Bryce & I just adored her!

Book that made you cry

This may come as a surprise but the book that made me cry was House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas (my review). If you’ve yet to read this one I’d suggest steering clear of the Goodreads synopsis since it’s VERY spoilery & in my opinion also takes away from the emotional reaction it may illicit. However, I will say what I loved most about this book is the awesome ride or die female/female friendship at its core.

Book that made you happy

Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters #2) by Talia Hibbert (My Review) was THE book that made me smile & just radiate happiness all over! Between Zafir being the ideal love interest & Dani being this independent bi-sexual witch Goddess, I was LIVING for their story! the body positivity & acceptance of personalities and differences is #GOALS If I’m being honest for favorite new to me author it was a tie between Sylvia Moreno-Garcia and Talia Hibbert. Love them both so much! but this is the book that put me in a happy place.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is STUNNING!!! Noemi our MC is serving 1950’s glamor with a Gothic/Horror Vibe on the cover with what looks to be dead flowers in her grasp. I LOVE this cover & story so much that I have it on display on my bedroom shelves. It is legit a source of inspiration for some upcoming paint/artwork I have planned for my bedroom walls.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

There are SO many wonderfully Diverse titles as well as some highly anticipated sequels hitting our shelves in the second half of this year that I absolutely can’t wait to read. These are just a few I plan on reading THIS year in an attempt to deliver my Top 20 of 200 by the end of the year…

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

June 2020 Monthly Wrap-Up

Hola Bookworms! It’s finally Friday and I’m very much looking forward to unplugging this weekend. I took today off from work (this post was scheduled) to get away for a bit since we’ll be experiencing a heat wave in New York City. I’ve got two cute new bathing suits I’m pretty stoked to try out, a new found love for Roscato sweet red wine & Playa Bowls (pictured below). Currently I’m reading Forest Of Souls (Shamanborn #1) by Lori M. Lee (Really enjoying this slower paced world building but then again that’s my thang haha!) and obsessing over John Legend’s new album Bigger Love. July is already proving to be a quality reading month with some 5 star reads. In the month of June I threw myself into reading even more diverse black voices & spent less time blogging. I’m just now getting caught up with reviews but figured I should probably wrap up the month seeing as we’re already in mid-July. Drop some love down below, how are you spending your weekend? reading? watching? writing?

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta – ✨4.5 STARS✨ I still stand by my original thoughts on this book, it is one of the MOST raw coming of age stories I’ve ever read. Written in verse, this is the story of Michael who is Jamaican and Greek living in London being raised by his mother. His mother is Greek, a single parent who is very supportive and loving to both Michael and his sister. Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood & attending a school with mostly white children, Michael faces many challenges being a queer black boy. We follow his journey to finding himself and the freedom he obtains on that journey. I listened to the audiobook on Libro.fm & personally I loved getting the story narrated by the author. I listened in one sitting! ❤

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon – ✨3 STARS✨After hearing many of my friends in the Book community express their thoughts, I adjusted my expectations on this one. I already had a Book of the Month copy as well as the audiobook from Libro.fm. I loved the friendship aspects of this story where we follow our MC as she meets two other women that happen to be dating the same man she is. An unlikely confrontation leads to a friendship which I enjoyed seeing develop. What I didn’t love so much was the romance seeing as it has the whole undercover angle & that took away from any chemistry I may have felt between the two love interests. I’d still be interested in reading possibly a story arc following the other friends *fingers crossed*

The City Of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty -✨4 STARS✨ (My Review) LOVED the world building & plot! captivating and truly memorable however I didn’t fall in love or grow attached to any of the characters. Sure I had one that stood out but that was iffy too. Character growth is on the page & I do have high hopes for the sequel being a 5 star read.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick – ✨5 STARS✨ (My Review) YA Thrillers! people sleep on them but truly they are something to explore! Kit Frick held me from the very first page & I could only imagine what the experience would’ve been like if I had listened to this in audiobook format since it does have a podcast feel. LOVED the unreliable narrator & the interviews throughout the book with neighbors & friends. Lastly, I’ll say that I did NOT see that ending coming & was left with my jaw hanging smh.

Abbott – ✨4 STARS✨My only wish is that this had more issues but I can’t find any info online as to whether there will be. We follow a Journalist in Detroit who is investigating a series of murders that seem to have a paranormal twist. I was hella intrigued by our MC who is a black bi-sexual divorced woman with a bit of a brooding side she settles into each night with a glass of whiskey.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson – ✨5 STARS✨ (My Review) My BEST read of the month! One that I will not stop recommending! I listened to the author narrate his own essays in this audiobook via Libro.fm & was absolutely invested start to finish. I said in my review that it felt like I was at the kitchen table with George hearing stories of his youth as if he were a friend. This is how I’ll aways remember my time with this book. The importance of reading stories that feature intersectionality is something I’ll always stress. This is the story of George M. Johnson a young queer black man growing up in America.

June was a e-book heavy month for me & as I’m still donating books from my shelves I didn’t purchase any physical books. I can tell you now that this is not the case for July smh but at least I have plenty of shelf space to house my new babies. The books down below were all Kindle deals mostly $1.99 at most $3.99, I went click happy because there were so many great titles on sale so here goes…

For many years I’ve heard Guy Ritchie get much acclaim as a director but for me personally it was seeing this movie that really caught my interest. The minute I saw the cast of characters…Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant I KNEW I had to watch! Initially it was set to be a date night at the movies but Rona put a stop to that & I waited for it to be made available on Fandango Now. We follow McConaughey who is an American expat trying to sell his very profitable Marijuana empire in London. This of course captures the attention of many of his enemies & triggers many attempts to steal his business before he can sell. TONS of action, schemes, and yea even a few laugh out loud moments. Overall a good time!

June was an intense month in the world, i was proud to see many of my bookish friends in the community amplify black voices all throughout. The efforts to bring diverse stories to our shelves continues. i’ve always read diversely with an emphasis on intersectionality but i will be amping that up further on this blog.happy reading <3’s!

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

Spoiler Free Review: City Of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

Title: City Of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1)

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

Pub. Date: November 14th 2017

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Format: Physical book

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 533 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty is one of the books I’ve had on my list of Must Read Fantasy Books for way too long! in this book we meet Nahri who is a con woman in the streets of Cairo. Nahri knows her way around & makes a living using sleight of hand, whether it’s palm readings, zars (ceremony where Nahri is hired to sort of exorcise a demon who has taken possession of a person), or healings she takes the opportunity to swindle the nobility of Cairo. This all changes when she manages to conjure up a Djinn Warrior who is just as cunning as she is. Dara is bound to Nahri in ways she doesn’t yet understand at the start of her journey. Dara tells Nahri of Daevabad, a magical land home to the City of Brass. Dara tells Nahri of the magic that runs in her blood as a Shafit (mixed Djinn\human) & that she belongs in Daevabad where she will be safer than in Cairo’s streets. Nahri is curious enough to want to find out if the magic she’s only heard of in stories actually exists. Their journey to Daevabad comes with many challenges & attacks. We also get to learn a lot of history as it relates to the 6 Djinn tribes. What Nahri doesn’t expect is that a lot of old tensions are still brewing & she’s walking right into a culminating rebellion beneath the surface. We get court politics, Nahri training with her new found magical abilities, and oppression. At the very heart of this book is the story of a people who are being oppressed by the nobility for having mixed blood with humans. There’s an outright decrees to stifle their uprising by any means necessary which leads to the loss of lives.

It’s my goal to always read diversely and it makes my heart feel whole when I see a cast of characters in a Fantasy that are for the mostly all people of color. In City Of Brass we get a diverse cast of characters from different socioeconomic backgrounds. There are no purely good/evil characters in this story. Everyone has an agenda & even those looking out for the interest of the under privileged will cross lines for the greater good. I’d like to say that I connected with any of these characters but I didn’t & I’m a reader who loves character driven stories. For this reason alone I docked it a star however, the world building inspired by Middle Eastern Folklore is truly captivating. As we journey through this land we meet many other species from all elements (Earth, Wind, Air and Fire) which all make for a lush world with a complex history.

Nahri as an MC is very unsure of herself & the pressure placed upon her is a bit much. Getting to know who is friend or foe will be her best bet. I did enjoy seeing her character growth when she realizes that her street learned skills are exactly what she’ll need to survive in the City of Brass. Dara is a complex character & I was split down the middle on my feelings for him. On the one hand he has such a messed up past of enslavement & loss that my heart really wants to root for him. On the other, there’s no denying our fierce Djiin warrior has some serious prejudices against the Shafit or anyone who isn’t Djinn. A lot of this is instilled in him through History & the believe that procreating with humans is sacrilegious. Muntadhir is second born son to the king, his role is to protect his brother who is next in line for the throne. Muntadhir is a trained fighter & very devout, out of all the characters he’s the one with a strong conscious. For Muntadhir it is about right vs. wrong no matter what side of the fence he is on. Out of everyone in this book, Muntadhir has to be my favorite character. He’s trying so hard to hold on to his beliefs & is being met with many tests along the way. It’ll be interesting to see his character’s journey in the next book.

This review is long enough smh so I’ll keep this short & sweet, I absolutely LOVED S.A. Chakraborty’s world building! It never once felt info dumpey, instead the history of the six Djiin Tribes is delivered in creative ways that really come to life. I also am a sucker for elemental magic & seeing that weaved into the different species was a plus. The character development was on point as was the world building which heightens my interest in getting to the next book very soon. The build-up of tensions between the oppressed and the nobility is very well done as are the attacks executed by the rebels. I honestly felt like I was watching pieces on a chess board move, wondering what was going to happen next. I do hope we get more of Nahri’s own abilities in the next book since here we only see the beginning stages of her tapping into them. I also have questions I hope get answered & hope that one of my theories on her lineage come into actualization *fingers crossed* on that one! the hype was well deserved <3’s!

🖤FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS🖤

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

Review: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Title: The City We Became

Author:N.K. Jemisin

Pub. Date: March 24th. 2020

Genre: Sc-Fi/Urban Fantasy

Format: Physical

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 464 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

I’m just going to preface this review by saying I can 100% understand now why so many are deeply awed and at the same time intimidated by N.K. Jemisin’s writing. This author doesn’t pull any punches & completely trusts you as a reader to keep up & decipher whatever she’s throwing at you which is a WHOLE lot! this story takes off running with the introduction of New York as an avatar which is essentially a soul. There are five boroughs in NYC: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island. They are all repped in this book by an avatar for the city of New York that is in danger of never being born…yea I know, try wrapping your head around that one!

All five boroughs must find their way to each other & save the main Avatar which is NYC himself. At the very start they aren’t all aware that they’ve been chosen as avatars but as their paths cross, things start to connect. One thing is clear! they love their city & won’t let anyone/thing threaten its birth. This was my first N.K. Jemisin read but I had heard from other bookish friends that the real treat is the social commentary embedded which I can now attest to. We have a villain who is referred to as The Woman in White who I came to understand, represents a threat to all that which makes the city of New York culturally diverse. The five avatars that are each a personification of the boroughs, range in ages & cultural backgrounds. This alone makes this one hell of a unique story because of its inclusivity & diversity which is exactly what I’d like to see more of in the Fantasy genre. The Bronx is repped by a woman in her 70’s who is a Native-American Lesbian & art administrator, Brooklyn is a middle aged black politician woman who was once a Hip Hop artist, Manhattan is a black male who is in Grad school & arrives in the city to meet his Trans roommate. Queens is repped by a young female Mathematician/Immigrant & Staten Island is the daughter of a homophobic, racist, Xenophobic cop. She’s never left the Island & lives in fear of Manhattan since it represents all the evil her father has warned her about.

These characters are complex & multi-faceted, they come bearing the weight of many of the stereotypes placed upon them. This isn’t your average Fantasy/World-building either, we don’t see any specific magic being used. Instead, a lot of their power comes from within and from the positive & negative life experiences they’ve each had. We see them learn to manipulate their powers once they notice the city react & come to life to help them in their battle against the woman in white. I am still thinking about these characters & all of the possibilities of where this story could unravel. NYC is just one of the cities being birthed, we also met Sao Paulo and Hong Kong personified. It is the duty of the last city birthed to help along the next & on the very first page there’s a map with some other possible cities. I’m very intrigued to see this series grow & while I wait, can now finally pick up The Broken Earth trilogy which is also by this author & very well loved.