Simone and Her Books

books, reviews, and recommendations

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

recent posts

  • My Reading Journal and How I Write Reviews

    My Reading Journal and How I Write Reviews

    This is going to be a two-for-one post because my reading journal is also where I keep my notes for book reviews. I’ll first share how I keep my reading journal and then I’ll share how I write my reviews.

    There’s a billion ways I’ve seen people take notes. Some folks keep it all in their heads. Other folks write in margins of the book and tag pages with book darts or tabs. Even further, other people just take notes on their phone. The first step is to find the best way for you to organize your thoughts.

    I love having the book journal because I like having all my notes in one place. I also love being able to go back and see all the books I’ve read. Granted, I also have a spreadsheet to keep track of all the books I read, but I also love reading how I felt and what the books were about.

    First off, the tools:

    Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

    My philosophy when it comes to journaling is use whatever materials you like. Journals are made for you, so design them however you want to design them. Make them feel good for you because you’re the one archiving your thoughts into a physical place.

    I write my notes in two separate columns; a plot side and a thoughts side. The plot side is riddled with spoilers and points from the book. This side is mostly for me so I’m reminded of what happened in the book and can reference that in my reviews. I don’t include the spoiler parts and if the plot would spoil the book, then I try to avoid adding them to my reviews.

    The thoughts side is where I put down…well, my thoughts. Characters I like, how I think the book is going, and some dislikes. Glaringly obvious issues that made me cringe or questions I asked myself. I really love writing this stuff down so when it comes to review time, I can easily recall those points. I hate it when I write a review and forget something I wanted to add, then have to go back and add it in. Usually I forget to add it in.

    I also like to start each page with a few notes to myself. For example, I note if the book is a reread or if I’m doing a buddy read with someone or how I came across the book. I really like making my reviews more personal by adding a little about why I started reading this book or if I’m doing a specific challenge. I just think it gives my reviews a little more of a personal touch than facts.

    The best part about this is that it fosters more thinking and thoughts. For example, if I write a note saying I read a book for a reading challenge, then I might be inspired to write about the challenge later on. Inspiration comes from anywhere, so writing down my inspiration inspires more!

    Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

    For decorating my book journal, it’s really all over the place. I love working on my handlettering skills by writing out the title of the book with marker. Sometimes I decorate the page and sometimes there’s too many thoughts for me to sacrifice that space. I like using colorful pens to match the book cover colors. This is really just me doing what I like and you should be inspired to do the same!

    As for writing reviews, I like to think of readers when I’m writing a review. What information will make it easy for the reader to read and understand if the book will be for them? For me, that’s writing style, characters/plot, and overall feelings.

    How is the writing style? I always think of this one first. How was the overall reading experience and did the writing get in the way of that? Think about the pacing, the perspective, and other little attributes of the author’s writing. Does it read quickly? Does it drag in the middle? Is there representation and did it do it properly?

    How are the characters/plot? Is it riddled with tropes? Is it based on actual events? Providing some plot or points in the plot that you loved or hated will help. Which characters did you love? Which characters made you seethe with hatred?

    What are your overall feelings? Would you recommend this book? I feel like everyone has an overall feeling about a book even if it’s short or just the rating. If you were to elevator pitch this book to a friend, what would you say?

    I also like to get inside the author’s head. What were they thinking when they wrote a specific section or why they wrote a character a certain way. I like to figure out where the author was when they were writing the book to help better understand what I read. Here’s some more things I like to keep in mind:

    Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

    Only include a summary if the synopsis doesn’t do a good job explaining the book. I hate being in the dark about a story and I most definitely dislike vague synopses. I like sharing a little bit of the story I read so that other readers can get a good idea of it too. I get wanting to create buzz about a book, but it doesn’t help readers make the crucial decision on whether to actually read it. However, I avoid including synopsis if it will spoil the book or if the book is so long I can’t condense its plot into a few sentences.

    Avoid bashing a book. I don’t know what it is about the Internet and opinions, but people love expressing them online especially if they’re a negative opinion. I don’t have any problems with negative reviews. I don’t mind if books didn’t work for someone or it made someone feel uncomfortable. I don’t mind if the book did have a great plot or you didn’t resonate with the characters, but please don’t continuously talk about how terrible a book is. These kinds of reviews really help no one with understanding if the book is worth their time. It’s also really unproductive to just hear someone complaining without resolve or reason. Usually if I see a Goodreads review riddled with eye-rolling gifs, I just scroll past it. Bashing a book means you’re going through special means to make sure the author feels terrible for writing their book. I never know if I should read a book when the review just stomps it into the dirt.

    Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

    Include content warnings for sensitive readers. In 2020, we all have our thing. I don’t think there’s a human in the world that isn’t going through something at this very moment. I have my thing and because we all have our thing, we should be mindful that some subjects may warrant bad feelings. When I’m reading reviews, I want to know if there are certain triggers included in the story. This allows me to either prepare myself for the content of the book or make me reconsider reading the book all together.

    There is a belief that including content warnings are a spoiler. I don’t believe that. I don’t think you’re spoiling a book if you note there’s a rape scene or the content deals with suicide. If anything, it makes the reader more aware and prepare for the scene if they choose to read the book. I would much rather know what I’m getting myself into than blindly go into it and trigger myself.

    You don’t need to be a cunning writer to write reviews. I see a lot of folks go through a lot of work to sound like a professional book critic in their reviews. I love the eloquent writing, but I don’t think it’s a per-requisite to writing good reviews. Good reviews allow the readers to understand the book better. What did you like and what you didn’t like will help make up the minds of other readers. You can write it in a very professional style, but I love reviews that read like I’m talking to my friend. And of course I take friend’s suggestions over a professional reviewer.

    But generally, just share your thoughts! They don’t have to be the most erudite things. Honestly, reviews should be written not only for the reader but for yourself. If you have thoughts and need to share them or write them down, go for it! There’s no hard and fast rules, but I do hope that the points I mentioned help give you some sense of what goes into writing a review. Be honest. If you didn’t like the book, share why you didn’t like it. If you loved the book, share that too. No one should find fault in either of these kinds of reviews and if people disagree, then people disagree.

    The big takeaway in all of this is that books aren’t made for everyone. It’ll either be a hit or a miss and that’s just human nature. Make the reviews for you and what you’ll find is that others felt the same way.

  • My May 2020 TBR

    My May 2020 TBR

    And it’s a doozy. To be honest, I’ve struggled a lot with TBRs throughout my entire reading career. Mood always trumps everything I want to read, but I’ve also come to appreciate the TBR for getting me through books I wouldn’t normally pick up.

    I really love exploring new books and picking up things I wouldn’t necessarily pick up. I always find amazing reads this way and I love that there isn’t a lot of influence from the community to read popular books when I do read from a TBR. I mean, I’m influenced, but when sticking to the stack you’re not needlessly pushing stuff off. You can just read the popular book next month or after you finish your TBR.

    But May is a pretty busy month with too many goals set for myself. I actually might have overdone it. Here’s what I’ll be reading:

    Hugo Award Nominated Books

    I wanted to challenge myself with the time I spend in quarantine, so I decided I would read some of the books nominated for a Hugo Award this year. I’ve already started this goal last month and I’m loving the books being offered up for the award. All of them are so intriguing and suspenseful with stories that are seriously complex and make you think.

    I decided once I’m done reading from this list, I’ll host my own little award ceremony and choose my favorite from two different categories: novels and novellas. I would try and read everything nominated for a Hugo Award this year, but I have other books to read too. Here’s what I’ll be reading from the novel category:

    • The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
    • Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (I’ll also be reading Harrow the Ninth right after, but that’s just for me)
    • The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
    • A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
    • Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
    • Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

    For the novella category, I’ll be reading:

    • Exhalations by Ted Chiang (there’s one specific story from this book that’s being nominated, but I’ll read the whole thing)
    • The Deep by Rivers Solomon
    • The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P Djeli Clark
    • This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

    Just to note, I’ve already read To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers and I will be skipping In An Absent Dream by Seanan Mcguire because it’s part of a series. I’d like to read that series entirely.

    Netgalley Reads

    Another big goal for myself is to read my Netgalley books. I’ve been meaning to improve my Netgalley score for months and I decided in the month with the biggest challenge, I’m going to try and improve it. Many books I’m receiving from publishers right now are through Netgalley, so my score is only going to get worse. Here’s what I’m looking to read and review:

    • Given by Nandi Taylor
    • Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
    • Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake
    • The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
    • Unnatural Magic by CM Waggoner
    • Havenfall by Sara Holland
    • Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
    • Running by Natalia Sylvester

    Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Reads

    May is also Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Some of the authors above do fall into that category, but I think the main goal for me to read is The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. This will be an epic re-read for me because it’s been 20 years since I read it the first time.

    I think if I add any more books to this list, I’m going to intimidate myself into reading nothing. LOL. What will you be reading this month?

     

  • Asking Bookstagram: Do You Read Faster on an E-Reader?

    Asking Bookstagram: Do You Read Faster on an E-Reader?

    Recently, I started asking fun questions to my bookstagram followers to see their opinions and thoughts on book related topics. I conducted my first survey over the weekend asking the question: Do you read faster or slower on an e-reader?

    Background

    I don’t know about you, but I’ve been reading a lot on my e-reader lately. Maybe it’s because of the pandemic and the virus that I don’t want to touch any books or maybe it’s because new books aren’t coming in so I’m getting more e-galleys and e-library loans. Either way, I’ve been reading a lot more electronically.

    And of course when I’m doing anything bookish, weird questions pop up in my head. This time, I noticed I was reading faster. Or it feels like I’m reading faster. I don’t have any data to support this theory, it was just a feeling.

    So I went to bookstagram to ask if anyone else has felt the same way when they use an e-reader. I left the question up for 24 hours and shared some responses afterwards. Note, these aren’t based on any scientific research. This is entirely by feel and opinion, but I thought the opinions were fun and interesting to read. Here’s the results:

    Results

    img_6416

     

    According to the poll, 66% of people who responded said that they do feel like they read faster. Only 34% said they read slower.

    For those who read slow

    Many of the issues folks have with e-readers in general is how their reading habits change. The big thing people mentioned was that they don’t comprehend as much as they would from a physical book. Other people mentioned that e-readers make it too easy to skim through the book and many folks mentioned that they tend to skim when on the e-reader.

    I found those results fascinating because I never skim and I have full comprehension. Is this just a case of brain wiring? Are some folks better readers on an e-reader than others?

    I can imagine that comprehension goes down. Similarly to reading an article on your phone or perusing social media, we read quickly, skim, and try to take away the basic premise. Also, social media keeps things short and sweet which means when you read on your phone, you’re reading 240 characters. Your brain isn’t absorbing and following a story any longer than that.

    I can see how the habit of using our phones for social media, texting, everything would make it more difficult to sit down and read an entire book off of it!

    For those who read fast

    There were a few different responses, but many folks said the same thing. The big one was the settings and accessibility of an e-reader. People love the ability to change the font, the print size, the lighting on the page, and the lightness of the device. For some, it provides a better reading experience than the set print type and font of a physical book. So they’re not tossing and turning or straining their eyes to read. They have no barriers keeping them from an enjoyable reading experience, which results in reading faster or even more on an e-reader.

    Others mentioned the compulsion to swipe. My friend, Leigh, mentioned that she wrote a blog post about this so I went to her blog and looked it up. Similarly to phones, we are wired to swipe everything. Swipe right for dates. Swipe up for more info. Swipe away to close an app. So when it comes to reading, the compulsion to swipe is similar to that of using your phone. So they read and read and read and swipe and swipe and swipe. I kind of get that! For some, this is the reason why reading comprehension goes down. For others, they’re able to read faster while comprehending what they’re reading. INTERESTING!

    The final thing I wanted to mention is the progress bar. I like to hide my progress bar on my e-reader. This allows me to read without the distraction of how much book I have left. When I turn my progress bar off, I get lost in the story. I focus my time on the words and what’s being presented. And then I get up in an hour and noticed I’ve read 100 pages. This is why I’m always surprised I read so quickly!

    Other folks mentioned using the progress bar to challenge themselves. If they can see they’re at 30%, they’ll set a goal to read to 45% or 60%. While you can do this with a physical book and mark out the pages you want to read, perhaps people like the ease of the e-reader who uses technology to do it for you.

    Conclusion

    There is none! This wasn’t a contest or a challenge to see if e-readers are better than physical books. There’s room for both in our reading world. Many people responded telling me that they love the feel of a physical book and couldn’t really get into the e-reader, which I completely understand too! But I did think the results were fun and I loved sharing them with you all today.

    So I’ll ask the same to you. Do you feel like you read faster on an e-reader?

  • The State of Simone: Where I’ve Been and My March 2020 Wrap Up

    The State of Simone: Where I’ve Been and My March 2020 Wrap Up

    2020 has been busy.

    I moved to another city, but that wasn’t easy. We had to scout the city first and then find a place to live and then plan the rest of the move.

    And then the Corona virus hit.

    We moved a week before we were told to start practicing social distancing. I can’t believe I bought my toilet paper and paper towels for our new house right before it started selling out in stores. My husband and I’ve been staying home, staying safe. He’s been working, but since the virus broke out there’s been a slight hiring freeze. All the applications I’ve sent to places are now languishing in some HR limbo waiting for release. I mean, I think we’re all waiting for release.

    So I’ve been keeping busy. We’ve been working on some projects at home and also keeping each other entertained while in quarantine. Hubby built a squat rack and platform (which is something we’ve been wanting and started working on before quarantine) and we were right at the start of working on our garden before everything shut down. I’ve set up a little reading nook in our third-level loft. It’s now the comfiest place to read, meditate, and just get away from the rest of what’s happening on ground level. I even bought Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch to play.

    As for reading, not so much. Since March was when they announced California would start “shelter in place,” I’ve been feeling a little lethargic. Like everyone else, the feeling of wanting to be at home vs. forced to be at home are quite different. As you know, I’m an avid homebody and love being home and doing things at home, but being told you can’t go anywhere really changes things. Normal walks require me to walk across the street whenever someone comes in the opposite direction. Keeping socially distant to avoid catching the virus. Constantly washing your hands or waiting in line for groceries because pandemic has made other folks hoard supplies. It’s been exhausting.

    However, I also know that our lives are pretty privileged. We don’t have any kids so we don’t have to worry about school. We aren’t over the age of 65. We don’t have any respiratory issues or pre-existing conditions that would make us more susceptible to the disease. All we can do as able-bodied citizens is stay home, stay safe, and avoid contact with others. As the able-bodied, we are the ones that have to be more careful because our privilege lets us leave the house whenever we want. Our privilege lets us do jumping jacks without being out of breath. Our privilege needs to be under check through this time because those without the privilege won’t survive if we don’t.

    So lethargy, I can get over. What I’m doing is protecting my mother who is over 65 and my father who has asthma. We’re protecting the huge senior citizen community that live here. We’re keeping our healthcare workers and essential employees safe from the virus. We’re putting those who are disadvantaged first because there’s no room to be selfish when there’s a virus going around that will literally strangle people of their breath.

    But despite the pandemic and having an anxiety attack every time I go to the grocery store now (grocery stores were so soothing and now they’re panic inducing), I read seven books. I read my monthly average, which I’m very surprised and grateful about. There were so many accounts I’ve read from friends who can’t focus on their reading. So many people who are struggling with their mental health to sit down and enjoy a book. So many parents who need to focus their free time on taking care of their kids. So many folks who are working from home and trying to maintain a good work/life balance despite it all happening in the same place. The world is a little chaotic right now, so I’m grateful I read one book let alone seven.

    Out of the seven, there were really only three that I wanted to highlight. You can find all my reviews on Goodreads, but a quick list of recommendations from me include:

    For April, I plan on spending more time reading at home, working on my mocktails (a new hobby of mine), and baking to pass the time. What have you been doing to pass the time?

     

  • Never Judge a Reader by their Reading Format

    Never Judge a Reader by their Reading Format

    Recently, I was snubbed for reading an ebook over a physical book. Someone came to  my Instagram page and in little-to-no words said “No! I like real books not ebooks.”

    And that enraged me. Of course, it would enrage me. How can it not?

    There’s been some word slinging regarding ebooks and audiobooks….again. Yes, this is a battle between the formats that’s been going on for as long as the Kindle has been invented. The moment someone decided to make books technologically accessible was the moment the Whig party shook out their powdered do’s and started telling people the proper way to read a book.

    But the truth is a much better alternative than trying to find space for yet another book on your bookshelf. It’s all about accessibility.

    Are you the on-the-go mom that used to read, but can’t seem to find the time? Are you the workaholic who spends their nights posting spreadsheets together and crunching numbers? Are you an Uber driver who can’t read and drive? Do you have poor eyesight or are the tiny words printed too small?

    Then ebooks and audiobooks are for you. In a day and age of inclusiveness, publishing is also trying to bring books to more people. That means making sure that anyone in the world despite where they are, who they are, or what might hold them back, gets a chance to read. Providing more accessible ways to read allows for more people to get into the hobby. There isn’t pickets up saying we should ban audiobooks because physical books are better. There’s no competition here. It’s just another method of getting books into the hands of the masses.

    Speaking of those masses, let’s discuss them a little while we’re here. Despite the small book community/bubble that I solely live in, outside of this bubble it feels like very few people read. They want to read, but they don’t have the time. They used to read, but something happened and now they don’t. They’ve always wanted to get more into reading, but x, y, and z. There’s numerous reasons as to why books aren’t being read and why only a few books are getting promoted by celebrity book clubs and the like. But this is a bigger conversation for another post.

    Having books accessible in different formats allows for books to be read. It’s like publishing is eliminating all the excuses for not reading including taking over Hollywood and turning some of their great novels into movies. It’s like they want you to read even when you’re watching the movie of the book.

    But as I mentioned, this isn’t deciding what is best. Physical books aren’t the better choice just because it’s ink and paper. It’s just another option. The same goes for audiobooks and ebooks. Audiobooks allows for people who can’t sit down and read to read on the go. You can adjust the speed of your reading and even set timers so your book can turn itself off if you fall asleep. Ebooks allows for people to carry numerous books in a single device. If you’re a heavy traveler, you can easily carry all the books you need on an e-reading device. There’s even ereaders for Barnes and Noble and independent booksellers and you can buy audiobooks through Libro.fm and support your local booksellers at the same time. Folks in the world want you to read and they’ll provide as many ways as they can that even support indie bookstores!

    I think the biggest thing to remember is that ebooks and audiobooks help folks with sight issues read. Folks who have sight issues can listen to audiobooks or adjust the font size on their e-readers bringing the magic of books to those who physically can’t see them. We’re creating a word where disabled folks can enjoy reading as well.

    Shaming folks for reading in other formats really makes no sense. That’s like saying what’s the better utensil to eat mac and cheese? Is it a fork or is it a spoon? The answer is that it’s player’s choice. The answer is that there is no answer because this is a nonsense question. Making reading accessible to everyone is the future especially in a world where books and reading used to be a way to keep people of color ignorant and stupid.

    So if you’re in that elite group of literary folks who snub their nose on a Kindle or purse your lips at someone who chooses to listen to their books than use their eyes, then all I can say is this; your snobbery is not welcome. Perhaps instead of being such a naysayer, you can give audiobooks or ebooks a try. You’ll find the accessibility a little too hard to deny.

  • Tweet Cute by Emma Lord // Book Review

    Tweet Cute by Emma Lord // Book Review

    This book was Gossip Girl meets Romeo and Juliet meets You’ve Got Mail. I would say out of all these comparisons, it’s more like You’ve Got Mail and here’s why.

    Tweet Cute_CoverTweet Cute follows Pepper and Jack. Pepper’s family owns and operates Big League Burger; a fast food chain that’s been growing exponentially over the last few years. Jack’s family runs a small deli called Girl Cheesing in the East Village for the past two generations and Jack’s dad is thinking of passing the deli to Jack in the future. When Big League Burger announces a brand new sandwich, Jack and his family can’t help but see a suspicious resemblance to one of their iconic sandwiches. And in good modern fashion, they retaliate via Twitter starting a Twitter hashtag war between the two brands.

    And here’s the added layer; both Jack and Pepper go to the same school in the same homeroom class and they’re both on the swim team. However, for the four years Pepper’s been in school, she’s been a little robotic focusing only on schoolwork than making friends. Meanwhile Jack is hidden behind his twin brother, Ethan’s, shadow. Jack and Pepper will have to work together in their final year of high school as Ethan shirks his swim team captain duties to his twin.

    But then there’s another added layer. There’s a new app the entire school has been using called Weazel. It connects its students anonymously to set up study groups, complain about tests and teachers, and speak directly with each other. Of course this app isn’t an official school app, but everyone uses the app to connect to one another and that even includes Pepper and Jack. Pepper has been talking to Wolf for a few months now, but his identity hasn’t been revealed yet to her. She thinks it might be her high school crush, Landon. Jack created the app and spends his time filtering out the trolls and bullying on the app, but he’s been talking to Bluebird and really enjoying their conversations. The app hasn’t shown either who is who, but when both Jack and Pepper find out who they’ve been talking to for all these months, it’s not very surprising.

    This story isn’t the easiest to explain mostly because there’s so much going on. I was worried with so much going on that one will get dropped over another or Emma Lord would forget something. However, she was able to cover all her bases and do it in a way that makes reading so natural. I honestly was surprised by how easily everything fell into place. Did it work really well together? Yes. Did it work 100% of the time? Not really.

    I loved this story and to be honest, I was a little nervous with reading this one. I’m not a huge fan of Gossip Girl-like stories where the super rich just abuse their privilege to get whatever they want. It doesn’t read well with me, but because neither Pepper or Jack are born with spoons in their mouths, the story was a little bit more fun to appreciate. I love that Pepper is a chronic people-pleaser and that conflicts with Pepper’s entire life. She feels beholden to her mother and continue a toxic Twitter feud. She also feels like she needs to get everything done and perfect. I absolutely loved that Pepper wasn’t perfect.

    Pepper’s mom also seemed like a such a complex character. At first, I thought her instance to keep the Twitter feud going was a little hard-headed, but when she tweets herself I knew she was as stubborn as myself. But when you finally learn the truth about Pepper’s mom, it starts to make more sense why she pushes so hard. I felt like Pepper’s mom was a much bigger feature in the story than Jack’s family. I mean, Jack’s family does get some of the spotlight, but I feel like I knew Pepper’s mom’s character way better than I knew Jack’s entire family (including Ethan).

    Coming from this third part perspective where the reader is exposed to both Pepper and Jack’s perspective really made it difficult for me. I wanted to side with Pepper but Jack’s side revealed something I couldn’t look past and vice versa. You couldn’t help but to love both these characters and hope for the best for both.

    For issues, I don’t really have many. There was one big reveal that didn’t make sense to me or was a little too convenient and the story does lag a little bit, but it’s not the end all of the story.

    Overall, this is such a great and fun read. I absolutely enjoyed this book from cover to cover. It’s perfect. It’s fluffy as hell. And you’ll definitely be satisfied by the ending.

    I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

  • Reverie by Ryan La Sala // Book Review

    Reverie by Ryan La Sala // Book Review

    When I first heard about Ryan La Sala’s book, I was so excited. I love dreams and reality and I love books that play with the interconnection of both. So when I finally had the opportunity to read it, I absolutely didn’t hesitate. However, the proof is sort of in the pudding and this one lacked a little flavor.

    Reverie follows Kane, a young guy who recently woke up from a coma when he accidentally crashed his dad’s car into an old mill. However, Kane doesn’t remember anything about the accident, who caused it, and what happened to Maxine, a woman who was at the mill at the same time of the accident.

    As Kane tries to gain control on his memory, four friends appear to help piece the puzzles of his memory back together. Reveries are dreams come to life; a subconscious desire from a single entity abruptly resets reality making those within the reverie characters acting out parts. However, Kane and his friends stay lucid through the reveries fighting and suppressing the reveries and returning reality to its normal state. But when a mysterious drag queen named Poesy appears, the reveries become more than

    I teetered between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one because I really liked the story, but it wasn’t perfect. For the most part, this story was great. I loved the usage of subconscious thought and desire to color the reveries. I love how Kane and his friends are lucid throughout using their powers to fight against the reverie and return the world to its normal self. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Inception, I think it’s accurate to use that metaphor to explain how Kane and his friends are able to stay “lucid” through the dreams.

    But the best part is the fact Kane and his friends have superpowers. There’s this Sailor Moon-esque feeling to the story, which I’m referencing because Ryan La Sala does twice (once in the book and another in his bio). Average people who come from different walks of life who have magical powers and fights against the monsters in the reveries? Yeah, that sounds deeply close to Sailor Moon. And guess who’s Usagi? Well, it’s no other than Kane himself as he finds out more about his destiny in this mess. Each character has their own specialty and they don’t hesitate to use them inside the reveries as well as outside the reveries. I won’t say any more since it’ll probably give it away.

    The action sequences were really fun to read and really moved the story forward. I will say that I freaked out when there was a giant spider/bug attacking everyone. My least favorite thing is bugs and giant bugs are definitely in that category. Yeesh! However, the story wasn’t perfect and I really wish it was. The only big issue I had is the world building. I found myself quite confused about why things were happening. There wasn’t an explanation why these reveries were happening or why Kane was chosen or why Poesy chose to use this world to create her reveries.

    Because of the missing pieces explaining the world, the rest of it felt a little disjointed. Decisions were made that confused me and even new characters showed up that confused me with their existence. While you can still get through the story and just accept that things are happening, it would have made this book gold if the world was a little bit more realized and fleshed out.

    Overall, this is a pretty solid debut from Ryan La Sala. I loved the little world Ryan La Sala built and I also loved the big love for the LGBTQIA+ community. It felt like falling down to Wonderland and I absolutely love that. Definitely take a minute to read his Acknowledgements at the end! I loved his writing here and I’ll be excited to read whatever he publishes in the future.

    I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

  • Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova // Book Review

    Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova // Book Review

    Earlier last week, I did a promotion for Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova. I was so excited about this book that I decided to read it right there and then even though the book comes out in April 2020. While I absolutely loved this book, I struggled with sharing my thoughts way too soon. However, looking at Goodreads, I can see a few folks have already read the book and since it was offered as a giveaway ARC at YallFest, some folks have already written their reviews. So, what’s stopping me?

    But you know me, I need to break down this book and share with you not only the plot but the whole universe. Here’s what goes down in Incendiary.

    In this world, there used to be a powerful group of people with abilities to mess with your mind. There are people who can create visions in your head, persuade you to do something you didn’t want to do, read your lies, and steal your memories. However, these people were close to extinction by an opposing group who found these magics to be a source of evil. They were slaughtered to near extinction pushing those with magics into the dark as a new King works to get rid of all the magics in the world.

    Renata Convida is a young person who has the very rare ability to steal people’s memories. As the ward of one of the Royal Justices, she used her power to create Hollows; humans who have been removed of all their memories creating a hollow shell. Their deaths are eminent after being hollowed out. Renata has hollowed over 100 people before she escaped the Justice and went to live with people like her. However, the others don’t really trust her as her power to remove memories can happen with a single graze of her finger. Renata is willing to prove herself worthy to be with the other magics.

    When their leader’s son and Renata’s lover, Dez, is taken prisoner by the king and sentenced to death by public execution, Renata’s friends aren’t worried. They know Dez will easily escape death. But what Dez and the rest don’t know is Renata’s accidentally took Dez’s memories on how to escape. After watching him die brutally at the hands of the prince, Renata vowed revenge in the only way she knew how; returning to the Justice she ran away from. While the justice believes Renata’s return to be a good sign, Renata’s working on the inside to find out about the King’s plans to destroy all magic people. As she looks for these weapons within the castle walls, Ren finds a much bigger truth hidden inside the palace.

    When thinking about this, it reminds me a lot of Fireborne (which I read earlier this year). Both stories are about a group of people marginalized because of their abilities or because someone else came into power. This isn’t me criticizing this trope because it’s a big one and it happens often, but I love that more stories like this are popping up in the universe.

    When I first read the description of this book, someone mentioned that its beginnings remind you a lot of Game of Thrones. I’m here to confirm that yes, it has this Game of Thrones quality in the beginning but that’s about where it ends. Come for the Game of Thrones, but stay for the departure from Game of Thrones. I’ll admit I wasn’t surprised at all by the twists, but that doesn’t mean they were bad. In fact, the twists made me want to read more and find out why they’re happening. Zoraida Cordova really knows how to write an intriguing novel filled with suspense and intrigue. I was definitely drawn in when the truths started coming up.

    Ren is also an extremely complex character. She doesn’t remember parts of her childhood and has worked as a weapon for the King for most of her life. Every time she comes up with a plan, she runs into it without a second thought only to be captured. Her so-called friends are weary of her despite being on the same side. She has immense power, but hates what she has done with it (or forced to do with it). Honestly, she’s a wreck of a human and you’ll root for her like a mom rooting for her kid. She’s not perfect, but you also don’t care as long as she finds someone to trust and care for.

    The writing style is also breezy. It’s not convoluted or overwrought with a lot of fancy language. There is a lot of world building in this story, but luckily you won’t have to remember a host of character names or remember a lot of thematic pieces. It’s high fantasy, but definitely a lot easier to read than most high fantasy.

    I absolutely loved this story. Filled with people of color and marginalized voices, it was definitely a departure from the other fantasy stories I’ve been reading lately and I’m here for that breath of fresh air. I will say there are lull moments while Ren scopes out the castle looking for clues on how the King is removing magic from folks like her, but aside from that this story is so solid.

    I received a copy of this book from Glasstown Entertainment for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

  • Five Bookish Businesses to Shop for Your Bookish Friends

    Five Bookish Businesses to Shop for Your Bookish Friends

    Do you have that one bookish friend you’re not sure what to buy? Do you want to get them books because they love them, but don’t know what books to get? Or are you  yourself a bookish person who yeah, has some friends who love books too but don’t make a big deal about it?

    If this is your case, then might I suggest a few non-bookish items that will definitely wow your bookish friends without having to buy them another book!

    Bookish folks are obsessed. They love books and they’re not afraid to show it in their ephemera. So here are a few small businesses working overtime this holiday season to bring bookish gifts that aren’t a literal book (and double points for shopping small instead of going to Amazon).

    Out of Print

    Out of Print was a small company that printed vintage book covers on t-shirts who  Since then, they’ve expanded their brand to slogans and books including Harry Potter, Star Wars, and A Handmaid’s Tale. With every purchase, you can also help donate books and support literacy programs around the world!

    The designs are colorful and bright and most definitely the first stop you need to make when shopping for your bookish friend. They sell everything from t-shirts to tote bags, mugs, enamel pins, and socks. I’ll have to admit, their sock collection is kind of envious (and I don’t even like socks).

    What I recommend:

    Obvious State

    I found Obvious State on Etsy years ago where they sold unique graphic prints attached to a vintage literary quote. Years later, Obvious State is still creating beautiful prints, but also making postcards, calendars, mugs, notebooks, and tote bags. Their designs are unique, use very little color, but pack a punch.

    If your book lover needs a few more prints to decorate their library or if you’re looking for something a little more “classic,” then Obvious State might have exactly what you’re looking for. They’re also always looing

    What I recommend:

    Burnt Edge Studio

    I got the opportunity to work with Burnt Edge Studio this year who makes brilliant wood bookmarks featuring bookshelves and stacks of books. You can purchase one of their pre-made bookmarks featuring classic books and genres or you can customize your bookmark to include some of your favorite books.

    While they’re known for their bookmarks, the company also makes keychains, magnets, and notebooks. And if you’re really worried about your gift, you can always sign your bookish friend up for their Bookmark of the Month Club, which I’ll be looking into as well because that sounds amazing!

    What I recommend:

    Bookshelf Tees

    There’s nothing a book lover loves more than to shout from the rooftops that they love to read. With that, I love companies like Bookshelf Tees who makes t-shirts that says it all. I’ve purchased from these folks before and let me tell you that their t-shirts are comfortable, well-worn, and good all 365 days of the year. My personal favorites are the What Would Kathleen Kelly Do? and Read a Book t-shirts.

    However, I get you might want to get something else, so here’s what I recommend:

    Literary Emporium

    For the folks who live in the UK and Europe, I wanted to also include an international (to me) brand like Literary Emporium. Similar to Out of Print, Literary Emporium prints t-shirts, notebooks, enamel pins, tote bags, and gift sets. I’ve never purchased a gift set from here, but I have bought t-shirts to support them.

    While this company does work hard to make some beautiful items, keep in mind that they will be shipping from the UK. If you’re looking for a gift ASAP and Literary Emporium is more of your friend’s vibe, then I might suggest one of their gift cards.

    But if you have the time, here’s what I recommend:

    What will you be buying this holiday season for your bookish friends or yourself?

    All photos found on brand’s website and taken by those companies. Simone and Her Books isn’t affiliated with any brands mentioned.

  • November 2019 Bookish Wrap Up

    November 2019 Bookish Wrap Up

    Happy December, folks! I feel like December crept up on us because one minute it was Thanksgiving and the next minute it’s all about the holidays. Then again, I guess every year is like that. I think the only difference is that the weekend after Thanksgiving this year was December 1st.

    While there were a few rough bumps for me personally throughout the month of November, I felt pretty successful with what I accomplished. Last month, I read nine books and with pretty bad anxiety and a whole lot of depression, I have to say that was pretty good reading. I will note that half the books I read were romances, so that usually helps.

    Some things I do want to note: I abandoned my TBR. I knew the TBR thing was a short burst in time, but I thought I would surprise myself and not read by my mood. Of course, I’m not awesome. It’s not a big loss for me. I still read plenty books, but I do want to control my moods sometimes because books keep getting put on the back burner. I’ve got books I’ve pushed off for years now and it’s finally time to read them.

    I also didn’t read any of the Netgalley books I wanted to read. LOL, I didn’t do so well in November. But I’m not upset because I still read nine books, enjoyed every single one of them, and I’m excited for what December has to offer.

    Here’s what I read

    The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

    Well Met by Jen Deluca

    Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

    Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale

    So I ended up reading a few more romances this month and I think it has something to do with the horror books I read. I read a few too many horror stories that I retreated into romances! All four of these were my favorite, but the one that stands out the most was Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I love the representation here and how natural Talia Hibbert wrote these characters. Also, it was pretty steamy which always gets some points in my book.

    I also really loved Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses. While I’m not a huge fan of HEAs where the couple gets married and immediately have babies, it really surprised me. I was worried it would be as cheesy as the Hallmark holiday movies, but it had substance. I loved the characters and I thought that their motives made sense with the story. Very excellent read with a smattering of holiday cheer.

    The Queens of Animation by Nathalie Holt

    This was my only nonfiction for Nonfiction November and it was for my IRL book club. I loved this story mostly because it discusses the animators and women in animation who never got the credit they deserved. It was shocking to see how their influence made some of the most beloved Disney movies of all time, and they almost faded into the shadows. So sad! But such a great little book if you’re fan of Disney movies or if you want to know what the early days of animation looked like for women.

    Sabriel by Garth Nix

    Next year, my friend Deedi and I plan on reading some more backlist fantasy books we dubbed “the essential fantasy.” Basically, we’ve gotten to a point in our reading where we want to explore the foundations of fantasy books. While this isn’t scientific in any way, we chose a few books to get us started next year, but we didn’t want to waste the rest of 2019. So we started with Sabriel by Garth Nix and wow, I’m so shook by how fantasy worked back in the day. I definitely loved Sabriel, but it’s completely different from what we see fantasy today. It’s a quick read that will leave you with a lot of questions (that are answered in the subsequent novels after).

    Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

    From older fantasy to a fantasy book that doesn’t publish until April 2020. I’m so excited for the opportunity to read Incendiary early and absolutely loved it. Filled with royal and political intrigue, diverse characters, and all your favorite tropes, you’ll love this one if you’re a fan of high fantasy and young people always making big mistakes.

    Honorable Mentions

    What did you end up reading this month?

    Find all my reviews on Goodreads