Bookworm Reads 2021 Part 1

Halfway through February and I thought I should recap my books so far this year! My goal is to read 50 new to me books, not counting rereads (currently in a reread of A Court of Thorns and Roses in prep for A Court of Silver Flames coming next week!!). I'm excited to go over some of them in detail with you here! And as always, my IG has the book reviews a lot faster than I will here so you've been warned hahaha

I will link to each book from Amazon as well ;)

Dust by Kara Swanson
Claire knows Peter Pan is just a character in a storybook. He’s also the reason her brother was taken from her so long ago. Now she has a lead on his location; it’s in the one place she doesn’t want to go - London, where the stupid fairy tale takes place.
Peter has to get back to Neverland. He has to fix what he’s broken and the key to getting back is the girl with pixie dust in her veins, the sister of a friend that he is desperate to find.
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This story is a wonderful retelling of Peter Pan. It delves into loss, grief, Neverland lore, the Darlings and so much more! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the sequel, Shadow to come out this summer!
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Add Dust (and preorder Shadow) to your shelves if you like stories about faith, trust, and pixie dust.

Children of Blood and Bone & Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi: Zelie and Tzain’s mother was killed in The Raid by the monarchy and all maji live in fear of losing their own lives even with magic gone from Orisha. But Zelie has inherited her mother’s gifts and wants magic back to win the kingdom for her people. Amari has always been kept in the palace to play the perfect princess, but when her beloved Binta is slain in front of her very eyes after being forced to use magic by the king, Amari steals the ancient magical artifact and runs away to find a way to bring magic back to make things right. Inan is the crown prince. He has been taught Duty before Self and that Orisha waits for no one. But when Inan ends up becoming a maji, he has to learn how to control the magic now flowing through his veins before it kills him. These 4 are the key to restoring magic and order to their kingdom, and the gods have set them on quite the incredible journey.
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I loved these books! I’ll admit it took a little time to get into the first one but once I was hooked I couldn’t stop reading! This world is rich with the culture inspired by West African tribes and it’s just beautiful. I will warn that there is some physical torture and emotional abuse in these books as well. But I’m eagerly awaiting book 3 whenever it comes out!
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Add Children of Blood and Bone & Children of Virtue and Vengeance to your shelves if you like a magical, heartfelt, inspiring, and even sometimes infuriating story!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson: Isobel has such a wonderful “Craft” of painting portraits that Fair Folk from the neighboring kingdom come all the time to commission her work. One day Prince Rook of Autumn comes to visit her and though they both try not to, feelings emerge even though it is forbidden for a mortal and a Fair Folk to fall in love. When he leaves with his painting Isobel knows she won’t see him again, only to have Rook storm into her house later when the painting is revealed and she’s committed a cardinal sin: painting human sorrow in his eyes! Together they run before the consequences of both of their actions, and their hearts desires, catch up to them!
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This is not a normal fairy tale. These are the Fair Folk of legends and old wives tales. They glamour themselves to look more beautiful and are very haunting, but this book was beautiful. I loved Isobel and Rook and their quippy remarks to each other. I loved the world that Rogerson created in Whimsy and the forest. It was just such a great escape!
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Add An Enchantment of Ravens to your shelves if you like a sweeping romance and some mysterious and tricksy Fair Folk!

Fable by Adrienne Young: There are 5 rules in Fable’s life: Keep your knife where you can reach it; Never owe anyone anything; Nothing is free; Always construct a lie from a truth; Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you. Her father drilled those rules into her and she has always lived up to them. Now as she is finally able to escape the island where he dumped her to prove herself, she searches for him to make him take her on as a member of his crew. Fable is also a very special kind of dredger, she can feel the gems she’s diving for, a lost art she learned from her mother before she sank beneath the waves. As Fable journeys through The Narrows with a rag tag crew, will she ab able to stick to her rules or will she have to learn to trust?
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This was a very fun and quick read. Fable is fiery and the cast of supporting characters is quite entertaining. I had many many friends recommend this book and I’m glad I listened! A sequel is rumored to be working on for Fable’s story and I sure hope it comes soon! I need to know more about her journey!
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Add Fable (and preorder Namesake) to your shelves if you like a swashbuckling adventure on the sea!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab: Adeline LaRue is a girl in 1700s France dreading the life she’s supposed to live: get married, have babies and forever be stuck in her tiny decrepit town. But when she calls upon the gods for help, one from the dark answers - you never pray to the ones after dark. Now Addie is free to live as she pleases, only no one remembers her. Ever. For 300 years she’s lived this way, a wraith among the human race and when she stumbles into Henry, her world changes with three simple words: “I remember you.”
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This was a beautiful story. Addie is a wonderful leading lady and Henry is a great foil to her. Their journey together is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I adored it and am better for reading it.
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Add The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue to your shelves if you like stories about faith, aspirations, bargains, and timeless romance.

For all my 2021 reads I also have them in a list on Amazon since I don't always have time for a review of each one! I will only link to the ones I liked/enjoyed - no duds there!

2021 Reads