“One true pairing- well, mostly true.”

Book Blurb from Chapters Indigo

Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. The world may know him as Aeneas, star of the biggest show on television, but fanfiction readers call him something else: Book!AeneasWouldNever. Marcus gets out his frustrations with the show through anonymous stories about the internet’s favorite couple, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone discovered his online persona, he’d be finished in Hollywood.

April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s long hidden her fanfic and cosplay hobbies from her “real life”–but not anymore. When she dares to post her latest costume creation on Twitter, her plus-size take goes viral. And when Marcus asks her out to spite her internet critics, truth officially becomes stranger than fanfiction.

On their date, Marcus quickly realizes he wants more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. But when he discovers she’s Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to keep from her.

With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?

Soooo this is essentially fanfiction and I’m not convinced that it didn’t start on Ao3 before it made its way to a publisher. But that’s a great thing in this case. As an avid fanfiction reader, I loved seeing that aspect of my life in a mainstream novel. Especially with fandom being represented by people in their 30s! It made me feel right at home. I had zero expectations going into Spoiler Alert, other than I was in the mood for fluff and I got fluff with substance!

The fluff was fun, a light romance between two well written (sometimes fandom cliche) MCs with some quality steamy bits. The substance was even better. The novel heavily discussed fat-shaming in fandom and really made me take a step back and evaluate my fandoms. We also have a MC with dyslexia and both MCs have parents who are emotionally abusive in different ways. The novel takes time to address each issue with the care it deserves.

The parallels between Game of Thrones and Gods of the Gates are entertaining, especially if you were a Game of Thrones fan unhappy with how the final season went down.

It was overall a really fun book with all the fandom essentials. It melted my heart with the adorable MCs and their swoon worthy, often steamy, love. If you are looking for a quick read, some fluff with a side of substance, Spoiler Alert is for you.

I definitely intend to read the second book in the series (following two side characters) when it comes out in October.

Until next time,

Jess Kovacs: A Non-Fiction Lover?

Learning is one of my favourite things (just ask my three university degrees) but when it comes to my non textbook reading, I’ve been pretty loyal to fiction. That doesn’t mean I don’t spend hours researching and reading about random topics on the internet, searching for content like you would find…you guessed it, in a non-fiction book. There’s no explanation for twenty something years of nonfiction avoidance. I am the go to Sci-Fi/ Fantasy librarian at work and I’ve been happy there. I’ve always been drawn to the escapism of fiction, despite the fact that sitting down to watch a documentary provides the same amount of intrigue to me. Earlier this year I found myself questioning this weird phenomenon when I was assigned a book talk all about popular non-fiction. It is at this point that I realized the last thing I read that was even remotely like non-fiction was Andre the Giant: Life and Legend the graphic novel biofic. So I resolved to read at least one non-fiction book a month until the end of the year. The year isn’t done yet but I’ve already way surpassed my original goal of one per month.

So for all you fellow non-fiction avoiders…here are my favourite so far:

Depression: The Comedy by Jessica Holmes

This one may be specific to those battling depression but it’s also hilarious and contains a lot of content anyone would find useful.

Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America’s Most Storied Hospital by David Oshinsky

Mildly disturbing (okay really disturbing) but fascinating look at Bellevue and how it shaped the early years of American medicine and found its way to be the revered public hospital it is today.

House of Dreams: The Life of L. M. Montgomery by Liz Rosenberg 

As a massive Anne of Green Gables fan (some would say aficionado) this obviously had to be on my list. Not only is the cover absolutely stunning but it is well researched and written. Keep in mind that House of Dreams is targeted toward a YA audience but I think that is what makes it so wonderful. It makes the amazing story of L.M. Montgomery accessible to so many. 

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence

Kind of non-fiction, kind of a creative writing exercise, kind of an ode to books…whatever it is, Dear Fahrenheit 451 is hilarious. I cried, I laughed, I forced everyone to sit through me reading it to them. I have so much love for Dear Fahrenheit 451, as both a librarian and an avid reader. There’s not much more to say, just go read it. Especially if you work in Library Science.

And finally, I just finished We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir

by Samra Habib

Habib could have gone deeper but it was still a really beautiful story of self discovery and perseverance in many aspects of life. A unique perspective that many multi generational Canadians may not have considered.

Heads up though: mentions CSA, references to domestic violence, references to state-sponsored terrorism, Islamophobia, and misogyny.

Other notable favourites: Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold, The Push by Tommy Caldwell, Gorilla and the Bird by Zack McDermott, and Supergods by Grant Morrison. 

And now back to my regularly scheduled fiction featuring The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang.

Happy reading fellow book humans!

Until next time,

Charmed but with Latina Brujas.

Book Blurb from Chapters Indigo

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives. Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland?

I had zero expectations for this book; I saw the word Bruja and knew I wanted to read it. And as we all know, if the cover is stunning (which it is) I need to have it. This book hit so many marks for me. Full of POC characters, with a strong and varied female cast, a good portrayal of bisexuality AND bruja mythology.

I was pulled into Alex’s world immediately. Despite not loving her character to start, I grew to understand her rational and was fascinated by her family and cultural dynamics. Power NEVER felt like a positive thing to Alex and she worked to distance herself from her bruja identity. Once the secrets started to unfold, I felt more connected to Alex and loved her blunt sense of humour. Once we hit Los Lagos, things went from mostly paranormal to fantasy real quick. I thought the pacing was good and the world building was detailed enough that I could get lost in it. There were occasional moments when the world building felt slightly vague but it didn’t take away from the plot enough to bother me. That being said, I’m really looking forward to some world building advancement in book two. 

I will say that I was super concerned about potential queer-baiting about halfway through the novel. It was clear that Rishi loved Alex but she was developing a romantic fascination with Nova. What wasn’t clear was if Alex’s love for Rishi was just friendly or something beyond. I honestly thought that Rishi would die after confessing her love and a heartbroken Alex would find solace in Nova. I was clearly being too pessimistic. I was pleasantly surprised when the girls got their happy ending. I was over the moon that Rishi and Alex ended up together but I can’t say that I loved Rishi’s character, despite her being exactly what Alex needed. She just felt slightly one dimensional? I love a salty, mysterious and slightly broken character (Kaz Brekker anyone?) so obviously I was a Nova fan, even after the betrayal. I know we aren’t done with his character though, so I’m really excited to see how that situation pans out in book two.

I enjoyed Labyrinth Lost and it left a very complete feeling but I didn’t end the book with a WOW. I know I loved a book when I can’t help but utter a soft “wow” at the end. Maybe I’ll fall in love with the sequel, which I will definitely be reading. I’m looking forward to diving further into bruja culture and mythology.

EDIT* Just found out book two is going to be about Lula…so maybe no more Nova. But I still don’t feel we’re done with him yet.

Until next time,

“All will burn.”

(Photo Credit: Epic Reads)

Book Blurb from Chapters/Indigo

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl’s spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother’s web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

As one of the most anticipated YA novels of 2017 I was pretty excited to sit down Tuesday night and dive back into this world. I meant to read a few chapters before bed but ended up reading the whole novel in just over five hours. I was not disappointed.

It was clearly a “middle” book, very political (which I loved, SO relevant to current events) and it worked to set up the final book for the action/ climax/ultimate emotional destruction. The political hopelessness I can’t help but feel on a daily basis was mirrored perfectly in King’s Cage. But the hope and drive to continue to stand up for what is right was also mirrored.

And my Maven feels were all over the map. I can’t help but hope he can be redeemed, but another part of me knows that he doesn’t deserve to be. Despite his mental struggles and childhood torture. Such a wonderfully complex character can’t help but create mixed emotions in the reader.

And Cal, ohhhhh Cal. No spoilers but there is a scene at the end that may crush some and maybe I should have been crushed but maybe i’m just not as attached to that whole situation as I should be? Definitely attached to the characters but I totally understood where everyone was coming from plot wise, so maybe that’s why I felt slightly detached. Or maybe it was just because it was 3:23am.

I’m already looking forward to the release of the 4th and final book to see how this is going to end.

Until next time,

“They say she’ll always be more gun powder than girl. The desert has other plans.”

Book Blurb from Chapters Indigo

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic.  For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.  Amani Al’Hiza is all three.  She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead. Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew. Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power.

Was this book another cover buy? You bet it was. Is this a common theme with me? Absolutely.

I was expecting a lot of spaghetti western and a little splash of Arabian mythology and I’m so glad I was wrong. It was such a wonderful mixture of cultures and mythology, with a touch of badass spaghetti western.

Amani, our sharp-shooting gun powder girl, was so very human – stubborn, unrelenting in her goals and quick witted. Not to mention, her tendency for impulse decisions kept the plot alive. And Jin- wonderful yet slightly vague Jin. He was such a delight. Although he was the obvious love interest (among other things- totally called who he was in relation to the rebellion), there wasn’t the repulsive insta-love I’ve come to expect and hate in YA. Their relationship started as one of convenience and turned from mild reluctance, to mutual respect, to friendship, to something much bigger than Amani ever expected. It was really enjoyable to read. The classic rom-com back and forth was just what I needed.

“Tell me that’s how you want your story to go and we’ll write it straight across the sand”

This was not a character driven book for me (although the secondary characters were fabulous as well). The most vivid part of the book for me was the mythology and atmosphere created. It’s not every day I come out of a YA novel being more jazzed about the mythology than I am about the character driven relationships. I find dijinn mythology fascinating and Hamilton did a fantastic job mixing it into the culture as both fact and fiction to the characters. To Amani, it had always just been old stories of immortals long gone, despite the occasional run in with ghouls and buraqi. To Jin, it was his life and family history. It should have been obvious to me, in that case, that Amani was the one who had dijinn blood in her veins.

Between the unravelling of everything Amani thought she knew, the rebellion, and the epic sibling showdown to end the novel, I was enthralled through all 300 and some odd pages.

I would definitely recommend this debut novel. It does follow a classic fantasy novel arch-type but I found it comforting rather than boring. I can’t wait to see how Hamilton continues to spin the mythology and rebellion in the second book, Traitor to the Throne.

Until next time-