theengineerisreading's reviews
780 reviews

Winter Glass is the thrilling sequel and conclusion to Lexa Hillyer's Spindle Fire which is an epic Sleeping Beauty retelling. I loved the first book so much with all of its clever fairytale tweaks and action-packed scenes hence I gave it a 4.5-star review.

In this book, our beloved sister main characters, Isabelle and Aurora, woke up to after the decade-old faerie curse was lifted off from Aurora making her free from Belcoeur's dream world, Sommeil, and back to Deluce where the evil forces of Malfleur are growing bigger than ever.

This second book in this duology introduced a wider view of the Spindle Fire world and how huge the upcoming war between Deluce and La Morte is. With so many unanswered questions at the end of Spindle Fire, I started this book hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

What I loved in WinterGlass? I love the fact that both Aurora and Isabelle are given an amazing character development all throughout. Isabelle with her standing up for what's best for the world, and Aurora being the one coming out of her timid self and becoming the warrior the Delucian Palace needs. I also love the fact that the mysteries were finally unveiled in this book especially with what become of Heath and Gilbert.

Also, there are curveballs I did not expect to encounter while reading this book. For instance, the Prince Edward revelation and the Hart Slayer mystery which I thought was Queen Amelie but then a greater conclusion was then unravelled in the end.

The only thing that lacked of in this book is the fast pacing I felt during the first book. Maybe it's the epic clash build up or the expanded adventure but it was definitely not too action-packed compared to Spindle Fire.

Overall, I can say that this duology is still a win. I love how clever the world building was and the poetic writing style was truly commendable.

RATING: 3.75stars

Sorry if I'll be too harsh on this but this book really caught my attention with its glorious cover and the gist has mo much potential but the goods were not delivered.

First, the pacing was too slow. There were moments when I'm not even sure if I want to continue flipping the pages of this eARC because the narrative seems like a prolonged short story. The entirety of the storyline has potential yet the execution was not fitted for my taste so apologies on my end for that.

Another thing that made me rate this book this low is the fact that my mind is not grasping the plot, it seems that the interest was not there. I also allotted a whole 10 days worth of reading for this but the flight just did not take off. I am also a bit confused with the genre of this one because it is sending mixed signals all throughout.

Anyway, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade especially that this one is being released today so, here is my honest rating for this book:

RATING: 2stars

We demand a John Green novel and he delivered.

Turtles all the way down is a coming-of-age novel revolving on Aza Holmes, a teenage girl diagnosed with anxiety, and her best friend Daisy. Together, the two buddies trudged a path to solve the mystery of missing billionaire Russell Pickett for the sake of the $100,000 reward. But this involved Aza reconnecting with her childhood playmate David Pickett who is the elder son of the missing tycoon. This prompted a series of misadventure in search of truth but good things come in unexpected instances, will Aza and Daisy solve the case, or the mystery remain veiled until the police finished the investigation?

First thing that I like is the John Green vibe in the characters of Aza and Daisy. I love a challenged but strong woman and a supportive best bud as main characters. The rawness of the characteristics of Aza, Daisy, David and even his younger brother, Noah are excellently established and it reflected in the novel all throughout.

Another thing is the fact that it is sort of a mixed genre with contemporary as the main course paired with extra scoops of mystery and romance. This book is highly engaging in its own fun and emotional way, the flavors perfectly fitted making me flip the pages until the end.

Lastly, I love a good book that shows not just the symptoms but also the internal struggle of a mentally challenged character. Aza's battle with her thoughts was clearly depicted and it shows how hard it is for her to act normal or okay when she isn't. And though we weren't promised of a happy ending, the story focused on the truth of goodbyes and when should we say it.

So cheers to John Green for bringing another gem to this world with a more mature perspective and fun storyline. Who can forget Tua the tuatara, the Turtles carrying the world, the now-missed Harold, and the fun underground art camp with Mychal. I just love reading a good book.

RATING:4.5 stars

Okay, can someone write a fanfiction about all the Matthew Quick book MCs sharing one world where everyone become friends and then I can let go of a feel-good sigh?

This is another gem by Matthew Quick but this one comes with a different flavor. Nanette O'Hare is your academe model. Being the soccer star player and a top student in her high school, Nanette always feels like she needs to go beyond everything she is asked to do. But everything changed as soon as her favorite teacher, Mr. Graves, gave her a copy of The Bubblegum Reaper, a renowned book that has been pulled out of shelves after a successful publication for unknown reason. The book made Nanette feel different and this awakening leads her to new people in her life - Nigel Booker (the author), Alex Redmer, Oliver, and the Thatch twins. But will Nanette's new life finally fits with the voice inside her head? Or will this change of lane be abandoned and will come at a high price and devastating consequences?

I have high expectations for this book since both TGLORN and FMLP (Matthew Quick books) made me cry and well, Every Exquisite Thing delivered a new kind of goodness I devoured in one day. Like before, Matthew successfully established the characters in this book with their unique attributes and characteristics that made everyone stood out. I love how he incorporated the daily struggle and how it feels to be someone experiencing depression. I feel so attached with Nanette the same thing I poured my empathy to every Matthew Quick books I encountered.

Though this book has some trigger warnings like depression, grief, bullying, and minor rebellion, it is still an enjoyable ride that will make you question your existence in this universe.

RATING: 4stars

We can never really have it all.

With all the buzz and mixed reviews going on about this Patrick Ness title, I bravely picked my own copy since the book just *puppy-eyed* me from my TBR stack. Moreover, let's spill some tea about unpopular bookish opinions.

I'm amazed that I managed to finish this book in like two days because I was actually clueless the entire time I was reading this. I'm not sure if it's the good kind of clueless because I have no idea why I'm reading two stories all throughout and I'm the type of reader who gets bored when the storyline is not clicking within.

My sympathy is on Adam Thorn, he does not deserve the world he is living in this book and I'm a bit glad that she has her own Angela Darlington. Maybe what we need is just someone who we can rely on to whatever storm comes in the way. However, this book somehow exposed the reality of religious family when it comes to the topic of heterosexuality.

Anyway, the ending minimally justified the buildup because I'm kinda waiting for something mind-blowing to happen but the resolution wasn't able to deliver thoroughly. Sadly, 2.5stars.

This is so Pinoy!

After a careful deliberation on what my next read would be, I picked Everlasting Nora from my towering TBR hoping I would taste a familiar flavor and gladly, this book delivered.

Everlasting Nora is a MG novel about Nora, an 11-year old girl (I based the age on her school status, G6) who lives in Manila North Cemetery after a series of unfortunate events happened in her life. With her mother as her only someone in the busy community of MNC, Nora is doing her best in finding a way to eke out a living by selling garland necklace for the cemetery passersby and doing laundry to one of the families outside the MNC. But the wind of fate worsen when Nora's Mama suddenly disappeared after an all-night mahjong session and made Nora embark on a journey of finding her strengths, weaknesses, courage, and family and friends as she unravel the reality of life.

The fact that this book features Filipino characters in a setting so familiar to us made me picked this book up immediately. I'm glad that Marie Miranda Cruz wrote Everlasting Nora because Pinoy children needs to have Pinoy books to read that mirrors not just their own culture but the reality of life in the other side of the spectrum. Cruz is brave in portraying this kind of life because this is how the majority of poor Filipinos live survive in a day-to-day basis.

Everything about this spoke nothing but the truth. The poverty, the harsh reality, the hardship of living as one in the lowest tier of the society with no concrete government aid to access education, health facilities, and some other basic necessities. This is Philippines and mabuhay!

What I really loved about this novel is amid all the depictions of the real Philippines, it also showed the genuineness of Pinot tradition and culture. Like helping your neighbors in times of need, and respecting the elderlies, and even the never-say-die spirit of Nora who continue to work hard in spite of the hurdles she encountered in her young life. Truly, Nora is a child with wisdom beyond her years.

RATING: 4stars

Let all hell break loose.

After four years of convincing myself that I'll pick this book next and maybe, intimidation, I finally picked Six of Crows from my TBR and if you're wondering if I liked it, we'll see.

Goodreads and bookstagram people were right, this book is the shining, shimmering, splendid read of this decade and I'm so happy I decided to read this before the year ends. Why? Because everything in this book felt right. From Kaz Brekker to Inej Ghafa to Nina Zenik to Matthias Helvar to Jesper to Wylab Van Eck, our *smol* MCs all stood out in their unique ways and they're lovable as hell, too. Kaz with his mysterious scheme and devious plans, Inej with her ghost-like stealth, Jesper and his love for revolvers, Wylan and his unique gifts, Nina with her allure and beauty, and Matthias with his go-with-your-heart mantra. Everything on this book is about taking risk and Leigh successfully delivered all the goods considering that this is a follow up series from the Shadow and Bone trilogy.

Actually, I have zero idea when I first bought this book. I'm just fascinated with the blurb and some of my bookstagram friends are recommending it for so long. I just realized that this was a book based on the Grisha world two years after the Shadow and Bone trilogy event when I read an article relate to the Netflix adaptation. That's also one of the reason why I read this book, I have to know the craze and the buzz surrounding this world before it come alive into the big screen.

Anyways, this book is full of surprises. Every chapter is filled with bombs and curveballs that will surely leave your mind blown into bits after flipping the last page of each chapter. It's just too enjoyable to read a book that continue to surprise you. Anyways, props to Leigh for delivering this gem to the bookish community and I can't wait to read Crooked Kingdom soon. For the mean time, let me just mourn the quest our *smol* squad finished just to came up with nothing. And sorry I forget, I won't mourn.

No mourners. No funerals.

RATING: Thirty million kruge

And now were in the endgame.

I'm so intimidated to start this book right after finishing Six of Crows because I'm too overwhelmed with what happened in book 1 and how thick this book is. Anyway, my curiosity overpowered the intimidation and I dived onto the world of Ketterdam to, once again, be with the Dregs and here's my honest review with Crooked Kingdom.

Leigh Bardugo should be crowned for writing this duology. I mean, this book is so good it deserve an A+++++ grade (one for each star I gave this book.) Everything about this book feels like it's on its right angle. And this is considering how tragic the ending of Six of Crows and how wasted our beloved crew from being tricked by Van Eck. But if you're thinking that Leigh already ran out of twist the same way the Dregs seems to ran out of luck with their game, then you are WRONG. Because this book delivered curveballs, a lot of scorching curveballs you'll wonder if the meteor shower that led to the extinction of dinosaurs is happening again.

I love how Leigh focused on another type of game in this one. If Six of Crows showed the type of 1v1 or Player versus Player game, Crooked Kingdom created a whole type of game that will make you question who you should trust and how long will the gods be on your side of the pool. This book is fast-paced, riveting, and emotional all throughout. I love books that make me say 'One more chapter' at 2AM and this is THAT book. No wonder this duology has all the buzzes and raves during its release dates. And yes, I may be four years later than the bookish community but let me say, that I still enjoyed everything about this books.

Lastly, the backstories of our beloved Dregs narrated in this book transcends from Leigh's mind onto my own as I read each chapter. I love how this opened up the doors to the past of our crow-tattoed crew and we learned more personal stories about Kaz and Inej, Wylan and Matthias, and Wylan and Jesper. The ending/last part was a big dynamite that completely blown my mind into bits and yep, the conclusion mirrored how life really works. It's painful.

RATING: 5 geranium bouquets

Let's start the year with something different.

And here is my first read for 2020! Haruki Murakami's Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a collection of short stories that compiles experience from the entire spectrum of human life.

I love how Haruki simply narrates each short story and the translation was on-point as well. Below are my top 5 picks from this collection:

Birthday Girl
The Kidney Stone that Moves Every Day
The Year of Spaghetti
Hanalei Bay
Chance Traveler

This book is my second Murakami reads and I'm looking forward to reading his other works as well. For the mean time, let me just #shareyourfirstpage for my first 2020 read.

RATING: 4stars