Stamp of Approval || King of Scars

In which I combine my new stamp carving hobby with my old book reviewing hobby.

Book Review || Tack and Jibe by Lilah Suzanne

Like Lilah Suzanne’s other books, this book doesn’t just stop once the book’s premise has played itself out. Lilah Suzanne never leaves it there. Their books always deal with the aftermath, the ripple effect, because in these books, that’s where the real changes for the characters happen.

Book Review || Now and When by Sara Bennett Wealer

I have mixed feelings. I ended up liking this book, but I'm not quite sure it was worth it the frustration. This is just, at its heart, a frustrating book. The main character is like "I can't believe I'm so drawn to this guy who's not my boyfriend! Maybe me and my boyfriend aren't as good together as I thought. Maybe I really like this other guy." So you're like, "So you can hold off kissing the new guy until you've dealt with the boyfriend situation, right?" And she's like "Oh no I absolutely cannot. That's a no go. I will be kissing him now." And you're like, "That's what I thought you'd say, you typical YA high school plot."

Book Review || Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Looking at what fairy tales say about our society is a big interest of mine. Analyzing them as propaganda is just one step from that, and I think it makes a really promising premise for a book. Read for more about how Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is successful at exploring that premise, while a certain other book is not.

Book Review || The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this arc. The fact that they gave it to me has clearly not resulted in favoritism. Sometimes you see what looks like a cool fantasy book on Netgalley and you're like, Awesome! Why hadn't I heard of this before? Maybe you get hooked by one specific worldbuilding aspect …

Book Review || Sugar Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

When you change the kind of people a movie is about, you change what it means. That's why Sugar Summer, a lesbian retelling of Dirty Dancing with queer community and sister friendship, reinvigorates the classic.