asipofcozy's reviews
206 reviews

Loving that we really got plot progression in this volume and man that ending, I really can't wait to pick up the next volume. Haha also Twilight needs to look deep ...very deep within to see he has feelings for his family! Ugh the angst there will drive me bonkers until he does. 

I just really love this series! Also, can we take a moment to talk about Yuri's disturbing obsession with his sister Yor. Haha am I the only one concerned about this. Him eating his sister's really bad cooking had me rolling on the ground laughing! "Huh, mom is that you beckoning me into the light?" (fricken died at this line).

Absolutely loved this volume and it feels like with each volume, my love for the series grows.

You know that book that everyone loves, and you want to love just as much but then end up don't because you have weird expectations in life...yah that's this book for me.

I wanted to love this book so much but, in the end, it came down to pacing for me. And while things did happen in this book that kept the pages turning, it didn't really contribute to the main plot line. In fact, I felt like the plot finally got center stage in the last 70 pages or so. There was a certain situation (climax) that, I felt, could have happened at any point in time in the book.

When Holland plans to kidnap Kell. This really could have happened at any time. The entire book he had been sitting on his throne contemplating what to do just to keep the pacing slow.

It was put towards the end for that dramatic flair of what happens next?!

However, that doesn't mean I didn't like this book. What really pushed me through was the characters. I love our main characters Rhy, Kell, and Lila. As well as a certain new character who is all flare and dramatics. I loved the character development in this book and how all the characters progressed. Kell is a cinnamon roll and deserves all the hugs. 

I am definitely going to be picking up the final book in the trilogy. I really believe it's going to be a great ending!

This series makes me so happy! I just love the family dynamic that is growing and now an added puppy. Just so fricken cute.

And you can see Twilight start to really struggle with his inner voice of this family is fake and will end once the mission is done and not wanting it to end and be real. 

Well look at that! I actually finished one more book in 2022… which is honestly surprising!

However, I am glad that this book was the last book that I read this year! And I read it in one sitting.

I loved everything about this book. I loved the fantasy element but with the low stakes  and the cozy vibes. Sometimes I just need a fantasy without the tension ladled into the plot. 

This book follows Viv a warrior who decides it’s time to hang out the sword and settle down. Except her version of settling is opening her dream coffee shop. Sounds perfect right!!? It is!

The cozy plot was what captured me but the characters are what drew me in. I loved Viv and her big dreams. Tandria, a succubus, who comes to work for Viv … oh jeez do I love their growing relationship throughout the book. The friendships in general captured me they were so heartfelt and warm. 

This book really hit it with the cozy vibes, found family trope, slow burn romance, and the amazing friendships. I hope Baldree writes more cozy fantasy like this, because I could read more of his writing!

Usually, most people pick up a cozy Christmas read or romance book during the winter. I am definitely not one of those people.

I have seen the World War Z movie multiple times and while not the best zombie movie out there it was really good and gave a new perspective to the zombie apocalypse. So finally, after many years, I decided to pick up the book. Please be aware the book is nothing like the movie as the book is told in a documentary/interview style and the movie follows one character...who isn't even in the book.

I really enjoyed the style of writing. It brought us closer to the situation and gave us many perspectives on the zombie war and what happened in those beginning days of the spread. 

Brooks really touched on the basic human instinct of survival, fear, and what would you do to survive. What many of these characters went through and what they had to do to survive was quite appalling at times. Brooks also touched on how society reacts to a global pandemic and war. While this book was written in 2006 it's like Brooks foreshadowed our own pandemic and how we as a real society would react...it's sad and upsetting to think about.

There were so many times where I underlined a part of the book because it reminded me of our own situation and pandemic. And while I get this was a piece of science-fiction, it really highlighted on humans' basic instinct and survival. In the end we are just like any animal doing what it takes to survive in a vicious world. 

 So that book was a thing. When going into this book, I really thought it would give me more insight into better ways of analyzing literature (especially non-fiction and classics). And while in some cases I did receive a few new ideas, many of the tips and examples given were things I was already taught in university or in my literary classes in secondary. However, this book has far more issues than just the fact that the information is outdated (given this book was revised twice and republished in 2014 - why the info was not updated is beyond me).

My issues with How to Read a Book

IGNORANCE
1. While I have to keep in mind this book was written in the 40's and revised in the 70's - the blatant elitism and white views are prominent. Adler makes a blatant statement that American's have ALWAYS - since "national existence" as he puts it - supported education ALL it's citizens...well that is a blatant lie and we know it's not true. So he must only be refer to the white citizens and not those of color.

2. Adler includes only Western literature and states that he didn't include any Eastern literature because there was no tradition/ great book to read...where is the evidence in this. In 2022 we have a number of Eastern classics that are working their way into university curriculum. Also, how blind and ignorant must you be to just ignore potential other scholars that may have helped in this category. You make all these rules on reading but won't educate yourself on other literature outside of Western culture?

ASSUMPTIONS
1. Adler makes the statement that most readers are still at a elementary reading level and have never reached an analytical reading state. Yet, he assumes that all these readers have read Homer's Illiad or Joyce's Ulysses. Of course if you read them in school and didn't understand them...you are not a good reader.

2. Adler also states that those that can't read well - his definition of reading well - weren't educated properly and it's a personal matter that they can't read "correctly". So this information is A) outdated in 2022 and B) assumes it was a personal choice to not learn how to read good books. We have enough evidence to show that higher classed citizens (especially then) had easier access to literature than those of a lower class.

3. Adler ignores a complete demographic. This book truly targets those in a higher class or those that have access to better education then others.

RELEVANCE
1. As of 2022 this book is not relevant for multiple reasons:
- many of the points given, while may help university students, is not easily applicable to ALL literature as Adler continuously tries to prove.
- there are outdated statistics / information given that lead to an inaccurate representation of literacy rates today.
- the few chapters dedicated to "fiction" or "imaginary literature" are really not relevant today and don't assist in any new insights to reading this genre.

2. Many education statements / access to literature is outdated as we have seen the struggle of affording education in 2022 and the decline in literacy is largely due to access to education both secondary and university.

3. For a book that was revised in the 70's it kept the morals and past-prejudice thinking within it's structure.

I am not saying you shouldn't attempt to read this book. I believe there are some tips that may help University students learn how to read analytically. However, I do believe some of the statements made, the tips given, and the big list of "good" books to read need to be taken with a grain of salt and looked at as outdated. 

 I honestly can't tell you the last time I gave a YA fantasy novel above a 3 🌟. Especially one that is in a series. It's just become a rarity for me. Which is frustrating because I still enjoy YA literature...it just doesn't hold that appeal as it used to. Thank the writing gods for Kerri Maniscalco. I read her Stalking Jack the Ripper series when they first came out and I really enjoyed her writing and her character building.

For some reason (most likely the internet and the hype) I held off on reading Kingdom of the Wicked. I am glad I gave it a chance, and I really enjoyed it.

I loved the Italian atmosphere, the witchy vibes, the princes of hell, the whole hellish thing about hell and the underworld, the murders, the other supernatural beings. Just all of it enraptured me. And when Maniscalco talked about all that glorious Italian food, it made me want to fly to Italy and consume all the glorious food once again.

I loved the growth of Emelia (our female MC) and where she was towards the end of the book. Give me all of Wrath please! And their banter and mistrust of each other, even better. There was that hint of passion behind there words but what I loved more was there was no insta-love! A trope that saturates YA literature. In fact, the romance really wasn't a focus but more of the history between witches and demons, and the murders themselves. So win!

The only complaint I have...which is the same complaint I had in all Maniscalco's other books...is I knew exactly who the killer was and the author made it quite obvious. Which is why it got bumped down half a star. For an author that writes more fantasy murder mysteries you would think she would make it more difficult to figure out the whole "who did it" aspect that is important to these stories.

Anyhoo, there are two more books in this trilogy and I am excited to see what happens next. (Here is to fingers crossed that the second book won't have that dreaded 2nd book syndrome) 

A story with few words needed as the art speaks volumes in itself. I was enraptured with this watercolored manga brought to life, as most manga I read is inked. This was a beautiful change. The story also captured me about a young prince  setting off to go in search of the golden grain to save his kingdom and finds much more. This was my first time experiencing Miyazaki’s work and it won’t be my last.

 3.5 ? maybe 4? 🌟 

TW: drug abuse, selling/buying of drugs, murder, gore, blood, mention on animal killing, killing of animals, beheading of animals, threats, stalking

I am really struggling to come to terms with my rating for this book because there were so many parts that were great but many big parts that I just can't turn a blind eye to.

There isn't much about my review that hasn't been said in many other reviews. I absolutely loved the fast pace of this book. It's been awhile since a book kept me turning the pages for more, pushing me faster and faster towards the end. An ending that really left me reeling and quite disappointed with where the book had strayed.

In the first half we are given what we have associated with the first two books in the trilogy, a mystery with facts, interviews, and investigation. We are also contending with a very traumatized Pip, which is understandable for everything that she has been through. So her choices, while might seem right to her, really are up for debate in the terms of "good" or "bad". However, the book still felt like it fell into that realm of mystery and intrigue that we have grown to love in the last two books.

Then that scene happened, and if you read the book you know which one I am talking about.

After finding about Jason Bell is the serial killer and almost being killed by him, instead of running for help, Pip decides to take justice into her own hands and turn around to bludgeon the dude with a hammer...which we could call it self defense but she had already ran away before making the decision to go back and surprise attack him...so not defense anymore.

Going into part two of As Good As Dead was like reading a different book with completely different characters. And I am struggling with the morals, the tone, and the change that took place. It completely deviates from Jackson's established "MO" when it comes to the trilogy and to many of us as readers it came as a complete shock and disappointment. This wasn't the same characters or plot that we have come to love.

And while Pip's character development was phenomenal and has evolved since the first book...this situation took her character development way to far and felt jarring and off course for her.

Then of course we were dealt with the ending quite rushed and unbefitting of these characters. So that's why I am struggling with what to rate this. I loved this trilogy but this is not an ending that I would have wanted for any of the characters.

Even Max, he deserved to be put in prison for the actual crime he committed, rape, not for a murder he never committed. If anything this makes Pip just as bad as any other murder out there. She could have made a different choice but she didn't, she chose the worst kind of revenge.

One more thing. This is published as "YA" and while the first two books definitely fit in that category, this book does not in the slightest. This was like reading one my adult murder mysteries but even more intense at times.