bibliokyra's reviews
1111 reviews

Louie, his mother, father and eight brothers and sisters live in a little old house perched atop a craggy hill. A nearby volcano collapses into the ocean, causing a tidal wave to wipe out the entire village in the valley below. They are the only survivors around, surrounded by the raging sea. The sea level continues to rise and the parents know they must leave soon to seek higher ground before their supplies run out. Unfortunately, there is only room for eight passengers in their boat. The parents are faced with the hardest decision of their lives—which of their children do they leave behind?

The story is told from both perspectives of the parents and the children who were left behind. The parents set off on their tumultuous journey, seeking refuge and fighting to keep the remainder of their family alive. The sea and weather are entirely unpredictable, lightning storms and monstrous waves are imminent. They are riddled with guilt and shame from abandoning their children and know they probably cannot return to them in time. The abandoned children are confused, heartbroken and despondent. They stick together, using the few skills and resources they have to get by for as long as possible, wondering if their parents will save them before they drown.

This was one of the most suspenseful, anxiety-inducing novels I have ever read. It literally pained me when I had to put it down because I NEEDED to know the fate of these characters. I was so angry with the parents and felt so sorry for the children but Collette adeptly places you inside their heads, forcing you to empathize with both parties. I think this story is so terrifying because the plot is almost conceivable with global warming and our glaciers melting at such high speeds. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic novels, you must read this. JUST AFTER THE WAVE is a haunting, unputdownable novel about the bonds of family and the relentless power of nature.

I literally could not put this book down and devoured it in a few hours last night. Beach Read is a love story between two flawed writers who challenge each other to step out of their comfort zones. It is heartwarming, steamy, funny, relatable and the characters have substance. If you’re in need of a good romance, I highly recommend you pick this one up!

Sticky Fingers Brownies was an underground pot brownie business in San Francisco during the 1970s and 80s and one of the original canabusinesses. They produced thousands of baked goods each month for recreational and medicinal use. In HOME BAKED, Volz pens a heartwarming memoir of her life as the daughter of “The Brownie Lady” or Meridy—the powerhouse business woman behind Sticky Fingers Brownies.

Volz recounts how Sticky Fingers began and describes her unique childhood. Her family’s story intersects with a well-researched history of San Francisco during the 70s, the rise of the LGBTQ+ movement, politics and marijuana legislation. When the AIDS epidemic hit, their business shifted from recreational to medicinal to bring comfort to those who were suffering. HOME BAKED is a fascinating story about an eccentric, loving family living through an era of cultural change. I highly recommend this beautifully written memoir.

This book was so much fun to read and a much-needed distraction. A sassy, foul-mouthed witch and a virtuous witch hunter accidentally fall for each other—chaos ensues. I loved everything about this magical story. Superb world building, action, magic, spirited characters and a steamy romance. I cannot wait for Blood & Honey coming this September!

44 Chapters About 4 Men is a hilarious memoir from author BB Easton. In her journal, BB recounts her most intense sexual escapades with her bad boy, man-child exes and finds herself fantasizing over the non-vanilla sex. Her beloved, clean-cut husband (who is apparently devoid of all emotion) sneaks on her laptop and reads an entry. He realizes he needs to step it up in the bedroom and BB is thrilled with the results of his snooping. BB decides to keep a fake journal just for her “husbot” to read and it’s filled with elaborate, fabricated sexual encounters crafted specifically to trick her husband into having more exciting, passionate sex. ⁣

I breezed right through this book and couldn’t look away! I felt bad for Ken at times and thought that if BB and Ken just had better communication, maybe they wouldn’t have to go through all of this trickery. But that wouldn’t make for a good story would it?

Rating: 3.5 stars

You guys need to put this book on your radar if you haven’t already! The Mountains Sing is a multigenerational family saga set against Vietnam’s 20th century history. This powerful story follows the Tran family over several generations with two strong women at the center. From Land Reform to the Vietnam War, The Mountains Sing highlights the catastrophic impacts of war and the hardships that Vietnamese people faced during those brutal years. ⁣
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Nguyen’s poetic storytelling rich with Vietnamese language and culture completely swept me away to the gorgeous landscapes of Vietnam. This beautiful, thoughtful, heartbreaking story is one we’ve all learned about but offered from the Vietnamese perspective.