brimelick's reviews
347 reviews

I was never interested in reading these books when they came out but decided to try them. My friend turned me onto them by telling me about the worldbuilding elements which I love in books. I'm reading this series while I am reading the Mortal Instruments and my god this is the way to do it. Every character is fantastic, the foreshadowing and layers involved in every character were amazing. This book grabbed me and did not let me go even when it ended. There is so much intrigue and mystery that goes so well with the fantastical world of Victorian England. Clare did a fantastic job with her research and makes it so easy to immerse yourself in the story. I will absolutely be buying the next two and most likely have a book hangover after. You do not need to read the Mortal Instruments or any of the other books to start this, but like my friend, I absolutely recommend it.

If understanding this book completely is the only thing that I ever use for my Bachelor's degree in Classics, I will be very okay with it. I bought this second-hand after hearing a lot about it in booktok and I was terrified to read it. I spend four years in school studying the ancient world and began by reading the Iliad in English and ended in translating it from Homeric Greek. After the over five times I read it I still didn't quite understand every aspect of it. Miller, being a Classics professor has such an amazing grasp on the history, the myth, the people, and the places that make this one of the best modern retellings of the story. When I was reading it, it was like I picked up another version from Homer that he hadn't published. By the end of the book I was sobbing, it was so real, so heartbreaking, and so beautiful at the same time. Even if you aren't a fan of Greek mythology, I still recommend this book to everyone.

Okay, did I run to Target and have the worker find me the last copy in the back because I was so excited and determined to get a copy? Yes, I did. Was it worth it? Absolutely it was. I enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation, but I LOVED this book. So yes I will be going to the store to get Beach Read as soon as I get paid. Every character was lovable and even more so since this was more of a 'professional adversary to lovers' and I never knew I needed it. It's a spoof on Hallmark movies and the main characters make some incredible jokes about that. Growing up in a small town I totally get the vides of Sunshine Falls and I think that is what makes this book relate to me more. I would love to be able to experience the magic of what NYC means to Nora. Her dedication to her sister and her siblings becomes her fault and she uses it as a way to find her perfect ending. As someone who grew up knowing that I wasn't going to date until I really vetted a person like Nora, I related to her in more ways than I thought. This is a perfect story for a woman who is incredibly career-driven yet also dedicated to family find her perfect ending without having to sacrifice her personal goals. Nora and Charlie are now in my top ten list of favorite book couples.

As a fan of Red Queen, I knew this book would be good but damn, it was better than good. I loved the worldbuilding and deep descriptions of each of the different landmarks and people within Allward. The ragtag group of people this follows are all going from different backgrounds and are all of the varying ages which I really enjoyed. This group makes up the heroes of the story, when in fact they are only the heroes because the first group of heroes failed, I have never read a book like that before. The humor was layered on top of tension and that just made it perfect. Aveyard has given us a more easily understood version of the Lord of the Rings and it is an ode to Tolkien's masterpiece, showing just how far the Fantasy genre has grown.

Ethan and Lena are one of my favorite fictional couples in YA fiction. The world of the Casters and mortals in Gatlin, SC is one that I can go back to again and again. As much as I love the series, in this re-read, this is not my favorite in the series. It is a solid sequel that expanded on the world, answered many questions, and introduced more questions. The authors have created a fantastic combination of civil war history and magic systems to make a cohesive plot filled with lovable and hatable characters.

This book is my favorite out of the original first series of books. As someone who went on to get a degree in classics because of this series, it makes sense that this one would be my favorite. We get to dive more into the myths of Ancient Greek Gods and heroes and since Theseus and the Labyrinth have always been one I loved, this book became my favorite. The relationship between Annabeth and Percy is unsettled by Luke and Rachel in some of the best ways, even though Percy and Annabeth will always be endgame for me. How fiercely these kids defend their home and how loyalty is tested all boils down to the peak in the next and final book in the series.

As someone who spends her entire day talking about Thomas Jefferson and his legacy while working at his home, knowing and understanding Monticello's entire story is of the utmost importance. I was given this book by a colleague of mine because the long history of the Levy family has become a research topic that I have jumped head first into. Uriah Levy is a Jewish-American hero and so is his nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy, without them, it is very likely that we would not have Monticello still today. Or at the very least the way that it is today. The Levy family's story at Monticello is just as important as Thomas Jefferson's story and this book does a great job at describing just how many hardships they went through just to simply keep ahold of the home. Through trials of war, finances, the public showing up to the property, anti-Semitism, and the many times it was almost forcibly taken from them. This book is good for anyone interested in learning about the perseverance behind those who were caretakers of our national treasures as well as anyone interested in Jewish history and preservation of history. Well researched and fabulously put together.

As someone who loves Pirates of the Caribbean, I too, would like there to be a sixth one. But only if it’s written by January and Gus.