The Anti-Virginity Pact is a Young Adult debut contemporary novel by BookTuber Katie Wismer. The story follows Meredith Beaumont, a Preacher’s daughter who happens to be an atheists. When her best friend Johanna convinces her to sign a pact that states that they both won’t be virgins at the end of their senior year of high school things don’t go as planned and Mare must make the decision as whats more important her reputation and relationship with her parents or the person she wants to be.
The Anti-Virginity Pact is a story about relationship, religion, high school, and becoming the person you want to be. This hard hitting contemporary deals with many topics that some are afraid to tackle and sheds light on to aspects of toxic religions. The authors writing and characters sucked me in and made me root for Mare and what she stood for. Though fair warning this book does handled sensitive topics such as religion, rape, and animal abuse so its not for everyone. The emotions and events that Mare goes though not only speaks for her own situation but speaks to the emotions and even trauma that many high schoolers deal with every day.
Though young adult contemporary is not my favorite genre, Wismer’s writing accurately portrays the emotions and drama of high school so well that I brought back memories for me and I’ve been out of high school for ten years. This would be a great book for those who love young adult contemporary and young women in high school. I received an advanced copy to review through NetGalley.
Beacon joined up with popular bookstagram accounts to give the best advice and some great props that can be used to better pictures. The items included were a notebook with tips and advice, a 26 week planner, a fabric back drop, a letter board, a fake dagger, a crown, a mask, a pocket watch, fairy lights, flower petals, keys, acorns, and pine cones.
Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst is a new young adult standalone fantasy that follows a pair a strong women who are willing to risk their lives in their quest to become champions in the monster racing.
A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martian: I love Game of Thrones, more the show than the books but I’ve enjoyed both. However, I’m at the point where it has just been too long between when I read the last Song of Ice and Fire book and a Dance With Dragons and with the last two book not published yet, I’ve lost all interest. I think the story is good but with the length of the books and timing I don’t think I will ever finish this series and I’m okay with that.
Survive the Night by Danielle Vega is a young adult horror novel where a group of teenagers go to a underground rave and horrible things happen. I made in to page 76 before I stopped reading and the book is only 263 pages. At the point I stopped there was no horror at all, it was all teen drama and honestly I have no idea why this group is even friends no one seems to like each other. If you market something as a horror novel make sure that you don’t bore or annoy the reader before you get to that point. The concept is interesting but the writing is boring and gave me no reason to continue reading.
Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury is an historical nonfiction book. I pick this up because as a historian it was recommended to me based on other history books I read and liked. However, Queen Victoria and the Victorian era are not subjects that I’m all that interested in. I only read about the first one and a half chapters and it very well written and researched. It didn’t hold my interest but anyone who studies this time period would probably like it.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction book about reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo who is going to tell her life story to a unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant. I’m considering this a DNF for now as I generally like the premise of the story. At the moment I don’t think I’m in the mood to read this book. I also started it as an audio book and I didn’t connect well this the narrator of the audio book. I’m also just not really in the mood for audio books at the moment. However, I do think I would like this book if I picked it up in the future.
The first book I read was The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette De Bodard. This is a science fiction novella that is set in a world where space ships have minds and personalities. The story follows Long Chau and the ship The Shadow’s Child who are attempting to solve a murder mystery. This is very much scifi combined with Sherlock Holmes. Though the story is short I ended up loving it, however it just drops you into the world so the first few pages are a little confusing as you try to figure out how this world works.
The League of Regrettable Sidekicks by Jon Morris is a coffee table type book that goes through many of the different sidekicks that have existed in comic book history. It focuses mostly on characters that are not popular and may have been forgotten over times. Its a very quick read for anyone who wants to know more comic history.
The last book I read this month was Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty. This is a nonfiction book that answers questions about death and dying posed by kids. The answers and questions are given in a way that is informative and interesting with a dash of humor but are simple enough explanations for many people to understand. I’ve read Caitlin’s other books and follow her on YouTube so I enjoy her content. I love the fact that she answers questions that many have but will not ask.
I only game that I was playing and focusing on this month was Final Fantasy VII Remake. This is a game that I absolutely loved and I can’t wait for the next game. If you have never played Final Fantasy VII or any Final Fantasy games I would give this one a shot. I also have a full review that does contain some spoilers if anyone wants to know my full thoughts.
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher is the third book in the Dresden Files series. The story once again as always follows Harry Dresden, a wizard living in Chicago who helps the police with supernatural crimes. This time ghosts are causing trouble all over Chicago and many people affect are somehow connected to Harry.
Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as decor or for a pin/builtin board. March’s theme is Music of the Night.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgerstern is a adult literary fiction and fantasy novel that follows two main protagonists, Ceila and Marco, who are competing against one another at a magical circus and try not to fall in love.
The first book I read was The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era by Gareth Russell. This book uses the lives and history of six first class passengers on Titanic to illustrate how society and the world worked in the era of Titanic and how the sinking is often seen as wake up call for the changes that are coming. Well researched and written but some parts were a little boring since I went into the book thinking it would be more about Titanic than the society that built her. However, still a good book and one I would recommend for those who have researched Titanic before.
The second book I read in February was the Sailor Moon manga Eternal Edition vol. 1. I have started to collect these editions of the series and I’m reading each volume as I get it. Sailor Moon is one of my favorite manga and anime series so I loved reading it again. My only criticism in this first volume is at time that story seem almost too fast paced. As a reader you don’t get a lot of time with each new character before another one is introduced but given where I know the series goes its not that big of an issue.
The last book I read was The Little Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. So I say I “read” this but really I watched a YouTube video where the story was read and the pictures where shone. I read it this way because the book is very hard to obtain copies of and I didn’t know I existed before. This is a little kids picture book that simplifies the story of Stormdancer the first book in the Lotus Wars series by Jay Kristoff. Its very cute and I would love to own a copy one day.
I won an advanced copy of this book through Goodreads.
Night Owl Reviews 