My Favorite Reads of 2016

2016 was a complete wash of a year in so very many ways, but at least the books were great, and these in particular! Enjoy my highly biased and highly subjective list of my most loved reads of 2016.

Do You Review with Your Head or Your Heart?

The title of this post may sort of sound like the beginning of a cheesy country song, but this is actually a push and pull I struggle with a lot when it comes to rating and reviewing and MOST ESPECIALLY recommending.

Sometimes I read a book, and intellectually, I think it's stellar. Tidy writing, banging metaphors, deep and timely themes, impressive characters, award worthy whozits and whatsits galore. But I didn't get the FEELS. My brain went "oooh, yes" and my heart went "blerghhhhhhh."

Sometimes I read a book, and, intellectually, I see the flaws. The pacing flags. The worldbuilding is thin. I guessed the plot twists. BUT OH DEAR SWEET SHIPPIDY DOO DAH, DID I GET THE FEELS.

A Deluge of DNFs

I'm woefully behind in reviews, so here are some DNFs from all the way back in September (oof, Gillian). SLOWLY BUT SURELY, I WILL CATCH UP. Ish. Kinda.

The Shippy Awards 2016: The Winners!

THE SHIPS HAVE FOUGHT. The ships have battled. Some ships have sunk, others have risen victoriously, cresting waves and zooming along tides and doing other improbably nautical things, since I am not a sailor. But only the most seaworthy ships have survived the journey. DID YOU FAVORITES MAKE IT TO THE END?

Monthly Recap: November 2016

.....why, Gillian? Why are you making us relive November? I THOUGHT WE WEREN'T GOING TO TALK ABOUT NOVEMBER.

Review: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository
Series: No, but there will totally be a sneaky sequel
Release date: November 24th, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Length: 400 pages
Source: print ARC from BEA16/e-ARC via Edelweiss
Rating: Of Fire and 2/5 Stars

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.

Oh god, I finally finished.

First off: it absolutely kills me that I didn't love this. I wanted to love this soooooo badlyyyyy, and I could have. The elements were there, the writing was solid, and with a bit more depth, I could have cared about the characters. The concept was everything. QUEER FANTASY. F/F FANTASY. PRINCESSES IN LOVE.

These princesses in love deserved a way better plot.