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What a lovely review! This sounds amazing, and to the TBR it goes.

Thanks for the review. My ignorance is definitely showing here as I know absolutely nothing about this topic (I'll use the excuse I'm on the other side of the world) but could I use this book as a way into...

I am a big fan of heists. I have heard a couple of podcast episodes about Doris Payne, but I had forgotten she wrote a memoir. Thanks for the reminder.

I kind of think Peace Talks might not be skippable (at least without a very detailed review) if only bc of some character stuff. But definitely you can skip Battle Ground. It's just hundreds of pages of battle scenes.

Thank you so much!! Make sure you give her as much charisma as you can, it really would be her highest stat. 🙂

Yay, I'm so glad! It's a quick read, the chapters just fly by.

I’m really happy to hear that.

I can always give you a bullet point update on “bad stuff happens” but I think it’s possible to skip them so long as you go this one knowing the positions of all the players. There’s some decent recap in...

Can I skip the last two books? I’m not sure I can overcome my desire to not read them.

Yeah she's so hit and miss and I think at first I was so excited because she was being hailed as the new Agatha Christie. This felt like a money grab.

Your review has revived my excitement to read this 🙂 Thanks!

I've read a handful of Ruth Ware books and the only one I've liked is The Death of Mrs. Westaway. Good to know this one would probably hold true to form for me.

Amina al-Sarafi definitely isn’t cozy, but it’s so good.

Much more eloquent and detailed than my review but it was absolutely the refresh and reset the series needed!

I'll add Olivie Blake's Atlas Six to the list. It's not something I recommend to everyone—for the record, I loved The Secret History and The Magicians is one of my all-time favourite books, but I absolutely understand why people don't...

100% belong to the "I read a lot but never review because a) life, and b) what if my review isn't good enough". Any review is better than no review - I'm trying to write more than one this year,...

There are definitely Cannonballers who can write reviews that are works of art, and I am not one of them. But I do feel like I get a benefit from putting my thoughts into words, even if my writing is...

I think I'm the only person on this site that loved If We Were Villains. I'm not defending it, but I loved it despite the nonsensical twists.

I appreciate literature (tongue in cheek self-deprecation entirely intended) but the Booker Prize and the other awards have gotten a little too "high-culture" for me as well.

100% agree. I cannot understand why this book has been so praised. It's not particularly well written as you say, no phrases have stuck with me since, and while I do agree that American Psycho was ultimately soulless, at least...

Have you read any Darcie Little Badger? This reminds me of a spookier, adult version of something she might write. Sounds fun!

Beautifully written review! I love the sound of a lady who "got away with as much as she did on the strength of sheer confidence, misdirection, and illusion". Hell yeah! Honestly, even before reading the book I want to make...

I have only read Eleanor and Park by her a VERY long time ago and remember loving it. This sounds like an interesting way to pick up her work again. Thanks!

Not at all! It’s kind of a vague genre imo. I feel like beyond The Secret History, there’s no one book to point to and say, this is obviously one you should read if you’re into this kind of thing....

Also realized afterwards that I recommended all of the really obvious ones and that wasn't meant as condescension sorry 😔

I might have to! I tried to read the Wikipedia summary while reading this book and it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I stole the complete works of Shakespeare from you and mom long ago so...

You and me both it's rapidly approaching on my queue!!

Thank you for the recs! Ninth House is basically the reason I got into dark academia (that and Tana French’s The Secret Place). Some of these are definitely on my list but next up is The Raven Scholar which I’m...

Ooo! This is my style of true crime too! I've never heard of this so I'm excited to check it out!

You've made this sound really lovely. I'm adding it to my TBR list right now! Thanks for answering the question about the editing too. I tend to be a bit nit-picky about that.

Thank you so much! I think, like a lot of people, I tend to be too hard on myself. Coupled with massive procrastination that ends up causing me to just abandon things.

Thanks! I've always enjoyed the end of year wrap up that highlights which books were reviewed the most and got the highest ratings. My TBR pile always gets a boost after that Pajiba article!

Ah, that's a bummer, as I was hoping for the same. I'm only a few chapters into the second book right now but I do like it enough to stick with and see how both it ends.

Ha, you're welcome.

In my opinion yes. Pretty sure House Witch was his first book, and it was self-published so the roughness makes sense. I do think they improve.

"But the horniness has been dialed down quite a bit" praise the lord

Shaking my head a little at the choice to have a character named Princess Aurora. I think you did great! We are very chill here, you can write whatever you want 🙂

I just wanted to congratulate you for trying again, even though it hasn't worked out for you before. Reviewing is HARD, and even people who are really good at it sweat over it, so try to give yourself some grace....

Oh, fantastic! I hope he likes it.

Thank you! I try. 🙂

I liked The Lunar Chronicles a lot so read this trilogy as it was being released. I will say I liked a lot about it, but I was a little disappointed with how it ended because I thought it was...

I really hope you enjoy the book, when you get to it! I hadn't heard of Geo Rutherford (I'm not on social media much at all), but I will definitely check out Spooky Lakes, as it sounds wonderful.

Well, it’s complicated- he’s definitely seen as the villain in the world at large but we are meant to question how the good guys kind of felt like they were allowed to define good and bad and maybe there is...

Ohhh, I need to go back and reread The Blind Assassin, as it's been way too long - thanks for the reminder!

Whew. It sounds like you are definitely entitled to some compensation there. I do love a good one-star review, so thank you!!!

Maybe it’s time for you to dig into King Lear. It’s a good one, if you like tragedies. Mad king, ungrateful daughters, bastard sons…what’s not to love! 😁

Welcome to the Annual Kick Off Meeting of Review Procrastinators Anonymous, where our motto is: all reviews are good reviews. or the review you write is better than the perfect review in your head?? this past year I finally participated...

I loveeeeeee The Secret History and do find a lot of dark academia books end up being compared to it in my head (if not seem to be directly inspired by). I haven't looked through your book list but a...

oh I'd love to know this as well 🙂

I've avoided picking this up because the idea that someone can still be your love despite x years of no contact always makes me side eye (love is about connection!) but I will put this back on the list, as...