#Booktok made me do it
#Booktok for those of you wondering, is the side of Tiktok where people post reading recommendations, reviews, and memes. It's become so popular that Barnes & Nobles bookstore dedicated a few display tables to books that are going viral on the app. I came across a few videos last summer and I enjoyed most of the books I could get my hands on. Now that I've been back on unemployment, I've gone through a HUGE book binge. In the past I would leave B&N with arms full of books but due to my Kindle addiction and my unemployment budget - I've managed to get by with the Overdrive App that hosts the LA Public Library digital collection. I've actually maxed out the number of holds I can claim (only 15!?!). Since the new year, I've read over 20 books based on booktok recommendations but here's a recap of just the best ones...
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| "Alone" because we're still in a pandemic... |
Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas - This series has 8 Books including a prequel and after finishing them all I have the biggest book hangover. A "How can I pick up another book right now?" type hangover. It took me about two months to finish them all - The downside of using the library is having to wait for the next available copy so I had to start and stop this series a couple times due to availability. I liked the other Booktok Recommendation by the same author last summer so I gave this one a shot. 8 books worth of story boils down to a badass young woman turning out to be a long lost queen. Through the books she discovers the depths of her power in order to stand up to the currently evil King and larger forces at work playing all the characters a bit like a chess game. The main characters' experiences through each book have a well developed arc, and it starts a little slow but I think it's necessary to get into the bigger picture stuff without being overwhelmed. I read them out of order based on booktok rec shown below and I have to agree it really enhanced my reading experience. As I wrapped up the series I got a very distinctive Lord of the Rings Saga feel (a lot of characters, a lot of battles, important relics etc) After I finished I actually bought the 8 book series as a Kindle bundle because it was on sale and I can definitely see myself re-reading it (especially the third book which was my favorite)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab - Addie LaRue made a deal - she would be able to live life, more than just growing old in a small village in France, she'd have immortality and the ability to experience the world. However, she would be forgotten by everyone she meets as soon as they lose sight of her. I was surprised at how difficult life actually becomes when you get down to the nitty gritty of a deal like this and Addie struggles. It's a bit of a historical fiction turned romance when she stumbles upon someone who actually remembers her. This book explored a lot of themes of regret, love, and loss but in the end I felt a unique mix of hope, heartbreak, and excitement that I've never felt before. I admire Addie's strength and perseverance with day to day, year to year challenges of being forgotten. But also how she finds a way around the deal she made in order to leave an impression on the world. Highly recommend. It also has a touch of "enemies to lovers" but I felt it took a backseat to the other themes of the book.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - I read this right after the Invisible Life.. unfortunately these books had some quirky similarities and I think it lessened my experience with this book reading it right afterwards. The literary device: Each main character runs into someone going through the same weird/crazy experience. It's only a small aspect of the book but it would have had a bigger impact if I hadn't just seen it happen to Addie LaRue. The Protagonist, Nora Seed gives up on life but is given the opportunity to experience countless "what if" scenarios of what her life could have been before she decides whether she really truly wants to stop living. I felt a really sad reflection of myself a bit in this book, as someone that has experienced loss after loss and felt the compounded sadness that Nora had- this book felt like a reminder that holding onto regrets can be an exercise in futility. The major lesson being that if you were given a do-over, you might still be just as unhappy. It was an interesting experience and I loved the movie "Sliding Doors" which is basically just one example that the Midnight Library lets Nora experience. This was a GoodReads Best Book of 2020 winner for Fiction and I honestly think it should have gone to Addie LaRue instead.
Luster by Raven Leilani - This could be considered new adult fiction or possibly contemporary romance. Edie is the protagonist, in her early twenties trying to get by in NYC when she becomes involved with an older man who has an open marriage. Her relationship to her boyfriend and his family as well as her struggle to navigate a career out of college made me feel uncomfortable at the disorder of her life. I feel like some of it might be unrealistic but in the way a Millennial looks at someone from Gen-Z and can't completely understand the fluidness in their life and relationships. I appreciate reading a new point of view and approach to things I've never experienced and I was glad to read something that put me out of my comfort zone. I also gained more perspective as the book tackled themes of race and wealth disparity.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - A psychological twisty page turner. A woman is found standing over her dead husband then refuses to speak again. A psychologist is drawn to this patient and tries to get to the bottom of why she did it himself. I love true crime and the doctor attempting to pull clues together kept me really interested and I loved how it all comes together in the end. The author does a good job of handing you clues and I enjoyed seeing the completed puzzle. I do believe this deserves a re-read even though mystery books can be hard to read twice once you know what happens.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber - Wow, what a ride this book was. It reminded me of a Goosebumps book but for adults. Two sisters get an invitation to the mysterious Caraval that turns out NOTHING is as it seems. It's a fantastical idea with a dark undercurrent the whole time. It's a bit like Alice in Wonderland and a Carnival themed escape room but these sisters, are for some reason, the center of it all. The only thing I didn't like was the amount of explanation needed at the end to clarify what was happening. I like the idea of show don't tell and this book left a lot to be told at the end in order to wrap up. But it was a wild ride while I was there!
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout - I don't remember exactly how Booktok categorized this book outside of fantasy. I thought I knew what to expect from the descriptions of the book but I was VERY surprised by the end and not necessarily in a bad way. I like reading books where the main character is a bad ass chick (see Throne of Glass above) but this was a twist because of her role as "The Maiden" in this society. Her Kingdom put her on a pedestal, wants to keep her pure and protected so she can ultimately serve the gods. Her resistance to this role she never chose is to be a secret badass that can kill the creatures that attack her city. However, who she needs to be protected from becomes blurred and the slow unravelling of everything she knows is pretty satisfying to read. Only towards the end did find myself backing up a few pages thinking "wait did I read that right??" This was a GoodReads Best of 2020 winner for Romance - which surprised me - I think it should have been nominated in Fantasy instead, I would consider romance the secondary theme after Fantasy. It's the first book in a trilogy and the last book comes out in April so I'm just at the mercy of the Library holds list to keep reading this series. (5 week wait minimum)
WHEN THE LIBRARY EMAILS ME THAT A BOOK ON HOLD IS AVAILABLE:
**If you're wondering why I didn't link those books to Amazon - THIS VIDEO explains why**
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