Author: piperreads

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anne-Marie McLemore

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Rating: 4/5

“And it’s not the perfect moment. It’s not even one of the six movie moments we’ve had in the past week. But it’s the moment. It’s our moment. Something in me just knows.”

The Miss Meteor pageant hasn’t any a winner like Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez in all it’s history. But that’s not why Lita and Chicky want to enter the competition as Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect but sharing who you are to the world and loving the parts of yourself. So to pull off the biggest underdog in Miss Meteor’s pageant history Lita and her ex-best friend Chicky are going to try and put the past behind them and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough, they are everything.

I love a good underdog story and this book was a real treat. Anne-Marie McLemore is one of my favorite authors so when I saw this book on goodreads, I decided to check it out. It was such a fun, witty, heartfelt, endearing story with magical elements that kept you glued to the page. While it took awhile to get used to the writing style as I’m used to McLemore’s flowery style but there’s a lot more to focus on than that. Miss Meteor is a story of self-empowerment and stepping into yourself accepting your imperfections and owning who you are. I think that was my favorite aspect of the story with the characters reclaiming what they were shamed for and it’s so relevant especially in today’s world.

The dynamics between Lita and Chicky were great, I enjoyed reading about their friendship and with what happened in the past I hoped they would find their back to each other. Not only do they have a great bond but their friendship felt very real and I enjoyed it. I would also say that for the rest of the characters throughout the book as there was a lot of love from sisters, families, and other characters that was very heartwarming and wonderful to see.

Overall, a very endearing story about self-empowerment and being proud of you are flaws and all.

This Poison Heart by Kaylnn Bayron

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Rating: 3/5

Brisesis has a strange yet fascinating gift where she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. But, when her aunt dies and gives her dilapidated estate to Bri and her parents decide to leave rural Brooklyn for the summer in hopes that Bri can hone her magically gift in the open space that surrounds her aunt’s estate. At first, things are perfect but looks can be deceiving and Bri and her family don’t have any idea of what sinister awaits for them. Soon, strangers start coming to the door wanting elixer’s and when Bri learns that she can make them, she decides to use her talent and things couldn’t be better. Until, Bri meets a woman named Maria and the two become friends until Bri finds out that Maria is keeping secrets of her own and soon Bri finds herself with more than she bargained for and she must not only save herself but her family.

This is the second book that I’ve read from Bayron and I actually prefer Cinderella is Dead to this one because the pacing for this book was awful imo. The character didn’t even arrive in the setting until 25% into the book and while there parts where I felt like things were picking up, the poor pacing continued throughout the book and it made me a bit disappointed. Briesis is very relatable character and I do think she was well-written and I liked her personality but I just felt like the pacing of the book really impacted my enjoyment of it. Another part that irked me a bit was the immortal love interested who was in the body of a seventeen year old. The main character, Breisis is barely seventeen yet her love interest some hundred years her senior? That might not bother some people but that felt weird to me.

But, there a few things that I enjoyed and in particular the relationship between Bri and her mother, I felt like it was a very well written and there is so much love between the two of them and that’s always nice to see. I also enjoyed learning about the magic system and I thought that it was explained very well and made it interesting. I wish I could’ve enjoyed this book as much as others did but I couldn’t due to the issues that I mentioned but if you feel like this sounds up your alley, check it out for yourself!

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

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Rating: 4/5

“If we were different people in different circumstances, I would get down on my knees and beg you to stay at the end of the winter. I would move heaven and earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me.” 

A retelling of a very old tale between Persephone and Hades and one that will leave you begging for more. Society darling, Persephone Dimitriou is ready to leave the ultra modern city of Olympus and start over from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses but when her mother throws her into an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind the city’s dark facade, she is desperate for a way out. She flees to the forbidden city, where she makes a devil bargain and is thrust into a world that she never knew existed along with a man she believed to be a myth.

This book was super steamy and I loved every minute of it. This book wasn’t originally on my tbr at all until I started hearing the buzz about it and decided to check it out and I am so glad that I did. Not only did I love the smut but I loved everything about the retelling of Persephone and Hades. I am fickle on retellings of this tale because it’s been done so many times so I was a little skeptical but the characters, the world-buidling, the writing, and of course the smut drew me in. I liked how the author was still able to weave in the gods aspect because the way it was done in this retelling added to the story in my perspective. I could actually see this world existing in my head and wondered what it would be like to experience it.

I can’t wait for more!!

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

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Rating: 3.5/5

“If they want me to be a nightmare, then a nightmare I shall be.” 

Outside of the walls of opulent opera house, Isda doesn’t exist. She is one of the few people who can manipulate people’s memories when people sing. Saved by Cyril, the owner of the opera house, she is given a chance to survive but only on the condition that she keep tickets sales alive and stays out of sight. It seems that is all is going well until Isda breaks Cyril’s golden rule and finds herself battling between what she knows and what she truly desires. 

While it was confusing during some parts, I found this book enjoyable and not only because it was a retelling of The Phantom Of The Opera but because of the two main characters and their dynamic. I love that it was gender-switched as it was a little more interesting to see how the relationship and plot would play out throughout the book. I found Isda relatable and real as she is working through so many different emotions and struggles due to being kept hidden. I love her relationship with Emeric as it felt very real and the two had sweet moments as well as conflict which is inevitable and any relationship. Her father figure, Cyril was interesting as it was hard to tell his motives and there were times where I felt like he was being manipulative and controlling to Isda so I felt for her. I wanted her to finally break from him as that’s what she truly wanted and to be with Emeric. 

I don’t wanna spoil it so you’ll have to check it out if you want to know more! It’s a stellar read from beginning to end. 

Promised Neverland by Kaui Shirai

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Rating: 4/5

Emma and her fellow friends, Norman and Ray, who are the brightest orphans feel like nothing could bring them down and they have everything they could’ve wanted. Clean clothes, great food, and a environment that helps the children feel loved and cared for. What more could they want? That bliss and happiness is shattered when the orphans come up the dark forest that they have been forbidden to see.

YES! I absolutely loved this, I binged the first season awhile back and loved it so I was delighted to find the manga for a readathon that I’m in for. A peter pan retelling and an amazing one at that! It was a short read so that’s another plus but I loved the characters, the dynamics between them, and of course the amazing plot which totally tricked me from the moment I started. I thought I was going into this wholesome and sweet story about these three orphans and it turned out to be a retelling of Peter Pan and an amazing one at that! Finding out that their mother isn’t all saintlike as they have been led believe and the plots twists and turns that left me reeling. I wish I could go into more of it but I don’t want to spoil it so if you’re looking for a fun and short read that will leaving you gasping for air, this is it!

Witchshadow by Susan Dennard

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Rating: 4/5

“One man’s loneliness is another man’s freedom.”

Witchshadow follows the journey of Iseult, a threadwitch who has the ability to see the ties that bind the lives of the people around her has found her heartsister Safi but their reunion is short lived. Iseult has formed an unlikely bond with Safi, a truthwitch who has ability to discern truth from a lie and in order to save her friend, she will be taken on a journey that is more dangerous than any journey she’s ever been on. Meanwhile, the bloodwitch Audean is beset by forces that he doesn’t understand and Vivia, the rightful queen of Nubreva is without a crown or home. Iseult is faced with a dilemma of being able to embrace her power and heal the land but she must make a choice for which of the shadows of her destiny lie.

I was so excited to finally get this book in my hands as I have been waiting on it since bloodwitch. This series is so underrated and I have been telling so many people about the series. I actually forgot the book came out this month until I found it while looking for other books for my July TBR. I first found the series last year when I was asking for book recommendations and Truthwitch kept coming up so I decided to check it out. I am so glad that I did because it’s such a good story with two great protagonists, Safi and Iseult and their friendship is my favorite thing of the series. They are so different yet care for each other so much and would do anything to help each other out. Seeing Iseult’s growth throughout the series has been wonderful especially in her own book. There was so much character and plot development that really helped with telling Iseult’s story and I nearly finished the book in the one night. So, I don’t really have any complaints except for more Audean and Iseult but hopefully there will be more of them in the future.

If you’re looking for a medium paced fantasy with two great protagonists, a well-written and engaging plot, and interesting characters, then I would check this series out. It’s so good and it needs more love!

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

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TW: Racism, Sexism, Gore, Abuse etc.

Rating: 3.5/5

“Sometimes she craved a little danger. And that was why she had book club.” 

Always a planner, Patricia Campbell finds herself in a position that doesn’t give her as much freedom she dreamed of when she gives up her career as a nurse, to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother. Now, she’s never felt so small and unimportant. The days are long and the kids are ungrateful and her husband is distant which is making her pull away from him. But, there is one thing she has: her book club which is the only excitement she has in her life. Or so she thinks? That all changes when children start to go missing after an artistic and charismatic artist comes into town, Patricia finds herself thrust into a tale far more terrifying than she and her book club ever imagined.

Well, this book was more entertaining than I thought and not my usually choice but it sounded intriguing when I saw it on goodreads. I normally don’t read a lot of dark humor so did take some time to get into but the more I read, the more I started to like it. The book is set in the south in the 90’s and there are parts where it talks about how the south treated minorities and women so that’s something to think about before checking this book out. And on that note, the book also made me frustrated and angry and to be honest it was more of a trigger than anything because gaslighting just makes me anxious. As someone who was gaslight for many years, I felt like that was one of the many reasons I couldn’t fully get into the book cause it brought back memories. I know I shouldn’t of let the book trigger because I know it’s not personal but it just made me think of stuff that I haven’t thought about in a long time. But, if dark humor is up your alley and you don’t mind gore then this book might be something you would like.

Tiny Tales by Various Authors

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Rating: 3.5/5

This is my first book that I’ve read by Alexander McCall Smith and I don’t know if I’ll be reading anymore of their work soon. Not because I don’t want to but short stories aren’t really my thing but I found this while looking for recommendations and thought it looked cute and interesting to read. I do love stories that involve kindness and happiness because I think we all need that. For me, I couldn’t really get invested because the stories were so short and that might be why short stories just aren’t for me. This is very cute, fun, and easy read that will lift your spirits so if that’s what you’re looking for then you’ll find it here.


Burnout: The Secret To Unlocking The Stress Cycle by Emily Nagorski

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Rating: 2/5

“The moral of the story is: We thrive when we have a positive goal to move toward, not just a negative state we’re trying to move away from.”

I have mixed feelings about self-help books as I find that some of them can be a little preachy and while I did like the material covered in book, it did feel that way at times. I am finishing up my master’s degree and will be going into counseling field shortly after so I have been reading up on burnout quite a bit and I found this book while searching for self-help books. Since Emily Nagorski’s is well known in the counseling field, I thought that this book would be focused in that area and I was wrong. Seeing the title, I was anticipating that this book would be about burnout and how we can handle stress in our daily lives and what we can to combat it but I was wrong. While the book does provide information that can be useful and other parts were about feminism and patriarchy that I felt had no relevance. in the book. Look, I love reading about feminism and patriarchy but if the title of the book is about stress and burnout then that’s what I want. With that being said, I felt like this book was a little all over the place and I would’ve loved more of a focus on burnout and how we can as women fix that and do better with helping others do the same.

So, aside from that I probably wouldn’t recommend this unless you want to check it out on your own and see for yourself. I wish it was different because I was actually looking forward to it.