Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose.”
–“Raybearer” by Jordan Ifueko
Raybearer by Jordan Ifeuko is the story of a girl named Tarisai who, by command of her mother, leaves the only home she has ever known to compete for a place in the prestigious Anointed Council of the Crown Prince. The issue is, Tarisai’s mother has instructed her to kill the prince once she has completed this task. But the only way to *be* anointed is to earnestly love the prince, and so Tarisai is torn between the mother she barely knows and the new family she is growing to love.
Raybearer is a powerhouse of a novel. It has strong characters, worldbuilding galore, and many nods to Nigerian culture. I am BEYOND happy that I picked this novel up, and I can’t wait to read the companion–Redemptor! Please check out this episode as I talk about my second five star read of the year.
“For more than half a decade he’d thought of her every day, and here she was. Ian drank her in. He found her lovely. He found her obscene. He found her. “Here you are,” he said aloud, and smiled.”
–The Huntress by Kate Quinn
The Huntress by Kate Quinn is a force of a historical fiction novel, offering a triple POV, triple timeline story of a Huntress being hunted. Oftentimes, the story is brutal, with an incorporation of real life historical influences that make you cower, and at other times, the story is relatable, funny, and heartwarming. In typical Kate Quinn fashion, this novel is immersive, accessible, and romantic—a perfect read for someone in the mood for a historical and mysterious tale.
If you can believe it, we’re more than halfway through 2022! And with that, naturally, comes reflection. My reading goal for this year is to read 35 books. So far, I’ve read 21 books–some great, some not so great, and some that simply fell somewhere in between.
In this episode, I breakdown some of my thoughts on my reading year so far, and get the opportunity to discuss some of the books I haven’t yet talked about on the podcast. I also go into what books are on my TBR for the second half of 2022, and what my most anticipated release is!
What’s your favorite book so far this year? And what are you most looking forward to reading? Comment down below!
When I watch you sleep,” he said shakily, “I feel overwhelmed that you exist.”
–Beach Read by Emily Henry
I didn’t know regular life could feel like this, like a vacation you don’t have to go home from.”
–People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Somehow, it never occurred to me that this was an option: that two people, in the same hug, could both be allowed to fall apart. That maybe it’s neither of our jobs to keep a steel spine.”
–Book Lovers By Emily Henry
For the past two weeks, I’ve been reading summer romcoms.
I had this big idea to start a new series on the podcast called Battle Royale, where I pit 3 books against each other in an attempt to see which one I like the best (ultimately, which one I give the highest star rating to). While I have seen all three of these books, Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation, and the recently released Book Lovers many times at the store, I just hadn’t picked them up. Until now, of course. And so, I must say, the last two weeks have been fun. It was nice immersing myself in the world of one author and seeing the world through the characters they create, through the plots they have constructed around them.
While most of the time I see these books under the banner of SUMMER READ, I have to say these books aren’t without a certain amount of reflection, emotion, and dare I say it–drama. I grew emotional and misty-eyed through all three. Some heavy topics are hit and explored. These are adult books, but there was something nostalgic about reading them. I couldn’t put my finger on it. It wasn’t until I was halfway through Book Lovers that I realized what it was. When I was a teenager, I loved Sarah Dessen novels. I remember picking up my first one, That Summer, probably around 2003 or 2004, when I was around thirteen years old, thinking (for some reason) that it was purely a teen summer romance, which I was apt to read. What I got, and what I continued to get from Sarah Dessen, were these sweet romances paired with strong female characters learning, stretching, growing. Coming of age, if you will. And I realized that Emily Henry’s novels have the same feeling; they feel like the “coming-of-age” of adult women, of women in their late 20s and 30s who don’t quite have it together, and haven’t exactly grown into the person or into the lives they want for themselves. Or maybe they have, like Poppy in People We Meet on Vacation, but now they want something different. Familial relationships are important in Emily Henry’s novels, and they are explored, a theme I would run into quite a bit in Sarah Dessen’s novels. And so, now at 32 years old, it felt nice. Like a warm hug, a soft hello in a different form–novels that explored some of those themes from my teenage-hood in an adult way. In a way that once again applies to me.
I haven’t read a Sarah Dessen novel in years. Anyone can read YA, but I know a contemporary YA novel in 2022 *may* not affect or impact me the way it would have in 2005. And that’s okay. I’m aware that the feeling I got at 15 or 16, of connection, of being seen, of being on summer vacation away from school and sitting in my childhood bedroom with the sun spilling through my windows–it won’t ever be like that again. I can enjoy a YA book, love it to pieces, but I know that feeling–it can’t come back. But I can get new feelings. Similar feelings. I’m happy Emily Henry is writing to fill a void I didn’t even know was there.
“Words are seeds, Casiopea. With words you embroider narratives, and the narratives breed myths, and there’s power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power,” he said.
“Gods of Jade and Shadow,” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The things you name have power. Meaning, the words we say have power, and words can come unbidden–rushed, and chaotic, without much thought, which can breed mistake and regrets. And words can come carefully–slow, well marinated, and thought-out–the results of many days and nights thinking. And words can give power to our knowledge, to our history, to our children as we pass down stories (both truth and both flights of fancy) that can enthrall, teach, and connect us to our ancestors. I particularly wanted to highlight this quote from the 2019 novel, Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia because this book, in many ways, is a love letter to the fairytale. To the folklore. It’s evident in the way the story is told, and it’s quite evident with this quote about myth, and the power that myths have.
Please listen to the latest episode of She Happily Reads as I break down the aspects of this novel that I loved, and the aspects that left me wanting a bit more than what I got. But, even coming away from not particularly loving this book, I have a deep respect for the narrative, the writing, and the loving care Moreno-Garcia has for the beautiful artform of the folktale.
In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, they were still willing to believe that because the Empire was geographically vast, and had armies and a complex bureaucracy and a religion and all the other great institutions that came with it, it would simply…endure. That it was an entity greater than the sum of its parts, rather than a huge collective delusion that required constant maintenance at gigantic expense of treasure and blood.”
–The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
When we think of justice, we often think of balance, of heavy scales finding themselves leveled by the addition or subtraction of weights. But justice is not a concrete, black or white concept. The definition of justice can change based on who is doling it out; for some, a life for a life constitutes as justice, while others think imprisonment is justice enough. Who’s wrong? Who’s right? Well, it all depends on who is in power. And therefore, justice is really more about power than right or wrong, than concrete definitions of fairness. Who holds the power holds justice in the palm of their hands, to do with as they will, and that’s the truth of the matter.
The Justice of Kings, the first novel in a new fantasy series, explores this theme–and does it well, might I add. Although I have some critiques, I’m hopeful that this novel could be the first building block in an explosive series that makes me think a little deeper around the world around me, and the power–and justice–that encapsulates it.
“A clean home, a clean body, and clean company. Do you know where that leads?”
I could not have been more than five years old when she taught me this. I looked way up at her as she spoke. “Where does it lead, Gran?”
“To a clean conscience. To a good, clean life.”
–The Maid by Nita Prose
Who do you have around you?
Sometimes company is chosen, and sometimes it’s thrust upon us based on circumstances we have little control over. The people who live next door, the coworkers you work closely with (but perhaps you maybe wouldn’t have hired), the new friends and the old, and of course, family. Whoever they are, the people we interact with can have a meaningful impact on our lives, whether we choose them or not.
In The Maid by Nita Prose, a heartwarming story about an unconventional maid at an upscale hotel, Molly Gray finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery that changes her life. At the beginning of the novel, Molly is, for lack of a better word, struggling. Her grandma, who was not only her parent-figure but also her best friend, has recently died. She is in deep financial trouble. She feels misunderstood at work, lost in a world that her Gran used to help her make sense of.
For a long time, Molly’s primary company was Gran. Molly’s parents unfortunately were not in a position to raise her, and Gran, for all intents and purposes, was not necessarily the person that Molly chose. But throughout the book, we can see that Gran was the best company for her; she was loving, patient, and understanding, and even after Gran’s death, we consistently see Molly ponder upon the lessons Gran instilled within her. Even after death, Gran is still keeping Molly company.
Constrastly, the company Molly has chosen is Rodney, a slick, attractive bartender at the Regency Grand Hotel. Molly struggles to see the disingenuous nature of Rodney: his criminality, his lies, and his deceit. She makes attempts to be around him, in the hopes that they may enter into a romantic relationship. But her attempts to win his approval and to be in his orbit inevitably threaten her safety and land her in sticky situations.
The Maid has a happy conclusion of course, and in the end, Molly prevails and finds herself surrounded by the best company–such as Mr. Preston and his daughter, Charlotte–people who choose her unexpectedly. But I couldn’t help but think about the quote at the beginning of this post during and after reading The Maid. Sometimes we want certain people in our lives for shallow reasons. We try to enter into friend groups because we want to seem cool, or have proximity to power, or we try to desperately win the romantic attentions of someone because they are beautiful or talented or well-liked. Throughout life, we have moments where we are striving to belong somewhere. Sometimes it can feel like we’re knocking on doors that no one wants to answer. But I agree with Gran–clean company is integral to our lives. And sometimes it takes a while to find it, or sometimes it finds you, like in The Maid. Molly doesn’t seek help; the help comes to her.
Ultimately, being around good people, people who have pure intentions and good hearts who show up for you in unexpected ways is a gift. Like Gran said, good, clean company can be the best thing for us. Life will always have plenty of messes, but it sure helps when we have great people to help us clean them up.
When you’re not afraid to be single, you’re invincible.
–Shani Silver, A Single Revolution: Don’t Look for a Match. Light One.
You might have heard that love is nothing but a game– that there are winners, and there are losers, and there are rules, but if you want that big ol’ trophy at the end (the wedding ring, of course) then you’ve got to play. But with the advent of online dating and the birth of a multi-million dollar dating industry, including dating coaches and do’s and don’ts that seem to change faster than we can keep track, the game of love is getting much, much harder to win.
If you’ve had the pleasure (or displeasure) of dating in the past ten to fifteen years, then you know how it goes. The constant swiping. The coffee shop dates because suffering through dinner is just too much of a commitment. The inundation of options but somehow still feeling option-less. And the rollercoaster ride of emotions–excitement at a new prospect, then disappointment because said-prospect has the emotional intelligence of a wall, excitement again, more disappointment–wash, rinse, repeat. Unless you’re one of the very lucky few who finds their partner quickly and then gets the heck out of dodge, it can become a brutal cycle that wears you down and wears you out. Shouldn’t dating be fun? But it isn’t. Not in today’s world. It’s a grind–another thing on the to do list in order to escape the supposed hell of singlehood to enter into the supposed paradise of romantic bliss.
But here’s the faulty aspect of that logic: when will you meet your partner? There’s no way to know. It could happen today, it could happen a year from now, or it could happen in a decade (gasp!) So what does that mean? That you’re supposed to suffer for the foreseeable future until you ascend into wedded bliss?
Not according to A Single Revolution by Shani Silver. And after reading this book, not according to me either. A Single Revolution isn’t like other books for singles, books that are focused heavily on how to meet your partner and escape singledom. This book is about being happy with where you are now–single and all–and reframing old narratives you’ve told yourself and others have told you about being single. Being single isn’t a death sentence. It isn’t a state of permanence either (unless you choose for it to be). It’s just a stage of life, a stage of life that can be just as colorful and wonderful as the later chapters when you are partnered. Shani Silver tells us that singles aren’t wrong, broken, or lacking for being single. Singledom is just another way to be, one with beautiful aspects that, if recognized and realized, can make you appreciate the life you’re living now instead of waiting to enjoy your life later.
A Single Revolution is such an important book in my eyes—for everyone, whether you are single or not, because it helps us realize that being “alone” doesn’t have to be sad or lonely at all.
An autobiography encouraging the reader to like the author is not a true autobiography. No one is likable from the inside out. One should only walk away from an autobiography with, at best, an uncomfortable distaste for its author.
–“Verity” by Colleen Hoover
When it comes to picking a genre to read from, thrillers aren’t exactly high on my list. Most of the (very few) thriller novels I’ve read in the past were “just okay,” never more than 3 stars, which only further solidified my opinion that it’s just not the genre for me. But people love them! Every time I happen to run into a reader in the wild and I ask them what genres do they primarily read from, “thrillers and suspense novels” are a constant response. So what is it about this genre that seems to have everyone so enthralled? And what is it about them, or the few I’ve read, that don’t work for me?
That’s what I intend to find out this year, and Verity by Colleen Hoover was a good place to start. This novel gripped me from the very first line; it is a fast-paced story with unlikeable characters that make you reel in disgust, jump in surprise, and stare out into the abyss trying to digest what just happened. This is the first thriller novel I’ve read that I can say I unabashedly enjoyed. There is something quite atmospheric about this story; it’s eerie and twisty–but the twists make sense when looking at the story in its totality.
Could it be that it’s just Colleen Hoover’s magical pen that allowed me to *finally* appreciate a suspense novel? Maybe. We know Colleen has an unique ability to write a story that’s just compulsively readable. (Has anyone ever DNF’ed a Colleen Hoover book? Is that even possible?) But we’ll see. For right now, I think I can say that I will be looking for thrillers that are atmospheric, character-focused, and take place for the most part in a single location (like a house, a small town, or even an island!) Verity has all of these things, and part of my enjoyment of this book were these elements.
Do you have a favorite thriller novel? I’m open to any and all recommendations!
And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became. Loving each other with enough ferocity to quell the fears of the past. Just fucking being there.”
—Tia Williams, Seven Days in June
This book broke me down to my parts and reassembled me. What a healing, beautiful, roaring story. It’s been a while since I hugged a book to my chest after reading it; it very much felt like I was hugging the characters goodbye, who had, in a way, become my friends. Because every time I opened this novel and dived into its pages, it was like I was seeing the very intimate, intricate, messy parts of people’s lives–people who really existed. Even though they didn’t. Although, in a way, Shane and Eva—our lovers of this tale—do exist. Even though their individual stories and their story together may not be ours, they share a desire to be honest, to be seen, to love and be loved by someone who understands who they are wholly and completely. Someone who sees their scars, cares enough to learn how they got there, but is careful enough not to create new ones. Someone who loves their existence–solely in and off itself. It’s an innate, simplistic, yet complex need that I think we all have. Everyone of us. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting that and recognizing it. And I hope, one day, every one of us can find it too. And what a find that would be!
Listen to the latest episode of She Happily Reads here:
She Happily Reads 