September has been a good month for me when it comes to reading and writing. I read more than usual and I also finally wrote the Rapunzel Retelling I have been planning for a while now. Anyway, my next read is another favorite of mine, and I’m excited to share my views and reviews with everyone. Don’t forget to share your favorite books with me. I love to hear all about books; whether you are a reader or a writer.
It’s been an unexpected read for me. Although I was hoping for a completely different story, the one I read is no less interesting. I gave this book four stars. It’s a contemporary YA romance with Korean and Korean-American main characters. Most of the story takes place in Korea, but it starts and ends in the USA.
An interesting thing is that I’m a huge K-Drama fan, which means that I got every Korean reference and even understood a few non-English lines without looking at the explanation. Unfortunately, I feel that this is also the reason why XOXO isn’t a perfect five-star book for me. I have come across such stories in K-Drama, so it’s not as original for me as it might be for some people. There was no cultural shock (which is why I read foreign books with foreign characters) and it’s just another YA romance novel. Not that it is a bad thing. I enjoy romance novels as much as anyone else. So, I definitely adored this one.
Anyway, the story is good and the characters are lovable. It starts well with a nice meet-cute moment and it ends well with a superb romantic scene. Thus, an interesting romantic teen story, which I would recommend to all YA and contemporary romance fans. The fact that the main characters are in the music industry; a band-boy hero and a heroine who is studying to be in an orchestra has no bearing on my opinion of the book. I’m not a music fan and have no interest in such things, so that part I simply glossed over. If you are someone who enjoys music and loves to read about the difficulties of the people who are training from a very young age, then you will definitely like this book more than I did.
XOXO is my second book by Axie Oh and I will definitely be picking up more books by this author. That I think is sufficient to show my liking of her work. I’m glad I picked up her books. That’s all.
An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan
I enjoyed this beautiful story. It’s told in a mysterious way where you keep guessing what is the story all about, i.e. who Hunter and Luna really are and why paranormal things keep happening to them.
Hunter Yee never understood his parents. They are always afraid of someone and ready to bolt, leaving behind their lives. Yet, he and his brother could never fully comprehend the fear and the secrecy behind their actions. They are not the nicest of parents, especially for Hunter. Sometimes, it even feels as if they hate him or maybe it’s the resentment he sees in their actions. Either way, he is tired of them and plans to run away as soon as he graduates from high school.
Luna Chang thinks her life is perfect. She loves her parents, she is a good student and is very likely to get into a good college. Everything changes when she meets Hunter, though. Her parents hate his family, but she can’t understand why. The more she questions their actions, the more she realizes that her parents might not be the perfect people she thought them to be. Then, strange things start happening around her. Things she cannot explain. The only person she can share this with is Hunter. He understands, and so is it any wonder that she falls in love with him. Yet, is love even in their stars. What will happen when their parents find out about it?
Overall, I love how the author has combined Asian Fantasy and Romeo & Juliet tropes. The ending wasn’t bad either. My only complaint is how all the different POVs can get confusing at times, especially since I listened to an audiobook rather than reading. I think this is one of those books where paperback might have been a better option. Anyway, the story is good and the main characters are interesting, so it’s worth it. I gave it four stars based on the audio narration.
I always include my book in my reading lists because I am used to reading my books once they’re published. I try to be as objective as possible and enjoy them as a reader. Of course, I cannot be completely objective. Anyhow, this is my third fairytale retelling. This time I wrote about Rapunzel. To be honest, this is my least favorite fairy tale, so I doubted retelling it. But the story just came to me and I couldn’t resist writing it. It is a crossover between Snow White and Rapunzel. It’s a quick and fun read. I have read it a couple of times and I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out.
I love fairytales and I am a fan of retellings. I just hope that everyone else enjoys this book as much as I have. Although, I might be biased. But then, aren’t we all? Reading is a very subjective activity, our personal tastes play a big role in what we will enjoy or not, and it’s difficult to think about a book without emotional attachment. In any case, if you ever decide to pick it up, don’t forget to let me know how much you loved or hated it. I welcome both.
Now, moving on to the next review:
A Quiver Full of Arrows by Jeffery Archer
It’s a collection of short stories, not something I usually read, but I found it in an old book shop and couldn’t resist the urge to pick it up. To be completely honest, one of the reasons why I got this book was that it has the author’s photo on the back. I’m part of 52 book club 2022 and one of the prompts is to read something that has the author’s picture on the back cover. So, it just felt like a good thing as I would check this one off the list.
I enjoyed most of the stories with one or two exceptions. Some have interesting twists and others are as expected. Yet, they keep you entertained.
These stories take you to various different parts of the world. Sometimes even to different times. You will meet all types of people within these pages; writers, ambassadors, businessmen, and ordinary people, too. Some stories have sad undertones, while others leave you feeling happy.
If you enjoy short stories, then you will like this collection. I recommend it to people looking for meaningful reads. I gave it four stars.
The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife by Ruth Ann Nordin
I found a free audiobook copy of this on Kobo and downloaded it on a whim. I must say, I rather enjoyed the story. It’s nothing exceptional, but it’s good as far as historical romances go. If you enjoy a marriage of convenience trope then you will love it. For me, it has been a 3.4 stars book.
Circumstances bring them together and time softens their hearts. Earl of Roderick and Miss Claire Lowell might be two very different people, but they must learn to co-exist and maybe, love will find them. Or maybe they are doomed to make each other unhappy with misunderstandings and miscommunication. It’s not that they despise each other, rather they just don’t know each other well. That might not be such a big problem because most couples are not well-acquainted before their wedding, but unfortunately, they don’t seem to want to know one and another. So, what kind of future are they going to have as husband and wife?
All in all, it’s a sweet story and I liked the main characters.
And lastly, I read some poetry by the author Jazalyn. I quite enjoyed it and you can check out my review here if you like. That’s a wrap for September. It has been a good month and I hope to read many, many books in the future.
If you are an author, brag about your work, and if you are a reader, tell me your favorite reads.
And always …
Happy reading, folks.
Between The Pages Of A Book 