I picked up Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare back in April at Independent Bookstore Day earlier this year. I was planning on reading this book in the month of October, but I ended up reading it earlier than I anticipated. Go Hex Yourself was a fun, spooky read, but I couldn’t help but want more from the story.

Reggie Johnson needs a job. She applied for a job in the paper, and in her eyes, she thought it was a position working for her favorite card game, “Spellcraft: The Magicking.” Instead, Reggie uncovers that she ended up applying to be a witch’s familiar. Reggie decides to take the job and is quickly introduced to Ben Magnus, who is the cousin of the witch Reggie is working for. Ben tries to put distance between himself and Reggie, but ultimately, a situation arises where Reggie and Ben are forced to work together to break a curse that was set upon someone close to them.

I adored the setting of Go Hex Yourself. It was hinted that this book takes place somewhere outside of Boston. I thought this worked well with the story as I kept picturing brick roads, gothic houses, and trees with changing leaves. Reggie ends up staying at this mansion while she works, and it’s described in detail what a witch’s laboratory looks like, and all these vials for potion making. I thought it helped me click with the story more as I could picture the environment Reggie is working under.

As far as the romance was concerned, I didn’t love Reggie and Ben together. It’s been hinted that this book is a “Reylo” book. For those who are unfamiliar, Reylo is a group of fans who believe that Kylo Ren and Rey from the Star Wars movies should be a romantic pairing. Ben is described as moody, having darker hair, and overall looking similar to Adam Driver, while Reggie has long brown hair, she’s quiet at certain times, and she comes from a rough background. I’m not a Reylo fan personally, and I think that had to do with the romance. I felt at times that Reggie and Ben weren’t made to be together, and I couldn’t help but think if they would actually last after the book ends.

I enjoyed reading Go Hex Yourself simply for all the spell casting and the story of how witches exist in the present day. Go Hex Yourself is part of a series, and I’m looking forward to the next book because that book stars Penny, someone Reggie interacts with in Go Hex Yourself. I found myself liking Penny more than Reggie at times, so I think the sequel will be something I will enjoy more than the first book. I rated Go Hex Yourself three stars on Goodreads.

To get into the mood for fall, I had a few books on my TBR that I specifically picked out for September and October. I have had The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling on my TBR since last year. I originally planned on reading this book last year, but with getting married and going on our mini-moon, I ran out of time. The Ex Hex was right up my alley; it’s the perfect book to read leading up to Halloween.

Vivienne Jones is heartbroken. As such, she drinks vodka in a bubble bath, contemplating her former relationship with Rhys Penhallow. As a joke, Vivienne’s cousin Gwyn helps Vivienne cast a curse on Rhys. They both laugh it off as they clearly didn’t intend for a curse to actually be placed. Nine years later, Rhys returns to Graves Glen, Georgia, and finds that he’s fallen under a bit of bad luck. Vivienne slowly comes to terms with the fact that Rhys is still as charming as ever, but also that her curse actually worked.

Vivienne and Rhys had great chemistry together. I liked Vivienne as a character; she’s intelligent, and I love that she teaches courses at the local college in town. Rhys is written as a bad boy type, but there is a lot more to his character, including how he doesn’t agree with his father and the way he does things.

Besides the characters, I liked the way the curse was described. I think it would have been way too easy to let the curse fall to the wayside to support the main romance. There was a lot of thought into what type of curse it was, how to break it, and why Vivienne was able to cast it in the first place. It also ended up revealing some backstory about Graves Glen, which I really enjoyed.

I’m a little shocked that The Ex Hex has an average rating of 3.55 stars on Goodreads. That feels too low. The Ex Hex was such a fun read, and I’m already looking forward to re-reading this again. I rated The Ex Hex five stars on Goodreads.

CW: HIV diagnosis, suicide (I won’t go into this by any means, but this is more content warnings for the book itself)

Would you want to know the date you die? That’s the premise behind The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. The thought of having the option to find out the date you die is terrifying to me. I think it would cause me way too much anxiety, and I would constantly stress over whether I was doing enough in my life before my date approaches. This anxiety is seen throughout the characters in The Immortalists. While I liked the book, I’m not sure if I would ever read it again.

Four siblings: Varya, Daniel, Klara, and Simon find out that there’s a woman nearby who can predict the date of their deaths. They’re fascinated and decide to visit her. Once the siblings hear their dates, they find that it does sway their lives. Varya and Daniel stay in New York to continue their studies, with Varya specifically studying longevity. Klara and Simon flee to San Francisco to follow their dreams, no matter what. The siblings all share the fear of whether the woman was right all along.

I thought The Immortalists had an interesting premise. I will say that what I was expecting going into this book was not what the book turned out to be. As a fair warning, this is an emotionally heavy book. I found myself crying throughout portions of the book. I wasn’t anticipating this, so I did put up content warnings for those who feel they need an idea as to what The Immortalists dives into.

Out of all the siblings, I found myself drawn to Klara. I admired Klara because she went against her family traditions and was ambitious in trying to be a successful performer. She received a lot of criticism from Daniel and Varya. Klara is in a lot of emotional pain, and I just wanted to reach out to her and give her a hug. Out of all the siblings, I found myself the most annoyed with Daniel and Varya. They seemed to constantly judge others, yet they couldn’t reflect and find the hypocrisy in their lives.

I don’t have any regrets about reading The Immortalists, as I think there were some interesting discussions throughout the book. I think my expectations as to what I wanted from the book versus how The Immortalists was written is why I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to. I rated The Immortalists three stars on Goodreads.

July was a busy month for me. I had a lot going on with my birthday and our trip to Austin. That’s why it was so surprising to me that I had read three books, three short novellas, and three graphic novels this month. I’m confident that this past month was the most successful reading month I have ever had! Instead of writing separate reviews, I wanted to group everything I read last month into this post.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Everyone knows Evelyn Hugo. A film star who made her breakthrough in the 1950s and built her career in Old Hollywood. In the present day, Evelyn picks Monique Grant to interview her. Evelyn will not let anyone else interview her but Monique. Monique is stunned. Why her? As Monique sits and listens to Evelyn’s story, she realizes so many things about her own life and how Evelyn’s life is imperfect and tragic.

This book captured me right away. The imagery of Hollywood in the 1950s, Evelyn’s story, along with how it’s played out in the press, and the truth behind all of Evelyn’s marriages. Evelyn reveals her one true love, and there was a purpose behind each marriage. Evelyn’s story is tragic and provides clarity as to how corrupt Hollywood was during her time period of being an actress. I rated The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo five stars on Goodreads.

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

Five friends make their way back to the illustrious Duquette University for their ten-year Homecoming tradition. As they socialize at the gathering, they are lured by an acquaintance who wants justice for Heather Shelby, a friend in their group who was murdered during their senior year. Secrets are unearthed, and they slowly realize that they clearly do not know each other as well as they thought.

Each character in this book is so conniving. I think it’s easy to hate them all, yet I find myself understanding why they are the way they are. I loved the setting! I kept picturing Asheville, North Carolina, as I read through the book. When the final reveal happened, I kept thinking back to Scream 2, as that slasher film takes place on a college campus. In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is the dark academic thriller I have always wanted. I rated this book five stars on Goodreads.

Revolver Road by Christi Daugherty

Harper McClain is investigating the disappearance of Xavier Rayne, a local musician who made it big. Harper buys her trust with Xavier’s three friends, Cara, Allegra, and Hunter, to figure out if they had a motive to want Xavier gone. As Harper begins her story, she’s being hunted by an unknown person who might have something to do with her mother’s death. Revolver Road builds up to a terrifying conclusion, and finally, Harper gets the answers she’s looking for.

This is the third book in the Harper McClain series. Throughout the books, Harper has been investigating her mother’s murder. Revolver Road finally reveals what happened to her mom. Part of the appeal of this series is reading about Harper’s life in Savannah, Georgia. I went to Savannah in March on my first road trip this year, and it made reading this book so much better since I could truly picture Harper’s life. I rated Revolver Road five stars on Goodreads.

The STEMinist Novellas #1 – #3 by Ali Hazelwood

The STEMinist Novellas are written by Ali Hazelwood, who wrote The Love Hypothesis, a book I adored when I read it last year. While Ali is writing her second novel, she has released these three short novellas centered around three friends: Mara, Sadie, and Hannah. Each novella centers on one of the three friends. On average, I rated each novella three stars. I liked them; they were short and perfect to read while on vacation.

The Ice Cream Man Volume #1 Rainbow Sprinkles by W. Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo

The Ice Cream Man is a horror graphic novel that takes place in a typical suburban town. Each issue tells a different story, yet somehow the Ice Cream Man is at the center of it. It’s unclear where Ice Cream Man comes from. Does he come from a different planet? Is he a demon? I’m not sure if this will ever be answered.

The whole time I was reading this, the artwork kept reminding me of Beavis & Butthead. It’s not a bad thing; I just couldn’t get it out of my head that this was what the art was reminding me of. Some of the stories I liked more than others. I’m not sure if I plan on continuing this series, but I’m glad I read it. I rated The Ice Cream Man three stars on Goodreads.

For Goodness Sake Volume #2 and Volume #3

For Goodness Sake centers around Rayne as she travels in her makeshift bus with her dog, Copilot. She meets Thatcher and sees that he has a curse placed upon him. Rayne decides to help, and a friendship forms between Rayne and Thatcher. In Volumes #2 and #3, Rayne learns more about Thatcher, and Thatcher realizes why the curse was placed upon him, to begin with.

I LOVE this series. It’s easily one of my favorite graphic novel series of all time. I love Rayne and Thatcher’s friendship. I think it would be easy to pair these as a romantic pairing, but I think at the heart of this is their friendship. I’m a big fan of K. Lynn Smith’s art. I have said this before, but I like her style. I can pick out her art because it’s unique. I rated For Goodness Sake Volumes #2 and #3 five stars on Goodreads.

I’m impressed if you made it to the end of this post. I had to take multiple breaks as I wrote this. As for August, I’m focusing more on fantasy novels, but my TBR is a lot smaller since I have a few weekends booked up as it is.

CW: Sexual Assault. One of the tropes I mention references sexual assault in books, but I don’t discuss it in great detail.

As a voracious reader, I am coming to terms with the types of books I like reading. I tend to read more thrillers and romance books than any other genre. I have been paying more attention to the types of tropes I have been seeing in the books I have been reading. Tropes aren’t always bad, as there are certain tropes I tend to gravitate to. Instead of sharing the best tropes, I wanted to share a few tropes that aren’t for me.

Thriller & Mystery – Unreliable female protagonist with a drinking problem (Examples include: Girl on a Train, The Woman in the Window)

This is so commonly used, and I’m over it. It’s usually a woman drinking red wine, and she mixes her wine with Xanax. She somehow can get up and do productive things after a night of binge drinking. I’m not a fan of this trope as it’s always the same. There has to be a better way to convey to the reader that something isn’t what it seems without the use of alcohol.

Romance – Love interest stems from cheating (Examples include: Anna & The French Kiss, One to Watch)

I despise cheating in romances. To me, it cheapens the romance. There’s a lot of emotional damage that comes with cheating, and I can’t fathom why you can’t break up with that person if you are interested in someone else. It still hurts, but at least it’s honest. Part of the thrill of romance books is that I want to root for the couple to last. When a romance is built on cheating, I have a hard time believing the romance will last, and it ruins it for me.

Thriller & Mystery – Using sexual assault as a twist (Example: The Good Daughter)

I wrote about this topic a few years ago, but I think the use of sexual assault is overdone. Sometimes it’s thrown into a backstory of a character for no good reason. In The Good Daughter, there’s a “plot twist” where it’s revealed that one of the characters was sexually assaulted. It felt gross to me. I would rather it had been revealed right away, rather than in the middle of the book. I think sexual assault can be used in a story in a powerful way, but when it’s so overused, it starts to become a bit too much.

Non-Fiction – Not having reference pages (maps, character lists to reference, etc. (Example: Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition)

This isn’t a trope per se, but a preference. I’m reading Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent. While I’m enjoying it, this book is detailed. There are so many key players in passing the prohibition amendment, and there aren’t any reference pages. It can be difficult to remember everyone who’s been introduced. It’s a stark contrast to League of Denial: The NFL Concussions and the Battle for Truth. In League of Denial, there was a full character sheet with important people who were discussed. It was nice to be able to reference throughout the book.

While I’m not a big fan of these tropes, I try not to let them ruin the book I’m reading. If anything, it has helped me narrow down or eliminate books I’m not interested in reading because they contain these tropes. This helps me find books that I know I will love.

Last month, I devoted my reading month to non-fiction. I read two books and one non-fiction graphic novel. One of the books I read, Missoula Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, was a book review I posted a few weeks ago. I wanted to discuss the other book and graphic novel I read this month, as I felt proud of myself for sticking to non-fiction books.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Columbine is a non-fiction book about the Columbine school shooting in Colorado on April 20th, 1999. Dave Cullen paints a picture of what happened during the shooting with an emphasized focus on the school shooters and why they committed this atrocity.

I originally read Columbine back when I was in high school. Reading Columbine now versus ten years ago was a different experience. This is partly due to the world that we live in, but also, I felt that my opinion about this book is different. Columbine puts a huge focus on the school shooters, which I wasn’t interested in. In these violent acts, the media often talks about the killers and less about the people impacted by the shooting. I still cannot name all thirteen of the victims, and I even looked at the back of the book and saw that one of the victims wasn’t listed at all during the book. It could have been because Dave Cullen might not have had permission to interview his family. However, I don’t see why there wasn’t a page included of all the people who were killed.

I think this book was extremely well written, but I just think it emphasized too much on the wrong portion of this event. I rated Columbine three stars on Goodreads.

March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

March: Book One is a non-fiction graphic novel detailing Congressman John Lewis’s story and how he became an active member of the Civil Rights movement. From being raised on a farm in rural Alabama to sneaking away to school, and how he was trained for nonviolent protesting, John Lewis is most certainly a hero.

I’m thrilled to see more non-fiction graphic novels being published! Reading non-fiction can feel like a chore depending on the author. I loved everything about March: Book One. It is an easy-to-follow story. The graphic novel opened with John Lewis attending President Barack Obama’s inauguration. It shows how far history has come, but also how much change still needs to happen.

One of the most interesting parts of the story was how John talks about training for nonviolent protesting. John works with Jim Lawson, one of the leaders of nonviolent protesting. During this training, each person had roleplays where they practiced yelling awful things, so the people participating in the sit-ins were practicing sitting in peace. It’s awful that the world was this way, but how brave these individuals were for standing up for equality.

The artwork in this completely coincides with John Lewis’s story. Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell use black & white to tell the complete story. I think it works for the imagery that they are working with. I thought the images were interesting to read and helped portray the darkness of the time period.

March: Book One was such an engaging read. I rated March: Book One five stars.

It was such a successful reading month for me! I have one more non-fiction book I’m reading now that I plan on finishing by the end of the year. As far as July, I’m sensing it’s going to be a mystery or thriller type of mood for me, but we shall see.

I browse Kickstarter every now and then, usually in the graphic novel or comics section. I like how Kickstarter and other platforms have helped fund projects that may not have existed otherwise. In one scroll, I noticed the campaign for Fogl Line. Fog Line immediately piqued my interest. The premise of a True Crime podcast exposing a crime that a man committed 40 years ago and seemingly got away with was enough for me to officially back the campaign. Fog Line was everything I hoped for and reminded me to check Kickstarter more often.

Before I talk about the graphic novel, I wanted to comment on the way it was shipped. Fog Line was packaged in this white envelope. The packaging made it seem that the book was “evidence” that was collected at a crime scene. How neat is this?? I was surprised by the attention to detail. I’m for sure planning on keeping the package as a way to store Fog Line, versus simply throwing it away.

Fog Line focuses on Henry, a retired trucker living with his daughter and grandson. Henry wakes up from nightmares consistently. His dreams are always the same; he is on a shift and accidentally hits and kills a woman. Henry, instead of calling the police, drags her body into a cornfield and buries her. As Henry plays with his grandson, he discovers his grandson is listening to a True Crime podcast that’s investigating her disappearance. Apparently, she was the daughter of a mob boss, so her death led to additional violence during that time period. Henry is horrified and realizes that maybe he should confess after all.

I love this whole concept. Henry is experiencing major guilt; however, I was anxiously awaiting how he would be caught. The art is told entirely in black & white, which I felt fit the style of the graphic novel. The only critique I would have is that Fog Line was much shorter than I anticipated. I wanted more story! I wanted to see more of Henry and this True Crime podcast. I felt the story was skimmed over. It could be because there will be a second volume and they’re preparing the campaign now, which I will happily support.

Fog Line by Mario Candelaria had an interesting premise, and I’m happy to have helped bring the project to life. It’s an important reminder to check Kickstarter because there are a lot of creative people out there making content that’s worth investing in.

I Am Not Starfire has an average rating of 3.4 stars on Goodreads. As I read reviews, I was appalled at some of the comments. There were reviews from people who hadn’t even read the novel and were already saying it was awful. There were comments about the author and illustrator not being talented, and why DC Comics would ask them to create this. It’s upsetting that this novel received so much negative attention before it was released. I am happy to say I Am Not Starfire has a lot of heart, and I’m glad I read it.

Mandy is the daughter of Starfire, a member of the Teen Titans. Starfire is popular amongst many. Mandy is the opposite and finds that she doesn’t want to constantly live under her mother’s shadow. As Mandy balances her life at school, she’s confronted by someone from Starfire’s past. Mandy sees her mom through a new lens and decides to protect everything and everyone she holds dear.

As a reminder, this is a YA (Young Adult) graphic novel. I found that a lot of the negative reviews didn’t mention this. Many of the negative reviews criticized Mandy. Mandy, in many ways, is a typical teenager. Teenagers can be selfish, rude, and over the top at times. Everything is a big deal at that age. One of my favorite moments is when Mandy was contemplating other options besides going to college. I thought this was insightful, especially because college is emphasized after high school.

Besides Mandy, I liked the side characters. Lincoln serves as Mandy’s best friend. He relates to Mandy in many ways. Besides Lincoln, there’s Claire, Mandy’s school crush. They have a falling out towards the middle of the novel, which I felt was realistic given Mandy’s insecurities.

I Am Not Starfire is undeserving of all the hate it received. I thought this was a lovely read. I rated I Am Not Starfire five stars on Goodreads.

Content Warning: Sexual Assault (SA) I will not discuss graphic details.

Anyone of any sex or gender can be a victim of SA or a perpetrator. This book focuses specifically on cis, college women.

For one month out of the year, I do my best to read non-fiction solely. I never used to be a non-fiction reader; however, I like to learn new things, and the best way to do that is through reading. For June, I’m going to read only non-fiction. I have two more books lined up for the month, so I’m curious to see if I read them both. The first non-fiction book I read this month was Missoula Rape And The Justice System In A College Town by Jon Krakauer.

Missoula is seemingly an ordinary college town. The University of Montana is the home base for the Grizzly football team which unites college kids and the town as a whole. Missoula became the home base for a scandal when articles were published alleging that Missoula wasn’t thoroughly investigating sexual assaults. Numerous women were coming forward saying they reported their sexual assault but were told there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute. Women who came forward were asked if they had a boyfriend or other deeply personal questions, completely unrelated to their trauma. Jon Krakauer details the victims, their stories, and how Missoula came under investigation.

There are so many horrifying things in this story. In one instance, there’s a phrase that I have heard before where a rapist isn’t charged because “a victim declined to press charges.” This statement, in many ways, is false. A SA victim can report this to the police, but if the criminal justice system doesn’t want to indict someone, they have the power to not move the case forward. It’s interesting because I have heard this statement before, and it’s misleading about what is actually going on.

One way I was impressed with Missoula was the way Krakauer brought up the fear of false SA charges. There was a case specifically referenced where a man was sent to prison, and the victim came forward saying she made up that she was assaulted. This part of the book was delicate because it stated how awful false charges are and bridged that with how every case should be investigated with tenacity and diligence. I thought this was done respectfully and tactfully.

The book itself kept me engaged throughout. There was a guide in the back that listed all the individuals mentioned in the story. I found it easy to reference and follow along with all the key players in the book. I think the book was the perfect length, where it wasn’t too long or too short. This was easily one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books I have ever read, even though it was disturbing.

Missoula Rape And The Justice System In A College Town is a book I would recommend everyone to read. The survivors are the true heroes, and without them, there wouldn’t have been any change.