This February I read five books.
My first book of the month was Holly Black's The Cruel Prince, which I wouldn't normally pick up, since faeries aren't usually my thing. But everyone and their dog was raving about this, and I did enjoy the one other Holly Black book I'd read, so I took a chance. While I enjoyed the story, it did feel like a lot of set up for the next book in the series. And they weren't kidding about the cruelness. These are some mean fae.
I found some of the big twists predictable, but still fun to read. If you're a fantasy or faerie fan, take a gander.
Lois becomes the unlikely hero tasked to care for it, bake with it and keep this needy colony of microorganisms alive. Soon she is baking loaves daily and taking them to the farmer's market, where an exclusive close-knit club runs the show.
I spotted Sourdough on sale at Barnes & Noble and I picked it up, having thoroughly enjoyed the author's first book, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. This book was quirky and fun, though at times a little too pleased with its own quirkiness.
My main complaint was that the main character was a woman, but read like a man. Since it was told in 1st person POV it took me longer than it should've to realize the character was a woman. But the plot was adorable and funny and got me making my own sourdough bread, so I'd say it was a successful read.
I'd been waiting for this book to come out because I love school stories and magic and going out into the world for adventuring and spying, and when you throw in a mysterious past, I'm sold. I loved the set up of the story and how the mystery threads all unraveled, and I even liked the plot twists I saw coming. But everything was a touch too simple for the character to do and solutions to problems relied a bit too much on convenience.
Like it ticked all the boxes and beats, but without enough obstacles for Brienna to overcome. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens next.
Oh - and avoid looking the family tree at the beginning of the book. It's got serious spoilers and I don't know why they included it, or didn't at least put it with the end pages or something.
Okay. So. My biggest problem with this book, and what really detracted from my overall opinion, was that there's no indication this is the first book in a series. Anywhere. And, being a mystery, you expect the mystery to be solved by the end of the book, right? You're reading along, having a grand old time being stunned and amazed and surprised, and the closer you get to the end the more you wonder, how are they going to wrap all this up in sixty pages? Then fifty pages. Then forty. And so on. Until there's ten pages left and you realize they're not going to be solving the mystery. Or that other mystery.
There are two mysteries. In two different time periods. And neither gets really resolved. Now the book is a great read, and I love the setting and the characters, and I do actually love the mystery. Both mysteries, in fact. They're both great what-the-hell-happened-I-need-to-know-right-now mysteries. But. They don't really give you a resolution to either, particularly. I feel like if you promise a mystery and don't say anywhere this book is the first in the series and indicate maybe you won't be getting a satisfying ending until the next installment, you've made an oops.
Soooo, it's a great read. But not a complete story? I'll read the next one. In a year. Cause that's how we solve mysteries now. In a year.
Yes, this book is full of stereotypes. Yes, I think I read too many thrillers/mysteries, so I kind of guessed the truth. Yes, there were a couple too-convenient moments. But overall this is a fun read filled with all the things you want from a high school murder book. I love the gossip app, and all the gossip, and all the different POVs.
The ending was also a little cheesy, but hey. Sometimes you need a piece of cheese.