Shelf Life: Episode 2

March 04, 2023

Welcome back to our second episode of Shelf Life. In February I read 9 books, putting me at a total of 17 books read so far. That leaves me pretty far away from my goal of 150 this year, but I'm making progress.

February's Reviews:

Lore Olympus (Vol. 2) (Rachel Smythe)	February	Graphic Novel, Mythology Retelling	YA, New Adult	Hardcover	3/5	This volume of Lore Olympus was more of a 3.5 for me. I understand that it is hard to include lots of dialogue details in a graphic novel, due to scenes being drawn instead of described, but this volume felt like the pace was off. It feels like the story is going too slowly. That said, I fully intend to read the rest of the volumes. I have to find out if a certain god gets found out for what he did to Persephone. Plus, I have a soft spot for Hades. He deserves all the love and I want to see him get his happy ever after.
The Pigeon Loves Things That Go (Mo Willems)	February	Juvenile Fiction	Juvenile	Board Book	4/5	It's always difficult to rate children's books, but I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 because my nephews and nieces love it. The pigeon is one of their favorite characters. They love how sassy he is. In this book, Pigeon talks about things that go and teaches kids about what vehicles are.
Game Over (Mina Skye)	February	Fairytale Retelling, Contemporary Romance	YA	Ebook	4/5	This Cinderella retelling isn't your typical fairy tale retelling. Skye brings Cinderella into the modern age and makes her a gamer girl. Cindy is content with her life until her dad remarries and her stepsister sets out to ruin her life. To add to the fire, her stepbrother is cute and also enjoys gaming. Cindy must learn to stand against the flames and find her own way with her new family trying to tell her how to live her life. This is a great story for gamer girl teens who want a fairy tale twist.
Under One Roof (Ali Hazelwood)	February	Contemporary Romance	New Adult	Ebook, Audio Book	5/5	Ali Hazelwood is my current obsession. I've found no other author who gets what it's like to live a life where you want romance but don't like sex. This book has two of my favorite tropes; They were roommates and enemies to lovers. Definitely worth the read.
Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (Rick Riordan)	February	Urban Fantasy	YA/Juvenile	Ebook	3/5	This short story about a quest Percy and Grover embark on for Apollo has a different feel than the rest of the Percy Jackson books. I don't know if it's because it's so short, or because Percy seems to be written slightly differently. It was a good story but wasn't what I'd come to expect from Riordan.
Clandestine (Kate Seger)	February	Historical Romance	YA	Ebook	5/5	This historical romance is set in the time of the Romans and Greeks. A Roman soldier falls in love with a prostitute and a Christian priest puts his life in danger by willingly helping them marry. I loved this tale. It's a sweet forbidden romance. The ending is a tiny bit cliff-like, but honestly, I think it sets the stage perfectly for a sequel if Seger decides to continue the story.
Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades (Rick Riordan)	February	Urban Fantasy	YA/Juvenile	Ebook	5/5	Okay, I liked this one. I was a little skeptical going into it because I recently read another short by Riordan that didn't feel like I remember the Percy Jackson novels feeling like. This book, however, made former 14-year-old me happy. Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades focuses on a side quest mentioned in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The characters in the original series commented on this quest, but this story blew it wide open, allowing fans to witness how the Sword of Hades was stolen and the mini three (Thalia, Percy, and Nico) wet on a quest to keep it out of Kronos's hands.
Hector’s Key (Megan Kuykendall)	February	Urban Fantasy	New Adult	Ebook	5/5	This world is amazing! Hector's Key takes place in a world where mortals have forgotten about the Fae. An unseen war rages around them and Prince Hector's team is at the center of the most recent attack. This book is the perfect Fae tale. It has magic, mystery, love, hurt, and more. Personally, my favorite character is Spence, the old war hero that trains the Princes. He and the good Dr. are awesome. Kuykendall has created a unique world in the book and given the fae their own cultures. I can't wait to see where this series goes.
My Tweedle Boys (Maddison Cole)	February	Fairytale Retelling	18+	Ebook	4/5	My Tweedle Boys is a 18+ retelling of Alice in Wonderland. It's packed with adventure, dark romance, and detailed settings. Each character has been aged up and redeveloped by Cole to create an alternate version of Wonderland that runs on lust. Alice, herself, is a psychiatric patient who finds her way back to the mysterious land and falls in love with all of its inhabitants, though this time in a different way than she did when she was a kid. If you are a fan of dark romance, this is a great book to read. Also, the images inside the book are beautiful. I love the title headings.