Tag: crossover appeal

Posted in Misc, Recommendations

My Top 10 Reads of 2020

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks

At long last, I have attempted to narrow down my favorite reads from last year to a top 10 list!

I read some really memorable books and series throughout the long course of 2020, many of which I feel will remain personal favorites of all-time. I’ve included mostly YA books, but also some adult titles that I really enjoyed and feel have some crossover appeal for YA readers! So let’s get into it… 

  1. The Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand

I read all three books in this series last year and felt totally transformed into its world and fierce, unapologetic characters. I’ll just picture the finale, Lightbringer, here because it is the one that was released in 2020, but please do pick up this series ASAP if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind YA series to spark a new obsession. Also, be sure to check out my review of the first book, Furyborn, here.

  1. Saga: Compendium One by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

In the same vein, I binge-read the entire Saga comic series and completely fell in love. This series totally renewed my interest in comics and set me off on a quest to read more graphic novels (see some of my recommendations here). I loved the episodic nature of each volume, yet also how the unending twists and turns and cliffhangers made me never want to stop reading.

  1. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

As a long-time Maas fan, I was so excited to dive into her newest series and was not disappointed! I have a full review of the book, so won’t go too in depth now, but just wanted to say don’t be intimidated by the size of this behemoth. It’s worth it!

  1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I read this book pretty early on in the year (as evidenced by my note about it being my mid-year fave in this post), but it left a lasting impression on me! Reid is such a compelling writer whose work I would definitely recommend. Daisy Jones & the Six was one of my top reads of 2019 and I cannot wait for her upcoming release, Malibu Rising, later this summer.

  1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

An absolutely dynamic story, this is one of those books that I consider a must-read and instant recommendation! I had not read Bennett’s work before, but after the amazing impression this novel left on me, she is definitely a writer whom I will be following for her new books.

  1. The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

What I consider to be an underrated gem, this spin-off to The Winner’s Trilogy (one of my long-time favorite series) totally worked for me and I cannot wait for the next installment! Check out my full review of this book here.

  1. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Just in time for the release of We Free the Stars, I read and adored We Hunt the Flame. This will go down as one of my go-to recommendations for YA fantasy lovers from now on. Make sure to read my full review for more thoughts!

  1. Skyhunter by Marie Lu

Can Marie Lu ever disappoint? For real, I have adored each of her series and Skyhunter is no exception! A thrilling adventure from start to finish, this book was so much fun. Check out my review here.

  1. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

One of my last reads of the year, The Magic Fish is the perfect mix of heart, fantasy, and storytelling magic. The art is beautiful and the interwoven storylines are seamlessly explored. If you’re looking to get into graphic novels, this is the book I would recommend to get you started.

  1. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

Another recent review of mine, Grown is an unforgettable contemporary thriller that shows just how masterful of a writer Jackson is and tells a heart-wrenching, important story. Please do check it out!

It was difficult to narrow down this list to just 10 (and really with the two series at the beginning, it’s technically more like 15, but shh…), yet I still have so many honorable mentions that I will be sure to discuss throughout the coming months in recommendations posts and the like, so stay tuned 🙂

Feel free to let me know some of your favorite reads of 2020 in the comments.

Happy reading!

Posted in Reviews

Series Review: THE CARLS by Hank Green

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
5/5 Stars

I recently finished this duology and was honestly so surprised by how much I LOVED it!

I’m a big sci-fi/fantasy nerd and I’ve found I really like books that are surrounded by video games and/or aliens so An Absolutely Remarkable Thing had kind of the perfect set-up for me. I loved April’s super frank voice. I felt like she had become my friend by the end of the book and I really knew her as a person. I also really recommend listening to this book as an audiobook because it really put me in the story in a transformative way by reading it in that medium!

I’ll be honest—I didn’t know this was going to be a duology when I read the first book. I finished it and was like OKAY, that’s a bit of a rude cliffhanger, gave if 5/5 stars, then walked away and sort of forgot about the series… but then when the sequel, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, came out this summer, I dusted up on my knowledge of the world with a quick reread and dove right back in.

With the sequel, I really enjoyed how Green expanded on the side characters from the first book. This really felt like an ensemble cast and I grew attached to each perfectly flawed and lovable character. The main plot was so urgent and like kinda existentially scary to think about in the context of a global pandemic right now… Anyway, such an engaging read! Kind of hard not to include spoilers, but I would definitely recommend walking into this series with an open mind and letting it drift you away with fun, quirky details, lots of humor and heart, and characters that you will want to call your new best friends!

Comparable titles:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Posted in Reviews

HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
5/5 Stars!

I’m a bit obsessed with House of Earth and Blood if I do say so myself!

I loved the expansive worldbuilding throughout the novel. I found the story to be super addicting which was absolutely essential for me to stay invested since the book is over 800 pages! The characters were complex and the mystery of it all was soooo good. I could totally picture this fantasy world and the investigation plot as like a crime-fighting procedural show that would be so fun to binge-watch.

I have some mixed feelings about sensing a lot of similarities in the character traits and thematic elements that were also present in Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses. I think this may be in large part because I have such a strong familiarity with these series. Maas’ writing style is definitely very distinct, so I could see that signature humor and snarkiness ring through in the dialogue and characters’ voices. I could probably write up a whole blog series about the parallels between the three book series (actually maybe that would be a fun project to work on as I wait for her next book hmm….)

Back to this individual book, I thought it was a great start to a new series. It definitely got me hooked to the world and the characters. The main story also felt contained enough to satisfy me for however long it may take for the sequel to come out. The ending left me interested, but also a bit confused. I predict, similar to her other series, that the plot will pivot more toward the fantasy origins of the world now that the major present-day conflict has been resolved.

Needless to say, I will definitely be continuing on with this series!

Comparable titles:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

Posted in Reviews

FANGS by Sarah Andersen

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 Stars

I’m so happy to see that this webcomic has been turned into a book! I randomly stumbled across it online a few weeks ago and absolutely loved the concept and characters. Then when I realized that the author was Sarah Andersen, whose Sarah’s Scribbles books I love, I was even more excited. This comic is certainly a departure from her previous books, but it still has the same heart and humor running through it despite its differences!

Fangs really plays on the cliche of vampires and werewolves by depicting an unlikely romantic pairing between the two in a modern day AU setting. Each page of the book is one simple scene where the two main characters interact. Reading it in the book bind-up setting, I felt like the storyline was nicely continuous and showed great development as the pair explores their relationship. Initially, reading it as disparate comic strips every few days, I hadn’t noticed the flow between the scenes as much, but this way it all really hit me in a super effective way. By the end of the book, I was extremely attached and didn’t want it to end!

This brings me to my main critique: I felt like the ending fell flat. Not that there was anything wrong with it but it didn’t seem like a needed conclusion. I wish there had been a bit more of a resolution or glimpse into their future. Instead, it just sort of ended abruptly to me. Like it was just for the sake of finishing the book, but I could foresee there being so much more interesting content in their relationship moving forward that *the world* is denying me!

Overall, Fangs was so fun and quirky. Although the panels are short, it becomes really easy to get attached to the characters. Whether or not you’re a big comic/graphic novel reader, I would definitely recommend it for a quick read or even something to get you out of a reading slump since it’s mostly visual and fast moving. I honestly haven’t read so many comics before, but it’s something I’ve been getting into a lot lately. I can’t think of any direct comp titles in this genre, but I would say that it has the spirit of Carry On mixed with Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (and yes, I know those are sort of wild comparisons, but think of it in *spirit* and *humor* and *satire*… and just go with it!).

***I received an e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.