The Feminist Bookworm

I recently did a buddy read of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin with my friend Bethany, from the YouTube channel Beautifully Bookish Bethany! Both of us are fans of fantasy, and both of us are fans of Sarah J. Maas (although she prefers Throne of Glass and I'm an ACOTAR girl), and as this book is being pitched as a "steamy fantasy perfect for Sarah J. Maas" this seemed like a perfect fit for us. Boy oh boy was that an understatement! We both absolutely LOVED this book, and it will definitely appear on our list of favorite books of the year! Serpent & Dove takes place in a French-inspired fantasy world, where there are witches and witch hunters, called chasseurs, who are basically respected soldiers from the church. We follow Louise "Lou" who is a witch, and Reid, who is the captain of the chasseurs, who are forced into a marriage. And you can guess what comes next. ;) This book has everything going for it: it's diverse, it's super...

I've read two books by Ashley Elston previously, This is Where it Ends and The Lying Woods , both thrillers, and both of which I gave 5 stars. 10 Blind Dates is Ashley's first strictly contemporary novel, so I went into 10 Blind Dates expecting to like it, but not love it. Surprise! I loved it!! 10 Blind Dates follows out main character Sophie, a senior in high school, who is excited to spend the holidays with her boyfriend without her parents' presence, as they are going to stay with Sophie's older sister, who is having a difficult pregnancy. However, Sophie's boyfriend Griffin breaks up with her within hours of her parents' departure, resulting in Sophie fleeing to her grandparents' house. Sophie comes from a HUGE, overbearing family, and they decide the solution to Sophie's heartache is to set her up on 10 blind dates. Only, she has some really weird and annoying family members choosing her dates, Griffin shows up wanting to get back togethe...

**This post is sponsored by Simon & Schuster for the release of Start Here by Trish Doller, which comes out on August 13th.** Start Here follows two girls, Willa and Taylor, as they go on a sailing voyage from Ohio to Florida. They had originally planned to take the trip with their best friend, Finley, but when Finley dies shortly before graduation, the girls decide to honor Finley's wishes and take the trip without her. Finley has left a piece of herself with the girls for their trip in the form of a list of things to do. In honor of the release of Start Here , I've compiled a list of books inspired by Finley's list in the novel. So, start here! 1. Start here and read by favorite book of 2019, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. 2. Music is good for the soul , so indulge it by picking up Daisy Jones & the Six 3. Make time for wonder and explore The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg. 4. Time travel whenever possible and pick up a book Tay...