Gifts for the Book Lovers

Bookish Apparel

My everyday outfit now that I work from home is an oversized graphic t-shirt or sweatshirt. I love wearing something oversized when I want to be extra cozy while working, running errands, and most definitely while reading. It earns extra cozy points if it’s related to my favorite book series. If you have a book lover in your life that’s the same way, you should check out Stardust and Moonlight. She has the cutest ACOTAR apparel like this cute Prythian World Tour t-shirt and City of Starlight crewneck. She also has apparel for the other Sarah J. Mass universes.

Here are a few other options that I love from other small businesses:

Bookish Jewelry

Who doesn’t love receiving jewelry as a holiday gift? Estori Collective is a new brand to me that I fell in love with. She makes simple, timeless pieces that are both subtle and beautiful. Some of my favorites that I’ve purchased recently are the Velaris Pendant and Hunt’s Lightning Choker. Estori Collective also has jewelry inspired by Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Zodiac Academy, and several other book series.

Book Clutch

If you’re looking for a truly one-of-a-kind gift for a book lover, you need to check out this customized cover book clutch. This gift is perfect for those that are a die-hard fan of a particular book or series as you can customized the cover to fit the recipient. It also comes in several different sizes.

Book Embosser

How perfect is this custom, personalized book embosser? Need I say more.

Thumb Page Holder

Something on my personal wishlist for this holiday season is a thumb page holder. Whenever I read for hours and hours, my thumb and hand tend to ache after a while. With this little nifty gadget, that will no longer be a problem. It comes in several different styles and sizes.

Bookish Candle

I’m pretty sure almost every reader loves a good candle! I know that I do, especially when I’m relaxing in my reading nook. If you know your favorite person loves candle, think about getting them a bookish candle or two.

Reading Journal

Spoil your favorite book lover with a STUNNING reading journal. It’s perfect for readers that enjoy writing down their thoughts and keeping track of their ever-growing TBR list.  

Bookish Artwork

For those that know that the recipient is a die-hard fan of a certain series and could use some new artwork, you may try your luck with purchasing some bookish artwork. FromBookstoBooks has some gorgeous subtle bookish artwork that are just *chiefs kisses*. I love that her artwork looks like any regular artwork if you haven’t read the book series before.

Just a few of my favorites:

The post Holiday Gift Guide: 8 Gift Ideas for the Book Lover appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

The Bear and the Nightingale

Rating: 2/5

Description:  At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

My Thoughts: Unlike the many stellar reviews on Goodreads, I was not a fan of this book, and I think it’s because I’m not even sure what I read to be honest. The book is super slow at the beginning, which makes it hard to get into it and why it took me almost a week and a half to finish it. It just wasn’t very interesting, and the names/Russian words are hard to keep up with. You end up losing a lot of contexts, and the story for me didn’t really feel complete. Overall – it was a no for me.

The Night She Disappeared

Rating: 4/5

Description: 2017: 19 year old Tallulah is going out on a date, leaving her baby with her mother, Kim. Kim watches her daughter leave and, as late evening turns into night, which turns into early morning, she waits for her return. And waits. The next morning, Kim phones Tallulah’s friends who tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a party at a house in the nearby woods called Dark Place.

She never returns.

2019: Sophie is walking in the woods near the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started work as a head-teacher when she sees a note fixed to a tree. ‘DIG HERE’ . . . A cold case, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and dark secrets lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s remarkable new novel.

My Thoughts: The Night She Disappeared starts off as a slow burn but trust me it quickly picks up once you get a few chapters in. I like that it sets the stage immediately by providing multiple points of view and a chilling atmosphere that tells you something is off, but you aren’t quite sure what. The author really fleshes out each character that it makes the story more real and easy to become invested in everyone. My favorite part about the book though is the fact that I thought I knew would be the outcome, and I was totally surprised with how the story turned. It was a good surprise by the way!  

The Midnight Library

Rating: 3/5

Description: Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place. 

My Thoughts: After reading the description, I was a little concerned with whether the author’s writing would actually be able to match the hype around the storyline. I was really hoping that it wouldn’t fall flat like the book, Cinderella is Dead, did for me. Thankfully, it did not disappoint, and it was a cute read. It does lean into almost a self-help book, but I didn’t mind how the author blended that into the storyline.

The post What I Read in March 2022 appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

Cinderella is Dead

Rating: 2/5

Description: It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

My Thoughts: I had high hopes for this one as the storyline seemed like it was going to be really good. I loved the idea of spinning an old classic into something new and wicked, but the storyline left much to be desired. While the first chapter started off strong, it quickly went downhill. The plot was all over the place, the characters didn’t feel very developed, and it was a miss for me. The only part that I enjoyed was the overall concept and the ending was decent.

The Wrath and the Dawn

Rating:  2.5/5

Description: In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

My Thoughts: Retellings are meant to light your imagination on fire and give you a fresh take on an old story. Unfortunately, this story fell pretty flat for me. While I like the original story, this duo was supposed to be a feminist and diverse retelling of 10001 Nights. Its neither that nor more. Honestly, I could go on and on about why I wasn’t a fan of this book, but there’s a few that stood out to me. One the main character, Shazi, was very wishy-washy throughout the entire book on what she wants to do or not do. There was also no real plot development or character development for many of the characters, including Shazi. I walked away from the story not really like or rooting for anyone in particular.

Second book in the series is The Rose and the Dagger, which I also read and wasn’t a fan.  

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Rating: 3/5

Description: France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

My Thoughts: I know there that are many people who LOVED this book, but it left much to be desired for me. While I love the idea of the plot, the author really didn’t develop it where it could’ve been. Many parts of the book didn’t add anything to the storyline, and the characters were pretty boring. The only part that I enjoyed was the rom com bit that is thrown in near the end of the story. It gave the story a little spice even with not much to begin with. Basically it wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t great either.

Arsenic and Adobo

Rating: 2/5

Description: When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…

My Thoughts: The only interesting about this book was the cover, which is really well-done. The writing and characters felt….juvenile. It’s the only word that maybe fits. I felt like I was reading more of a high school reading assignment than an adult book about murder, grief, and post-graduation. It was a meh for me.

All the Stars and Teeth

Rating:  4/5

Description: Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder — and more peril — than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

My Thoughts: Finally a book that I loved this month. At first Amora seems to be the villain in the book, but she quickly transforms, and you see her in her full glory. The story is breathtaking, sweet, horrifying at times, and best of all – full of adventure. I already ordered the second book in the series because I’m so excited to see how this story continues to unfold.

The second book in the series is All the Tides of Fate.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Rating: 4/5

Description: The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

My Thoughts: If you were a big fan of Nancy Drew books during your childhood, then you’ll love this book. The main character, Pippa, decides to do her school project on an old case that rocked her town 5 years ago. It quickly turned into an in-depth investigation, and I loved seeing the story unfold as she finds new clues and pieces. It was a fun piece to read, and I really enjoyed it.

The post What I Read in February 2022 appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

The Lost Apothecary

Rating: 3/5

Description: A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them – setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose – selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate – and not everyone will survive.

My Thoughts: I mean come on – as soon as I saw this book on Goodreads, I knew I had to read it. A murderess apothecary set in the 1700s is right up my alley, and the story was very well written. While I loved how the story blended both stories together, I did feel like it could’ve been more. The modern day story felt a little under-developed, and I feel like the author could’ve taken it a completely different way that would’ve been much more exciting as a reader. Overall, it was a decent, short read that I like overall.  

The Stranger in the Mirror

Rating: 4/5

Description: Addison’s about to get married, but she’s not looking forward to the big day. It’s not her fiancé; he’s a wonderful man. It’s because Addison doesn’t know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad . . .

In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She would never have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will—or would she?

As these two lives intersect, The Stranger in the Mirror hooks readers with riveting drama, told with Liv Constantine’s hallmark blend of glamour, tense psychological thrills, and jaw-dropping twists.

My Thoughts: At first, I wasn’t really feeling the story but as the story and characters continue to develop, I started to really enjoy it. I read the entire book in one sitting as the story and writing style truly sucks you right in and makes it hard to put the book down. If you’re a fan of psyc-related thrillers, then you’ll enjoy the twist and turns found in this storyline.

Talon (The Talon Saga)

Rating: 4/5

Description: THE DRAGONS OF TALON: Once hunted nearly to extinction, they are now poised to take over the world.

THE ORDER OF ST. GEORGE: The legendary dragonslayers will stop at nothing to wipe dragons from the face of the earth.

These mortal enemies are locked in secret and deadly combat, with humanity none the wiser.

To take her rightful place in the Talon organization, young dragon Ember Hill must prove she can hide her true nature and blend in with humans. Her delight at the prospect of a summer of “normal” teen experiences is short-lived, however, once she discovers that she’s also expected to train for her destined career in Talon. But a chance meeting with a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught.

As Ember struggles to accept her future, St. George soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian is tasked with hunting her down. But when faced with Ember’s bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything the Order has ingrained in him—and what he might be willing to give up to uncover the truth about dragons.

My Thoughts: Per usual, I’m a big of fantasy stories, and this one does a great job of blending fantasy with a little bit of romance and thrill. As Ember is learning how to be herself in a world that wants her to be anything but, you get to see her become a bad-ass and fall maybe in love with not 1 but 2 characters. I’ve already sped read the rest of the series because I couldn’t wait to keep reading to find out what adventures the misfit group of Ember, Garret, Wes, and Riley got into throughout the remaining books. While I was sad to see it end, it was a good story that kept you on your toes, and you instantly fell in love with each of the characters.

Other books in the series are Rogue, Solider, Legion, and Inferno.

Sex and Vanity

Rating: 1/5

Description: The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians returns with a glittering tale of love and longing as a young woman finds herself torn between two worlds–the WASP establishment of her father’s family and George Zao, a man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.

On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can’t stand him. She can’t stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have the view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can’t stand that he knows more about Curzio Malaparte than she does, and she really can’t stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin, Charlotte. “Your mother is Chinese so it’s no surprise you’d be attracted to someone like him,” Charlotte teases.

Daughter of an American-born-Chinese mother and blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucy is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world–and her heart.

Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures.

My Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book as it came recommended, but I’m actually more upset that I finished the entire book. The author unfortunately spends a lot of time describing the fashion, the scenery of Capri, and name dropping in every other sentence that it makes it hard to read the actual story. For me the story and characters were underdeveloped, and this book should’ve never hit the shelves. I would not recommend at all.

Single Black Female

Rating: 3/5

Description: Ivy Donovan is a successful stylist, entrepreneur, and single mom who has been loyal to her sons’ father, Michael, who’s serving a lengthy prison sentence. But life has gotten lonely over the years, and Ivy wants more for herself. Michael, however, isn’t about to lose his family.

Coco Norris is well-off, single, childless, and struggling with her allegiance to emotionally unavailable men. When she finds a man who seems like he can give her everything she has ever wanted, Coco soon discovers that she has taken on more than she can possibly handle.

Deja Maddox is a real estate agent who is married to Bobby, a police sergeant with the NYPD. They have assimilated, looking down on anything that doesn’t fit their buttoned-up, polished life. But Deja isn’t as satisfied as she would like everyone to believe. When Deja’s past returns with a vengeance, she’s forced to face herself as her “perfect” life begins to crumble.

Nikki Diamond is a savvy, self-made businesswoman and social media darling who lives large and with no regrets. She’s also Deja’s little sister and thinks her sister can have so much more than her ho-hum marriage. And Nikki is all too happy to lend a “helping” hand to make that happen.

Things come to a head when Ivy’s youngest son, Kingston, is caught up in a polarizing encounter with the NYPD. Everyone must figure out where they stand, including Bobby, who suddenly has to decide if his “blue life” matters more to him than his Black life and the Black lives of those he loves.

Single Black Female highlights the nuances of Black love, the often tested bonds of Black families, what it means to face the world as a Black man and the joy and pain of being a Black woman.

My Thoughts: While I love the writing style of the author, the story felt a little typical with the struggle of the black women and black men into drugs. This book came recommended as it gives off a “Sisters” vibe, which is why I enjoyed the book. I just wish the ending was more than what it was. Personally, I just want to read books where black people get to find love and enjoy life outside of rapping, poverty, and drugs. If that’s what you also want to read, then this isn’t the book for you. Tracy Brown though is a great author, and I’m interested to read other books by her.

Local Woman Missing

Rating: 4/5

Description: Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.

Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find….

In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times best-selling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

My Thoughts: Just wow. This book was totally unexpected, and there were so many twists and turns. At first, it starts off a little slow as it builds up the suspense and develops the story from different angles. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but trust me it gets good and you won’t be expecting the ending. If you enjoy thrillers/suspense books, then you’ll want to add this one to your reading list.

Pretty Things 

Rating: 3/5

Description: Two wildly different women–one a grifter, the other an heiress–are brought together by the scam of a lifetime in a page-turner from the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear.

Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.

Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer–traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: A mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.

Nina, Vanessa, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.

My Thoughts: At first I thought that I would love Nina’s character, but I actually loved Vanessa more. Nina just seemed like a girl that was mad at the world and others for her mom’s poor decisions while Vanessa is well-aware that she is rich and shallow despite her using social media to fill a hole in her life. As the story unfolds, you really get to see more about each character as a person including their struggles and misgivings. Overall, I liked the story even though the ending was not what I expected. 

What are you currently reading? 

The post What I Read in January 2022 appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.