Book Review: Just Between Us by Adeline Kon

Title: Just Between Us

Author: Adeline Kon

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Graphic Novels, Sports, Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 320

Publisher: Dial Books

Year Published: 2026

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, Lydia tries to fall back in love with figure skating without falling for her competition.

Lydia Chen knows how good she is on the ice. Technically perfect, she's been the one to beat since her debut years ago.

Except now, something is missing in her performances- a spark that's been gone for a while. Between the constant training, appealing to sponsors to fund her, and the pressure to perform, Lydia's passion for skating has disappeared.

When her rival Elaine Yee starts training at the same rink, Lydia's struck by the emotion in Elaine's routines and unwillingly finds herself getting closer to her as they compete for a spot in the Olympics.

As the tension between them comes to a head, Lydia's about to find out how a competitor can become an ally and figure out how to feel alive on the ice again."

My Rating: 3/5

This was a fun YA take on sports romance, but it felt a little disjointed. The characters were very clearly stereotypes, and while we started to see growth and changes, I wish that it had been more direct. It was hard to like Lydia throughout, and while she made an effort to change by the end, it wasn't enough for me. The art was gorgeous but it was maybe just a bit young for me.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: RE: Trailer Trash Vol. 1

Title: RE: Trailer Trash Vol. 1

Author: Alyssa Villaire & Yishan Li

Series/Standalone: RE:Trailer Trash (Book #1)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Adult Fiction

Publisher: Vault Comics

Pages: 256

Year Published: 2026

Format: Paperback Copy (Library) 

"DO OVER. DO BETTER.

Tabitah Moore has lived a miserable life and being treated as "Trailer Trash Tabitha." But, after a mishap with an MRI, her mind is sent back to 1998 and into her 16-year-old-body. With her life now in front of her, maybe this is the chance to redo her life!

But is it so easy to change what you already lived through?

From the bestselling Webtoon Original, RE: Trailer Trash!

Sometimes all you need is a second chance."

My Rating: 5/5

This was a really great graphic novel to read in one sitting. I didn't realize at first it was a webtoon comic at all but it makes alot of sense. I look forward to reading the next installment. I also enjoyed the art style, the premise, etc. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Title: Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, 

Pages: 377

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2022

Format: Paperback Copy (Own it)

"One summer. Two rivals. A plot they didn't see coming...

Nora Stephen's life is books- she's read them all- and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she land enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, for the month of August when Libby begs her sister for a sisters' trip away- with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she's convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they've met many times and it's never been cute.

If Nora knows she's not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he's nobody's hero, but as they are thrown together again and again- in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow- what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they've written about themselves."

My Rating: 5/5

I'm slowly working my way through Emily Henry's work and some people are not the biggest fan of this one which is surprising to me. What's not to love, a sibling dynamic that is loving boarding on toxic, a love interest that fully understands the black cat energy. A small town, where they're expected to be excited about, but admit to themselves they love a space that many people don't stick around in. I felt that this is my second favorite of her work, coming in just behidn People We Meet on Vacation. Can't wait to read more.

Sidny

Book Review: Crash & Carnage by Emma Slate

Title: Crash & Carnage

Author: Emma Slate

Series/Standalone: Tarnished Angels Motorcycle Club (Book #2)

Genre: Dark Romance, Biker Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 436

Publisher: Indie Publishing

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook (Hoopla)

"Adderly 'Boxer' Ford is nothing like the men of my past.

He's an outlaw.

A criminal.

My opposite in every way.

I save lives.

He takes them.

I'm makeup and mink.

He's leather and ink.

I'm a fan of monogamy.

I'm not sure Boxer knows the definition of the word.

It's a bad idea to get mixed up with him and his motorcycle club. 

But when his lips meet mine, and his fingers plow through my hair, my desire for an orderly, safe life goes out the window.

In his bed, I discover passion.

With his club, I find a family.

In his arms, I am safe.

I don't belong in Boxer's world.

But when you fall for an Angel, you get a lot more than you bargain for."

My Rating: 5/5

This was too good. Not only was I thoroughly entertained, but I felt that it handled some of the issues I had with the first book. It was still a dark biker romance; it included even more dark details, but it felt more relatable. By relatable, I mean like a TV show I'd watch (ex. our fmc has more fire and spice to her than the first fmc).  I also felt that we got to see more of her personality, which made me like her and further explore what the other female characters, especially the Old Ladies, were like. I can't wait to read more by the author.

Sidny

Book Review: Wreck & Ruin by Emma Slate

Title: Wreck & Ruin

Author: Emma Slate

Series/Standalone: Tarnished Angels Motorcycle Club (Book #1)

Genre: Dark Romance, Biker, Adult Fiction,

Pages: 466

Publisher: Tabula Rasa Publishing

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"My life is boring. Monotonous.

And then tall, dark and dangerous walks into the bar where I work

Before I know it, I'm in his arms, asking him to rescue me.

He's Colt Weston, President of the Tarnished Angels MC.

Colt makes me feel alive... and wanted.

The Tarnished Angels embrace me as one of their own, and when a violent rival threatens to tear us apart, I learn what loyalty truly means.

Family. Sacrifice. Revenge.

There's nothing Colt won't do to protect me."

My Rating: 4/5

As far as motorcycle clubs go, I have only ever really consumed some of Sons of Anarchy as my media understanding of this. But this gave similar vibes to that mixed with dark romance (LORDS series). I liked the characters and the plot; the narration was also super fun, and the spice was good. The writing wasn't my favourite, but the storyline was worth it. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Title: The Reformatory

Author: Tananarive Due

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller, Horror, Adult Fiction

Pages: 570

Publisher: S&S/Saga Press

Year Published: 2023

Format: Hardcover (Library Copy)

"Set in Jim Crow Florida, follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he's sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horror of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.

Gracetown, Florida

June 1950

Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie's journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.

Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends, Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it's too late. 

The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award-winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This wasn't what I expected when I started reading this book. I thought for some reason that it was a horror with a smattering of Historical Fiction, and by smattering, I mean the setting (similar to This House Will Feed). I didn't realize that the author was basing this work on a family member, or how much this would read as a historical fiction, rather than supernatural horror. Obviously, there are horrific elements (basically the whole book), but not in the same writing I would expect from a horror-specific book. I plan on reading some of her reference texts to gain a better understanding of the subject matter, because I do beielve it is incredibly important to acknowledge our history as humans to help steer us to a better future.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

Title: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

Author: Hallie Rubenhold

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, History, True Crime

Pages: 352

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffee houses, lived on country estates, they breathed ink-dust from printing presses and escaped people-traffickers.

What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888.

Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become far more famous than any of these five women.

In this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally gives these women back their stories."

My Rating: 5/5

This was a different take on everything I'd heard about this story. Learning about the victims, their lives and how their lives were misconstrued due to the white male Victorian gaze. The fact that these women's lives were scandalized, and misrepresented. The idea that people who were down on their luck were all prostitutes has prevailed in the current narrative, and it's still believed. While it was depressing and sad, it was also informative and made me wonder what else has been plastered over with the historical view of the times.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Title: Listen for the Lie

Author: Amy Tintera

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction

Pages: 336

Publisher: Celadon Books

Year Published: 2024

Format: Audiobook

"What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all and, if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy's blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer.

It's been years since that horrible night, a night that lucy can't remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast Listen for the Lie and it's too-good-looking host, Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy's murder for the show's second season. Lucy is forced to returns to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend's murder, even if she is the one who did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen."

My Rating: 4.75/5

I love a mystery that has a podcast element, especially an audiobook. The idea that we're partially solving the mystery beside the podcast host is already a draw for me, add figuring it out with the main character and I was hooked. I was incredibly surprised by the humor in this book too. For something pretty intense and dark, I laughed more than I thought I would (alot actually). The red herrings were well done, and the ending was surprising while still being logical. If anyone has further podcast mystery books they'd recommend I'd be open to suggestions.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Woman, Life, Freedom

Title: Woman, Life, Freedom

Authors: Marjane Satrapi, Abbas Milani, Jean-Pierre Perrin, Farid Vahid, Shervin Hajipour

Illustrators: Shabnam Adiban, Baharek Akrami, Bee, Patricia Bolanos, Catel, Coco, Deloupy, Hippolyte, Mana Neyestani, Touka Neyestani, Pascal Rabate, Paco Roca, Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim, Nicolas Wild, Winshluss, 

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Publisher: Seven Stories Press

Year Published: 2023

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"An urgent, groundbreaking and visually stunning new collection of graphic story-telling about the present Iranian revolution, using comics to show what would be censored in photos and film in Iran.

Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, returns to graphic art with this collaboration of over 20 activists, artists, journalists, and academics working together to depict the historic uprising, in solidarity with the Iranian people and in defense of feminism. 

On September 13th, 2022, a young Iranian student, Mahsa Amini, was arrested by the religious police in Tehran. Her only crime was that she wasn't properly wearing the headscarf required for women by the Islamic Republic. At the police station, she was beaten so badly she had to be taken to the hospital, where she fell into a deep coma. She died three days later. 

A wave of protests soon spread through the whole country, and crowds adopted the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom"- words that have been chanted around the world during solidarity rallies.

In order to tell the story of this major revolution happening in her homeland, Marjane Satrapi has gathered together an array of journalists, activists, academics, artists, and writers from around the world to create this powerful collection of full-colour, graphic-novel-style essays and perspectives that bear witness.

Woman, Life, Freedom demonstrates that this is not an unexpected movement, but a major uprising in a long history of women who have wanted to affirm their rights. It will continue."

My Rating: 5/5

This graphic novel is full of, as the description states, essay-style segments that help the reader understand the uprising, the reasoning, as well as parts of the history of Iran. As someone who doesn't know much about the country and who grew up without watching a lot of the news, I was unaware of many of the subjects that were covered during this novel. It was enlightening and surprising to see how much this drew to another book I had read recently in another dictatorship (Romania in I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys) and over 30 years later. It's disappointing to know that this movement didn't necessarily continue, but rather had to be shifted in order to keep resistors safe (that being said, I could be wrong due to my limited knowledge and research). Woman, Life, Freedom. 

Sidny

Book Review: A Newfoundlander in Canada: Always Going Somewhere, Always Coming Home by Alan Doyle

Title: A Newfoundlander in Canada

Author: Alan Doyle

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Canada

Pages: 244

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Armed with the same personable, candid style found in his first book, Alan Doyle turns his perspective outward from Petty Harbour toward mainland Canada, reflecting on what it was like to venture away from the comforts of home and the familiarity of the island.

Often in a van, sometimes in a bus, occasionally in a car with broken wipers, "using Bob's belt and a rope found by Paddy's Pond" to pull them back and forth, Alan and his bandmates charted new territory, and he constantly measured what he saw of the vast country against what his forefathers once called the Daemon Canada. In a period punctuated by triumphant leaps forward for the band, deflating steps backwards and everything in between- opening for Barney the Dinosaur at an outdoor music festival, being propositioned at a gas station mail-order bride service in Alberta, drinking moonshine with an elderly church-goer on a Sudny morning in PEI- Alan's few established notions about Canada were often debunked and his own identity as a Newfoundlander was constantly challenged. Touring the country, he also discovered how others view Newfoundlanders and how skewed these images can sometimes be. Asked to play in front of the Queen at a massive Canada Day festival on Parliament Hill, the concert organizers assured Alan and his bandmates that the best way to showcase Newfoundland culture was for them to be towed onto stage in a dory and introduced not as Newfoundlanders but as 'Newfiers'. The boys were not amused.

Heartfelt, funny and always insightful, these stories tap into the complexities of community and Canadianness, forming the portrait of a young man from a tiny fishing village trying to define and hold on to his sense of home while navigating a vast and diverse and wonder-filled country."

My Rating: 5/5

As a Canadian, I've listened to a decent amount of Great Big Sea, but I didn't realize that Alan Doyle has so many books. The audiobook of this was amazing as it was narrated by the author, so you get the full accent, the full amazing storytelling ability of Alan Doyle. I loved the content, the writing, and mostly the humour. I look forward to reading more from the author. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny