Rereads always surprise me. They peel back layers I didn't notice the first time and bring emotions to the surface I didn't expect. Joining a friend group-reread of Throne of Glass felt like slipping back into a familiar world, but this time, I noticed things I had missed before.
One of the biggest surprises was how differently I connected with the characters. In my early reads, Chaol was always my favorite, especially within the love triangle that takes up so much space in the beginning. I rooted for him, and I still love his loyalty and steady presence. But this time, Dorian stood out to me in ways he never had before.
Knowing how much he loses, and how much he changes, cast a shadow over even his happiest moments. There's a thread of sadness woven through his story that I didn't fully feel until now. While I admire his growth and the man he becomes, I also find his arc one of the least satisfying, maybe because of how much it hurts to see the price he pays.
Celaena, though, has always been at the heart of it all. What struck me most on this reread were the small sacrifices she makes, often without thinking first, like when she dives off the building to save Nox. She didn't have to do that. It wasn't part of her test, and it didn't advance her in the competition. But she did it anyway because it was the right things to do, and in those unguarded moments, her true character shines through. Beneath the bravado, the arrogance, the masks she wears... she cares.
Chaol's journey with her moved me too. He is so cautious, so rigid, and yet he can't help but slowly let her in. Every step he takes toward her feels like a betrayal of something else: his loyalty, his future, his friendship with Dorian. And yet he does it, because she becomes more than just a duty to him. Watching him wrestle with that conflict felt even more poignant this time around.
Then there's Nehemia. Her methods may not always be perfect, but her intentions are pure. She wants so badly to be a part of Celaena's story, to push her towards her destiny, even if it costs her. We all either have a Nehemia in our lives, or more often than not we want to be a Nehemia to someone else. That fierce loyalty, that belief in someone's potential, even when it's messy or inconvenient, is one of the most beautiful parts of friendship.
Even the villains broke my heart this reread. The King, who comes across as nothing but cruel and loathsome here, carries a hidden layer that only reveals itself much later. Knowing what I know now, I can't help but read his scenes differently... there's a thread of tragedy running through him that I completely missed the first time.
Kaltain, too, struck me in a new way. On the surface she feels vapid and self-centered, but with hindsight, it's clear how easily others manipulate and use those traits against her. Her journey is one of the most haunting in the series, and rereading this first glimpse of her left me aching, knowing where her path will lead.
Together, they reminded me that no character in this world is ever just one thing... good, evil, shallow or strong. Everyone carries shadows and scars, and sometimes even the most unlikely figures leave behind the most unforgettable marks.
And maybe that's what make Throne of Glass so special tome.These characters, heroes, villains, and everyone in between, feel alive. They stumble, they sacrifice, they love, they break. Even in this first book, you can feel the undercurrents of what's to come, both in the foreshadowing Sarah J. Maas so cleverly wove in, and in the way each character carries both light and shadow inside them.
This reread left me grateful... for the story, for the characters, and for the reminder that books can grow with us. Every time I return to Throne of Glass, I learn something new, not just about the characters but about myself. And no matter how many times I open its pages, it still resonates, still teaches, still feels like coming home.

I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy via Edelweiss. I have never read anything by Julie Wright, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Here's the synopsis of An Inconvenient Letter.​

Let me start off by saying this book was remenescent of Pride & Prejudice, Doctor Thorne, Bridgerton, and To All the Boys. I was initially very concerned with the similarities with the Bridgerton series, I didn't want another book riddled with sex scenes. However, I didn't have to be worried, as there were no explicit scenes in this book... Thank God!
​I felt like the author did a good job of making the flow of the book feel like something written by Jane Austen. There were a few turns of phrases that made the reading more immersive to that era, even when it wasn't dialogue. 
I felt the story was nicely thought out and didn't leave me feeling dissatisfied. The only instance of confusion for me, and it might be thanks to reading books As I was farely early in the story, there was a tidbit of information the author "put out there" that initially led me to believe that Anne intentionally sent our Etta's letters. It was on page 29. Anne and Etta are discussion how Freddie was never meant to see the letters and Anne asks why she addressed the letter if delivering it wasn't her intention. "How private could you have meant for them to be when you took the time to address them?" Her sister made an excellent argument. Etta did not recall addressing them. While reading this, along with a few moments of suspicious behavior on Anne's part, I was convinced for a percentage of the book that Anne had willfully and maliciously sent Etta's letters hoping to increase her odds in the upcoming season. 

Marietta Stone, known throughout the book as Etta, is a likeable character. She was very remeniscent of Elizabeth Bennet. She's her father's favorite, she doesn't excel at the things most women educate themselves with like the pianoforte or embroidering, instead taking focusing on her intelligence. Also like Elizabeth Bennet, she struggles with her pride a little, which is actually what gets her into the situation of fake dating Gerard in the first place. Rather than lose face infront of her friend's prejudice mother, and admit why she isn't attending the season in the city, she lies about her relationship status. 
While I like Etta, I don't necessarily see much character growth throughout the book on her part. I believe the only change we really see in her is a shift in her mentality towards Freddie. As her feelings for Gerard grow, she comes to believe that what she felt for Freddie, when she wrote the love letters the story is based around, wasn't love at all. Aside from that we also see her start to stand up for herself more... and by more I mean twice. First, when her mom is trying to force her to go to town for the season and then when Freddie refuses to give her back the letter she wrote him and she grabs it from him. I guess if you wanted to be technical, you could say she also is resolute when Gerard comes to talk to her at the end of the book, but I feel like she never had a problem setting boundaries or communicating with Gerard so it doesn't feel like part of that particular character arc. 

Gerard Hartwell is not remeniscent of Fritzwilliam Darcy. He is the one that has the massive obstacles to overcome, his families destitution at the forefront of that list. He is not capable to helping Etta the same way that Darcy helped Elizabeth. Personally, that felt like a feminist cop out... like we couldn't have the man save the woman, but instead we had to define the woman's value based on her rescuing the man. Power balance aside, I genuinely liked Gerard. I felt like he was more real that Etta. He had struggles, he made bad decisions, he had to humble himself to try and provide for others, and my favorite, he struggled with doing what he knew propriety demanded. During many of his interactions with Miss Bates, he would like to be rude and direct, but always chooses to do what is polite.
I feel like Gerard got a better character development than Etta. He has to overcome the burden of ownership of his late father's estate, which has been run into the group. Tenants are leaving left and right and he has hit a wall as to how he will be able to make the estate profitable. With the help of Etta, he is able to bring in new tenants and he puts in a lot of hardwork as opposed to depending on the dowery of some lady. (Though I do fill bad for his steward who originally suggested bringing in sheep as a solution and was promptly ignored haha)
My favorite moment in his development is when he has his big "AH HA" moment in regards to Etta. He originally wanted to pursue Anne, Etta's sister, because they were such good friends growing up. That stays consistent throughout the book, but as he is remenescing he regularly recalls good memories with Etta. Suddenly his steward talks about Gerard being in love with Etta. He has this train of thought where he is trying to convince himself that he is just good friends with Etta. But then he realizes that's the EXACT reason he wanted to pursue Anne, because he wanted a relationship that is built on friendship. And what better friend than Etta? I have never face-palmed myself so hard! I was like EXACTLY!! THANK YOU GERARD FOR GETTING WITH THE PROGRAM!!!

Freddie Fredericks is every screwed up guy in literature all combined into one! Okay that's a drastic overstatement. But trust me, he is AWFUL! Sticking with the theme of who he is remeniscent of, I would have to say he reminds me most of Louis Scatherd in Doctor Thorne. He is very self centered. However, like Louis, I feel like Freddie has rare moments where we see his humanity. I don't think it's necessarily enough to completely redeem him from his propensity to be a jerk, but it definitely adds a little bit of dimension to him. Honestly, I don't have much to say about Freddie because I feel like he is like every pretty boy that the "less than popular" girl has had a crush on. He knows he's pretty, he lords it over her, and then when he sees her affection being pulled in another direction, in a last stitch effort to control, he lays the charm on real thick.
Interestingly enough, I think the primarily issue I have with Freddie is also my favorite character quirk for him... his irritation, and insuing poor decisions, when he believes Gerard has faked his engagement to con him out of money. We don't see much thought to Freddie's character. Yet, when this happens we see how much this hurts him. Throughout the book he has openly offered Gerard a loan. He is very up front about this offer. However, when he things Gerard is trying to pull one over on not just everybody else, but Freddie as well, he feels betrayal. I'm glad the other gave Freddie this level of dimension, he needed something to give him another layer. I think this shows that while Freddie is frivolous in many of the other aspects and relationships in his life, when he chooses to be loyal to someone, he is all in or at the very least, expects the same level of loyalty in return.

I very much enjoyed this book, which is evident in the fact that I read it for a day and a half straight upon receiving it. I believe the author did a good job of taking classic and modern inspiration and creating a story that was enchanting. As I was reading I was constantly urging Gerard to rub his two brain cells together and realize he was in love with Etta, all the while I was screaming at Etta to stop second guessing herself.
​I look forward to reading more from Julie Write.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

​​The Bridgerton series follows the 8 Bridgerton siblings as they find love. Each sibling gets their own stand-alone novel as they navigate the world of Regency romance. This series had its ups and downs.

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The Duke & I - ⭐⭐⭐
We start with the 4th Bridgerton, Daphne. She’s been out for a few seasons but can quite seem to be able to find a husband. That is until a family friend, the Duke of Hastings, returns to the ton after traveling abroad. The Duke is the most eligible bachelor of the season, and he couldn’t be more upset about it. In an attempt to throw desire off of his trail and make her seem a little more desirable, the Duke and Daphne strike a deal to pretend to be courting. However, like we’ve seen time and time again, pretending can have dangerous side affects.
The Viscount Who Loved Me - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We then dive into the 1st Bridgerton’s story, Anthony. Anthony has the weight of the whole family on his shoulder, being the first born, so he hasn’t ever given romance any real consideration. Deciding he must finally settle down and do his duty as heir, he dives into the season with a very methodical list of requirements his future bride must have. Things don’t go according to plan though, and his hear has other thoughts.
An Offer From a Gentleman - ⭐⭐⭐
Then we get to know Benedict, the 2nd born Bridgerton. His story follows a Cinderella event line. He meets a masked woman of his dreams at a party, only for her to sneak away and never been seen again. When Benedict meets a lowly made, a familiar pull on his heart has him considering giving up on his dream woman.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Colin is our 3rd born Bridgerton, and while Benedict’s story is straight out of a fairy tale, Colin’s is a tale as old as time. For years he has grown up next to Penelope, a close family friend. But she isn’t exactly the ideal choice and is in the range of spinsterhood. Colin is the total package though, charming, witty, handsome, and well-traveled… everything Penelope is not. But sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants.
To Sir Phillip, With Love - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eloise Bridgerton is the 5th child in the family. She always has her face in a book and has kind of written off marriage, resigning herself to spinsterhood. When a cousin passes away though, she finds herself in correspondence with a young widower, who quickly startles her by asking for her hand. Being ever pragmatic, Eloise feels she must first visit the man who thinks so much like her. While she isn’t expecting love, she thinks they might be companionable to each other. Upon her arrival, Eloise discovers that this widower, and his two children, need more than a wife and mother, they need someone to bring them back together as a family.
When He Was Wicked - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Francesa is our 6th Bridgerton child and is already happily married when we are introduced to her. However, fate has another thing in mind for her, and her beloved husband dies unexpectedly. Torn in two, Francesca is beside herself and pulls out of society to mourn her loss. When her husband’s best friend, and new heir, tries to help her mend, the two find themselves tiptoeing around a potential romance that feels off-limits.
It's In His Kiss - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hyacinth is the 8th Bridgerton child and potentially the most stubborn, which is saying something. While not near spinsterhood, Hyacinth is in no rush to settle down. She enjoys spending her days with an older family friend but doesn’t expect to be thrown into close proximity to the older friend’s grandson. When the mystery of his parentage is brought into question, Hyacinth swears to help him solve the mystery, no matter how it may look if they are caught.
On the Way to the Wedding - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gregory is the 7th Bridgerton child and the final novel in the primary series. Gregory has watched all of his siblings fall head-over-heels in love and is convinced that when he meets his true love, he’ll know immediately. As chance would have it, he meets a woman who stirs up what he is convinced is love. When the woman makes it known in so many words that she isn’t available, he turns to her best friend for some help. Alas, Gregory’s hard work is for naught, at least for him. While he convinces the woman there are better options for her in the world, she chooses another man. However, Gregory finds that friendship is oftentimes, the best starting point for love.

Many of people have heard of the highly popular television series, the 100, on the CW. Yet what not everybody knows is that this series is inspired by a book series by Kass Morgan. I absolutely LOVE the show, so I decided I had to read the book series. Here's a brief run down of the book.

300 years ago Earth was destroyed in a total nuclear war, an event now known as the Cataclysm. A portion of the population was able to escape to space stations that would sustain the human population for hundreds of years. Unfortunately supplies is running low quicker than was anticipated, to account for this there are population laws prohibiting families from having children without getting preapproval or having more than 1 child. Criminals are also handled more strictly. If a person over the age of 18 commits a crime they are executed, if someone commits a crime under the age of 18 they are put in confinement until they can be retried at 18. However the retrials hardly ever end with a pardon.  This is pretty much the most that can be done to help balance out the waning supplies. because by their calculations Earth is still too radioactive to sustain human life. 

However when times become desperate the leaders decide to collection 100 underaged criminals to send to Earth. They will track their vitals to help determine if Earth is survivable. However they are wrong in one assumption... that they will be the only humans on Earth.

​All of us are familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the cantankerous penny pincher, and his escapades with the 3 ghosts of Christmas (past, present & future) at the generosity of his late-friend Jacob Marley. We have either heard the story, seen one of the many movie adaptations, seen a play or read the classic. For me, I grew up with the 1984, George C. Scott version, it happened to be my dad's favorite. For the longest of times that was the only REAL exposure I got to the story. Then my sister performed in a school play of A Christmas Carol. Then in recent years I saw a few more adaptations of the story, my favorite being the 2009, Jim Carrey rendition. However in all my life I have never read the original piece itself. That is, until this year. My first thoughts, were wow it was a lot shorter than I'd have imagined, especially considering how long winded & detailed some versions are. It is only 5 Staves (Chapters) long. However it is still rather long winded in parts. However I was surprised that all of the major parts from many of my favorite versions were almost word for word with the novel. I'm not going to lie I still have a definite favorite amongst the ghosts... The Ghost of Christmas Present. I think he really causes Ebenezer to be open & really vulnerable to what the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows him. He covers the empathy portion that Scrooge lacks & desperately needs for any of the events to MEAN anything to him. Plus anybody who can throw someone else's words back in that person's face has extra points in my book. 
While I might not read this EVERY Christmas, I would like to make a point of reading it more frequently at Christmas time. It has a great lesson that it doesn't hurt to hear regularly. The period dialogue aside I think most people would really enjoy & benefit from reading this, especially at Christmas time.