Now that summer is officially over, here are some of my favorite books I read between June and September this year. They range between YA and adult fantasy and contemporary, and my reviews are spoiler free. Listed in no particular order:
Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Adult Fantasy – Book 4 in series
- Since this is the last book in the series, I won’t go into any of the plot so as not to spoil the other books.
- I love the Blood and Ash series, but I prefer its prequel series, Flesh and Fire. This book is the grand finale of the series, and it did not disappoint. We learn more about Reaver, Ash, Attes, Holland, and even Vikter, which was very enlightening and—in the case of Reaver and Ash—made me love them even more. There’s lots of action, but also adorable moments with our favorite baby draken. The major developments in this book help explain the circumstances that are present in the regular Blood and Ash series and reading it has me wanting to reread all the Blood and Ash books to look for any Easter eggs referencing events in Flesh and Fire.
Assistant to the Villain and Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer – Adult Fantasy – Books 1 & 2 in ongoing series
- I knew this series was going to be 4 stars by chapter 5 in the first book. I love Evie so much. Between her spunk and near-constant optimism, she is 100% the sunshine to the Villain’s grumpy. She lets all the torture and murder just roll off her, focusing on making the castle homier and more organized and trying to get the Villain to smile. Her dedication to the Villain, his staff, and her family is admirable, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how her actions both infuriate the Villain and make him (reluctantly) like her more and more. The political intrigue and action increase a lot more in the second book, and while there are intriguing plot twists in each, those in the second book rather shocked me and have me in desperate need for the third book.
Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young – Adult Contemporary – Standalone
- This is a romance, but the serious subject matter and disability representation are what I focused on most in it. Win, the FMC, has a malformed hand that makes everyday activities more difficult, but she has never let that stop her. Bo, the MMC, has a prosthetic leg. When their one-night stand ends with her pregnant, they must get to know each other better and learn how to work together to give their kid the best possible life. The author has a similar disability to the FMC, and unflinchingly depicts the challenges she faces in daily life and her worries about being a mother. Despite the seriousness of these portrayals, the book is filled with hilarious moments and funny characters that keep it upbeat. I highly recommend it.
Powerless and Reckless by Lauren Roberts – YA Fantasy – Books 1 & 2 in ongoing series
- This is a very popular series on TikTok, and while I did enjoy it a lot, it didn’t live up to all the hype, at least not for me. We get to see Paedyn struggling to survive every day without revealing that she is powerless, since being found out as an Ordinary would result in her death. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful irony of saving the very prince who hunts down hidden Ordinaries, and I love the chemistry between her and Kai. Seeing Paedyn trying to survive the power-centered Purging Trials and the Ordinary-hating king’s court while keeping her powerlessness a secret is very intriguing. I do wish that the first book focused a bit more on the Resistance and had more action throughout, but the intense, deadly action at the end made up for it. Unlike a lot of reviews that I’ve seen about Reckless, the second book, I really liked it. I was on edge the entire time because the characters were constantly in danger, and you never knew who was going to strike. Its ending has me eagerly anticipating the final book in the trilogy.
Four Eids and a Funeral by Adiba Jaigirdar and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé – YA Contemporary – Standalone
- This is another book that I liked because of its representation. The protagonists, Tiwa and Said, are Muslim American and ex-best friends who haven’t spoken to each other in years—not since Said left for boarding school. But when a funeral brings him back to their hometown just in time for another tragedy to strike, they must work together to fight for their Islamic Center. The book addresses prejudices against Muslims and African Americans (since Tiwa is also Black), but there is never any violence depicted or even referenced. The authors do a good job explaining Eid and other Muslim holidays so readers who are not Muslim can understand them. I found myself as upset as the characters by certain events in the book and shared their glee by the end of it.
Set on You by Amy Lea – Adult Contemporary – Standalone
- This is also a romance, but what I like about it is the immense amount of body positivity in it. The protagonist, Crystal, is a curvy fitness influencer whose entire platform is that fitness isn’t about reaching a certain size or weight, but rather to feel comfortable in your body. It has a bit of an enemies-to-lovers romance between Crystal and Scott, the firefighter who good-naturedly challenges her in the gym and loves getting in her way when she’s filming workout videos for her followers. The plot thickens when they discover that their grandparents have suddenly gotten engaged without even telling anyone they were dating. As Crystal and Scott are forced to spend time with each other to prepare for their grandparents’ wedding, she begins to see that Scott is actually a sweet and funny guy. But when a picture of the two of them online incites a vicious troll attack, Crystal begins to question everything in her life. The book addresses the question “am I worthy?” that so many people—regardless of body size or shape—ask themselves, and (spoiler alert) the answer is always “yes!”
These are just a handful of the dozens of books I read this summer. I plan to do a recap at the end of the year with the best of all the books I will have read in 2024, so stay tuned!
Allison Burton 