Diary of a Literature Lover

Why is it so difficult to write a review?

The whole time I want to write a review, I blank out. It's hard to write what I want to say. I am having a hard time doing this because my real job is so demanding. When I get off work after nine hours, all I want to do is sleep. When I do have a day off, all I want to do is lie around. My next two weeks will be hectic as I have more than 40 hours of work.



Most likely, this blog won't be updated for a few days. This blog has to go on the back burner for now. Hopefully I'll be back in January when work lessens my workload. Hope it's true about less work.



Upon returning from my break, I may make some changes to this blog. I might reorganize the content, update some sections, or add new insights to make it more relevant and engaging. This will help ensure that the blog stays fresh and continues to resonate with readers.


Hey, I might get my sister back on DW.

TITLE: The Name of the Wind
BY: Patrick Rothfuss
SERIES: The Kingkiller Chronicle (#1)
RELEASES: April 1, 2007 by Penguin Group DAW
GENRE: Heroic fantasy
AGE RANGE: Adult
RATING: 2 out 5
SYNOPSIS: Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

( Read More )

WWW Wednesday is a weekly event where you share (1) What you’re currently reading, (2) What you recently finished reading, and (3) What you think you’ll read next.

The Three Ws are:

1. What are you currently reading?


2. What did you recently finish reading?


3. What do you think you’ll read next?

1. What are you currently reading?




I'm reading two books at the moment. A book is from my teen era and another is one I heard but never read. Daniel Waters' Generation Dead was a book I knew about but never read since zombie romance is not my thing.Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, a book I know but never pick up. The cover didn't appeal to me when it first came out. I was also burned out on young adult books, which didn't help.




2. What did you recently finish reading?




I finish three books. Among the three books, I liked The Secret Market of the Dead by Giovanni De Feo the best. I didn't like Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee or Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster.The Secret Market of the Dead stood out for its captivating storyline, unique characters, and well-paced narrative. In contrast, Diary of a Mad Fat Girl felt overly simplistic, and Kiss of Steel lacked the depth and originality I typically enjoy in a book.

The review will be up tomorrow.

3. What do you think you'll read next




My next read will be Maggie Blackburn's Little Bookshop of Murder.

Name: Lily
Age: 36
From: USA

Hello, My name is Lily, and I'm a book dragon who has trouble expressing herself. You'll find me buried in a book or daydreaming all the time. My life revolves around books. As a book lover, I also scream and sob over my books and fangirl 24/7, so if you would like to follow my path, you're welcome! Book nerds like me always have a towering TBR pile staring us down at our desks. Every year, we promise each other we'll tackle it. But somehow, we never manage to finish it. Every time we cross one book off the list, three more take their place. It's a never-ending cycle, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

The other thing I enjoy doing besides reading is learning foreign languages. The two languages I'm learning are Spanish and Chinese. I am failing both of them. I often feel like I'm not making much progress, but I still enjoy the challenge of learning new words and phrases. It’s frustrating at times, yet I’m confident that with practice and persistence, I will improve.

I spent my childhood in libraries and bookshops, so everyone knows to give me a book gift card. My name is familiar to every librarian since I used to volunteer at libraries a lot.

I enjoy fantasy, science fiction, and horror. However, I'm willing to read almost any fiction. I want to keep my options open with genres. Some books and authors can surprise you in unexpected ways. Also, nobody should ask me about my favorite books because I'll melt.

The actual picture of me isn't available since I am a very private person. I cherish my privacy. It helps me manage my life and keep my boundaries safe. It helps me focus on my goals without the pressure of external scrutiny. Moreover, privacy gives me the freedom to share my life with only those I trust.

TITLE: Pleasure Unbound
BY: Larissa Ione
SERIES: Demonica (#1)
RELEASES: June 20, 2008 by Forever
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
AGE RANGE: Adult
RATING: 1 out 5
SYNOPSIS: In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . .

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .

( read more )

TITLE: Mao, Vol. 1
BY: Rumiko Takahashi
SERIES: MAO [マオ] (#1)
RELEASES: October 3, 2017 by Atria Books
GENRE: Fantasy, Paranormal
AGE RANGE: Teen
RATING: 3 out 5
SYNOPSIS: EXORCISE YOUR DESTINY

When Nanoka travels back in time to a supernatural early 20th century, she gets recruited by aloof exorcist Mao. What is the thread of fate that connects them? Together, they seek answers...and kick some demon butt along the way!

Nanoka passes through a portal into the Taisho era, where exorcist Mao reluctantly rescues her from the jaws of a grotesque yokai. When Nanoka gets back to the present, she discovers she has some new, incredible abilities. She returns to the past looking for answers, only to get caught up in Mao’s investigation of a series of gruesome murders. As her questions about herself multiply, Nanoka learns that Mao is cursed by a cat demon named Byoki—and so is his sword. If anyone but Mao attempts to wield it, they are doomed. But when Mao’s life is in jeopardy, Nanoka picks up his blade and swings...!

( read more )

BY: Yuu Watase
SERIES: ふしぎ遊戯 玄武開伝 [Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden] (#1)
RELEASES: July 5, 2005 by Viz Media LLC
GENRE: Romance, Fantasy, Iseki
AGE RANGE: Teen
RATING: 3 out 5
SYNOPSIS: When schoolgirl Takiko Okuda attempts to destroy her father's translation of "The Universe of the Four Gods," she is instead literally sucked into the story, becoming the Priestess of Genbu in an epic journey to find the seven Celestial Warriors!

In her first encounter, she meets the mysterious outlaw Limdo, a Celestial Warrior with a tattoo of the Chinese character for "woman" on his chest. Limdo can not only summon the wind as one of his special powers, but he can also transform into a woman!

Takiko meets up with the bowman, Chamka, who is hunting Limbdo. It seems Chamka is one of the seven Celestial Warriors as well...

( read more )

Here’s a little cheat sheet to how I rate the books I read. While the five-star rating system isn’t the most comprehensive, I do find it works fairly well to illustrate how much I liked (or didn’t like) a book. I give honest ratings and reviews, and don’t think a three-star book is a bad book.

5 out of 5

Loved this book! I probably won’t shut up about it and I think you all should check it out (unless otherwise noted, because I give a lot of weird books five-star ratings, and I understand they’re probably not for everyone).

4 out of 5

Really enjoyed this book. I’m not in love, but I had a great time. It’s a really good book, but had a few flaws. Or I really enjoyed it, but I personally think it didn’t merit a full five stars (i.e. the story was predictable or reminiscent of another book, the writing wasn’t great, etc.).

3 out of 5

I liked it. Not bad, but didn’t blow me away, either. The story didn’t excite me. Or maybe it didn’t feel very original. The writing probably wasn’t particularly great, either. There might be some things I didn’t like about it, but they didn’t ruin my reading experience. I don’t regret reading it, but I probably won’t remember all that much from it later. Didn’t make a huge impression on me.

2 out of 5

It was fine. Not the worst thing I’ve ever read, but I didn’t have a good time. Might just be not my cup of tea. Maybe the story was fine, but the writing sucked. Or the writing was pretty good, but I didn’t like the story. Or maybe it had me thinking of how I could slap some sense into fictional characters. Either way, I probably wish I hadn’t read it.

1 out of 5

Did not like this one. At all. Maybe even hated it. Absolutely regret reading it and wish I could scrub it from my brain. It might have some not awful qualities, but they weren’t enough to redeem it.