Trash My TBR/Pre-2019 UNHAUL

[@ThoughtsOnTomes]

Update based on your comments so far: 1. I’m going to keep GOPAF and try to read it in the next 3 months. 2. I’m going to keep Summer of Salt for the summer. 3. I’m going to get rid of my physical copy of Jonathan Strange but listen to the audiobook version and probably watch the BBC series. 4. I’m still very undecided on Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors, The Thousand Names, and Daughter of the Pirate King as all of them are getting a mixture of reviews in the comments!

[@ariellenathanson1640]

Johnathan and Mr. Norrel was on netflix and I loved it. I might read the book lol

[@BornaDjavdan]

I have been trying to read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell in the past couple of Tome Topples. I have now just decided to read it next year at some point.

[@thepink_avenger]

I was going to try and convince you to keep Summer of Salt. LOL. It sounds like something you would enjoy.

[@xLaLaLunax]

Unpopular opinion but I DNF’d GOPAF about 75% in. The characters are so bland and I tried so hard to like it but literally barely anything happens for the majority of the book.. it was SO SLOW. The writing is nice and it’s a very atmospheric read with great descriptions but the plot (or lack thereof) and super boring characters who at the end of the day I feel that I know nothing about other then she has gold eyes and is trying to do what she needs to keep her family safe totally killed it. I literally have no idea why people are loving this so much. Unless something insane happens in the last 25% to save it then I would’ve only given it about 2 stars based on what I read purely because of the beautiful descriptions of the environment, clothing, setting, etc.

[@photoshopuser500]

GOPAF I 2 starred, thought there would be angst and there was NONE, couple got together too soon, characters were 2D and boring

[@christinelareads]

You should do the 'try a chapter' tag for the books you think you'd actually really love. Love this video! Happy Holidays, Sam!

[@cerwyssmckay6132]

I loved Daughter of the Pirate King! I had a few issues but overall it's a great read.

[@WhiteRabbitMix]

I loved Jonathan Strange! But it is over 1000 pages, has footnotes out the wazoo and is written in old-fashioned prose so it's very intimidating. The BBC miniseries is a FANTASTIC adaptation of the book so I would highly recommend watching it. I wouldn't clutch my pearls if someone said they'd watched the series but had never read the book.

[@hellobookss]

I LOVED Daughter of the Pirate King! I think you have to go into with low expectations and you will enjoy it. It was a fun fast paced read. Of course it is not perfect but I read it in two sittings. Also, the duology itself is one of my favorites. Keep it and give it a try! :)

[@sannejanssen5770]

Hey Sam, this is your friendly neighborhood Girls of Paper and Fire advocate speaking. I read this book last month and thoroughly enjoyed it. You're right in that it has lots of political intrigue and a forbidden romance (which is f/f and SO GOOD) and is overall a very empowering story that deals with abuse in a very (in my opinion) well-written way, though it's not graphic. It's not so much a desert fantasy since the majority of the book takes place within the palace court. Btw, the entire story is Asian-inspired! Aaah I just have a lot of feelings about this book and I hope you decide to give it a shot :)

[@ThoughtsOnTomes]

Jessica Lightblossom the forbidden romance is f/f?!? Ok I might keep this one.

[@fictionallyem9559]

Daughter of the Pirate King is absolutely a 3 star read and most definitely was written in one sitting lol

[@alysiaeroy]

Daughter of the pirate king is definitely quick. And pirates! And sirens! And hate to love!

[@ThePerksOfBooks]

We, The Drowned is one of my absolute FAVORITES. Dedicate the time and pick it up, it is soooo worth the read.

[@mly3537]

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorite books, but if you don't wanna deal with the length/denseness (which, fair), I'd highly recommend checking out the mini series; it's pretty loyal to the book and FANTASTIC. I watched it before reading the book and I couldn't say which I love more. Also, Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is a fun read; it's a combination of genres that shouldn't work together but do, and in terms of other political fantasy books, it's a comparatively quick read.

[@RainyDaysandStormyNights]

I definitely think Daughter of the Pirate King is worth the read! It's short and FUN

[@booksandbags1790]

Unhaul them all. If you want to read them later, get them from the library.

[@raychumon]

jonathan strange is AMAZING, i REALLY recommend reading it.

[@Frenzywonder]

I listened to the audiobook of Jonathan Strange and Mister Nortel and the narrator is excellent. While the story opposes two magicians, the main antagonist in it is a demon, who im pretty sure you’ll like. He does the stolen bride trope. It’s slow paced and spaced over years and the ending is unconventional.

[@EGrace-pw2hv]

I adored Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I seem to be in the minority here but I didn't find it slow or difficult and the build up is totally worth it!

[@Kellas_Kat]

I have Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors on my shelf, and I'm really excited to read it. The synopsis gives me Kushiel's Dart vibes, which is one of my favorite series ever.

[@liv2741]

I loved Daughter of the Pirate King but couldn't manage to get through the sequel.

[@jenniferadam2258]

Jonathan Strange is one of my all time favorite books. But I also understand needing shelf space. :)

[@xXBelieveItOrNotXx]

Summer of Salt was fantastic! It was not as contemporary as I was expecting and if I'd seen a detailed summary on paper I don't think I would have picked it up, but I gave it five stars. It's one of the few books that made me cry this year, it's absolutely heartbreaking but also really comforting in a strange way? I don't think it's much of a summer read, although it takes place in summer, more of a rainy spring read. I'm planning to read Girls of Paper and Fire pretty soon here, and the hype has me a little wary, I'm really hoping it lives up to it, but I felt the same way about Grace and Fury and loved that so fingers crossed. 😺💜

[@nandarambles2917]

Daughter of the Pirate King is a super quick and fun read, give it a chance!!

[@polaerys4287]

This! I read it in a few hours and enjoyed it quite a bit.

[@sydneyellison1655]

I agree it was a quick read but I felt like it wasn’t anything special and I didn’t care enough to read the second book but I’m glad y’all enjoyed it more than me

[@exlibriszoey3068]

What these people said! DotPK is a super quick read and I feel SUPER quick read and it's only a duology and both books are soooo good

[@kimberlya7267]

I agree! Loved this duo logy

[@valeriaandrea28]

Looove it when you put on the lipstick name on the info section 😍

[@BrunetteBibliophile]

I cannot say anything about any of these since I have not read them. I am intrigued by GOPAF even though I’m not a huge fantasy fan. It’s my read-a-long groups book pick for January so hopefully I enjoy it and you as well.

[@libraryofjonna]

summer of salt was one of my favourites of this year, absolutely loved it! it’s contemporary but with magical elements, a focus on sisters and it also has a f/f romance. not sure if it would align with your personal tastes but I think it would be really great for a summer read :)

[@booksandwoof6420]

Jonna Kristina I also loved it! And I don’t usually read contemporary thought I do have a soft spot for contemporary with a fantastical twist

[@HisNeverland]

JS&MN is really good, and the mini series is also great. They are very different moods, though. The book is quite funny, and the series is more thrilling and sinister. I love both and I think they complete and compliment each other. I would recommend reading the book first, but honestly I don't think it matters. The audiobook is also amazing, so that might be the way to go if you don't feel like reading the large physical copy!

[@brittk1616]

Yeah definitely read Girls of Paper and Fire, I think you will enjoy that one a lot actually. I personally love and enjoy the Daughter of the Pirate King books. Even if it is a 3ish star book for you think you’d enjoy all or most of it. I think you should at least try it.

[@alilbitmads]

I've read Daughter of the Pirate King and Girls of Paper and Fire and honestly they would both have been skips for me. I feel like they had massive hype trains that either died off or are going to die off very soon. Great vid, I know I have a few books I should do this for!

I enjoyed Girls of Paper and Fire but at the end of the day, it was a 3.5 star read for me. It has a lot of elements I liked but the execution of the plot wasn't quite right in my opinion. Keeping my hopes up that the second book will take off from there and get better though.

[@SarahEllis]

Daughter of the Pirate King is soooo good! I say get it from the library if you are unsure :)

[@JudgeKudz]

I hope I'm not the only one who loves the nails. Keep the Pirates book! Definitely a quick read.

[@sceggy60]

Highly recommend Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell! It's absolutely fantastic!

[@KeepCalmwithBooksandCoffee]

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors made it onto my top books of the year. It is very political and has a lot of world building. It is high fantasy with some Three Musketeer elements. I’m so ready for you to unhaul everything though so go with your gut.

[@jordanhutson6962]

Summer of Salt has a definite magical component to it. It follows twin sister witches (which, yes). Really enjoyed it. Kind of like The Wicked Deep but better, in my opinion.

[@clearlyreading2366]

Jordan Hutson I’m pretty sure it has an ff romance component also? I haven’t read it but I thought I heard that

[@jordanhutson6962]

@@clearlyreading2366 oh, yes! Thank you for reminding me. There is an ff relationship in this as well!

[@booksandwoof6420]

I would also compare summer of salt to the wicked deep! I thought the wicked deep was more atmospheric but summer of salt had better plot and characters

[@thenerdymillennial]

I am reading We The Drowned and loving it... definitely give it a shot! Also Jonathan Strange was amazing and definitely worth the read...for this one I listened to the audio book and read along with the author so I could visualize the story better which made it an amazing reading experience....the fact that they are big books are what drew me in...

[@megansreadingrevelations]

I read An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors this year, and found it to be one of the most intelligently written fantasy books I've read. It also had one of the best female protagonists I've ever read. It does take a good while to get going, but once the climax hits, the story is awesome. Plus it doesn't have any of those nonsense YA troupes that keep getting recycled. I hope you pick it up!

[@thejordanjournals]

I read DotPK and found it really enjoyable. It has a lot of vibes very reminiscent of POTC, to the point where I felt it could have taken place in that world. Also, the main character is super badass and I feel like you could like her. I haven’t read GOPAF yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s a f/f romance with an eastern setting. Seems like it could totally have a lot going for you.

[@ceebeegeegies]

Loved Johnathan Strange, but I just unhauled my copy because it takes up shelf space and I know my library has it if I ever want to reread it. (It also got pretty mangled in the reading process). I recommend it as a side book, and really taking your time. I read this over a month or two and was so lost when I was done, haha! It’s a pleasant ride but for sure a long one.

[@lucaleone4331]

1. Where do you unhaul your books? I don't know where to bring/sell mine. 2.you should keep the paper fire one bc u seemed excited by in your owlcrate which got me to actually order owl crate and then I saw that book at barnes and noble I used my gift card money on it. I haven't read it yet so IM sure this isnt very convincing just thought I'd let you know :P HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[@annasweat4947]

Oh please read We the Drowned!! It's a great book and one that has stuck with me. It actually follows three "generations" (they aren't all blood related) of sailors starting in the 1800s and ending at ww1. I also loved that while it follows these three men it also follows the women in the town who are left behind when the sailors go to sea. Some of the story is told from the perspective of "we" -the drowned sailors and people from the town. It's a translated book and the writing is so so gorgeous!!

[@LaurenMillerZoePhee]

Daughter of the Pirate King was really fun, I liked it a lot. The sequel is also really good. The books with the magical tree forest sound really interesting! I might have to go check those out from the library. :D

[@ooolivia]

daughter of the pirate king was like a 3 star for me, but the audiobook was really good! super fast and entertaining read, so if you can get the audiobook it will make the book that much more fun

[@IShouldReadThat]

We the Drowned is supposed to be amazing, but super dense and takes forever to get through. My sister read it and loved it, but said it was a tough one.

[@MissMo33]

Keep "We, the drowned"! It is my all time favourite novel. I love this book so badly and everyone should read it :D it has so much to offer since it covers three generations and at least I got really attached to the characters. It made me cry and laugh and I still think a lot about it and always feel like rereading it. Keep it! 😊 But on the other hand, get rid of "a thousand names". It was horrible and I couldn't even finnish it 😂

[@jenniferadam2258]

Yes! I think people are intimidated by its size but the story is rich and layered and I loved it. Actually planning to read it again this summer.

[@Shaegeeksout]

On We The Drowned, you should keep it for the next Tome Topple. If you don't read it for Tome Topple, then you Unhaul it. I liked Arabella of Mars. I gave it 4 stars. Haven't read the sequel yet. The Thousand Names sounds super interesting to me. Good luck to you!

[@bookellenic1327]

I haven't read Summer of Salt but I want to read it and hear your opinion on it as well, so I'd say keep it.

[@AyameObsessed]

Great vid Sam!! Obviously I have to fight for The Thousand Names since I gifted it to you 🤗 but! I understand if you don’t want to hold onto it. I think the relationships and cast of main characters are amazing, but I don’t want you to feel forced to read it by any means my friend. However, if you are ever interested in an alternate solution, I listened to all 5 books on audio and absolutely loved Richard Poe’s narration! So that’s always an option for you even if you unhaul the physical copy! Best wishes & Merry Christmas gorgeous! ☺️💕

[@natcommon]

Keep The Thousand Names because it seems like a boomerang book. It’s going to keep coming back into your life until you read it. Also, keep Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell! I’m only about 150 pages into it and it’s fantastic. Yes it’s long, but it seems like one of those books with a huge payoff at the end. Lastly, I feel like you’d really enjoy Girls of Paper and Fire from what I’ve heard about it. Also, it’s a relatively new book so maybe keep it on your TBR for a little while longer to see if you really want to keep it.

[@SteviWondr]

Ok, but is there a good series that takes place in a huge tree setting? Because I would be so down.

[@magikai6016]

I need to do another one of these myself

[@leahv4017]

I really, really like the premise of the Thoraiya Dyer books and I just found out that they are both audiobooks on scribd! So I might just listen to that tonight (as I'm in an in between book space). I'm also entirely enamored with fantasy stories set in large forests. Do you have any suggests for good reads set in forests if this one turns out to be a bust?

[@mayfia]

I have a whole section on goodreads for books I'm in no rush to read. (That might help to 'get rid' of more books)

[@christeascozycorner]

please keep the thousand names!!! the first book is a little slow and focuses mostly on the military aspect (flintlock fantasy), but the second book is SOOOOO GOOD. i still have to read the rest of the books after that, but it's a very promising series.

[@april-janerowan]

I'd listen to Jonathan Strange on audio book, it's the only way I managed to get through it! I really enjoyed Crossroads of Canopy. The setting was brilliant. I haven't read Girls of Paper and Fire but I'm hoping to soon. I've seen people compare it to Laini Taylor's books so maybe that'll help sway you either way?

[@chelseaoriger8723]

READ SUMMER OF SALT! If you liked 'Practical Magic' you will love it! Its super short so it will take you no time. It gave me feels

[@pokeaspotful]

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell audio book is very good. I would recommend that.

[@sarahtotzke-marx6360]

I enjoyed Girls of Paper and Fire (literally finished it tonight) but I could see why it might not be for everyone. Tbh I picked it up because of the f/f romance and it (the romance) wasn't anything spectacular but the book was a 3.5-4 star read for me.

[@marchingxon]

Daughter of the Pirate King was definitely a three star read for me. Parts of it were really good, and other parts annoyed me and made me want to dnf it. I have the feeling you'd feel the same way. :)

[@blancspace799]

If you think about getting rid off them, get rid off them :) Just keep the things you don't ever want to let go.

[@LibraryFairy762]

I tried reading jonathan strange and mr. Norrell and i just couldnt get into it. It was a very slow start, and i wanted it to be less slow. I didnt get very far. I think it hadnt grabbed my attention in the first 50 pages and so i moved on.

[@suepellerin]

Keep Jonathan Strange and Miranda & Caliban. I find Jonathan Strange atmospheric and immersive in the same way I do The Night Circus. Yes, it’s a bit slow to start and it is long - but I loved the world, so I didn’t really want the book to end (I’ve reread it multiple times). Also, it contains my very favourite depiction of the Fae and the Faerie Realm. Miranda & Caliban really nuances the story of The Tempest, developing the title characters (and their relationship) far more than is in the play. Its depiction of Prospero’s magic is also really interesting. With that said, I’m a Shakespeare professor, so I’m definitely biased here! If you haven’t read Jacqueline Carey before, though, I HIGHLY recommend reading her Kushiel’s Dart trilogy - that might appeal to you more than Miranda & Caliban.

[@Alexluxaflex]

Noooooooo!! An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is such a good book and it deserves so much more love than it gets on booktube! It was such a refreshing read compared to the all the medival based fantasy stories and the magic system is so fascinating.

[@agmacdonald]

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on Arabella. Sounds like it could be fun.

[@kathrynteal23]

you need to read Summer of Salt. it's one of my favorites of the entire year. it's so much more than you think it will be. Please read, it won't take long at all!

[@AwkwardBookworm]

I haven’t read any of these, but I’ve heard Summer of Salt is amazing though

[@Emma-yn6lb]

Please keep We, the Drowned it is so fabulous and no one is reading it on book tube. Highlights include nefarious pirates, a mysterious shrunken head, a town run by women, and magical elements. It can take a while to read and does get very dark in places but is still filled with dark humor and beautiful writing. I am not a historical fiction person at all and this book totally captivated me and at the end, I stared at a wall weeping for like 25 minutes haha.

[@graceoc5613]

Summer of Salt is one of my favourites. It’s so atmospheric and beautiful. It deals with some hard topics which had me sobbing. The sapphic relationship is also something that made my heart melt. I’m not quite sure what you’d think of it, but it is a really quick read. I would suggest skipping Daughter of the Pirate King. The main focus of the book is a romance. And whilst some would call it angsty, I’d call it very sexual and not much else going for it. Alosa the MC is also a Celaena 2.0 where she tells you how amazing she is and how she could escape but never actually does anything. Girls of Paper and Fire was a really great read. The forbidden f/f romance was amazing, both of them support one another and are so healthy. It is more of a slow plot with not much world building, I think it will pick up in the next one. The bits of the world we do find about was very unique and fascinating in my opinion. There is a lot of political intrigue in this book which I found to be enjoyable, but I did find myself a little bored in the middle. Hope this helped in some way, can’t wait to see you tackle your TBR in 2019!

[@meagreads]

So even before the video started I saw Daughter of The Pirate King, and I am begging you to not DNF it. It honestly was so refreshing, yes there is romance, but the book is more than that. It demonstrates a YA female character that is a hard worker, that is dedicated and passionate about pirating, the action is fun, the other characters express interesting morals and interests. I feel like the romance is not insta love, and that I "ship" no pun intended. The second book is even better in my opinion, but this series got me craving more pirate books and got me interested in the genre. Honestly, I would give it a chance.

[@sanjochick88]

Daughter of the pirate king was super cute. It isnt an amazing read but the characters are awesome. I read it after some heavier reads and it kinda reset me. Elosa is a badass female pirate and I'm truly glad I read it

[@Danielle-and-Deborah]

I didn't enjoy Daughter of the Pirate King. It felt very middle grade to me, which in itself is fine, but I wanted a little more maturity in the story. But it was a forgettable read for me. I did really enjoy Summer of Salt and I think keeping it for a rainy day summer read is a great idea.

[@SuperHappyNotMerry]

Nooo! Don't unhaul Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell!! Okay do it if you think you won't read it anytime soon because that's a very smart way of owning books. But read it someday. I've been reading it on and off for _months_ so I would not say it's a quick read. But it's very immersive and atmospheric. I wouldn't compare it to The Night Circus, just because whenever I read something that's been compared to The Night Circus it's never up to those standards. But the voice of both authors has a quality that makes both books have a similar feel to them. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is an epic but it's told so beautifully that it's well worth the read if you ever choose to read it

[@bicho6313]

U could try a chapter of each especially the ones you've hold on to cuz u thought ud like them

[@clarita1911]

I read We, the Drowned a few years ago, and I remember enjoying it. It follows mainly a man throughout his life since he was a child, and you also see a lot of certain people in his life as far as I remember. Like I said it was a few years ago, so I can't be that precise, but it is interesting and I am a big fan of the sea, so I'm always biased in that aspect

[@blueblubloo7243]

I havent read summer of salt but it is on my tbr. Ik its magical realism and witches and those two things tug me real hard and i think the same for u?!? So i would put that on the keep pile

[@lrj7794]

I clicked on this because of Girls, which I finished today. It's a trilogy so I feel like it has the potential. The romance was done really well. I gave it a 4 star.

[@HannahCassieBooks]

Okay pause. So alchemy of m and m i just read recently and I personally liked it but not enough to continue the series so I think you would enjoy it but not love it. The rest I havent read myself yet but I do have last one on my tbr as well

[@jitterbugbear]

jonathan strange & mr norrell is suuuuper good, but like also kinda exhausting bc the footnotes are incredibly long and there are LOTS of them. the bbc miniseries is really good, just watch that instead!!

[@peggygordon6043]

Get rid of Daughter of the Pirate King. I got it in an owlcrate and I preordered the sequel and I ended up unhauling both.

[@cryingaboutbooks]

Daughter of the Pirate King is 👎🏼 I have We the Drowned too and now I’m feeling inspired af to read it 😂

[@amy8458]

Hi Sam I haven't read Summer of Salt yet but it's on my TBR. You should read it as it's magical realism and a standalone. I think you need to read more of both. MR is a unique sub genre of fantasy and we need more books like it. I don't think everything needs to be a series either. Which is one reason why I don't like true fantasy.

[@lysswicks5339]

READ THORAIYA DYER'S BOOKS! They are such amazing novels! The cast are so diverse and fabulous and I love their little family. The writing is so pretty and enchanting and it totally captivated me! So So Worth it! Would love to hear if you enjoy it as well!

[@KathyTrithardt]

I really enjoyed the Arabella o f Mars books, but if you are never gonna reach for them, pass them on to someone else 😊

[@elizabethdevido2081]

Keep Miranda and Caliban! You don’t need to be familiar with The Tempest to read it.

[@BemuzedBookworm]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: I will say that I absolutely loved the last 300 pages of this book, however, it was a struggle to get through the first 600 or so, so I say UNHAUL

[@safinan8008]

Great video!! I hope u had a nice Christmas?!! Always nice watching ur channel!!

[@jamiez5545]

I have tried to read Jonathan Strange many times and never make it very far. I got caught up in all the recommendations that it’s “Harry Potter for adults” but I don’t think that’s accurate for me. I didn’t enjoy the footnotes as they took me out of the story. It’s still sitting on my shelf because my husband thinks he’s going to read it at some point but he’s tried a few chapters and set it down as well. I think he watched the whole tv show of the book so now he thinks he’s going to read the book someday.

[@MermaidKelsey]

Please keep Crossroads of Canopy because I’ve been looking for someone to buddy read it with!

[@jesswillard5423]

I have been watching you for years now Sam and I know that while you and I both love some of the same books (Uprooted, Night Circus, etc), there are also books I loved that I am pretty sure you will not enjoy. I loved Miranda and Caliban and Daughter of the Pirate King for different reasons, and I am fairly confident you will not really love either one.

[@ashleyholbert1136]

I really enjoyed Girls of Paper and Fire. The world felt different than other fantasies I've read. I enjoyed the F/F relationship more than I thought I was by the end. It has a great message about empowering women, and deals with consent as well. I will say look for trigger warnings on the internet if you are interested though.

[@veronika13]

I've actually just got Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell because Susan Dennard raved about it on her insta stories.

[@smileytonya]

I really enjoyed The Thousand Names. It makes good use of a gender swap and has interesting descriptions of battle tactics. The magic system is a little vague but still unique.

[@DragoniaX2000]

No Sam. Keep The Thousand Names. I truly do believe you will absolutely enjoy it. After watching your videos for years and kind of seeing what you like I know you will like it. Please give it a try.

[@elizabethduggan680]

Save We,The Drowned it was awesome

[@UnicornHunterbooks]

The Thousand Names ended up being a lot more boring than I expected. I had been wanting to read it for awhile, and it was kind of meh in the end. I've had Arabella of Mars at the top of my TBR for months and just haven't gotten to it yet. I keep hearing such good things about it. I love Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I read it almost 9 years ago, so I don't necessarily remember the whole book, but I remember liking it a lot.

[@catsbiie6691]

I read Summer of Salt. I actually really enjoyed it! There is more magic than contemporary. It also has some great feminist themes. I'd give it a go. I read it in an afternoon. I don't reach for contemporary either, but did enjoy it!

[@CookieR1272]

Jonathan Strange is long and somewhat dense. It’s not pacy. That said the development is awesome and it’s worth it. Haven’t watched the series yet but it’s on my list.

[@TinyBookDragon]

Don't hold on to Daughter of the Pirate King, the first one was okay but I DNF'd the second book. There's too many other great books in the world to waste your time reading the "meh" ones.

[@kayleighnicgearailt7335]

Im not usually the convincing type but oh my lord, please read Summer of Salt if you can. I read it and I would barely describe it as contemporary. Its very very like Practical Magic but a f/f romance and a moody island. Also some difficult topics that need to be discussed more. Witchy read. I cried!

[@lenamontgomery2542]

I thought that Girls of Paper and Fire was decidedly average. The f/f romance was good, but I don't think that the book was anything other than your standard YA fantasy. I felt like there was something missing from the plot to make it "full." It's a 2.5-3 star book. I'll probably continue with the series to see if it gets better, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to you.

[@rebeccam4746]

I suggest unhauling them, and if you change your mind, borrow them from a library. I read Girls of Paper and Fire. It was a three star rating from me. Liked some of it, but needed more character development and no real surprises from a narrative point. It didn't make me think I had to keep reading the series.

[@amn384]

I agree. GOPAF was a 3 star for me as well. I enjoyed it for its diversity and how creative the author was... but it seemed to be lacking something for me. I had anticipated its release for most of the year... And ended up with two copies that I ended up unhauling.

[@librosamo]

Don't waste your time on Daughter of the Pirate King. I love a good pirate story and was very excited to read that one, but by the end, I was so frustrated with it. I was yelling at the book, haha. So...meh. I ended up buying the Kindle version of We, the Drowned because of this video. I figured for $3, I could take on a 700 page tome.

[@The_GamingMedic]

The Pirate books were not horrible. They are quick reads and a good break from dense fantasy or sci-fi.