Hsinju’s Lit Log

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  • Buy AWAKENINGS!
  • Book Reviews
    • Fiction
    • Nonfiction
    • ARC Reviews
  • Bookish
    • Wrap-Ups
    • Memes
      • #5OnMyTBR
      • Top Ten Tuesday
      • WLW Wednesday
    • Reading Challenges
      • Sapphic Saturday
      • Here & Queerathon 2020
    • Book Tags
    • Blog Tour
  • Other Things I Talk About
    • Travel
      • Map of Cities Visited
    • Theatre Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Language
    • Tech
    • Miscellaneous
  • ABOUT
    • About
    • Review Policy
    • Contact Me
  • Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Dare to Love by A.L. Brooks

    25th May 2020
    Cover of Dare to Love (A.L. Brooks)

    Dare to Love by A.L. Brooks

    • Publisher: Ylva Publishing, 2020
    • Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
    • Format: Ebook
    • Page Count: 270 pages
    • My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

    When Carmen accompanies her best friend to Ash’s tattoo studio, she isn’t looking love. She is straight and in a relationship. But when she visits her friends Tamsyn and Maggie, she finds herself reconsidering what relationships mean. After running into Ash at Alma’s during coffee break, the pair strike up a friendship. With painful past experience of falling for a straight woman, Ash is determined not to make the same mistakes again. Besides, what can their friendship possibly turn into?


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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    THE EXTRAORDINARIES by TJ Klune | ARC Review

    22nd April 2020
    Cover of The Extraordinaries (TJ Klune)

    THE EXTRAORDINARIES (The Extraordinaries #1) by TJ Klune

    • Publisher: Tor Teen, 2020
    • Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBTQ+
    • Format: Ebook (eARC)
    • Page Count: 400 pages
    • My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

    Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.


    When I started reading The Extraordinaries, I did not have any expectations. The opening of the story was a fanfic chapter by Nick, and I did not really appreciate it nor realise Shadow Star and Pyro Storm were real in the book. But as I read on into the main story, it was surprisingly enjoyable and gave me a few laughs. The book was the kind of YA fantasy with queer main characters I needed back in my teens.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The Mercenary’s Daughter by Jessica Therrien & Joe Gazzam | ARC Review

    29th March 2020
    Cover of The Mercenary's Daughter (Jessica Therrien & Joe Gazzam)

    The Mercenary’s Daughter by Jessica Therrien, Joe Gazzam

    • Publisher: Acorn Publishing, 2020
    • Genre: Thriller, Young Adult
    • Format: Ebook (eARC)
    • Page Count: 288 pages
    • My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

    This book was definitely not what I had expected. I was annoyed if not angry at the usage of “exotic” on Andy, so let’s just say The Mercenary’s Daughter did not leave a great first impression. However, plot-wise, it really amazed me. It was exciting and made my heart thump.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon | ARC Review

    14th March 2020
    Cover of Murder at Pirate's Cove (Josh Lanyon)

    Murder at Pirate’s Cove: An M/M Cozy Mystery (Secrets and Scrabble #1) by Josh Lanyon

    • Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc., 2020
    • Genre: Mystery, LGBTQ+
    • Format: Ebook (eARC)
    • Page Count: 206 pages
    • My Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)

    I wish I could say I enjoyed the book, but it was just okay. The storyline was fairly decent, but unfortunately, most characters (save Tommy and Nora) were flat and not interesting enough to keep me invested. Personally, I did not like the writing style in the beginning. It felt a bit of a drag before I got used to it.

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  • Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Soldier of Dorsa by Eliza Andrews

    28th February 2020
    Cover of Soldier of Dorsa (Eliza Andrews)

    Soldier of Dorsa (The Chronicles of Dorsa #2) by Eliza Andrews

    • Publisher: Self-Published, 2020
    • Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance
    • Format: Ebook
    • Page Count: 586 pages
    • My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

    I am definitely biased because I adore Princess of Dorsa.

    While Soldier of Dorsa did not grasp my heart as much as the first book did, I still enjoyed it very much. There were times I was so scared for Tasia and Joslyn that I dared not continue reading. But I pushed myself to read on because the suspense of not reading was killing me anyway. The overall plot was very good despite some flow disruptions due to multiple flashbacks and alternations between Tasia’s and Joslyn’s storylines. The pacing was also a bit too fast towards the end as even more things were happening at the same time. I figure the story would flow amazingly if adapted to screen.

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About Me

Lí-hó!! I am Hsinju (they/she), a Taiwanese book blogger, writer, and full-time grad student in engineering. Here, I mainly review books featuring authentically represented LGBTQ+ characters and/or written by LGBTQ+ authors. You’d usually find me going about life with my heart stuck in the last book I finished.

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