If you’re into fantasy with deep world building that covers all areas you can imagine, from politics to religion, from warfare to small towns, then Brandon Sanderson’s writing is for you. In his standalone novel Elantris, he illustrates for us a beautiful world with a dark past—the city of Elantris, which once stood beautifully, filled with benevolent demigod-like inhabitants who wielded powerful magic. This city, along with the people, however, failed. With the coming of the Shaod, what was thought of as a disease, all who were once Elantrian and would be Elantrian became decrepit and lived in an undying state of pain and misery. The main characters face trials and tribulations, leading to ends you wouldn’t quite expect. This book is a solid 5 stars for me, and a must read if you’re into fantasy or others of Brandon Sanderson’s works.

-- Anonymous

If Only I Had Told Her” is a sequel book to “If He Had Been With Me.” The second book was released early in February 2024. The story follows up on the tragic tale of Autumn and Finnny, childhood best friends turned lovers after 4 years of avoiding each other at all cost. This book follows the aftermath of grieving through 3 points of view: Finny, Jack (finny’s best friend), and Autumn. I love powerful, emotional books and this story had me crying every 10 pages. The author Laura Nowlin, does a great job in this book giving details and feelings of grief through the 3 points of view. It’s almost like you knew each character in real life with how well, and impressively concise, she went through their childhood, teenage, and adult years. It had a way of exploring tough, personal issues that come along with grief and entering adulthood without leaving a lingering feeling of hurt behind. Even though this is a tragic story leaving very few people ”happy” at the end, it does a great job at exploring themes of overcoming life obstacles with unexpected love, bonds, and emotions. By the end of this story, it’ll have you wondering “what’s next,” and after reading Nowlin’s author note it’ll give the reader an even deeper appreciation for this sequel book. 

-- Anonymous