Bongela's Newest Waste of Time

I did the thing for the first time ever! I’ve been attempting different WIPs in NaNoWriMo for a decade. The Green Room is my favorite WIP to ever become a winner, and I’m nowhere near done writing it (I don’t write linearly, so it’s basically a puzzle right now – I’m not aiming for any House of Leaves madness, although that could be a fun concept!) I truly hope to query next year. The story is…

⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5. Zero Day Ghost by Scott Olson My rating: 3 of 5 stars With Zero Day Ghost, I stepped outside my usual genres (fantasy, young adult fantasy, SFF, mystery/thriller). This book is best described as a techno-thriller that’s culturally relevant, given that AI is en vogue right now. Overall, I found the plot rather predictable and formulaic fare. The worldbuilding is basic…

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Magic in Errors by Sneha Babu My rating: 4 of 5 stars Magic in Errors was a conundrum I couldn’t quite figure out. The description of the novella is not quite what the book turned out to be. I feel as though the author could not stick to a particular style or genre. There are multiple POVs that felt lacking, but the concept of following the hair tie was brilliant. Magic…

⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5. The Buried Hours by R.S. Grant My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoy a thriller that leaves me guessing, and The Buried Hours is one definitely meets that point. Signe is an investigative report that gets tangled in a web of lies, trickery, and, of course, murder. Trust is not one of Signe’s strengths, and it gets even more difficult as the mystery unravels. She was abducted…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Shades of Magic series has been such an adventure. I never read it sitting still, either. I mostly listen to audiobooks, but I also read on my phone when an audiobook might not be appropriate. From start to finish, A Conjuring of Light was fast-paced and brutal. There’s so much blood, betrayal, and pain. I…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars 09/09/18 original review: That ending! So gut wrenching. It’s a good thing I didn’t read this when it was new, because I would have thrown my book across the room. So so so so so well done.10/09/23 review: The stakes are higher in A Gathering of Shadows, the second installment of the Shades of Magic world by…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars This novel was my first introduction to V.E. Schwab’s work, and… I. AM. OBSESSED. We follow Kell as he navigates multiple versions of “London,” but only one is a London our world would recognize (does this make us all part of Grey London’s universe?!) Lila Bard is such a bold character, and she does not…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars Revisiting the Shades of Magic universe felt like a warm and cozy blanket. So much has changed, but it has stayed the same as well. The first half of the book had a lot of exposition to set up the flurry of activity in the later half of the book. I adore Tess and will die for her! She’s by far my…

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read How to Be an Antiracist with the intention of learning how to do just that. What was presented instead was more of a long-winded research paper, which certainly lends to Kendi’s background in academia. I have always been painfully aware of my privilege as a white person, so I am looking for more…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang My rating: 5 of 5 stars Yellowface is a phenomenal novel. There’s not much else I can say that hasn’t already been said. June and Athena were best friends (or maybe not?) when Athena died tragically in June’s presence (this isn’t a spoiler – it’s the entire premise of the book). June takes it upon herself to steal Athena’s manuscript, publish…

Thank you for joining me. Here at Bongela is Booked, you may expect a lot of bookish content to come your way. I may also occasionally post about my other interests, such figure skating, hockey (let’s go Nashville Predators!), and music. By day I work for a hospital system in Nashville, TN. By night I sometimes work at one of two part-time jobs I have as a customer service rep at two downtown…

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. House of Ashes by Loretta Marion My rating: 4 of 5 stars As far as mysteries go, House of Ashes is well done, although somewhat forgettable within the pantheon of the genre. It has all the requisite hallmarks of a good mystery: small town, creaky house, connections to the local police and FBI, and a family curse with a paranormal twist. I appreciated the non-linear…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. The Grammar Daily: 365 Quick Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl: 365 Quick Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl by Mignon Fogarty My rating: 5 of 5 stars I absolutely loved the update to this edition of The Grammar Daily! You get Grammar Girl’s wit and expertise, a variety of puzzles, and many drawings of Aardvarks. My one complaint is the layout of…

⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5. Realm of Demons by Shannon Mayer My rating: 3 of 5 stars Realm of Demons was well written to Mayer’s usual standards, with high-stakes impossible situations at every turn, but it doesn’t feel like a proper ending. Yes, (view spoiler)[they defeated the Big Bad, and all the heroes survived relatively unscathed (hide spoiler)], but the end? The Happily Ever After? That…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. House of Earth and Blood, the first installment of Sarah J Maas’ new Crescent City series, is an exciting and sweeping adventure. I am always apprehensive when starting a new series by an author I admire. Will I like it or hate it? Will I connect with the characters? How similar will it be to their other works? Does it occur in the same “universe” as the author’s other…

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. I enjoyed the latest installment but found this one rather condensed compared to other books in the series. True to Mayer’s formula, sh*t hits the fan and is resolved within a few chapters at the end. While I’ve enjoyed the series, I find my mind wandering when reading because so much feels the same. I just read a rather epic novel last week, so Desert Cursed pales in…

I totally dropped the ball!  I got busy, but mostly lazy. I HAVE been writing, just not as often as I’d like. I am giving myself just four more weeks to get this draft completed. I’ll keep this sucker updated one way or the other!