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dark academia

Book Reviews

Loyalty, Revolution, and the Cost of Magic in Babel

September 10, 2022January 28, 2025

Babel by R.F. Kuang isn’t just a fantasy novel; it shatters your expectations and forces…

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DIARY OF A READER

Welcome to my blog!

I'm Dominique. As an avid reader and book lover, my job is to inspire you to read my favorite books. So, grab your favorite drink, and stay a while. We hope you find a new love.

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Book Review: Under the Paint – When Perfect Starts to Rot

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Dominique Florence | Book Blogger

diaryofthereader

Book Reviewer | Fantasy, Romance, & Thriller Reviews
Probably Reading
Helping You Find Your Next Obsession
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Okay, so you know when a book doesn’t just pull Okay, so you know when a book doesn’t just pull you in—it swallows you whole and spits you out somewhere between awe and emotional devastation? Yeah. That’s The Stardust Thief and The Ashfire King. These books feel like slipping into a world where the sand listens, stories are currency, and every lie you tell might come alive. The vibes? Found family with sharp edges, ancient relics with bad intentions, and a prince who’s one wrong choice away from unraveling everything. I didn’t expect this story to crawl under my skin the way it did—but now it’s there, whispering, “Would you trade your truth for a legend?” And honestly? I still don’t know my answer. QUESTION: If a story remembered you, what would it say? Hashtags: #TheStardustThief #TheAshfireKing #ChelseaAbdullah #FantasyReaders #TBRAddict #BookishFeels #DarkFantasyVibes #BooksThatStayWithYou #FoundFamilyTrope #MorallyGrayCharacters #EpicReads #MiddleEasternMyth #WorldsToGetLostIn #ReaderGoals #BooksWithBite #BookLoversEscape
There is no real caption today, just books... Ther There is no real caption today, just books... There's something about a cohesive spines! . . . . . . #BooksOfInstagram #BookAesthetic #BookshelfGoals #SpineGoals #BookCollection #ReadingNook #BookstagramCommunity #BookLovers #Bibliophile #Shelfie #BooksAndCoffee #InMyBookshelf #BookishVibes #BooksAreLife #BookAddict #TBR
❓️ If you had to run from the law with only on ❓️ If you had to run from the law with only one magical object—what would it be and why? She’s the chaos that sings, he’s the law that follows—and somewhere between a stolen kiss and a magical ukulele, the line between thief and captor blurs. Zula lives for mischief, melodies, and mayhem. Neo lives for order—and maybe now, for her. When a heist threatens to spark a war, the Blue-Feathered Bard and the kingdom’s most dedicated sheriff are thrown into a dangerous duet of cat and mouse…and hearts on the line. If you’re craving: 😍 he falls first ⏭️⏮️ forced proximity that smolders 👭 reluctant alliances with sizzling tension 🦸‍♂️ and a hero/villain romance that sings like a siren song— Then To Sway a Bard by Angela J. Ford belongs on your TBR, front and center. Thank you so much to @hiddenhollowbooktours and @angelajfordbooks for letting me be a part of this amazing book. #ToSwayABard #AngelaJFord #FantasyRomanceBooks #HeFallsFirst #ForcedProximityRomance #HeroVillainRomance #BooksThatBiteBack #RomanticFantasyReads #BookLoversUnite #BooksWithMagic #TBRAddict #BookishChaos #ReaderRecommendations #WorldsToGetLostIn #MustReadFantasy #BlueFeatheredBard #TheDiaryOfAReader
🌑 HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE? 🌑 HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE? 🖤 From debut author CJ Rivera comes The Final Orchard—a harrowing tale of a parent risking it all, a bleak underground colony, and a future built on broken bodies and synthetic lies. In a world where bionic enhancements equal status, Dr. Rosio Arata dares to challenge the elite with pioneering organic technology. But when a horrific accident kills her daughter, her fight for truth turns deadly. Now she’s trapped in a twisted version of the science she once believed in. Below, in the rusted veins of a crumbling world, Ever is desperate to gain selection, ascend to the Surface, and reunite with the boy she loves. But not everything in this dystopian society is what it seems—and the secrets buried in her colony may rot the world from the inside out. If you’ve ever binged Silo or spiraled after a night of Black Mirror, this one will feel like a punch to the gut—and you’ll thank it for every bruise. 📖 This is science fiction with soul. Emotion. Teeth. 🪓 Save this post if you love: → Books that unearth buried truths → Dystopian worlds with complex, layered characters → Twisted, high-stakes family dynamics 💬 BOOKISH QUESTION: If you could choose only one—organic enhancements or bionic power—which would you risk your humanity for? 👇 Drop your pick in the comments. Thank you @angryrobotbooks for sending me a copy of The Final Orchard. #TheFinalOrchard #CJRivera #DystopianReads #ScienceFictionBooks #BlackMirrorFans #SiloSeriesVibes #BookRecommendations #MustRead2025 #BooksThatPunchHard #BookReviews #ReaderRecommendations #BooksThatStayWithYou #DarkSciFi #BookLoversUnite #WorldsToGetLostIn #ReaderGoals
SPELLS, STRINGS, AND FORGOTTEN THINGS What are y SPELLS, STRINGS, AND FORGOTTEN THINGS What are your bookish essentials? For me, it’s a book (obviously), my Kindle (because mood swings), a drink within arm’s reach, a hair tie (fictional stress is real), a pen, notebook, and enough tabs to flag every emotionally devastating line. I even keep spare tabs in the car—for emergencies. You know, like when Calliope accidentally binds herself to the leader of her family's rival coven kind of emergencies. Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall, the New York Times bestselling author, is cozy chaos. Think: freshly baked grief, a town full of secrets, and a heroine who’s barely holding the threads of her life together. Calliope Petridi returns to Gold Springs expecting quiet, but what she finds is a fractured family, a town steeped in magic, and a spell that binds her fate tighter than she intended. As the magic slowly begins to unravel, so do the memories her sisters carefully guard—and the truth that feels increasingly distant. This is a story of love, family secrets, and the kind of romance that lingers like smoke after a candle's blown out. Book lovers, if you adore small towns with big secrets and spells that refuse to be forgotten—add this to your cart. ❓️ What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark in a moment of desperation? Thank you so much to @penguinrandomhouse and Dell Books for sending me this amazing package with Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things in it. Hashtags: #ForgottenThings #CalliopePetridi #NewYorkTimesBestsellingAuthor #RivalCovenDrama #BreanneRandallBooks #GoldSpringsMagic #PenguinRandomHouse #BookishChaos breanne randall • calliope • rival coven • magic • forgotten things • penguin random house • small town • family secrets • calliope petridi • gold springs • romance • book lovers •books
Better late than never, right? March was chaos wra Better late than never, right? March was chaos wrapped in paperbacks and sprayed edges. A month of obsessions, regrets, and the kind of book boyfriends you lie to your therapist about. I devoured stories that shattered me and licked the salt off every wound. Here’s what I read: 🖤 Devour the Dark by Nikki St. Crowe — ★★★★★ (filthy perfection, no notes) 🌒 Shadowfall by C.K. Franziska — ★★★★½ (gothic, lush, deliciously tormented) 🎭 The Dare by Harley Laroux — ★★★ (I saw things… and I read them anyway) 💀 Born in Blood & Promised in Blood by Sadie Kincaid — ★★★★★ (twisted soulmates and straight-up carnage) 👑 The Rivaled Crown by Holly Renee — ★★★★ (tension that tastes like revenge) ✍️ Yellowface by R.F. Kuang — ★★★½ (clever, sharp, made me wince… intentionally) Some made me ache. Some made me fall head over heels in love. All of them earned their ink on my March wrap-up. Now it’s your turn: What book did you read in March that left claw marks on your soul? Drop the title. Let’s cry about it together. #MarchWrapUp #BookWrapUp #MarchReads #DarkRomanceBooks #FantasyRomance #GothicFiction #SpicyReads #BooksThatBrokeMe #ReadersOfInstagram #BookLoversUnite #EmotionalReads #BooksWithBite #WhatIReadThisMonth #TBRGoals #MustReadBooks #WorldsToGetLostIn #DiaryOfAReader #UnhingedBookRecaps
Face your fate. Unleash your ruin. Save the world—or watch it burn. Iellieth Amastacia was supposed to marry a stranger. Instead, her father’s amulet drags her to a frozen mountainside… and into the arms of a cursed warrior who shouldn’t exist. Bound to him by magic and hunted by a fallen guardian, Iellieth becomes the key to saving Azuria. But she’s not alone. A pirate haunted by nightmares. A druid whose magic is cracking. A huntress chasing vengeance. A people awaiting prophecy. One runaway noblewoman. One chance to hold the world together. If she breaks—they all fall. ✨ Bookish question: Which character trope owns your heart—cursed warrior, reluctant pirate, or vengeance-fueled huntress? #fantasybooks #bookstagramreads #mustreadfantasy #magicandmayhem #foundfamilyvibes #darkfantasybooks #readerrecommendations #epicfantasyseries #fantasyromance #worldstogetlostin #TBRworthy #bookishlove #gothicfiction #bookloversunite #runawaynoblewoman GIVEAWAY 📛 Giveaway runs April 3rd - 9th. Grand Prize: 🥳 Signed print copy of Buried Heroes To Enter: • Follow (your account), @bethballauthor, and @hiddenhollowbooktours • Like this post and comment which country you’re in • Tag a bookish friend Extra Entry: • Share in your stories for 24hrs tagging @bethballauthor & @hiddenhollowbooktours • Find our other tour hosts using #hhbtBuriedHeroesReviewTour and enter on their posts as well Rules: US ONLY giveaway • Giveaway ends at midnight EST on April 10th, 2025 • Must be 18+ yrs old or have parental permission to enter. • Must be willing to give your email & mailing address to Hidden Hollow Book Tours and Beth Ball • Don’t follow to unfollow. You will be banned from all future Hidden Hollow book tours Must be a public Instagram account to verify entry No Giveaway accounts allowed Giveaway is not affiliated with IG. All prizes will be sent by the author, not Hidden Hollow Book Tours.
WITCHES OF HONEYSUCKLE HOUSE COVER REVEAL If your WITCHES OF HONEYSUCKLE HOUSE COVER REVEAL If your family estate was cursed, would you stay to break the spell or run and never look back? (I'm staying to break the curse. In this economy, we can't lose a house, lol.) Every thirteen years, the Caldwell family loses someone they love. A curse—old as the bones of Honeysuckle House itself—has haunted them for generations. Now, these two estranged sisters must reunite to unravel its dark origins before it claims another life. But, when Honeysuckle House catches fire, its magic twisting into something vengeful, the sisters are forced to confront their past, unearth the town’s hidden history, and mend their fractured bond before the curse takes its next victim. If you’re drawn to stories brimming with atmospheric magic, haunted family legacies, and the kind of sisterhood that’s as tangled as it is unbreakable, then Witches of Honeysuckle House is calling your name. Perfect for readers who crave: 🔮 Hauntingly beautiful prose 🌿 A house with a mind of its own 🔥 A centuries-old curse unraveling in real-time 💔 Estranged sisters forced to face the ghosts of their past—literally and figuratively Witches of Honeysuckle House is waiting for you—step inside, if you dare. Thank you to @alcovepress and @lizparkerwrites for allowing me to reveal this stunning cover of Witches of Honeysuckle House #WitchesOfHoneysuckleHouse #WitchyReads #MagicalRealism #BookishMagic #FamilyCurses #HauntedHouse #GothicFiction #SpookyReads #DarkFantasy #Bookstagram #FantasyBooks #FictionLover #BookishEscape #TBR #MustRead #ReadersOfInstagram
Swipe at your own risk. 😈📚 If you raid my sh Swipe at your own risk. 😈📚 If you raid my shelves, you’re walking out with a stack of books that will break your heart, steal your soul, and maybe even ruin your life (but in the best way). 😭 😏💀 🔮 Which one are you taking first? Drop an emoji that matches your bookish fate: ❤️ A comfort re-read 🔥 A villainous masterpiece 💀 A book that will emotionally destroy you ✨ A hidden gem you need in your life And if you haven’t seen my Shelfie Sunday reel yet, go check it out! Because trust me… you need to see where these books are coming from. 👀📖 📚 #TBR #MustRead #BookLover #BookishAesthetic #DarkFantasy #EpicReads #FantasyBooks #DarkRomance #ReadersOfInstagram #BooksToRead #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #ShelfGoals #BookRec #SpineCrack #ReadingEscape #BookshelvesOfInstagram #DarklyBookish #FictionFix #ShelfIndulgence
There are many reasons why a reader DNFs a book; s There are many reasons why a reader DNFs a book; some are absolutely crazy! I once DNF'd a book because a character was named Raggamuffin. 😤 It was a Wizard of Oz retelling. I couldn't read another sentence, I couldn't see past it! Tell me I'm not alone - what's the most unhinged reason you've ever DNF'd a book? 👀 #DNF #BookishConfessions #ReadersOfInstagram #BookishHumor #BookishCommunity #FantasyBooks #BookishLife #ReadingStruggles #BookwormProblems #BookishFun
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