Sure, I can see how people liked this book. I wish it hadn't waited until the last 25% to do something of substance - even wanting to read a lighthearSure, I can see how people liked this book. I wish it hadn't waited until the last 25% to do something of substance - even wanting to read a lighthearted and fluffy book, this had so little going for it. Belly has almost no personality, and most of her loved ones are mean to her. She loves all of them unconditionally... why? Her growth comes as too little and too late amidst confusing mixed timelines and a stream-of-consciousness plot that focused more on her reactions than her agency as a person.
Content warnings for cancer, divorce, and bullying....more
Wow, this book. I haven't taken so long to read something in quite a long time, but it was worth it. Immediately, the prose and command of the world hWow, this book. I haven't taken so long to read something in quite a long time, but it was worth it. Immediately, the prose and command of the world hooked me, and the qualities I initially loved were fleshed out and present throughout the entire story. Bardugo clearly has an amazing ability to weave discrete and complex storylines together, disrupt and reset the status quo, and keep secrets from both the characters and the reader. Finishing this book was like unraveling more and more depth, making the painful and wonderful parts all stronger. The only things keeping it from a perfect rating are the sheer number of details that I had to remember and the very graphic descriptions of injury and bodily harm. Overall, though, this was excellent. I can't wait to read the next one.
Content warnings for xenophobia/racism, trafficking, child abuse, injury and medical content, violence, war, betrayal, genocide, addiction, slavery, and murder (all frequent) as well as bullying, guns, addiction, confinement, illness and child death, sexual harassment, and brief ableism and drug use.
Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (criminals, hard mode); also fits for first in a series, entitled animals, multi-POV (hard mode), character with a disability (hard mode), survival (hard mode), judge a book by its cover, and book club....more
Cute and silly but little substance. Even as a kid, I can see this being an easy read that's fluffy but doesn't lead to much thought. No real standoutCute and silly but little substance. Even as a kid, I can see this being an easy read that's fluffy but doesn't lead to much thought. No real standouts in any direction.
The beginning of this book had me hooked, fully convinced that it was going to be a five-star read. Historical fiction, memoir, a witty and strong femThe beginning of this book had me hooked, fully convinced that it was going to be a five-star read. Historical fiction, memoir, a witty and strong female heroine, adventure, and a dash of fantasy? It was a perfect recipe. Unfortunately, the contemplative and slow pace dragged for me, and it also took me out of the feeling that the protagonist was writing a memoir of her life. It's nitpicking, sure, but who remembers details back that far when decades have passed? Switching between minute tidbits and her current opinion as she looks back, it fell into a weird category that ultimately didn't resonate as strongly. If you can tolerate a slow pace and some very graphic animal injury/death, it might be for you. I won't continue the series but am glad I read it.
Content warnings for animal cruelty and death (frequent), injury and medical content (graphic), violence, illness, kidnapping, and miscarriage.
Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (entitled animals, hard mode); also fits first in a series (hard mode), set in a small town, survival (hard mode), and reference materials (hard mode)....more
Like the first one, this is cute and fun, with nothing especially notable one way or another. It was fun to revisit this book from my childhood, and ILike the first one, this is cute and fun, with nothing especially notable one way or another. It was fun to revisit this book from my childhood, and I'll easily finish the series. It had a few twists and turns, which is more than I expected based on my memory of it. Three stars feels fair, but it's not a bad thing.
Content warnings for violence, injury, family trauma, and murder....more
Cute! Nothing groundbreaking happens in this book, but it was a fun mystery that kept me wanting to read. Plot holes here and there and a lot of typosCute! Nothing groundbreaking happens in this book, but it was a fun mystery that kept me wanting to read. Plot holes here and there and a lot of typos did take me out of the story occasionally, but I kept my expectations appropriate and had a good time. I look forward to the next one.
Content warnings for injury, abandonment, guns, panic attacks, confinement, and illness....more
Spicy yet wholesome? I felt instantly transported back to the universe of the first book and enjoyed my stay. Even from another POV, this was immediatSpicy yet wholesome? I felt instantly transported back to the universe of the first book and enjoyed my stay. Even from another POV, this was immediately recognizable as a continuation and made me feel all of the same feelings I had originally. I love this depiction of vampires and would gladly read more in this vein....more
Instead of getting a memoir like a lot of public figures write, I was pleasantly surprised that Gwenna packed all of her wit and knowledge into a funnInstead of getting a memoir like a lot of public figures write, I was pleasantly surprised that Gwenna packed all of her wit and knowledge into a funny but very real parenting book. Given that, I'm not exactly the target audience but enjoyed myself anyway. Her approach to parenting is mindful, clearly stated, and full of grace for the realistic fact that no two kids are the same. Despite the cover leaning a little more comical in my eyes, I found this to be a great book for parents of any stage and would easily recommend reading it. You'll have to wade through a lot of millennial humor (which I loved), but who doesn't appreciate a TL;DR in a serious book?!
Just like the first, this sequel is wholesome, joyful, and celebratory in a way that is infectious. Klune has created such memorable and charming charJust like the first, this sequel is wholesome, joyful, and celebratory in a way that is infectious. Klune has created such memorable and charming characters that were so fun to see again. I enjoyed getting a little bit of a different feel by reading from Arthur's POV this time, though I must say that his internal monologue got a little too cheesy for me at times. But hey, I won't begrudge anyone their happiness and love. There is a bit of idealism in this novel that I don't imagine will be for everyone, but why not escape to a place that's better than reality? I don't know that the first book needed this one, but I'm glad I read it and had a nice time. The children and cat are my favorites.
Content warnings for violence (brief), emotional abuse, and family trauma....more
Just as delightful as the first. It's always a joy to see people adjusting well, living their best, and laughing at the awkwardness they overcame. EasJust as delightful as the first. It's always a joy to see people adjusting well, living their best, and laughing at the awkwardness they overcame. Easily recommend this one just like the first.
Content warnings for addiction, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia....more
So much personality is packed into these pages! The specific references to punk bands, portrayal of his inner thoughts from both a current and future So much personality is packed into these pages! The specific references to punk bands, portrayal of his inner thoughts from both a current and future perspective, and bits of British slang make this like listening to a story told by a friend. Absolutely charming and highly recommend.
Content warnings for mental illness, bullying, transphobia, body dysphoria, and disordered eating....more
Wow. Whatever is making this show up on my radar more than a decade later, the attention is well-deserved. I was absolutely smitten by the dark, evocaWow. Whatever is making this show up on my radar more than a decade later, the attention is well-deserved. I was absolutely smitten by the dark, evocative imagery that reached out of the pages and lodged itself into my mind. Using second-person narration was a clever and perfect choice that amplified the horror even more. There's not a lot to say about this book besides that it was excellent. Simple, effective, and memorable. I couldn't ask for more.
Content warnings for confinement, bullying, guns, graphic murder and injury, car accident, and fire....more
Dancyger has such a talent for painting her memories as clear as day, making me feel like I've lived the same life she has. Thoughtful and memorable, Dancyger has such a talent for painting her memories as clear as day, making me feel like I've lived the same life she has. Thoughtful and memorable, I felt sucked into this immediately as a beautiful tribute to love and friendship, past and present. There is a dreamy, meandering quality that works really well - as she questions how to interact with topics of death and mental health, she weaves in criticism and thoughts about true crime, feminism, and our interpretation of culture. I had to stop so often to take notes so I can keep them forever. In particular, the essay about what it means to take care of and mother our friends was really special. I'm so glad this cover caught my eye, and I look forward to reading more from the author. If you have the capacity for it, I cannot recommend this book enough.
Content warning for drug & alcohol addiction (frequent), death (frequent), murder (frequent), child neglect, suicide (frequent), mental health, disordered eating (brief), and self-harm (brief)....more
Another fun Fablehaven adventure! This one noticeably includes darker themes right from the start - a friend mentioned that sometimes books "age up" tAnother fun Fablehaven adventure! This one noticeably includes darker themes right from the start - a friend mentioned that sometimes books "age up" to follow their audience as the series continues, and I think this does that. Even so, it has a lot of the core elements of adventure, character growth, and fun. I struggle to keep up with the pace of so much happening, and it does feel sometimes like there are details that matter less than others due to how much happens within the span of a short time. It's been a pretty fun ride, though, and there are definitely parts of this book that surprised me as an adult! I look forward to the next book to finish the series.
Content warnings for animal death (graphic), injury (graphic), car accident, betrayal, confinement, ableism (brief), death (frequent), kidnapping, and suicide....more
Reading this book gave me two feelings: either something hit me hard, or I didn't understand it. Regardless, it got me to think, and that's the sign oReading this book gave me two feelings: either something hit me hard, or I didn't understand it. Regardless, it got me to think, and that's the sign of art. I haven't read much poetry since high school, but I enjoyed this more than I expected. My plan is to buy my own copy and do some annotating as I revisit this a little at a time. Purnell's voice is so honest and real; I know I'll find more when I dig in again.
Content warnings for brief mentions of many topics: homophobia, toxic relationships, gun violence, fatphobia, racism, and more that were hard to nail down....more
If you took the story of Glee but replaced cringe with charm and subbed magic for singing, I think you'd get this universe. Theory, Texas is a unique If you took the story of Glee but replaced cringe with charm and subbed magic for singing, I think you'd get this universe. Theory, Texas is a unique place where anything can happen, and the author really explored that in this story. With such a variety of situations and a wide cast of characters, it was hard not to find something enjoyable in here. At times, I found the POV jumps to lean more nonsensical (distracting) instead of nonsensical (fun), but it's a good time overall. For me, focus could have shifted slightly to include fewer characters in more depth rather than covering as many as possible to varying degrees. Tyler's imagined world added less to the story than I think Marissa's spelunking or Jesse's character discovery would have. Not to mention some of the other mysteries... I have a lot more questions about Tyler than just what's going on in his imagination! Because of this, the plot never felt extremely strong; I knew where we were going moment-by-moment but never understood exactly what was the main goal of the group. It was clear where the inciting incident, climax, and falling action happened, but I couldn't have identified what exactly led us there. Generally speaking, though, the personality and fun outweigh my complaints, and this book wins an easy prize for the best self-published book I've read so far. (Typos and grammar issues were frequent, though, so I recommend the author finds someone to be an editor. Most frequent were comma splices and run-on sentences, but the worst offender was when Nicole became Nichole only for the last 100 pages.)
Content warnings for child abuse (brief), mental health, animal death, bullying, and sexual misconduct (brief).
Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published; hard mode); also fits set in a small town (hard mode), multi-POV (hard mode), under the surface, , and romantasy (arguably)....more
As a book, this was fine. The odes read like quick vignettes on varying topics, and I can see this being the perfect format for a magazine article (whAs a book, this was fine. The odes read like quick vignettes on varying topics, and I can see this being the perfect format for a magazine article (which is where a lot of these were originally published). In one volume, though, it got tedious and didn't resonate much with me beyond one or two bits. The author is clearly talented, but jumping from one random opinion to the next gave me reading whiplash. I love the concept of appreciating little things but mostly wanted this to be over.
Please enjoy my favorite quote in the book, which was part of "Ode to Running in Movies":
"Matt Damon, as Jason Bourne, is a brain-wiped super-soldier having an identity crisis, so he runs like a frightened washing machine."
Having seen exactly zero of the Jason Bourne movies, I'm intrigued.
Content warnings were hard to nail down; brief mentions of a few topics came up, but it was all very quick and infrequent....more
1.5/5 - While I still think Marjane Satrapi is an excellent artist and storyteller, the premise of this book reeks of an outdated perspective I cannot1.5/5 - While I still think Marjane Satrapi is an excellent artist and storyteller, the premise of this book reeks of an outdated perspective I cannot abide. Initially, I planned to recommend this book to a friend - graphic novel about the secrets and sex lives of Iranian women? What an underrepresented group! I love that. Unfortunately, some combination of culture and 20+ years of perspective have me pretty disgusted at the frequent and varied types of misogyny present in these narratives. If you turn off your brain, it is still visually lovely and entertaining to read the gossip until you remember that these are real people talking about what they "have" to do to please their husbands and escape disgrace or whatever. Even the title, embroideries, is a reference to what is often called "the husband stitch". Think about that for five seconds. It's gross and shouldn't exist. So, I cannot in good faith recommend this and hope that Satrapi and her loved ones have been able to escape this mindset and treatment. Yikes.
Content warnings for drugs, suicide, injury, and misogyny (frequent)....more
Loading...
