This was such a struggle to finish, and I'm pretty sure I should have dnf'd it instead of pushing through a book (about demonic possession!) that I foThis was such a struggle to finish, and I'm pretty sure I should have dnf'd it instead of pushing through a book (about demonic possession!) that I found kind of boring until the big third act. For all the fuss about Satanism, it felt like kind of a cop-out for no one to jump to conclusions except for our fearless teenage protagonist.
As much as I'm open to slightly left-of-center narrative premises, each successive Grady Hendrix novel I read is less and less enjoyable....more
Even though Lord of Scoundrels is a well-renowned historical romance (if not a contemporary classic of the genre), there were far too many points at wEven though Lord of Scoundrels is a well-renowned historical romance (if not a contemporary classic of the genre), there were far too many points at which I rolled my eyes or stopped reading to audibly exclaim some variation of, "good lord, Loretta" to rate this over three stars. I can understand why so many people like this book (and even get a kick out of ), but I don't think I enjoy any of the standard tropes present in a Georgian-era romance (e.g. courting, bastard children, being "ruined," short courtships leading to marriage ending in pregnancy) nor do I vibe with a protagonist who has had such an awful childhood that he has to spend the entire novel recovering from his trauma while projecting his low self-esteem onto someone who repeatedly tells him that she quite likes the way he looks thank you very much.
With that said, Chase is a very good writer and I have read way worse books....more
An interesting read that, unfortunately, ended up more about long-haul trucking and less about the small percentage of truckers who commit violent criAn interesting read that, unfortunately, ended up more about long-haul trucking and less about the small percentage of truckers who commit violent crimes. I think Long Haul would have benefited from a restructuring to highlight specific cases and follow how those specific killers were caught than on how the facts Figliuzzi learned on his week-long foray into long-haul trucking and the scant information provided about the (which is explored with the same amount of depth in other corners of the internet)....more
Fan Service is a fandom-inspired, nostalgia-fueled romp for those of us who aren't quite ready fNote: an eARC of this book was acquired via .
Fan Service is a fandom-inspired, nostalgia-fueled romp for those of us who aren't quite ready for knotting but still love a scent-marking possessive streak, and a book I knew I would probably like (Rosie Danan never seems to miss) but really ended up loving. Whether Danan was inspired by Supernatural or Teen Wolf (or neither), she imbued her book with as much heart as any fanfiction writer trying to fix a bone-headed showrunner's decades-long queer-baiting relationship (cough Destiel cough) and wrote a book that was truly laugh-out-loud funny, emotional, and sexy.
Because it feels appropriate, here are some AO3 tags for Fan Service: Alex/Devin, Bisexual goth mommy, BDSM (for science), Celebrity x y/n, Grumpy x sunshine, Humor, It’s not my turn for the brain cell, Middle-age himbo, Reluctant coworkers, Romance, Slow build, Smut...more
Native history is often treated like a tragic, distant chapter of the American story, and the legal terrain it created like a siloed backwater of Amer
Native history is often treated like a tragic, distant chapter of the American story, and the legal terrain it created like a siloed backwater of American law. But it is foundational. The Founding Fathers wanted a democracy that, unlike the King of England, would derive its power from "the consent of the governed." But they also wanted an empire. And so they built both.
Rebecca Nagle expertly weaves the history of her Cherokee Nation heritage with that of (and subsequently , as well as hundreds of years of Indigenous history in between. I binged the audiobook over two days, appalled at my both my own lack of knowledge and at the actual treatment of Indigenous peoples and lands. Coming as a fan of Nagle's reporting in , By the Fire We Carry is a must read for any student of history....more
This features dual povs where both heroines are incredibly passive yet fall into insta-love after less than a week (and still nothing progresses past This features dual povs where both heroines are incredibly passive yet fall into insta-love after less than a week (and still nothing progresses past very chaste kissing), the titular holidays and wedding have unnecessarily-compressed-for-time plot hijinks within a setting that only makes sense because the authors didn’t want to deal with cellphones, and the whole thing has a schlocky holiday theme that is palatable to only the most devout Hallmark viewers....more
I can see why The God of the Woods is so popular, but to me it was a long-winded, multi-generational literary mystery that was simply hyped too much fI can see why The God of the Woods is so popular, but to me it was a long-winded, multi-generational literary mystery that was simply hyped too much for its own good. I didn't guess the ending (which I suppose is the point of a mystery), but I also didn't find the time Moore gave to actually solving the mystery that interesting, nor did I really care about the characters. This would probably do great as a limited-run prestige drama (the atmosphere!) but I found that the general vibe was done better in I Have Some Questions for You....more
This was a phenomenal read, further enhanced by Coates's narration. The Message is definitely one I will be revisiting to really sit with and digest tThis was a phenomenal read, further enhanced by Coates's narration. The Message is definitely one I will be revisiting to really sit with and digest the connections made within its pages....more
Book and Dagger was an extremely detailed account of academics-turned-spies during WWII that unfortunately, often, threatened to put me to slDNF @ 19%
Book and Dagger was an extremely detailed account of academics-turned-spies during WWII that unfortunately, often, threatened to put me to sleep. Maybe Graham writes about the scholarly and bookish things happening while Curtiss and Kibre were employed by the OSS, but I wanted more of that and less historical espionage and was just too bored to keep reading past the third chapter....more
As Good as Dead goes BONKERS off the rails about half-way through and I kept thinking that a) no teenager could have pulled off what Pippa does and b)As Good as Dead goes BONKERS off the rails about half-way through and I kept thinking that a) no teenager could have pulled off what Pippa does and b) no individual would so blindly follow Pippa's obviously ludicrous behavior without question but then I would remember that this is a novel and there were no consequences to making such terrible decisions lol
I read this series over the last few months and found it infinitely better on audio but still recommend going in with the knowledge that each successive book is going to strain credulity. Holly Jackson knows how to write a thriller but A Good Girl's Guide to Murder gives me the same feeling as wanting to watch a stupid action movie that takes itself too seriously: a good way to pass time but ultimately forgettable....more
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