devyn's bookshelf: read en-US Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:00:35 -0700 60 devyn's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law]]> 56769577
Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and "danger tree" faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in the Indian Himalaya to St. Peter’s Square in the early hours before the pope arrives for Easter Mass, when vandal gulls swoop in to destroy the elaborate floral display. She taste-tests rat bait, learns how to install a vulture effigy, and gets mugged by a macaque.

Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. When it comes to "problem" wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem—and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.]]> 308 Mary Roach 1324001933 devyn 0 currently-reading 3.81 2021 Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
author: Mary Roach
name: devyn
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Drawing with Great Needles: Ancient Tattoo Traditions of North America]]> 17679283
Drawing with Great Needles is the first book-length scholarly examination into the antiquity, meaning, and significance of Native American tattooing in the Eastern Woodlands and Great Plains. The contributors use a variety of approaches, including ethnohistorical and ethnographic accounts, ancient art, evidence of tattooing in the archaeological record, historic portraiture, tattoo tools and toolkits, gender roles, and the meanings that specific tattoos held for Dhegiha Sioux and other Native speakers, to examine Native American tattoo traditions. Their findings add an important new dimension to our understanding of ancient and early historic Native American society in the Eastern Woodlands and Great Plains.]]> 293 Aaron Deter-Wolf 0292749120 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.27 2013 Drawing with Great Needles: Ancient Tattoo Traditions of North America
author: Aaron Deter-Wolf
name: devyn
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers]]> 56769575
For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science’s boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They’ve tested France’s first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender confirmation surgery, cadavers have helped make history in their quiet way. Stiff investigates the strange lives of our bodies postmortem and answers the question: What should we do after we die?]]> 320 Mary Roach 0393881725 devyn 0 to-read 4.12 2003 Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
author: Mary Roach
name: devyn
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/23
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]]> <![CDATA[To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit, #1)]]> 61937038
The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon.

Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed.

For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects.

Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.]]> 511 Moniquill Blackgoose 0593498283 devyn 0 dnf 4.11 2023 To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit, #1)
author: Moniquill Blackgoose
name: devyn
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space]]> 199798785
On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of a crew including New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like 9/11 or JFK’s assassination, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th-century history—yet the details of what took place that day, and why, have largely been forgotten. Until now.

Based on extensive archival records and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It’s a tale of optimism and promise undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and ultimately kept from the public.

Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space.]]> 563 Adam Higginbotham 198217661X devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.52 2024 Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
author: Adam Higginbotham
name: devyn
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> Men Who Hate Women 48635408
Men Who Hate Women examines the rise of secretive extremist communities who despise women and traces the roots of misogyny across a complex spider web of groups. It includes eye-opening interviews with former members of these communities, the academics studying this movement, and the men fighting back.

Women's rights activist Laura Bates wrote this book as someone who has been the target of many hate-fueled misogynistic attacks online. At first, the vitriol seemed to be the work of a small handful of individual men... but over time, the volume and consistency of the attacks hinted at something bigger and more ominous. As Bates went undercover into the corners of the internet, she found an unseen, organized movement of thousands of anonymous men wishing violence (and worse) upon women.
In the book, Bates explores:

Extreme communities like incels, pick-up artists, MGTOW, Men's Rights Activists and more
The hateful, toxic rhetoric used by these groups
How this movement connects to other extremist movements like white supremacy
How young boys are targeted and slowly drawn in
Where this ideology shows up in our everyday lives in mainstream media, our playgrounds, and our government

By turns fascinating and horrifying, Men Who Hate Women is a broad, unflinching account of the deep current of loathing toward women and anti-feminism that underpins our society and is a must-read for parents, educators, and anyone who believes in equality for women.]]> 366 Laura Bates devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.34 2020 Men Who Hate Women
author: Laura Bates
name: devyn
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It]]> 60613920 298 Richard V. Reeves 1800750544 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.02 2022 Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It
author: Richard V. Reeves
name: devyn
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues]]> 61327450 An account of how the major transformations in history—from the rise of Homo sapiens to the birth of capitalism—have been shaped not by humans but by germs

According to the accepted narrative of progress, humans have thrived thanks to their brains and brawn, collectively bending the arc of history. But in this revelatory book, Professor Jonathan Kennedy argues that the myth of human exceptionalism overstates the role that we play in social and political change. Instead, it is the humble microbe that wins wars and topples empires.

Drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, Pathogenesis takes us through sixty thousand years of history, exploring eight major outbreaks of infectious disease that have made the modern world. Bacteria and viruses were protagonists in the demise of the Neanderthals, the growth of Islam, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the devastation wrought by European colonialism, and the evolution of the United States from an imperial backwater to a global superpower. Even Christianity rose to prominence in the wake of a series of deadly pandemics that swept through the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries: Caring for the sick turned what was a tiny sect into one of the world’s major religions.

By placing disease at the center of his wide-ranging history of humankind, Kennedy challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions about our collective past—and urges us to view this moment as another disease-driven inflection point that will change the course of history. Provocative and brimming with insight, Pathogenesis transforms our understanding of the human story.]]> 304 Jonathan Kennedy 0593240472 devyn 0 to-read 3.92 2023 Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues
author: Jonathan Kennedy
name: devyn
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
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]]> <![CDATA[The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family]]> 194803883 The riveting story of five families shattered by pernicious, pervasive conspiracy theories, and how we might set ourselves free from a crisis that could haunt American life for generations.

“SHED MY DNA�: three excruciating words uttered by a QAnon-obsessed mother, once a highly respected lawyer, to her only son, once the closest person in her life. QAnon beliefs and adjacent conspiracy theories have had devastating political consequences as they’ve exploded in popularity. What’s often overlooked is the lasting havoc they wreak on our society at its most basic and intimate level—the family.

In The Quiet Damage, celebrated reporter Jesselyn Cook paints a harrowing portrait of the vulnerabilities that have left so many of us susceptible to outrageous falsehoods promising order, purpose, and control. Braided throughout are the stories of five American families: an elderly couple whose fifty-year romance takes a heartbreaking turn; millennial sisters of color who grew up in dire poverty—one to become a BLM activist, the other, a hardcore conspiracy theorist pulling her little boy down the rabbit hole with her; a Bay Area hippie-type and her business-executive fiancé, who must decide whether to stay with her as she turns into a stranger before his eyes; evangelical parents whose simple life in a sleepy suburb spirals into delusion-fueled chaos; and a rural mother-son duo who, after carrying each other through unspeakable tragedy, stop speaking at all as ludicrous untruths shatter a bond long thought unbreakable.

Charting the arc of each believer’s path from their first intersection with conspiracy theories to the depths of their cultish conviction, to—in some cases—their rejection of disinformation and the mending of fractured relationships, Cook offers a rare, intimate look into the psychology of how and why ordinary people come to believe the unbelievable. Profound, brilliantly researched, and beautifully written, The Quiet Damage lays bare how we have been taken hostage by grifters peddling lies built on false hope—and how we might release our loved ones, and ourselves, from their grasp.]]> 250 Jesselyn Cook 059344325X devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.46 2024 The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family
author: Jesselyn Cook
name: devyn
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2024
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]]> <![CDATA[A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them]]> 61423989
The Roaring Twenties--the Jazz Age--has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson.

Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he’d become the Grand Dragon of the state and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows � their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman � Madge Oberholtzer � who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees.

A FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND marries a propulsive drama to a powerful and page-turning reckoning with one of the darkest threads in American history.]]> 432 Timothy Egan 0735225265 devyn 0 to-read 4.33 2023 A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
author: Timothy Egan
name: devyn
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams]]> 34466963 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781501144318.

Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night's sleep every night.]]> 368 Matthew Walker devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.37 2017 Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
author: Matthew Walker
name: devyn
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/09
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]]> <![CDATA[Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food]]> 200196183 New York Times Bestseller
Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year

A manifesto to change how you eat and how you think about the human body.

It’s not you, it’s the food.

We have entered a new age of eating. For the first time in human history, most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances called Ultra-Processed Food. There’s a long, formal scientific definition, but it can be boiled down to this: if it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, it’s UPF.

These products are specifically engineered to behave as addictive substances, driving excess consumption. They are now linked to the leading cause of early death globally and the number one cause of environmental destruction. Yet almost all our staple foods are ultra-processed. UPF is our food culture and for many people it is the only available and affordable food.

In this book, Chris van Tulleken, father, scientist, doctor, and award-winning BBC broadcaster, marshals the latest evidence to show how governments, scientists, and doctors have allowed transnational food companies to create a pandemic of diet-related disease. The solutions don’t lie in willpower, personal responsibility, or exercise. You’ll find no diet plan in this book―but join Chris as he undertakes a powerful self-experiment that made headlines around the world: under the supervision of colleagues at University College London he spent a month eating a diet of 80 percent UPF, typical for many children and adults in the United States. While his body became the subject of scientific scrutiny, he spoke to the world’s leading experts from academia, agriculture, and―most important―the food industry itself. But more than teaching him about the experience of the food, the diet switched off Chris’s own addiction to UPF.

In a fast-paced and eye-opening narrative he explores the origins, science, and economics of UPF to reveal its catastrophic impact on our bodies and the planet. And he proposes real solutions for doctors, for policy makers, and for all of us who have to eat. A book that won’t only upend the way you shop and eat, Ultra-Processed People will open your eyes to the need for action on a global scale.]]> 416 Chris van Tulleken 1324076267 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.33 2023 Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food
author: Chris van Tulleken
name: devyn
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness]]> 171681821
A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.

“With tenacity and candor, Haidt lays out the consequences that have come with allowing kids to drift further into the virtual world . . . While also offering suggestions and solutions that could help protect a new generation of kids.� —Shannon Carlin, ,i>TIME, 100 Must-Read Books of 2024

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood� began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood� in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood� has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.

Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the “collective action problems� that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes—communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children—and ourselves—from the psychological damage of a phone-based life.]]> 400 Jonathan Haidt 0593655036 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.35 2024 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness
author: Jonathan Haidt
name: devyn
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention� and How to Think Deeply Again]]> 57933306 Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening--and how to get our attention back.

In the United States, teenagers can focus on one task for only sixty-five seconds at a time, and office workers average only three minutes. Like so many of us, Johann Hari was finding that constantly switching from device to device and tab to tab was a diminishing and depressing way to live. He tried all sorts of self-help solutions--even abandoning his phone for three months--but nothing seemed to work. So Hari went on an epic journey across the world to interview the leading experts on human attention--and he discovered that everything we think we know about this crisis is wrong.

We think our inability to focus is a personal failure to exert enough willpower over our devices. The truth is even more disturbing: our focus has been stolen by powerful external forces that have left us uniquely vulnerable to corporations determined to raid our attention for profit. Hari found that there are twelve deep causes of this crisis, from the decline of mind-wandering to rising pollution, all of which have robbed some of our attention. In Stolen Focus, he introduces readers to Silicon Valley dissidents who learned to hack human attention, and veterinarians who diagnose dogs with ADHD. He explores a favela in Rio de Janeiro where everyone lost their attention in a particularly surreal way, and an office in New Zealand that discovered a remarkable technique to restore workers' productivity.

Crucially, Hari learned how we can reclaim our focus--as individuals, and as a society--if we are determined to fight for it. Stolen Focus will transform the debate about attention and finally show us how to get it back.]]> 357 Johann Hari 0593138511 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.22 2022 Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention— and How to Think Deeply Again
author: Johann Hari
name: devyn
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer]]> 219484513 Actress and content creator Dylan Mulvaney’s honest account of her journey through girlhood

When Dylan Mulvaney came out as a woman online, she was a viral sensation almost overnight, emerging as a trailblazing voice on social media. Dylan’s personal coming-out story blossomed into a platform for advocacy and empowerment for trans people all over the world. Through her “Days of Girlhood� series, she connected with followers by exploring what it means to be a girl, from experimenting with makeup to story times to spilling the tea about laser hair removal, while never shying away from discussing the transphobia she faced online. Nevertheless, she was determined to be a beacon of positivity.

But shortly after she celebrated day 365 of being a girl, it all came screeching to a halt when an innocuous post sparked a media firestorm and right-wing backlash she couldn’t have expected. Despite the vitriolic press and relentless paparazzi, Dylan was determined to remain loud and proud.

In Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, Dylan pulls back the curtain of her “It Girl� lifestyle with a witty and intimate reflection of her life pre- and post-transition. She covers everything from her first big break in theater to the first time her dad recognized her as a girl to how she handled scandals, cancellations, and . . . tucking. It’s both laugh-out-loud funny and powerfully honest—and is a love letter to everyone who stands up for queer joy.]]> 266 Dylan Mulvaney 141977039X devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.11 2025 Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer
author: Dylan Mulvaney
name: devyn
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder]]> 61714633 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on the Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as "the prize of all the oceans," it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.

But then . . . six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death--for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann's recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O'Brian, his portrayal of the castaways' desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann's work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound.]]> 331 David Grann 0385534264 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.14 2023 The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
author: David Grann
name: devyn
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 2 - The Pillars of Civilization]]> 57924373 Sapiens: A Graphic History, the full-color graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari’s #1 New York Times bestseller, focuses on the Agricultural Revolution—when humans fell into a trap we’ve yet to escape: working harder and harder with diminishing returns.

What if humanity’s major woes—war, plague, famine and inequality—originated 12,000 years ago, when Homo sapiens converted from nomads to settlers, in pursuit of the fantasy of productivity and efficiency? What if by seeking to control plants and animals, humans ended up being controlled by kings, priests, and Kafkaesque bureaucracy? Volume 2 of Sapiens: A Graphic History � The Pillars of Civilization explores a crucial chapter in human development: the Agricultural Revolution. This is the story of how wheat took over the world; how an unlikely marriage between a god and a bureaucrat created the first empires; and how war, plague, famine, and inequality became an intractable feature of the human condition.

But it’s not all doom and gloom with this book’s cast of entertaining characters and colorful humorous scenes. Yuval, Zoe, Prof. Saraswati, Cindy and Bill (now farmers), Detective Lopez, and Dr. Fiction, all introduced in Volume 1, once again travel the length and breadth of human history, this time investigating the impact the Agricultural Revolution has had on our species. The cunning Mephisto shows them how to ensnare humans, King Hammurabi lays down the law, and Confucius explains harmonious society. The origins of modern farming are introduced through Elizabethan tragedy; the changing fortunes of domesticated plants and animals are tracked in the columns of the Daily Business News; the story of urbanization is portrayed as a travel brochure, offering discount journeys to ancient Babylon and China; and the history of inequality unfolds in a superhero detective story; with guest appearances by historical and cultural personalities throughout such as Thomas Jefferson, Scarlett O'Hara, Margaret Thatcher, and John Lennon.

Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 2 is a radical, witty and colorful retelling of the story of humankind for adults and young adults, and can be read on its own or in sequence with Volume I.]]> 256 David Vandermeulen 0063212234 devyn 0 nonfiction, to-read 4.24 2021 Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 2 - The Pillars of Civilization
author: David Vandermeulen
name: devyn
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
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]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 3 - The Masters of History]]> 199793517 This third volume of the illustrated adaptation of the internationally bestselling phenomenon, Sapiens: A Graphic History—The Masters of History, tackles the question of the driving force of humanity’s fate: is it empire, money, religion—or something else entirely—that unites us?

Sometimes history seems like a laundry list of malevolent monarchs, pompous presidents and dastardly dictators. But are they really the ones in the driving seat? Sapiens: A Graphic History—The Masters of History takes us on an immersive and hilarious ride through the human past to discover the forces that change our world, bring us together, and just as often... tear us apart.

Grab a front-row seat to the greatest show on earth, and explore the rise of money, religion and empire. Join our fabulous host Heroda Tush, as she wonders: Which historical superhero will display the power to make civilizations rise and fall? Will Mr. Random prove that luck and circumstance prevail? Will Lady Empire convince us of the irrefutable shaping force of conquerors? Or will Clashwoman beat them all to greatness by reminding us of the endless confrontations that seem to forever plague our species?

In this next volume of the bestselling graphic series, Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen and Daniel Casanave continue to present the complicated story of humankind with wit, empathy and originality. Alongside the unlikely cast of new characters, we are rejoined by the familiar faces of Yuval, Zoe, Professor Saraswati, Bill and Cindy (now Romans), Skyman and Captain Dollar. As they travel through time, space and human drama in search of truth, it's impossible not to wonder: why can’t we all just get along?

This third installment in the Sapiens: A Graphic History series is an engaging, insightful, and colorful retelling of the story of humankind for curious minds of all ages, and can be browsed through on its own or read in sequence with Volumes One and Two.]]> 288 David Vandermeulen 0063387417 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.39 2024 Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 3 - The Masters of History
author: David Vandermeulen
name: devyn
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read, nonfiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 1 - The Birth of Humankind]]> 54110137 A hardcover edition of the first volume of the graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari's smash #1 New York Times and international bestseller recommended by President Barack Obama and Bill Gates, with gorgeous full-color illustrations and concise, easy to comprehend text for readers of all ages.

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

In this first volume of the full-color illustrated adaptation of his groundbreaking book, renowned historian Yuval Harari tells the story of humankind’s creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.� From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens challenges us to reconsider accepted beliefs, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and view specific events within the context of larger ideas. 

Featuring 256 pages of full-color illustrations and easy-to-understand text covering the first part of the full-length original edition, this adaptation of the mind-expanding book furthers the ongoing conversation as it introduces Harari’s ideas to a wide new readership.]]> 248 David Vandermeulen 0063055082 devyn 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.37 2020 Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 1 - The Birth of Humankind
author: David Vandermeulen
name: devyn
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read, nonfiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 387 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 devyn 5 4.60 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: devyn
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles, #1)]]> 58724793
Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he’s ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different plans: for Vel to marry his former intended’s brother instead.

Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock.

With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love―as both will learn―is quite another.

Byzantine politics, lush sexual energy, and a queer love story that is by turns sweet and sultry, Foz Meadows' A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is an exploration of gender, identity, and self-worth. It is a book that will live in your heart long after you turn the last page.]]> 544 Foz Meadows 1250829135 devyn 3 4.02 2022 A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles, #1)
author: Foz Meadows
name: devyn
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure]]> 32604588
A tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts�The Princess Bride is a modern storytelling classic.

As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchman, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, and rescued once again by the very crew who absconded with her in the first place. In the course of this dazzling adventure, she'll meet Vizzini—the criminal philosopher who'll do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik—the gentle giant; Inigo—the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge; and Count Rugen—the evil mastermind behind it all. Foiling all their plans and jumping into their stories is Westley, Princess Buttercup’s one true love and a very good friend of a very dangerous pirate.]]> 501 William Goldman devyn 0 dnf 4.26 1973 The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
author: William Goldman
name: devyn
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> The Song of Achilles 11250317
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.]]> 352 Madeline Miller 1408816032 devyn 4 4.38 2011 The Song of Achilles
author: Madeline Miller
name: devyn
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves:
review:

]]> Green Frog: Stories 177185879
Equal parts fantastical—a pair of talking dolls help twins escape a stifling home, a heart boils on the stove as part of an elaborate cure for melancholy, a fox demon contemplates avenging her sister's death—and true to life—a mother and daughter try to heal their rift when the daughter falls unexpectedly pregnant, a woman reexamines her father's legacy after his death—the stories in this collection are hopeful and heartbreaking, full of danger and full of joy.

Chung is a master at capturing emotion, and her characters—human and otherwise—will claw their way into your heart and make themselves at home.]]> 240 Gina Chung 0593469364 devyn 3 4.15 2024 Green Frog: Stories
author: Gina Chung
name: devyn
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires]]> 44074800 Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.

Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.

But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.]]> 410 Grady Hendrix devyn 4 3.78 2020 The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
author: Grady Hendrix
name: devyn
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Martin's Hundred 352209 386 Ivor Noël Hume 0813913233 devyn 4 own 4.07 1982 Martin's Hundred
author: Ivor Noël Hume
name: devyn
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: own
review:

]]> Witchcraft for Wayward Girls 207611566 There’s power in a book�

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master� (NPR).]]> 482 Grady Hendrix 0593548981 devyn 4 3.99 2025 Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
author: Grady Hendrix
name: devyn
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves:
review:

]]> The Troop 17571466 358 Nick Cutter 1476717710 devyn 4 3.83 2014 The Troop
author: Nick Cutter
name: devyn
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Forget Me Not 61273082
What would you do if you forgot the love of your life ever even existed?

Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.

But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, she can remember nothing of the last two years—not California, not coming to terms with her sexuality, not even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.

And Nora finds herself…forgotten. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when “together� itself is just a lost memory?]]> 320 Alyson Derrick 166590237X devyn 4 4.24 2023 Forget Me Not
author: Alyson Derrick
name: devyn
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:

]]> How to Sell a Haunted House 59414094 Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…]]> 419 Grady Hendrix 0593201264 devyn 4 3.65 2023 How to Sell a Haunted House
author: Grady Hendrix
name: devyn
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/23
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1)]]> 123257687
ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.]]> 342 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 1649375808 devyn 0 dnf 3.88 2023 Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1)
author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: devyn
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Turtles All the Way Down 35504431
Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.]]> 290 John Green 0525555366 devyn 3 3.87 2017 Turtles All the Way Down
author: John Green
name: devyn
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves:
review:
its not for me. im definitely past the age demographic, and im much to far past the headspace that severe mental health journeys or teenage melancholy would speak to me. i went into this thinking it would be bout teenagers solving a disappearance, and while that technically did happen, it was sidelined too much for me to remain interested for very long.
]]> Pride and Prometheus 35297458 Pride and Prejudice meets Frankenstein as Mary Bennet falls for the enigmatic Victor Frankenstein and befriends his monstrous Creature in this clever fusion of two popular classics.

Threatened with destruction unless he fashions a wife for his Creature, Victor Frankenstein travels to England where he meets Mary and Kitty Bennet, the remaining unmarried sisters of the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice. As Mary and Victor become increasingly attracted to each other, the Creature looks on impatiently, waiting for his bride. But where will Victor find a female body from which to create the monster’s mate?

Meanwhile, the awkward Mary hopes that Victor will save her from approaching spinsterhood while wondering what dark secret he is keeping from her.

Pride and Prometheus fuses the gothic horror of Mary Shelley with the Regency romance of Jane Austen in an exciting novel that combines two age-old stories in a fresh and startling way.]]> 371 John Kessel 1481481479 devyn 2 dnf
Having forcefully read Frankenstein in high school years ago and only half watched 2005 Pride & Prejudice, I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of either works. I was, however, interested in this crossover. Seeing the book is tagged as a romance, I was expecting it to be, well� a romance?
The book is painfully slow, so slow that Mary Bennett and Victor Frankenstein don’t meet until around� maybe page 60. And they don’t meet again until around page 100. I gave up after feeling like I was wasting my time hoping for it to get better.
Whatever Kessel did to create something that made me not want to put the book down despite being so damn bored needs to be studied.]]> 3.63 2008 Pride and Prometheus
author: John Kessel
name: devyn
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF ~110 pages

Having forcefully read Frankenstein in high school years ago and only half watched 2005 Pride & Prejudice, I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of either works. I was, however, interested in this crossover. Seeing the book is tagged as a romance, I was expecting it to be, well� a romance?
The book is painfully slow, so slow that Mary Bennett and Victor Frankenstein don’t meet until around� maybe page 60. And they don’t meet again until around page 100. I gave up after feeling like I was wasting my time hoping for it to get better.
Whatever Kessel did to create something that made me not want to put the book down despite being so damn bored needs to be studied.
]]> Malice (Malice Duology, #1) 51530580 A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,� true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.

You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

Utter nonsense.

Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.

Until I met her.

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

Nonsense again.

Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I�

I am the villain.]]> 470 Heather Walter 1984818651 devyn 0 dnf 3.92 2021 Malice (Malice Duology, #1)
author: Heather Walter
name: devyn
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> It Looks Like Us 59808513
Shy high school junior Riley Kowalski is spending her winter break on a research trip to Antarctica, sponsored by one of the world’s biggest tech companies. She joins five student volunteers, a company-approved chaperone, and an impartial scientist to prove that environmental plastic pollution has reached all the way to Antarctica, but what they find is something much worse� something that looks human.

Riley has anxiety--ostracized by the kids at school because of panic attacks--so when she starts to feel like something’s wrong with their expedition leader, Greta, she writes it off. But when Greta snaps and tries to kill Riley, she can’t chalk it up to an overactive imagination anymore. Worse, after watching Greta disintegrate, only to find another student with the same affliction, she realizes they haven’t been infected, they’ve been infiltrated--by something that can change its shape. And if the group isn’t careful, that something could quickly replace any of them.]]> 288 Alison Ames 1645676188 devyn 2
I’ll hand it to the author that she can write disturbing horror, or maybe it’s just what happens when your monster is a semi-intelligent shape-shifting human gore spider. The creature reveal could have been dragged out longer to build tension, and it would have been cool to see it develop or gain new abilities for each person it consumed. I think it was unnecessary to have a secondary villain, especially when that secondary villain is a comically evil caricature of a real guy.


Plot
(The summary is not accurate to the actual novel, in my opinion) The plot of this book is incredibly unrealistic. A bunch of teens are targeted by Rusk through Instagram ads advertising a two week research trip to Antarctica. Riley signs up and pays for it without even consulting her parents, and apparently so do all of the other teens along for the ride. Rusk picks them for their unstable and ugly backgrounds, which for most never really contribute to the plot of the story. We're told Riley has horrible anxiety and panic attacks, bad enough to ostracize her from her peers, but never once is that anxiety a hindrance to her. Ilse stabbed and murdered her dad; Luke lost his gay crush, and the other two I don’t even remember. The book starts towards the end, and very quickly establishes itself as a “flashback storytelling� kind of novel, with quick intermissions of Riley talking to two Rusk-affiliated cops. These intermissions do not contribute anything positive to the pacing or flow of the story. In fact, they break the flow and tension of some of the mystery and action.
The pacing itself is so fast, with the creature revealed at the three day mark of the two week trip and the overall story ending about a week later, and despite the days that pass between the creature reveal and the ending, the characters don’t seem to do anything but walk around the station, encounter the creature, leave the station, and then end up back at the station- over and over and over again. This uncreative plot feels like it's being forcibly dragged along by the author and it's sooo boring. For a book that's only <300 pages, it sure feels longer. The dialogue falls into this boring routine as well. Everything is told and not shown, the characters miraculously figure things out, or know how to do things that are conveniently helpful, and they talk about how the creature exists so much and yet they still act like complete idiots.
And that ending? What a shame. It's way too vague and open-ended for a stand-alone YA novel of this quality, where it almost sets up for a sequel, but there isn’t enough to intrigue. In fact, there wasn’t even enough for a full book that doesn’t repeat itself over and again. This story probably could have been a short story.

Characters
All the characters are unique and distinguishable, but that doesn’t make them necessarily likable or even memorable. And they all act like complete IDIOTS!!! I don’t understand why authors keep writing horror characters the way they do like the horror genre doesn’t exist within their universe, which in this specific case, they do and they’re mentioned multiple times. I am usually lenient when critiquing teenage characters, but goddamn these ones are dumb as hell. I didn't even care for any of them. The only character(s) I genuinely cared for were Luke and the rat that's introduced in the last 50 pages. None of them get satisfying conclusions. Greta and Asha are barely developed characters and are infected almost right off the bat. The reader doesn’t learn really anything about them before the creatures take over. Nelson and Dae are one step above them, with Luke and Ilse a step above that. The only reason the reader knows so much about Riley is because she’s the main character and the POV is her’s. None of them are fleshed out enough for the reader to care about their survival. I would give my life for Basil the rat, though.

Rusk and the cops were comically evil. Like they were not threatening in any way, which made the whole situation fall flat. There's no sense that Rusk is a danger to the teens other than preventing them from getting help from other stations and that wasn’t even so hard with the storm and monster. I don’t know if he’s made to be stupid to poke fun at Musk, but it sorely lacks.

If I could rewrite this book, here's what I would change or add�
-Flesh out a realistic reason for teenagers to be on a research expedition to Antarctica. They could be interns or even college-aged students. Have their trip be separate from the Rusk endeavor.
-Let the tension build. Introducing the creature in small bursts to build paranoia within Riley. Give her vivid nightmares, sleepwalking, or stress-induced hallucinations to make her question what she's seeing.
-Flesh out the characters and have them bond in this time. Make their relationships matter.
-Tie the ice-coring climate change research into the origin of the creature. I.e. it melted out of a long-frozen glacier or it was a result of a weird lab experiment. This could be what ties Rusk to the story. His creature breaks out and he wants it back, but it escapes to the research station the teens are at.
-Have the story be happening in the present time and not from Riley’s point of view. No flashback storytelling from Riley. She can be the main character, but let the story be separate from her head.
-The storm begins while the characters are trying to get to the other station. This is what pushes them back to Victoria.
-Have the creature survive the initial fire fight. Riley can be captured by Rusk’s people, but the creature follows them and attacks. This is when Riley either completely kills it or maybe gets infected and dies along with the monster. The public never finds out, and Rusk covers it up.
]]> 3.65 2022 It Looks Like Us
author: Alison Ames
name: devyn
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/02/23
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves:
review:
For a book based on an iconic and scary concept, it sure was shite.

I’ll hand it to the author that she can write disturbing horror, or maybe it’s just what happens when your monster is a semi-intelligent shape-shifting human gore spider. The creature reveal could have been dragged out longer to build tension, and it would have been cool to see it develop or gain new abilities for each person it consumed. I think it was unnecessary to have a secondary villain, especially when that secondary villain is a comically evil caricature of a real guy.


Plot
(The summary is not accurate to the actual novel, in my opinion) The plot of this book is incredibly unrealistic. A bunch of teens are targeted by Rusk through Instagram ads advertising a two week research trip to Antarctica. Riley signs up and pays for it without even consulting her parents, and apparently so do all of the other teens along for the ride. Rusk picks them for their unstable and ugly backgrounds, which for most never really contribute to the plot of the story. We're told Riley has horrible anxiety and panic attacks, bad enough to ostracize her from her peers, but never once is that anxiety a hindrance to her. Ilse stabbed and murdered her dad; Luke lost his gay crush, and the other two I don’t even remember. The book starts towards the end, and very quickly establishes itself as a “flashback storytelling� kind of novel, with quick intermissions of Riley talking to two Rusk-affiliated cops. These intermissions do not contribute anything positive to the pacing or flow of the story. In fact, they break the flow and tension of some of the mystery and action.
The pacing itself is so fast, with the creature revealed at the three day mark of the two week trip and the overall story ending about a week later, and despite the days that pass between the creature reveal and the ending, the characters don’t seem to do anything but walk around the station, encounter the creature, leave the station, and then end up back at the station- over and over and over again. This uncreative plot feels like it's being forcibly dragged along by the author and it's sooo boring. For a book that's only <300 pages, it sure feels longer. The dialogue falls into this boring routine as well. Everything is told and not shown, the characters miraculously figure things out, or know how to do things that are conveniently helpful, and they talk about how the creature exists so much and yet they still act like complete idiots.
And that ending? What a shame. It's way too vague and open-ended for a stand-alone YA novel of this quality, where it almost sets up for a sequel, but there isn’t enough to intrigue. In fact, there wasn’t even enough for a full book that doesn’t repeat itself over and again. This story probably could have been a short story.

Characters
All the characters are unique and distinguishable, but that doesn’t make them necessarily likable or even memorable. And they all act like complete IDIOTS!!! I don’t understand why authors keep writing horror characters the way they do like the horror genre doesn’t exist within their universe, which in this specific case, they do and they’re mentioned multiple times. I am usually lenient when critiquing teenage characters, but goddamn these ones are dumb as hell. I didn't even care for any of them. The only character(s) I genuinely cared for were Luke and the rat that's introduced in the last 50 pages. None of them get satisfying conclusions. Greta and Asha are barely developed characters and are infected almost right off the bat. The reader doesn’t learn really anything about them before the creatures take over. Nelson and Dae are one step above them, with Luke and Ilse a step above that. The only reason the reader knows so much about Riley is because she’s the main character and the POV is her’s. None of them are fleshed out enough for the reader to care about their survival. I would give my life for Basil the rat, though.

Rusk and the cops were comically evil. Like they were not threatening in any way, which made the whole situation fall flat. There's no sense that Rusk is a danger to the teens other than preventing them from getting help from other stations and that wasn’t even so hard with the storm and monster. I don’t know if he’s made to be stupid to poke fun at Musk, but it sorely lacks.

If I could rewrite this book, here's what I would change or add�
-Flesh out a realistic reason for teenagers to be on a research expedition to Antarctica. They could be interns or even college-aged students. Have their trip be separate from the Rusk endeavor.
-Let the tension build. Introducing the creature in small bursts to build paranoia within Riley. Give her vivid nightmares, sleepwalking, or stress-induced hallucinations to make her question what she's seeing.
-Flesh out the characters and have them bond in this time. Make their relationships matter.
-Tie the ice-coring climate change research into the origin of the creature. I.e. it melted out of a long-frozen glacier or it was a result of a weird lab experiment. This could be what ties Rusk to the story. His creature breaks out and he wants it back, but it escapes to the research station the teens are at.
-Have the story be happening in the present time and not from Riley’s point of view. No flashback storytelling from Riley. She can be the main character, but let the story be separate from her head.
-The storm begins while the characters are trying to get to the other station. This is what pushes them back to Victoria.
-Have the creature survive the initial fire fight. Riley can be captured by Rusk’s people, but the creature follows them and attacks. This is when Riley either completely kills it or maybe gets infected and dies along with the monster. The public never finds out, and Rusk covers it up.

]]> <![CDATA[Mirrored Heavens (Between Earth and Sky, #3)]]> 60656015 The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.

Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying

Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won’t talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.

And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.]]> 597 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534437703 devyn 4 own 4.20 2024 Mirrored Heavens (Between Earth and Sky, #3)
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: devyn
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky, #2)]]> 57339626 There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?]]> 384 Rebecca Roanhorse devyn 4 own 4.09 2022 Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky, #2)
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: devyn
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves: own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)]]> 50892360 The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.]]> 454 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534437673 devyn 5 favorites, own 4.17 2020 Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: devyn
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves: favorites, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)]]> 76705490 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.]]> 420 Sarah J. Maas 1639730966 devyn 0 own, dnf 4.34 2013 Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: devyn
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves: own, dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 76703559 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.]]> 406 Sarah J. Maas 163973094X devyn 4 own 4.18 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: devyn
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/15
date added: 2024/06/15
shelves: own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Orc's Reluctant Bride (Monster Brides #6)]]> 180167618
To broker peace between our kingdoms, my father—the king—offers him my hand.

The moment our eyes meet, Rhagar claims I am his Fated One—his Ash'kyra.

As we journey back to his homeland, I find that my new husband is far from what I expected, and I’m drawn to him in ways I do not fully understand.

The more time we spend together, I find myself What would it be like if I allowed myself to fall for my Orc husband?

***
Welcome Readers!
The Monster Brides series is a brand-new collaboration featuring one of the best romance tropes in existence—arranged marriage. You'll get to enjoy stories from a clan of imaginative and amazing
Rena Marks
Zoe Ashwood
Sandra R Neeley
Tracy Lauren
Alana Khan
Jessica Grayson
Liz Paffel
In this series, you'll find exciting and different takes on orc romance ranging from sci-fi romance to fantasy romance. There's a little bit of everything for all monster lovers out there!]]> 168 Jessica Grayson 1642531839 devyn 0 own, dnf 4.14 The Orc's Reluctant Bride (Monster Brides #6)
author: Jessica Grayson
name: devyn
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2024/06/15
date added: 2024/06/15
shelves: own, dnf
review:

]]> Psyche and Eros 62292422
Who said true love is a myth?

A prophecy claims that Psyche, princess of Mycenae, will defeat a monster feared even by the gods. Rebelling against her society’s expectations for women, Psyche spends her youth mastering blade and bow, preparing to meet her destiny.

When Psyche angers the love goddess Aphrodite, she sends Eros, god of desire, to deliver a cruel curse. After eons watching humanity twist his gifts, the last thing Eros wants is to become involved in the chaos of the mortal world. But when he pricks himself with the arrow intended for Psyche, Eros finds himself doomed to yearn for a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet.

Thrown together by fate, headstrong Psyche and world-weary Eros will face challenges greater than they could have ever imagined. And as the Trojan War begins and divine powers try to keep them apart, the pair must determine if the curse could become something more . . . before it’s too late.

A joyous and subversive tale of gods, monsters, and the human heart and soul, Psyche and Eros dazzles the senses while exploring notions of trust, sacrifice, and what it truly means to be a hero. With unforgettably vivid characters, spellbinding prose, and delicious tension, Luna McNamara has crafted a shimmering and propulsive debut novel about a love so strong it defies the will of Olympus.]]> 352 Luna McNamara 0063295075 devyn 0 dnf 3.75 2023 Psyche and Eros
author: Luna McNamara
name: devyn
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/04/17
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Thing (Monsters' Consorts #2) 163731604 Being the angel of death’s a lonely gig, so when she trespasses into my realm, I decide to keep her...

Thing’s been alone all his life, even when he wasn’t chained to a dungeon wall half-mad for two centuries.
He’s not like his brothers.
He’s come to prefer his solitude. Or so he thinks.
Because when a fierce woman with covered in blood comes crashing through the forest into his many arms, he begins to wonder if he might just want a consort of his very own…]]> 242 Stasia Black devyn 1 dnf, own 4.23 Thing (Monsters' Consorts #2)
author: Stasia Black
name: devyn
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2024/04/06
date added: 2024/04/06
shelves: dnf, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lady and the Orc (Orc Sworn, #1)]]> 48637612 He’s the most feared monster in the realm. And she’s what he needs to win his war�

In a world of warring orcs and men, Lady Norr is condemned to a childless marriage, a cruel lord husband, and a life of genteel poverty � until the day her home is ransacked by a horde. And leading the charge is their hulking, deadly orc captain: the infamous Grimarr.

And Grimarr has a wicked plan for Lady Norr, and for ending this war once and for all. She’s going to become his captive � and the perfect snare for Lord Norr.

There’s no possible escape, and soon Lady Norr is dragged off toward Orc Mountain in the powerful arms of her greatest enemy. A ruthless, commanding warlord, with a velvet voice and mouthwatering scent, who awakens every forbidden hunger she never knew she had�

But Grimarr refuses to accept half measures � in war, or in pleasure. And before he’ll conquer Lady Norr’s deepest, darkest desires, she needs to surrender everything.

Her allegiance.
Her wedding-ring.
Her future�

And with her husband’s forces giving chase, Lady Norr can’t afford to play such a dangerous game � or can she? Even if this deadly orc’s plans might be the only way to save them all?

_____________________

A dark, steamy, full-length standalone fantasy romance for adults. Happily ever after guaranteed.]]> 399 Finley Fenn devyn 1 own, dnf Grimarr and Jule are so toxic; they’re both terrible people who manipulate and lie, and they’re both constantly flip-flopping on what they want. One moment Grimarr is telling Jule he wants to protect her and will whatever she wants, the next he’s threatening to kill her and coercing her into sex. Jule can’t decide if she wants to bone the guy or if she wants to get away from him.
Theres some serious overuse of the words naught, prick (dick), and seed. A distracting and unsexy amount of the use of prick and seed. It’s gross and annoying to read. The way Fenn writes smut makes it sound painful and aggressive, and Grimarr is “culturally� kinky, but doesn’t ask Jule for permission ever.
The plot is so nonexistent. The only reason this book is 400 pages is because there’s a bad smut scene every few chapters. Grimarr and Jule spend so much time arguing back and forth over the SAME DAMN THINGS. They never get anywhere. And there’s so much focus on Jule being unable to have children with her husband, but Grimarr believing she can, she just needs the right guy. I hate that trope so much.
I was looking forward to this series because I like orc/human stories, but this is just toxicity with fantasy racism. Grimarr is so unattractive it’s hurts. Hes not charming or kind or protective. He’s all toxic masculinity. And Jule is just a huge idiot.
Don’t waste your time or money on this garbage.
DNF ~30%

CW/TW: infertility, kidnapping, murder, non-consent, breeding kink, exhibitionism kink, toxic relationship, etc.]]> 3.67 2019 The Lady and the Orc (Orc Sworn, #1)
author: Finley Fenn
name: devyn
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2024/03/26
date added: 2024/03/26
shelves: own, dnf
review:
This is genuinely so bad. A lot of times poor quality is expected from self published books but BY GOD this is shit. The smut isn’t good, and it’s definitely not even passable enough to make up for the infuriating characters and horrible plot.
Grimarr and Jule are so toxic; they’re both terrible people who manipulate and lie, and they’re both constantly flip-flopping on what they want. One moment Grimarr is telling Jule he wants to protect her and will whatever she wants, the next he’s threatening to kill her and coercing her into sex. Jule can’t decide if she wants to bone the guy or if she wants to get away from him.
Theres some serious overuse of the words naught, prick (dick), and seed. A distracting and unsexy amount of the use of prick and seed. It’s gross and annoying to read. The way Fenn writes smut makes it sound painful and aggressive, and Grimarr is “culturally� kinky, but doesn’t ask Jule for permission ever.
The plot is so nonexistent. The only reason this book is 400 pages is because there’s a bad smut scene every few chapters. Grimarr and Jule spend so much time arguing back and forth over the SAME DAMN THINGS. They never get anywhere. And there’s so much focus on Jule being unable to have children with her husband, but Grimarr believing she can, she just needs the right guy. I hate that trope so much.
I was looking forward to this series because I like orc/human stories, but this is just toxicity with fantasy racism. Grimarr is so unattractive it’s hurts. Hes not charming or kind or protective. He’s all toxic masculinity. And Jule is just a huge idiot.
Don’t waste your time or money on this garbage.
DNF ~30%

CW/TW: infertility, kidnapping, murder, non-consent, breeding kink, exhibitionism kink, toxic relationship, etc.
]]> Savage Son (Terminal List #3) 49700206 In this third high-octane thriller in the “seriously good� (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Past Tense) Terminal List series, former Navy SEAL James Reece must infiltrate the Russian mafia and turn the hunters into the hunted.

Deep in the wilds of Siberia, a woman is on the run, pursued by a man harboring secrets—a man intent on killing her.

A traitorous CIA officer has found refuge with the Russian mafia with designs on ensuring a certain former Navy SEAL sniper is put in the ground.

Half a world away, James Reece is recovering from brain surgery in the Montana wilderness, slowly putting his life back together with the help of investigative journalist Katie Buranek and his longtime friend and SEAL teammate Raife Hastings. Unbeknownst to them, the Russian mafia has set their sights on Reece in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

In his most visceral and heart-pounding thriller yet, Jack Carr explores the darkest instincts of humanity through the eyes of a man who has seen both the best and the worst of it.]]> 416 Jack Carr devyn 0 dnf 4.49 2020 Savage Son (Terminal List #3)
author: Jack Carr
name: devyn
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Gold Diggers 54719856 An Indian-American magical realist coming of age story, spanning two continents, two coasts, and four epochs, in razor sharp and deeply funny prose, Sathian captures what it is to grow up as a member of a family, of a diaspora, and of the American meritocracy.

A floundering second-generation teenager growing up in the Bush-era Atlanta suburbs, Neil Narayan is authentic, funny, and smart. He just doesn't share the same drive as everyone around him. His perfect older sister is headed to Duke. His parents' expectations for him are just as high. He tries to want this version of success, but mostly, Neil just wants his neighbor across the cul-de-sac, Anita Dayal.

But Anita has a secret: she and her mother Anjali have been brewing an ancient alchemical potion from stolen gold that harnesses the ambition of the jewelry's original owner. Anjali's own mother in Bombay didn't waste the precious potion on her daughter, favoring her sons instead. Anita, on the other hand, just needs a little boost to get into Harvard. But when Neil--who needs a whole lot more--joins in the plot, events spiral into a tragedy that rips their community apart.

Ten years later, Neil is an oft-stoned Berkeley history grad student studying the California gold rush. His high school cohort has migrated to Silicon Valley, where he reunites with Anita and resurrects their old habit of gold theft--only now, the stakes are higher. Anita's mother is in trouble, and only gold can save her. Anita and Neil must pull off one last heist.

Gold Diggers is a fine-grained, profoundly intelligent, and bitingly funny investigation in to questions of identity and coming of age--that tears down American shibboleths.]]> 352 Sanjena Sathian 1984882031 devyn 0 dnf 3.55 2021 Gold Diggers
author: Sanjena Sathian
name: devyn
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/24
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Seduce a Bride (Botany Bay, #4)]]> 1382741 How does one seduce a bride?

Step One: Lay bare her mysteries...

Daisy Tanner has taken the ton by storm and Leland Grant, Viscount Haye, wants to know everything about this ravishing, secretive woman who is tempting his friend into marriage. Though his rakish reputation is the stuff of legend, Leland is curiously undone by this exquisite creature who threatens to turn his footloose single life topsy-turvy. Never has he wanted a woman more...

Step Two: Strip her of her inhibitions...

Having survived a difficult past, Daisy now desires the security of an uncomplicated marriage with some safe, undemanding gentleman. How dare this dashing rogue Lord Haye distract her with his suspicions...and unbalance her with his sensuous promises? If Daisy isn't careful, her scandalous history could become common knowledge. Worse still, she might actually fall in love with this notorious seducer whose touch excites her like nothing has before...

]]> 384 Edith Layton 006075785X devyn 2 own it was so boring 3.36 2006 How to Seduce a Bride (Botany Bay, #4)
author: Edith Layton
name: devyn
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 2024/03/17
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves: own
review:
it was so boring
]]> Gypsy Lover (Botany Bay, #3) 1382733 A reputation in ruins . . .

Lovely Meg Shaw is a respectable governess in a wealthy household—and it is her duty to bring her charge safely home when the headstrong heiress runs away. But the perils for a young woman alone on dark English country roads pale before the dangers posed by Daffyd Reynard—a dashing, reckless gentleman with gypsy blood, who shadows Meg's every step.

A heart at risk . . .

An infuriating scoundrel, Daffyd has his own reasons for wanting to join Meg on her journey—though scandal will certainly ensue if she's discovered in the company of the ton's most notorious black sheep. Yet something powerful and inexplicable—something more than a need for safety in the night—is drawing Meg into his bold and brash arms. And her good name may well be the price she must pay for surrendering to the sweet temptation of her untamed gypsy lover . . .]]> 384 Edith Layton 0060757841 devyn 4 own 3.50 2005 Gypsy Lover (Botany Bay, #3)
author: Edith Layton
name: devyn
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/14
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Alas, My Love (Botany Bay, #2)]]> 1857176 Can a self-made man overcome humble beginnings to romance the lady of his dreams?

Surviving against all odds, Amyas St. Ives grew up in a foundling home, then escaped to the streets of London and managed, through sheer will and courage, to make his fortune. However, money and devastatingly good looks alone are not enough to gain entry into London high society; not when Amyas is unaware of his true origins and is considered base-born among the posh Regency set. When he meets the alluring Amber, a fellow foundling and ward of a respectable family, he thinks he's met a kindred spirit--but when Amber finally discovers her true identity, the hurdles to their love become insurmountable. How can Amyas convince her family that what a man is matters more than what he was born to be?

]]> 384 Edith Layton 0060567120 devyn 4 own
I find Amyas to be my favorite of the brothers, and Amber is a nice female protagonist. I will say I think Amyas� ambitions were unrealistic (who tries to find their family based on a name from a song???) and the way he acted between Amber and Grace was annoying. Amber I found to be an enjoyable character, Grace was meh, Tremellyn I didn’t like that much, and Pascoe I initially disliked but came around on him after the way he acted towards Amber’s refusal.

I felt the first half of the book was slow, but the second half was quite fast. Once the two were willing to admit their love for the other, the plot picked up. I initially didn't like the implications of giving Amber a rich and well-named family, but Layton’s handling of the situation turned it around for me. I liked that Amyas decided he wanted Amber before he found out her heritage, and I liked that Amber preferred her small life over her French one. I would have liked to see more resistance and/or consequence to Amber’s breakout, and I found the ending to be quite fast compared to the slow buildup in the first half.]]> 3.19 2005 Alas, My Love (Botany Bay, #2)
author: Edith Layton
name: devyn
average rating: 3.19
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/19
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:
Once again, Edith Layton pulls through with a wonderful plot and enjoyable characters (and another marriage proposal from an old man, lol).

I find Amyas to be my favorite of the brothers, and Amber is a nice female protagonist. I will say I think Amyas� ambitions were unrealistic (who tries to find their family based on a name from a song???) and the way he acted between Amber and Grace was annoying. Amber I found to be an enjoyable character, Grace was meh, Tremellyn I didn’t like that much, and Pascoe I initially disliked but came around on him after the way he acted towards Amber’s refusal.

I felt the first half of the book was slow, but the second half was quite fast. Once the two were willing to admit their love for the other, the plot picked up. I initially didn't like the implications of giving Amber a rich and well-named family, but Layton’s handling of the situation turned it around for me. I liked that Amyas decided he wanted Amber before he found out her heritage, and I liked that Amber preferred her small life over her French one. I would have liked to see more resistance and/or consequence to Amber’s breakout, and I found the ending to be quite fast compared to the slow buildup in the first half.
]]> A Man Called Ove 18774964
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.]]> 337 Fredrik Backman 1476738017 devyn 3 4.35 2012 A Man Called Ove
author: Fredrik Backman
name: devyn
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2020/06/30
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Fangs 54911057 A love story between a vampire and a werewolf by the creator of the enormously popular Sarah's Scribbles comics.

Elsie the vampire is three hundred years old, but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets Jimmy, a charming werewolf with a wry sense of humor and a fondness for running wild during the full moon. Together they enjoy horror films and scary novels, shady strolls, fine dining (though never with garlic), and a genuine fondness for each other’s unusual habits, macabre lifestyles, and monstrous appetites.

First featured as a webcomic series on Tapas, Fangs chronicles the humor, sweetness, and awkwardness of meeting someone perfectly suited to you but also vastly different. Filled with Sarah Andersen’s beautiful gothic illustrations and relatable relationship humor, Fangs has all the makings of a cult classic.]]> 115 Sarah Andersen devyn 3 4.21 2020 Fangs
author: Sarah Andersen
name: devyn
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/06
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gentle Rogue (Malory-Anderson Family, #3)]]> 891812
The black sheep of a proud and tempestuous family, the handsome ex-pirate once swore no woman alive could entice him into matrimony. But on the high seas his resolve will be weakened by an unrestrained passion and by the high-spirited beauty whose love of freedom and adventure rivals his own.

Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1 ]]> 426 Johanna Lindsey devyn 3 own Looking through the reviews, I thought people were being dramatic, but no. This is a borderline abusive relationship that reads so childish and immature. There's not even good smut, its all implied, but by god is there many concerning remarks made by the male characters, including the brothers of the MC, towards her appearance and desirability. None of the "attractive" men in this book are even remotely desirable past their appearances, they're all womanizing d*ckheads who think anger is the only emotion. Are any of the men in this book even capable of love?
I'm so mad about this. I thought the book was good up until the sexual relationship started. The premise was so good and had so much potential. Pirates? Disguises? Romance? It was all there and the author squandered it all with a horrible relationship. Everyone is so stubborn its annoying. No one communicates without anger and physical fighting. Jesus!
And don't even get me started on the pregnancy. That was the stupidest decision made by the author, and there's a lot of very stupid choices in this book.

TW: age gaps, dubious consent, power dynamics, virginity, possessiveness, pregnancy]]> 4.19 1990 Gentle Rogue (Malory-Anderson Family, #3)
author: Johanna Lindsey
name: devyn
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1990
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/21
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:
This is a romance? There's no way this is a romance.
Looking through the reviews, I thought people were being dramatic, but no. This is a borderline abusive relationship that reads so childish and immature. There's not even good smut, its all implied, but by god is there many concerning remarks made by the male characters, including the brothers of the MC, towards her appearance and desirability. None of the "attractive" men in this book are even remotely desirable past their appearances, they're all womanizing d*ckheads who think anger is the only emotion. Are any of the men in this book even capable of love?
I'm so mad about this. I thought the book was good up until the sexual relationship started. The premise was so good and had so much potential. Pirates? Disguises? Romance? It was all there and the author squandered it all with a horrible relationship. Everyone is so stubborn its annoying. No one communicates without anger and physical fighting. Jesus!
And don't even get me started on the pregnancy. That was the stupidest decision made by the author, and there's a lot of very stupid choices in this book.

TW: age gaps, dubious consent, power dynamics, virginity, possessiveness, pregnancy
]]> <![CDATA[The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1)]]> 15819028
Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and released in New York City, though still not entirely free.

Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker's debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.]]> 486 Helene Wecker 0062110837 devyn 4 4.11 2013 The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1)
author: Helene Wecker
name: devyn
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/31
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow, #3)]]> 52190991 Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong.

In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward.

For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages -- and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled an American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough.

Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet.

This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest.

Carry On was conceived as a book about Chosen One stories; Any Way the Wind Blows is an ending about endings. About catharsis and closure, and how we choose to move on from the traumas and triumphs that try to define us.]]> 579 Rainbow Rowell 1250254337 devyn 3 4.11 2021 Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow, #3)
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: devyn
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/13
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry]]> 23604559 A charming, warmhearted novel from the author of the New York Times bestseller A Man Called Ove.

Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy—as in standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-strangers crazy. She is also Elsa’s best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother’s stories, in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa’s grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother’s instructions lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is told with the same comic accuracy and beating heart as Fredrik Backman’s bestselling debut novel, A Man Called Ove. It is a story about life and death and one of the most important human rights: the right to be different.]]> 372 Fredrik Backman 1501115065 devyn 1 4.04 2013 My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
author: Fredrik Backman
name: devyn
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2021/02/11
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Ring Shout 49247242 In America, demons wear white hoods.

In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die.

Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan's demons straight to Hell. But something awful's brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up.

Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?]]> 185 P. Djèlí Clark 1250767024 devyn 3 3.96 2020 Ring Shout
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: devyn
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/07/28
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Camp Damascus 61884782 A searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.

They’ll scare you straight to hell.

Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.

Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective� gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.]]> 246 Chuck Tingle 1250874629 devyn 3 3.90 2023 Camp Damascus
author: Chuck Tingle
name: devyn
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/26
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> My Best Friend's Exorcism 41015038 337 Grady Hendrix devyn 2 own I think this book should have been a movie or tv series. There was a lot that got glossed over and wasn't really delved into that way should have been, and the horror falls flat in this medium. The ending was nice, but didn't feel like the right ending for this story. The climax and ending were rushed and not interesting. it was slow to build up and then didn't pay off at the end, and the overall pacing was weird. Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it but a bit disappointing. There's also a lot of 80s references and slang that, as a 2000s kid, i didn't understand.]]> 3.94 2016 My Best Friend's Exorcism
author: Grady Hendrix
name: devyn
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2022/01/26
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:
3.5
I think this book should have been a movie or tv series. There was a lot that got glossed over and wasn't really delved into that way should have been, and the horror falls flat in this medium. The ending was nice, but didn't feel like the right ending for this story. The climax and ending were rushed and not interesting. it was slow to build up and then didn't pay off at the end, and the overall pacing was weird. Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it but a bit disappointing. There's also a lot of 80s references and slang that, as a 2000s kid, i didn't understand.
]]> Wayward Son (Simon Snow, #2) 44017627
Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after�

So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light�

That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place�

With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.

Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over � but your life has just begun.]]> 356 Rainbow Rowell 1250146070 devyn 3 own 3.89 2019 Wayward Son (Simon Snow, #2)
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: devyn
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/03/23
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:
Much better than the first book
]]> Curse of the Reaper 60321221 Scream meets The Shining in this page-turning horror tale about an aging actor haunted by the slasher movie villain he brought to life.

Decades after playing the titular killer in the 80s horror franchise Night of the Reaper, Howard Browning has been reduced to signing autographs for his dwindling fanbase at genre conventions. When the studio announces a series reboot, the aging thespian is crushed to learn he’s being replaced in the iconic role by heartthrob Trevor Mane, a former sitcom child-star who’s fresh out of rehab. Trevor is determined to stay sober and revamp his image while Howard refuses to let go of the character he created, setting the stage for a cross-generational clash over the soul of a monster. But as Howard fights to reclaim his legacy, the sinister alter ego consumes his unraveling mind, pushing him to the brink of violence. Is the method actor succumbing to madness or has the devilish Reaper taken on a life of its own?

In his razor-sharp debut novel, film and television writer Brian McAuley melds wicked suspense with dark humor and heart. Curse of the Reaper is a tightly plotted thriller that walks the tightrope between the psychological and the supernatural, while characters struggling with addiction and identity bring to light the harrowing cost of Hollywood fame.]]> 336 Brian McAuley 1945863803 devyn 2
This book is kinda middle of the road for me. It's not bad, but it's not worth rereading. None of the characters are that lovable, the villain doesn’t feel like much of a threat, and the story slogs.

The Characters
Main character Howard isn’t sympathetic enough to care about, nor is he evil enough to hate. Trevor I feel leans a little more in both directions. He’s kinda of an ass and his actions hurt people, but the reader can feel bad for him. None of the characters that die have a big enough role in the story to care for. I definitely didn’t want them to die, but their deaths don’t impact the reader as much as they should, especially since there isn’t much gore or detail to their deaths like an actual slasher story. They just kind of die. [spoilers removed]

The Plot
Despite focusing on a slasher character [spoilers removed], no one dies until almost 200 pages in. [spoilers removed]. The author teases violence, but leaves the audience wanting more when it comes to the actual violence. The struggle between Howard and Trevor for the role isn’t that interesting, [spoilers removed].]]> 3.84 2022 Curse of the Reaper
author: Brian McAuley
name: devyn
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/03/08
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
Not much slash for a slasher.

This book is kinda middle of the road for me. It's not bad, but it's not worth rereading. None of the characters are that lovable, the villain doesn’t feel like much of a threat, and the story slogs.

The Characters
Main character Howard isn’t sympathetic enough to care about, nor is he evil enough to hate. Trevor I feel leans a little more in both directions. He’s kinda of an ass and his actions hurt people, but the reader can feel bad for him. None of the characters that die have a big enough role in the story to care for. I definitely didn’t want them to die, but their deaths don’t impact the reader as much as they should, especially since there isn’t much gore or detail to their deaths like an actual slasher story. They just kind of die. [spoilers removed]

The Plot
Despite focusing on a slasher character [spoilers removed], no one dies until almost 200 pages in. [spoilers removed]. The author teases violence, but leaves the audience wanting more when it comes to the actual violence. The struggle between Howard and Trevor for the role isn’t that interesting, [spoilers removed].
]]> A Secret History of Witches 36076407 A sweeping historical saga that traces five generations of fiercely powerful mothers and daughters - witches whose magical inheritance is both a dangerous threat and an extraordinary gift.

Brittany, 1821. After Grand-mere Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her.

Even so, the Orchieres fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew. The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden.

But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever - not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history.]]> 494 Louisa Morgan 0316508586 devyn 3 own
Nanette ★★★☆�
This first section establishes the general outline for each following section- a girl comes of age, learns about her family’s history of witchcraft, has a baby out of wedlock, and her story ends, each in a unique way- Nanette having knowledge of witchcraft from the beginning. Her story is short and sweet, albeit sad.

Ursule ★★★★�
Ursule was one of my favorite characters. Her initial rejection of witchcraft was unique to her character, and her relationships were more interesting to read. I liked the plot of her section as well as the fast and dramatic ending.

Irene ★★☆☆�
The most irritating of the main women. Irene is unlikable from the very first page of her section. Luckily, her part of the story is fairly short. Her horrible treatment towards her mother, daughter, and lover gets her in the end. She’s the only main character that is written as a villain in her own story.

Morwen ★★★☆�
This section is fairly forgettable alongside Nanette. Morwen doesn’t do much but ride her horse and fight against her mother’s wishes. She’s the only woman to not have a second lover or get pregnant outside of her marriage.

Veronica ★★★★�
My favorite of the sections, Morgan actually gives the time to build a connection with the character. Although I found the incorporation of Queen Elizabeth as a witch to be strange, it was such a small aspect to Veronica’s story that it's forgettable. This section has the most male characters and the most deaths of minor characters (alongside Ursule), but has a genuine romantic relationship between the main woman and her lover. I did not care about Phillip or Thomas, and found Valery to be a very likable character. Their relationship was the most romantic, in my opinion, which made the section a much easier read.
]]> 3.84 2017 A Secret History of Witches
author: Louisa Morgan
name: devyn
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/13
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:
I’m indecisive on how to rate this book. On one hand I believe it's well written and has developed characters and storylines, but on the other hand it's just so slow and so long and every new section follows the same general outline. With a variety of storylines and individual sections focusing on one main character, it's hard to dislike the entire book, as each section is like its own small book.

Nanette ★★★☆�
This first section establishes the general outline for each following section- a girl comes of age, learns about her family’s history of witchcraft, has a baby out of wedlock, and her story ends, each in a unique way- Nanette having knowledge of witchcraft from the beginning. Her story is short and sweet, albeit sad.

Ursule ★★★★�
Ursule was one of my favorite characters. Her initial rejection of witchcraft was unique to her character, and her relationships were more interesting to read. I liked the plot of her section as well as the fast and dramatic ending.

Irene ★★☆☆�
The most irritating of the main women. Irene is unlikable from the very first page of her section. Luckily, her part of the story is fairly short. Her horrible treatment towards her mother, daughter, and lover gets her in the end. She’s the only main character that is written as a villain in her own story.

Morwen ★★★☆�
This section is fairly forgettable alongside Nanette. Morwen doesn’t do much but ride her horse and fight against her mother’s wishes. She’s the only woman to not have a second lover or get pregnant outside of her marriage.

Veronica ★★★★�
My favorite of the sections, Morgan actually gives the time to build a connection with the character. Although I found the incorporation of Queen Elizabeth as a witch to be strange, it was such a small aspect to Veronica’s story that it's forgettable. This section has the most male characters and the most deaths of minor characters (alongside Ursule), but has a genuine romantic relationship between the main woman and her lover. I did not care about Phillip or Thomas, and found Valery to be a very likable character. Their relationship was the most romantic, in my opinion, which made the section a much easier read.

]]> River's Child 36876258 River's Child is a wild ride into an ancient future. Fasten your seat belt as our spirited heroes ride icebergs from the frozen north, battle wild men, and fall in love while they race to prevent world war.]]> 302 Mark Daniel Seiler 1947003399 devyn 2
The author’s writing style/ the editing style is strange. Significant and action-packed scenes happen and end within half a page, but seemingly meaningless conversations go on and on. The main characters do not feel fleshed out, the world does not feel fleshed out. Aspects of the book seem like they were written with no research into the topic even though others are obviously heavily researched. The main characters were alone together for years, but don’t know anything about each other and apparently don’t talk about how Mavin could adjust to the new world??? Hundreds of years have passed between Mavin and Simone’s times, yet there are no communication barriers.

The world building is too vast and different from current times (at least my culture) to not have the development it needs but lacks. Even being a female, the matriarchal society Seiler writes is almost comical and feels like a parody of patriarchal societies to be taken seriously.

The dialogue is sometimes dumb or unnatural. Choices are made on whims completely outside character. The pacing- omg the pacing- is all over the place. So much can happen in seconds of reading. Day, weeks, months, YEARS pass in between paragraph breaks or chapters. The story should have focused more on the journey back, than the political intrigue. In fact, the story could have included both and have been a two part series.

The characters are somewhat likeable- I did enjoy Simone’s character even though she could be annoying- but Mavin doesn’t feel like a fully established character, despite being the male lead and having significantly more backstory than Simone. Too many side characters are introduced, especially since so many have little significance to the plot and most die immediately after being introduced. I couldn� tell you a single name of Simone’s team from the beginning. They do not impact the understanding of the story, nor are they developed and individualised enough to be cared about or remembered after they die. They’re just another word on the page.

The romance? If that's what you could call it? Mavin and Simone never gave me even a hint of romantic or sexual tension, but then suddenly they’re kissing and doing the dirty in the last 10 pages. Speaking of the last 10 pages, what?? The book just ended. There’s nothing to wrap it up, create a cliffhanger, or set up for a sequel. If Seiler does write another book, it'll be more of part 2 than a sequel. Blah.

Overall, the whole book felt like it was written and self-edited by an inexperienced teenage writer. I generally enjoyed it, but the book never caught my attention and I never felt emotionally invested in either the characters, the world, or the plot. I agree with other reviews that mentioned the story could have undergone a few more drafts or different editing styles.
]]> 3.83 River's Child
author: Mark Daniel Seiler
name: devyn
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/11/15
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
I want to like this book more. It's not bad, it just has some issues that really break it for me.

The author’s writing style/ the editing style is strange. Significant and action-packed scenes happen and end within half a page, but seemingly meaningless conversations go on and on. The main characters do not feel fleshed out, the world does not feel fleshed out. Aspects of the book seem like they were written with no research into the topic even though others are obviously heavily researched. The main characters were alone together for years, but don’t know anything about each other and apparently don’t talk about how Mavin could adjust to the new world??? Hundreds of years have passed between Mavin and Simone’s times, yet there are no communication barriers.

The world building is too vast and different from current times (at least my culture) to not have the development it needs but lacks. Even being a female, the matriarchal society Seiler writes is almost comical and feels like a parody of patriarchal societies to be taken seriously.

The dialogue is sometimes dumb or unnatural. Choices are made on whims completely outside character. The pacing- omg the pacing- is all over the place. So much can happen in seconds of reading. Day, weeks, months, YEARS pass in between paragraph breaks or chapters. The story should have focused more on the journey back, than the political intrigue. In fact, the story could have included both and have been a two part series.

The characters are somewhat likeable- I did enjoy Simone’s character even though she could be annoying- but Mavin doesn’t feel like a fully established character, despite being the male lead and having significantly more backstory than Simone. Too many side characters are introduced, especially since so many have little significance to the plot and most die immediately after being introduced. I couldn� tell you a single name of Simone’s team from the beginning. They do not impact the understanding of the story, nor are they developed and individualised enough to be cared about or remembered after they die. They’re just another word on the page.

The romance? If that's what you could call it? Mavin and Simone never gave me even a hint of romantic or sexual tension, but then suddenly they’re kissing and doing the dirty in the last 10 pages. Speaking of the last 10 pages, what?? The book just ended. There’s nothing to wrap it up, create a cliffhanger, or set up for a sequel. If Seiler does write another book, it'll be more of part 2 than a sequel. Blah.

Overall, the whole book felt like it was written and self-edited by an inexperienced teenage writer. I generally enjoyed it, but the book never caught my attention and I never felt emotionally invested in either the characters, the world, or the plot. I agree with other reviews that mentioned the story could have undergone a few more drafts or different editing styles.

]]> Fire with Fire 53968522
Until Dani comes face-to-face with one and forges a rare and magical bond with him. As she gets to know Nox, she realizes that everything she thought she knew about dragons is wrong. With Dani lost to the dragons, Eden turns to the mysterious and alluring sorcerers to help save her sister. Now on opposite sides of the conflict, the sisters will do whatever it takes to save the other. But the two are playing with magic that is more dangerous than they know, and there is another, more powerful enemy waiting for them both in the shadows.]]> 432 Destiny Soria 0358329736 devyn 3 own 3.76 2021 Fire with Fire
author: Destiny Soria
name: devyn
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/06/03
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: own
review:
Pretty good. not a huge fan of the romance between D and K considering the massive age gap. the beginning dragged and then the ending was so fast. there's somehow no consequences for the showdown on the property at the end?? D has no emotional toil from literally killing people?? i wish there was more about the dragons and the overall story followed D and N, not the sisters. i liked the sorcerer angle with E, and thought the change in her personality was a nice touch. i didnt think she was that hateable. was hoping this was a series that would touch more on dragons, the eggs, and the sorcerers.
]]> The Genius Plague 33946360 384 David Walton 1633883434 devyn 1 dnf
This is one of the most aggravating novels I have read recently. It succeeded in keeping me reading, but failed to make me care about the characters or the fate of the world, and has some of the most “written by a male nerd that thinks he’s smarter than he is� energy. No offense to the author, but Neil and Paul Johns are some of the most irritating male protagonists I’ve had to read about. The plot continued to be both fast and boring, pulling dumber and dumber stuff out of its ass, especially in the first half of the book.

Neil Johns is such a Gary Stu. He’s kind of a dick, definitely a sexist, and is conveniently smart and conveniently stupid. There’s no way this guy would have gotten a job in the NSA. There’s no way this man would have led the fight against the fungus. There’s no way this dude would have gotten the girl in the end. I stopped reading when the passengers of Neils plane clapped for him after he threatened the hospital that released his father.

I don’t even care to finish the book and find out how they stop the fungus or where it even came from. So many of the reviews mention a bad ending, and although I am curious how the author could make this book worse, I don’t care to actually find out. I have no idea how this book has so many 4 and 5 star reviews when it’s barely a 3 at best.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

DNF at 53% ~200 pages
]]> 3.71 2017 The Genius Plague
author: David Walton
name: devyn
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2022/08/31
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: dnf
review:
ugh.

This is one of the most aggravating novels I have read recently. It succeeded in keeping me reading, but failed to make me care about the characters or the fate of the world, and has some of the most “written by a male nerd that thinks he’s smarter than he is� energy. No offense to the author, but Neil and Paul Johns are some of the most irritating male protagonists I’ve had to read about. The plot continued to be both fast and boring, pulling dumber and dumber stuff out of its ass, especially in the first half of the book.

Neil Johns is such a Gary Stu. He’s kind of a dick, definitely a sexist, and is conveniently smart and conveniently stupid. There’s no way this guy would have gotten a job in the NSA. There’s no way this man would have led the fight against the fungus. There’s no way this dude would have gotten the girl in the end. I stopped reading when the passengers of Neils plane clapped for him after he threatened the hospital that released his father.

I don’t even care to finish the book and find out how they stop the fungus or where it even came from. So many of the reviews mention a bad ending, and although I am curious how the author could make this book worse, I don’t care to actually find out. I have no idea how this book has so many 4 and 5 star reviews when it’s barely a 3 at best.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

DNF at 53% ~200 pages

]]> The Bird King 40642333 Alif the Unseen and writer of the Ms. Marvel series, G. Willow Wilson

Set in 1491 during the reign of the last sultanate in the Iberian peninsula, The Bird King is the story of Fatima, the only remaining Circassian concubine to the sultan, and her dearest friend Hassan, the palace mapmaker.

Hassan has a secret--he can draw maps of places he's never seen and bend the shape of reality. When representatives of the newly formed Spanish monarchy arrive to negotiate the sultan's surrender, Fatima befriends one of the women, not realizing that she will see Hassan's gift as sorcery and a threat to Christian Spanish rule. With their freedoms at stake, what will Fatima risk to save Hassan and escape the palace walls?

As Fatima and Hassan traverse Spain with the help of a clever jinn to find safety, The Bird King asks us to consider what love is and the price of freedom at a time when the West and the Muslim world were not yet separate.]]> 403 G. Willow Wilson 080212903X devyn 2 3.68 2019 The Bird King
author: G. Willow Wilson
name: devyn
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2022/10/05
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
I struggled to get into the book, but finally managed to pick up a couple chapters in. I liked the characters and the direction of the story up until about 2/3 of the way through. I liked all the main characters, less so Fatima. Turns out a sheltered beautiful woman is not a relatable character. I felt bad for Hassan, who always seemed to suffer while Fatima was never harmed; plo armor, boo. I didn't care for the ending, which keeps the book from a solid 4 star rating. The whole Bird King thing had so much potential but lost itself and was fairly disappointing
]]> ǰǰö 13129925
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, ǰǰö is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, ǰǰö delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.

Designed by Andie Reid, cover photography by Christine Ferrara.]]> 248 Grady Hendrix 1594745269 devyn 2
Hendrix’s novels tend to start slow and end fast as the action begins. The characters in this book are constantly being thrown into a new and life threatening situation that fails to allow the reader to breathe. Overall, I liked the book (and the formatting of the physical editions) but disliked the characters.
They are so dumb and make infuriating decisions. No one cares that much about coworkers they aren’t friends with to endure torture, injury, and almost death, when given the chance to leave. [spoilers removed] And Basil *insert eye-rolling emoji* got on my nerves so bad. Despite the contrary, he continued and continued to deny the reality of their situation until he could no longer “logic brain� Amy and the others. And his d*ckriding of Orsk� I hate that there was any attempt to justify his desperation to be loyal to the company.

Other than the annoying characters, the horror was decent. I wasn’t a fan of the Warden and his torture of the cast because it felt so cheesy and took me out of the scariness of the body horror. The rest of the ghost stuff was scary though.
]]> 3.64 2014 ǰǰö
author: Grady Hendrix
name: devyn
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2023/08/14
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
CW: blood, body horror, injury detail, suicide, violence, prison content, minor torture, death

Hendrix’s novels tend to start slow and end fast as the action begins. The characters in this book are constantly being thrown into a new and life threatening situation that fails to allow the reader to breathe. Overall, I liked the book (and the formatting of the physical editions) but disliked the characters.
They are so dumb and make infuriating decisions. No one cares that much about coworkers they aren’t friends with to endure torture, injury, and almost death, when given the chance to leave. [spoilers removed] And Basil *insert eye-rolling emoji* got on my nerves so bad. Despite the contrary, he continued and continued to deny the reality of their situation until he could no longer “logic brain� Amy and the others. And his d*ckriding of Orsk� I hate that there was any attempt to justify his desperation to be loyal to the company.

Other than the annoying characters, the horror was decent. I wasn’t a fan of the Warden and his torture of the cast because it felt so cheesy and took me out of the scariness of the body horror. The rest of the ghost stuff was scary though.

]]> <![CDATA[Piratica: Being a Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas (Piratica, #1)]]> 616049 288 Tanith Lee 0525473246 devyn 2 3.67 2004 Piratica: Being a Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas (Piratica, #1)
author: Tanith Lee
name: devyn
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2004
rating: 2
read at: 2021/04/18
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> For the Wolf (Wilderwood, #1) 53418394 The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

The author has provided a list of content warnings here.]]> 437 Hannah F. Whitten 0316592781 devyn 1 dnf
I found myself completely unexcited to read this book after I was so interested in the premise. Right off the bat, the plot is slow and clearly meant to sound much more important and dark than it reads as. When nothing is explained for “reasons�, it really goes to show that there wasn’t much behind this story, especially to need to drag it out into 400+ pages. This book is NOT a red riding hood retelling, it simply takes inspiration for the main characters designs.

I was disappointed in the characters. First, Red is boring and childish and does things simply “because.� I found myself completely forgetting that she was supposed to be 20 years old. Secondly, I was completely disappointed in Eammon’s reveal. Why’d he have to be some dark, brooding, mysterious, hundreds of years old man conveniently put in a young person's body? Why can’t a YA love interest be close in age to the heroine? What is so appealing about such a massive age gap? I don't care for Fife or Lyra, nor could I remember that Arick and the other one even existed outside of when they were mentioned. The sister, Neve, was the only character that I was even remotely interested in.

Maybe I’m just stupid, but I was struggling to understand the writing style at some points and the reasons for some of the plots point like Eammon and Red’s “marriage� or the magic system. The whole book felt like it was trying to be something bigger and more important than it ended up being. 2 stars for what it could've been.

I am currently writing this review at the halfway point of the book, ~211 pages. I do not know if I will attempt to finish it.]]> 3.58 2021 For the Wolf (Wilderwood, #1)
author: Hannah F. Whitten
name: devyn
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2022/07/25
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: dnf
review:
Boring and hard to read.

I found myself completely unexcited to read this book after I was so interested in the premise. Right off the bat, the plot is slow and clearly meant to sound much more important and dark than it reads as. When nothing is explained for “reasons�, it really goes to show that there wasn’t much behind this story, especially to need to drag it out into 400+ pages. This book is NOT a red riding hood retelling, it simply takes inspiration for the main characters designs.

I was disappointed in the characters. First, Red is boring and childish and does things simply “because.� I found myself completely forgetting that she was supposed to be 20 years old. Secondly, I was completely disappointed in Eammon’s reveal. Why’d he have to be some dark, brooding, mysterious, hundreds of years old man conveniently put in a young person's body? Why can’t a YA love interest be close in age to the heroine? What is so appealing about such a massive age gap? I don't care for Fife or Lyra, nor could I remember that Arick and the other one even existed outside of when they were mentioned. The sister, Neve, was the only character that I was even remotely interested in.

Maybe I’m just stupid, but I was struggling to understand the writing style at some points and the reasons for some of the plots point like Eammon and Red’s “marriage� or the magic system. The whole book felt like it was trying to be something bigger and more important than it ended up being. 2 stars for what it could've been.

I am currently writing this review at the halfway point of the book, ~211 pages. I do not know if I will attempt to finish it.
]]> Blackfish City 35068768
“Simmers with menace and heartache, suspense and wonder.� —Ann Leckie

A Best Book of the Month in

Entertainment Weekly

The Washington Post

Tor.com

B&N Sci-Fi Fantasy Blog

Amazon

After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable feat of mechanical and social engineering, complete with geothermal heating and sustainable energy. The city’s denizens have become accustomed to a roughshod new way of living, however, the city is starting to fray along the edges—crime and corruption have set in, the contradictions of incredible wealth alongside direst poverty are spawning unrest, and a new disease called “the breaks� is ravaging the population.

When a strange new visitor arrives—a woman riding an orca, with a polar bear at her side—the city is entranced. The “orcamancer,� as she’s known, very subtly brings together four people—each living on the periphery—to stage unprecedented acts of resistance. By banding together to save their city before it crumbles under the weight of its own decay, they will learn shocking truths about themselves. 

Blackfish City is a remarkably urgent—and ultimately very hopeful—novel about political corruption, organized crime, technology run amok, the consequences of climate change, gender identity, and the unifying power of human connection. 

ձ> 336 Sam J. Miller 0062684841 devyn 2 My gripe with it was that the ending sucked. The book just ended all of a sudden, and with only 320 pages it could have been given a decent ending that wrapped everything up. POdlove’s conclusion was extremely dissatisfying given that he was such an important character throughout the novel. Blackfish woman’s (i can't remember her name) goal should have been more focused on revenge, because Ora’s plotline was simple and unnecessary and too much of a twist to have been introduced so close to the ending.
Overall, the book went in many directions I was not expecting it too, and none of them I particularly liked.]]> 3.54 2018 Blackfish City
author: Sam J. Miller
name: devyn
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2023/04/16
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
My opinion of this book declined the more it fleshed out and moved. I enjoyed how all of the characters were connected in some way and all the little hints that could be picked up on during a second read through that foreshadow the plot. The world building was easy to put together after the first few chapters.
My gripe with it was that the ending sucked. The book just ended all of a sudden, and with only 320 pages it could have been given a decent ending that wrapped everything up. POdlove’s conclusion was extremely dissatisfying given that he was such an important character throughout the novel. Blackfish woman’s (i can't remember her name) goal should have been more focused on revenge, because Ora’s plotline was simple and unnecessary and too much of a twist to have been introduced so close to the ending.
Overall, the book went in many directions I was not expecting it too, and none of them I particularly liked.
]]> The Lesson 41459037
An alien ship rests over Water Island. For five years the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands have lived with the Ynaa, a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission they will not fully disclose. They are benevolent in many ways but meet any act of aggression with disproportional wrath. This has led to a strained relationship between the Ynaa and the local Virgin Islanders and a peace that cannot last. A year after the death of a young boy at the hands of an Ynaa, three families find themselves at the center of the inevitable conflict, witness and victim to events that will touch everyone and teach a terrible lesson.]]> 286 Cadwell Turnbull 1538584646 devyn 3 3.52 2019 The Lesson
author: Cadwell Turnbull
name: devyn
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/07
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Self-Portrait with Nothing 59807970 If a picture paints a thousand worlds...

Abandoned as an infant on the local veterinarian’s front porch, Pepper Rafferty was raised by two loving mothers, and now at thirty-six is married to the stable, supportive Ike. She’s never told anyone that at fifteen she discovered the identity of her biological mother.

That’s because her birth mother is Ula Frost, a reclusive painter famous for the outrageous claims that her portraits summon their subjects� doppelgangers from parallel universes.

Researching the rumors, Pepper couldn’t help but wonder:
Was there a parallel universe in which she was more confident, more accomplished, better able to accept love?
A universe in which Ula decided she was worth keeping?
A universe in which Ula’s rejection didn’t still hurt too much to share?

Sometimes living our best life means embracing the imperfect one we already have…]]> 295 Aimee Pokwatka 1250820847 devyn 2 3.47 2022 Self-Portrait with Nothing
author: Aimee Pokwatka
name: devyn
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/07/19
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> The Loop 56674281 Stranger Things meets World War Z in this heart-racing thriller as a group of teenagers attempt to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.

A small town nestled in the hills of western Oregon becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence when the teenaged children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and everyone must do everything it takes just to survive…]]> 303 Jeremy Robert Johnson devyn 1
The plot was repetitive, overly gore-y, and boring for such a thrilling concept behind it. Many of the plot points felt sudden and the character deaths were shallow and meaningless and existed just to shock the audience. Too bad Johnson failed so hard to make the audience even remotely care for any of them. That being said, the characters themselves were shallow and unlikeable (although I did like Brewer), and the main girl Lucy was too pessimistic, angry, and brooding with a touch of sociopathy to be likeable or relatable. I found that I didn't care for her at all and was irritated by her actions and thoughts, and strong desire to kill people while also condemning the infected kids for killing. The dialogue was unrealistic and fairly stupid sounding at times, and the whole mystery of the infection was so unsolvable by Lucy and her gang that Johnson had to throw Steve at them for exposition. The gang never would have known anything had they not run into Steve. The pacing was way too fast and did not help the overall plot at all. Johnson’s writing style comes off as pretentious and snobbish, and nothing feels like it pays off at the end. So many threads are let go because there's simply no way for the characters to know it.

The author does not handle race, sex, or women well, with every female character being killed or a "slut." Lucy's backstory barely factors into the story other than to attempt to make her a brooding and mysterious mc. And the incorporation of teenager sex felt unnecessary and objectifies the female characters too much ex. Toni’s sex work, lesbian porn, breeding teenage girls.

[spoilers removed]

Stranger Things meets World War Z? Yeah, I wish.]]> 3.25 2020 The Loop
author: Jeremy Robert Johnson
name: devyn
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2022/06/15
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
This book caught a case of “interesting concept, poor execution.�

The plot was repetitive, overly gore-y, and boring for such a thrilling concept behind it. Many of the plot points felt sudden and the character deaths were shallow and meaningless and existed just to shock the audience. Too bad Johnson failed so hard to make the audience even remotely care for any of them. That being said, the characters themselves were shallow and unlikeable (although I did like Brewer), and the main girl Lucy was too pessimistic, angry, and brooding with a touch of sociopathy to be likeable or relatable. I found that I didn't care for her at all and was irritated by her actions and thoughts, and strong desire to kill people while also condemning the infected kids for killing. The dialogue was unrealistic and fairly stupid sounding at times, and the whole mystery of the infection was so unsolvable by Lucy and her gang that Johnson had to throw Steve at them for exposition. The gang never would have known anything had they not run into Steve. The pacing was way too fast and did not help the overall plot at all. Johnson’s writing style comes off as pretentious and snobbish, and nothing feels like it pays off at the end. So many threads are let go because there's simply no way for the characters to know it.

The author does not handle race, sex, or women well, with every female character being killed or a "slut." Lucy's backstory barely factors into the story other than to attempt to make her a brooding and mysterious mc. And the incorporation of teenager sex felt unnecessary and objectifies the female characters too much ex. Toni’s sex work, lesbian porn, breeding teenage girls.

[spoilers removed]

Stranger Things meets World War Z? Yeah, I wish.
]]> A House with Good Bones 60784409 A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.]]> 247 T. Kingfisher 1250829798 devyn 2 3.65 2023 A House with Good Bones
author: T. Kingfisher
name: devyn
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/01/15
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:
Soooo slow until the very end. I read most of it in one day but I don’t remember much.
]]> The Hollow Ones 52594581 A horrific crime that defies ordinary explanation. A rookie FBI agent in dangerous, uncharted territory. An extraordinary hero for the ages.

Odessa Hardwicke's life is derailed when she's forced to turn her gun on her partner, Walt Leppo, a decorated FBI agent who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. The shooting, justified by self-defense, shakes the young FBI agent to her core. Devastated, Odessa is placed on desk leave pending a full investigation. But what most troubles Odessa isn't the tragedy itself-it's the shadowy presence she thought she saw fleeing the deceased agent's body after his death. Questioning her future with the FBI and her sanity, Hardwicke accepts a low-level assignment to clear out the belongings of a retired agent in the New York office. What she finds there will put her on the trail of a mysterious figure named John Silence, a man of enormous means who claims to have been alive for centuries, and who is either an unhinged lunatic, or humanity's best and only defense against unspeakable evil.]]> 326 Guillermo del Toro 1538761742 devyn 3 3.59 2020 The Hollow Ones
author: Guillermo del Toro
name: devyn
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/07/29
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Brightest Night (Wings of Fire, #5)]]> 18527497
It all comes down to this: The Dragonets of Destiny must finally bring the epic war to an end, reconcile the seven tribes, and choose the next queen of Pyrrhia... and make it out alive.]]> 336 Tui T. Sutherland 0545349222 devyn 5 4.53 2014 The Brightest Night (Wings of Fire, #5)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: devyn
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/26
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Secret (Wings of Fire, #4)]]> 17675467
Like all the dragonets of destiny, Starflight has always wanted to see his home -- but he's also been afraid of his fellow NightWings. Starflight doesn't have mindreading powers like his tribe, and he doesn't understand why they're so secretive. No one has ever even seen the NightWing queen.

But now Starflight is the dragonets' only hope -- he must find a way to negotiate with his fellow NightWings to free the RainWing dragons they've captured, and perhaps end the war in Pyrrhia altogether. Starflight is the smartest of the dragonets... but is he brave enough to speak up? Or will he falter in his mission, and accidentally betray them all?]]> 336 Tui T. Sutherland 0545349214 devyn 4 4.37 2013 The Dark Secret (Wings of Fire, #4)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: devyn
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/12
date added: 2024/02/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire, #3)]]> 16100976
Deep in the rain forest, danger awaits...

Glory knows the dragon world is wrong about her tribe. After all, she isn't "as lazy as a RainWing" -- she isn't lazy at all! Maybe she wasn't meant to be one of the dragonets of destiny, as the older dragons constantly remind her, but Glory is sharp and her venom is deadly... except, of course, no one knows it.

When the dragonets seek shelter in the rain forest, Glory is devastated to find that the treetops are full of RainWings that no dragon could ever call dangerous. They nap all day and know nothing of the rest of Pyrrhia. Worst of all, they don't realize -- or care -- that RainWings are going missing from their beautiful forest. But Glory and the dragonets are determined to find the missing dragons, even if it drags the peaceful RainWing kingdom where they never wanted to be -- in the middle of the war.]]> 336 Tui T. Sutherland 0545349206 devyn 4 4.50 2012 The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire, #3)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: devyn
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/08
date added: 2024/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Rouge 157184735 From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny comes a horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her down a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. Can she escape her mother’s fate—and find a connection that is more than skin deep?

For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.

Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, Rouge explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry—as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, Rouge holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath.]]> 383 Mona Awad devyn 0 3.54 2023 Rouge
author: Mona Awad
name: devyn
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire, #2)]]> 15809617 321 Tui T. Sutherland 0545349192 devyn 4 own 4.41 2013 The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire, #2)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: devyn
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/24
date added: 2023/12/27
shelves: own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire, #1)]]> 13228487
The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.

Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war.

But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .]]> 336 Tui T. Sutherland 0545349184 devyn 4 own 4.22 2012 The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire, #1)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: devyn
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/10
date added: 2023/12/11
shelves: own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)]]> 48727813 Two-time British Fantasy Award Winner
Astounding Award Winner
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Hugo Award Finalist
Locus Award Finalist
Otherwise Award Finalist

"Magnificent in every way."—Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

"A dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal."—Zen Cho, author of Black Water Sister

She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor.

To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

“I refuse to be nothing…�

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness�

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future her brother's abandoned greatness.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 416 Shelley Parker-Chan 1250621798 devyn 0 dnf 3.87 2021 She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)
author: Shelley Parker-Chan
name: devyn
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/17
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Spear 57693308
And so, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and, with a broken hunting spear and mended armour, rides on a bony gelding to Caer Leon. On her adventures she will meet great knights and steal the hearts of beautiful women. She will fight warriors and sorcerers. And she will find her love, and the lake, and her fate.]]> 184 Nicola Griffith 1250819326 devyn 4 4.04 2022 Spear
author: Nicola Griffith
name: devyn
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/06
date added: 2023/09/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Lone Women 60460704
Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It’s locked at all times. Because when the trunk opens, people around Adelaide start to disappear.

The year is 1915, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, forcing her to flee California in a hellfire rush and make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will become one of the “lone women� taking advantage of the government’s offer of free land for those who can tame it—except that Adelaide isn’t alone. And the secret she’s tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing that will help her survive the harsh territory.

Crafted by a modern master of magical suspense, Lone Women blends shimmering prose, an unforgettable cast of adventurers who find horror and sisterhood in a brutal landscape, and a portrait of early-twentieth-century America like you’ve never seen. And at its heart is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—or redeem it.]]> 275 Victor LaValle 052551208X devyn 3 3.68 2023 Lone Women
author: Victor LaValle
name: devyn
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/11
date added: 2023/08/14
shelves:
review:
CW: misgendering/crossdressing, (implied) violence, minor animal death, injury detail
]]> Final Girls 34690882 Now, Quincy is doing well--maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiance, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won't even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.
That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.]]> 557 Riley Sager 1432839470 devyn 4
Final Girls had a slow beginning and a quick end. Many reviews complained about the pacing throughout the book, but I think it adds to the chaos and unravelling of Quincy’s peaceful and put together life after Sam’s arrival. The pace picks up as Quincy begins to return the memories of her massacre and the anger and violence she’s hidden inside herself for a decade.

I felt like the twists and reveals were nicely paced and put together. There was enough suspicion threaded that I got the impression that people aren't who they were portrayed as and that Quincy’s memories might be wrong. But the final villain twist caught me completely off guard.

I liked the snippets of Quincy’s memories of the massacre spaced throughout the book until Sam’s reveal and the ending. Each memory lined up with current events in Quincy’s life, while keeping me interested in figuring out what actually happened and why everyone distrusted Quicny’s memory loss.]]> 3.96 2017 Final Girls
author: Riley Sager
name: devyn
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/03
date added: 2023/08/14
shelves:
review:
CW: blood, injury detail, sex, manipulation, violence, knife injury, infidelity, drug abuse

Final Girls had a slow beginning and a quick end. Many reviews complained about the pacing throughout the book, but I think it adds to the chaos and unravelling of Quincy’s peaceful and put together life after Sam’s arrival. The pace picks up as Quincy begins to return the memories of her massacre and the anger and violence she’s hidden inside herself for a decade.

I felt like the twists and reveals were nicely paced and put together. There was enough suspicion threaded that I got the impression that people aren't who they were portrayed as and that Quincy’s memories might be wrong. But the final villain twist caught me completely off guard.

I liked the snippets of Quincy’s memories of the massacre spaced throughout the book until Sam’s reveal and the ending. Each memory lined up with current events in Quincy’s life, while keeping me interested in figuring out what actually happened and why everyone distrusted Quicny’s memory loss.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins devyn 4 favorites 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: devyn
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/22
date added: 2023/07/19
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 devyn 4 favorites 4.34 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: devyn
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/05
date added: 2023/07/19
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Vol. 1 (Stardust Crusaders, #1)]]> 936891
In a Japanese jail sits 17-year-old Jotaro punk, fighter, delinquent...and possessed by a force beyond his control! Around the world, evil spirits are "Stands," monstrous invisible creatures which give their bearers incredible powers. To save his mother's life, Jotaro must tame his dark forces and travel around the world to Cairo, Egypt, where a hundred-year-old vampire thirsts for the blood of his family. But the road is long, and an army of evil Stand Users waits to kill JoJo and his friends...]]> 219 Hirohiko Araki 159116754X devyn 4 4.38 1989 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Vol. 1 (Stardust Crusaders, #1)
author: Hirohiko Araki
name: devyn
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/14
date added: 2023/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]> Frankenstein: Unleashed 31665459 354 T.K. Hardin 1523601272 devyn 2 own
How disappointing. No offense to the author, writing a book is hard and self publishing a niche book is even more difficult, but Hardin completely destroys the complexity of Frankenstein, narratively, thematically, and character-wise. If you are a fan of Mary Shelley’s 1818 Frankenstein, do not expect a level of quality anything close to the original. I expected so much more from this story, and it continued to disappoint with every new page. Expect an amateurly written OOC fanfic INSPIRED by the idea of Frankenstein. Let it be known, this novel is NOT a hard read, maybe it’s a cringey read, but it’s easy to digest and provides simple, guilty-pleasure entertainment. However, it severely lacks plot wise and character wise.

!!!Spoilers ahead!!!

/Plot
Everything happens for a reason because it's convenient. Elizabeth is a witch (who doesn’t actively practice, mind you) who somehow has the know-with-all to perform powerful spells, like bringing a mish-mash dead body back to life. The inclusion of magic completely strips the plot of any reason, and misses the themes of the original text. The creature being re-alived is no longer disbelief-suspending, crazy God-like science- he’s alive because of Elizabeth’s unintentional magic. The only reason she knows about Victor’s experiments is because she just knows that the man she saw in her dreams is her destined love, and she just feels compelled to go to the far side of the castle grounds. At night. In the pouring rain.
The romance has absolutely no buildup because of this ‘destiny�. The audience knows immediately that there will be no conflict, tension, or learning to love despite one’s self in Elizabeth and Lucian’s relationship because they are supposed to be together. The only thing standing in their way is Elizabeth’s loosely insinuated betrothal to Victor, and Victor’s cartoonish villainy. The cover page (did you notice he’s holding a cross?) is not relevant to the plot at all.

Character
Every character in this novel is the flattest, most one-dimensional caricature of a typical ‘forbidden romance�. Elizabeth is the pure virgin with a secret. Lucian is the Perfect Man. Victor is a literal cartoon-ass sociopathic, self absorbed, sex dungeoning murderer who cares about nothing but himself and his power. All of the moral complexity of the original characters is thrown out the window. The creature is not an ugly monstrosity, outcast by all of society because he’s a literal walking quilt corpse. There's no moral downfall; he kills only bad people who try to hurt Elizabeth. He feels kinda bad about inhabiting a body that once killed people, but he gets over it pretty quickly (almost as quickly as Elizabeth is down to snog that dead, dead meat). Victor’s moral compass is pointing straight to ‘how much more terrible can I get?� He doesn’t question his actions because he didn’t actually re-alive the creature.
Not to mention the abhorrent treatment of the minor characters. Victor’s brother, William, former 6 yr-old innocent child, is now a 20-something alcoholic attempted rapist. Justine, Elizabeth’s closest friend, defends William’s rapey-ness and then kills herself because she couldn’t live with the fact that she fell in love with and was pregnant by her ‘friend’s� attempted rapist.
None of the characters are that interesting. I don’t care about any of them having a happy ending.

Writing
I feel bad for saying this, but this book is self-published for a reason. It's terrible in quality equal to Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight, but not nearly as commercially sellable. Besides the poor characterization and lame plot, the actual quality of the writing needs serious editing. Way too much is said through dialogue, making every conversation sound dumb, unrealistic, or weirdly exposition-y. The characters repeat plot points like the reader could possibly forget that Victor sucks or that the creature crawled out of a grave or that the creature’s body was a murderer. All of the main three POVs (Elizabeth, Victor, and Lucian) have fairly similar narrative voices, making each individual chapter near indistinguishable from the others- save for Elizabeth’s constant reminding of her magic, Lucian constantly reminding of his ‘birth�, or Victor’s crazy evil person internal dialogue.

At one point, the author includes some pro-life sentiment, which is weirdly on theme, but that never gets brought up ever again. It's a throw-away opinion line between Victor and his fav prostitute. Did I mention Victor’s into master/slave BDSM sh*t? Oh yeah, Henry’s there too sometimes.

Smut
I know some of you are here for some monster effing, but beware! The real monster was the scientist all along, lol.
No seriously there's not much smut in this book and somehow it's almost all Victor whipping some girls� arse and saying the cringiest lines.]]> 2.00 2014 Frankenstein: Unleashed
author: T.K. Hardin
name: devyn
average rating: 2.00
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2023/07/13
date added: 2023/07/13
shelves: own
review:
CW: blood, murder, choking, attempted rape, infertility, death of pregnant woman, rough sexual content

How disappointing. No offense to the author, writing a book is hard and self publishing a niche book is even more difficult, but Hardin completely destroys the complexity of Frankenstein, narratively, thematically, and character-wise. If you are a fan of Mary Shelley’s 1818 Frankenstein, do not expect a level of quality anything close to the original. I expected so much more from this story, and it continued to disappoint with every new page. Expect an amateurly written OOC fanfic INSPIRED by the idea of Frankenstein. Let it be known, this novel is NOT a hard read, maybe it’s a cringey read, but it’s easy to digest and provides simple, guilty-pleasure entertainment. However, it severely lacks plot wise and character wise.

!!!Spoilers ahead!!!

/Plot
Everything happens for a reason because it's convenient. Elizabeth is a witch (who doesn’t actively practice, mind you) who somehow has the know-with-all to perform powerful spells, like bringing a mish-mash dead body back to life. The inclusion of magic completely strips the plot of any reason, and misses the themes of the original text. The creature being re-alived is no longer disbelief-suspending, crazy God-like science- he’s alive because of Elizabeth’s unintentional magic. The only reason she knows about Victor’s experiments is because she just knows that the man she saw in her dreams is her destined love, and she just feels compelled to go to the far side of the castle grounds. At night. In the pouring rain.
The romance has absolutely no buildup because of this ‘destiny�. The audience knows immediately that there will be no conflict, tension, or learning to love despite one’s self in Elizabeth and Lucian’s relationship because they are supposed to be together. The only thing standing in their way is Elizabeth’s loosely insinuated betrothal to Victor, and Victor’s cartoonish villainy. The cover page (did you notice he’s holding a cross?) is not relevant to the plot at all.

Character
Every character in this novel is the flattest, most one-dimensional caricature of a typical ‘forbidden romance�. Elizabeth is the pure virgin with a secret. Lucian is the Perfect Man. Victor is a literal cartoon-ass sociopathic, self absorbed, sex dungeoning murderer who cares about nothing but himself and his power. All of the moral complexity of the original characters is thrown out the window. The creature is not an ugly monstrosity, outcast by all of society because he’s a literal walking quilt corpse. There's no moral downfall; he kills only bad people who try to hurt Elizabeth. He feels kinda bad about inhabiting a body that once killed people, but he gets over it pretty quickly (almost as quickly as Elizabeth is down to snog that dead, dead meat). Victor’s moral compass is pointing straight to ‘how much more terrible can I get?� He doesn’t question his actions because he didn’t actually re-alive the creature.
Not to mention the abhorrent treatment of the minor characters. Victor’s brother, William, former 6 yr-old innocent child, is now a 20-something alcoholic attempted rapist. Justine, Elizabeth’s closest friend, defends William’s rapey-ness and then kills herself because she couldn’t live with the fact that she fell in love with and was pregnant by her ‘friend’s� attempted rapist.
None of the characters are that interesting. I don’t care about any of them having a happy ending.

Writing
I feel bad for saying this, but this book is self-published for a reason. It's terrible in quality equal to Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight, but not nearly as commercially sellable. Besides the poor characterization and lame plot, the actual quality of the writing needs serious editing. Way too much is said through dialogue, making every conversation sound dumb, unrealistic, or weirdly exposition-y. The characters repeat plot points like the reader could possibly forget that Victor sucks or that the creature crawled out of a grave or that the creature’s body was a murderer. All of the main three POVs (Elizabeth, Victor, and Lucian) have fairly similar narrative voices, making each individual chapter near indistinguishable from the others- save for Elizabeth’s constant reminding of her magic, Lucian constantly reminding of his ‘birth�, or Victor’s crazy evil person internal dialogue.

At one point, the author includes some pro-life sentiment, which is weirdly on theme, but that never gets brought up ever again. It's a throw-away opinion line between Victor and his fav prostitute. Did I mention Victor’s into master/slave BDSM sh*t? Oh yeah, Henry’s there too sometimes.

Smut
I know some of you are here for some monster effing, but beware! The real monster was the scientist all along, lol.
No seriously there's not much smut in this book and somehow it's almost all Victor whipping some girls� arse and saying the cringiest lines.
]]> <![CDATA[Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening]]> 55883882
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6

About the Creators:

New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop. Ms. Liu's extensive work includes the bestselling "Astonishing X-Men" for Marvel Comics, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Prior to writing full-time, Liu was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.

Sana Takeda is an illustrator and comic book artist who was born in Niigata, and now resides in Tokyo, Japan. At age 20 she started out as a 3D CGI designer for SEGA, a Japanese video game company, and became a freelance artist when she was 25. She is still an artist, and has worked on titles such as "X-23" and "Ms. Marvel" for Marvel Comics, and is an illustrator for trading card games in Japan.]]> 192 Marjorie M. Liu 1632157098 devyn 4 3.96 2016 Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: devyn
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/22
date added: 2023/07/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Monstress, Book Two 60762371
Collecting volumes 4-6 of the Eisner, Hugo, Harvey, and British Fantasy Award-winning series by MARJORIE LIU & SANA TAKEDA, MONSTRESS, BOOK TWO is a deluxe oversized hardcover brimming with more than 500 pages of art deco beauty and steampunk horror that will make an elegant addition to any fan's shelf.

Collects MONSTRESS #19-35 & MONSTRESS: TALK-STORIES #1-2]]> 528 Marjorie M. Liu 1534323147 devyn 4 own
CW: blood, gore, fire injury, background child death, fantasy racism/genocide, war, non-suicidal self harm]]> 4.57 2022 Monstress, Book Two
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: devyn
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/10
date added: 2023/07/10
shelves: own
review:
caught my interest better than book one.

CW: blood, gore, fire injury, background child death, fantasy racism/genocide, war, non-suicidal self harm
]]> Monstress, Book One 43471348
Creator/writer Marjorie Liu (who made history as the first woman to win an Eisner Award for Best Writer) and creator/artist Sana Takeda present a deluxe, oversized hardcover edition of their beloved breakout comic in MONSTRESS BOOK ONE. Collecting the first 18 issues of the New York Times bestselling series, this massive edition features a striking new cover, as well as special extras, including never-before-seen sketches, script pages, and more for over 500 pages of award-winning content.]]> 528 Marjorie M. Liu 1534312323 devyn 4 own
CW: war, gore, blood, body horror, animal death, fantasy racism, mentions of slavery/(attempted) genocide, images of injuries, cannibalism]]> 4.38 2019 Monstress, Book One
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: devyn
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/06
date added: 2023/07/07
shelves: own
review:
I had read the first volume months before the rest of the book and had not reread it before finishing, so the first six chapters I don't remember well. Sometimes the story could be hard to follow and I didn't start remembering characters' names until about halfway through. The art is phenomenal and the characters design, ugh *chefs kiss* If you like hot women, this story is for you. If you like matriarchal perspectives and eldritch horror, this story is for you. I enjoyed the greyness of Maika’s character and the story’s willingness to paint “heroes� as bad people.

CW: war, gore, blood, body horror, animal death, fantasy racism, mentions of slavery/(attempted) genocide, images of injuries, cannibalism
]]> <![CDATA[The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)]]> 51901147
The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.]]> 541 Suzanne Collins devyn 4
I loved how conflicting my feelings about Snow were throughout the book. [spoilers removed] He makes such bad decisions but never truly suffers for his own mistakes. All because he is the epitome of a perfect, privileged Capitol citizen. He will never be able to see the perspective of the districts or the rebels and will never be in the unfortunate situation of being district in a time of the Hunger Games.

I found it quite funny how he tries to justify himself and his family being ‘in terrible conditions� because they don’t live as lavishly as the other wealthy families (and although it was never discussed, they probably have a ton of money anyway). From the start, every decision he makes is meant to elevate himself and help himself to achieve his goals.[spoilers removed]

I find Snow’s transition from finding the games slightly heinous to his full support of them. Of course, if you’ve read the original trilogy before this one, you know how it all ends up for Snow, but it's interesting to see how he got there. Its fascinating character development builds his trilogy character, seeing why he absolutely despises Katniss’s rise to influence. His reaction to Coin’s death makes a lot of sense given his opinions on the need to control, that the rebels fought the Capitol’s influence only to have almost reinstated someone just as bad. Coin’s desire to recreate the Games with Capitol children just reinforces Snow’s perspective on people being inherently animals; that they will always want to destroy each other.

I thought it was also pretty cool to see the development of the Games into what we know of them from the original trilogy, and seeing how much of it was Snow’s ideas. It really enforces his worldview and his villainy, especially towards Katniss.

Collins wrote an amazing prequel to a character that barely shows up in the original trilogy, despite having so much influence over the main character. She did a great job fleshing him out.

CW: child death, drug use, effects of poisoning/rabies, murder
]]> 3.99 2020 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: devyn
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/29
date added: 2023/06/29
shelves:
review:
There are not enough mean words in the English language to describe how I feel about Snow.

I loved how conflicting my feelings about Snow were throughout the book. [spoilers removed] He makes such bad decisions but never truly suffers for his own mistakes. All because he is the epitome of a perfect, privileged Capitol citizen. He will never be able to see the perspective of the districts or the rebels and will never be in the unfortunate situation of being district in a time of the Hunger Games.

I found it quite funny how he tries to justify himself and his family being ‘in terrible conditions� because they don’t live as lavishly as the other wealthy families (and although it was never discussed, they probably have a ton of money anyway). From the start, every decision he makes is meant to elevate himself and help himself to achieve his goals.[spoilers removed]

I find Snow’s transition from finding the games slightly heinous to his full support of them. Of course, if you’ve read the original trilogy before this one, you know how it all ends up for Snow, but it's interesting to see how he got there. Its fascinating character development builds his trilogy character, seeing why he absolutely despises Katniss’s rise to influence. His reaction to Coin’s death makes a lot of sense given his opinions on the need to control, that the rebels fought the Capitol’s influence only to have almost reinstated someone just as bad. Coin’s desire to recreate the Games with Capitol children just reinforces Snow’s perspective on people being inherently animals; that they will always want to destroy each other.

I thought it was also pretty cool to see the development of the Games into what we know of them from the original trilogy, and seeing how much of it was Snow’s ideas. It really enforces his worldview and his villainy, especially towards Katniss.

Collins wrote an amazing prequel to a character that barely shows up in the original trilogy, despite having so much influence over the main character. She did a great job fleshing him out.

CW: child death, drug use, effects of poisoning/rabies, murder

]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 devyn 3 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: devyn
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/19
date added: 2023/06/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Phoenix Extravagant 52758604 Dragons. Art. Revolution.

Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.

One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.

But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics.

What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…]]> 346 Yoon Ha Lee 1781087946 devyn 2
None of the characters are all that interesting or even likable. Vei and Arazi are the most enjoyable, in my opinion, and considering Arazi’s importance to the Razan government and the whole plan with Jebi and capturing Bongsunga, he has little page space. I thought it was poor foreshadowing that Jebi mentions red-haired Westerners multiple times, only for- Surprise! A red-haired Westerner to be in the rebel camp and also she’s in a relationship with Bongsunga. It stands out so significantly that it doesn’t feel like foreshadowing. I also thought it was stupid that the red-haired person goes by Red, because of their hair.

The plot was so weirdly slow and fast at the same time. It felt like nothing would happen but then suddenly a bunch of things would happen all at once, but none of them got the page space to be fleshed out enough. Some things were quickly introduced and seemed to be important, only to be immediately insignificant, i.e Hak’s death (she seemed to be some kind of fox person upon her death). The plotline about the rebels and Razanei empire trumped the art plotline, which is where I thought the story would have gone. The ending was not satisfying.]]> 3.63 2020 Phoenix Extravagant
author: Yoon Ha Lee
name: devyn
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2023/05/02
date added: 2023/05/02
shelves:
review:
You know those male main characters that are useless idiots but everyone loves them and they're somehow the center of a major important issue? Jebi is one of those boring, useless characters- but nonbinary! So diversity points!!. They don’t do anything for themselves, just waiting for things to happen to them. For being an artist, something that is mentioned over and over and over again, Jebi doesn’t do a lot of art nor is it a major point of the book. I liked that they are nonbinary -or at least that's what I thought was being implied with the use of they/them pronouns- and them being queer isn't the center of the story; in this case not even mentioned.[spoilers removed] Jebi had absolutely no respect for Bongsunga despite acknowledging how much Bongsunga gave up for them. Their selfish, and never seem to grow away from that.

None of the characters are all that interesting or even likable. Vei and Arazi are the most enjoyable, in my opinion, and considering Arazi’s importance to the Razan government and the whole plan with Jebi and capturing Bongsunga, he has little page space. I thought it was poor foreshadowing that Jebi mentions red-haired Westerners multiple times, only for- Surprise! A red-haired Westerner to be in the rebel camp and also she’s in a relationship with Bongsunga. It stands out so significantly that it doesn’t feel like foreshadowing. I also thought it was stupid that the red-haired person goes by Red, because of their hair.

The plot was so weirdly slow and fast at the same time. It felt like nothing would happen but then suddenly a bunch of things would happen all at once, but none of them got the page space to be fleshed out enough. Some things were quickly introduced and seemed to be important, only to be immediately insignificant, i.e Hak’s death (she seemed to be some kind of fox person upon her death). The plotline about the rebels and Razanei empire trumped the art plotline, which is where I thought the story would have gone. The ending was not satisfying.
]]> <![CDATA[Into the Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle, #3)]]> 59807976
Accompanied by Almost Brilliant, a talking bird with an indelible memory, Chih confronts old legends and new dangers alike as they learn that every story—beautiful, ugly, kind, or cruel—bears more than one face.]]> 100 Nghi Vo 1250851424 devyn 4 4.01 2022 Into the Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle, #3)
author: Nghi Vo
name: devyn
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/20
date added: 2023/04/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle, #2)]]> 53265639
Nghi Vo returns to the empire of Ahn and The Singing Hills Cycle in this mesmerizing, lush standalone follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune]]> 125 Nghi Vo 1250786134 devyn 3 4.18 2020 When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle, #2)
author: Nghi Vo
name: devyn
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/06
date added: 2023/04/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)]]> 51190882
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

Librarian Note: Older cover of B07VH6Y4JD.]]> 119 Nghi Vo devyn 4 3.91 2020 The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
author: Nghi Vo
name: devyn
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/02
date added: 2023/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Freedom Summer: The Savage Season of 1964 That Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy]]> 19518908 A riveting account of one of the most remarkable episodes in American history.

In his critically acclaimed history Freedom Summer, award- winning author Bruce Watson presents powerful testimony about a crucial episode in the American civil rights movement. During the sweltering summer of 1964, more than seven hundred American college students descended upon segregated, reactionary Mississippi to register black voters and educate black children. On the night of their arrival, the worst fears of a race-torn nation were realized when three young men disappeared, thought to have been murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. Taking readers into the heart of these remarkable months, Freedom Summer shines new light on a critical moment of nascent change in America.


]]> 544 Bruce Watson 1101190183 devyn 5 4.27 2010 Freedom Summer: The Savage Season of 1964 That Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy
author: Bruce Watson
name: devyn
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/31
date added: 2023/03/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters]]> 59978434 Meet the monsters in our midst, from bigfoot to Mothman and beyond!

Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures and investigates the ways in which communities embrace and celebrate their local cryptids. Readers will learn about:

� Batsquatch of Washington, a winged bigfoot that is said to have emerged from the eruption of Mount Saint Helens
� Nain Rouge of Michigan, a fierce red goblin that has been spotted before every major city disaster in Detroit
� Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia, a robotic extraterrestrial that crash-landed in rural Appalachia
� Lizard Man of South Carolina, a reptilian mutant that attacked a teenager in the summer of 1988
� Glocester Ghoul of Rhode Island, a fire-breathing dragon that guards a hoard of pirate treasure
� And many more!

Whether you believe in bigfoot or not, this fully illustrated compendium is a fun, frightening, fascinating tour through American folklore and history, exploring the stories we tell about monsters and what those stories say about us.]]> 288 J.W. Ocker 1683693221 devyn 0 3.89 2022 The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters
author: J.W. Ocker
name: devyn
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/02/11
date added: 2023/02/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Return of the Earl (Botany Bay, #1)]]> 949285
It's been 15 years since Christian Sauvage has left England, but now he's returned to claim his title and his inheritance. Julianne knew Christian when they were children, and though there is a slight resemblance to the boy she once adored, can this ruggedly handsome man be the real earl? Or has she fallen in love with an impostor?]]> 384 Edith Layton 0060567090 devyn 3 own But overall, great book and I'm interested in reading the rest of the series.]]> 3.31 2004 The Return of the Earl (Botany Bay, #1)
author: Edith Layton
name: devyn
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/19
date added: 2023/01/06
shelves: own
review:
The book was slow going, but the mystery kept me interested and I liked the characters. They all have unique personalities and are dimensional, especially Sophie. There were moments where I hated her and moments where I felt bad for her. he twist at the end was great and bumped up my rating to a solid 4. What I liked most about this book, was that the main man was not a womanizing asshat to the main woman. I would say that the ending and overall romance felt a little rushed at the end, like the mystery was drawn out and then wrapped up all of a sudden.
But overall, great book and I'm interested in reading the rest of the series.
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