Ashleigh's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 04 Dec 2024 11:05:17 -0800 60 Ashleigh's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Guest List 52656911
The bride � The plus one � The best man � The wedding planner � The bridesmaid � The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?]]> 319 Lucy Foley Ashleigh 0 currently-reading 3.82 2020 The Guest List
author: Lucy Foley
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Summer I Turned Pretty (The Summer I Turned Pretty, #1)]]> 35380161
Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.]]> 276 Jenny Han Ashleigh 2 contemporary-fic
Content warnings for cancer, divorce, and bullying.]]> 3.56 2009 The Summer I Turned Pretty (The Summer I Turned Pretty, #1)
author: Jenny Han
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: contemporary-fic
review:
Sure, I can see how people liked this book. I wish it hadn't waited until the last 25% to do something of substance - even wanting to read a lighthearted and fluffy book, this had so little going for it. Belly has almost no personality, and most of her loved ones are mean to her. She loves all of them unconditionally... why? Her growth comes as too little and too late amidst confusing mixed timelines and a stream-of-consciousness plot that focused more on her reactions than her agency as a person.

Content warnings for cancer, divorce, and bullying.
]]> <![CDATA[Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)]]> 23437156 Alternate cover of ISBN 9781627792127

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.]]> 480 Leigh Bardugo 1627792120 Ashleigh 4
Content warnings for xenophobia/racism, trafficking, child abuse, injury and medical content, violence, war, betrayal, genocide, addiction, slavery, and murder (all frequent) as well as bullying, guns, addiction, confinement, illness and child death, sexual harassment, and brief ableism and drug use.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (criminals, hard mode); also fits for first in a series, entitled animals, multi-POV (hard mode), character with a disability (hard mode), survival (hard mode), judge a book by its cover, and book club.]]> 4.47 2015 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Wow, this book. I haven't taken so long to read something in quite a long time, but it was worth it. Immediately, the prose and command of the world hooked me, and the qualities I initially loved were fleshed out and present throughout the entire story. Bardugo clearly has an amazing ability to weave discrete and complex storylines together, disrupt and reset the status quo, and keep secrets from both the characters and the reader. Finishing this book was like unraveling more and more depth, making the painful and wonderful parts all stronger. The only things keeping it from a perfect rating are the sheer number of details that I had to remember and the very graphic descriptions of injury and bodily harm. Overall, though, this was excellent. I can't wait to read the next one.

Content warnings for xenophobia/racism, trafficking, child abuse, injury and medical content, violence, war, betrayal, genocide, addiction, slavery, and murder (all frequent) as well as bullying, guns, addiction, confinement, illness and child death, sexual harassment, and brief ableism and drug use.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (criminals, hard mode); also fits for first in a series, entitled animals, multi-POV (hard mode), character with a disability (hard mode), survival (hard mode), judge a book by its cover, and book club.
]]> <![CDATA[Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story)]]> 209645
Readers will delight in following Cinderella through all the usual happenings, presented in a most unusual way. And they’ll finally see what becomes of her after she marries the prince. So maybe you should hear the story one last time. Because it’s actually way different than you might have thought. . . .

Kids who have outgrown picture books and are ready for something longer—but still love illustrated texts—will gravitate toward this Cinderella , which was an IRA-CBC Children's Choice selection. Black-and-white silhouettes of everything from the ugly stepsisters to Cinderella’s slipper (actual size) are intermingled with Cinderella’s letters to her recently deceased mother in this totally original package. And don't miss the companion book to this fairy-tale reboot: Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride .]]> 128 Barbara Ensor 0375836209 Ashleigh 3 childhood-re-reads
Content warning for child neglect.]]> 3.27 2006 Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story)
author: Barbara Ensor
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: childhood-re-reads
review:
Cute and silly but little substance. Even as a kid, I can see this being an easy read that's fluffy but doesn't lead to much thought. No real standouts in any direction.

Content warning for child neglect.
]]> <![CDATA[A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1)]]> 12974372 You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.]]> 334 Marie Brennan 0765331969 Ashleigh 3
Content warnings for animal cruelty and death (frequent), injury and medical content (graphic), violence, illness, kidnapping, and miscarriage.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (entitled animals, hard mode); also fits first in a series (hard mode), set in a small town, survival (hard mode), and reference materials (hard mode).]]> 3.83 2013 A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1)
author: Marie Brennan
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/13
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic, historical-fiction
review:
The beginning of this book had me hooked, fully convinced that it was going to be a five-star read. Historical fiction, memoir, a witty and strong female heroine, adventure, and a dash of fantasy? It was a perfect recipe. Unfortunately, the contemplative and slow pace dragged for me, and it also took me out of the feeling that the protagonist was writing a memoir of her life. It's nitpicking, sure, but who remembers details back that far when decades have passed? Switching between minute tidbits and her current opinion as she looks back, it fell into a weird category that ultimately didn't resonate as strongly. If you can tolerate a slow pace and some very graphic animal injury/death, it might be for you. I won't continue the series but am glad I read it.

Content warnings for animal cruelty and death (frequent), injury and medical content (graphic), violence, illness, kidnapping, and miscarriage.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (entitled animals, hard mode); also fits first in a series (hard mode), set in a small town, survival (hard mode), and reference materials (hard mode).
]]> <![CDATA[Death by Latte (Death By Mysteries, #2)]]> 3528744 Coffee can kill.

It was only a few weeks ago that Aphra Connolly’s life changed completely. She had been living a quiet existence on her father’s secluded island resort, until Seth Mulo turned up, stole her heart - and provided information that led to her mom in Seattle. But the reunion isn’t quite what she expected. Aphra’s mom, Natalie, doesn’t seem happy to see Aphra; and Natalie’s partner, Joe, insists that Aphra go home. Even worse, Seth shows up, only to ask her to return the ring he gave her a few weeks ago. At least Natalie’s hunky neighbor is sympathetic. But when Joe is found dead at a nearby coffee shop, Aphra discovers her whole trip to Seattle has been based on a lie. And now someone just might be trying to kill her. . . .]]> 203 Linda Gerber 0142411183 Ashleigh 3
Content warnings for violence, injury, family trauma, and murder.]]> 3.84 2008 Death by Latte (Death By Mysteries, #2)
author: Linda Gerber
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: childhood-re-reads, contemporary-fic
review:
Like the first one, this is cute and fun, with nothing especially notable one way or another. It was fun to revisit this book from my childhood, and I'll easily finish the series. It had a few twists and turns, which is more than I expected based on my memory of it. Three stars feels fair, but it's not a bad thing.

Content warnings for violence, injury, family trauma, and murder.
]]> <![CDATA[Death by Bikini (Death By Mysteries, #1)]]> 2985546 Aphra Behn Connolly has the type of life most teenage girls envy. She lives on a remote tropical island and spends most of her time eavesdropping on the rich and famous. The problem is that her family's resort allows few opportunities for her to make friends, much less to meet cute boys. So when a smoldering Seth Mulo arrives with his parents, she's immediately drawn to him. Sure, he's a little bit guarded, and sure his parents are rather cold, and okay he won't say a word about his past, but their chemistry is undeniable. Then a famous rock star's girlfriend turns up dead on the beach, strangled by her own bikini top, and alarm bells sound. Is it too great a coincidence that Seth's family turned up just one day before a murder? As the plot thickens, Aphra finds that danger lurks behind even the most unexpected of faces. . . .

]]> 223 Linda Gerber 0142411175 Ashleigh 3
Content warnings for injury, abandonment, guns, panic attacks, confinement, and illness.]]> 3.84 2008 Death by Bikini (Death By Mysteries, #1)
author: Linda Gerber
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: childhood-re-reads, contemporary-fic
review:
Cute! Nothing groundbreaking happens in this book, but it was a fun mystery that kept me wanting to read. Plot holes here and there and a lot of typos did take me out of the story occasionally, but I kept my expectations appropriate and had a good time. I look forward to the next one.

Content warnings for injury, abandonment, guns, panic attacks, confinement, and illness.
]]> <![CDATA[Orconomics (The Dark Profit Saga, #1)]]> 25326486
Making a Killing in Professional Heroics

The adventuring industry drives the economy of Arth, a world much like our own but with more magic and fewer vowels. Monsters� hoards are claimed, bought by corporate interests, and sold off to plunder funds long before the beasts are slain. Once the contracts and paperwork are settled, the Heroes� Guild issues a quest to kill the monster and bring back its treasure for disbursement to shareholders.


Life in The Shadows

Of course, while professional heroics has been a great boon for Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and all the other peoples of light, it's a terrible arrangement for the Shadowkin. Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, and their ilk must apply for to become Noncombatant Paper Carriers (or NPCs) to avoid being killed and looted by guild heroes. Even after getting their papers, NPCs are treated as second class citizens, driven into the margins of society.


An Insane Quest

Gorm Ingerson, a Dwarven ex-hero with a checkered past, has no idea what he's getting himself into when he stands up for an undocumented Goblin. His act of kindness starts a series of events that ends with Gorm recruited by a prophet of the mad goddess Al'Matra to fulfill a prophecy so crazy that even the Al'Matran temple doesn't believe it.


Money, Magic, and Mayhem

But there’s more to Gorm’s new job than an insane prophecy: powerful corporations and governments, usually indifferent to the affairs of the derelict Al’Matran temple, have shown an unusual interest in the quest. If his party of eccentric misfits can stop fighting each other long enough to recover the Elven Marbles, Gorm might be able to turn a bad deal into a golden opportunity and win back the fame and fortune he lost so long ago.]]> 340 J. Zachary Pike Ashleigh 0 did-not-finish 4.26 2014 Orconomics (The Dark Profit Saga, #1)
author: J. Zachary Pike
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)]]> 36381037
She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.]]> 400 Marissa Meyer Ashleigh 4 why things are this way, but that doesn't bother me. I loved seeing the spin on world cultures following a plague, two more world wars, and complete restructuring of global politics. It expanded the Cinderella character with tastes of a bigger world but still kept a lighthearted and pleasant flow that felt appropriate for the tone. I'm glad I finally read it and will continue the series at some point.

Content warnings for self-harm, family trauma, illness and death, medical trauma, emotional abuse, kidnapping, and violence.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (first in a series, hard mode); also fits character with a disability (hard mode), romantasy, judge a book by its cover, and survival.]]> 4.11 2012 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/24
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, childhood-re-reads, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
It's always cool when something defies your expectations - I have had this book on my radar since it came out when I was a teenager. My rationale was simple: a retelling of Cinderella seems like something I'd like, and her being a robot is a bonus. Finally picking this book up over a decade later, I was delighted to see the unique and well-crafted world Meyer has built around this story. Being a YA novel with more of a character focus, we don't get tons of information about why things are this way, but that doesn't bother me. I loved seeing the spin on world cultures following a plague, two more world wars, and complete restructuring of global politics. It expanded the Cinderella character with tastes of a bigger world but still kept a lighthearted and pleasant flow that felt appropriate for the tone. I'm glad I finally read it and will continue the series at some point.

Content warnings for self-harm, family trauma, illness and death, medical trauma, emotional abuse, kidnapping, and violence.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (first in a series, hard mode); also fits character with a disability (hard mode), romantasy, judge a book by its cover, and survival.
]]> Basil and Oregano 59385412
Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is the finest school for the art of cooking with magic, and Basil Eyres is determined to be the top student. On the first day of her senior year, Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a renowned chef, joins the academy for her senior year as well. The two are instantly smitten with each other, but Basil senses there’s something Arabella is hiding from her. Still, the two work together to stand out from the class as the end of year culinary festival approaches. But when Arabella’s secret is reveled, Basil is faced with the hardest decision of her life, which has the potential to throw her future aspirations in jeopardy.]]> 232 Melissa Capriglione 1506728707 Ashleigh 5
Content warnings for emotional abuse and bullying.]]> 3.83 2023 Basil and Oregano
author: Melissa Capriglione
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Nobody can convince me that this book isn't perfect. It's unique, charming, diverse, cozy, and absolutely precious. There is a dog named Tomato and a group of friends at a magical cooking school. If that doesn't sell you, I don't know what will. Personally, I don't read many things again, but I could easily see this book being a comfort read. Absolutely recommend.

Content warnings for emotional abuse and bullying.
]]> <![CDATA[An Encore of Roses (A Dowry of Blood, #1.5)]]> 58541623
Content guidance: This is a story about long-distance relationships and ethical nonmonogamy. It features tender sadomasochism, vampire bloodplay, breathplay, consensual sex between three adults, and a happy ending.]]> 14 S.T. Gibson Ashleigh 5 3.80 2021 An Encore of Roses (A Dowry of Blood, #1.5)
author: S.T. Gibson
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
Spicy yet wholesome? I felt instantly transported back to the universe of the first book and enjoyed my stay. Even from another POV, this was immediately recognizable as a continuation and made me feel all of the same feelings I had originally. I love this depiction of vampires and would gladly read more in this vein.
]]> Momma Cusses 127280988
There are lots of experts out there who will tell you they have the magic recipe to raising perfect humans. Gwenna Laithland is not one of them. She’s one of us. Frustrated, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Her relatable representation of parenthood validates our experiences. In Momma Cusses, Gwenna uses her signature style of snark and sarcasm to explain her interpretation of responsive parenting vs. reactive parenting and outline the steps she takes to raise her kids. Whether you are a parent or someone who has had a parent, we all need to
learn how to handle our emotional spirals responsively.

Now we can all be in it together by tackling some of the hilarious yet all-too-real scenarios Gwenna outlines in her book, including:

YOU WILL LOSE YOUR SH*T:
Mom guilt vs. mom shame

ARE YOU YELLING OR ARE YOU JUST BEING LOUD?:
Get in control of your emotions

THE BIG FEELS LOOP-DE-LOO:
Get in control of their emotions

Accessible, digestible, and rooted in reality, Momma Cusses helps readers with navigating family dynamics and cultivating emotional resilience for everyone.]]> 288 Gwenna Laithland 1250882664 Ashleigh 4 nonfiction
Content warnings for mental illness.]]> 4.37 2024 Momma Cusses
author: Gwenna Laithland
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: nonfiction
review:
Instead of getting a memoir like a lot of public figures write, I was pleasantly surprised that Gwenna packed all of her wit and knowledge into a funny but very real parenting book. Given that, I'm not exactly the target audience but enjoyed myself anyway. Her approach to parenting is mindful, clearly stated, and full of grace for the realistic fact that no two kids are the same. Despite the cover leaning a little more comical in my eyes, I found this to be a great book for parents of any stage and would easily recommend reading it. You'll have to wade through a lot of millennial humor (which I loved), but who doesn't appreciate a TL;DR in a serious book?!

Content warnings for mental illness.
]]> <![CDATA[Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2)]]> 199347538 Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.]]> 416 T.J. Klune 125088120X Ashleigh 4 fantasy-spec-fic
Content warnings for violence (brief), emotional abuse, and family trauma.]]> 4.17 2024 Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2)
author: T.J. Klune
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/08
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Just like the first, this sequel is wholesome, joyful, and celebratory in a way that is infectious. Klune has created such memorable and charming characters that were so fun to see again. I enjoyed getting a little bit of a different feel by reading from Arthur's POV this time, though I must say that his internal monologue got a little too cheesy for me at times. But hey, I won't begrudge anyone their happiness and love. There is a bit of idealism in this novel that I don't imagine will be for everyone, but why not escape to a place that's better than reality? I don't know that the first book needed this one, but I'm glad I read it and had a nice time. The children and cat are my favorites.

Content warnings for violence (brief), emotional abuse, and family trauma.
]]> <![CDATA[Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure (St. Hell, #1)]]> 58719265
Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she's confused about who to snog. He knows she's really a he and will ultimately realize this... but she's going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this... but she's refusing to listen.

In WELCOME TO ST. HELL, author-illustrator Lewis Hancox takes readers on the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. It's a remarkable, groundbreaking graphic memoir from an unmistakably bold new voice in comics.]]> 304 Lewis Hancox 1338824430 Ashleigh 5 graphic-novels, nonfiction
Content warnings for mental illness, bullying, transphobia, body dysphoria, and disordered eating.]]> 4.28 2022 Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure (St. Hell, #1)
author: Lewis Hancox
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/25
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: graphic-novels, nonfiction
review:
So much personality is packed into these pages! The specific references to punk bands, portrayal of his inner thoughts from both a current and future perspective, and bits of British slang make this like listening to a story told by a friend. Absolutely charming and highly recommend.

Content warnings for mental illness, bullying, transphobia, body dysphoria, and disordered eating.
]]> <![CDATA[Escape From St. Hell: My Trans Teen Life Levels Up (St. Hell, #2)]]> 195261528 304 Lewis Hancox 1338824481 Ashleigh 5 graphic-novels, nonfiction
Content warnings for addiction, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia.]]> 4.44 2024 Escape From St. Hell: My Trans Teen Life Levels Up (St. Hell, #2)
author: Lewis Hancox
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/17
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: graphic-novels, nonfiction
review:
Just as delightful as the first. It's always a joy to see people adjusting well, living their best, and laughing at the awkwardness they overcame. Easily recommend this one just like the first.

Content warnings for addiction, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia.
]]> Dark Harvest 1201724 Winner of the Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvest is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery."

Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol' Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.

Pete McCormick knows that killing the October Boy is his one chance to escape a dead-end future in this one-horse town. He's willing to risk everything, including his life, to be a winner for once. But before the night is over, Pete will look into the saw-toothed face of horror � and discover the terrifying true secret of the October Boy…]]> 169 Norman Partridge 076531911X Ashleigh 5 fantasy-spec-fic
Content warnings for confinement, bullying, guns, graphic murder and injury, car accident, and fire.]]> 3.59 2006 Dark Harvest
author: Norman Partridge
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Wow. Whatever is making this show up on my radar more than a decade later, the attention is well-deserved. I was absolutely smitten by the dark, evocative imagery that reached out of the pages and lodged itself into my mind. Using second-person narration was a clever and perfect choice that amplified the horror even more. There's not a lot to say about this book besides that it was excellent. Simple, effective, and memorable. I couldn't ask for more.

Content warnings for confinement, bullying, guns, graphic murder and injury, car accident, and fire.
]]> The Henchmen of Zenda 39326122 232 K.J. Charles 1999784693 Ashleigh 0 to-read 3.87 2018 The Henchmen of Zenda
author: K.J. Charles
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chilling Effect (Chilling Effect, #1)]]> 43309529
Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra cruise the galaxy delivering small cargo for even smaller profits. When her sister Mari is kidnapped by The Fridge, a shadowy syndicate that holds people hostage in cryostasis, Eva must undergo a series of unpleasant, dangerous missions to pay the ransom.

But Eva may lose her mind before she can raise the money. The ship’s hold is full of psychic cats, an amorous fish-faced emperor wants her dead after she rejects his advances, and her sweet engineer is giving her a pesky case of feelings. The worse things get, the more she lies, raising suspicions and testing her loyalty to her found family.

To free her sister, Eva will risk everything: her crew, her ship, and the life she’s built on the ashes of her past misdeeds. But when the dominoes start to fall and she finds the real threat is greater than she imagined, she must decide whether to play it cool or burn it all down.]]> 448 Valerie Valdes 0062877232 Ashleigh 2
Fits 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (space opera, hard mode); also fits first in a series (hard mode), author of color, Eldritch creatures (hard mode), criminals (hard mode), survival (hard mode), romantasy, and judge a book by its cover.

Content warnings for injury (graphic), self-harm (recurring), family trauma, kidnapping (frequent), death (frequent), and misogyny (recurring).]]> 3.48 2019 Chilling Effect (Chilling Effect, #1)
author: Valerie Valdes
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Oof. Clearly, this book wants to copy Becky Chambers, and I wish it had done so more successfully. Judging by the cover, I was expecting so much more fun and silliness, but the good bones of this story are brittle and not supported by anything else. Few of the unique bits are utilized - those psychic cats are literally just for marketing and a few paragraphs - and the motivations are paper-thin. Another review said this has good moments rather than the overall plot, and that's a perfect way to put it. I enjoyed small scenes, but the overarching story is incredibly flimsy. Never are the relationships established to be worth fighting for, and cheap, dumb shots are taken over and over as people go on missions because they can. The author never made me care about the interpersonal conflict, and the protagonist herself is lucky that more people didn't call her out for being flippant, arrogant, and shallow. I would have loved to see a grey protagonist, but acting as if she's great when she frequently messes up due to simply being narrow-minded and stupid... No thanks. Space opera was a genre I knew would be out of my comfort zone for my reading challenge, but this also happens to be a boring and poorly-executed example.

Fits 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (space opera, hard mode); also fits first in a series (hard mode), author of color, Eldritch creatures (hard mode), criminals (hard mode), survival (hard mode), romantasy, and judge a book by its cover.

Content warnings for injury (graphic), self-harm (recurring), family trauma, kidnapping (frequent), death (frequent), and misogyny (recurring).
]]> <![CDATA[First Love: Essays on Friendship]]> 195888551
Lilly Dancyger always thought of her closest friendships as great loves, complex and profound as any romance. When her beloved cousin was murdered just as both girls were entering adulthood, Dancyger felt a new urgency in her devotion to the women in her life—a desire to hold her friends close while she still could. In First Love, this urgency runs through a striking exploration of the bonds between women, from the intensity of adolescent best friendship and fluid sexuality to mothering and chosen family.

Each essay in this incisive collection is grounded in a close female friendship in Dancyger’s life, reaching outward to dissect cultural assumptions about identity and desire, and the many ways women create space for each other in a world that wants us small. Seamlessly weaving personal experience with literature and pop culture—ranging from fairytales to true crime, from Anaïs Nin and Sylvia Plath to Heavenly Creatures and the “sad girls� of Tumblr—Dancyger’s essays form a kaleidoscopic story of a life told through friendships, and an expansive interrogation of what it means to love each other.

Though friendship will never be enough to keep us safe from the dangers of the world, Dancyger reminds us that love is always worth the risk, and that when tragedy strikes, it’s our friends who will help us survive. In First Love, these essential bonds get their due.]]> 224 Lilly Dancyger 0593447573 Ashleigh 5 nonfiction, short-stories
Content warning for drug & alcohol addiction (frequent), death (frequent), murder (frequent), child neglect, suicide (frequent), mental health, disordered eating (brief), and self-harm (brief).]]> 3.90 2024 First Love: Essays on Friendship
author: Lilly Dancyger
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: nonfiction, short-stories
review:
Dancyger has such a talent for painting her memories as clear as day, making me feel like I've lived the same life she has. Thoughtful and memorable, I felt sucked into this immediately as a beautiful tribute to love and friendship, past and present. There is a dreamy, meandering quality that works really well - as she questions how to interact with topics of death and mental health, she weaves in criticism and thoughts about true crime, feminism, and our interpretation of culture. I had to stop so often to take notes so I can keep them forever. In particular, the essay about what it means to take care of and mother our friends was really special. I'm so glad this cover caught my eye, and I look forward to reading more from the author. If you have the capacity for it, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Content warning for drug & alcohol addiction (frequent), death (frequent), murder (frequent), child neglect, suicide (frequent), mental health, disordered eating (brief), and self-harm (brief).
]]> <![CDATA[Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4)]]> 5217282
Two hidden artifacts have been found. Three more remain unrecovered. More preserves face destruction as the Society of the Evening Star relentlessly pursues new talismans. Reading in Patton’s Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of the key to a vault housing one of the artifacts. In order to retrieve it, the Knights of the Dawn must enter a death trap � a dragon sanctuary called Wyrmroost. The mission cannot proceed without stealing a sacred object zealously guarded by the centaurs. Anybody seen Seth?

The race is on to acquire all five of the artifact keys to the great demon prison. Will the Knights of the Dawn conquer Wyrmroost? Who can stop the Sphinx? Can Vanessa be trusted to help? What artifact will be found next?]]> 535 Brandon Mull 1606410423 Ashleigh 4 fantasy-spec-fic
Content warnings for animal death (graphic), injury (graphic), car accident, betrayal, confinement, ableism (brief), death (frequent), kidnapping, and suicide.]]> 4.38 2009 Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4)
author: Brandon Mull
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Another fun Fablehaven adventure! This one noticeably includes darker themes right from the start - a friend mentioned that sometimes books "age up" to follow their audience as the series continues, and I think this does that. Even so, it has a lot of the core elements of adventure, character growth, and fun. I struggle to keep up with the pace of so much happening, and it does feel sometimes like there are details that matter less than others due to how much happens within the span of a short time. It's been a pretty fun ride, though, and there are definitely parts of this book that surprised me as an adult! I look forward to the next book to finish the series.

Content warnings for animal death (graphic), injury (graphic), car accident, betrayal, confinement, ableism (brief), death (frequent), kidnapping, and suicide.
]]> <![CDATA[My Sweet Angel: The True Story of Lacey Spears, the Seemingly Perfect Mother Who Murdered Her Son in Cold Blood]]> 32674400
To the outside world Lacey had seemed like the perfect mother, regularly posting dramatic updates on her son’s harrowing medical problems. But in reality, Lacey was a text book case of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome. From the time he was an infant, she deliberately made Garnett sick to elicit sympathy from medical professionals, as well as her hundreds of followers on Facebook and other social media. When a Westchester County jury found her guilty of killing Garnett in April 2015, she was sentenced to twenty years to life in prison.

Using Lacey’s own never-before-seen Facebook, Twitter, and blog posts, an exclusive prison interview with Lacey herself, as well as interviews with her family and the three police investigators who broke the case, My Sweet Angelgives the definitive account of this extraordinary case that shocked the world.

The Lacey Spears story will be the subject of an hour-long special on Discovery ID, featuring author John Glatt, and CBS 48-Hours is working on a primetime special on the case.]]> 429 John Glatt 1466882034 Ashleigh 4 nonfiction 4.22 2016 My Sweet Angel: The True Story of Lacey Spears, the Seemingly Perfect Mother Who Murdered Her Son in Cold Blood
author: John Glatt
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves: nonfiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ten Bridges I've Burnt: A Memoir in Verse]]> 127282684 Ten Bridges I've Burnt, I felt tucked-in with him, along for the intimate ride, and paused only once to write down a part I’d been looking for my whole life." ―Miranda July

From the beloved author of 100 Boyfriends, a wrenching, sexy, and exhilaratingly energetic memoir in verse.

In Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt, Brontez Purnell―the bard of the underloved and overlooked―turns his gaze inward. A storyteller with a musical eye for the absurdity of his own existence, he is peerless in his ability to find the levity within the stormiest of crises. Here, in his first collection of genre-defying verse, Purnell reflects on his peripatetic life, whose ups and downs have nothing on the turmoil within. “The most high-risk homosexual behavior I engage in,� Purnell writes, “is simply existing.�

The thirty-eight autobiographical pieces pulsing in Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt find Purnell at his no-holds-barred best. He remembers a vicious brawl he participated in at a poetry conference and reckons with packaging his trauma for TV writers� rooms; wrestles with the curses, and gifts, passed down from generations of family members; and chronicles, with breathless verve, a list of hell-raising misadventures and sexcapades. Through it all, he muses on everything from love and loneliness to capitalism and Blackness to jogging and the ethics of art, always with unpredictable clarity and movement.

With the same balance of wit and wisdom that made 100 Boyfriends a sensation, Purnell unleashes another collection of boundary-pushing writing with Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt, a book as original and thrilling as the author himself.]]> 144 Brontez Purnell 0374612692 Ashleigh 4 nonfiction, poetry
Content warnings for brief mentions of many topics: homophobia, toxic relationships, gun violence, fatphobia, racism, and more that were hard to nail down.]]> 4.13 Ten Bridges I've Burnt: A Memoir in Verse
author: Brontez Purnell
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: nonfiction, poetry
review:
Reading this book gave me two feelings: either something hit me hard, or I didn't understand it. Regardless, it got me to think, and that's the sign of art. I haven't read much poetry since high school, but I enjoyed this more than I expected. My plan is to buy my own copy and do some annotating as I revisit this a little at a time. Purnell's voice is so honest and real; I know I'll find more when I dig in again.

Content warnings for brief mentions of many topics: homophobia, toxic relationships, gun violence, fatphobia, racism, and more that were hard to nail down.
]]> In Theory, it Works 61295167 The hill-country farm town seems sleepy and dull, memorable as the thirty-fifth Tuesday of whatever year you can't recall.. You could drive through Theory, Texas in two minutes, not recalling a thing about it a minute later.

Perhaps the difference is in little things. The ice rink is upside down. A cat is mayor. The donut shop enforces strict rules of Truth. In the town park farmers debate the meaning of existence. Tuba playing is forbidden within town limits.
And the high-school science teacher, Ted Alva, has been warned: beware the friendly stranger from Acronym Land. Guard the secret archive of past inventions, less some devil or corporate CEO find use for the town's secret.
And that secret is (sssshhh, don't tell)...In Theory, everything works.
The unlikely dreams, the improbable machines, all the conceivable inventions that in ordinary places would beget explosions, laughter or a dull and useless hum... these things can work. In theory.
In Theory, Texas, everything works.]]> 323 Raymond St. Elmo Ashleigh 4 Glee but replaced cringe with charm and subbed magic for singing, I think you'd get this universe. Theory, Texas is a unique place where anything can happen, and the author really explored that in this story. With such a variety of situations and a wide cast of characters, it was hard not to find something enjoyable in here. At times, I found the POV jumps to lean more nonsensical (distracting) instead of nonsensical (fun), but it's a good time overall. For me, focus could have shifted slightly to include fewer characters in more depth rather than covering as many as possible to varying degrees. Tyler's imagined world added less to the story than I think Marissa's spelunking or Jesse's character discovery would have. Not to mention some of the other mysteries... I have a lot more questions about Tyler than just what's going on in his imagination! Because of this, the plot never felt extremely strong; I knew where we were going moment-by-moment but never understood exactly what was the main goal of the group. It was clear where the inciting incident, climax, and falling action happened, but I couldn't have identified what exactly led us there. Generally speaking, though, the personality and fun outweigh my complaints, and this book wins an easy prize for the best self-published book I've read so far. (Typos and grammar issues were frequent, though, so I recommend the author finds someone to be an editor. Most frequent were comma splices and run-on sentences, but the worst offender was when Nicole became Nichole only for the last 100 pages.)

Content warnings for child abuse (brief), mental health, animal death, bullying, and sexual misconduct (brief).

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published; hard mode); also fits set in a small town (hard mode), multi-POV (hard mode), under the surface, , and romantasy (arguably).]]> 4.71 In Theory, it Works
author: Raymond St. Elmo
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.71
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/09/02
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
If you took the story of Glee but replaced cringe with charm and subbed magic for singing, I think you'd get this universe. Theory, Texas is a unique place where anything can happen, and the author really explored that in this story. With such a variety of situations and a wide cast of characters, it was hard not to find something enjoyable in here. At times, I found the POV jumps to lean more nonsensical (distracting) instead of nonsensical (fun), but it's a good time overall. For me, focus could have shifted slightly to include fewer characters in more depth rather than covering as many as possible to varying degrees. Tyler's imagined world added less to the story than I think Marissa's spelunking or Jesse's character discovery would have. Not to mention some of the other mysteries... I have a lot more questions about Tyler than just what's going on in his imagination! Because of this, the plot never felt extremely strong; I knew where we were going moment-by-moment but never understood exactly what was the main goal of the group. It was clear where the inciting incident, climax, and falling action happened, but I couldn't have identified what exactly led us there. Generally speaking, though, the personality and fun outweigh my complaints, and this book wins an easy prize for the best self-published book I've read so far. (Typos and grammar issues were frequent, though, so I recommend the author finds someone to be an editor. Most frequent were comma splices and run-on sentences, but the worst offender was when Nicole became Nichole only for the last 100 pages.)

Content warnings for child abuse (brief), mental health, animal death, bullying, and sexual misconduct (brief).

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published; hard mode); also fits set in a small town (hard mode), multi-POV (hard mode), under the surface, , and romantasy (arguably).
]]> <![CDATA[It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)]]> 27362503
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up � she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating� rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan � her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.]]> 386 Colleen Hoover 1668021048 Ashleigh 0 contemporary-fic 4.11 2016 It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: contemporary-fic
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night Vol. 1]]> 57105756 66 Ana Lily Amirpour 1732299269 Ashleigh 4
Content warnings for murder.]]> 3.51 2021 A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night Vol. 1
author: Ana Lily Amirpour
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/31
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic, graphic-novels
review:
The concept here was really cool, and I liked how understated the writing was to allow the reader to fill in the gaps. Coming to your own realizations seems to amp up the horror. Two or three frame transitions were confusing and made me go back, which I don't love in a work so short. Overall, though, this was a neat story that I'd consider continuing, though this volume stands alone well.

Content warnings for murder.
]]> <![CDATA[Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive]]> 200864562 As the unofficial “gratitude correspondent� for the Atlantic , James Parker has written countless odes of appreciation on subjects from the seemingly minor (“Ode to Naps�) to the unexpected (“Ode to Giving People Money�) to the seemingly minor, unexpected, and hyperspecific (“Ode to Running in Movies�). Finally collecting Parker’s beloved and much-lauded odes in one place, this volume demonstrates the profound power of the form. Each ode celebrates the permanent susceptibility of everyday humdrum life to dazzling saturations of divine the squirrel in the street, the crying baby, the misplaced cup of tea. Parker’s odes are songs of praise, but with a decent amount of complaining in there, a human ratio of moans. Our politics are broken; our world is melting. Parker’s odes offer respite but also a glimmer of hope. They represent encounters with whatever might get us through the next five minutes of the impossible, beautiful, overwhelming thing we call living.]]> 240 James Parker 1324091630 Ashleigh 2 short-stories, nonfiction
Please enjoy my favorite quote in the book, which was part of "Ode to Running in Movies":
"Matt Damon, as Jason Bourne, is a brain-wiped super-soldier having an identity crisis, so he runs like a frightened washing machine."
Having seen exactly zero of the Jason Bourne movies, I'm intrigued.

Content warnings were hard to nail down; brief mentions of a few topics came up, but it was all very quick and infrequent.]]> 3.52 Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive
author: James Parker
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.52
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/23
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves: short-stories, nonfiction
review:
As a book, this was fine. The odes read like quick vignettes on varying topics, and I can see this being the perfect format for a magazine article (which is where a lot of these were originally published). In one volume, though, it got tedious and didn't resonate much with me beyond one or two bits. The author is clearly talented, but jumping from one random opinion to the next gave me reading whiplash. I love the concept of appreciating little things but mostly wanted this to be over.

Please enjoy my favorite quote in the book, which was part of "Ode to Running in Movies":
"Matt Damon, as Jason Bourne, is a brain-wiped super-soldier having an identity crisis, so he runs like a frightened washing machine."
Having seen exactly zero of the Jason Bourne movies, I'm intrigued.

Content warnings were hard to nail down; brief mentions of a few topics came up, but it was all very quick and infrequent.
]]> Embroideries 435951 Persepolis comes this gloriously entertaining and enlightening look into the sex lives of Iranian women. Embroideries gathers together Marjane's tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors for an afternoon of tea drinking and talking. Naturally, the subject turns to love, sex and the vagaries of men.

As the afternoon progresses, these vibrant women share their secrets, their regrets and their often outrageous stories about, among other things, how to fake one's virginity, how to escape an arranged marriage, how to enjoy the miracles of plastic surgery and how to delight in being a mistress. By turns revealing and hilarious, these are stories about the lengths to which some women will go to find a man, keep a man or, most importantly, keep up appearances.

Full of surprises, this introduction to the private lives of some fascinating women, whose life stories and lovers and will strike us as at once deeply familiar and profoundly different from our own, is sure to bring smiles of recognition to the faces of women everywhere--and to teach us all a thing or two.]]> 134 Marjane Satrapi 0375423052 Ashleigh 2 nonfiction, graphic-novels
Content warnings for drugs, suicide, injury, and misogyny (frequent).]]> 3.74 2003 Embroideries
author: Marjane Satrapi
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/18
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: nonfiction, graphic-novels
review:
1.5/5 - While I still think Marjane Satrapi is an excellent artist and storyteller, the premise of this book reeks of an outdated perspective I cannot abide. Initially, I planned to recommend this book to a friend - graphic novel about the secrets and sex lives of Iranian women? What an underrepresented group! I love that. Unfortunately, some combination of culture and 20+ years of perspective have me pretty disgusted at the frequent and varied types of misogyny present in these narratives. If you turn off your brain, it is still visually lovely and entertaining to read the gossip until you remember that these are real people talking about what they "have" to do to please their husbands and escape disgrace or whatever. Even the title, embroideries, is a reference to what is often called "the husband stitch". Think about that for five seconds. It's gross and shouldn't exist. So, I cannot in good faith recommend this and hope that Satrapi and her loved ones have been able to escape this mindset and treatment. Yikes.

Content warnings for drugs, suicide, injury, and misogyny (frequent).
]]> Bunny (Bunny, #1) 42815544
But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision.

The spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination.]]> 307 Mona Awad 0525559736 Ashleigh 3 Heathers and Jawbreaker with the evil schoolgirl vibe, there is something deeper and more sinister in this book. Following women who are a little older (25, I believe) definitely helps, but there is also a sense of discomfort (positive) that comes from not knowing why anyone would act the way they do. Certainly a metaphor or deeper meaning is happening here, but I couldn't tell you what it is. I've never read anything like this and will definitely remember it. It's well-written from a structural sense, but the plot choices themselves are beyond me. Can't say I had a good time, but I certainly had some time. Read this if you want an absolutely wild ride and a unique look at success, friendship, fitting in, and more.

Content warnings for gore (frequent; graphic), drug abuse (frequent), bullying, gaslighting (frequent), animal abuse and death (frequent; graphic), disordered eating, car accident, murder (frequent; graphic), loss and grief, suicide, self-harm (graphic), injury (frequent; graphic), assault, ableist/racist slurs (brief), kidnapping & confinement, abandonment, cancer, and whatever I meant when I wrote down "violent crime".

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (dark academia, hard mode); also fits entitled animals, set in a small town (hard mode), author of color, and Eldritch creatures (hard mode).]]> 3.53 2019 Bunny (Bunny, #1)
author: Mona Awad
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/18
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Most people have probably heard something described as a "fever dream", which I often feel is hyperbolic. Here, it feels like exactly the right term. Reading this book is like being out of your sane mind and wondering what could possibly be happening as you conjure images of depraved, unbelievable shit. Though it certainly reminds me of both Heathers and Jawbreaker with the evil schoolgirl vibe, there is something deeper and more sinister in this book. Following women who are a little older (25, I believe) definitely helps, but there is also a sense of discomfort (positive) that comes from not knowing why anyone would act the way they do. Certainly a metaphor or deeper meaning is happening here, but I couldn't tell you what it is. I've never read anything like this and will definitely remember it. It's well-written from a structural sense, but the plot choices themselves are beyond me. Can't say I had a good time, but I certainly had some time. Read this if you want an absolutely wild ride and a unique look at success, friendship, fitting in, and more.

Content warnings for gore (frequent; graphic), drug abuse (frequent), bullying, gaslighting (frequent), animal abuse and death (frequent; graphic), disordered eating, car accident, murder (frequent; graphic), loss and grief, suicide, self-harm (graphic), injury (frequent; graphic), assault, ableist/racist slurs (brief), kidnapping & confinement, abandonment, cancer, and whatever I meant when I wrote down "violent crime".

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (dark academia, hard mode); also fits entitled animals, set in a small town (hard mode), author of color, and Eldritch creatures (hard mode).
]]> <![CDATA[Welcome to Camp Nightmare (Goosebumps, #9)]]> 5850237 136 R.L. Stine 0606324852 Ashleigh 4 childhood-re-reads Goosebumps book! As a very soft, sensitive person, I did genuinely find this pretty scary. Kid me would not have been safe with these, lol. But what fun! The book is fast-paced in the right ways and surprised me at multiple points. It's weird to call a horror story cozy, but there is something charming about the feeling of this book. I enjoyed myself and will slowly read more of the series.]]> 3.58 1993 Welcome to Camp Nightmare (Goosebumps, #9)
author: R.L. Stine
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.58
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/12
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: childhood-re-reads
review:
Finally, many years late, I have read my first Goosebumps book! As a very soft, sensitive person, I did genuinely find this pretty scary. Kid me would not have been safe with these, lol. But what fun! The book is fast-paced in the right ways and surprised me at multiple points. It's weird to call a horror story cozy, but there is something charming about the feeling of this book. I enjoyed myself and will slowly read more of the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation]]> 8600 209 Lynne Truss 1592402038 Ashleigh 2 nonfiction 3.86 2003 Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
author: Lynne Truss
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/11
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: nonfiction
review:
How much fun can a grammar book be?! I liked the idea of this but wanted it to be a little more concrete. Surprisingly, this felt like it was too... fun? Truss' humor didn't overly floor me, seeming petty for the sake of it and nothing else. For me, I could have had a better time with separate sections for history of grammar, modern rules, and commentary versus how this book stuck them all together, essentially dulling their effects. Give me more things to learn and take into my daily life! It was fine but nothing more.
]]> All the Bright Places 18460392 The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
Ěý
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Ěý
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
Ěý
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders� of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
Ěý
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.]]> 388 Jennifer Niven 0385755880 Ashleigh 4 contemporary-fic The Fault In Our Stars with the "sad kids at the end of life go on a literature-fueled journey to discover the importance of little things" and 2) despite getting many POV chapters from Finch, he is written as a manic-pixie type and still felt hard to understand. Regardless, the emotion comes through, and I did enjoy Violet & Finch's story despite the emotional turmoil. Lots of heavy topics are covered in this book, and I liked the casual way these were brought up - no stigma, no hiding, just a realistic depiction of issues that teenagers (and anyone) might face. The aforementioned narrative points kept it from scoring higher, but I generally think this was a good show of what it's like to deal with intense trauma. Part of me is curious to see how well the Netflix movie kept to the book, but I will probably pass for fear of making myself feel worse.

Content warnings for suicide (frequent; graphic), death (frequent), mental health (frequent), animal harm, gun violence (brief), illness, injury (graphic), bullying, homophobia (brief), domestic violence, parental neglect (frequent), assault and child abuse, car accident, and mental health (frequent).]]> 4.12 2015 All the Bright Places
author: Jennifer Niven
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: contemporary-fic
review:
3.5/5 - Why did I read this, knowing I am very sensitive to tough subjects? Overall, this did what I think it wanted. The story is wholesome and moving, kicking right in the deepest emotions at every opportunity. There was something that felt disingenuous about it, though, which I hate to say because the topic does seem to be personal to the author. However, I couldn't shake two feelings: 1) it felt like it was trying to be another The Fault In Our Stars with the "sad kids at the end of life go on a literature-fueled journey to discover the importance of little things" and 2) despite getting many POV chapters from Finch, he is written as a manic-pixie type and still felt hard to understand. Regardless, the emotion comes through, and I did enjoy Violet & Finch's story despite the emotional turmoil. Lots of heavy topics are covered in this book, and I liked the casual way these were brought up - no stigma, no hiding, just a realistic depiction of issues that teenagers (and anyone) might face. The aforementioned narrative points kept it from scoring higher, but I generally think this was a good show of what it's like to deal with intense trauma. Part of me is curious to see how well the Netflix movie kept to the book, but I will probably pass for fear of making myself feel worse.

Content warnings for suicide (frequent; graphic), death (frequent), mental health (frequent), animal harm, gun violence (brief), illness, injury (graphic), bullying, homophobia (brief), domestic violence, parental neglect (frequent), assault and child abuse, car accident, and mental health (frequent).
]]> <![CDATA[Sew Mindful Cross Stitch (Crafts)]]> 125866882
With a total of twenty-two brand new cross stitch projects to choose from, you can stitch your way through Positive Affirmations, Mindful Messages and Self-Care Quotes.

Not familiar with cross stitch? We’ve got you covered. Learn from the beginning with an introduction to what you’ll need, detailed step-by-step guidance and some top tips to help you get started.

Throughout the book, Sophie shares an honest and thoughtful account of her own wellbeing journey, reflecting on topics such as depression and anxiety to overthinking and imposter syndrome, with an aim to open up the conversation linking mindfulness and crafting for calm.

Learn how to mindfully cross stitch and transform how you de-stress for good.]]> 144 Sophie Crabb 1399045873 Ashleigh 3 reference-books 4.48 Sew Mindful Cross Stitch (Crafts)
author: Sophie Crabb
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/07
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: reference-books
review:
This is cute! I'm not really one for inspirational sayings, so I wasn't expecting many of these to be my jam. Mostly, I like looking at patterns of all sorts. From a critical perspective, I do wish this took time to show backstitch when it was used in a lot of the designs. Everything else was beginner-friendly and covered quite well, but that was a missing area! If you like quotes and phrases and want to do some quick stitching projects, you might like this. The author also does do a great job of de-stigmatizing mental health issues and talking about her personal journey.
]]> <![CDATA[The Verifiers (Claudia Lin, #1)]]> 58065392 Introducing a sharp-witted heroine for the 21st century: a new amateur sleuth exploring the landscape—both physical and virtual—of New York in a debut novel about love, technology, and murder.

Claudia Lin is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls—and that she's just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency.

A lifelong mystery reader who wrote her senior thesis on Jane Austen, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job. But when a client goes missing, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate—and uncovers a maelstrom of personal and corporate deceit. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a clever and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and the nature of romantic love in the digital age.]]> 358 Jane Pek 0593313798 Ashleigh 4 contemporary-fic
Some of the choices felt a little clunky and unrealistic, which took me out of the story when I had to read a passage multiple times or got caught up in a minor scene. Splitting focus between family issues and detective work got a little skewed at the end, to the point that I had totally forgotten about the protagonist's brother when she referenced him. I probably won't seek out the next one right now based on this ending, but maybe one day.

Content warnings for suicide (frequent), overdose, infidelity, and family trauma (frequent).]]> 3.46 2022 The Verifiers (Claudia Lin, #1)
author: Jane Pek
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/23
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: contemporary-fic
review:
3.5/5 - As my first time using TBR Co. for recommendations, I'm pretty pleased! Concept stood out the most, and I loved the way this story portrayed one version of a Chinese-American family. Their dynamic was interesting and seemed genuine. I also would like to applaud whoever wrote the blurb for this book, because it actually fit perfectly. Incomplete descriptions have burned me so many times. Mysteries always tend to do well with tension, and this one followed that trend; I was never knew exactly what would happen next.

Some of the choices felt a little clunky and unrealistic, which took me out of the story when I had to read a passage multiple times or got caught up in a minor scene. Splitting focus between family issues and detective work got a little skewed at the end, to the point that I had totally forgotten about the protagonist's brother when she referenced him. I probably won't seek out the next one right now based on this ending, but maybe one day.

Content warnings for suicide (frequent), overdose, infidelity, and family trauma (frequent).
]]> Boulder (Triptych, #2) 59774734
With motherhood changing Samsa into a stranger, Boulder must decide where her priorities lie, and whether her yearning for freedom can truly trump her yearning for love.

Once again, Eva Baltasar demonstrates her preeminence as a chronicler of queer voices navigating a hostile world―and in prose as brittle and beautiful as an ancient saga.]]> 105 Eva Baltasar 1913505383 Ashleigh 4 contemporary-fic
Content warning for medical talk (pregnancy, IUI), infidelity, and alcoholism.]]> 4.03 2020 Boulder (Triptych, #2)
author: Eva Baltasar
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/22
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: contemporary-fic
review:
Vivid, evocative prose and a very human story - it was so interesting to be in the mind of Boulder as she fell in and out of love in unexpected ways. I made note of so many beautiful lines, and I also don't think I've seen another book tackle a premise quite like this. While I didn't resonate with every emotion personally, the author (and translator) made something that will stick in my head for sure. I would love to talk to more people about this book.

Content warning for medical talk (pregnancy, IUI), infidelity, and alcoholism.
]]> Happy Place 61718053
They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends� hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week� in front of those who know you best?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.]]> 400 Emily Henry 0593441273 Ashleigh 4 contemporary-fic
Content warning for mental health, parental neglect, infidelity, death, and grief.]]> 3.95 2023 Happy Place
author: Emily Henry
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/07
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: contemporary-fic
review:
As always, Emily Henry must get sick glee from coming up with innocuous names for her intensely emotional stories. This book is another fabulous display of her character work, with each person feeling full and realized, which makes it so easy to believe in the world she's created. I loved the dueling perspectives on friendship, family, identity, and how love ties them all together. More than her other books, though, this one felt clunky to start... Something about the miscommunication carried on a little longer than necessary, making me ask myself if I'd missed a section or if those details still hadn't been revealed. Because there's a familiarity to all of the couples already, it feels like a slower, more painful burn with more time for confusion. It didn't take away too much from the experience, though. Overall, it was really enjoyable (in the most masochistic way) and sits right in the middle of my ranking of her books.

Content warning for mental health, parental neglect, infidelity, death, and grief.
]]> Women of Futures Past 27276200 Contents:
* Acknowledgments
* Introduction: Invisible Women by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
* The Indelible Kind / by Zenna Henderson (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1968)
* The Smallest Dragonboy / by Anne McCaffrey (Science Fiction Tales, 1973)
* Out of All Them Bright Stars / by Nancy Kress (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1985)
* Angel / by Pat Cadigan (Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, June 1987)
* Cassandra / by C.J. Cherryh (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978)
* Shambleau / by C.L. Moore (Weird Tales, November, 1933)
* The Last Days of Shandakor / by Leigh Brackett (Startling Stories, April 1952)
* All Cats Are Gray / by Andre Norton (Fantastic Universe, August/September 1953)
* Aftermaths / by Lois McMaster Bujold (Far Frontiers: The Paperback Magazine of Science Fiction and Speculative Fact, Volume V, Spring 1986)
* The Last Flight of Doctor Ain / by James Tiptree, Jr. (Galaxy, March 1969)
* Sur / by Ursula K. Le Guin (The New Yorker, February 1, 1982)
* Fire Watch / by Connie Willis (Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, February 15, 1982)
* About the Editor
.]]> 267 Kristine Kathryn Rusch 1476781613 Ashleigh 3
I found a couple of stories I loved, a lot that were fine, and a couple that were a real chore to finish. A quick review of each:

1. The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson: 2.5/5 // Introduced a ton of things with minimal exposition; felt random and rather long
2. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey: 4/5 // Wholesome, not much substance but very cute; characters were clear and pacing matched the vibe well
3. All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress: 3/5 // Really interesting idea but had large, mismatched setup for such a short story
4. Angel by Pat Cadigan: 3.5/5 // Cool concept and a decent length but felt like it could resonate more with longer build-up
5. Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh: 3/5 // Setup had me really interested until it ended abruptly; I'm not even sure what happened in this one
6. Shamleau by C.L. Moore: 3/5 // I can see the idea to write a fresh take on the Medusa story, but the complicated setting and character details distracted from the plot for me
7. The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett: 4/5 // Plot tension and character were balanced well throughout and kept me invested despite apocalypse settings not being a favorite
8. All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton: 5/5 // Cute! Set up and paid off well for a quick, fun story with a touch of introspection
9. Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold: 5/5 // This feels like peak sci-fi - the dichotomy of subtle yet strong character choices, the appeal to humanity, the plot that slowly reveals itself... masterful
10. The Last Flight of Dr. Ain: 2.5/5 // Evocative language made this interesting prose, but I legitimately could not tell what was happening throughout
11. Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin: 2/5 // Hated this one; she addresses the reader as the only kind of building character connection, which makes this read like a disembodied story told by someone you hardly know
12. Fire Watch by Connie Willis: 4/5 // Character details immediately felt relatable and created interest as plot was slowly revealed; charming bits added (like a person from the future not understanding cats, lol) but some technical details distracted

Content warnings for assault (stories 2, 4, 7, & 12), bullying (2), racism (3, 6, & 10), racial slurs (3), homophobia (4), car accident (4), death (4, 9, 11, & 12), fire (5 & 12), mental health (5), child death (5, 7, & 11), bugs (6), body horror (6), possession (6), slavery (7), child molestation (7), cadavers (9), illness (10 & 12), animal death (11 & 12), and war (12).

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits multiverse (hard mode), mythical beasts (hard mode), and arguably robots.]]> 4.00 2016 Women of Futures Past
author: Kristine Kathryn Rusch
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/01
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: 2023-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
As always, it's hard to judge an anthology as a whole, since every story within will probably not be universally loved. Since I have to rate the book overall, I think it was pretty good, especially in concept. I like the goal of highlighting women in science fiction, especially in response to modern claims that there are not many female writers in sci-fi. Rusch as an editor did a great job in finding a variety of stories across the genre (though I admit that I now have no clue what actually encompasses "science fiction" if all of these count). Reading the introductions to each story was also helpful to learn why it was chosen and how that particular author has contributed to the field.

I found a couple of stories I loved, a lot that were fine, and a couple that were a real chore to finish. A quick review of each:

1. The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson: 2.5/5 // Introduced a ton of things with minimal exposition; felt random and rather long
2. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey: 4/5 // Wholesome, not much substance but very cute; characters were clear and pacing matched the vibe well
3. All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress: 3/5 // Really interesting idea but had large, mismatched setup for such a short story
4. Angel by Pat Cadigan: 3.5/5 // Cool concept and a decent length but felt like it could resonate more with longer build-up
5. Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh: 3/5 // Setup had me really interested until it ended abruptly; I'm not even sure what happened in this one
6. Shamleau by C.L. Moore: 3/5 // I can see the idea to write a fresh take on the Medusa story, but the complicated setting and character details distracted from the plot for me
7. The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett: 4/5 // Plot tension and character were balanced well throughout and kept me invested despite apocalypse settings not being a favorite
8. All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton: 5/5 // Cute! Set up and paid off well for a quick, fun story with a touch of introspection
9. Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold: 5/5 // This feels like peak sci-fi - the dichotomy of subtle yet strong character choices, the appeal to humanity, the plot that slowly reveals itself... masterful
10. The Last Flight of Dr. Ain: 2.5/5 // Evocative language made this interesting prose, but I legitimately could not tell what was happening throughout
11. Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin: 2/5 // Hated this one; she addresses the reader as the only kind of building character connection, which makes this read like a disembodied story told by someone you hardly know
12. Fire Watch by Connie Willis: 4/5 // Character details immediately felt relatable and created interest as plot was slowly revealed; charming bits added (like a person from the future not understanding cats, lol) but some technical details distracted

Content warnings for assault (stories 2, 4, 7, & 12), bullying (2), racism (3, 6, & 10), racial slurs (3), homophobia (4), car accident (4), death (4, 9, 11, & 12), fire (5 & 12), mental health (5), child death (5, 7, & 11), bugs (6), body horror (6), possession (6), slavery (7), child molestation (7), cadavers (9), illness (10 & 12), animal death (11 & 12), and war (12).

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits multiverse (hard mode), mythical beasts (hard mode), and arguably robots.
]]> <![CDATA[Soul Jar: Thirty-One Fantastical Tales by Disabled Authors]]> 126131518 Too often, science fiction and fantasy stories erase—or cure—characters with disabilities. Soul Jar , edited by author and bookstore owner Annie Carl, features thirty-one stories by disabled authors, imagining such wonders as a shapeshifter on a first date, skin that sprouts orchid buds, and a cereal-box demon. An insulin pump diverts an undead mob. An autistic teen sets out to discover the local cranberry bog’s sinister secret. A pizza delivery on Mars goes wrong. This thrillingly peculiar collection sparkles with humor, heart, and insight, all within the context of disability representation.]]> 400 Annie Carl 1942436572 Ashleigh 5
Content warnings throughout for ableism, illness, death, fatphobia, war, parental neglect/emotional abuse, family trauma, kidnapping, mental health, injury, and apocalyptic situations.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits disabled characters (hard mode, I'd argue).]]> 4.08 2023 Soul Jar: Thirty-One Fantastical Tales by Disabled Authors
author: Annie Carl
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/08
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
4.5/5 - As I always say with anthologies, it's unlikely that every story will resonate with each reader. That said, I was delighted to have so many hits from this collection! I made positive notes on 24 out of the 31 unique stories and will be happily following a bunch of new authors. The mix of topics, narration styles, and genres made this very satisfying as a whole, and it was clear that each author was chosen with intention. In particular, I loved getting to read multiple stories about disabled characters in addition to neurodivergence, queer characters, and people of color. Diversity was clearly important, and the editor really put that on display. Highly recommend.

Content warnings throughout for ableism, illness, death, fatphobia, war, parental neglect/emotional abuse, family trauma, kidnapping, mental health, injury, and apocalyptic situations.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits disabled characters (hard mode, I'd argue).
]]> <![CDATA[Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space]]> 57693456 Seventeen fantasy and science fiction short stories from leading voices in the Latin American diaspora!

Reclaim the Stars is a collection of bestselling and acclaimed YA authors that take the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world. From princesses warring in space, to the all too-near devastation of climate change, to haunting ghost stories in Argentina, and mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean. This is science fiction and fantasy that breaks borders and realms, and proves that stories are truly universal.

Authors include Daniel José Older, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Mark Oshiro, Romina Garber, David Bowles, Lilliam Rivera, Claribel Ortega, Isabel Ibañez, Sara Faring, Maya Motayne, Nina Moreno, Vita Ayala, J.C. Cervantes, Circe Moskowitz, Linda Nieves Pérez, and Zoraida Córdova.]]> 417 Zoraida Córdova 1250790638 Ashleigh 4
I love the idea of a focus on Latin American authors and characters. I didn't even know this book was themed when I picked it up, but what a nice surprise! I did learn that several of these authors are rather bigoted, though, which is really unfortunate and makes me not want to support their work. It's especially disappointing reading the stories and author bios and seeing the clear focus on queer and diverse voices. I suggest doing your own research to learn more, because this is obviously not mentioned in the text.

One final gripe is that I didn't understand the categorization for this book. The stories are split into (broadly) space, modern Earth, and other times. The space ones were clear, as were most of the ones set in the present, but the last section had so few references to any time or place that I highly doubt it mattered. I forgot it was even supposed to be important. Pair that with the wide range in tones and subjects, and I don't know if this book really fits a single audience. Certainly didn't make sense to me.

Content warning for animal death, family trauma, physical and emotional abuse, murder, abortion/pregnancy, scat, injury, and a questionable age-gap romance.]]> 3.78 2022 Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space
author: Zoraida CĂłrdova
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/19
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
3.5/5 - I loved the idea of this book more than the execution. There were some excellent stories that fully make the rating for me, but the weaker bits lost me completely. While favorite parts are fully expected for an anthology, I wish the contrast hadn't been so stark. The six stories I loved were unique, emotional, magical, and they made me feel things alongside them. The other 11 stories fell flat largely for doing too much; in a short story, I want to be able to focus on a few key points that hit a crescendo and connect to the premise of the story. Many of these introduced large pieces of lore or extended conflicts and characters, which left them feeling unfinished by the end of the short page count. One or two also wrote the dialogue with so many current buzzwords that it no longer sounded like humans. Oof.

I love the idea of a focus on Latin American authors and characters. I didn't even know this book was themed when I picked it up, but what a nice surprise! I did learn that several of these authors are rather bigoted, though, which is really unfortunate and makes me not want to support their work. It's especially disappointing reading the stories and author bios and seeing the clear focus on queer and diverse voices. I suggest doing your own research to learn more, because this is obviously not mentioned in the text.

One final gripe is that I didn't understand the categorization for this book. The stories are split into (broadly) space, modern Earth, and other times. The space ones were clear, as were most of the ones set in the present, but the last section had so few references to any time or place that I highly doubt it mattered. I forgot it was even supposed to be important. Pair that with the wide range in tones and subjects, and I don't know if this book really fits a single audience. Certainly didn't make sense to me.

Content warning for animal death, family trauma, physical and emotional abuse, murder, abortion/pregnancy, scat, injury, and a questionable age-gap romance.
]]> <![CDATA[Comics for Choice: Illustrated Abortion Stories, History and Politics]]> 36325824
Comics for Choice is edited by Hazel Newlevant, Whit Taylor, and Ă.K. Fox, and contains comics from exciting cartoonists like Sophia Foster-Dimino (Sex Fantasy), Leah Hayes (Not Funny Ha-Ha), Anna Bongiovanni (Grease Bats), Jennifer Camper (Rude Girls and Dangerous Women), Ally Shwed (Sex Bomb Strikes Again) and Kat Fajardo (Gringa!, La Raza Anthology), and reproductive justice scholars like Rickie Solinger, (Reproductive Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know) Renee Bracey Sherman (Program Director, We Testify), and Dr. Cynthia Greenlee (Senior Editor, Rewire).

6.625"x10.25", 300 pages, perfect-bound, color cover with b&w interior.]]> 300 Hazel Newlevant Ashleigh 3
Content warning for abortion and pregnancy (obviously), bigotry, misogyny, and sexual assault.]]> 4.35 2017 Comics for Choice: Illustrated Abortion Stories, History and Politics
author: Hazel Newlevant
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/03
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: graphic-novels, nonfiction, short-stories
review:
As a concept, I loved this so much. In execution, it was fine. Attempting to find unique designs and types of storytelling made some of these comics confusing to follow. While I never want to discredit anyone's personal story, the split among politics and history felt slightly scant compared to some of the same perspectives covered in the personal sections. I appreciated the editors' notes about focusing on diversity but wanted to see more of it. Ultimately, when I read a graphic novel or an anthology, I want some of the pieces to stick with me, and that didn't happen here. Also, I hate to say it, but the reliance on recognizable Microsoft Word fonts was distracting. Maybe I'm too much of a stickler to have gotten the full effect here.

Content warning for abortion and pregnancy (obviously), bigotry, misogyny, and sexual assault.
]]> Be Gay, Do Comics 52595105 The dream of a queer separatist town. The life of a gay and Jewish Nazi-fighter. A gender reveal party that tears apart reality. These are the just some of the comics you'll find in this massive queer comics anthology from The Nib.

Be Gay, Do Comics is filled with dozens of comics about LGBTQIA experiences, ranging from personal stories to queer history to cutting satire about pronoun panic and brands desperate to co-opt pride. Brimming with resilience, inspiration, and humor, an incredible lineup of top indie cartoonists takes you from the American Revolution through Stonewall to today's fights for equality and representation.

Featuring more than 30 cartoonists including Hazel Newlevant, Joey Alison Sayers, Maia Kobabe, Matt Lubchansky, Breena Nuñez, Sasha Velour, Shing Yin Khor, Levi Hastings, Mady G, Bianca Xunise, Kazimir Lee, and many, many more!]]> 250 Matt Bors 1684057779 Ashleigh 4
Content warnings for frequent homophobia & racism, guns, death, illness, and grief.]]> 4.23 2020 Be Gay, Do Comics
author: Matt Bors
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/08
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: graphic-novels, nonfiction, short-stories
review:
3.5/5 - Cute! I liked this. First, it's the prettiest anthology I've ever seen; each of the comics has a nice header, and it feels very cohesive to flip through them all together. Unfortunately, leaving room for this format changed the margins a lot, and the book didn't do any resizing. Certain panels were so, so tiny that I could barely read them with my perfectly-good eyesight. Flow of the pieces was also odd; there was no categorization, so quick panels about personal pronouns could be next to multi-page works about oppression and death, which dampened the significance of a piece if the one next to it felt like topical whiplash. Then, certain authors were repeated before others were put in at all. Why? As a whole, the structure felt more like form over function. Most importantly, though, this anthology held some beautiful work and gave voices to a lot of important and forgotten pieces of history. I learned a lot and found a few artists in particular that I'd like to follow.

Content warnings for frequent homophobia & racism, guns, death, illness, and grief.
]]> <![CDATA[Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales]]> 59776461
What if the giant who abducted you was actually thoughtful and kind? What if you didn’t want to marry your handsome, popular, but cold-inside suitor? What if your one true love has all the responsibilities that come with running a kingdom?

Award-winning author Melanie Gillman’s phenomenal colored-pencil art creates another "ever after" for the characters who are most worthy of it.]]> 240 Melanie Gillman 0593303202 Ashleigh 4
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits weird ecology, standalone, published in 2022, shape-shifters, and no ifs, ands, or buts.]]> 4.04 2022 Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales
author: Melanie Gillman
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/29
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, graphic-novels, fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
3.5/5 - What a visual masterpiece! The work that went into this book... Illustrated novels stun me every time. The new fairy tales are very sweet and thoughtful. The reason I can't rate this higher as an overall book is because the stories don't all feel complete. Out of seven, I adored two but felt that three of them ended in a weird place. While I fully respect how challenging it must be to create new stories in such a weathered genre, it felt like just a bit more length would have completed the moral of the tale. When putting these next to the introduction and conclusion of the book, things become even less cohesive. I am glad to have the book and will revisit bits of it again, though it doesn't all hit perfectly for me.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits weird ecology, standalone, published in 2022, shape-shifters, and no ifs, ands, or buts.
]]> Mimi's Tales of Terror 101157802
University student Mimi and her boyfriend Naoto encounter one chilling mystery after another. There’s the enigmatic neighbor woman dressed in black from head to toe—but if she’s so odd, why does it seems like there are many others like her? Then, whose eyes track Mimi’s movements from the cemetery next door? And why does a bizarre red circle drawn on a basement wall change with each passing day?

Nine scary stories that really happened, drawn from the famed collecton of urban legends Shin Mimibukuro (New Earmuffs), and adapted into manga by horror genius Junji Ito!

Contents: On the Utility Pole -- The Woman Next Door -- Rustling in the Grass -- Grave Placement -- Seashore -- Just the Two of Us -- Scarlet Circle -- Sign in the Field -- Mimi's Tales of Terror Afterword [original edition version] -- Bonus Story: Monster Prop -- Afterword [reissue edition version]]]> 224 Junji Ito 1974738515 Ashleigh 4
Content warnings for suicide, self-immolation, death, suffocation, and disappearance/abandonment.]]> 3.98 2003 Mimi's Tales of Terror
author: Junji Ito
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/17
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
Another delightfully creepy book from Junji Ito! All of these were perfectly disturbing, the neighbor one especially. Personally, I didn't love how abruptly all of the stories ended; perhaps it was meant to be mysterious, but it felt abrupt and expected at times. Great illustrations are what I've come to expect, and this book delivered as always. The variety of stories was nice, and it was a quick read; my only real complaint was the dialect choice, which was so unusual to me that it took me out of the story.

Content warnings for suicide, self-immolation, death, suffocation, and disappearance/abandonment.
]]> Broken Frontier: Anthology 29483001 304 Kurt Belcher Ashleigh 4
My favorite stories were Phantom Limb Ghost Puncher by Greg Pak, Tom Raney, Gina Going, & Simon Bowland, Stranger Than Fiction by Tyler Chin-Tanner, AysegĂĽl Sinav, & Thomas Mauer, Dark, Dark World by Cullen Bunn, Nathan Fox, & Brad Simpson, No Regrets by Jamie Coe, It's About Time by Frederik Hautain, Facundo Percio, Paul Little, & Taylor Esposito, Quin Returns by David Hine & Mark Stafford, and Inside Outside by Karrie Fransman.

I forgot to note content warnings while reading, but I remember a little bit of many things: violence, war, guns, injury, mental health, surgery/illness, death, murder, neglect, and betrayal are all definites.]]> 3.64 2016 Broken Frontier: Anthology
author: Kurt Belcher
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/10
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy-spec-fic, short-stories
review:
I love a graphic novel and I love short stories, but I somehow hadn't seen a book that combined the two. What a thoughtful and fun anthology! Variety in this collection was outstanding in every way - art style, story genre, theme, character demographics, etc. While it's always a big gamble to read a selection of different pieces (and of course, I didn't like every one of them), multiple new artists are now on my radar.

My favorite stories were Phantom Limb Ghost Puncher by Greg Pak, Tom Raney, Gina Going, & Simon Bowland, Stranger Than Fiction by Tyler Chin-Tanner, AysegĂĽl Sinav, & Thomas Mauer, Dark, Dark World by Cullen Bunn, Nathan Fox, & Brad Simpson, No Regrets by Jamie Coe, It's About Time by Frederik Hautain, Facundo Percio, Paul Little, & Taylor Esposito, Quin Returns by David Hine & Mark Stafford, and Inside Outside by Karrie Fransman.

I forgot to note content warnings while reading, but I remember a little bit of many things: violence, war, guns, injury, mental health, surgery/illness, death, murder, neglect, and betrayal are all definites.
]]> Barbarella 48590118 Jean-Claude Forest’s timeless Erotic Sci-Fi series recounting the spatial adventures of the the firece warrior Barbarella now collectedĚýin a brand new English-language adaptation by Kelly-Sue DeConnick.

Barbarella’s spaceship breaks down, she finds herself trapped on the planet Lythion. There, she has a series of adventurous, and bawdy, encounters with a variety of strange beings, from robots to angels.

Featuring a brand new, contemporary English-language adaptation by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick (Marvel’s "Captain Marvel," "Avengers Assemble," Dark Horse’s "Ghost," Image’s "Pretty Deadly")]]> 160 Jean-Claude Forest 164337883X Ashleigh 0 did-not-finish
"...it wouldn't be the first time I've disrobed just to see what happens next..." No, thank you.]]> 3.22 1974 Barbarella
author: Jean-Claude Forest
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.22
book published: 1974
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: did-not-finish
review:
Groundbreaking? If you say so. I can acknowledge the impact of something without needing to fully consume it myself, so DNF at 10% or so. It's the golden-child trope at best and uneventful at worst. We jump straight into action with no exposition and no character focus. Barbarella feels campy in a try-hard way that was made worse by the disjointed structure. Either panels skipped huge amounts of information, or these were meant to be separated but had no indicators.

"...it wouldn't be the first time I've disrobed just to see what happens next..." No, thank you.
]]> The Book Eaters 58724745
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.]]> 298 Sunyi Dean 1250810183 Ashleigh 4
Unfortunately, the pacing took a dip in the middle when the author introduced a second POV for only a couple of chapters. While the perspective was interesting, the narration turned into telling instead of showing, and it caused some inconsistent character moments while the audience caught up to the author. I wish the stakes had stayed high instead of fizzling out prematurely during some badly-placed exposition.

Overall, this book is an graphic but realistic look at how far someone will go for love, what family means, and the value of your own conviction.

Content warnings for mental health, assault (frequent), domestic violence, misogyny (frequent), sexual violence, gore (frequent), murder (frequent), child neglect, vomit, surgery, kidnapping, torture (graphic), human trafficking, homophobia (brief), infanticide, and cannibalism (graphic).

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (author of color, hard mode); also fits criminals (hard mode), character with a disability (arguably hard mode), survival (hard mode), and judge a book by its cover (hard mode).]]> 3.60 2022 The Book Eaters
author: Sunyi Dean
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/28
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
More than anything, the character work in this book is excellent. You decide if you like the premise - I could suspend my disbelief as a vehicle for the story, but a friend of mine could not get past it. No big deal for me. To begin, it's an absolutely wild and intense concept which only gives way to more unbelievable and harrowing things as the Family structure unwinds. It pulled me in and had my attention from the very start.

Unfortunately, the pacing took a dip in the middle when the author introduced a second POV for only a couple of chapters. While the perspective was interesting, the narration turned into telling instead of showing, and it caused some inconsistent character moments while the audience caught up to the author. I wish the stakes had stayed high instead of fizzling out prematurely during some badly-placed exposition.

Overall, this book is an graphic but realistic look at how far someone will go for love, what family means, and the value of your own conviction.

Content warnings for mental health, assault (frequent), domestic violence, misogyny (frequent), sexual violence, gore (frequent), murder (frequent), child neglect, vomit, surgery, kidnapping, torture (graphic), human trafficking, homophobia (brief), infanticide, and cannibalism (graphic).

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (author of color, hard mode); also fits criminals (hard mode), character with a disability (arguably hard mode), survival (hard mode), and judge a book by its cover (hard mode).
]]> <![CDATA[Feminist Cross-Stitch: 40 Bold & Fierce Patterns]]> 40226096 Ěý
Crafty activists will love this snarky book with its 40 irreverent, vintage-inspired cross-stitch patterns. Whether you want to proudly announce to the world that you're a nasty woman or remind others that a woman's place is inĚý the revolution, you’ll find edgy slogans, sharp one-liners, and cheeky images that make fabulous wall art or wonderful handmade gifts. An illustrated basics section will get you started, with information on materials, tools, techniques, and framing your finished pieces.]]> 128 Stephanie Rohr 1454710802 Ashleigh 4 reference-books 4.28 2019 Feminist Cross-Stitch: 40 Bold & Fierce Patterns
author: Stephanie Rohr
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/24
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: reference-books
review:
Cute! I liked the beginner-friendly style of this book as well as the variety of patterns within. Nodding back to traditional cross-stitch in an updated way was a fun touch. Unfortunately, I do personally think a lot of the patterns are ugly and/or need a slight kerning adjustment, but those should be easy to fix! The first pattern in particular is one I plan to make for myself.
]]> <![CDATA[A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)]]> 6468388
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."

A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.

A Wrinkle in Time is the winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal.]]> 256 Madeleine L'Engle 1429915641 Ashleigh 2 3.88 1962 A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)
author: Madeleine L'Engle
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1962
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic, childhood-re-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet]]> 199238982 Ěý
Spinning off of Bodrug's wildly popular Scrappy Cooking social media series, the cookbook is packed with over 150+ whole-food, plant-based recipes that show the reader how to make the most of the food they have in their fridge and pantry with easy and approachable vegan recipes anyone can make.
Ěý
Transform radish tops into pesto, broccoli stems into summer rolls and wilting greens into smoothie cubes... But that's not all. The book will equip readers with not only the tools to make the most of their scraps, but use up just about any vegetable, grain or bean from their fridge and pantry in the flexible Kitchen Raid Recipes, or cross reference commonly wasted foods like stale bread from a "Got This, Make That" index so these items can be used up in the easiest and most delicious way possible.Ěý
Ěý
Scrappy Cooking not only puts the focus on eating a diet that's more conscious for our environment (and our wallets) but our health as well. Every recipe in the book is vegan, almost entirely oil free, and focuses on whole, plant-based foods that are good for our bodies and the planet. Get ready for recipes like The Whole Darn Squash (Pasta), Skillet Lasagna, One Pan Orzo Casserole, Vodka Penne With Broccolini, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Chickpea Pot Pie, Orange Peel Chickn�, Loaded Tortilla Bowls, Sheet Pan Tacos with Carrot Top Chimichurri, Rebel “Ribs�, Veggie Masala Burgers, Palak “Paneer�, Vegan Meaty Hand Pies, We-Got-the-Beet Chips, Pickle-Mania Chips, Cornmeal Biscuits, Bang Bang Broccoli-cious Steaks…and more!]]> 384 Carleigh Bodrug 0306832429 Ashleigh 5 nonfiction, reference-books
I really enjoyed this! The recipes are relatively simple and true to their focus of creating less waste in the kitchen. As someone who frequently finds herself with a random amount of something left over, I appreciate the concrete examples of how to use up potential scraps. Many of the recipes in here are unique and sound great, but they don't come across as pretentious. She also doesn't claim to have invented a lot of these ideas - multiple dishes reference a culture or country where she's taken inspiration. There's also an aspirational element for me where I can see myself warming up to the idea of making my own pantry staples (also included in here)! Practical at heart, there's not a ton of chatter in here except when necessary, and each of the recipes comes with nutritional info as well as storage tips. Gotta love that. Lemon peel pesto from this cookbook instantly became a favorite of mine when I made it (and I have made it two more times since), so I look forward to trying more!]]> 4.42 PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet
author: Carleigh Bodrug
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/20
date added: 2024/07/20
shelves: nonfiction, reference-books
review:
(Catch me now reading more cookbooks as palette cleansers between novels, haha.)

I really enjoyed this! The recipes are relatively simple and true to their focus of creating less waste in the kitchen. As someone who frequently finds herself with a random amount of something left over, I appreciate the concrete examples of how to use up potential scraps. Many of the recipes in here are unique and sound great, but they don't come across as pretentious. She also doesn't claim to have invented a lot of these ideas - multiple dishes reference a culture or country where she's taken inspiration. There's also an aspirational element for me where I can see myself warming up to the idea of making my own pantry staples (also included in here)! Practical at heart, there's not a ton of chatter in here except when necessary, and each of the recipes comes with nutritional info as well as storage tips. Gotta love that. Lemon peel pesto from this cookbook instantly became a favorite of mine when I made it (and I have made it two more times since), so I look forward to trying more!
]]> Our Town 205476 Our Town was first produced and published in 1938 to wide acclaim. This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of life in the small village of Grover's Corners, an allegorical representation of all life, has become a classic. It is Thornton Wilder's most renowned and most frequently performed play.]]> 181 Thornton Wilder 0060512636 Ashleigh 4 theatrical-lit
Content warning for death, grief, and suicide.]]> 3.72 1938 Our Town
author: Thornton Wilder
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1938
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/19
date added: 2024/07/20
shelves: theatrical-lit
review:
I bought this on my quest to purchase as many acclaimed plays as possible, and I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. There's something about the bare-bones staging and just-enough vignettes that really speak to its point, highlighting the fleeting nature of small moments. Wilder knew when to focus on each element and how, leaving only the important parts that serve the story. Albeit a touch evangelical for me, I do think most people can relate to the premise of watching life pass by too quickly. The primary documents and added research were a fun addition to this version, and it gets a bonus thumbs up for having maybe the best foreword I've ever read!

Content warning for death, grief, and suicide.
]]> Pharmakides 199555483 274 Alice Abyss Ashleigh 1
First, the idea of 27 birds narrating your story - this is too many narrators. No chapter can focus on a character for too long, leaving them essentially useless as there's no time to develop a unique POV. Similarly, only three or so actually had distinct voices; most could have been interchanged with each other to no effect. There's also the element of what a bird actually knows, which is often very little. While third-person narration can be very good, this is first-person narration watching someone else, which makes all but a few pages of the book distant and stilted, as it's too removed from the action. Nothing ever hooked me. Not to mention the necessity of each bird (and one bat, which is not a bird at all, come on) learning about Medousa* in real time, which means the reader has to endure over a dozen discoveries of the same information. I know she has a tattoo. I know she has a scar. Sometimes, you give up realism for the sanity of the audience. Oof. Please allow us to fill in the blanks on our own, okay?

Lastly, the birds kept bringing up more interesting things than the actual story. Again, because the narrators are almost never involved directly (and the few exceptions are easily the best part), the plot took a very long time to go anywhere. I'm literally bored to sleep wondering where things are going, and a bird mentions that it used to be a person. Then, another one mentions that it is made of stone but wasn't originally. What happened here, and why can't that be covered in some detail? If you want a reader to care about a story, it should probably give plot and details on the characters it actually follows.

This earned one star for the moments of nice prose and the idea of trying something new. Pretentious spellings (see * for Medusa above; also Phoinix instead of Phoenix, Kerberos instead of Cerberus, etc.) and bad ideas killed the rest.

Content warnings for injury (graphic), murder, assault (sexual and physical), death, grief, graphic animal death, and drowning.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (multi-POV, hard mode); also fits self-published (hard mode), dreams (hard mode), judge a book by its cover (hard mode), and reference materials (glossary).]]> 3.87 Pharmakides
author: Alice Abyss
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Everything about the structure of this book proves why the idea is a bad one. In short, the concept is so limited that it forces the writing to conform to a finished product with multiple flaws.

First, the idea of 27 birds narrating your story - this is too many narrators. No chapter can focus on a character for too long, leaving them essentially useless as there's no time to develop a unique POV. Similarly, only three or so actually had distinct voices; most could have been interchanged with each other to no effect. There's also the element of what a bird actually knows, which is often very little. While third-person narration can be very good, this is first-person narration watching someone else, which makes all but a few pages of the book distant and stilted, as it's too removed from the action. Nothing ever hooked me. Not to mention the necessity of each bird (and one bat, which is not a bird at all, come on) learning about Medousa* in real time, which means the reader has to endure over a dozen discoveries of the same information. I know she has a tattoo. I know she has a scar. Sometimes, you give up realism for the sanity of the audience. Oof. Please allow us to fill in the blanks on our own, okay?

Lastly, the birds kept bringing up more interesting things than the actual story. Again, because the narrators are almost never involved directly (and the few exceptions are easily the best part), the plot took a very long time to go anywhere. I'm literally bored to sleep wondering where things are going, and a bird mentions that it used to be a person. Then, another one mentions that it is made of stone but wasn't originally. What happened here, and why can't that be covered in some detail? If you want a reader to care about a story, it should probably give plot and details on the characters it actually follows.

This earned one star for the moments of nice prose and the idea of trying something new. Pretentious spellings (see * for Medusa above; also Phoinix instead of Phoenix, Kerberos instead of Cerberus, etc.) and bad ideas killed the rest.

Content warnings for injury (graphic), murder, assault (sexual and physical), death, grief, graphic animal death, and drowning.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (multi-POV, hard mode); also fits self-published (hard mode), dreams (hard mode), judge a book by its cover (hard mode), and reference materials (glossary).
]]> Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers 327 Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress.

As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear—and the ones that plague us now—are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer. When we worry or experience stress, our body turns on the same physiological responses that an animal's does, but we do not resolve conflict in the same way—through fighting or fleeing. Over time, this activation of a stress response makes us sick.]]> 560 Robert M. Sapolsky 0805073698 Ashleigh 0 currently-reading 4.17 1993 Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
author: Robert M. Sapolsky
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)]]> 13214
Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.

Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.� At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare�) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.]]> 289 Maya Angelou 0553279378 Ashleigh 4 classic-lit, nonfiction
Giving a book like this a rating is hard because it's such a specific type of memoir with a meandering plot, but it is impactful and had me genuinely shocked at multiple points. So many important and difficult things about the past are immortalized here. Glad I read it!

Content warning for child molestation (graphic), illness, murder, suicide, homophobia, racism (frequent), assault and injury, and parental neglect.]]> 4.30 1969 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)
author: Maya Angelou
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1969
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves: classic-lit, nonfiction
review:
It was a tough read, but I'm glad I decided to try out this classic! Hearing the book read by the author added a personal touch which I always enjoy and recommend. A lot of the book had passed before I really got into the cadence of Angelou's storytelling; even so, it's impossible to miss the heart and honesty she brings to her writing. I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to distinguish her grandmother (mama) from her mom (mother) - even still, I might have mixed them up.

Giving a book like this a rating is hard because it's such a specific type of memoir with a meandering plot, but it is impactful and had me genuinely shocked at multiple points. So many important and difficult things about the past are immortalized here. Glad I read it!

Content warning for child molestation (graphic), illness, murder, suicide, homophobia, racism (frequent), assault and injury, and parental neglect.
]]> Chlorine 61387386 In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies... a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.

Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach, her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life.

But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to land, those with legs. Ren grew up on stories of creatures of the deep, of the oceans and the rivers. Ones that called sailors to their doom. Ones that dragged them down and drowned them. Ones that feasted on their flesh. Ones of the creature that she's always longed to become: mermaid.

Ren aches to be in the water. She dreams of the scent of chlorine--the feel of it on her skin. And she will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain. No matter what anyone else thinks. No matter how much blood she has to spill.]]> 256 Jade Song 0063257602 Ashleigh 3 fantasy-spec-fic
Anyway! What a book. At first, I wasn't a fan of the narration style here; it's detached and follows a stream of consciousness that I struggled to enjoy when I didn't know much about the main character. Eventually, I warmed up to the book as I got to know Ren and her life better. Maybe that's the point, though... Nothing else gets the focus her lifestyle does, not even Ren herself. The author is clearly talented in portraying visceral, almost confusing situations that are shocking as much as intriguing. I picked up this book on a whim after liking the cover but don't often read horror. Though done well, I wouldn't personally recommend this book but can appreciate the brutal, vivid look at the intersection of identity, belonging, and missed connections. Was any of it real?! Edited to add: I'm glad I saw the comparison to Melissa Broder; that is exactly the vibe this feels like.

Content warning for mental health (frequent), addiction, drug abuse (frequent), fatphobia, sexual assault, vomit, racism and fetishing, animal death, inappropriate adult/child relationships, injury (graphic), self-harm (extremely graphic), disordered eating (frequent), and graphic descriptions of body functions (frequent).]]> 3.67 2023 Chlorine
author: Jade Song
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
If you are squeamish, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. The author put a content warning in the beginning of the book - yay!- but it failed to convey the severity of the issue and also left out one of the persistent themes throughout (graphic descriptions of body functions). My initial thought was to rate this book a little higher, but I took the rating down when I had to skip multiple pages for fear of being ill.

Anyway! What a book. At first, I wasn't a fan of the narration style here; it's detached and follows a stream of consciousness that I struggled to enjoy when I didn't know much about the main character. Eventually, I warmed up to the book as I got to know Ren and her life better. Maybe that's the point, though... Nothing else gets the focus her lifestyle does, not even Ren herself. The author is clearly talented in portraying visceral, almost confusing situations that are shocking as much as intriguing. I picked up this book on a whim after liking the cover but don't often read horror. Though done well, I wouldn't personally recommend this book but can appreciate the brutal, vivid look at the intersection of identity, belonging, and missed connections. Was any of it real?! Edited to add: I'm glad I saw the comparison to Melissa Broder; that is exactly the vibe this feels like.

Content warning for mental health (frequent), addiction, drug abuse (frequent), fatphobia, sexual assault, vomit, racism and fetishing, animal death, inappropriate adult/child relationships, injury (graphic), self-harm (extremely graphic), disordered eating (frequent), and graphic descriptions of body functions (frequent).
]]> <![CDATA[Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3)]]> 2146957
In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn. The Sphinx has always given sound advice–but is he a traitor? Inside the Quiet Box, Vanessa might have information that could lead to a cure–but can she be trust?

Meanwhile, Kendra and members of the Knights of the Dawn must journey to a distant preserve and retrieve another hidden artifact. Will the Society of the Evening Star recover it first? Will the plague eclipse all light at Fablehaven? Find out in Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague.]]> 477 Brandon Mull 1590388984 Ashleigh 3 fantasy-spec-fic Fablehaven qualities are in this book - Seth is reckless, more magical creatures exist than you know, and everyone can turn good or bad at any time. Unfortunately, I think that's where the issues were, since it never felt fully unique or developed as a story (and even repeated some very similar plot points from a previous book). Action started immediately, which never gave me a chance to grasp exactly how or why things were happening. Named characters and new settings were introduced as important but incredibly fleeting, making me wonder if they couldn't have been written better. An answer to a critical question is handed to you at the end, which only tops off my feeling that the tension was massively mishandled.

I still wish this author would stop othering people - referring only to someone's skin color when they are non-white and calling Tanu "the Samoan" is gross every time. For now, I'll continue the series, but it's going to need to pick up.

Content warning for bullying, injury, animal and human death, and suicide (brief).]]> 4.30 2008 Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3)
author: Brandon Mull
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/03
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
As an adult, it should not have taken me quite so long to finish a book made for middle school kids. Lots of trademark Fablehaven qualities are in this book - Seth is reckless, more magical creatures exist than you know, and everyone can turn good or bad at any time. Unfortunately, I think that's where the issues were, since it never felt fully unique or developed as a story (and even repeated some very similar plot points from a previous book). Action started immediately, which never gave me a chance to grasp exactly how or why things were happening. Named characters and new settings were introduced as important but incredibly fleeting, making me wonder if they couldn't have been written better. An answer to a critical question is handed to you at the end, which only tops off my feeling that the tension was massively mishandled.

I still wish this author would stop othering people - referring only to someone's skin color when they are non-white and calling Tanu "the Samoan" is gross every time. For now, I'll continue the series, but it's going to need to pick up.

Content warning for bullying, injury, animal and human death, and suicide (brief).
]]> <![CDATA[Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, #1)]]> 6450616 Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other--and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.
]]> 372 Nalini Singh 1101019530 Ashleigh 3
I also noticed a decent number of typos, including one word that simply does not exist. Lastly, I must mention that having a vampire hunter named Elena many years after The Vampire Diaries books (but only one month after the show starts!) is a very bold choice.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (angels & demons, hard mode); also fits book club, published in 2000s (hard mode), mythical beasts (hard mode), and magical realism (hard mode).

Content warning for violence, injury, murder/mass murder, mutilation & gore, family trauma, and implied sexual assault.]]> 4.10 2009 Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, #1)
author: Nalini Singh
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/20
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: 2023-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
2.5/5 - Reading this book felt like a game, as if someone rolled tone/genre dice and had to keep switching every time they rolled another one. It kept me on my toes, though I personally wish it hadn't. Starting with an action premise suggested a certain urgency to me, but the story interjected a delay that felt like it existed only to make room for the romance plot. The bureaucratic power dynamic, cocky banter, and my own wondering of "is it really the time for this?" meant the teasing and smut didn't really hit for me. The author also seems to be a fan of repetition, both in phrases and concepts. The dialogue felt unnatural as the characters continued to bring up (paraphrased) "nobody would control her" or, my favorite, "the way he said it made him seem more immortal than ever". The thing that kept me going was primarily the tension; unique societal rules and high stakes for everyone created a lot of intrigue, though this book waits to answer a lot of the questions that I hope the rest of the series covers. Switching up the POVs was a fun surprise to flesh out the unique characters, which were overall strong, though it seemed random a few times. I particularly have questions about the voice of the villain, who didn't say much beyond mentioning their bloodlust. I like a lot of the individual choices that were made, but I struggle to see why many of them were made together.

I also noticed a decent number of typos, including one word that simply does not exist. Lastly, I must mention that having a vampire hunter named Elena many years after The Vampire Diaries books (but only one month after the show starts!) is a very bold choice.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (angels & demons, hard mode); also fits book club, published in 2000s (hard mode), mythical beasts (hard mode), and magical realism (hard mode).

Content warning for violence, injury, murder/mass murder, mutilation & gore, family trauma, and implied sexual assault.
]]> The Bone Harp 206822679
A standalone tale of friendship, family, and fair Elfland.]]> 280 Victoria Goddard Ashleigh 2
Similarly, the choice (if I can call it that) to switch POV characters added nothing to the story. A few pages are spent on the companion of our main character as well as on a few of his brothers - yet, all of these perspectives add up to the same content. Tamsin sad, journey hard. Worse still is the entire section dedicated to his lover, Klara, reminiscing about how they created the world together. The tone is narratively passive and feels more like a dreamy retelling than anything actionable. Tell me, how does it make sense to interrupt the hero's return for that? I must also mention the grating repetition in Klara's section. Filler sentences are constant, adding to the passive feeling, like there's not enough known information and we have to make up the missing pieces. In particular, if I had to read one more version of "people still sang now, but nobody Sang [magically]", I was about to lose my mind. It was included at least 25 times. This is terrible writing and completely lost any focus and plot it had managed to build.

The only things giving this book 1.5 stars are the concept - I do like the general idea of a bloodied warrior having to learn to be soft, and this did lead to some charming, tender moments - and some of the prose. When isolated, it was pretty. I did also enjoy the mentions of gender fluidity, as two characters were so close that they often imitated each other with no concern.

All in all, it's not the worst book I've ever read, but it is near the bottom. Genre preferences aside, I cannot recommend this in good faith.

Content warnings for death, war, injury, and grief.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (bards, hard mode); also fits multi-POV (hard mode), published in 2024, self-published, and character with a disability (arguably).]]> 4.32 2024 The Bone Harp
author: Victoria Goddard
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/19
date added: 2024/06/19
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
1.5/5 - One of my college professors said that any repeated bit in a story needs to have intention and serve a different purpose than the time before it. I wish this author had taken that advice. Clearly, there is a stream-of-consciousness happening in the narration, but it's so literal that we spent multiple paragraphs describing the length, style, and amount of tangles in the protagonist's hair. (Even so, I never knew what color it was until the last few chapters of the book. Yes, we do keep talking about his hair across the entire thing.) Agony. Then, there's the element of telling instead of showing. Nothing is left to the reader's perception; instead, every thought is spelled out on the page, sometimes in ways that even distract from the story. One example is when a character gets up to hug someone - it was not worth stealing focus from an emotional moment to share that they had a bowl in their lap and tried not to spill it. Toddlers are the only ones asking these questions. A real line from the book: "It felt as if it had been thousands of years since she had last felt such a thing. It had been thousands of years since she had last felt such a thing." (Chapter 17)

Similarly, the choice (if I can call it that) to switch POV characters added nothing to the story. A few pages are spent on the companion of our main character as well as on a few of his brothers - yet, all of these perspectives add up to the same content. Tamsin sad, journey hard. Worse still is the entire section dedicated to his lover, Klara, reminiscing about how they created the world together. The tone is narratively passive and feels more like a dreamy retelling than anything actionable. Tell me, how does it make sense to interrupt the hero's return for that? I must also mention the grating repetition in Klara's section. Filler sentences are constant, adding to the passive feeling, like there's not enough known information and we have to make up the missing pieces. In particular, if I had to read one more version of "people still sang now, but nobody Sang [magically]", I was about to lose my mind. It was included at least 25 times. This is terrible writing and completely lost any focus and plot it had managed to build.

The only things giving this book 1.5 stars are the concept - I do like the general idea of a bloodied warrior having to learn to be soft, and this did lead to some charming, tender moments - and some of the prose. When isolated, it was pretty. I did also enjoy the mentions of gender fluidity, as two characters were so close that they often imitated each other with no concern.

All in all, it's not the worst book I've ever read, but it is near the bottom. Genre preferences aside, I cannot recommend this in good faith.

Content warnings for death, war, injury, and grief.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (bards, hard mode); also fits multi-POV (hard mode), published in 2024, self-published, and character with a disability (arguably).
]]> Idlewild (Idlewild, #1) 1129393 The Matrix with the chilling social vision of Minority Report.

Set in the day after tomorrow, Idlewild opens as a young man awakes with amnesia: He cannot remember who he is and doesn't recognize anything around him-all he knows for sure is that someone is trying to kill him. Not certain whom he can trust, he becomes reacquainted with eight companions, all of whom are being trained at a strange school run by an enigmatic figure named Maestro. Working to uncover the identity of the person who has attempted to murder him, the young man quickly starts to unravel a series of truths, making it clear that much more than just his life is at stake.

Taking the best of the genre and transcending it, Sagan's cool debut will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and Orson Scott Card, while also drawing in readers of novels such as House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski and Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk.]]> 304 Nick Sagan 0451212061 Ashleigh 2
Content warnings for overdose, suicide, animal death, misogyny, colonialism, war, injury, self-harm, murder, racism, guns, illness, confinement, vomit, abuse, pandemic, taphephobia, bugs, miscarriage, and child death.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (judge a book by its cover, hard mode); also fits dark academia (arguably), prologues & epilogues (hard mode), eldritch creatures (hard mode as as far as I know), survival, and dreams. ]]> 3.76 2003 Idlewild (Idlewild, #1)
author: Nick Sagan
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/14
date added: 2024/06/15
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Sure. I see what this book tried to do. Sagan had a very ambitious idea to set up this multi-layered "what is reality?" type of environment with interwoven characters, relationships, and settings, and I can see the intent. Unfortunately, the balance is off. He attempts to make this character-driven by having the premise and narration from Halloween's point of view, but the universe is so complex that it takes pages and pages (and pages and pages) of worldbuilding to come together. For some, I can see that being fun to unravel, especially in real time as Halloween recovers from his amnesia, but the execution felt subpar to me. So many elements within this book are interesting and intense - forgotten identity, a murder mystery, and more - yet, the tension was minimal at best. Bored was the feeling that frequently came to mind, and the story only grabbed my attention at the end when I finally learned what was real. By then, my overall interest had come and gone, and I only finished the book for completion. Neil Gaiman's endorsement on the cover really steered me wrong here!

Content warnings for overdose, suicide, animal death, misogyny, colonialism, war, injury, self-harm, murder, racism, guns, illness, confinement, vomit, abuse, pandemic, taphephobia, bugs, miscarriage, and child death.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (judge a book by its cover, hard mode); also fits dark academia (arguably), prologues & epilogues (hard mode), eldritch creatures (hard mode as as far as I know), survival, and dreams.
]]> Salt: A World History 24853053
So much of our human body is made up of salt that we'd be dead without it. The fine balance of nature, the trade of salt as a currency of many nations and empires, the theme of a popular Shakespearean play...Salt is best selling author Mark Kurlansky's story of the only rock we eat.

From its single origin, to the other discoveries made because of it, fascinating tales of salt and the people who have been involved with it through the ages are interwoven here. Fifteen recipes are included that will meet with every taste. Mark Kurlansky has produced a kaleidoscope of history, a multi-layered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.

Enjoy Mark Kurlansky's books? Listen to an interview with the author on To the Best of Our Knowlege.

©2002 Mark Kurlansky; (P)2002 New Millenium Audio, All Rights Reserved]]> 14 Mark Kurlansky Ashleigh 3 nonfiction
Content warning for slavery, racism, death, animal harm/death, and some descriptions of fermentation and mold that were just a little bit gross for my sensitive stomach.]]> 3.41 2002 Salt: A World History
author: Mark Kurlansky
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/11
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: nonfiction
review:
I enjoyed this as much as someone might enjoy a very detailed textbook. The research was extensive and done well (as far as I know; if I knew everything here, I probably wouldn't have read the book, would I?), and it covered a lot of things. I enjoyed the mix of narrative styles, switching from general documentarian to in-depth accounts on a person to practical application of recipes from old cookbooks. It certainly made the book more lively. Even so, this is SO much information to take in at once, and I generally prefer history in smaller chunks. Immediately upon reading the first few pages, I switched to the audiobook version (without the cool cover, boo) because I knew I would not choose this if it had to compete with my other options for physical books. The narrator was talented, especially with various accents, but their relatively flat demeanor could be grating after some time. All in all, I learned some neat facts that I'll hold onto and enjoy, but this was definitely a case of having nothing else that I wanted to listen to instead. Bonus points for the little bits of anti-capitalist commentary thrown in; those were fun.

Content warning for slavery, racism, death, animal harm/death, and some descriptions of fermentation and mold that were just a little bit gross for my sensitive stomach.
]]> Eyeliner: A Cultural History 123078051
From the distant past to the present, with fingers and felt-tipped pens, metallic powders and gel pots, humans have been drawn to lining their eyes. The aesthetic trademark of figures ranging from Nefertiti to Amy Winehouse, eyeliner is one of our most enduring cosmetic tools; ancient royals and Gen Z beauty influencers alike would attest to its uniquely transformative power. It is undeniably fun—yet it is also far from frivolous.

Seen through Zahra Hankir’s (kohl-lined) eyes, this ubiquitous but seldom-examined product becomes a portal to history, proof both of the stunning variety among cultures across time and space and of our shared humanity. Through intimate reporting and conversations—with nomads in Chad, geishas in Japan, dancers in India, drag queens in New York, and more� Eyeliner embraces the rich history and significance of its namesake, especially among communities of color. What emerges is an unexpectedly moving portrait of a tool that, in various corners of the globe, can signal religious devotion, attract potential partners, ward off evil forces, shield eyes from the sun, transform faces into fantasies, and communicate volumes without saying a word.

Delightful, surprising, and utterly absorbing, Eyeliner is a fascinating tour through streets, stages, and bedrooms around the world, and a thought-provoking reclamation of a key piece of our collective history.]]> 368 Zahra Fatima Hankir 0143137093 Ashleigh 5 nonfiction
Content warning for general bigotry (misogyny, homophobia, racism), discussions of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, death, and mental illness.]]> 3.76 2023 Eyeliner: A Cultural History
author: Zahra Fatima Hankir
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/04
date added: 2024/06/07
shelves: nonfiction
review:
Is there any nonfiction better than a deep dive into a familiar but overlooked topic? The author took a ubiquitous thing and full explored the cultural significance of eyeliner as a spiritual, personal, medical, and historical choice across multiple cultures. I loved the attention to detail and wide variety of perspectives profiled here, from Egyptian or Persian tradition going back generations to modern influencers like Huda Kattan and the proliferation of drag makeup. Everything was handled with grace and respect, leaving no relevant question uncovered. Telling these stories in such a conversational way made them resonate deeply and personally, and I found myself actively listening to this much more than I expected. This is how you show diversity and make a statement cohesively (and with excellent eye makeup)!

Content warning for general bigotry (misogyny, homophobia, racism), discussions of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, death, and mental illness.
]]> <![CDATA[Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors (The Children of the Red King, #4)]]> 106131
Charlie's power is taking on a new dimension as he meets a new cast of characters, including Mr. Pilgrim's replacement, Tantalus Ebony, and the mysterious new student Joshua Tilpin, who appears to be magnetic. But Charlie isn't the only one dealing with changes . . . Billy has been adopted by a child-hating couple called the O'Gres, who carry a gray bag of oaths wherever they go, pressuring Billy to sign an oath of obedience, and locking him behind a force field in an odd place called The Passing House. Will Charlie be able to rescue Billy and uncover the mystery behind Joshua's power?]]> 410 Jenny Nimmo 0439545285 Ashleigh 3 3.92 2005 Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors (The Children of the Red King, #4)
author: Jenny Nimmo
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/03
date added: 2024/06/07
shelves: childhood-re-reads, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
I have finally come to a part of the series I never read as a child! More than the others, this one felt like a disconnected story that existed just because. Of course, I knew that there wouldn't be a resolution one of the big issues at this point in the series, but the main conflict of the book really just came and went. Even in a series for kids, the tension can be better managed (and has been in the other books), whereas this seems to have had very little consequence on the world at large. Plot here was more of a side quest, if you will. I'll still continue the series because they are very easy reads, and I'd like to safely recommend them to younger people in my life. Crossing my fingers that we get to revisit the angel that is Clawdia the cat
]]> <![CDATA[The Woman's Guide to Total Self-Esteem: The Eight Secrets You Need to Know]]> 868672 180 Stephanie Dillon 1572242418 Ashleigh 4 nonfiction
Content warnings for discussion of misogyny, trauma, suicide, infidelity, disordered eating, and general mental health.]]> 3.65 2001 The Woman's Guide to Total Self-Esteem: The Eight Secrets You Need to Know
author: Stephanie Dillon
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/01
date added: 2024/06/01
shelves: nonfiction
review:
Surprisingly, this book had a lot of great content, which I did not expect from the unassuming cover. My expectations were that there would be some vague, general tips that I'd largely ignore, but honestly? I so appreciated the approach the authors took here. By diving into the societal expectations and experiences of women, it got deep into the full reasoning for emotional dysregulation, body dysphoria, people-pleasing, and more. Tons of exercises and examples made the research more tangible, and I could easily see this being a great workbook for a lot of people. Apart from its strict adherence to the gender binary and a few too many visualization exercises for me, I enjoyed this. Not bad for a 23-year-old book written to a general audience.

Content warnings for discussion of misogyny, trauma, suicide, infidelity, disordered eating, and general mental health.
]]> The Impossible Us 58575269
***

Nick: Failed writer. Failed husband. Dog owner.

Bee: Serial dater. Dress maker. Pringles enthusiast.

One day, their paths cross over a misdirected email. The connection is instant, electric. They feel like they've known each other all their lives.

Nick buys a new suit, gets on a train. Bee steps away from her desk, sets off to meet him under the clock at Euston station.

Think you know how the rest of the story goes? They did too . . .

But this is a story with more twists than most. This is Impossible.]]> 483 Sarah Lotz 0593436776 Ashleigh 5 fantasy-spec-fic
Content warnings for suicide, loss & grief, infidelity, fatphobia, domestic abuse, guns, family trauma, and brief self-harm.]]> 3.86 2022 The Impossible Us
author: Sarah Lotz
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/18
date added: 2024/05/21
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
4.5/5 - If you can give yourself over to the silliness of a multiverse romance, I highly recommend this. What sticks out the most is the earnest, complete character work; everyone is believable and multi-faceted, which made it so easy to slip into their perspectives. This book made me laugh, roll my eyes, audibly gasp, and cringe. I enjoyed seeing the two characters (at least one of whom was older, having a college-aged kid) navigate through love, identity, and happiness. It was charming and fresh, and I love the way it balanced realistic elements of society and politics with what could be. Only one hiccup held it back - with overlapping characters in different timelines, it could be difficult to switch POVs and remember which version I was observing. It didn't take me out of the story for long but did leave a few small gaps where I simply accepted that I couldn't remember. Ah, well.

Content warnings for suicide, loss & grief, infidelity, fatphobia, domestic abuse, guns, family trauma, and brief self-harm.
]]> <![CDATA[The Utterly, Completely, and Totally Useless History Fact-O-Pedia]]> 44078045 310 Charlotte Lowe Ashleigh 0 did-not-finish, nonfiction 2.75 The Utterly, Completely, and Totally Useless History Fact-O-Pedia
author: Charlotte Lowe
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 2.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/21
shelves: did-not-finish, nonfiction
review:
Wow, thousands of fun facts?! Too bad most of the facts are simply the dates of when certain wars happened or how many people died. Not only is that decidedly uninteresting to read in a list, but there's no context added. Tell me something about the wars or anything (literally anything) that made them unique. Not to mention that it's very clear this was written without any people of color - cheerful, flippant mentions of colonialism and how this European "discovered" America make me shake my head. I also can't believe they gave the definition of a dingo but didn't describe some of the ancient wonders of Babylon. DNF around 10%; while I gave into the gimmicky title, I at least expected to learn something and have a good time.
]]> <![CDATA[The Ten Thousand Doors of January]]> 43521657
Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.]]> 374 Alix E. Harrow 0316421995 Ashleigh 4
Content warnings for self-harm & injury (very graphic & frequent), confinement, racism, parental neglect, animal harm (moderate), illness, guns, and assault.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (small-town setting, hard mode); also fits prologues & epilogues, alliterative title (hard mode), and judging a book by its cover.]]> 3.99 2019 The Ten Thousand Doors of January
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/06
date added: 2024/05/21
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
First thing that sticks out to me about this book is the language. It's stunning. Poetic, dreamy prose and vivid imagery sets a beautiful scene for a story that spans multiple worlds. I wrote down more quotes from these pages than I have in a long time. Another positive is the flow; action moves smoothly and often, which keeps things interesting. It's tempting to say that the narration here was good, too, because it almost was... Characters were rich and believable, but worldbuilding and structure choices made it hard to fully connect. There's a story-within-the-story that takes up over 100 pages (at least a quarter of the book) and provides a lot of interesting background. Problem is that I didn't sign up for that full story. I think the journal entries could have been trimmed significantly and gotten the same point across. Plus, for realism, who writes flowery metaphors into a journal, anyway? It took a lot of time and didn't fully advance the story for me. The author also made some clunky choices in building the world and setting, particularly the time period. I don't think the early-1900s setting made much of a difference, making any mention of racism toward January particularly jarring and unnecessary. She had plenty of purpose and character depth without making overt difficulty regarding her race. Despite some complaints, this is good. I liked all of the components, some quite a lot, but I wish they had come together a little more smoothly.

Content warnings for self-harm & injury (very graphic & frequent), confinement, racism, parental neglect, animal harm (moderate), illness, guns, and assault.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (small-town setting, hard mode); also fits prologues & epilogues, alliterative title (hard mode), and judging a book by its cover.
]]> Pride and Prejudice 84979 Another cover edition for this ISBN

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.]]> 334 Jane Austen 0553213105 Ashleigh 2
Content warning for general bullying and misogyny.]]> 4.36 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1813
rating: 2
read at: 2024/04/27
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves: classic-lit, childhood-re-reads
review:
Bits of witty banter could not save what was ultimately a book out of my wheelhouse. I wanted to revisit this after skipping it in high school due to the language. Surprisingly, the language was not a big deal now, so that's a win! However, the focus on gossip, preconceived notions about others, and marrying for status completely turned me off and made it challenging to focus on other positive elements. Lots of people love this book, but I couldn't get over my issues with the premise. It has plenty of competence and is still not the worst thing I've read, but I'm not going to be diving enthusiastically into any of Jane Austen's other books.

Content warning for general bullying and misogyny.
]]> Math in Drag 181342707 280 Kyne Santos 1421448742 Ashleigh 5 nonfiction
Content warning for in-depth discussions of homophobia, racism, bullying, genocide, mental health, and bigotry of all kinds.]]> 4.44 Math in Drag
author: Kyne Santos
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves: nonfiction
review:
4.5/5 - Charming, smart, and real in many important ways, I thought this was excellent as a book about math and humanity. Kyne Santos shares real, relevant concepts in approachable ways and shows how it applies to our perception of society and the way we interpret strict rules. Explaining problems like "how many wigs do you need to fit one more drag queen if you already have an infinity number of wigs?" were hilarious and generally very easy to understand. There were even sections explaining the history of certain principles, and I loved learning about those (like the fact that the IQ test was created to promote eugenics - no thanks). A few complex graphs left me wanting more information, but I definitely got a solid introduction to math I haven't used in a long time or never actually learned. Even people who don't think they like math could get something out of this, and it seems impossible to not appreciate the vulnerability with which Santos begs us to open our minds and accept the queerness of math and people. Overall, I think this is a triumph and couldn't be presented better.

Content warning for in-depth discussions of homophobia, racism, bullying, genocide, mental health, and bigotry of all kinds.
]]> The Moonday Letters 59431090
Lumi is an Earth-born healer whose Mars-born spouse Sol disappears unexpectedly on a work trip. As Lumi begins her quest to find Sol, she delves gradually deeper into Sol’s secrets � and her own.

While recalling her own path to becoming a healer under the guidance of her mysterious teacher Vivian, she discovers an underground environmental group called Stoneturners, which may have something to do with Sol’s disappearance. Lumi’s search takes her from the wealthy colonies of Mars to Earth that has been left a shadow of its former self due to vast environmental destruction. Gradually, she begins to understand that Sol’s fate may have been connected to her own for much longer than she thought.

Part space-age epistolary, part eco-thriller, The Moonday Letters is also a love story between two individuals from very different worlds.]]> 359 Emmi Itäranta 1803360445 Ashleigh 3
Content warnings for mental health, illness and injury, terrorism, animal death and injury, apocalypse, loss, and mention of sexual assault.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (book club, hard mode); also fits small town (arguably), multi-POV, prologues & epilogues (hard mode), survival (arguably), reference materials (arguably hard mode), romantasy, and judging a book by its cover.]]> 3.84 2020 The Moonday Letters
author: Emmi Itäranta
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/19
date added: 2024/04/24
shelves: 2024-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
A friend described a book once as being "mostly vibes", and that's the perfect description for this. The language is beautiful, moody, and ethereal, and it sets the tone well for an overall theme of loss and missed connections. However, it's not just that, and I think ambition outran the author here. In addition to a romantic story of reminiscing, there's a plot of terrorism and climate change that, while really interesting, is not able to reach its full potential. The two genres really fight for attention throughout, meaning that the tension of each kinda fizzles out by the end. Choosing an epistolary format was cool at first, but it ended up keeping distance between the two halves so they never quite met. The lovely prose really saved this and made it palatable, but I wanted the plot to get more focus.

Content warnings for mental health, illness and injury, terrorism, animal death and injury, apocalypse, loss, and mention of sexual assault.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (book club, hard mode); also fits small town (arguably), multi-POV, prologues & epilogues (hard mode), survival (arguably), reference materials (arguably hard mode), romantasy, and judging a book by its cover.
]]> <![CDATA[Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing]]> 48930354
Niksen is not a form of meditation, nor is it a state of laziness or boredom. It’s not scrolling through social media, or wondering what you’re going to cook for dinner. Rather, to niks is to make a conscious choice to sit back, let go, and do nothing at all.
With this book, learn how to do nothing in the most important areas of your life, such Backed with advice from the world’s leading experts on happiness and productivity, this book examines the underlying science behind niksen and how doing less can often yield so much more. Perfect for anyone who feels overwhelmed, burnt out, or exhausted, NIKSEN does not tell you to work harder. Instead, it shows you how to take a break from all the busyness while giving you sincere, heartfelt permission to do nothing.]]> 256 Olga Mecking 0358395313 Ashleigh 3 nonfiction 3.12 2020 Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing
author: Olga Mecking
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.12
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/10
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves: nonfiction
review:
2.5/5 - Half exploration of "doing too much" and half love letter to the Netherlands, I can see why this might have worked really well in a short essay. While there was plenty of useful content in the book, it didn't really seem like one whole work. Early on, I got enough of what I wanted and also realized I'm very good at niksen and taking time to relax. This makes me think that certain people (and perhaps certain generations) would resonate with this message more than others. It wasn't bad, but I hustled to get through the book because it didn't do much for me.
]]> After the Flood 43245867 An inventive and riveting epic saga, After the Flood signals the arrival of an extraordinary new talent.

A little more than a century from now, our world has been utterly transformed. After years of slowly overtaking the continent, rising floodwaters have obliterated America’s great coastal cities and then its heartland, leaving nothing but an archipelago of mountaintop colonies surrounded by a deep expanse of open water.

Stubbornly independent Myra and her precocious seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, fish from their small boat, the Bird, visiting dry land only to trade for supplies and information in the few remaining outposts of civilization. For seven years, Myra has grieved the loss of her oldest daughter, Row, who was stolen by her father after a monstrous deluge overtook their home in Nebraska. Then, in a violent confrontation with a stranger, Myra suddenly discovers that Row was last seen in a far-off encampment near the Artic Circle. Throwing aside her usual caution, Myra and Pearl embark on a perilous voyage into the icy northern seas, hoping against hope that Row will still be there.

On their journey, Myra and Pearl join forces with a larger ship and Myra finds herself bonding with her fellow seekers who hope to build a safe haven together in this dangerous new world. But secrets, lust, and betrayals threaten their dream, and after their fortunes take a shocking—and bloody—turn, Myra can no longer ignore the question of whether saving Row is worth endangering Pearl and her fellow travelers.

A compulsively readable novel of dark despair and soaring hope, After the Flood is a magnificent, action packed, and sometimes frightening odyssey laced with wonder—an affecting and wholly original saga both redemptive and astonishing.

Ěý]]> 419 Kassandra Montag 0062889362 Ashleigh 4
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (morally-grey protagonist; more on speculative fiction side than fantasy); also fits family matters, standalone, mental health, and maybe weird ecology.]]> 3.75 2019 After the Flood
author: Kassandra Montag
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/13
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.5/5 - I think this book was written well and memorable but not amazing. I typically avoid apocalypse plot lines, (as I often find them too convenient and also depressing) so I was not remotely interested in this premise for a long time. It starts in a way that takes quite awhile to feel comfortable with the main character, and the seemingly-endless pages about survival get tiring fast. The book significantly picked up in the middle for me, since the stakes rose and began to involve other factors. For a book so character-driven, I do wish there had been more character development. At times, the details were so quick that they were easily forgotten, and I think the book could have cut out quite a bit of length. Not my favorite nor least favorite.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (morally-grey protagonist; more on speculative fiction side than fantasy); also fits family matters, standalone, mental health, and maybe weird ecology.
]]> Freshwater 35412372 Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side." Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities.

Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents, Saul and Saachi, successfully prayed her into existence, but as she grows into a volatile and splintered child, it becomes clear that something went terribly awry. When Ada comes of age and moves to America for college, the group of selves within her grows in power and agency. A traumatic assault leads to a crystallization of her alternate selves: Asụghara and Saint Vincent. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these selves--now protective, now hedonistic--move into control, Ada's life spirals in a dark and dangerous direction.

Narrated by the various selves within Ada and based in the author's realities, Freshwater dazzles with ferocious energy and serpentine grace, heralding the arrival of a fierce new literary voice.]]> 229 Akwaeke Emezi 0802127355 Ashleigh 3
Content warnings for mental health (frequent), injury, animal death, possession, gore, neglect, self-harm (graphic), sexual assault (frequent; child & adult), emotional abuse, disordered eating, assault, manipulation, infidelity, suicidal ideation (frequent), surgery, brief homophobia, and domestic violence.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (magical realism, hard mode); also angels & demons (arguably; would be hard mode), and POC author.]]> 4.03 2018 Freshwater
author: Akwaeke Emezi
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/08
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2023-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
2.5/5 - Once again, I take issue with a blurb that does not represent the full experience of the book. Who decided on such a restrained & demure description?! (Note: the one online is more representative than the one in the book itself.) Simply, this book is about possession - a young woman grapples with life and mental health while battling the multiple entities that live inside her. I (ignorantly) imagine it's similar to Dissociative Identity Disorder, as certain versions take over when she is experiencing something harmful or difficult. Pinning down only one theme or genre feels difficult, though. There are lots of unique parts here, and I think many are done well: splitting the POV chapters among who has control of the body, speaking as a collective narrator for the one voice... Unfortunately, the why/how never hooked me. Who is Ada besides the facts of her parentage? It maintains a spiritual, mysterious, and almost meta vibe throughout, and I felt the many painful parts of the book without understanding the purpose nor connecting with the detached tone of voice. If you aren't sensitive to gruesome or upsetting content and appreciate an uncommon take on pain and human experience, then this might be for you. The book was nearly a DNF for me, and while it definitely improved once it moved into the present and concrete, I never really enjoyed myself.

Content warnings for mental health (frequent), injury, animal death, possession, gore, neglect, self-harm (graphic), sexual assault (frequent; child & adult), emotional abuse, disordered eating, assault, manipulation, infidelity, suicidal ideation (frequent), surgery, brief homophobia, and domestic violence.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (magical realism, hard mode); also angels & demons (arguably; would be hard mode), and POC author.
]]> <![CDATA[Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy, #1)]]> 38362809 Tade Thompson's Rosewater is the start of an award-winning, cutting edge trilogy set in Nigeria, by one of science fiction's most engaging new voices.

Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless—people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers.

Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again—but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.]]> 432 Tade Thompson 0316449059 Ashleigh 4
Thompson's unique take on an alien story was really cool, too. The setting was close enough to modern time but set in a future just out of grasp, which added to the intense feeling, like "could this be us in 40 years?" (I don't think so, no.) He keeps the magic and science fiction at a perfect distance where it feels status quo - this is the world, and that's just that - but there's enough dissonance among what everyone believes so that it's not a comfortable world at all. Addition of small, relevant details added even further to clearly building the setting (e.g. needing to apply skin cream to keep the xeno particles in the air from overwhelming one's senses). Lastly, I always enjoy a well-done narrative with time skips. Seeing both Kaaro's present (bad) and the scenarios that got him there (maybe even worse) is satisfying and made me want to hurry and fill in the middle.

Besides the graphic content, my only dislike is when the past and present involved the same scenario in close chapters. I often got mixed up with characters who survived, if that one mission ever closed, and so on. Getting the gist of everything was easy enough, though, so it didn't harm my reading experience much.

Content warnings for slavery, confinement, miscarriage, kidnapping, homophobia, assault (graphic), mind control (frequent), guns, vomit, murder, animal injury/death (graphic), bugs, child abandonment, immolation, general gore (graphic), sexism, child death, medical trauma, and sexual assault.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (POC author, hard mode); also fits book club.]]> 3.71 2017 Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy, #1)
author: Tade Thompson
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/18
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2023-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
First, I must disclaim that this book gave me vivid nightmares. If you are also prone to an active imagination, approach with caution! For a story that is much heavier on technical worldbuilding than my usual fare, I really enjoyed this. The author mentioned in the back of the book that he wanted to focus on how a person and society would begin to respond to an apocalyptic situation. I think he succeeded and kept everything grounded so it worked really well. Kaaro is not a good person by any means, but his actions make a lot of sense and are internally consistent. Following a flawed but highly relatable character kept the story flowing; I was nervous to see what catastrophe would happen next, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. Bonus points for how much he hated working for the institution and would mess things up on purpose to prove how much they needed him.

Thompson's unique take on an alien story was really cool, too. The setting was close enough to modern time but set in a future just out of grasp, which added to the intense feeling, like "could this be us in 40 years?" (I don't think so, no.) He keeps the magic and science fiction at a perfect distance where it feels status quo - this is the world, and that's just that - but there's enough dissonance among what everyone believes so that it's not a comfortable world at all. Addition of small, relevant details added even further to clearly building the setting (e.g. needing to apply skin cream to keep the xeno particles in the air from overwhelming one's senses). Lastly, I always enjoy a well-done narrative with time skips. Seeing both Kaaro's present (bad) and the scenarios that got him there (maybe even worse) is satisfying and made me want to hurry and fill in the middle.

Besides the graphic content, my only dislike is when the past and present involved the same scenario in close chapters. I often got mixed up with characters who survived, if that one mission ever closed, and so on. Getting the gist of everything was easy enough, though, so it didn't harm my reading experience much.

Content warnings for slavery, confinement, miscarriage, kidnapping, homophobia, assault (graphic), mind control (frequent), guns, vomit, murder, animal injury/death (graphic), bugs, child abandonment, immolation, general gore (graphic), sexism, child death, medical trauma, and sexual assault.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (POC author, hard mode); also fits book club.
]]> <![CDATA[Saint Death's Daughter (Saint Death #1)]]> 58438198
Nothing complicates life like Death.

Lanie Stones, the daughter of the Royal Assassin and Chief Executioner of Liriat, has never led a normal life. Born with a gift for necromancy and a literal allergy to violence, she was raised in isolation in the family’s crumbling mansion by her oldest friend, the ancient revenant Goody Graves.

When her parents are murdered, it falls on Lanie and her cheerfully psychotic sister Nita to settle their extensive debts or lose their ancestral home—and Goody with it. Appeals to Liriat's ruler to protect them fall on indifferent ears� until she, too, is murdered, throwing the nation's future into doubt.

Hunted by Liriat’s enemies, hounded by her family’s creditors and terrorised by the ghost of her great-grandfather, Lanie will need more than luck to get through the next few months—but when the goddess of Death is on your side, anything is possible.]]> 480 C.S.E. Cooney 1786184702 Ashleigh 2
TL;DR: I think it spent entirely too long on exposition, which set me up to not care about the majority of what happened in the actual story. The pacing is completely whack, and it was truly upsetting to juxtapose over 200 pages of glib backstory with present-tense action that was skimmed over at most. Infuriating.

For the good parts: the idea of a necromancer allergic to violence is very creative. I appreciate the care that went into the world-building, and the end of the story got to some really lovely relationships. Almost every romantic entanglement was casually queer, which was a lot of fun.

For the bad parts: this author, to me, seemed to lack anyone telling her what should go in a book. It's great to set up a huge, expansive world, but those things don't all need to go into one book, especially not the first one in a series. This book interrupted itself SO many times with actual footnotes saying things like "XYZ ancestor once had a finger cut off". Who cares?! That person is completely removed from this story, and it was quite the slog to read. The first 140 pages were especially bad about this and could have been left out entirely. On MULTIPLE occasions, the author took a nonsensical break from form and just wrote passages like "and so they did that thing". The 'show, not tell' would have been really nice here, because it felt like the majority of the text was telling.

There is also the element of violence in this book. For a main character so bothered by violence, the author includes tons of it in the text. I am squeamish about overt descriptions of injury, and I had to skip over a dozen parts of this book. Significant parts of the magic system involve self-flagellation, and I could not believe how often it came up.

I could probably wax poetic about my distaste for this book, but I will summarize by saying that the author is clearly talented with imagery and cares a lot. However, the fact that she has written mostly short stories speaks volumes to me, as I don't think she knows how to handle a full-length novel just yet. I only began to enjoy the story around page 370, and by then, it was far too late to keep me as a reader. I'd approach this author with caution and will not be seeking out anything longer than a novella.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (published in 2022); also fits shapeshifters, family matters, cool weapon (hard mode), author uses initials, revolutions & rebellions, and no ifs, ands, or buts.]]> 3.92 2022 Saint Death's Daughter (Saint Death #1)
author: C.S.E. Cooney
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/10/28
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Where to begin? I hated reading this book. I do not think it was done well.

TL;DR: I think it spent entirely too long on exposition, which set me up to not care about the majority of what happened in the actual story. The pacing is completely whack, and it was truly upsetting to juxtapose over 200 pages of glib backstory with present-tense action that was skimmed over at most. Infuriating.

For the good parts: the idea of a necromancer allergic to violence is very creative. I appreciate the care that went into the world-building, and the end of the story got to some really lovely relationships. Almost every romantic entanglement was casually queer, which was a lot of fun.

For the bad parts: this author, to me, seemed to lack anyone telling her what should go in a book. It's great to set up a huge, expansive world, but those things don't all need to go into one book, especially not the first one in a series. This book interrupted itself SO many times with actual footnotes saying things like "XYZ ancestor once had a finger cut off". Who cares?! That person is completely removed from this story, and it was quite the slog to read. The first 140 pages were especially bad about this and could have been left out entirely. On MULTIPLE occasions, the author took a nonsensical break from form and just wrote passages like "and so they did that thing". The 'show, not tell' would have been really nice here, because it felt like the majority of the text was telling.

There is also the element of violence in this book. For a main character so bothered by violence, the author includes tons of it in the text. I am squeamish about overt descriptions of injury, and I had to skip over a dozen parts of this book. Significant parts of the magic system involve self-flagellation, and I could not believe how often it came up.

I could probably wax poetic about my distaste for this book, but I will summarize by saying that the author is clearly talented with imagery and cares a lot. However, the fact that she has written mostly short stories speaks volumes to me, as I don't think she knows how to handle a full-length novel just yet. I only began to enjoy the story around page 370, and by then, it was far too late to keep me as a reader. I'd approach this author with caution and will not be seeking out anything longer than a novella.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (published in 2022); also fits shapeshifters, family matters, cool weapon (hard mode), author uses initials, revolutions & rebellions, and no ifs, ands, or buts.
]]> Prosper's Demon 50904441 also appears in the collection Under My Skin

„In a botched demonic extraction, they say the demon feels it ten times worse than the man. But they don’t die, and we do. Equilibrium.�

The unnamed and morally questionable narrator is an exorcist with great follow-through and few doubts. His methods aren’t delicate but they’re undeniably effective: he’ll get the demon out � he just doesn’t particularly care what happens to the person.

Prosper of Schanz is a man of science, determined to raise the world’s first philosopher-king, reared according to the purest principles. Too bad he’s demonically possessed.

]]> 101 K.J. Parker 1250260515 Ashleigh 4
Used this for 2022 r/Fantasy bingo (author uses initials, hard mode); also fits standalone, anti-hero, name in the title, no ifs/ands/buts. Arguments could be made for shape-shifters and historical, too.]]> 3.64 2020 Prosper's Demon
author: K.J. Parker
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/30
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
This book has a very cool concept, but I wanted more of it. The story itself is well-contained but alludes to an outside world that was so interesting. It took me a long time to read this, given the length, but I think that's due to the need to come into the book with a full understanding very quickly. It reads like someone recounting a memory, where you sit captivated as they parse which bits to explain of the complex details. Content warning for violence and body horror, to a degree.

Used this for 2022 r/Fantasy bingo (author uses initials, hard mode); also fits standalone, anti-hero, name in the title, no ifs/ands/buts. Arguments could be made for shape-shifters and historical, too.
]]> The Girl with Ghost Eyes 25159239
When a sorcerer cripples her father, terrible plans are set in motion, and only Li-lin can stop them. To aid her are her martial arts and a peachwood sword, her burning paper talismans, and a wisecracking spirit in the form of a human eyeball tucked away in her pocket. Navigating the dangerous alleys and backrooms of a male-dominated Chinatown, Li-lin must confront evil spirits, gangsters, and soulstealers before the sorcerer’s ritual summons an ancient evil that could burn Chinatown to the ground.

With a rich and inventive historical setting, nonstop martial arts action, authentic Chinese magic, and bizarre monsters from Asian folklore, The Girl with Ghost Eyes is also the poignant story of a young immigrant searching to find her place beside the long shadow of a demanding father and the stigma of widowhood. In a Chinatown caught between tradition and modernity, one woman may be the key to holding everything together.]]> 288 M.H. Boroson 1940456363 Ashleigh 4
Action sequences were huge parts of the story, and each detail kept the tension high and the fights believable. Li-lin is not the strongest nor the smartest (which sometimes made me frustrated by her decisions), but she is brave and doesn't give up. Seeing her grapple with "keeping face" to maintain her family honor while doing what she feels is right made for an interesting and dynamic conflict.

As I am not one for graphic combat scenes, my favorite parts were the slow, methodical processes where she combined magic and trickery to beat her opponents. In particular, the teamwork between Li-lin and Mr. Yanqiu was unbelievably wholesome and made my heart smile.

Content warnings for graphic self-harm and injury, frequent assault & violence, non-consensual touching, possession, grief, death, bullying, betrayal, graphic animal abuse & death, racism, sexism, guns, & murder.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (mythical beasts, hard mode); also fits coastal, angels & demons, multiverse (hard mode), and horror (in my opinion).]]> 3.81 2015 The Girl with Ghost Eyes
author: M.H. Boroson
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/17
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2023-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.5/5 - If you like your stories twisted and complex, your heroes flawed, and your action full-on, this book might be for you. It's a very simple start - woman is attacked at work and goes to find out how and why someone hurt her - but it unfolds deeper and deeper as things progress. As a story device, I'm not a huge fan of pacing where we constantly stop for new roadblocks and shift the end goal, but it is done pretty seamlessly. Mixing a bunch of cultures to create a fantasy version of Chinatown led to a unique and very intentional world that was clear and vivid from the first few paragraphs.

Action sequences were huge parts of the story, and each detail kept the tension high and the fights believable. Li-lin is not the strongest nor the smartest (which sometimes made me frustrated by her decisions), but she is brave and doesn't give up. Seeing her grapple with "keeping face" to maintain her family honor while doing what she feels is right made for an interesting and dynamic conflict.

As I am not one for graphic combat scenes, my favorite parts were the slow, methodical processes where she combined magic and trickery to beat her opponents. In particular, the teamwork between Li-lin and Mr. Yanqiu was unbelievably wholesome and made my heart smile.

Content warnings for graphic self-harm and injury, frequent assault & violence, non-consensual touching, possession, grief, death, bullying, betrayal, graphic animal abuse & death, racism, sexism, guns, & murder.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (mythical beasts, hard mode); also fits coastal, angels & demons, multiverse (hard mode), and horror (in my opinion).
]]> <![CDATA[The Buntline Special (Weird West Tales, #1)]]> 8253037 320 Mike Resnick 1616142499 Ashleigh 3
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (historical fantasy, hard mode); also fits for shape-shifters (hard mode), cool weapon, name in the title, urban fantasy, and family matters.]]> 3.48 2010 The Buntline Special (Weird West Tales, #1)
author: Mike Resnick
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/12
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
I don't read blurbs past one or two sentences, because they always spoil the book. The blurb for this is especially bad; it sounds so cool! Multiple magical creatures in a Wild West setting?! And yet, this book has some of the lowest stakes imaginable. I was never worried at all that bad things would happen, because this book is written like an episode of a workplace drama/comedy. At the end of every chapter, we got a funny quip, and the status quo was reset for the time being. I began to see the tiniest glimmers of character development and excitement when we learned some of the deeper motivations behind two characters, but then it never went deeper than surface-level. If your plot is going to revolve around "keep people alive", I have to care about them enough to worry what will happen if they don't. (Additionally, there were so many related people and quick introductions that I got people confused all the time.) It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but I was hoping this cool concept would do more than being solidly average. If the author has as many awards as their bio mentions, I'd be interested to see if their other work is better.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (historical fantasy, hard mode); also fits for shape-shifters (hard mode), cool weapon, name in the title, urban fantasy, and family matters.
]]> <![CDATA[No Gods, No Monsters (Convergence Saga, #1)]]> 55748103
Monsters are real. And they want everyone to know it.

As creatures from myth and legend come out of the shadows, seeking safety through visibility, their emergence sets off a chain of seemingly unrelated events. Members of a local werewolf pack are threatened into silence. A professor follows a missing friend’s trail of bread crumbs to a mysterious secret society. And a young boy with unique abilities seeks refuge in a pro-monster organization with secrets of its own. Meanwhile, more people start disappearing, suicides and hate crimes increase, and protests erupt globally, both for and against the monsters. At the center is a mystery no one thinks to ask: Why now? What has frightened the monsters out of the dark? The world will soon find out.]]> 387 Cadwell Turnbull 1982603720 Ashleigh 3
Content warning for suicide, drug abuse, partner violence, police violence, guns, medical struggles, family trauma, and (arguably) torture.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (no ifs, ands, or buts, hard mode); also fits anti-hero, revolution, urban fantasy, mental health, wibbly wobbly timey wimey, BIPOC author, family matters, and shapeshifters. Whew!]]> 3.42 2021 No Gods, No Monsters (Convergence Saga, #1)
author: Cadwell Turnbull
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/25
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
I'm not sure if I have ever read a more intricately-woven book than this one. It is so clear that the author wrote this with such care, and the story is quite unique. My issue (which the author even addressed in the afterword) is that there were a few too many things happening, especially with small characters that were not explored as much. I was genuinely interested in so many of the things happening - how does this world fit together?! - but felt that my attention was moved around enough that I never really sunk into the story. I'd be ambiently curious to see when the series continues, but I'm not going to keep up with the next book(s) when this one already had me forgetting whole plot lines by the end. Love the energy of it and the many instances of casual queer rep and POC, though!

Content warning for suicide, drug abuse, partner violence, police violence, guns, medical struggles, family trauma, and (arguably) torture.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (no ifs, ands, or buts, hard mode); also fits anti-hero, revolution, urban fantasy, mental health, wibbly wobbly timey wimey, BIPOC author, family matters, and shapeshifters. Whew!
]]> The Night Circus 9361589
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.]]> 506 Erin Morgenstern Ashleigh 4 fantasy-spec-fic
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (standalone book); also fits weird ecology, family matters, shapeshifters, and maybe mental health.]]> 4.00 2011 The Night Circus
author: Erin Morgenstern
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/30
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.5/5 - This book was recommended by a friend, and I can see why! It has a very cool concept and a dreamy, mysterious setting that is right up my alley. That said, I haven't struggled with another book in quite this way. It was written well, and I didn't dislike anything about it, but the pace was all wrong. The rules of the world are so hidden from the characters that I never questioned how anything worked (or I missed one critical bit that explained everything to the reader). Because of this, the tension never felt higher than a story someone tells you casually over lunch. This book held my hand and had me with it the whole time, but I wanted to be slung across its back and taken for a ride. I'm ready to move to something else.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (standalone book); also fits weird ecology, family matters, shapeshifters, and maybe mental health.
]]> <![CDATA[The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue]]> 50623864
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.]]> 448 Victoria E. Schwab 0765387565 Ashleigh 5
I can't give it a perfect score; while I was immediately intrigued by the story and details of the curse, I wanted to learn about it faster than the book offered. It's personal preference, but I wish it hadn't started quite as slowly. That said, once this book sinks itself into your brain, it is like one of those thrill rides that gives you a moment of security before whipping you into high speed again. It's easy to follow but hurls one twist after another, one-upping itself at every chance and making you question if anything is stable. The narrative style adds to this, too, unfolding the story in such a magical yet timeless way that fits all of the timelines it crosses, ethereal enough to create an air of intrigue, yet never going so far that the reader can't relate. The author chose a perfect voice for this book, if you ask me, and every detail felt intentional, down to the frequent and casual mentions of queer characters (which I both enjoyed and feel objectively enhanced the story).

Without giving too much away, I think this book is excellent for people who like to be surprised, people who like fantasy, AND people who want mostly romance and character moments without much magic. It's unique and is diverse enough to interest a lot of people. Also, you're going to want to know the word 'palimpsest'; it comes up about 10 times.

Content warning for drug abuse, suicidal ideation, questionably-consensual sex, loss, and some relationship trauma.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (wibbley wobbley timey wimey; hard mode?); also fits mental health (hard mode), name in title (hard mode), author uses initials, historical fantasy (hard mode), standalone (hard mode), book club, urban fantasy (hard mode), shape shifters (hard mode), and family matters.]]> 4.16 2020 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/10
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
4.5/5 - Whew. I don't know what I expected when I picked this up, but it was SUCH a ride. I don't even remember the initial pitch a friend gave beyond saying that they thought I'd like it and that there was time travel. Haha.

I can't give it a perfect score; while I was immediately intrigued by the story and details of the curse, I wanted to learn about it faster than the book offered. It's personal preference, but I wish it hadn't started quite as slowly. That said, once this book sinks itself into your brain, it is like one of those thrill rides that gives you a moment of security before whipping you into high speed again. It's easy to follow but hurls one twist after another, one-upping itself at every chance and making you question if anything is stable. The narrative style adds to this, too, unfolding the story in such a magical yet timeless way that fits all of the timelines it crosses, ethereal enough to create an air of intrigue, yet never going so far that the reader can't relate. The author chose a perfect voice for this book, if you ask me, and every detail felt intentional, down to the frequent and casual mentions of queer characters (which I both enjoyed and feel objectively enhanced the story).

Without giving too much away, I think this book is excellent for people who like to be surprised, people who like fantasy, AND people who want mostly romance and character moments without much magic. It's unique and is diverse enough to interest a lot of people. Also, you're going to want to know the word 'palimpsest'; it comes up about 10 times.

Content warning for drug abuse, suicidal ideation, questionably-consensual sex, loss, and some relationship trauma.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (wibbley wobbley timey wimey; hard mode?); also fits mental health (hard mode), name in title (hard mode), author uses initials, historical fantasy (hard mode), standalone (hard mode), book club, urban fantasy (hard mode), shape shifters (hard mode), and family matters.
]]> Piranesi 50202953
There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.]]> 272 Susanna Clarke 163557563X Ashleigh 4 fantasy-spec-fic 4.22 2020 Piranesi
author: Susanna Clarke
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/28
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.5/5 - What an interesting book. I have never read anything like it. The story and structure were quite unique, and I really enjoyed the dreamlike quality of it. The narrator was pleasant to follow, and I enjoyed how the reader's perceptions were changed as the story progressed. Now that I'm done, I wish the proportion had been different, as it took me a long time to get past the extended exposition. I realized only after many journal entries that I did not need to take note of too many date/location details; those had slowed me down and felt tiring. I enjoyed the twist and had a hunch about several of the reveals! I loved how much was foreshadowed and could be found by the reader separately from the characters. I disagree with a few comments saying it's a quick book (how??), but it was pretty memorable. Glad I read it.
]]> The Pisces 32871394 An original, imaginative, and hilarious debut novel about love, anxiety, and sea creatures, from the author of So Sad Today.

Lucy has been writing her dissertation about Sappho for thirteen years when she and Jamie break up. After she hits rock bottom in Phoenix, her Los Angeles-based sister insists Lucy housesit for the summer—her only tasks caring for a beloved diabetic dog and trying to learn to care for herself. Annika’s home is a gorgeous glass cube atop Venice Beach, but Lucy can find no peace from her misery and anxiety—not in her love addiction group therapy meetings, not in frequent Tinder meetups, not in Dominic the foxhound’s easy affection, not in ruminating on the ancient Greeks. Yet everything changes when Lucy becomes entranced by an eerily attractive swimmer one night while sitting alone on the beach rocks.

Whip-smart, neurotically funny, sexy, and above all, fearless, The Pisces is built on a premise both sirenic and incredibly real—what happens when you think love will save you but are afraid it might also kill you.]]> 270 Melissa Broder 1524761559 Ashleigh 3
Big content warnings for suicidal ideation, discussion of substance abuse, and animal mistreatment.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (standalone, hard mode); also fits mental health.]]> 3.31 2018 The Pisces
author: Melissa Broder
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/01
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
The protagonist in this book is incredibly unstable in a way I can't relate, which made it hard for me to read. I'd argue that it's a bit of a hard read anyway, because deep, psychological ramblings are unlikely to be anyone's favorite. The smut in this book is excellent, and I do think it did a great job executing its premise... Simply wasn't a book for me to love. If it sounds good to you, I think you'd like it!

Big content warnings for suicidal ideation, discussion of substance abuse, and animal mistreatment.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (standalone, hard mode); also fits mental health.
]]> Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1) 44652 Trespassers will be turned to stone

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite . . .

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, powerful forces of evil are unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives, to save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world.]]> 351 Brandon Mull 1590385810 Ashleigh 5 fantasy-spec-fic
I was SO READY to do away with one of the characters myself, because the person is so well-written and annoying. I loved that each character was able to develop alongside an action-packed plot; there was so much to enjoy. Given the bounds of the world, nothing felt too convenient to me, either, which is a huge plus. I could maybe argue that a few of the scenes didn't advance the plot much, but the world-building and character moments made me enjoy them anyway. The book stands alone well but has me very intrigued to continue the series. I'm so excited.

Only a few issues I saw - describing people as obese (not a word I personally prefer) and a few (I think three) brief descriptors of someone being Asian or exotic in a way that felt "othering". Content warning for non-consensual kissing and brief, intentional animal harm that both are for the greater good. Thankfully, it was all over quickly and was not a repeated point.]]> 4.13 2006 Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1)
author: Brandon Mull
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/30
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
This book came out of nowhere and surprised me in the best way - I loved everything about it! Every element was so magical, varied, and delightful, and the characters felt believable in the way they interacted with each new element. Plot-wise, the action came as a huge surprise, but it was a lot of fun. I'm so pleased to have ended the year with this book.

I was SO READY to do away with one of the characters myself, because the person is so well-written and annoying. I loved that each character was able to develop alongside an action-packed plot; there was so much to enjoy. Given the bounds of the world, nothing felt too convenient to me, either, which is a huge plus. I could maybe argue that a few of the scenes didn't advance the plot much, but the world-building and character moments made me enjoy them anyway. The book stands alone well but has me very intrigued to continue the series. I'm so excited.

Only a few issues I saw - describing people as obese (not a word I personally prefer) and a few (I think three) brief descriptors of someone being Asian or exotic in a way that felt "othering". Content warning for non-consensual kissing and brief, intentional animal harm that both are for the greater good. Thankfully, it was all over quickly and was not a repeated point.
]]> The Deep 42201962 Yetu holds the memories for her people.

Her people, the wajinru � water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slavers � live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one. Save the historian.

Yetu remembers for all the wajinru, and the memories � painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so she flees to the surface, escaping the memories and the expectations and the responsibilities � and discovers a world the wajinru left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past � and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identities � and own who they really are.

Inspired by the hit song by clipping. (comprised of Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes), The Deep will resonate long after the last page is turned.]]> 166 Rivers Solomon 1534439862 Ashleigh 5
The story itself is fantastic. I've never read a historical retelling into fantasy that felt quite like this, and the topics handled here are so impressive. The book covers family, community, identity, loss, generational trauma, and what it means to exist alongside others. Despite having no immediate similarities to the situation of the Wajinru, I felt the emotions so deeply that it was hard to not be moved by this book. The words craft clear images while reading, and it's evident that every piece is an intentional choice. It's beautiful, and I will be thinking about it for a long time. Highly recommend.

Edited to add: Oh! Big fan of the casual demi/intersex/non-binary representation, too.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (BIPOC author); also fits for weird ecology (hard mode), two or more authors (hard mode), arguably historical SFF (hard mode), standalone (hard mode), revolution and rebellion, set in Africa, non-human protagonist (hard mode), mental health (hard mode), and family matters (hard mode).]]> 3.78 2019 The Deep
author: Rivers Solomon
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/18
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Wow. Everything about this book is so unique, and I am so glad to have stumbled upon it. Reading something brought about with such thoughtfulness and collaboration is incredibly cool, not to mention that the primary author is a queer POC - what a joy to find.

The story itself is fantastic. I've never read a historical retelling into fantasy that felt quite like this, and the topics handled here are so impressive. The book covers family, community, identity, loss, generational trauma, and what it means to exist alongside others. Despite having no immediate similarities to the situation of the Wajinru, I felt the emotions so deeply that it was hard to not be moved by this book. The words craft clear images while reading, and it's evident that every piece is an intentional choice. It's beautiful, and I will be thinking about it for a long time. Highly recommend.

Edited to add: Oh! Big fan of the casual demi/intersex/non-binary representation, too.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (BIPOC author); also fits for weird ecology (hard mode), two or more authors (hard mode), arguably historical SFF (hard mode), standalone (hard mode), revolution and rebellion, set in Africa, non-human protagonist (hard mode), mental health (hard mode), and family matters (hard mode).
]]> Zoo City 7163862
Being hired by reclusive music producer Odi Huron to find a teenybop pop star should be her ticket out of Zoo City, the festering slum where the criminal underclass and their animal companions live in the shadow of hell’s undertow.

Instead, it catapults Zinzi deeper into the maw of a city twisted by crime and magic, where she’ll be forced to confront the dark secrets of former lives � including her own.]]> 416 Lauren Beukes 0007327684 Ashleigh 3
Three stars because it's incredibly evocative, mostly coherent, and has a really unique concept. People with small-scale magic and animal attachments that come out of trauma? Very interesting. But the threads of discomfort I felt throughout the whole book came down REALLY hard in the last 100 pages, and I am horrified.

Content warnings for nearly everything, and let me be clear - this book does not have mere mentions of things. It has brutal, agonizing descriptions that are far more detailed than they need to be. Reading the acknowledgements, the author did her research, so good job?? Specifically, this book contains drug abuse, violence, racism, brief homophobia, assault, sexual assault, animal abuse, murder, addiction, child abuse, emotional manipulation, and trafficking of minors.

The worst part of this book is that alongside all of its intense topics, a lot of the plot points don't matter. The main character says she has killed someone, and we open on her being accused of another murder. Besides making her more brooding and potentially criminal, it doesn't make any difference to the main story. The magic system is kept in secrecy, and social interactions of the world are convoluded, which is annoying when so many of the people come up again (and have tons of nicknames) but aren't really important at all. Imagine trying to recall the plot of a movie where you fell asleep, and you'll understand the feeling of remembering characters in this book.

It's like the author needed a way to make every piece a little bit more interesting, so she threw in as many things as she could possibly imagine. The core idea is simple: woman with dark past has a talent that leads her to both jobs and trouble. Why did we need to meet the roommates, multiple lovers, an annoying neighbor, other neighbors, and other people who each had some horrible & detailed scenario to share? Maybe I'm picky with exposition, but it felt messy and made me wonder where the story was going.

In essence, if you like following a path that takes tons of detours (but they don't really matter at all) AND reading descriptions of graphic violence, then this book is for you. Get a better writer for this blurb, because it's hardly representative of the twisted story in these pages.

Used as part of 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (set in Africa, hard mode); also fits mental health, anti-hero, standalone (hard mode), urban fantasy, family matters, and no ifs, ands, or buts.]]> 3.63 2010 Zoo City
author: Lauren Beukes
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/09
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Um. Wow. Okay. In short, consider this my anti-recommendation. I don't think anyone should read this book.

Three stars because it's incredibly evocative, mostly coherent, and has a really unique concept. People with small-scale magic and animal attachments that come out of trauma? Very interesting. But the threads of discomfort I felt throughout the whole book came down REALLY hard in the last 100 pages, and I am horrified.

Content warnings for nearly everything, and let me be clear - this book does not have mere mentions of things. It has brutal, agonizing descriptions that are far more detailed than they need to be. Reading the acknowledgements, the author did her research, so good job?? Specifically, this book contains drug abuse, violence, racism, brief homophobia, assault, sexual assault, animal abuse, murder, addiction, child abuse, emotional manipulation, and trafficking of minors.

The worst part of this book is that alongside all of its intense topics, a lot of the plot points don't matter. The main character says she has killed someone, and we open on her being accused of another murder. Besides making her more brooding and potentially criminal, it doesn't make any difference to the main story. The magic system is kept in secrecy, and social interactions of the world are convoluded, which is annoying when so many of the people come up again (and have tons of nicknames) but aren't really important at all. Imagine trying to recall the plot of a movie where you fell asleep, and you'll understand the feeling of remembering characters in this book.

It's like the author needed a way to make every piece a little bit more interesting, so she threw in as many things as she could possibly imagine. The core idea is simple: woman with dark past has a talent that leads her to both jobs and trouble. Why did we need to meet the roommates, multiple lovers, an annoying neighbor, other neighbors, and other people who each had some horrible & detailed scenario to share? Maybe I'm picky with exposition, but it felt messy and made me wonder where the story was going.

In essence, if you like following a path that takes tons of detours (but they don't really matter at all) AND reading descriptions of graphic violence, then this book is for you. Get a better writer for this blurb, because it's hardly representative of the twisted story in these pages.

Used as part of 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (set in Africa, hard mode); also fits mental health, anti-hero, standalone (hard mode), urban fantasy, family matters, and no ifs, ands, or buts.
]]> Nothing to See Here 43884200
Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.

Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?

With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet—a most unusual story of parental love.]]> 254 Kevin Wilson 0062913468 Ashleigh 3 fantasy-spec-fic 3.98 2019 Nothing to See Here
author: Kevin Wilson
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/07/22
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
What a weird book. I wish I remembered how I first discovered it, but I do know it was several years ago. What to say? The plot is exactly as described - it tells about kids who catch on fire. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable, realistic, and sometimes unlikable the characters were. It felt honest and fresh. This is not at all plot-driven, nor is there a ton of character development, seeing as the story is quite short, but it manages to be a pretty good time nonetheless. If you allow yourself to experience this for what it is - a unique reflection on life, acceptance, and love - then you will likely enjoy it. The book wasn't groundbreaking but is memorable, and I'm glad I read it. Bonus points for casual queer representation.
]]> The Night Gardener 18405537 The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.]]> 350 Jonathan Auxier 141971144X Ashleigh 5
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (weird ecology, hard mode); also fits standalone and family matters.]]> 4.05 2014 The Night Gardener
author: Jonathan Auxier
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2022/06/29
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
4.5/5 - I really enjoyed this! I loved this type of book as a kid and still do. It has some of my favorite tropes (smart kids as protagonists, found family, unlikely teams) and a lot of tight character development and plot work. I loved seeing a significant character with a limb difference, and there were some challenging but important themes for kids. I agree with reviews saying it was a touch too long, though.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (weird ecology, hard mode); also fits standalone and family matters.
]]> <![CDATA[A Magical Inheritance (Ladies Occult Society, #1)]]> 50622059 However, the magic allowing the book to speak to Miss Knight is fading and she must gather a group of female acquaintances of various talents. Together, they’ll need to work to overcome social pressures, ambitious men, and tyrannical parents, all to bring Mrs. Egerton, the book ghost, back.]]> 348 Krista D. Ball Ashleigh 2
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published); also fits family matters, historical, and an author who uses initials.]]> 3.17 2019 A Magical Inheritance (Ladies Occult Society, #1)
author: Krista D. Ball
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2022/06/21
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
I recently learned the word 'glib' and have seen it defined as 'lacking thought or substance'. That is what this book is to me. It is the reading equivalent of a cleaning video. So little happens, and the characters have almost no personality. The main goal of the book has not even been completed by the end, which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that almost nothing stood in their way. The pace is unbelievably slow, and I struggled to care about anything that happened. The ladies mentioned literally dozens of times that they were unmarried - I get it! Is this how all slice-of-life books are written? I hope not. Two stars for being somewhat competent and having the beginnings of an idea, but I hated this.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published); also fits family matters, historical, and an author who uses initials.
]]> The Song of Achilles 13623848 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062060624.

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.]]> 408 Madeline Miller Ashleigh 5
Chosen for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (a name in the title); also fits family matters, standalone, historical fiction, and LGBTQ+.]]> 4.30 2011 The Song of Achilles
author: Madeline Miller
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2022/06/12
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Stunning, incredible, clever, unmatched, YES. I loved this book in every way. It's so beautifully written, and you can tell that each word is chosen precisely. It reads like poetry. I stopped multiple times while reading in order to appreciate the art that is Madeline Miller's prose. The development of the main characters across time, locations, and life is intricate and realistic, unfolding with perfect detail that never feels superfluous. Even the hardened characters show growth, and the narrative shift that happens is an excellent choice. In my opinion, a good book does not have to avoid bad things, but it does need to treat its story with care. This does exactly that, and I couldn't be more satisfied.

Chosen for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (a name in the title); also fits family matters, standalone, historical fiction, and LGBTQ+.
]]> <![CDATA[The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)]]> 45046567
Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.]]> 398 T.J. Klune 1250217288 Ashleigh 5
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (LGBTQ+); also fits standalone.]]> 4.42 2020 The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)
author: T.J. Klune
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/30
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Someone mentioned this book being like a hug, and it really is. Not often does a story pleasantly surprise you, create a full range of emotions, and still feel realistic and well-done. Not only was this adorable and charming, but is also includes some of my favorite tropes (magical kids, a rag-tag team, found family). It had undertones of deep, important issues (most notably, racism) that made it feel more grounded, too. I loved it so much!

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (LGBTQ+); also fits standalone.
]]> <![CDATA[This Is How You Lose the Time War]]> 41093489 Two time-traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange letters—and fall in love in this thrilling and romantic book from award-winning authors Amal-El Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading.

Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That’s how war works. Right?

Cowritten by two beloved and award-winning sci-fi writers, This Is How You Lose the Time War is an epic love story spanning time and space.]]> 198 Amal El-Mohtar 1534431004 Ashleigh 2
First, I'll say that it's doing what it does well, it's just not for me. I can still recommend it to someone, unlike the worst books I've ever read that I don't want anyone to read. This one is written SO MUCH like poetry, which I did not enjoy. Reading that one of the authors is a poet was funny, because it could not have been more obvious. I love imagery that serves a purpose, and this imagery rarely did for me. This story was myriad details without any substance. I never found a reason to care about the characters being mentioned, and I was even less interested in their surroundings. The twist caught me off-guard in a positive way, so I did enjoy that part onward. Won't be seeking out anything by the one author, though, and I will be curious to see my thoughts on the other author some day.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (two or more authors); also fits weird ecology & non-linear time.]]> 3.82 2019 This Is How You Lose the Time War
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2022/05/21
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Unfortunately, I did not care for this book. I finished it anyway because it was short, and I was curious.

First, I'll say that it's doing what it does well, it's just not for me. I can still recommend it to someone, unlike the worst books I've ever read that I don't want anyone to read. This one is written SO MUCH like poetry, which I did not enjoy. Reading that one of the authors is a poet was funny, because it could not have been more obvious. I love imagery that serves a purpose, and this imagery rarely did for me. This story was myriad details without any substance. I never found a reason to care about the characters being mentioned, and I was even less interested in their surroundings. The twist caught me off-guard in a positive way, so I did enjoy that part onward. Won't be seeking out anything by the one author, though, and I will be curious to see my thoughts on the other author some day.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (two or more authors); also fits weird ecology & non-linear time.
]]> <![CDATA[Fever Knights: Official Fake Strategy Guide]]> 59363623
Finneus had plans to surf every day of summer vacation until a mysterious accident at Starfish Beach took his arm and left him with almost no memory of exactly what happened. Now, strange things have been occurring all around Toro Island, and Finn and his friends are going to get to the bottom of it!

Structured like an old-school video game strategy guide, Fever Knights unravels the mystery of the uncanny events affecting Toro Island as Finn and his friends look for answers, making allies, and fighting enemies, using their skills, teamwork, and strange new powers to figure out what happened at Starfish Beach and what they can do to save their home.

With Adam Ellis's vibrant comic illustrations, witty humor, richly detailed world building, and a fantastical cast of characters, Fever Knights Ěýis the best game you've never played.]]> 160 Adam Ellis 152486286X Ashleigh 4
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (shape-shifters); also fits for published in 2022.]]> 4.35 2022 Fever Knights: Official Fake Strategy Guide
author: Adam Ellis
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/18
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, graphic-novels, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.75/5 - This was a cool idea! It was a new experience for me, as I cannot remember the last time I read a graphic novel. It's written like the strategy guide to a video game that does not exist, though I would definitely play the game if I could. I loved the creative characters and locations as well as the unique types of bosses and enemies. I also loved seeing a main character with a limb difference! I wish it had a little more substance within the story, but that's likely more of a personal preference, since I don't have much comparison to use. I think it did what it set out to do.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (shape-shifters); also fits for published in 2022.
]]> Peter Darling 34303795 204 Austin Chant 1620049805 Ashleigh 4
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (mental health); also fits standalone and LGBTQ+.]]> 4.02 2017 Peter Darling
author: Austin Chant
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/15
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Wow. I was not expecting to be hit so hard by this. I have not read a ton of fantasy retellings, but I know this one is a good one. The author took the concept of a re-imagined Peter Pan and gave it so much depth. The reveals are fantastic and show a new angle to everything I remember from the original story. My only wishes are that the pace had been slower, allowing the reader to really feel every bit, and I can't get over the mistakes mentioning Captain Hook having two hands. That's just sloppy. I love the main characters separately, I love the romance, and I loved the perspective choice for this book.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (mental health); also fits standalone and LGBTQ+.
]]> Blackfish City 35558395
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.]]> 328 Sam J. Miller 0062684825 Ashleigh 3
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (urban fantasy); also fits mental health and family matters (hard mode).]]> 3.37 2018 Blackfish City
author: Sam J. Miller
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/05/14
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
I'm sure this book hits some people in a special way, but it was just 'okay' to me. It wasn't as cohesive as I prefer stories to be... The number of minor and/or throwaway bits distracted from the overall plot, which was spread out so far that I struggled to find its point. The world of Qanaag is clearly quite complex, yet the imagery fell flat and did not explore much of the details beyond short, scattered mentions. It also ended in a weird place, and it seems more unfinished than open-ended. Cool concept but non-ideal execution, if you ask me.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (urban fantasy); also fits mental health and family matters (hard mode).
]]> <![CDATA[Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys, #1)]]> 52339313
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.]]> 344 Aiden Thomas 1250250463 Ashleigh 4
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (cool weapon); also fits family matters (hard mode), urban fantasy, and BIPOC author.]]> 4.26 2020 Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys, #1)
author: Aiden Thomas
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/25
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2022-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.75/5 - While not perfect at all, this book was wholesome and definitely cute. There were some grammatical errors & editing mistakes, and I can see that not everyone would enjoy the clearly-YA emotions of the characters. That said, I like it! I took awhile to fully immerse into the world, as it had a lot of details and depth that I could not remember at first. The story itself was unique and flowed beautifully as new information was revealed. I loved the way that details tied in from different parts of the story; it felt very intentional. Snaps for multiple instances of casual, queer representation!

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (cool weapon); also fits family matters (hard mode), urban fantasy, and BIPOC author.
]]> <![CDATA[The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds, #1)]]> 48848254 A multiverse-hopping outsider discovers a secret that threatens her home world and her fragile place in it--a stunning sci-fi debut that's both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

CARA IS DEAD ON THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FOUR WORLDS.

The multiverse business is booming, but there's just one catch: no one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive.

Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying--from diseases, from turf wars, from vendettas they couldn't outrun.

But on this earth, Cara's survived. And she's reaping the benefits, thanks to the well-heeled Wiley City scientists who ID'd her as an outlier and plucked her from the dirt. Now she's got a new job collecting offworld data, a path to citizenship, and a near-perfect Wiley City accent. Now she can pretend she's always lived in the city she grew up staring at from the outside, even if she feels like a fraud on either side of its walls.

But when one of her eight remaining doppelgangers dies under mysterious circumstances, Cara is plunged into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and future in ways she never could have imagined--and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.]]> 329 Micaiah Johnson 0593135059 Ashleigh 4 fantasy-spec-fic ]]> 3.84 2020 The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds, #1)
author: Micaiah Johnson
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/03/17
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.75/5 - Overall, I liked it, though I didn't love it. I really enjoyed the duality of the different pieces mirroring one another and how that was also reflected in the storytelling style. There was a LOT of subtext, and it was a cool choice but was hard for my brain to remember why I should care about a lot of things if I hadn't been expressly told. Plot-wise, it is a very cool and unique story. I really loved the social commentary and how well it balanced all of the different elements. It took me a ton of time to get into because of the detail thing, but I give it a thumbs up. I am new to science fiction but think this one is probably a pretty good example of the genre.

]]> Tink and Wendy 57680483 248 Kelly Ann Jacobson 1953103138 Ashleigh 2 fantasy-spec-fic 3.44 2021 Tink and Wendy
author: Kelly Ann Jacobson
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2022/01/30
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
How to summarize my thoughts? Simply, this book is not good. So little happens within the plot, yet it tries to make such profound statements about itself and about life. We spend barely any time with the characters, most of whom are one-dimensional and/or unlikable. There's almost nothing that makes this a romance, especially not a queer one - it feels stuffed into that category at best. The time mechanic to the storytelling adds very little and even distracts at times. Lastly, the physics of the real world are so wrong that it shatters the suspension of my disbelief. Would not recommend nor seek out anything form this author. Switch the names, and you get a bad story that is still not remotely related to Peter Pan. My friends and I joke about this book, so I guess it gets the award for one of the worst I've read this year (maybe ever). Two stars only because it is readable and marginally competent.
]]> <![CDATA[Sailing by Orion's Star (The Constellation Trilogy #1)]]> 61344377
East India Company sailor Nicholas Jerome has no patience for pirates, determined to leave his father’s thieving past behind. After a convict and an enslaved woman escape his grasp with the aid of an aristocrat’s mysterious wife, he faces one last chance to save his career. Finding an unexpected home with a new crew, he gains a chosen younger brother in René Delacroix, the son of his wealthy captain and the grandson of Jamaica’s cruel governor.

But there’s a storm brewing in the Delacroix household. For René and his best friend Frantz, the Robin Hood tales about legendary pirate Ajani Danso and his famed female quartermaster are a lifeline amidst the governor’s abuse. Danso robs greedy merchants, frees slaves, and shelters queer sailors, inspiring the downtrodden across the New World.

When death and betrayal shatter the lives they knew, René and Jerome each face a obey, or rebel.

A war for history’s favor begins, and as an uprising against colonialism erupts on the ocean, everyone must choose a story to believe in.

Sailing by Orion's Star is the origin story of the Constellation Trilogy , a familial epic spanning from 1695 to 1718. The trilogy pulls on the hidden threads of the past and uncovers the truth behind who pirates really were--people of color, poor sailors, desperate runaways, women, and queer people--an army of all nations who dared to fight for a better world.]]> 388 Katie Crabb Ashleigh 4
First, I think the author did an excellent job with characters, particularly in examining the depth of their motivations and how their stories interweave with their environments and history. The development of the people over time was a real delight to read, and the beauty of the found families was easily my favorite part. This focus did lead the author to over-explain and tell instead of show at times, however; there were a lot of "his expression revealed his disinterest" and touching of relevant jewelry/scars/memorabilia during tense conversations. I wish some of those moments had been more subtle instead. There were also some details that seemed like they should have enhanced the characters but were rather unrealistic to me and distracted from the story. Children spoke with too much intelligence and were way too touchy with their platonic friends to come across as real boys at ages 7-16. All other aspects of historical accuracy seemed really well-researched and immersive, though, with the worldbuilding throughout being quite solid.

The overall strength of the characters also meant the plot sometimes took a backseat; in particular, during the beginning and climax, it dragged on while the text slowly revealed what the characters were going to do. Even so, the concepts covered were really interesting and handled with care; I loved the exploration of different people with varying sexualities and ethnicities and how each of them may have been treated in the 17th-18th centuries. The cast of characters was diverse and clearly approached with love. While I can't speak for the realism of most character experiences, it felt really natural and fresh to include so much representation of black and brown people as well as a variety of queer identities.

All in all, the idea here seems really strong but was held back by its details, which seems like a simple lack of experience on the author's part. The presentation was always a little stilted, either with too-modern pieces of dialogue, in-text descriptions of characters' feelings, or the choice of narration, which felt really unusual as a third-person omniscient voice set in present tense. It doesn't have the same humorous tone nor any of the romance of Our Flag Means Death (which is the fandom where I originally found this book), but I do think the recommendation of "if you like one, you might like the other" is decent if you enjoy seeing more diverse pirate stories and can excuse some flaws in structure for a good concept.

Content warning for frequent portrayals of slavery, general racism & sexism, death of a parent, injury, violence, homophobia/queer discrimination, a few uses of the g-slur, and frequent, graphic child abuse.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published, hard mode); also fits coastal or island setting (hard mode).]]> 4.33 Sailing by Orion's Star (The Constellation Trilogy #1)
author: Katie Crabb
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/23
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: 2023-r-fantasy-bingo, fantasy-spec-fic
review:
3.5/5 - I prefer to go into a book knowing as little as possible, but it was impossible to miss that this was a self-published novel. My review certainly takes that into account, and I do think it's a pretty good debut! Even so, I'm not able to fully put aside the issues that I noticed while reading. I only saw one real typo (antecedent mismatch), thankfully, but the book consistently misused multiple types of sentence formatting, which stuck out immensely since I am a grammar person.

First, I think the author did an excellent job with characters, particularly in examining the depth of their motivations and how their stories interweave with their environments and history. The development of the people over time was a real delight to read, and the beauty of the found families was easily my favorite part. This focus did lead the author to over-explain and tell instead of show at times, however; there were a lot of "his expression revealed his disinterest" and touching of relevant jewelry/scars/memorabilia during tense conversations. I wish some of those moments had been more subtle instead. There were also some details that seemed like they should have enhanced the characters but were rather unrealistic to me and distracted from the story. Children spoke with too much intelligence and were way too touchy with their platonic friends to come across as real boys at ages 7-16. All other aspects of historical accuracy seemed really well-researched and immersive, though, with the worldbuilding throughout being quite solid.

The overall strength of the characters also meant the plot sometimes took a backseat; in particular, during the beginning and climax, it dragged on while the text slowly revealed what the characters were going to do. Even so, the concepts covered were really interesting and handled with care; I loved the exploration of different people with varying sexualities and ethnicities and how each of them may have been treated in the 17th-18th centuries. The cast of characters was diverse and clearly approached with love. While I can't speak for the realism of most character experiences, it felt really natural and fresh to include so much representation of black and brown people as well as a variety of queer identities.

All in all, the idea here seems really strong but was held back by its details, which seems like a simple lack of experience on the author's part. The presentation was always a little stilted, either with too-modern pieces of dialogue, in-text descriptions of characters' feelings, or the choice of narration, which felt really unusual as a third-person omniscient voice set in present tense. It doesn't have the same humorous tone nor any of the romance of Our Flag Means Death (which is the fandom where I originally found this book), but I do think the recommendation of "if you like one, you might like the other" is decent if you enjoy seeing more diverse pirate stories and can excuse some flaws in structure for a good concept.

Content warning for frequent portrayals of slavery, general racism & sexism, death of a parent, injury, violence, homophobia/queer discrimination, a few uses of the g-slur, and frequent, graphic child abuse.

Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published, hard mode); also fits coastal or island setting (hard mode).
]]> One Last Stop 49882806 New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that puts a queer spin on Kate & Leopold.

A 23-year-old realises her subway crush is displaced from 1970's Brooklyn, and she must do everything in her power to help her - and try not to fall in love with the girl lost in time - before it's too late . . .]]> 384 Casey McQuiston 0349428271 Ashleigh 5 fantasy-spec-fic 4.13 2021 One Last Stop
author: Casey McQuiston
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/31
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
Perfection in my eyes. This is easily the best book I've read in a long time, definitely this year. The author writes so delicately & precisely. Every word is evocative and poetic, and there are charming characters and a story that, to me, was perfectly paced. It made my heart ache in the best way. I felt every bit of the characters and their hopes, successes, and struggles. The casual and abundant queer representation was a huge bonus. I have not had many "oops, I read 75 pages" books quite like this one. Highest praise.
]]> <![CDATA[Winter's Orbit (Winter's Orbit, #1)]]> 53205912
But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.]]> 432 Everina Maxwell 1250758831 Ashleigh 4 fantasy-spec-fic 4.00 2021 Winter's Orbit (Winter's Orbit, #1)
author: Everina Maxwell
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/26
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:
This was my first experience with science fiction and my first time reading a book where a queer relationship was so front-and-center. Even so, the book has so much more than romance happening. It had moments that discuss duty, morality, self-worth, trust, and more. Seeing a healthy relationship that grows over time was so lovely - 10/10 character development here. My only challenge was remembering some of the unique names and attributes of the world and side characters, which was important and quite detailed. I enjoyed getting a little bit of many genres in this one book!
]]> Reverie 44589186 Inception meets The Magicians, except with better wigs and a maniacal drag queen sorceress attempting to unravel the reality of Connecticut (yes, the state) and replace it with something…well something better than Connecticut.

Ryan La Sala’s debut fantasy is an #OwnVoices story following Kane Montgomery, a gay teenager piecing his life back together after an attack robs him of his memories. As Kane searches for who he was, he uncovers a war for the creative rights to reality itself, each battle played out in an imagined world turned real: a reverie.

Reveries are worlds born from a person’s private fantasies, and once they manifest they can only be unraveled by bringing their conflicts to resolution. Reveries have rules and plots, magic and monsters, and one wrong step could twist the entire thing into a lethal, labyrinthine nightmare. Unraveling them is dangerous work, but it’s what Kane and The Others do.

Or did, until one of The Others purged Kane of his memories. But now Kane is back, and solving the mystery of his betrayal is the only way to unite his team and defeat reality’s latest threat: Poesy, a sorceress bent on harvesting the reveries for their pure, imaginative power.

But what use might a drag queen sorceress have with a menagerie of stolen reveries? And should Kane, a boy with no love for a team that betrayed him, fight to stop her, or defect to aid her?

Reverie is about the seduction of escaping inwards, about the worlds we hide within ourselves, and the danger of dreams that come true.]]> 384 Ryan La Sala Ashleigh 5 fantasy-spec-fic 3.30 2019 Reverie
author: Ryan La Sala
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: fantasy-spec-fic
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages: The Mysterious Benedict Society #04]]> 51599133 0 Trenton Lee Stewart 1549129783 Ashleigh 3 3.62 2019 The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages: The Mysterious Benedict Society #04
author: Trenton Lee Stewart
name: Ashleigh
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: childhood-re-reads, fantasy-spec-fic
review:

]]>