Brenda's bookshelf: all

Brenda's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 04 Mar 2025 02:05:40 -0800 60 Brenda's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Troop 28187199 355 Nick Cutter 1501144820 Brenda 4 comic-con-2017
Their breakdowns—both physically and mentally—are the systematic and wholly iconic for the genre. It’s what I loved about King’s The Long Walk; teenage boys faced with deadly adverse conditions, and reacting in drastically varying ways. One boy is a sociopath. One has been fluffed up on his own importance his whole life. One is the quiet kid. One is the kid with a temper. And one is the nerd, who may just outshine them all.

It was just so gnarly. The way their bodies bulged and fell apart and changed was fascinating in the way people want to see car crashes. You know it’s death and destruction and that it’s not right to stare. But it’s the closest anyone every hopes to get to it, so they continue to watch. Each of the boys�� downfalls were morbidly fascinating and I relished seeing what would happen next. Ephraim’s was particularly nuts.

I loved the interludes, too. They did a great job of presenting facts unknowable to the boys, but gave us a clearer picture of what was happening. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if our governments actually sanctioned something as atrocious as this. ]]> 3.91 2014 The Troop

author: Nick Cutter
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2018/04/12
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: comic-con-2017
review:
The Troop was everything I wanted it to be and then some. It is a wonderful addition to the grotesque horror genre that Stephen King has reigned supreme in for decades; a full-bodied novel that marks five boys for destruction and hopelessness.

Their breakdowns—both physically and mentally—are the systematic and wholly iconic for the genre. It’s what I loved about King’s The Long Walk; teenage boys faced with deadly adverse conditions, and reacting in drastically varying ways. One boy is a sociopath. One has been fluffed up on his own importance his whole life. One is the quiet kid. One is the kid with a temper. And one is the nerd, who may just outshine them all.

It was just so gnarly. The way their bodies bulged and fell apart and changed was fascinating in the way people want to see car crashes. You know it’s death and destruction and that it’s not right to stare. But it’s the closest anyone every hopes to get to it, so they continue to watch. Each of the boys�� downfalls were morbidly fascinating and I relished seeing what would happen next. Ephraim’s was particularly nuts.

I loved the interludes, too. They did a great job of presenting facts unknowable to the boys, but gave us a clearer picture of what was happening. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if our governments actually sanctioned something as atrocious as this.
]]> Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen Brenda 0 3.86 1814

author: Jane Austen
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: to-read, classics, borrowed, next-in-line
review:

]]> Killing Matt Cooper 18405384 61 John Cassian 1301938181 Brenda 4 thank-you
It's a short read, only getting to 52 pages on my Nook. But it's chock full of content, not only chronicling our main character (I can't really call him a protagonist, can I?) and his murders but the inner workings of his mind as well. I can't really say that I felt bad for his victims, considering they all seemed to be the kind of people that weren't really benefiting society in any way. The way our main character killed them was actually pretty nice, which I realize sounds absolutely crazy to say. They die after experiencing pleasure.

One thing I had a hard time with was our character's conflicting views of himself. He sees himself as godlike and above all others, who he considers lowly life forms. Yet he constantly calls himself a monster. I won't claim to be an expert in at all, but I've taken a couple sociology classes and I thought the mindset of sociopaths and the like was that they were above all others and believed themselves to be supreme. That doesn't fit with calling yourself a monster.

Aside from that though, it's definitely a dark and strangely interesting read. Perhaps a good yearly read right around Halloween time, just to get in the mood?

Merged review:

As others have said, this is a very short story that will either greatly disturb someone or provide a dark but fun experience. As someone that's read books like Cannibal Killers and watches shows like The Following and Dexter, I think it's fairly obvious why I picked this up.

It's a short read, only getting to 52 pages on my Nook. But it's chock full of content, not only chronicling our main character (I can't really call him a protagonist, can I?) and his murders but the inner workings of his mind as well. I can't really say that I felt bad for his victims, considering they all seemed to be the kind of people that weren't really benefiting society in any way. The way our main character killed them was actually pretty nice, which I realize sounds absolutely crazy to say. They die after experiencing pleasure.

One thing I had a hard time with was our character's conflicting views of himself. He sees himself as godlike and above all others, who he considers lowly life forms. Yet he constantly calls himself a monster. I won't claim to be an expert in at all, but I've taken a couple sociology classes and I thought the mindset of sociopaths and the like was that they were above all others and believed themselves to be supreme. That doesn't fit with calling yourself a monster.

Aside from that though, it's definitely a dark and strangely interesting read. Perhaps a good yearly read right around Halloween time, just to get in the mood?]]> 3.71 2013 Killing Matt Cooper

author: John Cassian
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/06/23
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: thank-you
review:
As others have said, this is a very short story that will either greatly disturb someone or provide a dark but fun experience. As someone that's read books like Cannibal Killers and watches shows like The Following and Dexter, I think it's fairly obvious why I picked this up.

It's a short read, only getting to 52 pages on my Nook. But it's chock full of content, not only chronicling our main character (I can't really call him a protagonist, can I?) and his murders but the inner workings of his mind as well. I can't really say that I felt bad for his victims, considering they all seemed to be the kind of people that weren't really benefiting society in any way. The way our main character killed them was actually pretty nice, which I realize sounds absolutely crazy to say. They die after experiencing pleasure.

One thing I had a hard time with was our character's conflicting views of himself. He sees himself as godlike and above all others, who he considers lowly life forms. Yet he constantly calls himself a monster. I won't claim to be an expert in at all, but I've taken a couple sociology classes and I thought the mindset of sociopaths and the like was that they were above all others and believed themselves to be supreme. That doesn't fit with calling yourself a monster.

Aside from that though, it's definitely a dark and strangely interesting read. Perhaps a good yearly read right around Halloween time, just to get in the mood?

Merged review:

As others have said, this is a very short story that will either greatly disturb someone or provide a dark but fun experience. As someone that's read books like Cannibal Killers and watches shows like The Following and Dexter, I think it's fairly obvious why I picked this up.

It's a short read, only getting to 52 pages on my Nook. But it's chock full of content, not only chronicling our main character (I can't really call him a protagonist, can I?) and his murders but the inner workings of his mind as well. I can't really say that I felt bad for his victims, considering they all seemed to be the kind of people that weren't really benefiting society in any way. The way our main character killed them was actually pretty nice, which I realize sounds absolutely crazy to say. They die after experiencing pleasure.

One thing I had a hard time with was our character's conflicting views of himself. He sees himself as godlike and above all others, who he considers lowly life forms. Yet he constantly calls himself a monster. I won't claim to be an expert in at all, but I've taken a couple sociology classes and I thought the mindset of sociopaths and the like was that they were above all others and believed themselves to be supreme. That doesn't fit with calling yourself a monster.

Aside from that though, it's definitely a dark and strangely interesting read. Perhaps a good yearly read right around Halloween time, just to get in the mood?
]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro (The Secret Seekers Society, #1)]]> 18940663
The book follows both, the sibling’s emotional struggle from their parent’s sudden loss, as well as their physical journey into a new and strange “home��, an ancient and creepy mansion known only as the Belmonte Estate.

It is here where they first learn of their new guardian, an eccentric old man named Professor Clandestine and the rest of the mansion's caretakers. Tossed into their bedroom, and locked away under the pretense of “safety concerns�� it does not take long for the children to hatch an escape plan.

Follow the children as they slowly unravel the secrets of their parent’s true identities, the origin of the strange Mansion, and their inheritance into an ancient secret society of monster hunters known as Seekers.]]> 218 J.L. Hickey 1301287687 Brenda 3 read-4-review
What I liked:

- The overall idea. Mythical creatures and virtually every legend potentially making an appearance? Heck yeah!

- A school that teaches you how to deal with supernatural occurrences!

- Super sweet lady who will probably break up with her boyfriend to be with the uncle!

- A green dog steeped in Scottish myth!

What I didn't like:

- Many errors that shouldn't be there. "Conscience" instead of "conscious", "You're" instead of "your", etc.

- Hunter was a brat. He snapped at everyone, constantly told his sister to "shut up," and didn't have any real good reasons for what he did. He made excuses for everything and never acted mature enough to take the blame for his mistakes.

- I didn't really agree with Aten being portrayed as evil. Sure, he's pompous, but his reasoning for people to leave the estate didn't seem all that bad to me.

- How thick the kids were. Clearly everything is indicating that there's fantastical beasts, and yet the speech Calenstine gives in the last like 20 pages is supposed to be a surprise. You have a green dog

- Also, how did Hunter not catch the correlation between "Deckie" and "Declan"? I suppose this goes along with him being obtuse.]]> 4.28 2012 The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro (The Secret Seekers Society, #1)

The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro (The Secret Seekers Society, #1)

author: J.L. Hickey
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/08/08
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: read-4-review
review:
Okay, we'll do this easy.

What I liked:

- The overall idea. Mythical creatures and virtually every legend potentially making an appearance? Heck yeah!

- A school that teaches you how to deal with supernatural occurrences!

- Super sweet lady who will probably break up with her boyfriend to be with the uncle!

- A green dog steeped in Scottish myth!

What I didn't like:

- Many errors that shouldn't be there. "Conscience" instead of "conscious", "You're" instead of "your", etc.

- Hunter was a brat. He snapped at everyone, constantly told his sister to "shut up," and didn't have any real good reasons for what he did. He made excuses for everything and never acted mature enough to take the blame for his mistakes.

- I didn't really agree with Aten being portrayed as evil. Sure, he's pompous, but his reasoning for people to leave the estate didn't seem all that bad to me.

- How thick the kids were. Clearly everything is indicating that there's fantastical beasts, and yet the speech Calenstine gives in the last like 20 pages is supposed to be a surprise. You have a green dog

- Also, how did Hunter not catch the correlation between "Deckie" and "Declan"? I suppose this goes along with him being obtuse.
]]> Cogling 28699278
Desperate to rescue her brother, Edna sets off across the kingdom to the hags�� swamp, with Ike in tow. There, they learn Coglings are also replacing nobility so the hags can stage a rebellion and rule over humanity. Edna and Ike must stop the revolt, but the populace believes hags are helpful godmothers and healers. No one wants to believe a lowly servant and a thief, especially when Ike has secrets that label them both as traitors.

Together, Edna and Ike must make the kingdom trust them or stop the hags themselves, even if Ike is forced to embrace his dark heritage and Edna must surrender her family.]]> 333 Jordan Elizabeth 1620077388 Brenda 4 from-author
That's all of it in a nutshell, but it doesn't encompass all the nuances that made this so good. Edna is most definitely not a Mary Sue, and Ike is not the annoying stereotypical angsty bad boy. He's a little bit angsty, and a little bit of a bad boy, but the author did a brilliant job of presenting just enough to flesh him out without him being a caricature. Edna's love of her brother didn't feel gimmicky like most other YA novels do with that relationship. I just finished reading Soundless and I felt like the main character's younger sister was just mentioned when it was needed for internal conflict. Edna and Harrison felt like real siblings.

The world building is fabulous. Machines are steam-powered and there are small little wild creatures I've never heard of. I particularly enjoyed the foxkin: kin to the fox (geddit?) but smart enough to have speech and to dress themselves nicely. I loved when Edna recruited the foxkins to help.

And the hags... as the antagonists of the hour, I really feel like I need to stop myself from gushing. They are the kind of evil I don't see as much anymore in books. These days, the bad guy isn't really a bad guy--just someone who's misguided or has slightly different goals then our main character. That wasn't the case here--the hags were well and truly evil. They kidnap, they murder, they take whatever they please. Their treatment of children was positively dastardly and made it real easy to root against them. Children literally turning gray! It was bad enough when the kids got kidnapped but when they had to suffer through all the hags put them through... it was definitely brutal.

I really have no complaints here. The plot was steadily fast-paced, the characters were solid, and the world building was perfect.]]> 3.88 2016 Cogling

author: Jordan Elizabeth
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/09
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: from-author
review:
This is exactly what steampunk/fantasy should be. It is non stop action with solid characters that keep you invested the whole way through. The world building is strong.

That's all of it in a nutshell, but it doesn't encompass all the nuances that made this so good. Edna is most definitely not a Mary Sue, and Ike is not the annoying stereotypical angsty bad boy. He's a little bit angsty, and a little bit of a bad boy, but the author did a brilliant job of presenting just enough to flesh him out without him being a caricature. Edna's love of her brother didn't feel gimmicky like most other YA novels do with that relationship. I just finished reading Soundless and I felt like the main character's younger sister was just mentioned when it was needed for internal conflict. Edna and Harrison felt like real siblings.

The world building is fabulous. Machines are steam-powered and there are small little wild creatures I've never heard of. I particularly enjoyed the foxkin: kin to the fox (geddit?) but smart enough to have speech and to dress themselves nicely. I loved when Edna recruited the foxkins to help.

And the hags... as the antagonists of the hour, I really feel like I need to stop myself from gushing. They are the kind of evil I don't see as much anymore in books. These days, the bad guy isn't really a bad guy--just someone who's misguided or has slightly different goals then our main character. That wasn't the case here--the hags were well and truly evil. They kidnap, they murder, they take whatever they please. Their treatment of children was positively dastardly and made it real easy to root against them. Children literally turning gray! It was bad enough when the kids got kidnapped but when they had to suffer through all the hags put them through... it was definitely brutal.

I really have no complaints here. The plot was steadily fast-paced, the characters were solid, and the world building was perfect.
]]> The Color of our Sky 25688922 **5 STAR RATING READER'S FAVORITE** "an extremely well written and engaging novel..the writing style is very lyrical, almost poetic at times, with vivid descriptions of people and places. This is the kind of book where the quality of writing shines through and makes it an enjoyable read in itself, and at the same time sends out a strong, positive social message. This is definitely a must-read book." - Gisela Dixon, reader's favorite reviewer

"This is a beautifully written book, with a very believable, hard hitting storyline and well rounded, emotive characters. The pace of the story is just right, swinging between narrators seamlessly and portraying both young women's perspectives. It reminded me very much of Khaled Hosseinis work, with a similar amount of depth to issues being portrayed. Extremely moving read" - Beverly Crofts, Netgalley reviewer

Kirkus reviews:
A haunting debut novel about two young women in Mumbai that brings the brutal realities of modern India into focus....The descriptions and dialogue are rich and believable, particularly when Trasi writes from a child’s perspective (“my thoughts would race along with the wind, crossing our village, whistling through mountains, between boulders and rocks, ruffling the leaves on trees, flying with the birds��). The story also takes on difficult subject matter, such as child abuse, HIV, and early mortality, with unflinching seriousness. Even Tara’s interactions with the police demonstrate how chronic disorganization plagues Indian society, allowing countless youths to vanish into bordellos. The two main characters serve as symbols of the entire caste system, and Mukta’s memory of her dreary village consistently reminds readers how rigid and prosaic many ancient traditions can be. Although both main characters must contend with destiny—a recurring concept—the story makes clear that there may still be hope for their children....A sad, soulful, and revelatory story about a deeply troubled nation in transition."--Kirkus reviews

BOOK DESCRIPTION : A sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends—one struggling to survive the human slave trade and the other on a mission to save her—two girls whose lives converge only to change one fateful night in 1993.
India, 1986: Mukta, a ten-year-old girl from the lower caste Yellamma cult of temple prostitutes has come of age to fulfill her destiny of becoming a temple prostitute. In an attempt to escape this legacy that binds her, Mukta is transported to a foster family in Bombay. There she discovers a friend in the high spirited eight-year-old Tara, the tomboyish daughter of the family, who helps her recover from the wounds of her past. Tara introduces Mukta to a different world—ice cream and sweets, poems and stories, and a friendship the likes of which she has never experienced before. In 1993, Mukta is kidnapped from Tara’s room.
Eleven years later, Tara who blames herself for what happened, embarks on an emotional journey to search for the kidnapped Mukta only to uncover long buried secrets in her own family.
Moving from a remote village in India to the bustling metropolis of Bombay, to Los Angeles and back again, amidst the brutal world of human trafficking, this is a heartbreaking and beautiful portrait of an unlikely friendship—a story of love, betrayal, and redemption—which ultimately withstands the true test of time.
]]> 318 Amita Trasi 0986155616 Brenda 4 netgalley It was Mukta who taught me the sky was like a stage where clouds formed characters, morphed into different shapes, and drifted toward each other. It told us more stories than we could have ever read, more than our imaginations could afford.

When a story can be so profoundly difficult that it has me both upset and ecstatic at the same time, I call it a success. The Color of our Sky is a study about the concept of the caste system in India, of how much that system dictates the road people's lives take.

Mukta is a product of that. She was born into a lower caste, one in which the women dedicate their lives to becoming prostitutes for their goddess. When Tara's father grudgingly rescues her, the two girls become more closely intertwined then either could ever have guessed.

Until Mukta is kidnapped in the middle of the night, and Tara just watches.

The thing that is so beautiful about this is the complexity to each character. There are hypocritical thoughts, there is deep shame, determination, and love. The different reactions and emotions were just so real--where one character would violently fight against her role as a prostitute, another would accept it has her fate for the goddess and never try to fight or improve her station. Tara, our main character who grew up in a middle-class home in India, is constantly reflecting the different ideologies she grew up with. On the one hand, she has a traditional Indian mentality--Mukta is a lower caste girl, and therefore it makes sense that she is treated like a servant girl and not offered an education. On the other hand, she has her father's progressive views as an influence, so she can't help but make friends with the quiet girl and the rough past and wonder why she can't also learn her letters.

And this, ultimately, is what drives the novel. Moments of weakness, when someone decides that someone of the lower caste does not deserve that they are given. Tara, in a moment of emotional chaos, makes a decision that will haunt her well into adulthood--until she realizes she can't rest until she makes things right.

It's beautiful and horrible at the same time. Because that underlying current of animosity, of she-deserves-it--it is always there, no matter how small. I was frustrated by the characters and yet crying for them at the same time. I think this is one I will continue to think about for a long, long time.

Plus, the cover is my absolute favorite ever. It is so gorgeous I keep going back to look at it. ]]> 4.09 2015 The Color of our Sky

author: Amita Trasi
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/06/02
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: netgalley
review:
It was Mukta who taught me the sky was like a stage where clouds formed characters, morphed into different shapes, and drifted toward each other. It told us more stories than we could have ever read, more than our imaginations could afford.

When a story can be so profoundly difficult that it has me both upset and ecstatic at the same time, I call it a success. The Color of our Sky is a study about the concept of the caste system in India, of how much that system dictates the road people's lives take.

Mukta is a product of that. She was born into a lower caste, one in which the women dedicate their lives to becoming prostitutes for their goddess. When Tara's father grudgingly rescues her, the two girls become more closely intertwined then either could ever have guessed.

Until Mukta is kidnapped in the middle of the night, and Tara just watches.

The thing that is so beautiful about this is the complexity to each character. There are hypocritical thoughts, there is deep shame, determination, and love. The different reactions and emotions were just so real--where one character would violently fight against her role as a prostitute, another would accept it has her fate for the goddess and never try to fight or improve her station. Tara, our main character who grew up in a middle-class home in India, is constantly reflecting the different ideologies she grew up with. On the one hand, she has a traditional Indian mentality--Mukta is a lower caste girl, and therefore it makes sense that she is treated like a servant girl and not offered an education. On the other hand, she has her father's progressive views as an influence, so she can't help but make friends with the quiet girl and the rough past and wonder why she can't also learn her letters.

And this, ultimately, is what drives the novel. Moments of weakness, when someone decides that someone of the lower caste does not deserve that they are given. Tara, in a moment of emotional chaos, makes a decision that will haunt her well into adulthood--until she realizes she can't rest until she makes things right.

It's beautiful and horrible at the same time. Because that underlying current of animosity, of she-deserves-it--it is always there, no matter how small. I was frustrated by the characters and yet crying for them at the same time. I think this is one I will continue to think about for a long, long time.

Plus, the cover is my absolute favorite ever. It is so gorgeous I keep going back to look at it.
]]> Last Seen Leaving 25036310
Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.]]> 336 Caleb Roehrig 1250085624 Brenda 4 netgalley Gone Girl, you're way off base.

Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of misdirection, you'll definitely get that here. The book is from Flynn's point of view, January's boyfriend who is left behind. Does he know where she went, or what happened to her? Possibly. You find out pretty early on what he knows and doesn't know. It's his hunt for the truth that makes this an intriguing read.

Honestly? I'm a little disappointed in myself. I'm decently good at figuring out who the culprit is with these types of books normally. I slog through all the useless information and come up with one little gold mine, one little tidbit, that's enough to get me in the right direction. In the past I've predicted how books will end within the first fifty pages and been proven right.

With Last Seen Leaving, I only guessed part of it, and how it came to fruition was vastly different than what I was expecting. Frankly, I expected a YA version of Gone Girl--which is a compliment, because Gillian Flynn is a friggin' genius with psychopath characters. Instead, I was blundering around with Flynn (this Flynn, not Gillian Flynn) trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together.

Parts of it were a little too silly sometimes. Flynn's choices were too funky sometimes, and I couldn't really go along with it. Other than that I have no qualms about admitting how much I liked this book. It was fun, fast-paced, and had characters that had a little more depth than "the mysterious girlfriend" and "the bumbling, awkward boyfriend". It was a great take on the missing person thing, and I enjoyed the ride.

Merged review:

If you're expecting Gone Girl, you're way off base.

Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of misdirection, you'll definitely get that here. The book is from Flynn's point of view, January's boyfriend who is left behind. Does he know where she went, or what happened to her? Possibly. You find out pretty early on what he knows and doesn't know. It's his hunt for the truth that makes this an intriguing read.

Honestly? I'm a little disappointed in myself. I'm decently good at figuring out who the culprit is with these types of books normally. I slog through all the useless information and come up with one little gold mine, one little tidbit, that's enough to get me in the right direction. In the past I've predicted how books will end within the first fifty pages and been proven right.

With Last Seen Leaving, I only guessed part of it, and how it came to fruition was vastly different than what I was expecting. Frankly, I expected a YA version of Gone Girl--which is a compliment, because Gillian Flynn is a friggin' genius with psychopath characters. Instead, I was blundering around with Flynn (this Flynn, not Gillian Flynn) trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together.

Parts of it were a little too silly sometimes. Flynn's choices were too funky sometimes, and I couldn't really go along with it. Other than that I have no qualms about admitting how much I liked this book. It was fun, fast-paced, and had characters that had a little more depth than "the mysterious girlfriend" and "the bumbling, awkward boyfriend". It was a great take on the missing person thing, and I enjoyed the ride.]]> 3.73 2016 Last Seen Leaving

author: Caleb Roehrig
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/09
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: netgalley
review:
If you're expecting Gone Girl, you're way off base.

Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of misdirection, you'll definitely get that here. The book is from Flynn's point of view, January's boyfriend who is left behind. Does he know where she went, or what happened to her? Possibly. You find out pretty early on what he knows and doesn't know. It's his hunt for the truth that makes this an intriguing read.

Honestly? I'm a little disappointed in myself. I'm decently good at figuring out who the culprit is with these types of books normally. I slog through all the useless information and come up with one little gold mine, one little tidbit, that's enough to get me in the right direction. In the past I've predicted how books will end within the first fifty pages and been proven right.

With Last Seen Leaving, I only guessed part of it, and how it came to fruition was vastly different than what I was expecting. Frankly, I expected a YA version of Gone Girl--which is a compliment, because Gillian Flynn is a friggin' genius with psychopath characters. Instead, I was blundering around with Flynn (this Flynn, not Gillian Flynn) trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together.

Parts of it were a little too silly sometimes. Flynn's choices were too funky sometimes, and I couldn't really go along with it. Other than that I have no qualms about admitting how much I liked this book. It was fun, fast-paced, and had characters that had a little more depth than "the mysterious girlfriend" and "the bumbling, awkward boyfriend". It was a great take on the missing person thing, and I enjoyed the ride.

Merged review:

If you're expecting Gone Girl, you're way off base.

Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of misdirection, you'll definitely get that here. The book is from Flynn's point of view, January's boyfriend who is left behind. Does he know where she went, or what happened to her? Possibly. You find out pretty early on what he knows and doesn't know. It's his hunt for the truth that makes this an intriguing read.

Honestly? I'm a little disappointed in myself. I'm decently good at figuring out who the culprit is with these types of books normally. I slog through all the useless information and come up with one little gold mine, one little tidbit, that's enough to get me in the right direction. In the past I've predicted how books will end within the first fifty pages and been proven right.

With Last Seen Leaving, I only guessed part of it, and how it came to fruition was vastly different than what I was expecting. Frankly, I expected a YA version of Gone Girl--which is a compliment, because Gillian Flynn is a friggin' genius with psychopath characters. Instead, I was blundering around with Flynn (this Flynn, not Gillian Flynn) trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together.

Parts of it were a little too silly sometimes. Flynn's choices were too funky sometimes, and I couldn't really go along with it. Other than that I have no qualms about admitting how much I liked this book. It was fun, fast-paced, and had characters that had a little more depth than "the mysterious girlfriend" and "the bumbling, awkward boyfriend". It was a great take on the missing person thing, and I enjoyed the ride.
]]> The Deep 43438782 Octavia E. Butler meets Marvel’s Black Panther in The Deep, a story rich with Afrofuturism, folklore, and the power of memory, inspired by the Hugo Award–nominated song “The Deep�� from Daveed Diggs’s rap group clipping.

Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

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

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected 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 identity—and own who they really are.

The Deep is “a tour de force reorientation of the storytelling gaze…a superb, multilayered work,�� (Publishers Weekly, starred review) and a vividly original and uniquely affecting story inspired by a song produced by the rap group clipping.]]> 175 Rivers Solomon Brenda 3 netgalley
A great deal of the book is Yetu complaining. Like a lot. She was dealt a shit hand and I can understand her reluctance and resentment, but I got a bit bored with her constant internal monologue of how much she hated everything.

When she meets new characters it started to pick up a bit and became a quiet and beautiful story of how healing and companionship can dramatically change someone. I enjoyed the peacefulness of those scenes and rooted for Yetu in those moments.

The origin story of how the babies came to survive in the ocean was original and clever and probably my favorite part of the book. The first mothers are majestic as hell and all I want for them is happiness forever.]]> 3.81 2019 The Deep

author: Rivers Solomon
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/20
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: netgalley
review:
I think I came into this novel with the wrong expectations. I definitely assumed I would see a lot focused on the history of the merpeople because they were descendants of African slaves tossed overboard, but I wasn’t expecting so much introspection.

A great deal of the book is Yetu complaining. Like a lot. She was dealt a shit hand and I can understand her reluctance and resentment, but I got a bit bored with her constant internal monologue of how much she hated everything.

When she meets new characters it started to pick up a bit and became a quiet and beautiful story of how healing and companionship can dramatically change someone. I enjoyed the peacefulness of those scenes and rooted for Yetu in those moments.

The origin story of how the babies came to survive in the ocean was original and clever and probably my favorite part of the book. The first mothers are majestic as hell and all I want for them is happiness forever.
]]> To Stand Beside Her 17237639
Leila is a courier.
To the people she takes from, she is seen as a common thief; to the people she helps, she is a savior.
Nalick is your typical king.
He's rich, powerful, and always assumed to be right. When Leila crosses paths with King Nalick, she finds herself trapped. In a rush to save her best friend Kay from a prison sentence for a crime Leila committed, Leila trades her hand in marriage in exchange for Kay’s freedom.

Tomboy Leila does not want to grow up, but in three months�� time, she will be married to King Nalick, if Nalick can keep his end of the bargain. First, Nalick must make Leila fall in love with him, a hard task since Leila is not ready to love again after losing her first love to a greedy king. Second, Nalick must keep her safe. He is not the only king trying to hold onto her. Leila has made many enemies over the years, and even more admirers that want her as a prize. Lastly, Nalick must convince Leila that ten years of love is better than a lifetime without. Unless Leila can trust her destiny, she might not reach her wedding day at all.]]> 350 B. Kristin McMichael 1623147166 Brenda 3 thank-you
To Stand Beside Her is this in a nutshell: badass courier who can do basically everything willingly gets captured by a king to save her friend, then falls in love with said king.

I liked this story. Leila's skills were impressive and I think the best parts were the ones where we got to see her in action. There's not as much of that as I would have liked, but I can overlook that. She has expert training in battle both with weapons and without, with escaping, with camouflage, etc. She finds that everywhere she goes people align themselves to her because she's so honest and beautiful. And I stress that because it's very fair to say that people like to help pretty people. Especially if it's a pretty girl with a knockout bod (this was described to us every time a different guy kidnapped her) that's asking for the help.

The relationship between Leila and Nalick just didn't work for me at first. It was too quick of a turn around. She absolutely despises this guy, has heard numerous stories of his ruthlessness, and forces her to his kingdom (which basically every king has tried to kidnap her) by taking her friend. And within a very short span of time she's dropped all reservations. It was too sudden, as if she totally forgot the fact that he placed one of her loved ones in peril. While I can argue that all he did was throw her in jail, again, Leila supposedly heard all kinds of rumors about his ruthlessness, and yet this doesn't worry her one bit. [spoilers removed]

That aside, though, I really like the relationship between the two of them after that beginning point. It wasn't so gushy and annoying as many romance books, and I was appreciative that it managed to be romantic without shoving the gooey down my throat.

As a general rule I tend to like minor characters in novels more than the main characters, and that was the case here again. I always enjoyed anytime the children, Roger, Theo or Anatolio were in the scene. They were always supportive of Leila and Nalick and ready to help at a moment's notice. It was pleasant to learn more about these characters as the novel progressed.

Okay, now I'm going to talk about the ending...
[spoilers removed]

Okay now that that's out of the way... I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were fleshed out enough that I had no problem with development, and I was pleased with the scenes of Leila teaching others the skills she had. The villains were especially villainy, essentially dirty old pervy men.

With the exception of quite a few missing words and wrong words, it's well written. I would definitely read this author again. ]]> 3.74 2013 To Stand Beside Her

author: B. Kristin McMichael
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/05/12
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: thank-you
review:
I expected a much more upsetting ending after I was (rather forcefully) warned that this didn't have a happy ever after, but I'll get to that in a bit.

To Stand Beside Her is this in a nutshell: badass courier who can do basically everything willingly gets captured by a king to save her friend, then falls in love with said king.

I liked this story. Leila's skills were impressive and I think the best parts were the ones where we got to see her in action. There's not as much of that as I would have liked, but I can overlook that. She has expert training in battle both with weapons and without, with escaping, with camouflage, etc. She finds that everywhere she goes people align themselves to her because she's so honest and beautiful. And I stress that because it's very fair to say that people like to help pretty people. Especially if it's a pretty girl with a knockout bod (this was described to us every time a different guy kidnapped her) that's asking for the help.

The relationship between Leila and Nalick just didn't work for me at first. It was too quick of a turn around. She absolutely despises this guy, has heard numerous stories of his ruthlessness, and forces her to his kingdom (which basically every king has tried to kidnap her) by taking her friend. And within a very short span of time she's dropped all reservations. It was too sudden, as if she totally forgot the fact that he placed one of her loved ones in peril. While I can argue that all he did was throw her in jail, again, Leila supposedly heard all kinds of rumors about his ruthlessness, and yet this doesn't worry her one bit. [spoilers removed]

That aside, though, I really like the relationship between the two of them after that beginning point. It wasn't so gushy and annoying as many romance books, and I was appreciative that it managed to be romantic without shoving the gooey down my throat.

As a general rule I tend to like minor characters in novels more than the main characters, and that was the case here again. I always enjoyed anytime the children, Roger, Theo or Anatolio were in the scene. They were always supportive of Leila and Nalick and ready to help at a moment's notice. It was pleasant to learn more about these characters as the novel progressed.

Okay, now I'm going to talk about the ending...
[spoilers removed]

Okay now that that's out of the way... I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were fleshed out enough that I had no problem with development, and I was pleased with the scenes of Leila teaching others the skills she had. The villains were especially villainy, essentially dirty old pervy men.

With the exception of quite a few missing words and wrong words, it's well written. I would definitely read this author again.
]]> <![CDATA[The Athena Effect (The Athena Effect, #1)]]> 17800886
Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Calvin’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?]]> 225 Derrolyn Anderson 1476059276 Brenda 5 favorites, read-4-review
The plot given on the website is nothing compared to the actual book; it doesn't do it justice. Frankly, when I read the summary given on GoodReads I didn't think it would be something I would fall in love with. It's a general description of two teenagers from different walks of life with the same nickname. Cali is from "the country," and Cal is a "biker bad boy." The thing is, these descriptions don't fit either of them accurately at all.

I'm not sure if the description was purposefully vague, but I think it should reflect the actual plotline, which is this: Cali literally lives off the land with her parents, living with no ties whatsoever to the modern world aside from books. When her parents unexpectedly die, she's forced to move in with her aunt she's never met and discover a world far beyond her understanding. And she must hide her special ability from everyone.

Except Cal. He comes across it accidentally, and suffice to say that he's dumbfounded by a girl who is so unequivocally different than any other person he's ever met.

When a mad scientist (literally) hunts her down, their feelings are tested as well as Cali's determination and strength.

It's amazing. Truly. The novel was well written and fluid. There were never any moments where I was confused as to which Cal was being talked about, which is a triumph in itself. And I loved both Cals. Cali's strength is amazing, and I admit I wish I could do half the things she can do. Cal was heartwarming, in the way that he was trying to run away from his feelings about his parents. When Cali forces him to rethink his life, we see a transformation. Hence, heartwarming. Not to mention Jarod and Crystal. While they both have their faults, they are truly lovable characters and I found that I cared about them surprisingly more than I though I would. The same goes for Layla. I ached for the childhood she could never have, and I wanted her to have the experiences of being a normal teenager that she desperately wanted. Even Michael was relatable. Poor kid was always shunned to the side, since he didn't have the same power that his sister Layla did. He was always an afterthought, that much was clear just in the short timespan we see him in the novel.

The plot is fantastic. It was well thought out and well articulated. My only complaint is that I don't want to wait for the second one. I am amazed this book doesn't have a bigger following. But rest assured, I will be whoring this book out to everyone I know. I personally am going to be anticipating the second book. I'm hooked.]]> 4.03 2012 The Athena Effect (The Athena Effect, #1)

The Athena Effect (The Athena Effect, #1)

author: Derrolyn Anderson
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2013/02/13
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: favorites, read-4-review
review:
Wow. I literally just finished the last page, and I'm astounded. I haven't come across a book I liked this much in a while. The Athena Effect is absolutely a book I will recommend to anyone and everyone. I was able to read this in exchange for an honest review, something I'm glad to do.

The plot given on the website is nothing compared to the actual book; it doesn't do it justice. Frankly, when I read the summary given on GoodReads I didn't think it would be something I would fall in love with. It's a general description of two teenagers from different walks of life with the same nickname. Cali is from "the country," and Cal is a "biker bad boy." The thing is, these descriptions don't fit either of them accurately at all.

I'm not sure if the description was purposefully vague, but I think it should reflect the actual plotline, which is this: Cali literally lives off the land with her parents, living with no ties whatsoever to the modern world aside from books. When her parents unexpectedly die, she's forced to move in with her aunt she's never met and discover a world far beyond her understanding. And she must hide her special ability from everyone.

Except Cal. He comes across it accidentally, and suffice to say that he's dumbfounded by a girl who is so unequivocally different than any other person he's ever met.

When a mad scientist (literally) hunts her down, their feelings are tested as well as Cali's determination and strength.

It's amazing. Truly. The novel was well written and fluid. There were never any moments where I was confused as to which Cal was being talked about, which is a triumph in itself. And I loved both Cals. Cali's strength is amazing, and I admit I wish I could do half the things she can do. Cal was heartwarming, in the way that he was trying to run away from his feelings about his parents. When Cali forces him to rethink his life, we see a transformation. Hence, heartwarming. Not to mention Jarod and Crystal. While they both have their faults, they are truly lovable characters and I found that I cared about them surprisingly more than I though I would. The same goes for Layla. I ached for the childhood she could never have, and I wanted her to have the experiences of being a normal teenager that she desperately wanted. Even Michael was relatable. Poor kid was always shunned to the side, since he didn't have the same power that his sister Layla did. He was always an afterthought, that much was clear just in the short timespan we see him in the novel.

The plot is fantastic. It was well thought out and well articulated. My only complaint is that I don't want to wait for the second one. I am amazed this book doesn't have a bigger following. But rest assured, I will be whoring this book out to everyone I know. I personally am going to be anticipating the second book. I'm hooked.
]]> As Night Falls 24962099 From the acclaimed author of Ruin Falls and Cover of Snow comes a breathless new novel of psychological suspense about a dark, twisted turn of events that could shatter a family �� a read perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Chris Bohjalian, and Nancy Pickard.

Sandy Tremont has always tried to give her family everything. But, as the sky darkens over the Adirondacks and a heavy snowfall looms, an escaped murderer with the power to take it all away draws close.

In her isolated home in the shadowy woods, Sandy prepares dinner after a fight with her daughter, Ivy. Upstairs, the fifteen-year-old �� smart, brave, and with every reason to be angry tonight �� keeps her distance from her mother. Sandy's husband, Ben, a wilderness guide, arrives late to find a home simmering with unease.

Nearby, two desperate men on the run make their way through the fading light, bloodstained and determined to leave no loose ends or witnesses. After almost twenty years as prison cellmates, they have become a deadly Harlan the muscle, Nick the mind and will. As they approach a secluded house and look through its windows to see a cozy domestic scene, Nick knows that here he will find what he’s looking for ... before he disappears forever.

Opening the door to the Tremont home, Nick brings not only a legacy of terror but a secret that threatens to drag Sandy with him into the darkness.

Praise for Jenny Milchman

Ruin Falls
"Tight and suspenseful ... Milchman has a gift that allows her to delve deep into the mind and psyche of her characters, and fans of dark plots like the works of Gillian Flynn will find another author to savor." ��RT Book Reviews

"Extreme, heart-pounding action ... essential for psychological thriller fanatics." —Library Journal

"A complex and intriguing tale, adeptly pacing the narrative as danger escalates." ��Publishers Weekly

Cover of Snow
"Everything a great suspense novel should be—tense, emotional, mysterious, and satisfying ... Let's hope this is the start of a long career." —Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Personal

"An emotional roller-coaster ride through the darkest night, with blinding twists and occasionally fatal turns . . . a richly woven story." ��Booklist (starred review)

"Milchman tackles small-town angst where evil can simmer under the surface with a breathless energy and a feel for realistic characters." ��The Seattle Times]]> 369 Jenny Milchman 0553394827 Brenda 4 netgalley
It is these kinds of questions that I got to have a wonderful response to, in the form of this darkly entertaining book. It starts out like your typical slasher flick scenario. Escaped convicts break into a stupidly expensive home, terrorize the inhabitants.

What makes this a fun read is that it branches away from that typical slasher scenario and goes into more of the psychological. We start learning some very interesting little tidbits about each character. And suddenly the attack doesn't seem so random anymore.

I liked the flat out denial, on every character's part. Sandy refused to believe what was happening to her could have been her fault. Nick refused to believe that anything bad could ever happen to him. Ivy refused to stop being a stupid hormonal teenager and screw herself. Which drove me crazy by the way--you have this psycho guy in your house, and instead of focusing on your own well-being you decide to low ball your mom? Stupid. But effective in creating more tension. Point is, this was a very fun thriller. The ending was perhaps a little predictable, but in this case there is enough of an odd emphasis on the end (most notably the mother) to make it different enough to stick out.]]> 3.90 2015 As Night Falls

author: Jenny Milchman
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/05/11
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: netgalley
review:
This was a wonderfully dark little read about devastating family secrets. What do you have hiding in your past? Are you blocking out some deep-seated issue from your childhood that you don't want to uncover? Are you a raging sociopath who believes the world owes him everything?

It is these kinds of questions that I got to have a wonderful response to, in the form of this darkly entertaining book. It starts out like your typical slasher flick scenario. Escaped convicts break into a stupidly expensive home, terrorize the inhabitants.

What makes this a fun read is that it branches away from that typical slasher scenario and goes into more of the psychological. We start learning some very interesting little tidbits about each character. And suddenly the attack doesn't seem so random anymore.

I liked the flat out denial, on every character's part. Sandy refused to believe what was happening to her could have been her fault. Nick refused to believe that anything bad could ever happen to him. Ivy refused to stop being a stupid hormonal teenager and screw herself. Which drove me crazy by the way--you have this psycho guy in your house, and instead of focusing on your own well-being you decide to low ball your mom? Stupid. But effective in creating more tension. Point is, this was a very fun thriller. The ending was perhaps a little predictable, but in this case there is enough of an odd emphasis on the end (most notably the mother) to make it different enough to stick out.
]]> Darker Shadows Lie Below 23449487 283 Al Barrera 0990943208 Brenda 2 netgalley

This was an interesting read, one that's good but could be improved upon for me. It has moments that are definitely creepy, but more than anything it seems like a psychological thriller, not a horror novel.

Really, there's a lot of inane information in this novel that we really don't need. There's quite a bit of narration about how Julia fixed Ben lunch, or how they didn't have plates so they ordered lunch, or they went out to eat instead of cooking.... Things that really didn't matter, and had me skimming every once in a while.

The dreams got to be a bit too repetitive, and though they were creepy at first the creepiness factor dipped down when it kept happening over and over again with nothing changing. You'd think someone having that many nightmares would do something about it either way... or that the story would progress a little bit.

And the ending, while sneaky, doesn't really explain anything satisfactorily. I guess we're not really supposed to know if Ben is crazy or not, which is fine. But the thing is, I'm inclined to believe one aspect of it more than the other simply because the story wouldn't make any sense the other way.

Ben can't be crazy. Why? Because nothing else would make sense in the story if he was. Why did the hospital spend such an insane amount of money for him to work at an institute where he does absolutely nothing? Did he imagine, in his crazy state, that they were offering him an insane amount of money? Did the doctor weed through hundreds (if not thousands) of other doctors, only to alight on this one with no experience? It doesn't make sense, if you put it into the context that Ben is just crazy and he really did go on a shooting spree and kill random people because he believed there was a conspiracy.

Now that being said, the story was choppy enough in the end that I'm more inclined to believe it IS supposed to be that Ben is crazy, but the writing is too vague to get that across completely. Either way, I think it's safe to say that it IS his fault that his wife and child are dead, for leaving them with a crazy woman who already admitted she would do whatever she thought necessary to kill the darkness.

It's an okay story, with decent creepiness. The story just didn't do enough for me. ]]> 3.69 2014 Darker Shadows Lie Below

author: Al Barrera
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2014/11/01
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: netgalley
review:
spoilers! spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler

This was an interesting read, one that's good but could be improved upon for me. It has moments that are definitely creepy, but more than anything it seems like a psychological thriller, not a horror novel.

Really, there's a lot of inane information in this novel that we really don't need. There's quite a bit of narration about how Julia fixed Ben lunch, or how they didn't have plates so they ordered lunch, or they went out to eat instead of cooking.... Things that really didn't matter, and had me skimming every once in a while.

The dreams got to be a bit too repetitive, and though they were creepy at first the creepiness factor dipped down when it kept happening over and over again with nothing changing. You'd think someone having that many nightmares would do something about it either way... or that the story would progress a little bit.

And the ending, while sneaky, doesn't really explain anything satisfactorily. I guess we're not really supposed to know if Ben is crazy or not, which is fine. But the thing is, I'm inclined to believe one aspect of it more than the other simply because the story wouldn't make any sense the other way.

Ben can't be crazy. Why? Because nothing else would make sense in the story if he was. Why did the hospital spend such an insane amount of money for him to work at an institute where he does absolutely nothing? Did he imagine, in his crazy state, that they were offering him an insane amount of money? Did the doctor weed through hundreds (if not thousands) of other doctors, only to alight on this one with no experience? It doesn't make sense, if you put it into the context that Ben is just crazy and he really did go on a shooting spree and kill random people because he believed there was a conspiracy.

Now that being said, the story was choppy enough in the end that I'm more inclined to believe it IS supposed to be that Ben is crazy, but the writing is too vague to get that across completely. Either way, I think it's safe to say that it IS his fault that his wife and child are dead, for leaving them with a crazy woman who already admitted she would do whatever she thought necessary to kill the darkness.

It's an okay story, with decent creepiness. The story just didn't do enough for me.
]]> The Unseen Country 17283663
In the fairy realm known as the Unseen Country, Flynn, an apprentice fairy (who is in danger of failing), stumbles upon a conspiracy that could mean the downfall of both worlds.

Together, the friendless boy and the fairy who can’t fly need to rescue a boy from a fate worse than death. And save both worlds from something even worse.]]> 200 Phillip W. Simpson 1301454893 Brenda 4 read-4-review
I really loved all the characters. Tom's insistence in what he believed in was admirable, and I relished in his stubborn refusal to believe his brother was dead. It was great that there was so much loyalty and tenacity. Rosie and Ben, for being such minor characters, resonated with me. With Rosie I loved that she was open to listening to what Tom had to say, which no one else would do. Ben I felt was glossed over a bit. He paid pretty much the ultimate sacrifice for Tom and he wasn't mentioned again; I think at least mentioning him once more would have sufficed.

I adored the villains, particularly Baba Yaga and Black Annie. The images I had in my head of the way they moved was absolutely terrifying, especially with Black Annie's hair. Maybe because I've seen my fair share of horror movies (The Grudge, anyone?) that focus on dark hair being all creepy-crawly. Red Cap was unnerving too; I think seeing blood dripping down a grotesque face continually would be damn scary.

Taking and eating the children was a bit harsh, but I think it was handled brilliantly. It could have easily turned into a tacky point just to get a jarring feature into the book, but that didn't happen. Instead, we are aware of it, and it's present enough for me as the reader to feel uncomfortable with it, yet doesn't take away from the story. Plus I know that it's in plenty of old fairy tales. I have a friend that was just telling me last month about the krampus, a creature originating in her country (Austria). Guess what it does? Steal children.

It's not a new idea, but the depth that was added to the story is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better fleshing out of a fairy tale kind of story.

Merged review:

The Unseen Country is just what I expect from an accomplished author like Simpson. The plot moved at a fast pace and didn't meander. There weren't any issues of unnecessary events or stories, and all the characters had a role to play.

I really loved all the characters. Tom's insistence in what he believed in was admirable, and I relished in his stubborn refusal to believe his brother was dead. It was great that there was so much loyalty and tenacity. Rosie and Ben, for being such minor characters, resonated with me. With Rosie I loved that she was open to listening to what Tom had to say, which no one else would do. Ben I felt was glossed over a bit. He paid pretty much the ultimate sacrifice for Tom and he wasn't mentioned again; I think at least mentioning him once more would have sufficed.

I adored the villains, particularly Baba Yaga and Black Annie. The images I had in my head of the way they moved was absolutely terrifying, especially with Black Annie's hair. Maybe because I've seen my fair share of horror movies (The Grudge, anyone?) that focus on dark hair being all creepy-crawly. Red Cap was unnerving too; I think seeing blood dripping down a grotesque face continually would be damn scary.

Taking and eating the children was a bit harsh, but I think it was handled brilliantly. It could have easily turned into a tacky point just to get a jarring feature into the book, but that didn't happen. Instead, we are aware of it, and it's present enough for me as the reader to feel uncomfortable with it, yet doesn't take away from the story. Plus I know that it's in plenty of old fairy tales. I have a friend that was just telling me last month about the krampus, a creature originating in her country (Austria). Guess what it does? Steal children.

It's not a new idea, but the depth that was added to the story is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better fleshing out of a fairy tale kind of story.]]> 3.76 2013 The Unseen Country

author: Phillip W. Simpson
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/05/09
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: read-4-review
review:
The Unseen Country is just what I expect from an accomplished author like Simpson. The plot moved at a fast pace and didn't meander. There weren't any issues of unnecessary events or stories, and all the characters had a role to play.

I really loved all the characters. Tom's insistence in what he believed in was admirable, and I relished in his stubborn refusal to believe his brother was dead. It was great that there was so much loyalty and tenacity. Rosie and Ben, for being such minor characters, resonated with me. With Rosie I loved that she was open to listening to what Tom had to say, which no one else would do. Ben I felt was glossed over a bit. He paid pretty much the ultimate sacrifice for Tom and he wasn't mentioned again; I think at least mentioning him once more would have sufficed.

I adored the villains, particularly Baba Yaga and Black Annie. The images I had in my head of the way they moved was absolutely terrifying, especially with Black Annie's hair. Maybe because I've seen my fair share of horror movies (The Grudge, anyone?) that focus on dark hair being all creepy-crawly. Red Cap was unnerving too; I think seeing blood dripping down a grotesque face continually would be damn scary.

Taking and eating the children was a bit harsh, but I think it was handled brilliantly. It could have easily turned into a tacky point just to get a jarring feature into the book, but that didn't happen. Instead, we are aware of it, and it's present enough for me as the reader to feel uncomfortable with it, yet doesn't take away from the story. Plus I know that it's in plenty of old fairy tales. I have a friend that was just telling me last month about the krampus, a creature originating in her country (Austria). Guess what it does? Steal children.

It's not a new idea, but the depth that was added to the story is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better fleshing out of a fairy tale kind of story.

Merged review:

The Unseen Country is just what I expect from an accomplished author like Simpson. The plot moved at a fast pace and didn't meander. There weren't any issues of unnecessary events or stories, and all the characters had a role to play.

I really loved all the characters. Tom's insistence in what he believed in was admirable, and I relished in his stubborn refusal to believe his brother was dead. It was great that there was so much loyalty and tenacity. Rosie and Ben, for being such minor characters, resonated with me. With Rosie I loved that she was open to listening to what Tom had to say, which no one else would do. Ben I felt was glossed over a bit. He paid pretty much the ultimate sacrifice for Tom and he wasn't mentioned again; I think at least mentioning him once more would have sufficed.

I adored the villains, particularly Baba Yaga and Black Annie. The images I had in my head of the way they moved was absolutely terrifying, especially with Black Annie's hair. Maybe because I've seen my fair share of horror movies (The Grudge, anyone?) that focus on dark hair being all creepy-crawly. Red Cap was unnerving too; I think seeing blood dripping down a grotesque face continually would be damn scary.

Taking and eating the children was a bit harsh, but I think it was handled brilliantly. It could have easily turned into a tacky point just to get a jarring feature into the book, but that didn't happen. Instead, we are aware of it, and it's present enough for me as the reader to feel uncomfortable with it, yet doesn't take away from the story. Plus I know that it's in plenty of old fairy tales. I have a friend that was just telling me last month about the krampus, a creature originating in her country (Austria). Guess what it does? Steal children.

It's not a new idea, but the depth that was added to the story is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better fleshing out of a fairy tale kind of story.
]]> We Eat Our Own 29499143 A “canny, funny, impressively detailed debut novel�� (The New York Times) that blurs the lines between life and art with the story of a film director’s unthinkable experiment in the Amazon jungle.

When a nameless, struggling actor in 1970s New York gets the call that an enigmatic director wants him for an art film set in the Amazon, he doesn’t he flies to South America, no questions asked. He quickly realizes he’s made a mistake. He’s replacing another actor who quit after seeing the script—a script the director now claims doesn’t exist. The movie is over budget. The production team seems headed for a breakdown. The air is so wet that the celluloid film disintegrates.

But what the actor doesn’t realize is that the greatest threat might be the town itself, and the mysterious shadow economy that powers this remote jungle outpost. Entrepreneurial Americans, international drug traffickers, and M-19 guerillas are all fighting for South America’s future—and the groups aren’t as distinct as you might think. The actor thought this would be a role that would change his life. Now he’s worried if he’ll survive it.

This “gripping, ambitious…vivid, scary novel�� (Publishers Weekly) is a thrilling journey behind the scenes of a shocking film and a thoughtful commentary on violence and its repercussions.]]> 320 Kea Wilson 1501128337 Brenda 3 edelweiss Cannibal Holocaust. I know the brutality it shows: the gang rape, brutal torture, cruelty to animals, and shock value. I know that it thrives almost solely on this: the shock value, the desire to thrust you so far out of your comfort zone that the entire movie you're flinching out of disgust and fear. I also know that it was essentially the first movie to ever do the found footage idea--the thing that The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, and countless others have used in recent years. Cannibal Holocaust is gnarly and brutal in every way, and its only goal is to make its watchers increasingly uncomfortable with what people can do to each other.

We Eat Our Own is basically Cannibal Holocaust in book form with both second person and third person narrative. I am aware enough to say that I rate this higher because I was fascinated with the original movie the book is based on. The director was a crackpot but he knew exactly what he was doing. What he created was revolutionary and balls to the wall crazy. For me, I think the book kind of diminishes that. It didn't feel urgent or gross and it didn't make me feel like I was getting too close to the grotesqueness to stand it. If anything I wanted it to be MORE in my face. More gore and more sex. It is a fascinating book, sure, but it doesn't do the original source material justice. ]]> 3.58 2016 We Eat Our Own

author: Kea Wilson
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/08/09
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: edelweiss
review:
I have seen Cannibal Holocaust. I know the brutality it shows: the gang rape, brutal torture, cruelty to animals, and shock value. I know that it thrives almost solely on this: the shock value, the desire to thrust you so far out of your comfort zone that the entire movie you're flinching out of disgust and fear. I also know that it was essentially the first movie to ever do the found footage idea--the thing that The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, and countless others have used in recent years. Cannibal Holocaust is gnarly and brutal in every way, and its only goal is to make its watchers increasingly uncomfortable with what people can do to each other.

We Eat Our Own is basically Cannibal Holocaust in book form with both second person and third person narrative. I am aware enough to say that I rate this higher because I was fascinated with the original movie the book is based on. The director was a crackpot but he knew exactly what he was doing. What he created was revolutionary and balls to the wall crazy. For me, I think the book kind of diminishes that. It didn't feel urgent or gross and it didn't make me feel like I was getting too close to the grotesqueness to stand it. If anything I wanted it to be MORE in my face. More gore and more sex. It is a fascinating book, sure, but it doesn't do the original source material justice.
]]> Hench (Hench, #1) 51200401 A smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet.

Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?

��As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero�� leaves her badly injured.�� And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one.

So, of course, then she gets laid off.

With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.

Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing.�� And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.

It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.

A sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics.��

]]> 400 Natalie Zina Walschots Brenda 5 shelf-awareness
In this world, everyone gets tested when they’re children to see if they have special abilities. They’re then recruited to either be heroes, or be forced into the villain role if they refuse.

Our main character is a henchman: she works through a temp agency for various different villains as the need arises, until the day she comes face to face with a hero and gets injured. It ignites a fire in her and, in true comic book fashion, becomes the ultimate villain as a result of the hero’s damage.

It’s clever, it’s funny and it’s incredibly original for being a genre that’s already inundated with a thousand variations (another Spider-Man remake coming any time soon?) I loved every bit of it and all the characters were magnificently done. They were multi-faceted and had their varying levels of good and bad just like real life people.

I’m honestly hoping it becomes a series, which is unheard of for me. I want to stay immersed in this world. ]]> 4.21 2020 Hench (Hench, #1)

author: Natalie Zina Walschots
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2021/02/09
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
Hench was so damn good and I wished I hadn’t left it on my shelf so long before reading it. I’m going to call it now and say this will probably be one of my all time favorite books of this year, and it’s only February.

In this world, everyone gets tested when they’re children to see if they have special abilities. They’re then recruited to either be heroes, or be forced into the villain role if they refuse.

Our main character is a henchman: she works through a temp agency for various different villains as the need arises, until the day she comes face to face with a hero and gets injured. It ignites a fire in her and, in true comic book fashion, becomes the ultimate villain as a result of the hero’s damage.

It’s clever, it’s funny and it’s incredibly original for being a genre that’s already inundated with a thousand variations (another Spider-Man remake coming any time soon?) I loved every bit of it and all the characters were magnificently done. They were multi-faceted and had their varying levels of good and bad just like real life people.

I’m honestly hoping it becomes a series, which is unheard of for me. I want to stay immersed in this world.
]]> Charnel House 30206488 Edgar Award A demon-possessed house in San Francisco is out to devour the world in this horror tale by the acclaimed author of��The Manitou. A desperate and terrified old man appears at the office of John Hyatt at the San Francisco Department of Sanitation with a chilling complaint. His house, Seymour Willis insists, is breathing. Hyatt suspects a rat infestation but the truth is worse. Much worse. An ancient demon out of darkest Native American folklore lives within the walls and floorboards of Willis’s home—an all-powerful malevolent being determined to break free and wreak havoc on the City by the Bay. �� Soon a tiny cadre of believers in the impossible—including Hyatt, Willis, and a Native American shaman—hold the fate of all humanity in their hands. The monster’s hunger for blood and flesh is insatiable and it is determined to escape its prison and become whole. And once it does, the entire world will be its feeding ground. �� A haunted house story like no other—a gory and terrifying tale of demonic possession—this award-winning supernatural thriller by the acclaimed author of The Manitou provides substantial chills on every page. A tale of unrelenting terror reminiscent of the works of H. P. Lovecraft, Graham Masterton’s Charnel House will haunt your dreams long after you’ve turned the final page.]]> 205 Graham Masterton 1497603420 Brenda 3 netgalley
It's just a fun romp through your traditional possession story. I just found out that this was originally written in the late '70s, which totally makes sense once I started reading it. Good vibes here as long as you like your stories gory and supernatural!]]> 3.70 1978 Charnel House

author: Graham Masterton
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1978
rating: 3
read at: 2016/06/20
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: netgalley
review:
Charnel House is pretty much every demonic possession story, except this time with a Native American twist. If you have even a basic knowledge of Native American mythology (or truthfully even just a knowledge of what animals live in the desert) then you'll know exactly who our bad guy demon is. Will this detract from your enjoyment? If you already know that you like demon stories and blood stories (not so much a ghost story) then you'll still have fun with every bit of this. As with any other horror novel there's less focus on the characterization of our main characters and more emphasis on our formidable opponent.

It's just a fun romp through your traditional possession story. I just found out that this was originally written in the late '70s, which totally makes sense once I started reading it. Good vibes here as long as you like your stories gory and supernatural!
]]> <![CDATA[Vengeance Road (Vengeance Road, #1)]]> 24818946 336 Erin Bowman 0544636511 Brenda 4 netgalley
She's damn good.

Vengeance Road has everything I love in a novel, and excels at the stuff I usually dislike. There's shoot-em-up (literally) action; gritty, dusty, hot wilderness, Native Americans; legends of hidden treasures; gold mining; twists I didn't see coming--and of course, lots and lots of revenge.

Kate comes home one day to find her father very much dead and strung up in their tree and his handy dandy notebook gone. She finds out it was the Rose Riders who committed the atrocity, buries her father, then sets out to find them. And boy is she hellbent. She disguises herself as a boy to try and pass through without issue, but this gets complicated when she suddenly finds herself being followed by two brothers who refuse to let her go without helping her.

What ensues is a perfect representation of the western genre. Kate is a badass who doesn't take crap from anyone, and she is an alluringly confident protagonist. I loved her. She was everything I want all YA teens heroines to be. While I know this is a tall order, I was ecstatic to find that Bowman did a wonderful job of creating Kate.

I think the best thing about this was that Kate didn't have the moral dilemma most teenagers do in YA. She didn't have an entire, book-long interior monologue going something like, "I shouldn't have done that. Maybe I shouldn't kill, because killing is bad. I feel bad about killing. But I want revenge, so I will kill, but killing is bad." I see that a lot in YA novels, the constant teeter-tottering, and it gets annoying. So here we have a strong, bold lead character who has no guilt over killing terrible men.

Sign me up to be on her team.

The writing style was a bit odd to get used to at first, just because it's been so long since I've read something so steeped in jargon. But darnit if Bowman didn't pull that off too. After a while I stopped noticing the heavy western accent in the pages and just enjoyed the story for what it was.

But really, the ending is the best part. Kate's showdown with the leader of the Rose Riders--and an unexpected antagonist--make for one hell of a good ending. I wouldn't have had it any other way. This is the sort of book I plan on suggesting to everyone I know.]]> 3.79 2015 Vengeance Road (Vengeance Road, #1)

author: Erin Bowman
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/16
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: netgalley
review:
I'm new to Erin Bowman. No idea who she is as an author. After reading the Author's Note at the end, I learned she has very little interaction (at least that was mentioned) with the western genre, and this was her first foray into it.

She's damn good.

Vengeance Road has everything I love in a novel, and excels at the stuff I usually dislike. There's shoot-em-up (literally) action; gritty, dusty, hot wilderness, Native Americans; legends of hidden treasures; gold mining; twists I didn't see coming--and of course, lots and lots of revenge.

Kate comes home one day to find her father very much dead and strung up in their tree and his handy dandy notebook gone. She finds out it was the Rose Riders who committed the atrocity, buries her father, then sets out to find them. And boy is she hellbent. She disguises herself as a boy to try and pass through without issue, but this gets complicated when she suddenly finds herself being followed by two brothers who refuse to let her go without helping her.

What ensues is a perfect representation of the western genre. Kate is a badass who doesn't take crap from anyone, and she is an alluringly confident protagonist. I loved her. She was everything I want all YA teens heroines to be. While I know this is a tall order, I was ecstatic to find that Bowman did a wonderful job of creating Kate.

I think the best thing about this was that Kate didn't have the moral dilemma most teenagers do in YA. She didn't have an entire, book-long interior monologue going something like, "I shouldn't have done that. Maybe I shouldn't kill, because killing is bad. I feel bad about killing. But I want revenge, so I will kill, but killing is bad." I see that a lot in YA novels, the constant teeter-tottering, and it gets annoying. So here we have a strong, bold lead character who has no guilt over killing terrible men.

Sign me up to be on her team.

The writing style was a bit odd to get used to at first, just because it's been so long since I've read something so steeped in jargon. But darnit if Bowman didn't pull that off too. After a while I stopped noticing the heavy western accent in the pages and just enjoyed the story for what it was.

But really, the ending is the best part. Kate's showdown with the leader of the Rose Riders--and an unexpected antagonist--make for one hell of a good ending. I wouldn't have had it any other way. This is the sort of book I plan on suggesting to everyone I know.
]]> <![CDATA[Poisoned Blade (Court of Fives, #2)]]> 31226229 In this thrilling sequel to World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott's captivating young adult debut, a girl immersed in high-stakes competition holds the fate of a kingdom in her hands.

Now a Challenger, Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives--the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons alike. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on her traveling party puts Jes at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos--the prince she still loves--is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion.... She must become a warrior.]]> 497 Kate Elliott 0316344362 Brenda 2 comic-con-2016
I think this will find a good fan base amongst those who like books such as The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes, but I was not satisfied.]]> 4.04 2016 Poisoned Blade (Court of Fives, #2)

author: Kate Elliott
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2016/08/11
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: comic-con-2016
review:
Kate Elliott and I don't get along well. I can't even articulate what exactly I didn't like about this book; I guess the easiest thing is to say that I was bored while reading. It felt like it took far too much time telling us about things that, while they had merit on the story, took too long to get to the point. Our main character's love story was long in the making. So was all the treachery. In most cases I would argue that this is a good thing--that keeping the tension going is what keeps a reader interested and engaged. Here... I just didn't care. It is as simple as that. I didn't care about the traitor, the love story, or all the deaths (kudos for having lots of deaths, though!)

I think this will find a good fan base amongst those who like books such as The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes, but I was not satisfied.
]]> <![CDATA[Straight from the Horse's Mouth]]> 55248413 This hilarious, colorful portrait of a sex worker navigating life in modern Morocco introduces a promising new literary voice.

Thirty-four-year-old prostitute Jmiaa reflects on the bustling world around her with a brutal honesty, but also a quick wit that cuts through the drudgery. Like many of the women in her working-class Casablanca neighborhood, Jmiaa struggles to earn enough money to support herself and her family—often including the deadbeat husband who walked out on her and their young daughter. While she doesn’t despair about her profession like her roommate, Halima, who reads the Quran between clients, she still has to maintain a delicate balance between her reality and the “respectable�� one she paints for her own more conservative mother.

This daily grind is interrupted by the arrival of an aspiring young director, Chadlia, whom Jmiaa takes to calling “Horse Mouth.�� Chadlia enlists Jmiaa’s help on a film project, initially just to make sure the plot and dialogue are authentic. But when she’s unable to find an actress who’s right for the starring role, she turns again to Jmiaa, giving the latter an incredible opportunity for a better life.

In her breakout debut novel, Meryem Alaoui creates a vibrant picture of the day-to-day challenges faced by working people in Casablanca, which they meet head-on with resourcefulness and resilience.]]> 293 Meryem Alaoui 1892746786 Brenda 3 edelweiss
That’s how life is in general. You can plan all you want but ultimately it’s who you know and your circumstances that play a huge part. It’s a fairly fast-paced book that kept me entertained.

My only qualm was that our heroine was just too abrasive for me. I understood why and how she got that way, but it was tiring after a while and I just wanted her to relax a bit. She reminded me of family members who would rather hold a grudge for a decade than relax and let the anger go.
]]> 3.72 2018 Straight from the Horse's Mouth

author: Meryem Alaoui
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2020/08/21
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: edelweiss
review:
Overall I greatly enjoyed this. It’s a novel that shows just how random life can really be: our heroine ended up in some horrible situations she couldn’t control, and ones she could, and was molded by them all. Someone she knows introduces her to someone who can change her life, and it creates a trajectory she never could’ve predicted or planned for.

That’s how life is in general. You can plan all you want but ultimately it’s who you know and your circumstances that play a huge part. It’s a fairly fast-paced book that kept me entertained.

My only qualm was that our heroine was just too abrasive for me. I understood why and how she got that way, but it was tiring after a while and I just wanted her to relax a bit. She reminded me of family members who would rather hold a grudge for a decade than relax and let the anger go.

]]> Second Chances (Chosen) 26844134 An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.

Precious and rare, second chances must be earned, but has Ayden done enough to win his?

Second Chances by Jeff Altabef and Erynn Altabef

Evolved Publishing presents a short standalone story featuring two beloved characters from the multiple award-winning Chosen series of young adult fantasies. [DRM-Free] INCLUDED: Special 5-Chapter Sneak Preview of Wind Catcher.

[Short Story, Teen & Young Adult, Mystery and Thriller, Fantasy and Supernatural, American Indian Culture]

One night changes everything.

One chance meeting forces a young man to make a choice.
Will he do what’s right?

Or what’s easy?

Ayden is forced to remember old secrets he’d rather not reveal when his daughter returns home with questions about his shadowy past and dangerous legacy. Will she understand when he tells her about the night mysterious strangers came to his sleepy Arizona town looking for a local medicine man?

As his tale unfolds, Ayden pieces together the mystery that connected a recent murder, the strangers, and the medicine man’s bizarre behavior.

Will he allow old demons to rule him, or will he get a second chance?

Be sure to check out the rest of the Chosen series, starting with Book 1, Wind Catcher, which is now available. Watch for the release of Book 2, Brink of Dawn, on November 30, 2015.

Awards for Wind Catcher (Chosen - Book 1): Mom’s Choice Book Awards Beverly Hills Book Awards: 2015 �� Young Adult Fiction Readers�� Favorite Book Awards: 2015 Gold Medal �� Young Adult Coming-of-Age Awesome Indies-Approved ]]> 69 Jeff Altabef 1622533089 Brenda 0 to-read 3.75 2015 Second Chances (Chosen)

author: Jeff Altabef
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Complete Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft]]> 44065867 1343 H.P. Lovecraft 9897788239 Brenda 0 to-read 4.33

author: H.P. Lovecraft
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories]]> 99300
Written from a feminist perspective, often focusing on the inferior status accorded to women by society, the tales include "turned," an ironic story with a startling twist, in which a husband seduces and impregnates a naïve servant; "Cottagette," concerning the romance of a young artist and a man who's apparently too good to be true; "Mr. Peebles' Heart," a liberating tale of a fiftyish shopkeeper whose sister-in-law, a doctor, persuades him to take a solo trip to Europe, with revivifying results; "The Yellow Wallpaper"; and three other outstanding stories.

These charming tales are not only highly readable and full of humor and invention, but also offer ample food for thought about the social, economic, and personal relationship of men and women �� and how they might be improved.

Collects:
—The Yellow Wallpaper
—Three Thanksgivings
—The Cottagette
—T�ܰ��Ա��
—Making a Change
—If I Were a Man
—Mr. Peebles' Heart]]> 129 Charlotte Perkins Gilman 0486298574 Brenda 3 4.05 1892 The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories

author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1892
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Molly Moon, #1)]]> 807968
Molly Moon is no ordinary orphan. When she finds a mysterious old book on hypnotism, she discovers she can make people do whatever she wants. But a sinister stranger is watching her every move and he'll do anything to steal her hypnotic secret...]]> 371 Georgia Byng 0060514094 Brenda 4 3.92 2002 Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Molly Moon, #1)

Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Molly Moon, #1)

author: Georgia Byng
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:
I don't remember too much about the actual plot, only that Molly hypnotized the dog and the cook very well. It was a clever book that I kept on my shelf for years and reread every few years or so too. That's the best kind of book because you can have as a child, the ones that make you rediscover your love of books all over again
]]> <![CDATA[The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)]]> 19486440
Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost—until a rebellion left him in charge of a demoralized force clinging to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.

To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must lead her men into battle against impossible odds.

Their fate depends on Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich. Under his command, Marcus and Winter feel the tide turning and their allegiance being tested. For Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to reshape the known world and change the lives of everyone in its path.]]> 609 Django Wexler 0451418050 Brenda 3 comic-con-2016 Press Start to Play. It was one of my favorite ones in the compilation, and I had high hopes after that.

The Thousand Names is just very high fantasy. It's got your traditional white heroes acting as colonizers against the darker skinned people (grey-skinned, in this case) and tramping around their lands on every whim. It's heavy on the military portion, so there's a lot of description about map logistics and getting the correct formations for an onslaught. Not bad things by any means, but when I made it through more than half the book with very little else happening I got a little disheartened.

I liked Winter the best because she showed a mental aptitude for her position. The rest of the characters I was indifferent to; they didn't strike me as particularly interesting except perhaps the colonel. Even his fascination was more out of the mystery than anything. Once I knew what he was about I was less inclined to be infatuated with his character.

All that isn't to say it's a bad novel by any means. It's just slow going, and I can imagine that the series doesn't really hit its stride until perhaps the third book. There is solid groundwork here but nearly as much action as I wanted.]]> 4.10 2013 The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)

The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)

author: Django Wexler
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2017/05/22
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: comic-con-2016
review:
My first experience with this author was reading his short story admission to Press Start to Play. It was one of my favorite ones in the compilation, and I had high hopes after that.

The Thousand Names is just very high fantasy. It's got your traditional white heroes acting as colonizers against the darker skinned people (grey-skinned, in this case) and tramping around their lands on every whim. It's heavy on the military portion, so there's a lot of description about map logistics and getting the correct formations for an onslaught. Not bad things by any means, but when I made it through more than half the book with very little else happening I got a little disheartened.

I liked Winter the best because she showed a mental aptitude for her position. The rest of the characters I was indifferent to; they didn't strike me as particularly interesting except perhaps the colonel. Even his fascination was more out of the mystery than anything. Once I knew what he was about I was less inclined to be infatuated with his character.

All that isn't to say it's a bad novel by any means. It's just slow going, and I can imagine that the series doesn't really hit its stride until perhaps the third book. There is solid groundwork here but nearly as much action as I wanted.
]]> Inferno (Robert Langdon, #4) 17212300 17 hours 12 minutes

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.]]> 17 Dan Brown Brenda 0 to-read, library 3.49 2013 Inferno (Robert Langdon, #4)

author: Dan Brown
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves: to-read, library
review:

]]> The Bear 17669036 A powerfully suspenseful story narrated by a young girl who must fend for herself and her little brother after a brutal bear attack.

While camping with her family on a remote island, five-year-old Anna awakes in the night to the sound of her mother screaming. A rogue black bear, 300 pounds of fury, is attacking the family's campsite, pouncing on her parents as prey.

At her dying mother's faint urging, Anna manages to get her brother into the family's canoe and paddle away. But when the canoe dumps the two children on the edge of the woods, and the sister and brother must battle hunger, the elements, and a dangerous wilderness, we see Anna's heartbreaking love for her family -- and her struggle to be brave when nothing in her world seems safe anymore.

Told in the honest, raw voice of five-year-old Anna, this is a riveting story of love, courage, and survival.]]> 208 Claire Cameron 031623012X Brenda 0 to-read, library 3.33 2014 The Bear

author: Claire Cameron
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/18
shelves: to-read, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All the Ugly and Wonderful Things]]> 28595833
As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.]]> 365 Bryn Greenwood 1466885807 Brenda 4 netgalley
It's really as simple as that, but far more complicated. Kellen is a young man, just barely into his twenties. He befriends little Wavy, an 8-year-old who is far more of an adult than all the adults in her life. And what starts as a friendship grows into much more over the years. The problem is that when it grows into something more, Wavy still isn't quite old enough to legally make those kinds of decisions.

It truly is such a hard book to review. I went through so many stages while reading it. Sometimes I was focused purely on the history between Kellen and Wavy: how he helped give her a sense of normalcy and how he never sought her out for anything sexual. Then I'll flip-flop over to disgust, where I can't help but grimace at the explicit content that Wavy actively pursues and engages in. Seriously, it's a rough ride.

The hardest part, I think, is that everyone thinks they're right. Wavy's Aunt Brenda (shout out to another Brenda!) was trying desperately to save her niece the only way she knew how. Wavy sees nothing wrong with what she feels. Kellen knows what he feels is wrong and decides to tumble headfirst anyway. There are so many layers to each of these characters and I was amazed at how the author was able to create such incredible depth with each one. Surprisingly, the multiple POVs was very helpful in this regard.

It is going to be a tough book. Most people seem to like it so far, but I wholeheartedly believe that when the naysayers come to the forefront, they'll come with hellfire in their eyes and damnation on their tongues. It's a brave read and a powerful one, regardless of what it makes you feel. ]]> 3.98 2016 All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

author: Bryn Greenwood
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/11
date added: 2024/05/06
shelves: netgalley
review:
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is 100% the definition of a guilty pleasure. I absolutely LOVED this book; I stayed up until 1:40 in the morning on a weeknight to finish it even though I had work early the next morning. It is a guilty pleasure because this author has a gift of fleshing out characters and giving them very real motivations and very real feelings. You secretly hope that our main characters are happy, but then you're disgusted with yourself for wanting something like that.

It's really as simple as that, but far more complicated. Kellen is a young man, just barely into his twenties. He befriends little Wavy, an 8-year-old who is far more of an adult than all the adults in her life. And what starts as a friendship grows into much more over the years. The problem is that when it grows into something more, Wavy still isn't quite old enough to legally make those kinds of decisions.

It truly is such a hard book to review. I went through so many stages while reading it. Sometimes I was focused purely on the history between Kellen and Wavy: how he helped give her a sense of normalcy and how he never sought her out for anything sexual. Then I'll flip-flop over to disgust, where I can't help but grimace at the explicit content that Wavy actively pursues and engages in. Seriously, it's a rough ride.

The hardest part, I think, is that everyone thinks they're right. Wavy's Aunt Brenda (shout out to another Brenda!) was trying desperately to save her niece the only way she knew how. Wavy sees nothing wrong with what she feels. Kellen knows what he feels is wrong and decides to tumble headfirst anyway. There are so many layers to each of these characters and I was amazed at how the author was able to create such incredible depth with each one. Surprisingly, the multiple POVs was very helpful in this regard.

It is going to be a tough book. Most people seem to like it so far, but I wholeheartedly believe that when the naysayers come to the forefront, they'll come with hellfire in their eyes and damnation on their tongues. It's a brave read and a powerful one, regardless of what it makes you feel.
]]> Glow (Sky Chasers) 10256271
Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Glow is the most riveting series debut since The Hunger Games, and promises to thrill and challenge readers of all ages.]]> 10 Amy Kathleen Ryan 1427212597 Brenda 0 to-read, library 3.14 2011 Glow (Sky Chasers)

author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.14
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/22
shelves: to-read, library
review:

]]> The Dead House 24396858 Three students: dead.
Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, "the girl of nowhere."

Kaitlyn's diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn't exist, and in a way, she doesn't - because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It's during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary - and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.]]> 400 Dawn Kurtagich 0316298689 Brenda 4 comic-con-2015
This story is about a girl, Kaitlyn, who only exists at night. She and her sister, Carly, inhabit the same body--Carly surfaces during the daylight hours, Kaitlyn during the night. She has never known the sun, or a classroom full of people. She has never held a real conversation with her sister--only messages left on Post-Its, or birthday cards, or in notebooks.

The first thing that already made me love it was that [spoilers removed] It's apparently a fad, because I've seen a lot of media go this direction. Movies. Other books. So when I first read about it, I was blown away. Now, on my fifth version of it, it's not a cool twist ending.

And that's a big portion of why I liked this book. It makes you think it's going to go one route, and then (fairly early on) it goes the other way--and I was so freaking excited about it.

And after that, it was a pretty great traditional ghost story for a while. Kaitlyn starts to deteriorate after [spoilers removed] She starts to see things, see people, who aren't really there, hear voices whispering--all the sort of stuff that gives you the chills while you're reading. I was outside taking a walk while I was reading and I jumped so bad when a heard something rustling through the bushes near me. It was 10 o'clock in the morning, there was sunshine, plenty of cars driving by, and I was so immersed in what was happening I didn't notice any of it until the loud noise that had me jumping out of my skin.

Good job, author. I was absorbed.

It does get a bit convoluted, and at one point I had to stop and rehash a little bit of what had happened so I could make sure I had it all straight. The reason for the title DEAD HOUSE doesn't actually show up until pretty far into the novel, but by then I was hooked. I was reading it so quickly that I was jumping through the major plot points practically instantaneously.

Plus, I loved loved loved loved LOVED the ending. [spoilers removed]

Plus, I freaking love the cover.

]]> 3.67 2015 The Dead House

author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/23
date added: 2024/01/09
shelves: comic-con-2015
review:
Yay! I loved this book!

This story is about a girl, Kaitlyn, who only exists at night. She and her sister, Carly, inhabit the same body--Carly surfaces during the daylight hours, Kaitlyn during the night. She has never known the sun, or a classroom full of people. She has never held a real conversation with her sister--only messages left on Post-Its, or birthday cards, or in notebooks.

The first thing that already made me love it was that [spoilers removed] It's apparently a fad, because I've seen a lot of media go this direction. Movies. Other books. So when I first read about it, I was blown away. Now, on my fifth version of it, it's not a cool twist ending.

And that's a big portion of why I liked this book. It makes you think it's going to go one route, and then (fairly early on) it goes the other way--and I was so freaking excited about it.

And after that, it was a pretty great traditional ghost story for a while. Kaitlyn starts to deteriorate after [spoilers removed] She starts to see things, see people, who aren't really there, hear voices whispering--all the sort of stuff that gives you the chills while you're reading. I was outside taking a walk while I was reading and I jumped so bad when a heard something rustling through the bushes near me. It was 10 o'clock in the morning, there was sunshine, plenty of cars driving by, and I was so immersed in what was happening I didn't notice any of it until the loud noise that had me jumping out of my skin.

Good job, author. I was absorbed.

It does get a bit convoluted, and at one point I had to stop and rehash a little bit of what had happened so I could make sure I had it all straight. The reason for the title DEAD HOUSE doesn't actually show up until pretty far into the novel, but by then I was hooked. I was reading it so quickly that I was jumping through the major plot points practically instantaneously.

Plus, I loved loved loved loved LOVED the ending. [spoilers removed]

Plus, I freaking love the cover.

]]> <![CDATA[The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)]]> 8130423 In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.]]> 361 Rick Riordan Brenda 5 4.44 2008 The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)

author: Rick Riordan
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery]]> 56179372 Set in Colonial New England, Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell it.

A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger �� only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.

Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken ... and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch.

Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts.

Complete with 8 pages of Brom’s mesmerizing full-color artwork and chapter illustrations throughout, his latest book is sure to delight.]]> 305 Brom 125062200X Brenda 4 netgalley
Our main character, Abitha, was a young woman who was struggling to fit into Puritan (tyrannical) norms when she was raised on pagan ideas. I actually really loved her husband and was sad when he died so quickly in the beginning (no surprise there since it is in the book synopsis).

Once Samson and Abitha are together it quickly turns into the sort of novel you’d expect—natural beings trying to carve out a home for themselves while the rest circle closer to rid the world of “ungodly�� beings.

A dark story about witch hunts and accepting all parts of yourself—both dark and light—unfolds. I absolutely LOVED Abitha’s story as she tried to adapt to Puritan values the shirked it and strove for revenge for the wrongs she experienced. It’s a fantastic story that I absolutely loved, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the first book I read from Brom all over again.

Merged review:

This is everything I wanted. I’ve only read one other Brom book and it was several years ago now, but it was such a strong introduction to him that when I saw this offered I jumped at it.

Our main character, Abitha, was a young woman who was struggling to fit into Puritan (tyrannical) norms when she was raised on pagan ideas. I actually really loved her husband and was sad when he died so quickly in the beginning (no surprise there since it is in the book synopsis).

Once Samson and Abitha are together it quickly turns into the sort of novel you’d expect—natural beings trying to carve out a home for themselves while the rest circle closer to rid the world of “ungodly�� beings.

A dark story about witch hunts and accepting all parts of yourself—both dark and light—unfolds. I absolutely LOVED Abitha’s story as she tried to adapt to Puritan values the shirked it and strove for revenge for the wrongs she experienced. It’s a fantastic story that I absolutely loved, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the first book I read from Brom all over again.]]> 4.23 2021 Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery

author: Brom
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/20
date added: 2023/09/28
shelves: netgalley
review:
This is everything I wanted. I’ve only read one other Brom book and it was several years ago now, but it was such a strong introduction to him that when I saw this offered I jumped at it.

Our main character, Abitha, was a young woman who was struggling to fit into Puritan (tyrannical) norms when she was raised on pagan ideas. I actually really loved her husband and was sad when he died so quickly in the beginning (no surprise there since it is in the book synopsis).

Once Samson and Abitha are together it quickly turns into the sort of novel you’d expect—natural beings trying to carve out a home for themselves while the rest circle closer to rid the world of “ungodly�� beings.

A dark story about witch hunts and accepting all parts of yourself—both dark and light—unfolds. I absolutely LOVED Abitha’s story as she tried to adapt to Puritan values the shirked it and strove for revenge for the wrongs she experienced. It’s a fantastic story that I absolutely loved, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the first book I read from Brom all over again.

Merged review:

This is everything I wanted. I’ve only read one other Brom book and it was several years ago now, but it was such a strong introduction to him that when I saw this offered I jumped at it.

Our main character, Abitha, was a young woman who was struggling to fit into Puritan (tyrannical) norms when she was raised on pagan ideas. I actually really loved her husband and was sad when he died so quickly in the beginning (no surprise there since it is in the book synopsis).

Once Samson and Abitha are together it quickly turns into the sort of novel you’d expect—natural beings trying to carve out a home for themselves while the rest circle closer to rid the world of “ungodly�� beings.

A dark story about witch hunts and accepting all parts of yourself—both dark and light—unfolds. I absolutely LOVED Abitha’s story as she tried to adapt to Puritan values the shirked it and strove for revenge for the wrongs she experienced. It’s a fantastic story that I absolutely loved, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the first book I read from Brom all over again.
]]> Bear Necessity 52764206 A heartwarming, poignant, and charming debut novel for fans of Nick Hornby and The Rosie Project, about a father and son overcoming their grief in surprisingly inventive ways.

Danny’s life is falling apart. He’s become a single father to eleven-year-old Will—who hasn’t spoken since the death of his mother in a car crash a year earlier—and Danny has just been fired from his construction job. To make matters worse, he’s behind on the rent and his nasty landlord is threatening to break his legs if he doesn’t pay soon. Danny needs money, and fast.

After observing local street performers in a nearby park, Danny spends his last few dollars on a tattered panda costume, impulsively deciding to become a dancing bear. While performing one day, Danny spots his son in the park, and chases off the older boys who are taunting him. Will opens up for the first time since his mother’s death, unaware that the man in the panda costume is his father. Afraid of disclosing his true identity, Danny comforts his son. But will Danny lose Will’s trust once he reveals who he is? And will he be able to dance his way out of debt, or be beaten up before he has a chance?

Filled with a colorful cast of characters, Bear Necessity is a refreshingly unpretentious and ultimately uplifting story of a father and son reconnecting in the most unlikely of circumstances.]]> 312 James Gould-Bourn 1982128291 Brenda 4 shelf-awareness
Danny continuously makes terrible decisions and eventually decides to be a dancing panda mascot. He then inadvertently gathers a lovely collection of friends—the sassy pole dancer, the street performer with a cat, and his Ukrainian (maybe gang-related) friend.

It’s a sweet story. Danny’s attempts to bridge the gap with his silent son Will is endearing, and there’s enough comedy spaced throughout that it doesn’t fall into overly-sappy territory. Still sappy, but tolerable and pleasant. ]]> 3.90 2020 Bear Necessity

author: James Gould-Bourn
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/27
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
I could easily see this becoming a feel-good movie starring somebody lovably goofy like Ryan Reynolds.

Danny continuously makes terrible decisions and eventually decides to be a dancing panda mascot. He then inadvertently gathers a lovely collection of friends—the sassy pole dancer, the street performer with a cat, and his Ukrainian (maybe gang-related) friend.

It’s a sweet story. Danny’s attempts to bridge the gap with his silent son Will is endearing, and there’s enough comedy spaced throughout that it doesn’t fall into overly-sappy territory. Still sappy, but tolerable and pleasant.
]]> Teeth in the Mist 35115574 Three generations of women uncover an ancient evil in this epic genre-bending horror-fantasy -- a "fearless" Faustian tale perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Ransom Riggs" - Cat Winters

Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil's Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations . . .

Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember -- so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?

In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward -- one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.

Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching . . .

"This haunting, captivating, and "delightfully disturbing" mystery redefines horror and fantasy" - Kirkus]]> 447 Dawn Kurtagich 0316478474 Brenda 2
I’ve loved all of this author’s previous books so much that I relentlessly harassed the people who ran the publishing booth when I found out they had arcs at comic con. Thankfully they took pity on me and gave me a copy, and I’ve crowed about that book to everybody since.

This one I received as a gift, and unfortunately it probably isn’t one I’ll recommend to others unless they’re a fan of demonic type genres. As it’s my least favorite sub genre of horror, I suppose I should’ve expected it to be subpar by my judgment.

I wasn’t enthused about the love story, and since I couldn’t bring myself to read this quickly I got SUPER confused with the time changes and who each person was.

For the longest time I thought Andrew and the love interest were the same dude, for example. I couldn’t remember who Hermione was or Eve. And I totally forgot that there was a contemporary timeline too.

I’ll still happily pick up anything this author writes, but this one was a strikeout for me. ]]> 3.64 2019 Teeth in the Mist

author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2020/04/06
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves:
review:
I am so disappointed.

I’ve loved all of this author’s previous books so much that I relentlessly harassed the people who ran the publishing booth when I found out they had arcs at comic con. Thankfully they took pity on me and gave me a copy, and I’ve crowed about that book to everybody since.

This one I received as a gift, and unfortunately it probably isn’t one I’ll recommend to others unless they’re a fan of demonic type genres. As it’s my least favorite sub genre of horror, I suppose I should’ve expected it to be subpar by my judgment.

I wasn’t enthused about the love story, and since I couldn’t bring myself to read this quickly I got SUPER confused with the time changes and who each person was.

For the longest time I thought Andrew and the love interest were the same dude, for example. I couldn’t remember who Hermione was or Eve. And I totally forgot that there was a contemporary timeline too.

I’ll still happily pick up anything this author writes, but this one was a strikeout for me.
]]> Boy Robot 30243880
There once was a boy who was made, not created.

In a single night, Isaak’s life changed forever.

His adoptive parents were killed, a mysterious girl saved him from a team of soldiers, and he learned of his own dark and destructive origin.

An origin he doesn’t want to believe, but one he cannot deny.

Isaak is a Robot: a government-made synthetic human, produced as a weapon and now hunted, marked for termination.

He and the Robots can only find asylum with the Underground—a secret network of Robots and humans working together to ensure a coexistent future.

To be protected by the Underground, Isaak will have to make it there first. But with a deadly military force tasked to find him at any cost, his odds are less than favorable.

Now Isaak must decide whether to hold on to his humanity and face possible death�� or to embrace his true nature in order to survive, at the risk of becoming the weapon he was made to be.

In his debut, recording artist Simon Curtis has written a fast-paced, high-stakes novel that explores humanity, the ultimate power of empathy, and the greatest battle of all: love vs. fear.]]> 432 Simon Curtis Brenda 1 signed, yallwest-2016 no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount of unsettling situations that are clearly only designed to make the reader uncomfortable.

Literally the second-ish chapter follows a robot girl being bullied by a group of guys and girls. They violently abuse her both verbally and physically, to the point that her secret superpowers surface and blast all of them to smithereens. Frankly, it was a pretty awesome scene that had nothing but redemption and karma. It also confused the hell out of me.

Why? Because no reason is ever given for why these people hate this girl. They call her a piece of shit and hate her so much that they brutalize her--kick her, punch her, choke her. No reason is given for this treatment.

The author also seems to have a very low opinion of parents. All of our robots are emotionally damaged by whatever guardian is watching them. For our main character, Izaak, his mother HATES him. Like how is it that this woman hates him so much when he has done nothing to deserve it? He's a fundamentally good kid and he never causes problems but he is ostracized in his own household because.... he's adopted. Okay. The girl who got the shit kicked out of her? Her grandmother is her guardian and all she does is relentlessly remind the girl that her mother died in childbirth and it's all her fault and she ruined everyone's lives by being born. Why? Why the hell is there so much animosity?

It's also stupid that they're called Robots. Just saying. I won't bother going to the rape issues or the total lack of real characterization or even the excessively purple prose used by the author. Just all around bad.

Merged review:

There is no point to a great deal of this book. Ridiculous amounts of brutality coupled with no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount of unsettling situations that are clearly only designed to make the reader uncomfortable.

Literally the second-ish chapter follows a robot girl being bullied by a group of guys and girls. They violently abuse her both verbally and physically, to the point that her secret superpowers surface and blast all of them to smithereens. Frankly, it was a pretty awesome scene that had nothing but redemption and karma. It also confused the hell out of me.

Why? Because no reason is ever given for why these people hate this girl. They call her a piece of shit and hate her so much that they brutalize her--kick her, punch her, choke her. No reason is given for this treatment.

The author also seems to have a very low opinion of parents. All of our robots are emotionally damaged by whatever guardian is watching them. For our main character, Izaak, his mother HATES him. Like how is it that this woman hates him so much when he has done nothing to deserve it? He's a fundamentally good kid and he never causes problems but he is ostracized in his own household because.... he's adopted. Okay. The girl who got the shit kicked out of her? Her grandmother is her guardian and all she does is relentlessly remind the girl that her mother died in childbirth and it's all her fault and she ruined everyone's lives by being born. Why? Why the hell is there so much animosity?

It's also stupid that they're called Robots. Just saying. I won't bother going to the rape issues or the total lack of real characterization or even the excessively purple prose used by the author. Just all around bad.]]> 3.50 2016 Boy Robot

author: Simon Curtis
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2016
rating: 1
read at: 2016/11/14
date added: 2023/03/12
shelves: signed, yallwest-2016
review:
There is no point to a great deal of this book. Ridiculous amounts of brutality coupled with no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount of unsettling situations that are clearly only designed to make the reader uncomfortable.

Literally the second-ish chapter follows a robot girl being bullied by a group of guys and girls. They violently abuse her both verbally and physically, to the point that her secret superpowers surface and blast all of them to smithereens. Frankly, it was a pretty awesome scene that had nothing but redemption and karma. It also confused the hell out of me.

Why? Because no reason is ever given for why these people hate this girl. They call her a piece of shit and hate her so much that they brutalize her--kick her, punch her, choke her. No reason is given for this treatment.

The author also seems to have a very low opinion of parents. All of our robots are emotionally damaged by whatever guardian is watching them. For our main character, Izaak, his mother HATES him. Like how is it that this woman hates him so much when he has done nothing to deserve it? He's a fundamentally good kid and he never causes problems but he is ostracized in his own household because.... he's adopted. Okay. The girl who got the shit kicked out of her? Her grandmother is her guardian and all she does is relentlessly remind the girl that her mother died in childbirth and it's all her fault and she ruined everyone's lives by being born. Why? Why the hell is there so much animosity?

It's also stupid that they're called Robots. Just saying. I won't bother going to the rape issues or the total lack of real characterization or even the excessively purple prose used by the author. Just all around bad.

Merged review:

There is no point to a great deal of this book. Ridiculous amounts of brutality coupled with no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount of unsettling situations that are clearly only designed to make the reader uncomfortable.

Literally the second-ish chapter follows a robot girl being bullied by a group of guys and girls. They violently abuse her both verbally and physically, to the point that her secret superpowers surface and blast all of them to smithereens. Frankly, it was a pretty awesome scene that had nothing but redemption and karma. It also confused the hell out of me.

Why? Because no reason is ever given for why these people hate this girl. They call her a piece of shit and hate her so much that they brutalize her--kick her, punch her, choke her. No reason is given for this treatment.

The author also seems to have a very low opinion of parents. All of our robots are emotionally damaged by whatever guardian is watching them. For our main character, Izaak, his mother HATES him. Like how is it that this woman hates him so much when he has done nothing to deserve it? He's a fundamentally good kid and he never causes problems but he is ostracized in his own household because.... he's adopted. Okay. The girl who got the shit kicked out of her? Her grandmother is her guardian and all she does is relentlessly remind the girl that her mother died in childbirth and it's all her fault and she ruined everyone's lives by being born. Why? Why the hell is there so much animosity?

It's also stupid that they're called Robots. Just saying. I won't bother going to the rape issues or the total lack of real characterization or even the excessively purple prose used by the author. Just all around bad.
]]> Norse Mythology 30988092 Neil Gaiman 006266364X Brenda 4 library 4.01 2017

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/25
date added: 2022/08/31
shelves: library
review:
It's Neil Gaiman rewriting and then narrating Nordic mythology. What's not to love?!
]]> Born to Run 29095500 Born to Run

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl’s halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That’s how this extraordinary autobiography began.

Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs.

He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as “The Big Bang��: seeing Elvis Presley’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run�� reveals more than we previously realized.

Born to Run will be revelatory for anyone who has ever enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, but this book is much more than a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for workers and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks, or anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll.

Rarely has a performer told his own story with such force and sweep. Like many of his songs (“Thunder Road,�� “Badlands,�� “Darkness on the Edge of Town,�� “The River,�� “Born in the U.S.A.,�� “The Rising,�� and “The Ghost of Tom Joad,�� to name just a few), Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography is written with the lyricism of a singular songwriter and the wisdom of a man who has thought deeply about his experiences.]]> 19 Bruce Springsteen 1508224234 Brenda 4 library
I actually had an extremely vivid dream after finishing this audiobook that I met him and after like three hours of conversation, he and I became best friends. Seriously. This guy seems so approachable--even with how he reads the audiobook--that my unconscious mind decided we were friends and played out this whole afternoon where Springsteen and I just shot the shit and established a new friendship. The last time I had a dream like that, it was five years ago with Freddy Kreuger.

Honestly though, there seems to be a lot of self reflection here. Bruce tells us about being on antidepressants, about dealing with his dad, and the benefits and pitfalls of being leading man in the band. He negotiates the treacherous waters of not-quite-forgotten fights with bandmates, and his decisions to go solo and then reunite with the band. He talks fairly extensively about Clarence in the last few chapters, and I had to stop myself from choking up at work.

It is surprisingly deep for a celebrity autobiography. Generally you expect the bare minimum as far as dirty details go; they don't like to delve any deeper than they have to. With this autobiography it felt organic and real--like Bruce was actually sitting you down and telling you his family troubles and his troubles with the band. It's probably why I had that damn dream and why I'm still having to convince myself (just a little bit) that I didn't actually meet him.]]> 4.25 2016 Born to Run

author: Bruce Springsteen
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/20
date added: 2022/07/16
shelves: library
review:
I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen because he's one of my mom's all-time favorite musicians. I grew up knowing him as The Boss; the guy who sang for the blue collar worker and who still managed to stay attached to his humble roots despite mega rock-stardom. He seemed so approachable!

I actually had an extremely vivid dream after finishing this audiobook that I met him and after like three hours of conversation, he and I became best friends. Seriously. This guy seems so approachable--even with how he reads the audiobook--that my unconscious mind decided we were friends and played out this whole afternoon where Springsteen and I just shot the shit and established a new friendship. The last time I had a dream like that, it was five years ago with Freddy Kreuger.

Honestly though, there seems to be a lot of self reflection here. Bruce tells us about being on antidepressants, about dealing with his dad, and the benefits and pitfalls of being leading man in the band. He negotiates the treacherous waters of not-quite-forgotten fights with bandmates, and his decisions to go solo and then reunite with the band. He talks fairly extensively about Clarence in the last few chapters, and I had to stop myself from choking up at work.

It is surprisingly deep for a celebrity autobiography. Generally you expect the bare minimum as far as dirty details go; they don't like to delve any deeper than they have to. With this autobiography it felt organic and real--like Bruce was actually sitting you down and telling you his family troubles and his troubles with the band. It's probably why I had that damn dream and why I'm still having to convince myself (just a little bit) that I didn't actually meet him.
]]> Between Shades of Gray 11311191 8 Ruta Sepetys 1101484632 Brenda 0 to-read, library 4.12 2011

author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/06/23
shelves: to-read, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last House on Needless Street]]> 55511726
A teenage girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time.

A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory.

And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible.

An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.]]> 341 Catriona Ward 1250812623 Brenda 0 3.89 2021 The Last House on Needless Street

author: Catriona Ward
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/06
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)]]> 30363359 Instead of Three Wishes, the first book by Megan Whalen Turner. Her second book more than fulfills that promise.

The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities. What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Megan Whalen Turner weaves Gen's stories and Gen's story together with style and verve in a novel that is filled with intrigue, adventure, and surprise.]]> 320 Megan Whalen Turner 0062642960 Brenda 2 comic-con-2017
As with any fantasy novel, it’s a journey. Only problem is that two-thirds of the book nothing happens except our thief whining and the king’s assistant or whatever he was is far nicer than first expected. It never felt like there was any actual conflict and left a lot to be desired.

The scene with the gods and goddesses should have been a throw away hit for me since I love mythology, but even that scene was dull. There was so much time spent on another aspects—lots of dead ends in the maze, for example—that when we finally got to that scene that should have evoked something better in me, I was just indifferent.

Other reviews say the rest of the series is better, but I won’t go out of my way to read them. ]]> 3.67 1996 The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)

author: Megan Whalen Turner
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1996
rating: 2
read at: 2018/01/11
date added: 2021/09/02
shelves: comic-con-2017
review:
Obviously I’m in the minority for this one, but for how short this book was it felt way too long.

As with any fantasy novel, it’s a journey. Only problem is that two-thirds of the book nothing happens except our thief whining and the king’s assistant or whatever he was is far nicer than first expected. It never felt like there was any actual conflict and left a lot to be desired.

The scene with the gods and goddesses should have been a throw away hit for me since I love mythology, but even that scene was dull. There was so much time spent on another aspects—lots of dead ends in the maze, for example—that when we finally got to that scene that should have evoked something better in me, I was just indifferent.

Other reviews say the rest of the series is better, but I won’t go out of my way to read them.
]]> <![CDATA[Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow]]> 56552946
Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play Sleepy Hollow boys, reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?]]> 302 Christina Henry 0593199782 Brenda 0 currently-reading, netgalley 3.68 2021 Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow

author: Christina Henry
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/07/02
shelves: currently-reading, netgalley
review:

]]> Cthulhu's Reign 7860544 after the Old Ones return and take over the earth. In "The Dunwich Horror," the semi-human half-breed Wilbur Whateley speaks in his diary of travelling to nonhuman cities at the Earth's magnetic poles "when the Earth is cleared off," and hints at his own promised "transfiguration." Very few Mythos stories have ever touched on this. What happens when the Stars Are Right, the sunken city of R'lyeh rises from beneath the waves, and Cthulhu is unleashed upon the world for the last time? What happens when the other Old Ones, long since banished from our universe, break through and descent from the stars? What would the reign of Cthulhu be like, on a totally transformed planet where mankind is no longer the master?

It won't be simply the end of everything. It will be a time of new horrors and of utter strangeness. It will be a time when humans with a "taint" of unearthly blood in their ancestry may come into their own. It will be a time foreseen only by authors with the kind of finely honed imaginative visions as those included in Cthulhu's Reign]]> 309 Darrell Schweitzer 0756406161 Brenda 0 currently-reading 3.56 2010

author: Darrell Schweitzer
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Falling 56614951
There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don't know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot's family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.]]> 304 T.J. Newman 1982177888 Brenda 0 3.79 2021 Falling

author: T.J. Newman
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/25
shelves: shelf-awareness, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes]]> 55963632 How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes is a clear, actionable, sometimes humorous (but always science-based) guide for parents on how to shape their kids into honest, kind, generous, confident, independent, and resilient people...who just might save the world one day.

"Wenner Moyer crafts a winning guide for parents who wish to build a 'better, fairer, stronger world.' This delightful mix of strategy and humor shouldn’t be missed."
-Publisher's Weekly, Starred review

As an award-winning science journalist, Melinda Wenner Moyer was regularly asked to investigate and address all kinds of parenting questions: how to potty train, when and whether to get vaccines, and how to help kids sleep through the night. But as Melinda's children grew, she found that one huge area was ignored in the realm of parenting advice: how do we make sure our kids don't grow up to be assholes?

On social media, in the news, and from the highest levels are government, kids are increasingly getting the message that being selfish, obnoxious and cruel is okay. Hate crimes among children and teens are rising, while compassion among teens has been dropping. We know, of course, that young people have the capacity for great empathy, resilience, and action, and we all want to bring up kids who will help build a better tomorrow. But how do we actually do this? How do we raise children who are kind, considerate, and ethical inside and outside the home, who will grow into adults committed to making the world a better place?

How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes is a deeply researched, evidence-based primer that provides a fresh, often surprising perspective on parenting issues, from toddlerhood through the teenage years. First, Melinda outlines the traits we want our children to possess--including honesty, generosity, and antiracism--and then she provides scientifically-based strategies that will help parents instill those characteristics in their kids. Learn how to raise the kind of kids you actually want to hang out with--and who just might save the world.]]> 320 Melinda Wenner Moyer Brenda 0 currently-reading, netgalley 4.03 2021 How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes

author: Melinda Wenner Moyer
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/10
shelves: currently-reading, netgalley
review:

]]> A Taste of Sage 52219879
When her eclectic venture fails, she is forced to take a position as sous chef at a staid, traditional French restaurant owned by Julien Dax, a celebrated chef known for his acid tongue as well as his brilliant smile. After he goes out of his way to bake a tart to prove her wrong in a dispute, she is so irritated by his smug attitude that she vows to herself never to taste his cooking.

But after she succumbs to the temptation and takes a bite one day and is overcome with shocking emotion, she finds herself beginning to crave his cooking and struggling to stay on task with her plan to save up and move on as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Julien’s obsessed secretary watches with gnashed teeth as they grow closer and becomes determined to get Lumi out of her way permanently.]]> 293 Yaffa S. Santos 006297484X Brenda 1 shelf-awareness
I just finished this and all of my complaints can be boiled down to one issue: this book is too short.

There is not enough time for Lumi and Julien to become full-fledged characters let alone time for them to marinate as adversaries. There’s all of like two scenes? I think? Of them butting heads and they were so minor they barely spanned a page or two each.

The random supernatural element would’ve been okay for me except it seemed like the author forgot about it and then when she remembered she would throw in a random scene for it.

And that ending…Lumi’s accident was just so damn silly. I’m sorry, but I could not for the life of me take it seriously. She thought she was being poisoned, and this poison made her lose her faculties? So she barrels full force into a piping hot wok and dumps it all over herself? Maybe I’m wrong but a cook especially would know you turn away from hot things when in trouble!

The romance moved at such high speeds I felt like I got whiplash. Lumi would get mad at stuff randomly and it never felt reasonable—it always felt like she was just finding reasons to be offended. And when Julien (who is inexplicably an asshole for the first 20% but then magically turns sweet) finally proposes to Lumi, she has a freak out that seems so far out of left field I was left scratching my head. I swear this woman (who is barely a step above a caricature) made no damn sense.

With that being said, there were a few recipes I’m dying to try! Not sure where I can find goat or oxtail but I’m going to do my best to find it because that stew sounds amazing. ]]> 2.95 2020 A Taste of Sage

author: Yaffa S. Santos
name: Brenda
average rating: 2.95
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2021/06/10
date added: 2021/06/10
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
SPOILERS.

I just finished this and all of my complaints can be boiled down to one issue: this book is too short.

There is not enough time for Lumi and Julien to become full-fledged characters let alone time for them to marinate as adversaries. There’s all of like two scenes? I think? Of them butting heads and they were so minor they barely spanned a page or two each.

The random supernatural element would’ve been okay for me except it seemed like the author forgot about it and then when she remembered she would throw in a random scene for it.

And that ending…Lumi’s accident was just so damn silly. I’m sorry, but I could not for the life of me take it seriously. She thought she was being poisoned, and this poison made her lose her faculties? So she barrels full force into a piping hot wok and dumps it all over herself? Maybe I’m wrong but a cook especially would know you turn away from hot things when in trouble!

The romance moved at such high speeds I felt like I got whiplash. Lumi would get mad at stuff randomly and it never felt reasonable—it always felt like she was just finding reasons to be offended. And when Julien (who is inexplicably an asshole for the first 20% but then magically turns sweet) finally proposes to Lumi, she has a freak out that seems so far out of left field I was left scratching my head. I swear this woman (who is barely a step above a caricature) made no damn sense.

With that being said, there were a few recipes I’m dying to try! Not sure where I can find goat or oxtail but I’m going to do my best to find it because that stew sounds amazing.
]]> The Moment of Tenderness 51316004 From the beloved author of A Wrinkle in Time comes a deeply personal, genre-bending short story collection that transcends generational divides and reminds readers that hope, above all, can transform suffering into the promise of joy.
This powerful collection of short stories traces an emotional arc inspired by Madeleine L'Engle's early life and career, from her lonely childhood in New York to her life as a mother in small-town Connecticut. In a selection of eighteen stories discovered by one of L'Engle's granddaughters, we see how L'Engle's personal experiences and abiding faith informed the creation of her many cherished works.
Some of these stories have never been published; others were refashioned into scenes for her novels and memoirs. Almost all were written in the 1940s and '50s, from Madeleine's college years until just before the publication of A Wrinkle in Time.
From realism to science-fiction to fantasy, there is something for everyone in this magical collection.
]]> 304 Madeleine L'Engle 1538717824 Brenda 2 shelf-awareness
Frankly, most of stories in this collection are depressing as hell. Our author apparently had a very sad and lonely childhood, and she had enough insight into her own psyche to accept that she pushed away any others who tried to help her.

I can’t get over that though. I’ll repeat myself a hundred times in describing this book—it’s lonely. She’s a gifted writer even in her early years; you can feel that loneliness through almost every story. It’s a stark contrast to A Wrinkle in Time, which I think will turn off her usual fan base.

After a while it got too depressing to me, to the point where I didn’t enjoy starting a new story anymore. I need SOME moments of light, you know? ]]> 3.44 2020 The Moment of Tenderness

author: Madeleine L'Engle
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2021/06/09
date added: 2021/06/10
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
I think perhaps the people that SHOULD read this won’t because of the author, and the people that WILL read it shouldn’t because it’s a deviation from that author’s usual work.

Frankly, most of stories in this collection are depressing as hell. Our author apparently had a very sad and lonely childhood, and she had enough insight into her own psyche to accept that she pushed away any others who tried to help her.

I can’t get over that though. I’ll repeat myself a hundred times in describing this book—it’s lonely. She’s a gifted writer even in her early years; you can feel that loneliness through almost every story. It’s a stark contrast to A Wrinkle in Time, which I think will turn off her usual fan base.

After a while it got too depressing to me, to the point where I didn’t enjoy starting a new story anymore. I need SOME moments of light, you know?
]]> <![CDATA[My Heart Is a Chainsaw (The Indian Lake Trilogy, #1)]]> 55711617
That’s not the only thing that’s getting carved up, though �� this, Jade knows, is the start of a slasher. But what kind? Who’s wearing the mask? Jade’s got an encyclopedic recall of every horror movie on the shelf, but�� will that help her survive? Can she get a final girl trained enough to stop all this from happening? Does she even want to?

Isn’t a slasher exactly what her hometown deserves?

This new novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, Stephen Graham Jones, called “one of our most talented living writers�� by Tommy Orange, explores the changing landscape of the West through his distinct voice of sharp humor and prophetic violence.

Go up the mountain to Proofrock. See if you’ve got what it takes �� see if your heart, too, might be a chainsaw.]]> 405 Stephen Graham Jones 1982137630 Brenda 4 netgalley
I’m generally not a fan of slow burns. The handful of books I’ve reviewed very very poorly have almost all been slow burns that didn’t seem worth the wait. We don’t have that problem here; yes, it is ABSOLUTELY a very slow burn. A few times I huffed in annoyance at yet another page of Jade’s long-winded internal monologues.

When things kicked into high gear in the last 70% or so though, I was hooked. I actually had to consciously slow down how fast I was reading because I was scared I would miss something, I was that excited to keep the plot going!

What works the most is the constant guessing of who the killer will end up being, or if there is one at all.

A note of caution: I googled the sentence the teenager shouted at the end of the first chapter and that gave me a very distinct idea about who was going to be our baddie. If you prefer to be surprised, definitely don’t translate it. Hopefully you don’t already know the language.

It’s a perfect blend of many horror genres: slasher, supernatural, and psychological. It’s a love story to horror movies we grew up watching, and you could feel that love Jones has within the pages. Plus I was happy to see I understood almost every reference! Just gotta fix my knowledge of the seventies movies.

My only issue is I didn’t love the very very end, but I’m in the minority there so I do recommend the book to try. ]]> 3.52 2021 My Heart Is a Chainsaw (The Indian Lake Trilogy, #1)

My Heart Is a Chainsaw (The Indian Lake Trilogy, #1)

author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/06/06
date added: 2021/06/10
shelves: netgalley
review:
Everyone and their brother has reviewed this book, so I’m not adding anything new to the fold. However I will happily add my voice to all the rest in saying that Jones is fun to read—he had all the makings of me hating his work, but I loved it.

I’m generally not a fan of slow burns. The handful of books I’ve reviewed very very poorly have almost all been slow burns that didn’t seem worth the wait. We don’t have that problem here; yes, it is ABSOLUTELY a very slow burn. A few times I huffed in annoyance at yet another page of Jade’s long-winded internal monologues.

When things kicked into high gear in the last 70% or so though, I was hooked. I actually had to consciously slow down how fast I was reading because I was scared I would miss something, I was that excited to keep the plot going!

What works the most is the constant guessing of who the killer will end up being, or if there is one at all.

A note of caution: I googled the sentence the teenager shouted at the end of the first chapter and that gave me a very distinct idea about who was going to be our baddie. If you prefer to be surprised, definitely don’t translate it. Hopefully you don’t already know the language.

It’s a perfect blend of many horror genres: slasher, supernatural, and psychological. It’s a love story to horror movies we grew up watching, and you could feel that love Jones has within the pages. Plus I was happy to see I understood almost every reference! Just gotta fix my knowledge of the seventies movies.

My only issue is I didn’t love the very very end, but I’m in the minority there so I do recommend the book to try.
]]> The Photographer 52422207 Mary Dixie Carter's The Photographer is a slyly observed, suspenseful story of envy and obsession, told in the mesmerizing, irresistible voice of a character who will make you doubt that seeing is ever believing.

WHEN PERFECT IMAGES

As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of stiff hugs and tearstained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for.

ARE MADE OF BEAUTIFUL LIES

But when Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she finds herself wishing she wasn’t behind the lens but a part of the scene―in the Straub family’s gorgeous home and elegant life.

THE TRUTH WILL BE EXPOSED

That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, Amelia; finding chances to listen to her father, Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, drinking their expensive wine, and eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment in their townhouse. It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate.]]> 296 Mary Dixie Carter 1250790336 Brenda 0 3.24 2021 The Photographer

author: Mary Dixie Carter
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/07
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> Redemptor (Raybearer, #2) 55624056
Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that's what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.

With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can't quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it.]]> 336 Jordan Ifueko 1683357205 Brenda 0 4.25 2021 Redemptor (Raybearer, #2)

author: Jordan Ifueko
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/04
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, yallwest-2021
review:

]]> <![CDATA[True Raiders: The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant]]> 56269200 True Raiders is The Lost City of Z meets The Da Vinci Code, from critically acclaimed author Brad Ricca.

This book tells the untold true story of Monty Parker, a British rogue nobleman who, after being dared to do so by Ava Astor, the so-called "most beautiful woman in the world," headed a secret 1909 expedition to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant. Like a real-life version of Raiders of the Lost Ark, this incredible story of adventure and mystery has almost been completely forgotten today.

In 1908, Monty is approached by a strange Finnish scholar named Valter Juvelius who claims to have discovered a secret code in the Bible that reveals the location of the Ark. Monty assembles a ragtag group of blueblood adventurers, a renowned psychic, and a Franciscan father, to engage in a secret excavation just outside the city walls of Jerusalem.

Using recently uncovered records from the original expedition and several newly translated sources, True Raiders is the first retelling of this group's adventures- in the space between fact and faith, science and romance.]]> 368 Brad Ricca 1250273609 Brenda 0 3.19 2021 True Raiders: The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant

True Raiders: The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant

author: Brad Ricca
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.19
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/02
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> The Other Black Girl 55711688 Get Out meets The Stepford Wives in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.

It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.

A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.]]> 357 Zakiya Dalila Harris 1982160136 Brenda 4 shelf-awareness
This one is a slow burning suspense that has you questioning the whole way through what was going on. I admit somewhere in the middle I got a little antsy—it felt like we’d been spinning our wheels too much without any forward movement. Just when I felt like I’d had enough waiting, though, the plot slingshot forward at an intense speed.

Nella has been working her ass off for years to try and get ahead in the publishing world, but her world is turned upside down when another black woman, Hazel, starts and jumps miles ahead of her in just months. The whole time you’re wondering if something freaky is actually happening or if Nella just feels inadequate. That ending, though? Perfect. Dark, timely, a really great (read: sinister) spin on Black Girl Magic.

The icing on the cake is I got an inside glimpse of the publishing world. That alone was worth a few stars, so that included with the dark plot was gold for me. ]]> 3.34 2021 The Other Black Girl

author: Zakiya Dalila Harris
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/26
date added: 2021/05/26
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
This was the precise sort of juxtaposition I needed to my two previous reads. They weren’t bad; in fact they were quite good. A poetry collection focused on healing and loss and love and femininity. The other was a collection of delightful illustrations with little fortune cookie blurbs to go with it. Solid reads that I enjoyed.

This one is a slow burning suspense that has you questioning the whole way through what was going on. I admit somewhere in the middle I got a little antsy—it felt like we’d been spinning our wheels too much without any forward movement. Just when I felt like I’d had enough waiting, though, the plot slingshot forward at an intense speed.

Nella has been working her ass off for years to try and get ahead in the publishing world, but her world is turned upside down when another black woman, Hazel, starts and jumps miles ahead of her in just months. The whole time you’re wondering if something freaky is actually happening or if Nella just feels inadequate. That ending, though? Perfect. Dark, timely, a really great (read: sinister) spin on Black Girl Magic.

The icing on the cake is I got an inside glimpse of the publishing world. That alone was worth a few stars, so that included with the dark plot was gold for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Big Panda & Tiny Dragon (Big Panda & Tiny Dragon, #1)]]> 55926835 They often get lost and make a lot of mistakes.
But therein lies the beauty of life.]]> 94 James Norbury 1911277146 Brenda 4 shelf-awareness
And you know what? The book is damn good at it. I screenshot a few pages just because I loved the message and accompanying drawing so much. I hadn’t heard of this artist before reading the book so consider me converted. ]]> 4.41 2021 Big Panda & Tiny Dragon (Big Panda & Tiny Dragon, #1)

Big Panda & Tiny Dragon (Big Panda & Tiny Dragon, #1)

author: James Norbury
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/24
date added: 2021/05/26
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
These are quintessential fortune cookie blurbs. Little quips of insight that are happy little trees a la Bob Ross, there to make you feel content and thoughtful in five seconds or less.

And you know what? The book is damn good at it. I screenshot a few pages just because I loved the message and accompanying drawing so much. I hadn’t heard of this artist before reading the book so consider me converted.
]]> Milk and Honey 39809699
“Rupi Kaur is the Writer of the Decade.�� The New Republic

A hardcover gift edition of m ilk and honey , the #1�� New York Times bestselling poetry and prose collection by rupi kaur, which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.�� m ilk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

This clothbound��edition��features deckled edge paper, a woven ribbon marker, and a��foreword written by the author. ��The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. m ilk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.]]> 226 Rupi Kaur 1449496369 Brenda 4 shelf-awareness
I don’t proclaim to be a lover of poetry; aside from romance books there’s probably no genre I read less. But this author has made a name for herself so I figured I had to check it out, right?

I’m glad I did. Easily my favorite poems were the ones dealing with femininity; when the author ponders her mother and the qualities of women and—in particular—the qualities of women in her culture. It was beautiful and the simple illustrations added to the final product immensely.

The only ones I wasn’t fond of were the ones that were only like two lines long. Those felt more like the type of poems I wrote when I was 12 and thought I was deep. ]]> 4.12 2014 Milk and Honey

author: Rupi Kaur
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/23
date added: 2021/05/26
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
Milk and honey was for the most part everything I hoped it would be.

I don’t proclaim to be a lover of poetry; aside from romance books there’s probably no genre I read less. But this author has made a name for herself so I figured I had to check it out, right?

I’m glad I did. Easily my favorite poems were the ones dealing with femininity; when the author ponders her mother and the qualities of women and—in particular—the qualities of women in her culture. It was beautiful and the simple illustrations added to the final product immensely.

The only ones I wasn’t fond of were the ones that were only like two lines long. Those felt more like the type of poems I wrote when I was 12 and thought I was deep.
]]> Long Division 55711746 From Kiese Laymon, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Heavy, comes a debut novel about Black teenagers that is a satirical exploration of celebrity, authorship, violence, religion, and coming of age in post-Katrina Mississippi.

Written in a voice that’s alternately humorous, lacerating, and wise, Long Division features two interwoven stories. In the first, it’s 2013: after an on-stage meltdown during a nationally televised quiz contest, fourteen-year-old Citoyen “City�� Coldson becomes an overnight YouTube celebrity. The next day, he’s sent to stay with his grandmother in the small coastal community of Melahatchie, where a young girl named Baize Shephard has recently disappeared.

Before leaving, City is given a strange book without an author called Long Division. He learns that one of the book’s main characters is also named City Coldson—but Long Division is set in 1985. This 1985-version of City, along with his friend and love interest, Shalaya Crump, discovers a way to travel into the future, and steals a laptop and cellphone from an orphaned teenage rapper called...Baize Shephard. They ultimately take these items with them all the way back to 1964, to help another time-traveler they meet to protect his family from the Ku Klux Klan.

City’s two stories ultimately converge in the work shed behind his grandmother’s house, where he discovers the key to Baize’s disappearance.]]> 288 Kiese Laymon 198217482X Brenda 0 3.83 2013 Long Division

author: Kiese Laymon
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/24
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> Room on the Broom 177246
The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand!�� Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.�� But is there room on the broom for so many friends?�� And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are the creators of many beloved picture books including The Gruffalo , The Gruffalo's Child , The Snail and the Whale ,��and The Spiffiest Giant in Town .

"A surefire read-aloud hit." - School Library Journal]]> 32 Julia Donaldson 0142501123 Brenda 4 4.45 2001 Room on the Broom

author: Julia Donaldson
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/22
date added: 2021/05/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Spooky Pookie 23528366 18 Sandra Boynton 0553512331 Brenda 4 4.13 2015

author: Sandra Boynton
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/22
date added: 2021/05/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Meg 28047550 All New Revised and Expanded! Includes "Meg: Origins"

Carcharodon megalodon apex predator of all time, the most fearsome creature that ever lived a 70-foot, 60,000 pound Great White Shark. Hundreds of 7-inch serrated teeth filled jaws that could swallow an elephant whole. It could sense its prey miles away, inhaling its scent as it registered the beat of its fluttering heart, and if you ever came close enough to see the monster... it was already too late.

For Navy deep-sea submersible pilot Jonas Taylor, it nearly was too late. Years ago, on a top-secret dive seven miles down into the Mariana Trench, Jonas came face to face with an ancient monster everyone believed extinct.

Having barely escaped with his life, Jonas must prove to the world that Meg still exists. When an opportunity to return to the trench presents itself, he takes it, intent on returning topside with a 7-inch tooth! But man s presence in this unexplored domain releases one of the sharks from its purgatory, and now Jonas is the only one who can stop it.]]> 506 Steve Alten 1943957010 Brenda 4
I wanted to read this before I saw the movie, so I could accurately compare. Haven’t seen the movie yet but I expect I’ll have great fun.

Essentially this is just a really fun action movie! There’s melodrama and nukes and surfers getting eaten and all kinds of fun mishaps. I went in with high expectations and was certainly not disappointed.]]> 3.76 1997 Meg

author: Steve Alten
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2018/08/11
date added: 2021/05/19
shelves:
review:
Meg is precisely what you expect. It’s a giant shark that wreaks havoc on the modern day whale population and we puny humans are stupid enough to get ourselves caught in the middle. Therefore, we get eaten.

I wanted to read this before I saw the movie, so I could accurately compare. Haven’t seen the movie yet but I expect I’ll have great fun.

Essentially this is just a really fun action movie! There’s melodrama and nukes and surfers getting eaten and all kinds of fun mishaps. I went in with high expectations and was certainly not disappointed.
]]> The Book of Accidents 55782435
Long ago, Maddie was a little girl making dolls in her bedroom when she saw something she shouldn’t have—and is trying to remember that lost trauma by making haunting sculptures.

Long ago, something sinister, something hungry, walked in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania.

Now, Nate and Maddie Graves are married, and they have moved back to their hometown with their son, Oliver.

And now what happened long ago is happening again . . . and it is happening to Oliver. He meets a strange boy who becomes his best friend, a boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic.

This dark magic puts them at the heart of a battle of good versus evil and a fight for the soul of the family—and perhaps for all of the world. But the Graves family has a secret weapon in this battle: their love for one another.]]> 530 Chuck Wendig 0399182136 Brenda 4 netgalley
Don’t get me wrong, I love King and his tangents, but it makes his books several hundred pages longer than needed. Wendig takes the best parts of what he’s crafted and I loved every bit of it. At its heart it is an adventure story, a family of knights battling an evil wizard and dragon with the help of some sidekicks. They have to work through the evil henchmen and save the world.

It has a deliciously dark element that is so interesting. The entire book is a study in how people’s pain can entirely overtake them, or they can find a way to battle the darkness in themselves. So many Oliver’s and Nate’s and Maddie’s succumbed to the badness, and yet our plot focuses on the one in a hundred where all three managed to find a healthier outlet.

It’s a dark and morbid book in many ways, but it’s also hopeful. It’s the best of good versus evil.

Plus I loved the owls!]]> 3.70 2021 The Book of Accidents

author: Chuck Wendig
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/14
date added: 2021/05/14
shelves: netgalley
review:
This is like peak Stephen King except without the overly long interludes to things that don’t necessarily matter.

Don’t get me wrong, I love King and his tangents, but it makes his books several hundred pages longer than needed. Wendig takes the best parts of what he’s crafted and I loved every bit of it. At its heart it is an adventure story, a family of knights battling an evil wizard and dragon with the help of some sidekicks. They have to work through the evil henchmen and save the world.

It has a deliciously dark element that is so interesting. The entire book is a study in how people’s pain can entirely overtake them, or they can find a way to battle the darkness in themselves. So many Oliver’s and Nate’s and Maddie’s succumbed to the badness, and yet our plot focuses on the one in a hundred where all three managed to find a healthier outlet.

It’s a dark and morbid book in many ways, but it’s also hopeful. It’s the best of good versus evil.

Plus I loved the owls!
]]> <![CDATA[Truth of the Divine (Noumena, #2)]]> 54771181 USA TODAY BESTSELLER

Truth of the Divine is the latest alternate-history first-contact novel in the Noumena series from the instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestselling author Lindsay Ellis.

The human race is at a crossroads; we know that we are not alone, but details about the alien presence on Earth are still being withheld from the public. As the political climate grows more unstable, the world is forced to consider the ramifications of granting human rights to nonhuman persons. How do you define “person�� in the first place?

Cora Sabino not only serves as the full-time communication intermediary between the alien entity Ampersand and his government chaperones but also shares a mysterious bond with him that is both painful and intimate in ways neither of them could have anticipated. Despite this, Ampersand is still keen on keeping secrets, even from Cora, which backfires on them both when investigative journalist Kaveh Mazandarani, a close colleague of Cora’s unscrupulous estranged father, witnesses far more of Ampersand’s machinations than anyone was meant to see.

Since Cora has no choice but to trust Kaveh, the two must work together to prove to a fearful world that intelligent, conscious beings should be considered persons, no matter how horrifying, powerful, or malicious they may seem. Making this case is hard enough when the public doesn’t know what it’s dealing with—and it will only become harder when a mysterious flash illuminates the sky, marking the arrival of an agent of chaos that will light an already-unstable world on fire.

With a voice completely her own, Lindsay Ellis deepens her realistic exploration of the reality of a planet faced with the presence of extraterrestrial intelligence, probing the essential questions of humanity and decency, and the boundaries of the human mind.

While asking the question of what constitutes a “person,�� Ellis also examines what makes a monster.]]> 384 Lindsay Ellis 1250274559 Brenda 0 to-read 4.09 2021 Truth of the Divine (Noumena, #2)

author: Lindsay Ellis
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Second Home 43312830 Some places never leave you...

After a disastrous summer spent at her family’s home on Cape Cod when she is seventeen, Ann Gordon is very happy to never visit Wellfleet again. If only she’d stayed in Wisconsin, she might never have met Anthony Shaw, and she would have held onto the future she’d so carefully planned for herself. Instead, Ann ends up harboring a devastating secret that strains her relationship with her parents, sends her sister Poppy to every corner of the world chasing waves (and her next fling), and leaves her adopted brother Michael estranged from the family.

Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, and Ann and Poppy are left to decide the fate of the beach house that’s been in the Gordon family for generations. For Ann, the once-beloved house is forever tainted with bad memories. And while Poppy loves the old saltbox on Drummer Cove, owning a house means settling, and she’s not sure she’s ready to stay in one place.

Just when the sisters decide to sell, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to a third of the estate. He wants the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about what happened that long-ago summer that changed all of their lives forever. As the siblings reunite after years apart, their old secrets and lies, longings and losses, are pulled to the surface. Is the house the one thing that can still bring them together––or will it tear them apart, once and for all?

Told through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy, and Michael, this assured and affecting debut captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again. It is about second homes, second families, and second chances. Tender and compassionate, incisive and heartbreaking, Christina Clancy's The Second Home is the story of a family you'll quickly fall in love with, and won't soon forget.]]> 341 Christina Clancy 1250239346 Brenda 2 shelf-awareness
Second Home is literally almost three hundred pages, and SO MUCH of it could’ve been cut if the main characters literally just had a conversation. I will never understand why these stories are so popular. Do people not talk to each other? Ever? Like if someone randomly came up to me and said my husband was cheating on me with absolutely nothing to back it up, you bet your ass I’d ask him about it directly.

But nope, not here. Here, every single character just blithely accepts whatever someone tells them, regardless of whether that person is a credible source. The book is okay and I liked the characters well enough but just couldn’t get over the lack of very basic communication. ]]> 3.73 2020 The Second Home

author: Christina Clancy
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2021/05/06
date added: 2021/05/06
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
Books that use the easily fixable problem of not communicating drive me absolutely insane.

Second Home is literally almost three hundred pages, and SO MUCH of it could’ve been cut if the main characters literally just had a conversation. I will never understand why these stories are so popular. Do people not talk to each other? Ever? Like if someone randomly came up to me and said my husband was cheating on me with absolutely nothing to back it up, you bet your ass I’d ask him about it directly.

But nope, not here. Here, every single character just blithely accepts whatever someone tells them, regardless of whether that person is a credible source. The book is okay and I liked the characters well enough but just couldn’t get over the lack of very basic communication.
]]> <![CDATA[Fox & Rabbit Make Believe (Fox & Rabbit, #2)]]> 51075490 96 Beth Ferry 1419746871 Brenda 4 comic-con-2020 4.25

Fox & Rabbit Make Believe (Fox & Rabbit, #2)

author: Beth Ferry
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/03
date added: 2021/05/06
shelves: comic-con-2020
review:
A lovely little book helping to teach kids to use their minds and imagination! I loved the bold lines of the illustrations and of course the plot. Even the little turtle got his day and it was a magical little thing.
]]> <![CDATA[A Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues: What You Can Do Right Now to Help the Black Community]]> 56751789 240 Steven S. Rogers 1119794773 Brenda 4 edelweiss
It’s simple, really, the way the author explains it: use your money. Donate to historically black colleges, use black-owned banks, support black-owned businesses, and push our elected leaders to do something about reparations.

We all have the power to help enact change, and it’s a great and simple way to do it. The author gets a bit long-winded at times—he was quite proud to mention his changes to Harvard, and rightfully so—but the dearth of his research and personal experiences are beneficial to the overall book. I learned some thing about history I didn’t know, most notably about black Wall Street in Tulsa. That flaw is just one of many he’s able to point out through the pages of this book.

Anyway, when you get right down to it it’s easy. Use your money. ]]> 3.97 A Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues: What You Can Do Right Now to Help the Black Community

A Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues: What You Can Do Right Now to Help the Black Community

author: Steven S. Rogers
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/03
date added: 2021/05/06
shelves: edelweiss
review:
This is a much needed and practical book to help people identify real, actionable ways to help the black community.

It’s simple, really, the way the author explains it: use your money. Donate to historically black colleges, use black-owned banks, support black-owned businesses, and push our elected leaders to do something about reparations.

We all have the power to help enact change, and it’s a great and simple way to do it. The author gets a bit long-winded at times—he was quite proud to mention his changes to Harvard, and rightfully so—but the dearth of his research and personal experiences are beneficial to the overall book. I learned some thing about history I didn’t know, most notably about black Wall Street in Tulsa. That flaw is just one of many he’s able to point out through the pages of this book.

Anyway, when you get right down to it it’s easy. Use your money.
]]> The Other 13414715 An alternative cover for this ISBN can be found here

Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other’s thoughts, but they couldn’t be more different. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please, the sort of boy who makes parents proud. The Perrys live in the bucolic New England town their family settled centuries ago, and as it happens, the extended clan has gathered at its ancestral farm this summer to mourn the death of the twins�� father in a most unfortunate accident. Mrs. Perry still hasn’t recovered from the shock of her husband’s gruesome end and stays sequestered in her room, leaving her sons to roam free. As the summer goes on, though, and Holland’s pranks become increasingly sinister, Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother’s actions.
Thomas Tryon’s best-selling novel about a homegrown monster is an eerie examination of the darkness that dwells within everyone. It is a landmark of psychological horror that is a worthy descendent of the books of James Hogg, Robert Louis Stevenson, Shirley Jackson, and Patricia Highsmith.]]> 258 Thomas Tryon 1590175832 Brenda 2
What’s worse is that since this plot has been used so much over the years in horror I didn’t even get to be surprised by the big twist. My loss, really. This is definitely a me problem and no a book problem. ]]> 3.83 1971 The Other

author: Thomas Tryon
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1971
rating: 2
read at: 2021/04/27
date added: 2021/05/06
shelves:
review:
I think I just struggle with books written during this time period. This had all the makings of a novel I should’ve loved, but I was so put off by the writing style I had to force myself to finish it.

What’s worse is that since this plot has been used so much over the years in horror I didn’t even get to be surprised by the big twist. My loss, really. This is definitely a me problem and no a book problem.
]]> My Sweet Girl 55510715 Paloma thought her perfect life would begin once she was adopted and made it to America, but she’s about to find out that no matter how far you run, your past always catches up to you��

Ever since she was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage, Paloma has had the best of everything—schools, money, and parents so perfect that she fears she'll never live up to them.

Now at thirty years old and recently cut off from her parents�� funds, she decides to sublet the second bedroom of her overpriced San Francisco apartment to Arun, who recently moved from India. Paloma has to admit, it feels good helping someone find their way in America—that is until Arun discovers Paloma's darkest secret, one that could jeopardize her own fragile place in this country.

Before Paloma can pay Arun off, she finds him face down in a pool of blood. She flees the apartment but by the time the police arrive, there's no body—and no evidence that Arun ever even existed in the first place.

Paloma is terrified this is all somehow tangled up in the desperate actions she took to escape Sri Lanka so many years ago. Did Paloma’s secret die with Arun or is she now in greater danger than ever before?]]> 376 Amanda Jayatissa 0593335082 Brenda 0 3.64 2021 My Sweet Girl

author: Amanda Jayatissa
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/03
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)]]> 21535271
Her name is Auri, and she is full of mysteries.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a brief, bittersweet glimpse of Auri’s life, a small adventure all her own. At once joyous and haunting, this story offers a chance to see the world through Auri’s eyes. And it gives the reader a chance to learn things that only Auri knows...

In this book, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a broken world.

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

You might not want to buy this book.

I know, that’s not the sort of thing an author is supposed to say. The marketing people aren’t going to like this. My editor is going to have a fit. But I’d rather be honest with you right out of the gate.

First, if you haven’t read my other books, you don’t want to start here.

My first two books are The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear. If you’re curious to try my writing, start there. They’re the best introduction to my world. This book deals with Auri, one of the characters from that series. Without the context of those books, you’re probably going to feel pretty lost.

Second, even if you have read my other books, I think it’s only fair to warn you that this is a bit of a strange story. I don’t go in for spoilers, but suffice to say that this one is ... different. It doesn’t do a lot of the things a classic story is supposed to do. And if you’re looking for a continuation of Kvothe’s storyline, you’re not going to find it here.

On the other hand, if you’d like to learn more about Auri, this story has a lot to offer. If you love words and mysteries and secrets. If you’re curious about the Underthing and alchemy. If you want to know more about the hidden turnings of my world...

Well, then this book might be for you.

]]> 159 Patrick Rothfuss 0756410436 Brenda 2 comic-con-2017 3.88 2014 The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)

The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)

author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2021/04/23
date added: 2021/05/01
shelves: comic-con-2017
review:
I hate to say it but the author was right. I haven’t read any of his previous novels, and that background information would’ve been very helpful. It was a nice book, but since I had no connection to the character I got a bit bored. It was like a Pixar short that went on too long.
]]> <![CDATA[Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children, #7)]]> 57693537 Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you've already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.
It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.
And it isn't as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her Home for Wayward Children, she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn't save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming...]]> 150 Seanan McGuire 1250213622 Brenda 0 to-read 4.02 2022 Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children, #7)

Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children, #7)

author: Seanan McGuire
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wildwood Whispers 54638734 A heartwarming novel of hope, fate, and folk magic unfolds when a young woman travels to a sleepy southern town in the Appalachian Mountains to bury her best friend.

“Dark, tender, and thought-provoking, Wildwood Whispers is a beautifully woven tale of fantasy, feminism, and mystery set in rural Appalachia.�� —Constance Sayers, author of A Witch in Time

At the age of eleven, Mel Smith’s life found its purpose when she met Sarah Ross. Ten years later, Sarah’s sudden death threatens to break her. To fulfill a final promise to her best friend, Mel travels to an idyllic small town nestled in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains. Yet Morgan’s Gap is more than a land of morning mists and deep forest shadows.

There are secrets that call to Mel, in the gaze of the gnarled and knowing woman everyone calls Granny, in a salvaged remedy book filled with the magic of simple mountain traditions, and in the connection, she feels to the Ross homestead and the wilderness around it.

With every taste of sweet honey and tart blackberries, the wildwood twines further into Mel’s broken heart. But a threat lingers in the woods—one that may have something to do with Sarah's untimely death and that has now set its sight on Mel.

The wildwood is whispering. It has secrets to reveal—if you’re willing to listen��]]> 390 Willa Reece 0316591785 Brenda 0 4.00 2021 Wildwood Whispers

author: Willa Reece
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/22
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> Black Buck 53091994 9780358380887

For fans of��Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street—a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone Black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.

There’s nothing like a Black salesman on a mission.

An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor.

After enduring a “hell week�� of training, Darren, the only Black person in the company, reimagines himself as “Buck,�� a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family.��But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he’s hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America’s sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.

Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America’s workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.]]> 388 Mateo Askaripour Brenda 4 shelf-awareness
The novel has a weird pacing where it moves at a snail’s pace in some areas, moves rapidly through others and skips others entirely. We spend a good amount of time on just one week, then hopscotch over to a few months later. Some big things happen, then we jump to six months more, then six months more.

Our Benedict Arnold at the very end was a little silly for me. There was so much emphasis on a certain character having no family whatsoever, no one ever visiting or expressing interest in their wellbeing. Then all of a sudden a long lost relative shows up bent on revenge? Come on. It felt too much like the author just needed something bad to happen because too many good things are happening.

Honestly though, I still really enjoyed the book. I loved the message behind it and I fervently wish the Happy Campers were real. Maybe they are and I just don’t know about it, which would make me so happy to learn. I appreciated that everyone felt real—there were very clear differences between the character’s voices and it was easy to tell who was who even without labels. Even our main character would seamlessly change his diction based on who he was with.

I appreciated that it was far more realistic with success too. Darren didn’t necessarily win the girl back in the end, but he didn’t lose her either. He made some grave, horribly regrettable mistakes; he tried to make reparations. In that regard the author did a phenomenal job of creating real characters that I simultaneously wanted to slap upside the head while I was rooting for them—just like the real people in my life.

I will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author. ]]> 3.68 2021 Black Buck

author: Mateo Askaripour
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/04/19
date added: 2021/04/19
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
The blurb saying this is a mix between Sorry to Bother You and Wolf of Wall Street is spot on.

The novel has a weird pacing where it moves at a snail’s pace in some areas, moves rapidly through others and skips others entirely. We spend a good amount of time on just one week, then hopscotch over to a few months later. Some big things happen, then we jump to six months more, then six months more.

Our Benedict Arnold at the very end was a little silly for me. There was so much emphasis on a certain character having no family whatsoever, no one ever visiting or expressing interest in their wellbeing. Then all of a sudden a long lost relative shows up bent on revenge? Come on. It felt too much like the author just needed something bad to happen because too many good things are happening.

Honestly though, I still really enjoyed the book. I loved the message behind it and I fervently wish the Happy Campers were real. Maybe they are and I just don’t know about it, which would make me so happy to learn. I appreciated that everyone felt real—there were very clear differences between the character’s voices and it was easy to tell who was who even without labels. Even our main character would seamlessly change his diction based on who he was with.

I appreciated that it was far more realistic with success too. Darren didn’t necessarily win the girl back in the end, but he didn’t lose her either. He made some grave, horribly regrettable mistakes; he tried to make reparations. In that regard the author did a phenomenal job of creating real characters that I simultaneously wanted to slap upside the head while I was rooting for them—just like the real people in my life.

I will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author.
]]> <![CDATA[The Haunted Prophecy of Natalie Bradford]]> 26092905 This is an updated cover edition for ISBN13: 9781512362671.

BASED ON TRUE EVENTS.

On December 21, 1974, Liz Bradford was murdered in Elvis Presley's hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. Her husband, Devon Bradford was also involved in the shooting and transported to North Mississippi Medical Center where he first crossed Natalie Houston's path. She was his operating room nurse and she had no idea that within three years she would be married to a killer. The Bradford Series, Part I & Part II is the incredible tale of how Natalie Bradford finds herself entangled in a series of prophetic coincidences that foretells her future and reveals her lover's guilt. Enter the world of the paranormal through the eyes of Natalie Bradford as you experience her terror in this two part set.]]> L. Sydney Fisher Brenda 0 to-read 4.80 2014 The Haunted Prophecy of Natalie Bradford

The Haunted Prophecy of Natalie Bradford

author: L. Sydney Fisher
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.80
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Impossible (Impossible, #1) 6300287
A beautifully wrought modern fairy tale from master storyteller and award-winning author Nancy Werlin.Inspired by the classic folk ballad "Scarborough Fair," this is a wonderfully riveting and haunting novel of suspense, romance, and fantasy.]]> 376 Nancy Werlin 0142414913 Brenda 2 borrowed
Turns out I’m not a fan of this author or her writing. Frankly I don’t even remember reading her other book but my review of that one is about as favorable as this one is going to be.

So here we wasted like a hundred pages learning about stuff we already knew. There’s a curse based on a song and our protagonist has to break it. Considering we knew from the get-go it was a bit of a slog; either the author should’ve kept it a secret from us too or let the character figure it out faster.

Our characters were incredibly boring Mary Sue’s with no discernible personalities. All of them were very cutesy and always fully accepting.

These books are forgettable because we never learn enough about the characters or work hard enough for the plot to get actively involved in the overall story. I am fully convinced I’ll forget the plot of this one within the year just like I did with her previous book. ]]> 3.54 2008 Impossible (Impossible, #1)

author: Nancy Werlin
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at: 2021/04/10
date added: 2021/04/10
shelves: borrowed
review:
I hadn’t even realized I read the second book in this series until just now when I went to write my review.

Turns out I’m not a fan of this author or her writing. Frankly I don’t even remember reading her other book but my review of that one is about as favorable as this one is going to be.

So here we wasted like a hundred pages learning about stuff we already knew. There’s a curse based on a song and our protagonist has to break it. Considering we knew from the get-go it was a bit of a slog; either the author should’ve kept it a secret from us too or let the character figure it out faster.

Our characters were incredibly boring Mary Sue’s with no discernible personalities. All of them were very cutesy and always fully accepting.

These books are forgettable because we never learn enough about the characters or work hard enough for the plot to get actively involved in the overall story. I am fully convinced I’ll forget the plot of this one within the year just like I did with her previous book.
]]> We Were Liars 18340003 A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.]]> 7 E. Lockhart 0804168407 Brenda 2 library
I'm glad it was short, because it was lame.

Also, a friendly note to YA authors: [spoilers removed]]]> 3.29 2014 We Were Liars

author: E. Lockhart
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2016/02/16
date added: 2021/04/07
shelves: library
review:
Yet another case of a twist ending that's been done a thousand and one times before. The writing is too butchered and annoying to read. There was nothing about any of the characters to make me like them, nothing to actually give them depth or dimension. Our main character, Cadence, was the whiniest brat ever. Always going "poor me" and "look at me, my head hurts" and "I'm so altruistic I'm giving away my stuff". She's one of the most pitiful main characters ever, and it made it difficult to care about her.

I'm glad it was short, because it was lame.

Also, a friendly note to YA authors: [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)]]> 2236766 608 Tana French 0340937963 Brenda 3
This was a great book, but I struggled actually believing that our narrator was a middle aged man. Tana French does not sound like a man, and it was disrupting at times when the voice would pull me out of the story.

The other portion that irritated the heck out of me was the weird mood swings out narrator had. Like he made bad decisions then sulked like a child, punishing everyone else for his bad decisions. I was already against him for the weird internal monologues but that just turned me off to him entirely.

The mystery itself was great, and I loved the big reveal. It was fun seeing the switch between a “normal�� person and when that person turned off the charm and became who they really were. Psychopaths are a different breed, man. ]]> 3.63 2007 In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)

author: Tana French
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2021/04/03
date added: 2021/04/05
shelves:
review:
I will never ever believe that a male cop is this articulate and long-winded.

This was a great book, but I struggled actually believing that our narrator was a middle aged man. Tana French does not sound like a man, and it was disrupting at times when the voice would pull me out of the story.

The other portion that irritated the heck out of me was the weird mood swings out narrator had. Like he made bad decisions then sulked like a child, punishing everyone else for his bad decisions. I was already against him for the weird internal monologues but that just turned me off to him entirely.

The mystery itself was great, and I loved the big reveal. It was fun seeing the switch between a “normal�� person and when that person turned off the charm and became who they really were. Psychopaths are a different breed, man.
]]> <![CDATA[The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary]]> 51475561
Michael Scott is Line Leader at Dunder Mifflin Elementary! It's a very big job, but Michael is sure he can live up to the "World's Best Line Leader" title printed on his water bottle. There's just one problem--Michael doesn't know how to lead the line. Filled with colorful, detailed illustrations and brimming with Easter eggs and nods to iconic moments from the show, this hilarious reimagining features a pint-sized cast.

The story will introduce The Office to a whole new generation and will teach them that everyone needs to ask for help sometimes. Even Line Leaders.

The Office is a trademark and copyright of Universal Content Productions LLC. Licensed by Universal Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.]]> 40 Robb Pearlman 0316428388 Brenda 5 4.41 2020 The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary

The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary

author: Robb Pearlman
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2021/03/27
date added: 2021/04/04
shelves:
review:
My favorite part is Creed staring creepily at me in every scene he’s in.
]]> Just One Look 54326407 A young woman's escalating obsession with a seemingly perfect man leads her down a dangerous path in this novel of suspense brimming with envy, desire, and deception.

Eyes aren't the windows to the soul. Emails are.

Cassie Woodson is adrift. After suffering an epic tumble down the corporate ladder, Cassie finds the only way she can pay her bills is to take a thankless temp job reviewing correspondence for a large-scale fraud suit. The daily drudgery amplifies all that her life is lacking--love, friends, stability--and leaves her with too much time on her hands, which she spends fixating on the mistakes that brought her to this point.

While sorting through a relentless deluge of emails, something catches her eye: the tender (and totally private) exchanges between a partner at the firm, Forest Watts, and his enchanting wife, Annabelle. Cassie knows she shouldn't read them. But it's just one look. And once that door opens, she finds she can't look away.

Every day, twenty floors below Forest's corner office, Cassie dissects their emails from her dingy workstation. A few clicks of her mouse and she can see every adoring word they write to each other. By peeking into their apparently perfect life, Cassie finds renewed purpose and happiness, reveling in their penchant for vintage wines, morning juice presses, and lavish dinner parties thrown in their stately Westchester home. There are no secrets from her. Or so she thinks.

Her admiration quickly escalates into all-out mimicry, because she wants this life more than anything. Maybe if she plays make-believe long enough, it will become real for her. But when Cassie orchestrates a "chance" meeting with Forest in the real world and sees something that throws the state of his marriage into question, the fantasy she's been carefully cultivating shatters. Suddenly, she doesn't simply admire Annabelle--she wants to take her place. And she's armed with the tools to make that happen.]]> 304 Lindsay Cameron 0593159055 Brenda 4 netgalley
Our main character is absolutely someone who qualifies as an unreliable narrator and it was amazing. She becomes unhealthily obsessed with a man she’s never met after accidentally becoming privy to his private emails. She goes to great lengths to memorize anything and everything, and winds up trapping herself in very dangerous situations as a result of her meddling.

It’s a train wreck in all the best ways, the same way people watch trashy reality show tv or murder death porn. ]]> 3.50 2021 Just One Look

author: Lindsay Cameron
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/03/28
date added: 2021/04/04
shelves: netgalley
review:
This was so much fun to read!

Our main character is absolutely someone who qualifies as an unreliable narrator and it was amazing. She becomes unhealthily obsessed with a man she’s never met after accidentally becoming privy to his private emails. She goes to great lengths to memorize anything and everything, and winds up trapping herself in very dangerous situations as a result of her meddling.

It’s a train wreck in all the best ways, the same way people watch trashy reality show tv or murder death porn.
]]> The Hollow Ones 52594581 A horrific crime that defies ordinary explanation. A rookie FBI agent in dangerous, uncharted territory. An extraordinary hero for the ages.

Odessa Hardwicke's life is derailed when she's forced to turn her gun on her partner, Walt Leppo, a decorated FBI agent who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. The shooting, justified by self-defense, shakes the young FBI agent to her core. Devastated, Odessa is placed on desk leave pending a full investigation. But what most troubles Odessa isn't the tragedy itself-it's the shadowy presence she thought she saw fleeing the deceased agent's body after his death. Questioning her future with the FBI and her sanity, Hardwicke accepts a low-level assignment to clear out the belongings of a retired agent in the New York office. What she finds there will put her on the trail of a mysterious figure named John Silence, a man of enormous means who claims to have been alive for centuries, and who is either an unhinged lunatic, or humanity's best and only defense against unspeakable evil.]]> 326 Guillermo del Toro 1538761742 Brenda 4 shelf-awareness
This book has a nice buildup and some dark bits to keep you interested, and a fairly self-contained plot. But obviously the overarching story about the hollow ones is the most fascinating, and easily the most readable parts where from the hollow one’s point of view. The chaos it wreaked was dark and traumatizing and absolutely needed more of a spotlight, and I hope the next book in the series showcases that. ]]> 3.59 2020

author: Guillermo del Toro
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/03/25
date added: 2021/04/04
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
I’m rating this higher with the optimistic assumption that later installments will properly explain things.

This book has a nice buildup and some dark bits to keep you interested, and a fairly self-contained plot. But obviously the overarching story about the hollow ones is the most fascinating, and easily the most readable parts where from the hollow one’s point of view. The chaos it wreaked was dark and traumatizing and absolutely needed more of a spotlight, and I hope the next book in the series showcases that.
]]> <![CDATA[The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)]]> 6101718
Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.

He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, The Magicians boldly moves into uncharted literary territory, imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions. Lev Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.]]> 402 Lev Grossman 0670020559 Brenda 1 library
Literally. All I needed to know from the hundreds of pages was that main character Quentin used to read a book series about a magical world named Fillory.

I got so bored just working through the years at school—it was fast tracked but not enough. I was bored and kept waiting for the parts of the book that were supposed to matter. Except none of it matters, and it’s just a bunch of young adults being sarcastic, aimless assholes and thinking they’re better than everyone. They’re the kind of kids who are born into money then have the air of superiority because they’re successful—no, honey. Your daddy or granddaddy is successful, not you.

Honestly though I could’ve overlooked the annoying characters if the plot was interesting enough, and it wasn’t. By the time we finally got our stride with the baddie I was mentally checked out and did not give two shits anymore. ]]> 3.53 2009 The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)

author: Lev Grossman
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2009
rating: 1
read at: 2021/03/21
date added: 2021/03/24
shelves: library
review:
I really wish someone had told me that I could’ve skipped the first like two hundred pages and missed absolutely nothing plot-wise.

Literally. All I needed to know from the hundreds of pages was that main character Quentin used to read a book series about a magical world named Fillory.

I got so bored just working through the years at school—it was fast tracked but not enough. I was bored and kept waiting for the parts of the book that were supposed to matter. Except none of it matters, and it’s just a bunch of young adults being sarcastic, aimless assholes and thinking they’re better than everyone. They’re the kind of kids who are born into money then have the air of superiority because they’re successful—no, honey. Your daddy or granddaddy is successful, not you.

Honestly though I could’ve overlooked the annoying characters if the plot was interesting enough, and it wasn’t. By the time we finally got our stride with the baddie I was mentally checked out and did not give two shits anymore.
]]> <![CDATA[Home for Erring and Outcast Girls]]> 36571377
In turn-of-the-20th century Texas, the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls is an unprecedented beacon of hope for young women consigned to the dangerous poverty of the streets by birth, circumstance, or personal tragedy. Built in 1903 on the dusty outskirts of Arlington, a remote dot between Dallas and Fort Worth’s red-light districts, the progressive home bucks public opinion by offering faith, training, and rehabilitation to prostitutes, addicts, unwed mothers, and “ruined�� girls without forcibly separating mothers from children. When Lizzie Bates and Mattie McBride meet there—one sick and abused, but desperately clinging to her young daughter, the other jilted by the beau who fathered her ailing son—they form a friendship that will see them through unbearable loss, heartbreak, difficult choices, and ultimately, diverging paths.

A century later, Cate Sutton, a reclusive university librarian, uncovers the hidden histories of the two troubled women as she stumbles upon the cemetery on the home’s former grounds and begins to comb through its archives in her library. Pulled by an indescribable connection, what Cate discovers about their stories leads her to confront her own heartbreaking past, and to reclaim the life she thought she'd let go forever. With great pathos and powerful emotional resonance, Home for Erring and Outcast Girls explores the dark roads that lead us to ruin, and the paths we take to return to ourselves.]]> 368 Julie Kibler 0451499352 Brenda 3 shelf-awareness
Honestly though it was just lukewarm. The three intertwining stories were interesting enough but the tone of the novel was so bland that I never got wholly invested. It was like watching a movie through a window rather than in the theater—I could watch and be involved, but never be lost in it.

The reveals were a bit lacking as well. I think I’d have liked it more if the author chose to reveal the traumatizing pasts from the get-go and then focused on how the women grew and overcame. Not bad, just not as interesting. ]]> 3.70 2019 Home for Erring and Outcast Girls

author: Julie Kibler
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/15
date added: 2021/03/15
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
This should’ve been a slam dunk for me. A librarian? What amounts to a foster home? Redemption? Female friendship? All things I love!

Honestly though it was just lukewarm. The three intertwining stories were interesting enough but the tone of the novel was so bland that I never got wholly invested. It was like watching a movie through a window rather than in the theater—I could watch and be involved, but never be lost in it.

The reveals were a bit lacking as well. I think I’d have liked it more if the author chose to reveal the traumatizing pasts from the get-go and then focused on how the women grew and overcame. Not bad, just not as interesting.
]]> The Furnace: A Graphic Novel 37805336 Timely and heartfelt, Rollins�� graphic novel debut The Furnace is a literary science fiction glimpse into our future, in the vein of mainstream successes for fans of Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone

One decision. Thousands of lives ruined. Can someone ever repent for the sins of their past?

When Professor Walton Honderich was a young grad student, he participated in a government prison program and committed an act that led to the death of his friend, the brilliant physicist Marc Lepore, and resulted in unimaginable torment for an entire class of people across the United States.

Twenty years later, now an insecure father slipping into alcoholism, Walton struggles against the ghosts that haunt him in a futuristic New York City.

With full-color art and a dark, compelling work of psychological suspense and a cutting-edge critique of our increasingly technological world, The Furnace speaks fluently to the terrifying scope of the surveillance state, the dangerous allure of legacy, and the hope of redemption despite our flaws.

“Surreal and evocative, The Furnace is a great critique of technology and the human condition.�� —John Jennings, illustrator for the New York Times #1 bestseller Octavia Butler’s Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 192 Prentis Rollins 0765398672 Brenda 3 comic-con-2018, signed
The longer I sit with it though, the longer I find it as a whole very disturbing. Where it lacks is in its narrator and the lack of an ending.

It reads like an old man’s ramblings about his regrets in life, which is essentially what it is. Walton is a man who was the final roadblock to life-altering legislation for maximum security prisoners, and he crumbled like a tissue.

In short: his friend creates a little floating robot that renders a prisoner invisible and mute, but the prisoner can move about the world freely. It’s total isolation, but at least they can go places, right?

Well, we don’t really know how the prisoners feel. A lot start to just randomly die but there’s no explanation for that. Or an end to the story, really. It’s one man trying to assuage his guilt by justifying it to his daughter who may or may not understand the implications, and then it just ends. It’s an incomplete study of the human condition. ]]> 3.46 2018 The Furnace: A Graphic Novel

author: Prentis Rollins
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/11
date added: 2021/03/11
shelves: comic-con-2018, signed
review:
A quiet and contemplative story, The Furnace doesn’t really exude any intensity of feelings at first.

The longer I sit with it though, the longer I find it as a whole very disturbing. Where it lacks is in its narrator and the lack of an ending.

It reads like an old man’s ramblings about his regrets in life, which is essentially what it is. Walton is a man who was the final roadblock to life-altering legislation for maximum security prisoners, and he crumbled like a tissue.

In short: his friend creates a little floating robot that renders a prisoner invisible and mute, but the prisoner can move about the world freely. It’s total isolation, but at least they can go places, right?

Well, we don’t really know how the prisoners feel. A lot start to just randomly die but there’s no explanation for that. Or an end to the story, really. It’s one man trying to assuage his guilt by justifying it to his daughter who may or may not understand the implications, and then it just ends. It’s an incomplete study of the human condition.
]]> Goblin 54571735
KAMP: A man so horrified of encountering a ghost that he sets up a series of "ghost traps" all over his apartment, desperate to catch one before it can sneak up on him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUNTER! Big game hunter Neal Nash leaves his own meat-themed birthday bash to go hunting for Goblin's hallowed (and protected) Great Owl. But the North Woods are unkind at night.

PRESTO: In the pages of Presto magazine, a young boy reads that his favorite magician, Roman Emperor, is coming to town. Problem is, Pete doesn't know that Emperor's magic is real, and his latest trick involves audience participation... a little boy volunteer.

A MIX-UP AT THE ZOO: Dirk Rogers works at both the Goblin Slaughterhouse and the Goblin Zoo, but the workload is really getting to him. Will he be able to separate the two jobs on the night he finally breaks down, or will the slaughterhouse and the zoo overlap in his cracked, dark mind?

THE HEDGES: A young girl finally reaches the end of Goblin's biggest tourist attraction, The Hedges. But what she finds there sparks a mad chase between the owner of the Hedges and the Goblin Police, through the streets of the rainy city and into the terrible North Woods.

The author of Bird Box and Black Mad Wheel welcomes you to Goblin. May your night there be wet with rain, breathless with adventure, and filled with fright.]]> 400 Josh Malerman 0593237811 Brenda 4 netgalley
Starts us out with creepy happenings and sets the mood satisfactorily. A delivery man gets some very strict instructions with cargo that seems to make noise on its own.

A Man in Slices 5/5
Once the story reached a certain point it was obvious what was going to happen next, and I think that was by design. A gloriously brutal and dark first story—a man needs just a little bit more help from his friend to win a lady.

Kamp 3/5
This one was more comical to me than anything. I just pictured a middle aged man running around his room, crazed with fear, when there’s nothing every time. Funny but dragged a bit.

Happy Birthday, Hunter! 3/5

This one dragged with very little payoff. It was beneficial in establishing more of the lore of Goblin, and there were creepy elements, but with how long it took to get to those moments it didn’t feel as worth it. A big game hunter tries to decide whether he wants to explore the dark woods of Goblin to find the elusive and forbidden owl.

Presto 4/5

Nice and ominous! A magician is a little more real than people think, but of course his magic comes with a cost. He just doesn’t mind paying with other people’s bodies.

A Mix-Up at the Zoo 4/5

The title tells you everything. A man can’t remember if he’s working his job at the slaughterhouse or if he’s working his job at the zoo. Predictable, but that downward spiral was very entertaining to witness.

The Hedges 4/5

A little girl solves a hedge maze, finds the prize within and reports it to Goblin police. Only that police force may just be scarier than what she found. I absolutely loved the ambiance of this one and it was reminiscent of Bird Box with the intensity and chill-inducing backdrop. Those cops sound creepy as hell.

Epilogue: Make Yourself at Home 4/5

A fun and fitting end to the completion. In this we finally get to see what’s in the delivery truck and the ramifications of opening it. Definitely a good one to round out the stories.

Overall: 3.87 rounded to 4 stars. Atmospheric, creepy little nuggets that created a lovely mythical realm where fantastically unnerving things can happen. Bonus points for the illustrations, they were a welcome addition!

]]> 3.58 2017 Goblin

author: Josh Malerman
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2021/03/08
date added: 2021/03/08
shelves: netgalley
review:
Prologue: Welcome 4/5

Starts us out with creepy happenings and sets the mood satisfactorily. A delivery man gets some very strict instructions with cargo that seems to make noise on its own.

A Man in Slices 5/5
Once the story reached a certain point it was obvious what was going to happen next, and I think that was by design. A gloriously brutal and dark first story—a man needs just a little bit more help from his friend to win a lady.

Kamp 3/5
This one was more comical to me than anything. I just pictured a middle aged man running around his room, crazed with fear, when there’s nothing every time. Funny but dragged a bit.

Happy Birthday, Hunter! 3/5

This one dragged with very little payoff. It was beneficial in establishing more of the lore of Goblin, and there were creepy elements, but with how long it took to get to those moments it didn’t feel as worth it. A big game hunter tries to decide whether he wants to explore the dark woods of Goblin to find the elusive and forbidden owl.

Presto 4/5

Nice and ominous! A magician is a little more real than people think, but of course his magic comes with a cost. He just doesn’t mind paying with other people’s bodies.

A Mix-Up at the Zoo 4/5

The title tells you everything. A man can’t remember if he’s working his job at the slaughterhouse or if he’s working his job at the zoo. Predictable, but that downward spiral was very entertaining to witness.

The Hedges 4/5

A little girl solves a hedge maze, finds the prize within and reports it to Goblin police. Only that police force may just be scarier than what she found. I absolutely loved the ambiance of this one and it was reminiscent of Bird Box with the intensity and chill-inducing backdrop. Those cops sound creepy as hell.

Epilogue: Make Yourself at Home 4/5

A fun and fitting end to the completion. In this we finally get to see what’s in the delivery truck and the ramifications of opening it. Definitely a good one to round out the stories.

Overall: 3.87 rounded to 4 stars. Atmospheric, creepy little nuggets that created a lovely mythical realm where fantastically unnerving things can happen. Bonus points for the illustrations, they were a welcome addition!

]]> The King's Speech 9755737
Logue wasn't a British aristocrat or even an Englishman - he was a commoner and an Australian to boot. Nevertheless it was the outgoing, amiable Logue who single-handedly turned the nervous, tongue-tied Duke of York into one of Britain's greatest kings after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 over his love of Mrs Simpson.

This is the previously untold story of the remarkable relationship between Logue and the haunted future King George VI, written with Logue's grandson and drawing exclusively from his grandfather Lionel's diaries and archive. It throws an extraordinary light on the intimacy of the two men, and the vital role the King's wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, played in bringing them together to save her husband's reputation and reign.

'The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy' is an astonishing insight into a private world. Logue's diaries also reveal, for the first time, the torment the future King suffered at the hands of his father George V because of his stammer. Never before has there been such a personal portrait of the British monarchy - at a time of its greatest crisis - seen through the eyes of an Australian commoner who was proud to serve, and save, his King.]]> 242 Mark Logue 0857381105 Brenda 4
What I loved about the movie was seeing the two men interact together. The arguing and conversing. I enjoyed watching the King of England shout curse words and rock up and down on his toes to get the rhythm of his words.

Most of that was lacking from the book. While the historical aspect can’t be ignored—it’s truly awesome that Lionel Logue’s personal effects were used to put the account together. I appreciated the history lesson for the area too since I know little about it. I just wanted the snapshots of moments too, not a general overview of their relationship. ]]> 3.67 2010 The King's Speech

author: Mark Logue
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2021/03/04
date added: 2021/03/04
shelves:
review:
One of the few times I’d say the movie is better than the book.

What I loved about the movie was seeing the two men interact together. The arguing and conversing. I enjoyed watching the King of England shout curse words and rock up and down on his toes to get the rhythm of his words.

Most of that was lacking from the book. While the historical aspect can’t be ignored—it’s truly awesome that Lionel Logue’s personal effects were used to put the account together. I appreciated the history lesson for the area too since I know little about it. I just wanted the snapshots of moments too, not a general overview of their relationship.
]]> The Graveyard Apartment 28220806 325 Mariko Koike 1250060540 Brenda 0 to-read, next-in-line 3.23 1988

author: Mariko Koike
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.23
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/03
shelves: to-read, next-in-line
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany]]> 54860488 The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a ten-day journey across the front lines of WWII from Germany back to Paris.

The nine women were all under thirty when they joined the resistance. They smuggled arms through Europe, harbored parachuting agents, coordinated communications between regional sectors, trekked escape routes to Spain and hid Jewish children in scattered apartments. They were arrested by French police, interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo. They were subjected to a series of French prisons and deported to Germany. The group formed along the way, meeting at different points, in prison, in transit, and at Ravensbrück. By the time they were enslaved at the labor camp in Leipzig, they were a close-knit group of friends. During the final days of the war, forced onto a death march, the nine chose their moment and made a daring escape.

Drawing on incredible research, this powerful, heart-stopping narrative from Gwen Strauss is a moving tribute to the power of humanity and friendship in the darkest of times.]]> 336 Gwen Strauss 125023929X Brenda 0 4.26 2021 The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany

The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany

author: Gwen Strauss
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/03
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> I Am a Girl from Africa 54304244 The inspiring journey of a girl from Africa whose near-death experience sparked a dream that changed the world.

She squeezes my hand and smiles. "I am here to feed hungry children in the village, because as Africans we must uplift each other."
I don't understand what it means to uplift others, but I nod.
I know that I can finally stand up. I will search for food. I will live.

When severe draught hit her village in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth, then eight, had no idea that this moment of utter devastation would come to define her life purpose. Unable to move from hunger, she encountered a United Nations aid worker who gave her a bowl of warm porridge and saved her life. This transformative moment inspired Elizabeth to become a humanitarian, and she vowed to dedicate her life to giving back to her community, her continent, and the world.

Grounded by the African concept of ubuntu—“I am because we are”��I Am a Girl from Africa charts Elizabeth’s quest in pursuit of her dream from the small village of Goromonzi to Harare, London, New York, and beyond, where she eventually became a Senior Advisor at the United Nations and launched HeForShe, one of the world’s largest global solidarity movements for gender equality. For over two decades, Elizabeth has been instrumental in creating change in communities all around the world; uplifting the lives of others, just as her life was once uplifted. The memoir brings to vivid life one extraordinary woman’s story of persevering through incredible odds and finding her true calling—while delivering an important message of hope and empowerment in a time when we need it most.]]> 272 Elizabeth Nyamayaro 1982113014 Brenda 0 4.29 2021 I Am a Girl from Africa

author: Elizabeth Nyamayaro
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/03
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> The House of Dust 44027147
Failing crime writer Bradley Ellison and former prostitute Missy Holiday are drawn to this place, fleeing a world turned against them. For Brad, it is work—he must find a compelling story before the true-crime magazine he writes for judges him expendable. For Missy, it is recuperation—four years at "the club" have left her drained.

But the price of peace is high, and soon Brad and Missy discover that something hides behind the quiet. Something moves in the night. Something that manifests itself in bizarre symbols and disturbing funeral rites. Something that twists back through time and clings in the dust of the ancient house. A presence they must uncover before their own past catches up with them.]]> 445 Noah Broyles 1947848879 Brenda 2 netgalley
I think it’s intentional, at least to an extent. We don’t know our main character’s girlfriend’s name at first. Later we learn about a succession of women who all have names starting with “M�� and two of the names are actually the same person (Marilyn? And Missy? I think? I’m not even sure). There’s elements of mystery and the supernatural—buried people, the earth breathing, fallen angels. There’s grotesque elements like a girl with no eyelids.

It just felt too fractured and purposely difficult. Like we know Brad is haunted by something the whole time, but when it’s revealed literally in the last 20-30 pages or so it was entirely underwhelming. I don’t understand why it was left as a big bad secret.

The history of the town was interesting enough but I never felt captivated by it all. The little twists were okay but honestly the whole thing was just meh. No attachment to any of the characters, the plot was confusing and the style of storytelling unclear, and the horror element (which I was most excited for) was lacking. ]]> 3.60 2021 The House of Dust

author: Noah Broyles
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2021/02/27
date added: 2021/02/27
shelves: netgalley
review:
After reading some other reviews I’ve come to realize this is a book problem and not a me problem: this book is confusing.

I think it’s intentional, at least to an extent. We don’t know our main character’s girlfriend’s name at first. Later we learn about a succession of women who all have names starting with “M�� and two of the names are actually the same person (Marilyn? And Missy? I think? I’m not even sure). There’s elements of mystery and the supernatural—buried people, the earth breathing, fallen angels. There’s grotesque elements like a girl with no eyelids.

It just felt too fractured and purposely difficult. Like we know Brad is haunted by something the whole time, but when it’s revealed literally in the last 20-30 pages or so it was entirely underwhelming. I don’t understand why it was left as a big bad secret.

The history of the town was interesting enough but I never felt captivated by it all. The little twists were okay but honestly the whole thing was just meh. No attachment to any of the characters, the plot was confusing and the style of storytelling unclear, and the horror element (which I was most excited for) was lacking.
]]> Brat: An '80s Story 55277901 Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less than Zero, and as a charter member of Hollywood's Brat Pack. That iconic group of ingenues and heartthrobs included Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore, and has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture.��

In his memoir Brat: An '80s Story, McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. New York City of the 1980s is brought to vivid life in these pages, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life.��Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success.]]> 223 Andrew McCarthy 1538754274 Brenda 0 3.57 2021 Brat: An '80s Story

author: Andrew McCarthy
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/02/09
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Davy the Dragon Who Was Afraid]]> 41570193 Find out why Davy is afraid to come out of his cave.]]> 10 Paper Craft Brenda 3 3.63

author: Paper Craft
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2021/02/04
date added: 2021/02/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Always (Emma Dodd's Love You Books)]]> 20708847 One little elephant learns that a parent's love is unconditional.

There is always love between parent and child, which is the heartwarming message in an exquisite new title from Emma Dodd. Featuring stunning illustrations of an elephant family and with interior pages embellished with foil, this makes a handsome addition to any nursery bookshelf.]]> 24 Emma Dodd 076367544X Brenda 3 4.14 2007 Always (Emma Dodd's Love You Books)

author: Emma Dodd
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2021/02/04
date added: 2021/02/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier]]> 53137966 The Instant New York Times Besteller

National Bestseller

"[The] authors�� finest work to date." �� Wall Street Journal

The explosive true saga of the legendary figure Daniel Boone and the bloody struggle for America's frontier by two bestselling authors at the height of their writing power--Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.

It is the mid-eighteenth century, and in the 13 colonies founded by Great Britain, anxious colonists desperate to conquer and settle North America’s “First Frontier�� beyond the Appalachian Mountains commence a series of bloody battles. These violent conflicts are waged against the Native American tribes whose lands they covet, the French, and finally against the mother country itself in an American Revolution destined to reverberate around the world.

This is the setting of Blood and Treasure, and the guide to this epic narrative is America’s first and arguably greatest pathfinder, Daniel Boone—not the coonskin cap-wearing caricature of popular culture but the flesh-and-blood frontiersman and Revolutionary War hero whose explorations into the forested frontier beyond the great mountains would become the stuff of legend. Now, thanks to painstaking research by two award-winning authors, the story of the brutal birth of the United States is told through the eyes of both the ordinary and larger-than-life men and women, white and red, who witnessed it.

This fast-paced and fiery narrative, fueled by contemporary diaries and journals, newspaper reports, and eyewitness accounts, is a stirring chronicle of the conflict over America’s “First Frontier�� that places the reader at the center of this remarkable epoch and its gripping tales of courage and sacrifice.]]> 383 Bob Drury 1250247136 Brenda 0 3.97 2021 Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier

Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier

author: Bob Drury
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/29
shelves: to-read, next-in-line, shelf-awareness
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site]]> 9676990
One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they'll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play!

Even the roughest, toughest readers will want to turn off their engines, rest their wheels, and drift to sleep with this sweet and soothing story. Vibrant illustrations and gentle rhyming text make this construction book for kids a surefire bedtime favorite.
��ձ�> 32 Sherri Duskey Rinker 0811877825 Brenda 5 4.34 2011 Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

author: Sherri Duskey Rinker
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/29
date added: 2021/01/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[ABCs of Physics (Baby University)]]> 33939769 26 Chris Ferrie 1492656240 Brenda 4 4.01 2014

author: Chris Ferrie
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/29
date added: 2021/01/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 8684868 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

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

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

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels�� Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 339 Suzanne Collins Brenda 3 4.31 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)

author: Suzanne Collins
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/01/29
shelves:
review:

]]> Nothing But Blackened Teeth 53195923 Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.

It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.

But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.

And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.

Effortlessly turning the classic haunted house story on its head, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a sharp and devastating exploration of grief, the parasitic nature of relationships, and the consequences of our actions.]]> 125 Cassandra Khaw 1250759412 Brenda 0 to-read 2.64 2021

author: Cassandra Khaw
name: Brenda
average rating: 2.64
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Impersonation 49151028 “By turns revealing, hilarious, dishy, and razor-sharp, Impersonation lives in that rarest of sweet spots: the propulsive page-turner for people with high literary standards.�� —Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers

Allie Lang is a professional ghostwriter and a perpetually broke single mother to a young boy. Years of navigating her own and America’s cultural definitions of motherhood have left her a lapsed idealist. Lana Breban is a powerhouse lawyer, economist, and advocate for women’s rights with designs on elected office. She also has a son. Lana and her staff have decided she needs help softening her public image and that a memoir about her life as a mother will help.

When Allie lands the job as Lana’s ghostwriter, it seems as if things will finally go Allie’s way. At last, she thinks, there will be enough money not just to pay her bills but to actually buy a house. After years of working as a ghostwriter for other celebrities, Allie believes she knows the drill: she has learned how to inhabit the lives of others and tell their stories better than they can.

But this time, everything becomes more complicated. Allie’s childcare arrangements unravel; she falls behind on her rent; her subject, Lana, is better at critiquing than actually providing material; and Allie’s boyfriend decides to go on��a road trip toward self-discovery. But as a writer for hire, Allie has gotten too used to being accommodating. At what point will she speak up for all that she deserves? ��

A satirical, incisive snapshot of how so many of us now live, Impersonation tells a timely, insightful, and bitingly funny story of ambition, motherhood, and class.
��ձ�> 336 Heidi Pitlor 1616207914 Brenda 3 shelf-awareness
It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t capture me. Allie never stands up for herself, her son Cass is only ever portrayed as a sad and scared little boy, and Lana was basically nonexistent which, while it was the ultimate cause of everything in the book, made me not care one whit about her career trajectory.

I liked the little behind the scenes look of ghostwriting, and that was the part that kept my interest. I wouldn’t say this book was funny by any means though. Unless you’re into sad humor and wanted to laugh every time Allie complained about her kind-of-boyfriend not helping with the rent and spending money on stuff when she didn’t actually have the money, like DisneyWorld. ]]> 3.33 2020 Impersonation

author: Heidi Pitlor
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/26
date added: 2021/01/26
shelves: shelf-awareness
review:
The best way I can describe this novel is that it just skims along. It references a lot of things, dips a toe every once in a while into a good topic, but then continues to skim along the surface without ever getting me invested enough to really enjoy it.

It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t capture me. Allie never stands up for herself, her son Cass is only ever portrayed as a sad and scared little boy, and Lana was basically nonexistent which, while it was the ultimate cause of everything in the book, made me not care one whit about her career trajectory.

I liked the little behind the scenes look of ghostwriting, and that was the part that kept my interest. I wouldn’t say this book was funny by any means though. Unless you’re into sad humor and wanted to laugh every time Allie complained about her kind-of-boyfriend not helping with the rent and spending money on stuff when she didn’t actually have the money, like DisneyWorld.
]]> <![CDATA[Baby Signs: A Baby-Sized Introduction to Speaking with Sign Language]]> 3551338
Just point to a sign in the book, say the word while making the sign, and the baby will soon be signing. Communicating a wet diaper or a hungry belly, asking for help or saying 'all done' becomes as easy as waving hello or good-bye. And these are just a few of the thirteen signs inside this small and adorably illustrated board book, perfect for little hands--and minds--to grasp.]]> 16 Joy Allen 0803731930 Brenda 5 4.09 2008 Baby Signs: A Baby-Sized Introduction to Speaking with Sign Language

Baby Signs: A Baby-Sized Introduction to Speaking with Sign Language

author: Joy Allen
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/25
date added: 2021/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[ABCs of Science (Baby University)]]> 34569852 Simple explanations of complex ideas for your future genius!

Written by an expert, The ABCs of Science is a colorfully simple introduction for babies (and grownups!) to a new science concept for every letter of the alphabet--from amoeba all the way to zygote. Each page in this science primer features multiple levels of text so the book grows along with your little scientist--read just one line of text per page to start or linger on the longer descriptions as baby's vocabulary expands. This alphabetical installment of the Baby University board book series is the perfect way to introduce basic concepts to even the youngest scientists.

Baby University: It only takes a small spark to ignite a child's mind!
]]> 26 Chris Ferrie 1492656313 Brenda 3 4.22 2017 ABCs of Science (Baby University)

author: Chris Ferrie
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/25
date added: 2021/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[ABCs of Space (Baby University)]]> 37588218 The ABCs of Space is a colorfully simple introduction for babies―and grownups―to a new astronomical concept for every letter of the alphabet. Written by an expert, each page in this cosmic primer features multiple levels of text so the book grows along with your little astronomer.
Also in the Baby University
ABCs of Science
ABCs of Physics
Astrophysics for Babies
Baby It only takes a small spark to ignite a child's mind.]]> 26 Chris Ferrie 1492671126 Brenda 4 4.37 ABCs of Space (Baby University)

author: Chris Ferrie
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/25
date added: 2021/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer]]> 25387382 ��
Thousands of parents, from regular moms and dads to Hollywood superstars, have come to baby expert Dr. Harvey Karp to learn his remarkable techniques for soothing babies and increasing sleep. Now his landmark book—fully revised and updated with the latest insights into infant sleep, bedsharing, breastfeeding, swaddling, and SIDS risk—can teach you too! Dr. Karp’s highly successful method is based on four revolutionary concepts:
��
1. The Fourth Trimester: Why babies still yearn for a womblike atmosphere . . . even after birth
2. The Calming Reflex: An “off switch�� all babies are born with
3. The 5 S’s: Five easy steps to turn on your baby’s amazing calming reflex
4. The Cuddle Cure: How to combine the 5 S’s to calm even colicky babies
��
With Dr. Karp’s sensible advice, parents and grandparents, nurses and nannies, will be able to transform even the fussiest infant into the happiest baby on the block!
��
Praise for The Happiest Baby on the Block
��
“Dr. Karp’s book is fascinating and will guide new parents for years to come.��—Julius Richmond, M.D., Harvard Medical School, former Surgeon General of the United States
��
��The Happiest Baby on the Block is fun and convincing. I highly recommend it.��—Elisabeth Bing, co-founder of Lamaze International
��
“Will fascinate anyone who wants to know how babies experience the world, and wants to answer their cries lovingly and effectively.��The San Diego Union-Tribune]]> 319 Harvey Karp 0553393235 Brenda 3
Suffice to say it’s good advice though! We used all the methods without really realizing we were. Yay.

The book is far longer than it needs to be though. I’m glad I got this for free through work otherwise I would’ve been mad I spent money on something that could’ve been cut down to an article. ]]> 4.06 2002 The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

author: Harvey Karp
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/23
date added: 2021/01/23
shelves:
review:
Well I read this when my baby was three months old so, whoops.

Suffice to say it’s good advice though! We used all the methods without really realizing we were. Yay.

The book is far longer than it needs to be though. I’m glad I got this for free through work otherwise I would’ve been mad I spent money on something that could’ve been cut down to an article.
]]> <![CDATA[In Love & Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together]]> 54482758 From the author of the #1��New York Times��bestseller��Snug��and the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes an all-new collection,��In��Love & Pajamas��by Catana Chetwynd of Catana Comics!��

When you've reached that sweatpants-wearing cozy place in your relationship, it's all��In��Love & Pajamas!�� This brand-new collection of Catana Comics presents some fan favorites and half of the book features never-before-seen comics that delight and amuse readers of all ages.�� Wholesome, sweet, feel-good humor!]]> 128 Catana Chetwynd 1524864714 Brenda 4 netgalley
While I will forever like the first book, Little Moments of Love, the best, I can say that this one is a solid addition. Anyone who enjoys her comics about her relationship with John will happily enjoy this too.]]> 4.28 2021 In Love & Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together

In Love & Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together

author: Catana Chetwynd
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/15
date added: 2021/01/23
shelves: netgalley
review:
Catana is a treasure and must be protected at all costs. Anyone who’s seen her comics knows that she perfectly captures the little weird things that happen in a relationship.

While I will forever like the first book, Little Moments of Love, the best, I can say that this one is a solid addition. Anyone who enjoys her comics about her relationship with John will happily enjoy this too.
]]> <![CDATA[Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA]]> 23395099
"Dada!"

Right?

Everyone knows that fathers wage a secret campaign to ensure that their babies' first word is "Dada!"

But how does it work?
One of the most popular entertainers in the world and NBC's The Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon, shows you how.]]> 34 Jimmy Fallon 125007181X Brenda 4 Love You Forever for her, since it was the book she and I both grew up on. But I wanted to get something for her husband too, so he could have something to read with baby.

I found this little gem while wandering through Barnes and Noble. It's simple, and very short. It is a slew of barnyard animals trying to get their babies to say "Dada!" It is good to help introduce babies to the sounds that animals make, and obviously in the hope that their first word is "Dada," it is written on every page. It's cute, and something they will outgrew fairly quickly.

What really got me and convinced me to buy it was the About the Author on the back. Go ahead, go read it. I laughed and then I bought the book.]]> 3.66 2015 Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA

author: Jimmy Fallon
name: Brenda
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/23
date added: 2021/01/23
shelves:
review:
So many naysayers! I love Jimmy Fallon, so maybe I am a bit biased. I got this as a board book because my sister recently just had her first baby. I had already gotten Love You Forever for her, since it was the book she and I both grew up on. But I wanted to get something for her husband too, so he could have something to read with baby.

I found this little gem while wandering through Barnes and Noble. It's simple, and very short. It is a slew of barnyard animals trying to get their babies to say "Dada!" It is good to help introduce babies to the sounds that animals make, and obviously in the hope that their first word is "Dada," it is written on every page. It's cute, and something they will outgrew fairly quickly.

What really got me and convinced me to buy it was the About the Author on the back. Go ahead, go read it. I laughed and then I bought the book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Monster at the End of this Book]]> 44186 "On the first page, what did that say? Did that say there will be a Monster at the end of the book???"

Read along as Grover begs you not to turn the page—because there is a monster at this end of this book!

Lovable, furry old Grover is distressed to learn that there's a monster at the end of this book! He begs readers not to turn the pages, but of course kids feel they just have to see this monster for themselves. Grover is astonished—and toddlers will be delighted—to discover who is really the monster at the end of the book!

Many adults name this book as their favorite Little Golden Book. This all-time favorite is now available as a Big Little Golden Book—perfect for lap-time reading.

Jon Stone (1931��1997) is the author of this book, but he was also Sesame Street's principal director until 1996. Working with Jim Henson, he helped create many of the Muppet characters, including Big Bird and Cookie Monster. He was also responsible for the show's format and setting. Stone contributed occasional announcer voices (such as the soap opera promo spoof "School in the Afternoon"), and served similar duty on two Muppet Meeting Films. Stone died of complications from Lou Gehrig's disease on March 30th, 1997. In his New York Times obituary, Joan Ganz Cooney describes Stone as "probably the most brilliant writer of children's television material in America".]]> 32 Jon Stone 037582913X Brenda 5 4.45 1971 The Monster at the End of this Book

author: Jon Stone
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.45
book published: 1971
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/23
date added: 2021/01/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)]]> 22299763
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.]]> 561 Leigh Bardugo Brenda 4
Seriously, every one of our main characters (and even most of the supporting characters) were a pleasure to read about in their own ways. Nina was easily my favorite, but the blossoming romance between Wylan and Jesper was sweet while they discover the strength in themselves. I loved that Inej and Kaz were forever teetering together thanks to their own respective traumas.

The plot was a little wonky, but I rolled with it. It’s sort of got the Ocean’s Eleven vibe—where everything is incredibly unlikely and it’s really hard to believe they could’ve planned every possible move ever with such precision especially with so many moving parts, but you know what? I didn’t care. It was fun, the baddies had their comeuppance and we mostly had nice happily ever afters with one major exception.

Frankly, I’m surprised it’s a duology. Definitely seems like the author could’ve milked this cow a lot longer, and I appreciate that she didn’t. ]]> 4.58 2016 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)

author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Brenda
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/23
date added: 2021/01/23
shelves:
review:
This was such a fun read, and that’s due largely in part to a great ensemble of characters.

Seriously, every one of our main characters (and even most of the supporting characters) were a pleasure to read about in their own ways. Nina was easily my favorite, but the blossoming romance between Wylan and Jesper was sweet while they discover the strength in themselves. I loved that Inej and Kaz were forever teetering together thanks to their own respective traumas.

The plot was a little wonky, but I rolled with it. It’s sort of got the Ocean’s Eleven vibe—where everything is incredibly unlikely and it’s really hard to believe they could’ve planned every possible move ever with such precision especially with so many moving parts, but you know what? I didn’t care. It was fun, the baddies had their comeuppance and we mostly had nice happily ever afters with one major exception.

Frankly, I’m surprised it’s a duology. Definitely seems like the author could’ve milked this cow a lot longer, and I appreciate that she didn’t.
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