Erin's Updates en-US Sun, 20 Apr 2025 21:16:56 -0700 60 Erin's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Friend1420771171 Sun, 20 Apr 2025 21:16:56 -0700 <![CDATA[<Friend user_id=11456700 friend_user_id=13112791 top_friend=true>]]> Rating846666397 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 21:20:10 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin liked a review]]> /
Erin liked Nilufer Ozmekik's review of Gifted & Talented:
Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake
"When There's a Will: A Magical Tale of Power, Greed, and Family Dysfunction!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

In a brilliant fusion of Succession meets fantasy with hints of The Umbrella Academy, Olivia Blake crafts a captivating, complex farce about a magical family saga that proves impossible to put down.

When tech billionaire Thayer Wren, CEO and founder of Wrenfare Magitech, unexpectedly dies, he leaves behind three dysfunctional successors with whom he maintained troubled relationships. All eyes turn to the family mansion where the inheritance revelation will determine who claims the throne. The question remains: which of his telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children will become the next CEO of the empire?

The Wren siblings, who inherited their father's ruthlessness and their power-hungry mother's ambition, are a fascinating study in dysfunction. Meredith, a young prodigy featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30, founded a groundbreaking tech company and invented the "Chip" - a device purporting to cure mental illness. However, her carefully constructed world threatens to crumble as two secrets emerge: she faked her test results, and her ex-boyfriend-turned-investigative-journalist is about to expose everything.

Arthur, the middle child, presents a striking contrast as a natural people-pleaser with the gift of enchantment. At 29, he's the youngest congressman in history, married to brilliant lawyer Gillian while maintaining relationships with aristocrat Philippa and race driver Yves Reza. His newfound ability to resurrect after death adds another layer to the succession drama.

The youngest, Eilidh, often overlooked by her siblings, transformed from gifted ballerina to Wrenfare's marketing executive following an accident. She harbors perhaps the most dangerous power: the ability to create apocalyptic events when emotionally distressed. Her relationship with her father's assistant Dzhuliya adds another layer of complexity to the inheritance dispute.

As legal complications delay the will's execution, the siblings must confront their past mistakes and seek help from someone they once betrayed. This decision sets in motion a chain of events that will transform their lives irrevocably.

While the narrative occasionally meanders and features largely unlikable protagonists, Blake's masterful storytelling keeps readers engaged throughout. Standout characters like Gillian, Yves, and a mysterious "monster" help balance the Wrens' less appealing qualities. The book's length serves its intricate plot, building to a satisfying conclusion that explores themes of redemption, power, and the true meaning of family.

This spellbinding tale demonstrates Blake's ability to weave together elements of fantasy, corporate intrigue, and family drama into an irresistibly compelling narrative. Despite its flaws, it delivers an entertaining and intelligent reading experience that will keep readers invested until the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.




"
]]> ReadStatus9251568853 Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:34:38 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin finished reading 'Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement']]> /review/show/7442859875 Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis Erin finished reading Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis
]]> Review7437680437 Sat, 29 Mar 2025 19:10:21 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin added 'Sunrise on the Reaping']]> /review/show/7437680437 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Erin gave 2 stars to Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) by Suzanne Collins
I really did not like this! I am going to come out and say that I think this was WORSE than Songbirds and Snakes, which I also didn’t particularly like, but it at least portrayed the Games at an interesting point in their history. Some of my meandering thoughts:

I just don’t think Haymitch’s story added any value to the original trilogy. Instead, it created huge, gaping plot holes for the original trilogy. [spoilers removed]

Details are revealed in this book that would fundamentally change how someone would view Haymitch’s relationship with Katniss, and in my opinion, that change is for the worse and also overly saccharine. (Speaking of overly saccharine� that epilogue.)

So. Much. Fanservice. Like, knock you over the head with fanservice. And I am seeing people squee over it so clearly it works for people but it soured me on the book. I don’t need to know [spoilers removed]

In fact, writing that out makes me realize that one of my big problems was that it just could not shake the Ghost of Katniss Future. Everything was hinting toward her eventually taking down the Capitol, which gives her a sort of Great Man status that feels antithetical to the original trilogy to me. The original trilogy makes it clear that Katniss is not special. She is a victim of the Games and the Capitol who did something that sparked something in people, and she’s a tool of the rebellion, but not a mastermind of it. But Sunrise ends on a note that’s like, “One day, the person we are waiting for will arrive and deliver us from this.�

Back to fanservice, let's talk about Effie. She shows up in a way that feels like an explicit nod to Haymitch/Effie shippers and her character is basically completely assassinated. [spoilers removed]

I also found the writing left something to be desired. Haymitch was kind of a dullard as a narrator, to the point where I was almost yearning for Snow’s sociopathy because at least that gave me something to react to. Every time he encountered something vaguely interesting he’d think “Lenore Dove once told me X.�

(Also, boo hiss Lenore Dove. It seemed like Collins wasn’t done with Lucy Gray so she plopped the same character in this book under a different name. But like, we are constantly told how much Haymitch loves Lenore Dove yet we don’t really see enough of them at the beginning that I was invested in them at all. I actually think it would have been fine for him to have a “girl back home,� but the book gives her ENTIRELY too much real estate. I was rolling my eyes basically every time she was mentioned.)

The prose itself had some real clunkers, especially the dialogue, and the pacing was all over the place. The first half was slooooow and when we finally got to the Games over halfway through the book, it felt very rushed and things happened so quickly that I was like “Wait, what?� And then it only got worse after the Games � we had a speedrun of “And then all these bad things happened and Haymitch became an alcoholic, The End.�

One of my big issues with the Game itself was how many [spoilers removed]

I’ve seen a lot of praise for the messaging around propaganda but to me it just felt like a retread of what was covered in Mockingjay, but less potent this time around, while equally being much more heavy-handed.

Speaking of heavy-handed, EDGAR ALLAN POE and DAVID HUME. I needed both of these elements to be taken down about twelve notches. We get it. THE RAVEN. IMPLICIT SUBMISSION.

Also it felt like a strange choice to me to put the burden of not submitting onto Haymitch, who is both the biggest victim and the person with the least power in this situation. Like we meet a gajillion people in the Capitol who that burden should fall on BEFORE it falls on Haymitch. And it all just felt very shoehorned in because Collins wanted to talk about David Hume.

I don’t know. I don’t think this book even remotely justified its existence. And even though the whole message of the first trilogy is like, “Wow isn’t it messed up that this society does child murder for entertainment?� the more of these prequel books we get, the more it feels like Collins is like, “Would you like a little more child murder? As a treat?� I just don’t think I’ll ever want any more books depicting another Hunger Games. It’s starting to feel like spectating something gruesome just for the sake of it. ]]> Comment288890585 Sat, 29 Mar 2025 17:04:47 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin commented on Hannah's review of Onyx Storm]]> /review/show/7445657234 Hannah's review of Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
by Rebecca Yarros

OMG you're so brave for reading past book one, I couldn't bring myself to read any of the sequels. ]]> Review7437680437 Sat, 29 Mar 2025 14:02:26 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin added 'Sunrise on the Reaping']]> /review/show/7437680437 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Erin gave 2 stars to Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) by Suzanne Collins
I really did not like this! I am going to come out and say that I think this was WORSE than Songbirds and Snakes, which I also didn’t particularly like, but it at least portrayed the Games at an interesting point in their history. Some of my meandering thoughts:

I just don’t think Haymitch’s story added any value to the original trilogy. Instead, it created huge, gaping plot holes for the original trilogy. [spoilers removed]

Details are revealed in this book that would fundamentally change how someone would view Haymitch’s relationship with Katniss, and in my opinion, that change is for the worse and also overly saccharine. (Speaking of overly saccharine� that epilogue.)

So. Much. Fanservice. Like, knock you over the head with fanservice. And I am seeing people squee over it so clearly it works for people but it soured me on the book. I don’t need to know [spoilers removed]

In fact, writing that out makes me realize that one of my big problems was that it just could not shake the Ghost of Katniss Future. Everything was hinting toward her eventually taking down the Capitol, which gives her a sort of Great Man status that feels antithetical to the original trilogy to me. The original trilogy makes it clear that Katniss is not special. She is a victim of the Games and the Capitol who did something that sparked something in people, and she’s a tool of the rebellion, but not a mastermind of it. But Sunrise ends on a note that’s like, “One day, the person we are waiting for will arrive and deliver us from this.�

Back to fanservice, let's talk about Effie. She shows up in a way that feels like an explicit nod to Haymitch/Effie shippers and her character is basically completely assassinated. [spoilers removed]

I also found the writing left something to be desired. Haymitch was kind of a dullard as a narrator, to the point where I was almost yearning for Snow’s sociopathy because at least that gave me something to react to. Every time he encountered something vaguely interesting he’d think “Lenore Dove once told me X.�

(Also, boo hiss Lenore Dove. It seemed like Collins wasn’t done with Lucy Gray so she plopped the same character in this book under a different name. But like, we are constantly told how much Haymitch loves Lenore Dove yet we don’t really see enough of them at the beginning that I was invested in them at all. I actually think it would have been fine for him to have a “girl back home,� but the book gives her ENTIRELY too much real estate. I was rolling my eyes basically every time she was mentioned.)

The prose itself had some real clunkers, especially the dialogue, and the pacing was all over the place. The first half was slooooow and when we finally got to the Games over halfway through the book, it felt very rushed and things happened so quickly that I was like “Wait, what?� And then it only got worse after the Games � we had a speedrun of “And then all these bad things happened and Haymitch became an alcoholic, The End.�

One of my big issues with the Game itself was how many [spoilers removed]

I’ve seen a lot of praise for the messaging around propaganda but to me it just felt like a retread of what was covered in Mockingjay, but less potent this time around, while equally being much more heavy-handed.

Speaking of heavy-handed, EDGAR ALLAN POE and DAVID HUME. I needed both of these elements to be taken down about twelve notches. We get it. THE RAVEN. IMPLICIT SUBMISSION.

Also it felt like a strange choice to me to put the burden of not submitting onto Haymitch, who is both the biggest victim and the person with the least power in this situation. Like we meet a gajillion people in the Capitol who that burden should fall on BEFORE it falls on Haymitch. And it all just felt very shoehorned in because Collins wanted to talk about David Hume.

I don’t know. I don’t think this book even remotely justified its existence. And even though the whole message of the first trilogy is like, “Wow isn’t it messed up that this society does child murder for entertainment?� the more of these prequel books we get, the more it feels like Collins is like, “Would you like a little more child murder? As a treat?� I just don’t think I’ll ever want any more books depicting another Hunger Games. It’s starting to feel like spectating something gruesome just for the sake of it. ]]> ReadStatus9243065838 Fri, 28 Mar 2025 13:00:56 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin is currently reading 'Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement']]> /review/show/7442859875 Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis Erin is currently reading Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis
]]> UserStatus1034363982 Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:12:37 -0700 <![CDATA[ Erin is on page 200 of 387 of Sunrise on the Reaping ]]> Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Erin is on page 200 of 387 of <a href="/book/show/214331246-sunrise-on-the-reaping">Sunrise on the Reaping</a>.
Erin wrote: I'm only halfway through but I already want it on the record that I think this book is very bad, AMA. ]]> ReadStatus9235672122 Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:09:57 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin is currently reading 'Sunrise on the Reaping']]> /review/show/7437680437 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Erin is currently reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
]]> Review7405816735 Sat, 15 Mar 2025 13:27:14 -0700 <![CDATA[Erin added 'Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism']]> /review/show/7405816735 Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams Erin gave 5 stars to Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism (Hardcover) by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Not sure if this book would have crossed my radar if it hadn't been for Meta's attempt to suppress it, but that alone made it a must read. A few of my takeaways:

Confirmed my previously held beliefs about Mark Zuckerberg being a giant adult baby.

Did not realize the extent to which Facebook has ALWAYS been entrenched with establishment Republicans.

Really good context about China and data privacy, especially in the wake of recent TikTok kerfuffles. There are much flashier stories about Zuckerberg and Sandberg but this was really the most shocking part of the book for me.

All in all, highly recommend. ]]>