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analenegrace's reviews
447 reviews
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ST Gibson I love youuuu!
Somehow, I missed the release of this book, which was honestly embarrassing for me. As soon as I found out, I got the audiobook from my library and listened to it all in one day.
If you go into this expecting a fantasy novel with some romance on the side, you will be disappointed. This a polyamorous romance with a side of cool demon psychic aura reading tarot card magical fantasy. AND I LOVED IT!
Our three characters are all pretty complicated individuals, even Moira, who I need in ways that might not be good for feminism. Without each other, they are all unbalanced, but together, they and their magic work so much better.
I appreciated how the polyam was written in this book a lot. One of my goals for the year was to read more books with well-written polyam relationships that aren't just a man having sex with multiple women, and this was a perfect addition to my goal. Our characters have to learn to communicate with each other to reach their romantic and magical goals, and I found that really refreshing.
There are absolutely trigger warnings to be aware of with this book, including past parental abuse and alcoholism. David is the character dealing with both of these things and does relapse with alcohol once. I was super concerned when it happened, but Gibson dealt with it with the seriousness and care that I felt it needed.
I am thrilled for more of this series and these characters!
Somehow, I missed the release of this book, which was honestly embarrassing for me. As soon as I found out, I got the audiobook from my library and listened to it all in one day.
If you go into this expecting a fantasy novel with some romance on the side, you will be disappointed. This a polyamorous romance with a side of cool demon psychic aura reading tarot card magical fantasy. AND I LOVED IT!
Our three characters are all pretty complicated individuals, even Moira, who I need in ways that might not be good for feminism. Without each other, they are all unbalanced, but together, they and their magic work so much better.
I appreciated how the polyam was written in this book a lot. One of my goals for the year was to read more books with well-written polyam relationships that aren't just a man having sex with multiple women, and this was a perfect addition to my goal. Our characters have to learn to communicate with each other to reach their romantic and magical goals, and I found that really refreshing.
There are absolutely trigger warnings to be aware of with this book, including past parental abuse and alcoholism. David is the character dealing with both of these things and does relapse with alcohol once. I was super concerned when it happened, but Gibson dealt with it with the seriousness and care that I felt it needed.
I am thrilled for more of this series and these characters!
Exes & Foes by Amanda Woody
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!
This charming, fun, and fast-paced rom-com touched on some tough topics (definitely read the trigger warnings) while keeping a primarily light tone. I appreciated that the MCs had realistic relationships with their parents and had to come to accept that they did not deserve how they had been treated by their families.
I love the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, and I appreciated how the reflective chapters gave us a window into Caleb and Emma's past friendship so that we, as readers, could understand how they worked so well as friends. Their enemies-to-lovers journey was also dealt with very well, as they were forced to confront their problems and deal with them head-on.
The representation in this book was fairly well-written, although I find it frustrating when the MCs are white and have a diverse group of friends who are there to assist their journey. This book very much fell into that trope, which was probably the worst thing about it.
Some of the writing felt a bit dramatic, but I think that style will work well for actual teens reading this book because when you're a teen, you do feel like everything is the most dramatic thing happening.
This charming, fun, and fast-paced rom-com touched on some tough topics (definitely read the trigger warnings) while keeping a primarily light tone. I appreciated that the MCs had realistic relationships with their parents and had to come to accept that they did not deserve how they had been treated by their families.
I love the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, and I appreciated how the reflective chapters gave us a window into Caleb and Emma's past friendship so that we, as readers, could understand how they worked so well as friends. Their enemies-to-lovers journey was also dealt with very well, as they were forced to confront their problems and deal with them head-on.
The representation in this book was fairly well-written, although I find it frustrating when the MCs are white and have a diverse group of friends who are there to assist their journey. This book very much fell into that trope, which was probably the worst thing about it.
Some of the writing felt a bit dramatic, but I think that style will work well for actual teens reading this book because when you're a teen, you do feel like everything is the most dramatic thing happening.
Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
Leslie Jones is a top-tier comedian for me, so I was SO excited to listen to this audiobook, and it did NOT disappoint. Leslie clearly is going incredibly off-script from the book, and it sounded like we were talking or she was on stage or something. It was genuinely hilarious at times but, at other times, so emotional.
She doesn't pull any punches with this book. She tells her life just like she remembers it, and she has lived during some of the most interesting parts of the 20th and 21st centuries (like when she said she DID the LA riots, lol).
If you don't like vulgar humor and sex jokes, this is not for you, but it certainly was for me!
She doesn't pull any punches with this book. She tells her life just like she remembers it, and she has lived during some of the most interesting parts of the 20th and 21st centuries (like when she said she DID the LA riots, lol).
If you don't like vulgar humor and sex jokes, this is not for you, but it certainly was for me!
Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire by Alice Wong
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
Alice Wong is someone I look up to considerably as a disabled person living in the United States, so when her newest edited collection was released, I picked it up as soon as I could. Wong's collections have never failed to engage me and challenge me, but at times, feel embraced into the warm circle of the disability community.
It is currently disability pride month, July 2024, and disabled people around this country are experiencing ableism from every direction. This collection looks at intimacy from every direction and it was a super important read for right now. This collection provided me with so much language I didn't have to understand and explain topics around disability and particularly, disability justice. Many of these essays forced me to challenge my own internalized ableism and better understand the experiences of those with disabilities different from my own (I have fibromyalgia, which causes extreme chronic pain as well as degenerative knees, and multiple neurodivergencies, also PCOS....) and I even saw fibromyalgia more than once which almost made me cry because I felt so seen.
Wong's collections, and especially this one, are so intersectional, and it is so profoundly impactful to hear from those whose experiences I have not lived, particularly as a white cis woman who acknowledges my privileges.
I am deeply grateful for Alice Wong and her work and this collection, as well as to all of the writers who took their time and bodymind to contribute to this collection. As a note, my favorite of these essays was probably "many of whom have never been and are like me and feel alienated by it" Access Intimacy in Archives by Gracen Brilmyer. I have an MLIS, and archives/libraries hold a deep place in my heart, so this was a read that really connected with me, among MANY others.
I cannot recommend this more. If it makes you uncomfortable, keep going and keep reading. That is necessary for understanding the disability community's struggles and disability justice.
It is currently disability pride month, July 2024, and disabled people around this country are experiencing ableism from every direction. This collection looks at intimacy from every direction and it was a super important read for right now. This collection provided me with so much language I didn't have to understand and explain topics around disability and particularly, disability justice. Many of these essays forced me to challenge my own internalized ableism and better understand the experiences of those with disabilities different from my own (I have fibromyalgia, which causes extreme chronic pain as well as degenerative knees, and multiple neurodivergencies, also PCOS....) and I even saw fibromyalgia more than once which almost made me cry because I felt so seen.
Wong's collections, and especially this one, are so intersectional, and it is so profoundly impactful to hear from those whose experiences I have not lived, particularly as a white cis woman who acknowledges my privileges.
I am deeply grateful for Alice Wong and her work and this collection, as well as to all of the writers who took their time and bodymind to contribute to this collection. As a note, my favorite of these essays was probably "many of whom have never been and are like me and feel alienated by it" Access Intimacy in Archives by Gracen Brilmyer. I have an MLIS, and archives/libraries hold a deep place in my heart, so this was a read that really connected with me, among MANY others.
I cannot recommend this more. If it makes you uncomfortable, keep going and keep reading. That is necessary for understanding the disability community's struggles and disability justice.
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Brynne Weaver is actually insane, and I'm kinda obsessed with whatever tf is wrong with her brain. This book was better written but maybe crazier than the first one. Honestly, dark romance isn't my thing, but these are silly in a way that's hard to explain and makes them readable. It does help that most of the killing is people who deserve it.
I can't wait for the one without any known serial killers to see how they inevitably become serial killers.
I can't wait for the one without any known serial killers to see how they inevitably become serial killers.
The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
I genuinely hate the "you've got mail trope" when one person knows and this was already making me angry because starting off on a lie of omission like this is so horrible, especially when the MMC is dealing with so much emotional trauma that SHE KNOWS ABOUT.... BOOOOOO to this book
You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Another fantastic Timothy Janovsky!
Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.
I really enjoyed this super fast-paced romance! While there is a non-romance subplot, it's fairly low stakes, and the story is much more focused on the new neurodivergent MCs finding love and what they want out of life. OCD and Anxiety can be tricky things to write, and as someone who has both, I think Janovsky nailed both. Rather than making these things the characters' main struggle, both are medicated and instead, their respective divergencies are part of their whole character and are respected by their partner.
The romance was very fluffy and nailed many fun tropes, such as grumpy sunshine, friends with benefits, and miscommunication, which is an especially hard trope to write. The characters have a lot of scenes, so we see them fall for each other, even with the bit of instant attraction they both have. The sex in this book was well-written, taking into account both their OCD and anxiety, particularly with Greg's medication causing erectile dysfunction, how Julian accepted and worked with it, and how Greg understood Julian's OCD and general need for certain things before sex.
My major criticism of this book was how time passed; I didn't realize six months had passed until they told me, and I was shocked because it felt more like weeks. It could have been a little longer to flesh out the romance, but I understand it's a harlequin book, so this is its desired length.
Janovsky is one of my must-read romance authors, and so this was another great one from him!
Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.
I really enjoyed this super fast-paced romance! While there is a non-romance subplot, it's fairly low stakes, and the story is much more focused on the new neurodivergent MCs finding love and what they want out of life. OCD and Anxiety can be tricky things to write, and as someone who has both, I think Janovsky nailed both. Rather than making these things the characters' main struggle, both are medicated and instead, their respective divergencies are part of their whole character and are respected by their partner.
The romance was very fluffy and nailed many fun tropes, such as grumpy sunshine, friends with benefits, and miscommunication, which is an especially hard trope to write. The characters have a lot of scenes, so we see them fall for each other, even with the bit of instant attraction they both have. The sex in this book was well-written, taking into account both their OCD and anxiety, particularly with Greg's medication causing erectile dysfunction, how Julian accepted and worked with it, and how Greg understood Julian's OCD and general need for certain things before sex.
My major criticism of this book was how time passed; I didn't realize six months had passed until they told me, and I was shocked because it felt more like weeks. It could have been a little longer to flesh out the romance, but I understand it's a harlequin book, so this is its desired length.
Janovsky is one of my must-read romance authors, and so this was another great one from him!
Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a cute little romance and a speedy, easy read! I really enjoyed this book's easygoing, fast-paced nature. It was not inventive in its genre, but it was enjoyable!
I'm from New Orleans, and that aspect was quite funny; it was clearly written by someone who's been here but not for long. Things felt somewhat right, but also I was a little lost in the placement of everything.
The central romance was really cute to me, and I was surprised to see other people thinking they didn't have chemistry. I thought their romance was charming.
My only concern with this book was similar to everyone else, and that was the MC including trans men in her lesbianism; if our MC had been open to exploring outside of being a lesbian, that would have been one thing, but my including trans men, she others them in a way I found odd.
Otherwise, this was cute and fun but nothing unique.
I'm from New Orleans, and that aspect was quite funny; it was clearly written by someone who's been here but not for long. Things felt somewhat right, but also I was a little lost in the placement of everything.
The central romance was really cute to me, and I was surprised to see other people thinking they didn't have chemistry. I thought their romance was charming.
My only concern with this book was similar to everyone else, and that was the MC including trans men in her lesbianism; if our MC had been open to exploring outside of being a lesbian, that would have been one thing, but my including trans men, she others them in a way I found odd.
Otherwise, this was cute and fun but nothing unique.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read for the July meeting of the Book Easy Club in New Orleans, LA.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! It was so easy to read and had me laughing and giggling for most of the book. The way the book is written feels like a friend telling you a story she hasn't really told anyone before. Rachel, as our narrator, smoothly switches back and forth between her past and present, making this book fly by and almost impossible to put down.
Plot-wise, I found this book super compelling because it looks into a complicated period of two peoples' lives and the 2010s Ireland/Cork college experience. Rachel's experience, particularly withabortion , is a complex and heartbreaking thing that so many women in Ireland at the time dealt with.
Rachel and James were the type of college best friends who would be fun to hang out with for a little bit but also were kind of the worst, and it felt very realistic. I liked seeing the two of them grow from their co-dependent friendship into a more adult friendship.
Romantic relationships in this book felt super well-represented as complicated, unique, and difficult.
This is a coming-of-age story at its heart, and I thought it was fantastic!
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! It was so easy to read and had me laughing and giggling for most of the book. The way the book is written feels like a friend telling you a story she hasn't really told anyone before. Rachel, as our narrator, smoothly switches back and forth between her past and present, making this book fly by and almost impossible to put down.
Plot-wise, I found this book super compelling because it looks into a complicated period of two peoples' lives and the 2010s Ireland/Cork college experience. Rachel's experience, particularly with
Rachel and James were the type of college best friends who would be fun to hang out with for a little bit but also were kind of the worst, and it felt very realistic. I liked seeing the two of them grow from their co-dependent friendship into a more adult friendship.
Romantic relationships in this book felt super well-represented as complicated, unique, and difficult.
This is a coming-of-age story at its heart, and I thought it was fantastic!
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
I really wanted to enjoy this but I feel like this is for people who both don't know anything about the complicated relationship between jewish people and black people and also like lit fic where things just happen one after another in a place and I am simply neither of those things as a Jewish person who like history and also a genre fiction reader