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250 reviews
I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
(wip)
Not a single character would know common sense if it reared up and bit them in the ass. Alex has all the intellect of a dead goldfish, and for some reason the moment she stands out in public every man within 20 feet aggro on. her two diner friends—the only vaguely interesting characters in the book—are flat.
Not a single character would know common sense if it reared up and bit them in the ass. Alex has all the intellect of a dead goldfish, and for some reason the moment she stands out in public every man within 20 feet aggro on. her two diner friends—the only vaguely interesting characters in the book—are flat.
The prose is boring and basic and will on occasion slip from third to general you second, which is a pet peeve of mine.
The plot is both contrived and boring.
The setting is New York in the 2020s but it really shouldn’t be.
The only vaguely interesting sections are the dear constance letters and even those feel out of place. They’re not written like a person telling their story, they’re written like a novel or a short story, neither of which reads as believable in the context of being (supposedly) a letter.
Anyway. I need you not to read this and spend your time doing something else. I only finished this book because it was the only one thing on my phone during my commute (and my Netgalley score is already struggling).
Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin by Jaleigh Johnson
Read for work, will not be reviewing publicly.
We Kept Her in the Cellar by W. R. Gorman
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently. WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR ripped that slump to bloody little shreds.
Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)
From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second foot scene (yes, there are two) literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)
I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).
WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!
Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)
From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second foot scene (yes, there are two) literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)
I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).
WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, and Death
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
If the Channel Zero season "No End House" was your favorite, you NEED to read We Used to Live Here--both capture that consumptive liminal vibe!!
Ending Spoiler:
Sequel from Charlie's POV where she rescues Eve? Please?
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This review is based on an eARC received through Netgalley; all opinions are my own.
I love love LOOOOOVE horror that uses liminality and unreality as the keystones to build that horror. It's difficult to build that tension up while balancing along the line between too obvious and too subtle, but We Used to Live Here perfectly balances the two. We Used to Live Here also plays with form in a really fascinating way, switching between chapters from Eve's point of view and labeled documents consisting of everything from Wikipedia entries to interview transcripts to forum posts. (Also, I highly suggest taking notes as you read, paying special attention to the morse code and embedded messages. I used the Journal function on Storygraph and it made the reading experience so much fun!!)
I also loved the two main characters; Eve and Charlie are dear to my heart, joining the likes of Miri and Leah (Our Wives Under the Sea) and Monique (The Worm and His Kings) as my personally beloved horror lesbians. I read this on Netgalley but I really want a physical copy--it's going to be really hard to wait for the paperback for this one, but I think it will be very interesting to reread in a year or so and see what I missed on my first readthrough.
If the Channel Zero season "No End House" was your favorite, you NEED to read We Used to Live Here--both capture that consumptive liminal vibe!!
Ending Spoiler:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
The animal death is in relation to the implication that a character's childhood dog, specifically a Lab, had been put down, but the details are never mentioned, merely implied as well as a brief but explicit description of a character's memory of a dead bird (not a pet) .
The book deals heavily in themes of unreality.
Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this one a bit less than the first but GGG is still babygirl
Also I love Les and GGG’s dynamic, I love two characters who like. Genuinely like and care for one another and getting to see their dynamic change over time.
Also the narrator for the audiobook is fantastic, seriously, he did such an excellent job especially with the character voices
Also I love Les and GGG’s dynamic, I love two characters who like. Genuinely like and care for one another and getting to see their dynamic change over time.
Also the narrator for the audiobook is fantastic, seriously, he did such an excellent job especially with the character voices
Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How is Grimsby so pathetic wet cat coded? So babygirl? I want to put him in a terrarium
A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
This review is based on an e-ARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I am extremely picky about my romances, especially when they’re historical. A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence met my standards with flying colors and a wonderful main couple.
One of the things that often turns me off from queer historical romances is when they flatten out the very real complexities (both painful and beautiful) of the period they’re set in. In my opinion, A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence did a good job of balancing the tone between lighthearted while acknowledging the dangers and anxieties that surrounded being ‘unconventional.’
Additionally, both Jo and Emily felt like real people with real lives, concerns, and relationships that exist outside the context of their romantic entanglement rather than fading into the background and being forgotten. Jo has her marriage and her bookshop, while Emily has her career and her family.
I do wish we had gotten a little more from Jo’s side before and during herdecision to move out from her apartment. Her relationship with her husband felt a little underdeveloped when compared to Emily’s relationship with her father. I also wish that we had seen them both spend more time with Vanessa, rather than just being told that they had become friends or grew fond of her.
I don’t know if I’ll read the other books in this immediately (as this is the third installment), but I am interested in returning eventually. I really enjoyed Everlee’s handling of the setting and her character writing.
I am extremely picky about my romances, especially when they’re historical. A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence met my standards with flying colors and a wonderful main couple.
One of the things that often turns me off from queer historical romances is when they flatten out the very real complexities (both painful and beautiful) of the period they’re set in. In my opinion, A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence did a good job of balancing the tone between lighthearted while acknowledging the dangers and anxieties that surrounded being ‘unconventional.’
Additionally, both Jo and Emily felt like real people with real lives, concerns, and relationships that exist outside the context of their romantic entanglement rather than fading into the background and being forgotten. Jo has her marriage and her bookshop, while Emily has her career and her family.
I do wish we had gotten a little more from Jo’s side before and during her
I don’t know if I’ll read the other books in this immediately (as this is the third installment), but I am interested in returning eventually. I really enjoyed Everlee’s handling of the setting and her character writing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by Renee DiResta
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Disclaimers: This review is based on an advanced copy provided through Netgalley by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
As someone interested in the disinformation and propaganda campaigns occurring online, I was very excited to read this book. Having finished it, I am glad that I read it, primarily since there were several moments where I felt I was given language to articulate thoughts I already had about social media and the internet (primarily regarding my own interactions with it). However, as a whole, the book wasn't a terribly enjoyable read for me.
However, I feel the book format is actually quite ineffectual for this kind of discussion; my most common thought while reading was that it would be so much more effective as a piece of audio/visual media. The writing, too, didn't help. I found the style largely unengaging. Strangely enough, despite coming into the book already interested and highly invested in the topic, I had to force myself to finish reading because it was just such a slog to get through. I think one of the primary reasons for this is the structure of the book, which instead of focusing on specific actors or instances, it instead focuses on different elements of propaganda and bounces around narratives as it tries to explain it.
The only moments I found genuinely interesting or engaging were a few moments where DiResta expresses her own experiences or indulges in a bit of tongue-in-cheek dry humor. For example, the forward, when she talked about her involvement in pro-vaccine movements in her hometown as a young mother, or when she poked fun at Ali Alexander's involvement in Stop the Steal as "bravely live stream[ing] from a rooftop several blocks away once the violence started" (p. 169).
It's also interesting to see where the author's personal bias intersects with her criticism of certain figures. For example, while she did criticize Joe Rogan, her criticism of him was remarkably light considering... well, everything about him and his career.
Additionally, while she examined the propaganda efforts run by political organizations including the Russian government, Hamas, and Iran, she was curiously very vague about other government's propagana efforts (most notably, due to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, an bizarrely careful skirting of Israel's internet propaganda efforts both historically and present-day).
Finally, for a book subtitled "the people who turn lies into reality," there is remarkably little focus on actually analyzing or profiling specific propagandists (besides one or two DiResta has personal 'beef' with--'beef' which is perfectly understandable she has, considering it's mostly Taibbi). But still, it would have been nice if she had actully done deep dives into specific propagandists besides Taibbi.
These obvious glaring moments where DiResta handles certain actors with kid gloves, paired with the difficult-to-get-through writing and overall lack of in-depth analysis on specific actors, makes Invisible Rulers a book I just can't say I would recommend. While certain parts were interesting, the overall reading experience as a whole wasn't enjoyable or engaging.
If interested in modes of propaganda, misinformation, and recruitment for bespoke realities online, I'd personally recommend Caelan Conrad's videos (including their "Gender Critical" series and "The School Litterbox: Modern Urban Legend") as personal favorites.
As someone interested in the disinformation and propaganda campaigns occurring online, I was very excited to read this book. Having finished it, I am glad that I read it, primarily since there were several moments where I felt I was given language to articulate thoughts I already had about social media and the internet (primarily regarding my own interactions with it). However, as a whole, the book wasn't a terribly enjoyable read for me.
However, I feel the book format is actually quite ineffectual for this kind of discussion; my most common thought while reading was that it would be so much more effective as a piece of audio/visual media. The writing, too, didn't help. I found the style largely unengaging. Strangely enough, despite coming into the book already interested and highly invested in the topic, I had to force myself to finish reading because it was just such a slog to get through. I think one of the primary reasons for this is the structure of the book, which instead of focusing on specific actors or instances, it instead focuses on different elements of propaganda and bounces around narratives as it tries to explain it.
The only moments I found genuinely interesting or engaging were a few moments where DiResta expresses her own experiences or indulges in a bit of tongue-in-cheek dry humor. For example, the forward, when she talked about her involvement in pro-vaccine movements in her hometown as a young mother, or when she poked fun at Ali Alexander's involvement in Stop the Steal as "bravely live stream[ing] from a rooftop several blocks away once the violence started" (p. 169).
It's also interesting to see where the author's personal bias intersects with her criticism of certain figures. For example, while she did criticize Joe Rogan, her criticism of him was remarkably light considering... well, everything about him and his career.
Additionally, while she examined the propaganda efforts run by political organizations including the Russian government, Hamas, and Iran, she was curiously very vague about other government's propagana efforts (most notably, due to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, an bizarrely careful skirting of Israel's internet propaganda efforts both historically and present-day).
Finally, for a book subtitled "the people who turn lies into reality," there is remarkably little focus on actually analyzing or profiling specific propagandists (besides one or two DiResta has personal 'beef' with--'beef' which is perfectly understandable she has, considering it's mostly Taibbi). But still, it would have been nice if she had actully done deep dives into specific propagandists besides Taibbi.
These obvious glaring moments where DiResta handles certain actors with kid gloves, paired with the difficult-to-get-through writing and overall lack of in-depth analysis on specific actors, makes Invisible Rulers a book I just can't say I would recommend. While certain parts were interesting, the overall reading experience as a whole wasn't enjoyable or engaging.
If interested in modes of propaganda, misinformation, and recruitment for bespoke realities online, I'd personally recommend Caelan Conrad's videos (including their "Gender Critical" series and "The School Litterbox: Modern Urban Legend") as personal favorites.
The Trinity of Fundamentals by Wisam Rafeedie
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Read this book. NOW.