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shereadytoread's reviews
742 reviews
The Devourer by Alison Ames
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This horror fantasy was an interesting adventure. The main character is hell-bent on revenge and has to deal with the consequences of her obsession. I thought the romance aspect would play a larger role, but it's more a throwaway than anything. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and thought that the creature design was incredibly unique. I am not a pirate book girl but I really enjoyed this one.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ARC and eARC from the publisher.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ARC and eARC from the publisher.
Knot So Lucky by Trilina Pucci
2.75
This is a high spice, low plot MMMF book. If that's what you're looking for, it'll probably be 5 stars for you. There is tons of dirty talk and lots of situations that don't make sense. My biggest issue was the MMC is constantly pretty rude to the FMC. I think it's supposed to read as flirting but it just seems rough. I disliked the MMC for most of the book, which really stopped me from enjoying it much. I had plan to read all three books in this series but I don't know I would keep going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit
Losing Sight by Tati Richardson
emotional
funny
medium-paced
4.5
I adored this romance! It's a romcom about accepting changes in your life, letting go of grief and making space for new possibilities (with magic realism). It follows a recently pushed aside sports reporter who is struggling to see, forced to visit a (hot) optometrist. It gave some beautiful nods to ancestor traditions and supportive friendships, in addition to the main romance. The couple's banter was cute and humorous, but the emotional depth was heartwarming. I thought the two narrators were great (audio). The dual POVs were equally fleshed out characters.
The only thing that stopped this from being a 5 star read was that during the "difficulties" of the relationship, I think the MMC came off as a bit impulsive and hurtful, which wasn't addressed as well as I would
Disclosure: I received an ALC of this book from spotify.
The only thing that stopped this from being a 5 star read was that during the "difficulties" of the relationship, I think the MMC came off as a bit impulsive and hurtful, which wasn't addressed as well as I would
Disclosure: I received an ALC of this book from spotify.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Madam President by Desiree Francies
emotional
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Heh maybe there's some catharsis about a group of black women plotting to steal the election? Some of the "history" speeches got a bit repetitive and I think overstated the paradox of black identity and "patriotism" in America. Sometimes I need an author to trust the reader enough to not have to fully repeat something as much. This is classified as a romance but the romance itself didn't feel vital to the plot. It felt more along the lines of romantic suspense or women's fiction. However, I am excited to check out the second book!
Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology by Vania Stoyanova, Rosiee Thor
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This was such a unique take on the alien invasion story. This diverse anthology splits a single accidental alien invasion into one flowing plot with each individual story written by a different author. The stories lean toward romance and coming of age stories. It explores a variety of identities and even different locations around the country.
The collection is a mix of heartwarming and humorous. The characters find themselves in odd situations with a lot of fish out of water humor. In some stories the aliens are the focus, some the humans experiencing the alien invasion are the focus, and some are a mix of the two. While the stories were all different and written by different authors, I think they were able to align their writing styles in a way that flowed really well. I have read some of the authors before and some I have not, but everything matched up really well.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I also pre-ordered my own copy (support indie bookstores!).
The collection is a mix of heartwarming and humorous. The characters find themselves in odd situations with a lot of fish out of water humor. In some stories the aliens are the focus, some the humans experiencing the alien invasion are the focus, and some are a mix of the two. While the stories were all different and written by different authors, I think they were able to align their writing styles in a way that flowed really well. I have read some of the authors before and some I have not, but everything matched up really well.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I also pre-ordered my own copy (support indie bookstores!).
River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book was an interesting bend on the mystery thriller. It includes a lot of cultural and supernatural elements. The book plays into the trope of an unreliable narrator, but it is mostly in the way of her discovering events from the past (prior to the events of the book) that she doesn't remember, and not really whether her perception is true of what is happening now. The author's attempt to humanize mental illness and choices that the reader may not agree with, lands in some ways but in other ways does not (for me).
I thought the mystery portion was pretty interesting a couple of the twists were predictable but I still enjoyed following the story. This was a book with a good variety of female characters that made both positive and negative impacts/choices. Some of the supernatural elements felt a bit forced.
I thought the mystery portion was pretty interesting a couple of the twists were predictable but I still enjoyed following the story. This was a book with a good variety of female characters that made both positive and negative impacts/choices. Some of the supernatural elements felt a bit forced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
tense
2.0
I didn't really enjoy this one. I liked the premise and some of the moments were interesting but there was a lot I would have needed to make this an exciting read. I almost DNFed it at a few points. This is most vignettes with a couple ongoing plot lines throughout the book.
The chapters felt very disjointed, even the chapters that formed an ongoing storyline. It is listed as a horror book, but I didn't really get that sense. If anything it felt like an attempt at a tense Literary Fiction or just general fiction? I don't know what I would call it, but I wouldn't call it horror.
The chapters felt very disjointed, even the chapters that formed an ongoing storyline. It is listed as a horror book, but I didn't really get that sense. If anything it felt like an attempt at a tense Literary Fiction or just general fiction? I don't know what I would call it, but I wouldn't call it horror.
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Yes. Yes. Yes. This is everything I want from a funny and spicy monster romance. I stayed up late on a work night to finish this and I'm 90% sure I will be rereading this within a few months. This book I think was a big improvement from the Mead Mishaps series (which I also enjoyed).
The main character is a niche type of capable that fits into the story without making it seem over the top. There is a lot of variety in the creatures and world-building. There is a good amount of action but it still feels low stakes and not stressful. The situations are humorous and the adventure is fun. I enjoyed the banter between the main characters and some of the tension and conflict. This book had a good balance and variety in the spicy scenes that flowed well with the rest of the plot. There are both MF and MMF scenes.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
The main character is a niche type of capable that fits into the story without making it seem over the top. There is a lot of variety in the creatures and world-building. There is a good amount of action but it still feels low stakes and not stressful. The situations are humorous and the adventure is fun. I enjoyed the banter between the main characters and some of the tension and conflict. This book had a good balance and variety in the spicy scenes that flowed well with the rest of the plot. There are both MF and MMF scenes.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
Haunted World: 101 Ghostly Places and Encounters (with a Foreword by Loyd Auerbach) by Theresa Cheung
informative
3.75
This is a book that focuses not just on paranormal occurrences but also the science behind it and the study of parapsychology. If you are a frequent reader of the paranormal, you may know a lot of these but there are probably a good amount that you have not heard of as well as some deeper perspectives on the more commonly known hauntings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a claustrophobic, haunting, gory, horror novel. This book explores anti-Asian hate and hate crimes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic using both crimes in NYC and the traditions of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Cora is a character dealing with her own anxiety, obsessions, and compulsions related to cleanliness, trying to grieve her sister, managing complicated family relationships due to her multicultural background, and working her job as a crime scene cleaner.
While the book is heavy both in theme and content, there are some light moments and the book sprinkles in moments of humor well. This book is squarely horrific, both with the imagery of the ghosts and killings, but also the reflection on racism and isolation. The inclusion of the lighter moments gives some reprieve from the dread of the story, without completely taking you out of the plot.
I found the plot really interesting. However, it also has a distinct three act structure where the plot specifically shifts. It's a little jarring, but Cora's internal musings do manage to keep the story moving along without feeling complete disjointed.
Disclosure: I received an ARC and eARC of this book from the publisher.
Cora is a character dealing with her own anxiety, obsessions, and compulsions related to cleanliness, trying to grieve her sister, managing complicated family relationships due to her multicultural background, and working her job as a crime scene cleaner.
While the book is heavy both in theme and content, there are some light moments and the book sprinkles in moments of humor well. This book is squarely horrific, both with the imagery of the ghosts and killings, but also the reflection on racism and isolation. The inclusion of the lighter moments gives some reprieve from the dread of the story, without completely taking you out of the plot.
I found the plot really interesting. However, it also has a distinct three act structure where the plot specifically shifts. It's a little jarring, but Cora's internal musings do manage to keep the story moving along without feeling complete disjointed.
Disclosure: I received an ARC and eARC of this book from the publisher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment