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xangemtheelibrarian's reviews
751 reviews
Tentacles and Teeth by Rowan Merrick
emotional
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Yep. This is my shit. And this was also so surprisingly wholesome! I would have really liked to have seen more backstory from Katarina. Clearly she was raised to believe poly is wrong, but she only deals with the shame over her interests for maybe two seconds before it isn't mentioned again.
That's all I gotta say about this book. It really speaks for itself.
That's all I gotta say about this book. It really speaks for itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Spider-Man Noir: Twilight in Babylon by Margaret Stohl
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This Spider-noir feels quite a bit different from the OG Spider-noir I just read, but still a really cool spider-man! I liked the art style in this graphic novel and the update to Spidey's wardrobe. Every time a character appeared that I recognized, I got so excited!
Jingle His Bells: An Ex-Boyfriends Brother, Christmas Romance (Club Red: Chicago) by Kaci Rose
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I got this as a blind date with a book purchase off the TokShop, so I went into this novella blind.
I mean. It wasn't horrible. It was pretty bland but a fast read. This plot shouldn't have been a novella, but would have benefitted from being fully fleshed out as a novel just because of the kind of conflict that comes from dating your ex's older brother after your ex brings his new fling home. The BDSM club scenes were also written in such a way that I felt like the author had a clear picture in their head of what was happening, but failed to communicate to the reader what was happening. It was all pretty vague, pretty rushed, pretty bland. I did appreciate how much emphasis this author put on consent and aftercare during the spicy scenes though.
I mean. It wasn't horrible. It was pretty bland but a fast read. This plot shouldn't have been a novella, but would have benefitted from being fully fleshed out as a novel just because of the kind of conflict that comes from dating your ex's older brother after your ex brings his new fling home. The BDSM club scenes were also written in such a way that I felt like the author had a clear picture in their head of what was happening, but failed to communicate to the reader what was happening. It was all pretty vague, pretty rushed, pretty bland. I did appreciate how much emphasis this author put on consent and aftercare during the spicy scenes though.
Spider-Man Noir: The Complete Collection by Paco Díaz, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Roger Stern, David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, Bob McLeod, Richard Isanove
challenging
dark
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? No
4.0
I don't read very many Marvel or DC comics. I find it intimidating to try and figure out where to jump in to understand the storyline, and there's so MUCH out there to read.
This was recommended by a friend, and hey I'm glad I actually listened to a rec for once! I thought that the ways Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and other familiar villains were portrayed in this Spidey universe. It was fun to read. But oof that eugenics arc gave so much ick 🤢
This was recommended by a friend, and hey I'm glad I actually listened to a rec for once! I thought that the ways Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and other familiar villains were portrayed in this Spidey universe. It was fun to read. But oof that eugenics arc gave so much ick 🤢
The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
This was absolutely beautiful. I wish Hadley could have helped my dad when he was in hospice. For those of you who have lived through watching your loved ones deteriorate until they are gone, this book might hurt. The very first story Hadley tells broke me. It was the *first story.*
The remaining stories left me emotional in some way or another, but really understanding what this book was going to be hit me at the end of Glenda's story. I know I picked this book up knowing it was about death and hospice, but knowing didn't stop how much that first story hurt.
I never once thought I needed to put this book down though because Hadley did such a wonderful job writing something so beautiful. We all have questions about death and what's beyond. We won't ever know if there is something or not until we experience it ourselves. But as Hadley said herself: it isn't really what you believe that matters so much in the end, it's how you chose to live and whether you are able to make peace with the choices you made up to that point.
The remaining stories left me emotional in some way or another, but really understanding what this book was going to be hit me at the end of Glenda's story. I know I picked this book up knowing it was about death and hospice, but knowing didn't stop how much that first story hurt.
I never once thought I needed to put this book down though because Hadley did such a wonderful job writing something so beautiful. We all have questions about death and what's beyond. We won't ever know if there is something or not until we experience it ourselves. But as Hadley said herself: it isn't really what you believe that matters so much in the end, it's how you chose to live and whether you are able to make peace with the choices you made up to that point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide
They Threw Us Away by Daniel Kraus
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I... I just couldn't get over how Sugar's silly behavior is all because of her head injury. No one else seems to be bothered, so it's probably just a me thing, but it was giving some serious ick.
All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
This is a work of art. A powerful testimony to the internalized guilt and fear victims of sexual assault and rape face when they decide to speak up against their abusers. Amina is a character that is so easy to sympathize with. Her experience feels so real, and for good reason. The author notes in the back that she wrote this novel in verse as "first and foremost a hug to survivors like my younger self."
There aren't many stories in this world nowadays that move me like this one has. I think the last (currently published 😉) book that made me cry like this was The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy. I will be purchasing a personal copy because I'm finding I dont want to return this one to the library. I want to highlight all my favorite parts. I want to keep this for anyone else who might need it someday.
This story is a terrible tragedy, but it is so full of hope, courage, and strength. Amina is an overcomer. 🦋
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I never wanted to be the back that carries a movement.
Never wanted to be the megaphone
that amplifies the survivor's song.
All I wanted was a listening ear,
willing to understand my story for what it is,
and not what people think it should be.
Someone willing to hear my story,
and love me,
Anyway.
- Mina, pg. 272
This is a work of art. A powerful testimony to the internalized guilt and fear victims of sexual assault and rape face when they decide to speak up against their abusers. Amina is a character that is so easy to sympathize with. Her experience feels so real, and for good reason. The author notes in the back that she wrote this novel in verse as "first and foremost a hug to survivors like my younger self."
There aren't many stories in this world nowadays that move me like this one has. I think the last (currently published 😉) book that made me cry like this was The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy. I will be purchasing a personal copy because I'm finding I dont want to return this one to the library. I want to highlight all my favorite parts. I want to keep this for anyone else who might need it someday.
This story is a terrible tragedy, but it is so full of hope, courage, and strength. Amina is an overcomer. 🦋
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War
Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes by Sonia Patel, Anna Drury, Karen Jialu Bao, Rocky Callen, Val Howlett, Mercedes Acosta, Nikki Grimes, Alechia Dow, Ebony Stewart, Patrick Downes, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Francisco X. Stork, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Isabel Quintero, James Bird, Marcella Pixley
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
"We Are Stardust," "The Call: a One-Act Play," and" Spidey Sense" were my top three stories in this collection. We Are Stardust has to be my ultimate favorite though, because it just resonated with me.
This collection is such an eye-opener. It's a candid discussion about the experiences of those struggling with their mental health. I felt for so many of these characters. I felt seen through some of them. And other characters revealed mental health struggles I didn't even know were a thing! So many of the authors put themselves and their own personal experiences into these stories. It just feels so authentic.
And the cherry on top has got to be the fact that so many of the stories had a magical spin to them, of they weren't straight up fantasy.
Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of each story. I'm not kidding when I say this collection is a candid look at mental health. The thoughts, feelings, and traumatic experiences of these characters can be very triggering. The authors do not sugarcoat what they discuss.
This collection is such an eye-opener. It's a candid discussion about the experiences of those struggling with their mental health. I felt for so many of these characters. I felt seen through some of them. And other characters revealed mental health struggles I didn't even know were a thing! So many of the authors put themselves and their own personal experiences into these stories. It just feels so authentic.
And the cherry on top has got to be the fact that so many of the stories had a magical spin to them, of they weren't straight up fantasy.
Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of each story. I'm not kidding when I say this collection is a candid look at mental health. The thoughts, feelings, and traumatic experiences of these characters can be very triggering. The authors do not sugarcoat what they discuss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Seduced by the Swamp Creature by Ivanna Schloppykoch
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I mean. It's 60 pages. It's a short story where girl meets monster. They bang. Monster turns out to be more human the the human love interest.
Honestly though, this lil short story is really lightherted and sweet. You've got consent throughout. And the town doesn't even blink an eye at the fact that Darla Jean fell in love with the swamp monster.
Honestly though, this lil short story is really lightherted and sweet. You've got consent throughout. And the town doesn't even blink an eye at the fact that Darla Jean fell in love with the swamp monster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence
All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This was such an informative and thorough look at the death industry. I shudder to describe this part of our lives an "industry," but that's what it is. It's what I felt when my mother dragged me around to funeral homes to plan my dad's funeral.
I began to get curious about death and medicine when my dad was put on hospice. My mother begged me to not read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty because one chapter described the process of embalming. I read only that one chapter out of spite because I was an adult and she couldn't control what I decided to read. I'm still glad I did read that chapter.
I tell that story because if you're like me, knowing is what brings you comfort. Solving the mystery. Being able to understand the processes that happen behind the scenes. Death is one of the things that society deems taboo to be curious about. Which is so stupid because death is a part of every single life that will ever come to exist.
I'm so grateful for Campbell. I'm grateful for her attention to detail and her ability to talk about this "taboo" subject. I'm grateful for the way she talked about how encountering death over and over and over again changed her. Her journey to write this book impacted her in the same way that first responders and medical personnel are affected by the tragedies they face daily. And inexplicably, I felt closer to my dad while listening to this book.
Maybe someday I will have the courage to try to meet death the same way Hayley Campbell has in this book. Maybe this is the closest I will get until my body dies. But either way knowledge is power and solace in a person like me, who is terrified of the unknown more than anything else.
I began to get curious about death and medicine when my dad was put on hospice. My mother begged me to not read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty because one chapter described the process of embalming. I read only that one chapter out of spite because I was an adult and she couldn't control what I decided to read. I'm still glad I did read that chapter.
I tell that story because if you're like me, knowing is what brings you comfort. Solving the mystery. Being able to understand the processes that happen behind the scenes. Death is one of the things that society deems taboo to be curious about. Which is so stupid because death is a part of every single life that will ever come to exist.
I'm so grateful for Campbell. I'm grateful for her attention to detail and her ability to talk about this "taboo" subject. I'm grateful for the way she talked about how encountering death over and over and over again changed her. Her journey to write this book impacted her in the same way that first responders and medical personnel are affected by the tragedies they face daily. And inexplicably, I felt closer to my dad while listening to this book.
Maybe someday I will have the courage to try to meet death the same way Hayley Campbell has in this book. Maybe this is the closest I will get until my body dies. But either way knowledge is power and solace in a person like me, who is terrified of the unknown more than anything else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Medical content
Specifically, the things that hurt this author the most was seeing a dead baby. If that's a trigger for you, consider the strength you have to tackle a book that does not mince words about autopsies and death.