#4 to 4.75 star reviews

[oriolespeaking]

Pennyblade by J.L. Worrad

Rating: 4.25 double takes out of 5

Recommended to people who like their main characters to be far from perfect (Kyra is cool but kind of icky -- though not quite sleazy?) and can say, "Oookay, that's alarming, but let's see where they take this." This book has a strong cast of assholes tossed into a pot and forced to work together, which was refreshing after seeing every other SFF book on the shelf described as cozy.

Synopsis:

Kyra Cal’Adra has spent the last four years on the Main, living in exile from her home, her people, her lover and her past. A highblood commrach – the ancient race of the Isle, dedicated to tradition and the perfection of the blood – she’s welcome among the humans of the Main only for the skill of her rapier, her preternatural bladework. When a simple contract goes awry, and her fellow pennyblades betray her, Kyra is set onto a collision course with her old life, and the age-old conflict between the Main and the Isle threatens to erupt once more.

Review under the cut! Gets long, rambly, and more analytical than usual because I've got one hand on a fruity little alcoholic beverage and the other hand on the keyboard

For all that this book has a pretty typical plot (get a gang together and defeat the big bad), I found it to be such a breath of fresh air. Worrad is not afraid of making the reader really dislike the main protagonist (Kyra) -- she's rude, self-serving, pushes boundaries, and definitely not trying to make any friends. And those qualities actually make her quite compelling! She doesn't feel generic in any way.

There are quite a few topics in this book that made me wary of where the plot was going, though I think they were eventually handled fairly well. For example, The Isle (the land which Kyra and other Commrach hail from) is built around "perfecting the blood" through good breeding, i.e. eugenics. While at first Kyra seems rather indifferent and even supportive of the practice, the reader gets to see eventually that the injustice of a socially (and to some extent, biologically [heats]) enforced breeding system is integral to her backstory. That injustice does find emphasis in many parts of the story, even through Kyra's very privileged point of view, which was a good way of showing that injustice affects all people in some way or another. Still, the fact that she grew up in a eugenicist society shows quite clearly when she describes other characters that do not conform to the "perfect Commrach" mold: rampant fatphobia, some ableism, negative or highly sexual descriptions of non-androgynous features. So, while Kyra doesn't like the breeding system, it has definitely left a mark on the way she thinks about people, and that doesn't really change as the story progresses. While this definitely does not endear her to readers, it makes her a convincing character.

[Spoilers ahoy in the next few paragraphs. Thoughts are disjointed because I'm a little tipsy as I write this part of the review.]

Kyra and Vulnerability: Kyra resists opening herself up to others at almost every turn. Her emotions and ambitions have always come second to those of her grandmother, and the needs of Commrach society as a whole. When Kyra opens herself up in the past timeline, that vulnerability is always ultimately betrayed. First, during the heat season in Corso: Shen joyfully engages in the heat orgy (which, wow, didn't expect to see that!) with multiple partners, a biological impulse from which Kyra is ultimately alienated, as her twin status somehow biologically exempts her from the same sexual/mating instincts. While it's clear Kyra understands that it's not entirely something Shen can control, it's clear that Shen's "denying [Kyra] her eyes" during the orgy makes Kyra feel entirely alone, especially since she almost got beaten to death right across the room (287). Second, when her love and concern for her brother is utilized so that he can help their grandmother trick her into separating from Shen, leaving Shen to decide between widespread bloodshed and a mind-killing matrimonial chain that will effectively numb her to love.

Throughout the present-day timeline, we see Kyra refuse to get attached to anyone, often reactively drawing lines between herself and the group, often utilizing her Commrach otherness to do so, even as it becomes increasingly obvious that she doesn't think much of Commrach society. It isn't until the end that we get Kyra recognizing Nail as anything but a monstrosity and earnestly debating with Sister Benedetta (without walking back her sincerity in those debates). Shortbeard...doesn't really change in Kyra's POV, but he's easier to like by the end of the book in a "Oh, that rascal," kind of way.

Other Characters: All of the side characters (Sister Benedetta, Nail the half-Commrach/caliban, and Shortleg the traitorous coward) serve interesting thematic purposes. Shortleg and Nail seem to both be different "versions" of Kyra. Shortleg is at the surface most similar to Kyra (very interesting, considering Kyra's a young woman and Shortleg is an older man)-- both pennyblades, both self-motivated, both rude, both disrespectful womanizers. But he is the more extreme version of the character, as he betrays or otherwise tricks Kyra both at the beginning and end of the book so he can steal her share of their profits, and has no compunctions about treating roadwomen/prostitutes in ways they don't like. On the other hand, Nail the half-Commrach despises Commrach culture, but is the physical ideal of a Commrach. He was forced into church labor after being caught doing Homosexual Activities with a prostitute, and is thusly trapped by human religious law. He is a direct mirror of Kyra, and persistently sabotages her friendship with Sister Benedetta (if you can call it a friendship...) to isolate her, just as Kyra constantly talks herself out of becoming vulnerable to another woman. Sister Benedetta herself is a foil to Kyra's past timeline self; she operates within a system (the Church) that has given her power and influence, but flouts the parts of that system that require her obedience and submission. By the end of the story, it feels like Benedetta is well on her way to exiting that system, or at least subverting it. This was a very well-crafted cast, all playing off of some aspect of past/present/future Kyra. While they were similar in a lot of ways, their interactions actually helped differentiate Kyra's current self, who she might want to be (a.k.a. not Shortleg), and the parts of herself that she didn't like.

Setting / Narrative Structure: The present timeline has a human -> Commrach trajectory, with the Kyra starting deep in human territory (small stereotypically backwater human village), going even deeper (convent/religious girls' reformatory), and then picking up more signs of Commrach society as the narrative progresses (goat idol -> Emme the prostitute who knows how to "play" with Commrach girls in heat -> Nail -> Shen's father -> Rosho estate). The past timeline contrasts as Kyra's individual beliefs and state of mind move further from Commrach ideals. Kyra's meteoric rise in political and social value within Commrach high society alienates her from the personal relationships she values most (her brother, who is jealous of her and resents her flouting her marriage/taking his political cache within the family; Shen, who didn't want to compete with Kyra's political ambitions, and who chose broker peace by getting a fantasy lobotomy marriage). The past and present have opposite/crossing trajectories (chiasm) and I really fuck with that story structure. That structure, combined with the second person references to Shen, make me wonder if Worrad took direct influence from N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy. This is also the second book I've read recently with second person references where that second person ("you") turns out to be a primary antagonist (spoiler: the other one is Metal from Heaven), but somehow second person identity reveals still aren't stale to me. I love it every time.

Buildup: Shen's climactic reveal as the villain was stunted by ineffective foreshadowing. I think the best lead-up was when, in the past timeline, Shen said she'd like to wear the fomolg mask, though that was very unsubtle. Other pieces of foreshadowing, such as the little goat idol and the symbol on Kyran's shirt, didn't have enough context from the past timeline to feel like anything other than red herrings or directionless clues. They felt more like creepy set-dressing than clues. I'm conflicted about the way that the terror-masks and dread-masks were incorporated in the story. They're used multiple times (the war games, the play, the heat orgy), so their power is well-established, and it ties into Kyra's assertion that what seems "ineffable" must have an explanation, but the masks' role in the rope-face incidents still felt like an unsatisfactory cop-out. The extent to which Shen and the Roshos were able to manipulate the fear-response into such a cohesive and repeatable phenomenon didn't feel believable.

All this being said, the ending was emotionally satisfying in that Shen acknowledges there is an emotional gap where her love used to be, and I do love a villain that does all the villainy because of love. Shen dying did make me tear up a little, so there was absolutely catharsis with respect to Shen's emotional "abandonment" of Kyra, and the ways that even the openly-sex-positive/non-homophobic Commrach culture punishes queerness through its pursuit of perfection.

Worldbuilding: It feels like Worrad often uses shock-factor worldbuilding as a way of scaring off readers (kind of like rent-lowering gunshots, including one that almost made me DNF 40 pages in) interspersed with otherwise generic worldbuilding. It got a raised eyebrow out of me a few times, but there are times when the shock factor scenes raise questions I'm not sure Worrad intended the reader (me) to ask. For example, the Commrach attitudes towards sex, kink, and incest are at best varied/situation-dependent and at worst entirely inconsistent even just from Kyra's POV (especially the twincest aspect??). Also, maybe my memory is failing me, but why did Kyra not go into heat while on the Isle but suddenly started having them when on the mainland?

I did find it interesting that sex is used as a worldbuilding tool, though it has surely garnered Worrad many a negative review and freak allegation (tbf there is freakiness [I say this positively]). It definitely builds off of existing fantasy tropes (the isolated/beautiful/purist elves vs. the barbaric/repressed humans). Worrad does take those tropes to their extremes (eugenic Commrach, priestly human who explicitly enforces religious repression of the homophobic variety) as Kyra progresses through the narrative, which makes for a fresh read compared to books that treat those genre conventions as unexamined givens of their fantasy world.

Didn't proofread most of this post sooo. Sorry future me that's going to see this and try to decipher it.

started 11 February 2025 / finished 24 February 2025

[joysofescapism]

Book Review: Faking with Benefits by Lily Gold

WANTED: Three fake boyfriends. Must be tall, ripped — and willing to teach me how to kiss.

My name is Layla Thompson, and I am undateable. Seriously. I’m twenty-eight and I’ve never had a boyfriend. And with my thirties rapidly approaching, I’m starting to lose patience.

Lucky for me, I have three overprotective best friends who are all-too-eager to help hone my dating skills. There’s Zack, the huge rugby player with the cheeky grin and rippling biceps. Josh, the boy-next-door with the sculpted jaw and calculating stare. And Luke, the silver-haired divorcee… who also happens to be my old professor.

After a bad date leaves me crying on their shoulders, the three men are determined to help me find a guy. Together, they agree to be my ‘practice boyfriends’, and come up with a lesson plan packed with fake dates, make out sessions, and classes on flirty texting. In return, I just have to make an appearance on their relationship advice podcast once a week. Easy.

But as my lessons become more and more intense, we soon find ourselves getting in too deep. Every stomach-fluttering touch lingers a little too long, and every molten kiss ends in fireworks. It’s not long before I realise that their friendship isn’t enough for me anymore. I want more.

The guys have been teaching me how to get a boyfriend, and now it’s time I put their lessons to the test.

Three times over.

Read my full review below the cut.

I am obsessed with this book! Perhaps it is because I relate to Layla about needing to be in control of every aspect of my life, needing to stick with my plans, even the list making it’s just on point! Also, Zack, Luke, and Josh being emotionally constipated men felt like a reflection of what kind of guys I mostly attract… I feel seen and I don’t know if I like it.

The smut on this is also the best among the Lily Gold books I read. And I do not mind a sequel. I just want to see more from these characters.

Aside from swooning and giggling, I also cried my eyes out. The guys should have groveled like hell, but, I was not in the mood to read a heavily angsty novel so I still find it okay.

Final thoughts: If you love a good romcom, this one’s for you. If you love perfectionist women with chaotic men, this one’s for you.

GoodReads | Storygraph | Instagram

[inthegoodbooks]

the house in the cerulean sea (review)

This was such a cute book, as I’m sure anyone on here would be very quick to tell me - and it was exactly what I needed after finishing Robin Hobb’s fabulous (but quite dense) The Farseer Trilogy.

In this book, we meet Linus Baker: a real rule follower with a bit of a stick up his butt, whilst also having a heart of pure gold. When he is assigned a level 4 Classified case in his job as an orphanage inspector (essentially) he gets far more than he bargained for… but it ends up being precisely what he needs.

The cast of characters that Klune introduces us to are such a wonderful balance of cooky, clever and compelling. From little Lucy, the Antichrist (not a word used in the orphanage), to Sal the were-Pomeranian… Talia, the female, bearded, garden gnome, to Theodore the button-hoarding wyvern… Chauncy, a jelly-like creature that no one knows the origin of (apart from the fact that he really really wants to be a bellhop!) Phee, the forest sprite… and of course: Arthur. Klune’s creations paint such an endearing image: one I am sure will not leave my mind for a long, long time.

Add to this the fantastically realistic (despite its fantastical setting and elements) queer representation and you know I am just absolutely 100% here. For. It.

Bravo, TJ Klune, 4.75 stars for you.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love - 3/5 stars

The Fate of Stars by SD Simper - DNF at pg 32

A Gathering Storm by Joanna Chambers - 4.75/5 stars

I kept getting the Madame Leota room from Haunted Mansion stuck in my head as I was reading this (not a bad thing!). This book has a surprisingly low rating on the Storygraph, and I'm not going to torture myself by looking at the reviews, but I'm assuming it's because of the power discrepancy between Ward and Nick. Clearly it didn't bother me as I really enjoyed the book!

Dionysus in Wisconsin by EH Lupton - 4.75/5 stars

At some point I might get tired of Mid-Century Modern romances, but not this day. This book was super fun, with an interesting world and lovely characters. And a Midwest setting! I've spent a lot of time in Madison, Wisconsin, where this book is set, so I got the added bonus of knowing most of the places pretty well. There was even a shoutout to an obscure piece of Madison history, the Lost City in the Arb. I have to get the second book in the series now!boy

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - 3.25/5 stars

I gave this book an extra quarter of a star for being written in 2003, when it would have been genuinely pretty groundbreaking. Reading it in 2024, it's very twee and pretty cringey (the queer utopia town would have been a magical fantasy in 2003, not so much now in a lot of places). When Levithan credited Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat books in the acknowledgements, I though, ah. No wonder. Hated those as a teen.

All that said, there's some genuinely lovely writing in this book, and it has its place in the queer canon.

The Greywacke by Nick Davidson - 5/5 stars

Super interesting nonfiction about the discipline of geology and how the early geologic epochs were figured out. Also gave me an idea for a historical romance about gay Victorian geologists.

Home Grown Talent by Joanna Chambers & Sally Malcolm - 5/5 stars

I think I loved this one more than the first in the series. The social media scandal was perfect, in that it was exactly as absurd as every social media scandal is, and thus hilarious, but also chilling in how even something so stupid can ruin people's lives.

The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson - DNF at pg 1

Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves - DNF at pg 30

Reuben's Hot & Cold by M Arbon - 3/5 stars

Slight Foxing Around the Edges by Melissa Polk - DNF at pg 132

Restored by Joanna Chambers - 5/5 stars

Balefire by Jordan L Hawk - 4.75/5 stars

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee - 4/5 stars

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley - 5/5 stars

See my brain vomit about this book here. If you've been around here for any amount of time you know all Natasha Pulley's books make me feral. Absolutely no exception here. I cannot believe her first UK publisher dropped her over this book. Idiots! It's wonderful just like everything she's ever written.

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kaye - DNF at pg 181

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason - DNF at pg 21

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun - 5/5 stars (reread)

Just as good as the first time I read it!

Exhalation by Ted Chiang - 4.5/5 stars

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic - DNF at pg 84

Crisped + Sere by TJ Klune - 4.75/5 stars

It actually kind of makes me mad that this series isn't Klune's most famous work, because it's real good. At this point it seems kind of unlikely he's going to continue it, but man, I'd love another book.

These Silent Stars by Chani Lynn Feener - DNF at pg 68

Trailer Park Trickster by David R Slayton - 5/5 stars

See below.

Deadbeat Druid by David R Slayton - David R Slayton - 5/5 star

I LOVE this series. Love love love love. Absolute must read. If you're a fan of KD Edwards's The Tarot Sequence, this series is right up your alley. It seems like there will be more after this initial trilogy, and there's also a spinoff book coming soon which I'm super excited for. Read them!!

[pagesandpothos]

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries

Official Summary:

In this stunning graphic novel by two-time Ignatz award–winning graphic novelist Ariel Slamet Ries, Oberon must choose between fantasy and reality when he develops the ability to conjure his dreams in real life—including the facsimile of the boy who got away. In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity resides on its last-ditch effort at Meridian, a remote alien planet where you’re more likely to be born superhuman than left-handed. None of that is important to Oberon Afolayan. Since his mildly public breakdown, his whole life seems to be spiraling out of control—from dropping out of university to breaking up with his boyfriend, it seems like only a karmic inevitability when he wakes up one day with the ability to conjure his dreams in the real world. Oberon’s newfound powers come with a facsimile of his high school crush, Kon, who mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago and who is a little more infuriating (if not also infuriatingly hot) than Oberon remembers. Kon makes it his mission to turn Oberon’s life around, and while they struggle to get a handle on his powers and his disastrous personal life (not to mention the appearance of strange nightmare creatures), it turns out this dream version of Kon has secrets of his own—dangerous ones. Oberon might have more on his plate than he originally thought, but is giving up his dreams—even the one he might have accidentally fallen in love with—the only way to find happiness in reality?

My Thoughts:

Strange Bedfellows is a new queer graphic novel with fantasy and science fiction elements. It's beautifully written and illustrated and I can't recommend it enough.

The story follows Oberon, who has recently had a very public panic attack that led to him dropping out of college. He's feeling lost when he suddenly gains the ability to bring his dreams into reality. His new power manifests a dream version of his high school crush, Kon, who decides to help him understand his new powers.

The plot is surprisingly layered. It gracefully melds a touching story about recovering from mental health struggles, a mystery, a family story, and a sweet romance. The result is a beautiful, hopeful, funny, and emotional story that I found surprisingly complex. I think many people with anxiety will identify strongly with Oberon's story. I certainly did!

This is all set in a lush and diverse sci-fi world. The technology is more advanced than ours but still recognizable enough to avoid confusion The world-building is incredibly well done. In just under 300 pages, Meridian feels like a fully realized place. We get glimpses of the politics, wildlife, weather, and problems that former Earthlings (and their children) encounter on their new home planet.

The artwork here is stunning. The colors and style strike me as truly unique. Normally, I rush through graphic novels, but this one made me want to linger and really appreciate the art.

I highly recommend Strange Bedfellows to any fan of inclusive stories, stories about making it through tough times, or character-centric sci-fi/fantasy. It is genuinely one of my favorite graphic novels that I have read to date!

My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖 (4.75/5 stars).

Tropes/Tags:  YA/New Adult, fantasy, science fiction, romance, Achillean, queer, mental health, trans main character

Content Warnings: anxiety disorder (including panic attacks), depression (including a suicide attempt)

Other Notes: 2025 is shaping up to be an amazing year for new queer graphic novels. See my review of Les Normaux, which I also loved here.

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | ArielRies.com | @arielries

Strange Bedfellows will be released on March 4, 2025, and is available for pre-order!

I received an advanced copy of this book for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins. The above are my honest feelings about the book provided. I don’t have any affiliate links in this post, and I do not make any money from my reviews. I review books simply because I love to read.

[ See Everything I’ve Read in 2025 ]

[wlwvampirism]

January 2025 Reading Wrap Up

I don't normally do reading wrap ups on this blog, but I think it could be fun to start doing them. I might also go back to doing weekly updates for more in depth discussions on my thoughts, but I'm not sure yet. Either way, I had fun reading this month and I want to keep that energy alive for the rest of the year.

Finished Reading:

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai, translated by Ajani Oloye-- 4.75 out of 5 stars.

The first book of the year! And also, the first manga that I've ever finished. I found this one to be really cute and adorable, and I had a really fun time just making my way through this and gushing.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia -- 3 out of 5 stars.

I got this book gifted to me in October. I started it in mid-November. I finally finished it this month thanks to a readathon I participated in. It was alright. I wrote a review on it, so I'm not going to repeat myself. Something I didn’t mention in the review is that towards the end of the book, it starts to feel as though the author forgot that this book is also about the Mexican film industry and just focused almost entirely on the magic.

Montserrat and Tristán’s jobs in the industry start becoming less and less important the more the book goes on and, looking back, after the Event (spoilers) takes place, Silver Nitrate slowly starts to feel like two books, in which I enjoyed the first book but not the second.

Final thoughts: it was meh.

Tombs by Junji Ito, translated by Jocelyne Allen -- 4 out of 5 stars.

There are nine stories in this short collection and I'm going to save you the trouble of having to read all the stray thoughts that I have on each and every one, so I'm just going to give you the ratings and you can come up with your own conclusions if you want.

Tombs, 4/5 -- Clubhouse, 2.5/5 -- Slug Girl, 3/5 -- The Window Next Door, 4/5 -- Washed Ashore, 4/5 -- The Strange Tale of the Tunnel, 5/5 -- Bronze Statue, 2/5 -- Floaters, 4/5 -- The Story of Bloody Shiroshuna, 5/5.

The Story of Bloody Shiroshuna was my favorite, it had me at the edge of my seat and God, the illustrations were amazing. The Strange Tale of the Tunnel is a close second!

A really good collection that I had a lot of fun with, probably my favorite book of the month (ignore my ratings)! Hoping to read Uzumaki later this year.

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk -- 4 out 5 stars

I said in another post that if you like the story of Orpheus and Eurydice and/or Supernatural (hit tumblr show) then you would eat this one right up, and that says it all, really (it actually doesn't but I don't want this post to get ridiculously out of hand).

I liked this one; it was charming, mysterious, magical, bittersweet, etc., etc., etc. and also, I teared up at the end.

My one gripe (and the reason it isn't 5/5) is that I wish we would have seen more of Edith.

Started Reading:

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky — 7%

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley -- 11% read

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy -- 33% read

The only book that I currently have a substantial opinion on is Jennette McCurdy's memoir. Like many others, I grew up watching Jennette McCurdy on Nickelodeon, so when I first heard of the memoir back when it was first published, I bought a copy.

I don't think I was emotionally mature enough to read this book when I first tried to, and I never got very far into it. But now...my God, what a difficult thing to read. The last portion that I read was particularly angering to me because I cannot comprehend how a parent could willfully and joyfully put their child through these things.

This memoir is undoubtedly well written, but I strongly advise anyone interested to make sure that they are in a good mental place, because it could hurt you if you aren't.

February Hopefuls:

So, since I just started three books, I'm going to spend most of February reading those. But, in the unlikely scenario that I finish all three, this is what I will read next:

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror edited by Joe Vallese -- I'm really really excited for this one! I almost started it alongside the other three, but ultimately, I decided against it because delayed gratification and what-not.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez -- my next library book! I don't really have any expectations for it tbh. I'm pretty sure most of my reasoning for wanting to read this one is because the author is latine and so am I. But the plot sounds incredibly intriguing, and I am excited to get to it, whenever it is that I get to it.

The Iliad by Homer -- owned since 2017...still have not read. My parents bought this for me because I was going through the fabled mythology phase, but I couldn't even get passed Agamenon sacrificing his daughter 'cause I'd get so bored. I've tried reading this book like three separate times and each time I barely got halfway through the first chapter. However, I'm no longer 13 years old, so maybe this time it'll work out.

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All vol. 2 -- The Eng. translation comes out February 18, and I considered pre-ordering, but I'm too broke for that. As you can see, I really liked the first volume and I'm excited to get my hands on the sequel and see how Mitsuki and Aya's relationship develops.

And that's this month's wrap up!

[lizziebeanz]

10 Books Read in My 27th Year:

1. 'Interview With The Vampire' by Anne Rice

4.75/5 stars

We all know it and love it, a classic tale of gay vampires. Of course. The film is one of my absolute favorites (Haydn's Piano Sonata No. 59 in E-Flat (a.k.a 'Lestat's Sonata') is my wake up alarm), so naturally; I wanted to read the book and I loved diving deeper into not only Louis' story, but Lestat's, Claudia's, and Armand's stories. It helped to understand more everyone's motive. Not only that, but it was just as prosaic as the film. Truth be told, I think the TV show managed to follow more closely to the book than the film.

Definitely planning to read her other works in this series.

.25 stars deducted because it's just walls of text.

2. 'Psycho' by Robert Bloch

5/5 stars

Another classic! The writing of this book was fantastic, I would recommend to everyone. The descriptions were vivid, yet succinct, and I felt like I was really in this world. I literally finished reading it in two days, it was that good. I needed more after reading so decided to watch 'Bates Motel'.

3. 'Sappho' translated by Mary Barnard

4.5/5 stars

I enjoy poetry, and felt like this was a good jumping off place to start getting into more poetry. Oftentimes I felt I needed to know more about Sappho or just have more knowledge of ancient Greece to understand better Sappho's poems; but, I took solace in reading the notes in the back of the book explaining that these were most likely just little observations of her everyday life. There were many poems I felt a connection to, and I think that's a beautiful thing to feel a connection to someone who lived over a millennia ago.

4. 'all about love: new visions' by bell hooks

5/5 stars

I love reading bell hooks' writing and this book helped me to see love in a completely different light. Helped me to further embrace loving not only myself but others. I'm on a journey of self-healing and self-love this year; although it is difficult work, and, although this journey must continue on throughout the rest of my life, this book has helped tremendously with this journey. I highlighted passages that I felt a connection with and plan to re-read it in the future to see what else I can learn.

This book is such a revolutionary idea of how love can and will change the world. I have thought about a lot of the passages within this book almost daily and have tried to keep in mind these ideas and to practice love in my daily life.

5. 'Mexican Gothic' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

4.25/5 stars

This was a really good book, I finished it pretty quickly because every chapter left me wanting to know more. It's got everything: mushrooms, creepy houses, incestuous families, murder...

Deducted .75 stars because either the story was too predictable, or the foreshadowing was too foreshadow-y.

6. 'Five Quarters of the Orange' by Joanne Harris

1/5 stars

I was actually kinda disappointed with this one because the author wrote 'Chocolat' and the reviews were praising the book. The narrator begins the book talking about how she and her family did something awful in Nazi-occupied France but what that something was is not disclosed until the last 20 pages of the book! Some may say that's "suspense", but to me that's just unnecessarily dragging something out. I guess I just did not like the main character and narrator, and maybe that was the point.

7. 'Night of the Living Rez' by Morgan Talty

5/5 stars

This book is a mixture of warmth and sorrow and fear and wonder all wrapped up in one. It's an amalgamation of stories that force the reader to truly see how certain events in one's life can alter the trajectory of life itself. There are stories of childhood friendships and curiosity. There are stories of the love shared between siblings and of love shared between parents and children. There are heartbreaking stories of loss, of pain, of trauma. And the question you will keep coming back to is, "How did we get here?".

8. 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier

4.8/5 stars

Fantastic writing! I can say that this novel altered my working vocabulary. The writing was so good, in fact, I didn't even mind that it was an English romance novel (I've learned I'm not too fond of classic English literature). I did guess at the ending fairly early on (and was right!); however, the ending had so many twists and turns I wasn't expecting, making for a thrilling suspense! The only reason I deducted .2 stars is because I did not like our narrator.

9. 'Murder on the Orient Express' by Agatha Christie

5/5 stars

Holy shit. That's all I have to say. I understand why people love this book now, I was getting whiplash at the end!

10. 'Here Goes Nothing' by Steve Toltz

3.5/5 stars

I loved the philosophical questions posed in this book and I also enjoyed visualizing a different idea of what the afterlife could possibly be (love hearing different theories); but, straight out the gate: I did not like one of the main characters. So...point deducted for THAT. Read it, or don't!

[phantomdialogue]

˗ˏˋ. ݁₊ ✶ ˖ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐥𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 - 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 ☆ . ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

premise: olive smith has made plenty of questionable decisions over the years, most notably her newest one which involved kissing a man in the hall of the biology lab who turned out to be dr. adam carlsen, renowned scientist and token “asshole” of the biology department. she’s trying to help set her friend up with her ex when adam suggests fake dating in order to solve both of their many problems. what she’s both painfully and blissfully unaware of is how many new problems this agreement could create… such as falling in love with the man she’s fake dating.

couple(s): adam carlsen and olive smith

tropes: fake dating, age gap, grad student x teacher, miscommunication, friends to lovers, grumpy x sunshine

content warnings: some discussion of grief, sexual harassment

review below!

review:

ALI HAZELWOOD YOU GOT ME AGAIN. i’m fairly certain that she can not write a couple that i don’t at least enjoy if not fall head over heels for. this was so good and i understand why people love it so much now. will i ever get over that it’s lowkey star wars fan fiction? no. will i ignore that fact still to fall deeply madly in love with adam carlsen? yes 1000 times over.

having read this after reading deep end, it’s so interesting to see how much her writing has grown and what hasn’t changed and it just further reminds me why she’s one of my auto buy authors now. her writing just works. even when it can get clunky in some areas of a few books, it still works and keeps you going. i highly doubt i could ever dnf something of hers because i just love her writing so much that even when i want to bash the characters over the head (which did happen a few times in this book, both lovingly and unlovingly), i don’t want to put it down ever.

adam carlsen… what a man. where is my 34 year old grumpy science boyfriend? i need him in my room now. i am jack smith turner’s number one fan but damn adam is high on the book boyfriend ranking for the ali hazelwood boys and for the year as a whole. he’s just so wonderfully written and he works so perfectly with olive. speaking of olive, i wanted to hit her with a frying pan over the head a few times, but i still think she may be one of my favorite ali hazelwood girls. she works so well with adam and their relationship and love for each other really makes up for the bits of her that drove me crazy.

in the end, it’s another classic ali hazelwood that i will likely end up rereading because it’s just so good and so perfectly her. all hail the stem romance queen!!!

my ratings:

characters - 4 ☆ - memorable, multilayered, strong relationships, relatable

plot - 4.75 ☆ - addictive, cliched, predictable but satisfying, satisfying conclusion, steady pacing

setting - 4 ☆ - bland/generic, realistic, fits the story

writing style - 4.5 ☆ - easy to read, funny, original, witty

favorite quotes (some spoilers here, of course, but minimal):

“Have you considered getting a real girlfriend?” His eyebrow lifted. “Have you considered getting a real date?”

Just dark brown wood and a metal plaque that read: Adam J. Carlsen, Ph.D. Maybe the J stood for “Jackass.”

“Is the sunscreen going in the Title IX complaint?” His mouth twitched. “Right on the first page. Nonconsensual sunblock application.” “Oh, come on. I saved you from basal cell carcinoma.” “Groped under SPF pretense.”

“ ‘Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.’ ”

The casual domesticity of it—the thought that his day and hers would end in the same place, at the same time—soothed her like a slow caress down her spine.

You can fall in love: someone will catch you.

For looking at her like she was the beginning and end of his every thought.

[elliizzzabeth]

One (or two) sentence reviews of all of the books i read in 2024.

1. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (4/5 stars)

End to gay magical edwardian england trilogy. Wrapped everything up nicely but still slightly meh on whole series.

2-8. Secrets and Scrabble series by Josh Lanyon (4.5/5 average)

Cute, sweet murder mystery series set in New England. I want to move to pirates cove :)

9. The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach (4/5 stars)

Maori eco-futurism pirates. Interesting concept, too much going on.

10. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (3.75/5)

Saccharine sweet found family in a magical foster home. Too sweet in fact, should have been a kids book.

11. Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy (4/5)

Sweet old lady lesbians solve a murder mystery. Funny and silly but didn't blow me away.

12. This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar (5/5)

Star-crossed time-travelling killing machines on opposite sides of an intergalactic war. So short and yet packed such a punch!

13. Nine Liars (Truly Devious book 5) by Maureen Johnson (3/5)

Teenage detective prodigy comes to england to solve a murder. Also happens to be most annoying character of all time!

14. Heartstopper vol. 5 by Alice Oseman (5/5)

Nick and charlie so sweet and lovely forever

15. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (5/5)

Short stories about southern black women and their relationships (and sometimes the church). Felt like i could step right through the page every single time.

16. Hidden in Snow by Vivica Sten (3.5/5)

Translated swedish murder mystery. Suffered from fatal combo of slow pacing and predictable plot :/

17. Babel by R.F. Kuang (4.75/5)

What if language magic was used for colonialism? Unfortunately the tiktok girlies are right about this one it slays

18. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (3.5/5)

The Tiktok girlies were NOT right about this one. Not unless you like listening to two people hate each other for 13 hours

19-22. The Singing Hills Cycle by Nigh Vo (4.75/5 average)

Nonbinary monk travels around asia collecting stories and folklore. Again, how can such a short books pack such a fucking suckerpunch!!!

23. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (4.75/5)

What if you made a deal with the devil and then he fell in love with you? How can you live 300 years and only manage to meet white people 😭

24. Thieves by Lucie Bryon (5/5)

Dumbass Lesbians hatch a plan to un-steal people's belongings. Silly and cute as hell

25. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (5/5)

Nona I love you!!!!!!!

26. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Oseman (4.5/5)

Pensioners solve a murder at their retirement home. Pleasantly suprised for such a popular book, looking forward to the rest of the series

27-29. The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (4.5/5 average)

Earth magic + racism + the world is ending + colonial power is the root of all evil = everybody having a bad time forever (but in a good way). The Fifth Season slapped so severely that I was let down a little by its two follow ups.

30. The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White (4.5/5)

Violent and unflinching look at how they treated women, queer people and the mentally ill in the victorian era. I am so so so brave for sitting though all the medical descriptions are you proud of me

31. Everything is Under Control: a Memoir with Recipies by Phyllis Grant (4/5)

Memoir of a recipie blogger but tbh i don't really think she had anything that groundbreaking to say.

32. Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros (4.25/5)

Percy Jackson but he's gay and jewish. Fun and funny but middle grade and I could feel it

33. Cultish: The Language of Fanatacism by Amanda Montell (4.5/5)

How cults will use language to trap you and keep you in their greasy little hands. Also why you should never ever join an MLM

34. Saltblood by Francesca De Tores (4.25/5)

Was famous pirate Mary Read a Non-binary icon? We literally have no way of knowing but its a nice thought I guess

35. On Earth We're Breifly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (3.75/5)

A long and emotional letter from a traumatised son to his traumatised mother. Unfortunately i am nauuuurt a literary fiction girlie and I could feel it

36. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (4.75/5)

Musings of a lesbian daughter on the suicide of her closeted gay father. More academic than I expected but still real good

BONUS - my 3 books I am currently reading

37. House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski

Sooo confusing and yet sooo compelling. Whoever is holding this hostage at my local library please give it back please please please pl-

38. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

What if the local gay conversion camp/cult was a little bit tooo into demons. Chuck Tingle really said I know I've made a career of writing gimicky gay porn books but what if I wrote this slam dunk of a mystery/queer horror/sensitive look into the relationship between faith and queerness Chuck you can't do this to me why is it so good

39. Half Arse Human by Leena Norms

Been a big fan of Leena's youtube channel so I am very excited to read! Its been getting a lot of promo so I hope it does well for her :)

[sunriseverse]

spinecorset's 2024 book reviews

i read more books in 2024 than i'd expected, and i love commentating on things, so here's a list of books i read in 2024, my ratings for them, and my reviews/thoughts on each of them! (below the cut, because there are sixteen of them)

The Kazakh Khanates Between the Russian and Qing Empires: Central Eurasian International Relations During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries by Jin Noda (?/5; academic text)

the first book i read in 2024, this one was on a fascinating subject, but the writing was a little dry. by necessity, there are almost no records from the kazakh khanates themselves, but the author compared qing and russian sources from various periods against each other, and i'd definitely say this is one of the seminal texts if you're interested in studying the political impacts and dynamics at play during the 17th-19th centuries with the kazakh khanate and the polities it shared borders (and political ties) with.

Scribes of Gastronomy: Representations of Food and Drink in Imperial Chinese Literature by Isaac Yue (4.75/5; academic text)

i only focused on a single chapter in this text, the one on the ming dynasty food critic zhang dai. however, i found this text very approachable, and it has a very useful bibliography section.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (2.5/5; YA fantasy)

i buddy read this book with a friend, and unfortunately, neither of us really enjoyed it. it had been recommended to me by someone, though i don't remember who, and i wasn't aware that it was a YA fantasy before i started it. the 2.5 stars are mostly for the interesting concepts that popped up now and then—the writing style and execution of the entire novel was, frankly, incredibly unsatisfying and offputting. it didn't help that the main character is both incredibly shallow in characterisation, and almost always is somewhere else when something plot-relevant or interesting happens. it reads very distinctly as a YA fantasy—which i guess if you're the target audience is probably fine, but i'm not, and so most of the buddy read was my friend and i messaging complaints about the chapters we'd read each week back to each other.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (5/5; historical fantasy)

my only five star novel of the year, swbts is one of the best books i've read, and it reinvigorated by passion for writing and reading. the prose and structure and construction of the narrative are all top-notch, and as a yuan/ming dynasty nerd, the way that the politics and worldbuilding is interwoven with the history makes for one of the richest, most immersive novels i've read in my life. i would recommend this to anyone who enjoys complex, morally grey characters, period-typical sociocultural ideals and the rebellion against them by multiple characters, gender discourse (in the academic sense) that feels realistic rather than pasted on, and ruthless characters.

Disorder Under Heaven: Collective Violence in the Ming Dynasty by James Tong (?/5, academic text)

originally picked this up thinking it was about collective punishment of the citizenry by the ming dynasty government, but it turned out i'd misinterpreted the title. however, while it's one of the drier texts i've read, i found that the discussion of various types of collective violence, their causes and effects, and the way they reflected the growing social and governmental instability were very useful in deepening my understanding of the ming dynasty, especially the later ming.

Chinese Clothing by Hua Mei (?/5, nonfiction)

i picked this one up to try and get some more information on ming dynasty clothing, which is a bit hard to come by. while it wasn't very expansive, it did clarify a couple things i hadn't been able to find in my other research.

The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie Liu (4/5; fantasy collection)

the first collection that i read in 2024, it was nice to pick up some short, self-contained stories for a change, after a fairly straight run of long novels and academic texts. a number of the stories in this collection are inspired by fairytales, but i found that the way that liu put her own twist on them was incredibly enjoyable. some of the stories weren't as interesting, but overall, it was a very solid, well-ordered collection, with fascinating stories and excellent execution.

He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan (4/5; historical fantasy)

the second in the radiant emperor duology, i found hwdtw to be less well-structured towards the end than i would have liked—i think the final 15%-20% could have been compressed a bit, as it dragged, making it not as tight as swbts. however, aside from that, i felt it was an excellent continuation and exploration of the world introduced in the first novel, and it continued and expanded on the themes in it.

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong (3.25/5; poetry collection)

the shortest book i read in 2024; i've enjoyed individual poems of vuong's, but i found this collection to be overall less satisfying than i'd expected, as some of the poems felt rather rambling and didn't invoke the emotions in me i felt like they were attempting to.

The Rupture Tense: Poems by Jenny Xie (3.5/5; poetry collection)

like vuong's exit wounds, this collection felt lacklustre for me. i enjoyed it slightly more because the poems felt more curated, but i don't think i'll probably read more poetry by this author.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (3.75/5; horror)

i don't usually read horror, so i think i'm probably not the correct audience for this. i found the concept very interesting, and thought the conclusion was rather refreshing in terms of horror i've read, but the middle dragged a bit, and some of the character conflicts felt a little contrived.

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler (4/5; speculative/science fiction)

one of the most interesting novels i read in 2024, simply in terms of concept; set in a presumably near-future world, it follows a marine biologist who is hired to figure out if a colony of octopi have formed culture, rather than merely being sentient. the various POVs wove a very complex, rich tapestry of the world the novel is set in, and, despite a number of the concepts that are raised in the novel being fairly complex, i felt like the author knew enough about what they were talking about to explain it in a way that didn't feel condescending, but still allowed the audience to understand what was being discussed. my main complaint is that the pacing was a little slow, but if you prefer more drawn-out novels, this will probably be a higher rating for you.

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin (4.5/5; speculative/science fiction)

similar to the mountain under the sea, this takes place in a near future, and is based on extant academic/scientific theories and research. however, unlike it, i felt that, overall, tell me an ending was more impactful, possibly because it is also, in some ways, a mystery novel. that said, if you don't enjoy unlikable characters, you might not enjoy this as much as i did, as almost all the characters are unpleasant in one way or another, and the entire conceit of the novel is deeply unethical.

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs (4/5; science fiction)

i enjoyed a lot of elements of this novel, especially the government and character dynamics, and the worldbuilding. the interplay of the flashback and present day scenes built a very engaging picture of the characters, which i enjoyed. however, i was offput by the end of the novel, and will probably not read any more of the series.

The Philosophy of Translation by Damion Searls (4.75/5; nonfiction)

one of the most engaging, personally relevant books i read in 2024; i don't talk about it as much online as i do in my real life, but translation is one of my greatest passions, and reading a book written by someone in the field and getting to see discussions of popular philosophies was very valuable to me. besides being interesting, the writing style is geared towards a more general audience, so you don't have to be an academic to read it.

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge (4/5; fantasy)

the last book i read in 2024, this was also the only traditionally published chinese novel i read in translation. the episodic but interconnected chapters were a very interesting style, and i enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. my only complaint is that in some points the sections felt like they dragged a bit, but i'd be interested to read my by yan ge.

[jeanmoreaux]

*✧ — january 2024 wrap up

i truly had a reading journey this month; peaks and valleys. a mixed bag for sure. i mean olivie blake made the list with a new favourite AND the first one star of the year. at least schwab delivered with TFToP!!! it was So. Good. like. So So Good. other than that i really do not have much to say. i am currently rereading aftg so. you know. head empty.

2024 goal: 25/100 books

as alway, feel free to drop book recs, questions, or opinions in my inbox; i am always happy to talk to you about books!

* –> newly added to my favorites shelf

follow my goodreads | follow my storygraph  | previous wrap ups

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske | 3.5★

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer | 3.5★

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan | 4★ | review

Almond by Sohn Won-Pyung (transl. by Sandy Joosun Lee) | 4.5★

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna | 3★

Penguin's Poems For Love (edited by Laura Barber) | 5★

The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis | 3.5★ | review

Shanghai Immortal by A.Y. Chao | 2★

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid | 3★

* Masters of Death by Olivie Blake | 4.75★ | review

Dream Work by Mary Oliver | 5★ | comment

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo | 4★

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo | 3★

All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks | 4.5★ | review

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake | 1★ | review

* Coriolanus by William Shakespeare | 4.5★ | comment

* The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab | 5★ | comment

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

short stories

A Royal Affair by V.E. Schwab

A Life Erased by V.E. Schwab

Sacred Hospitality by Olivie Blake

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

rereads

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab | 4★ | review

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab | 5★

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab | 5★

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake | 3★ | review

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake | 2.5★ | review

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan | 4.5★

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan | 4.75★ | comment

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan | 4.5★ | comment

[oriolespeaking]

Lily the Thief by Janne Kukkonen

Rating: 4.75 casual heists at the palace out of 5!

Recommended to people who have a deep affection for amoral, chaotic gremlin characters, and especially thieves!

Synopsis:

Lily is a young novice who dreams of being a master thief. That's not easy when the Guildmaster of Thieves only assigns you the lowliest jobs: pick-pocketing, trespassing, and petty theft. But on one of these meager quests, Lily unearths a plot involving a mysterious cult and long-forgotten gods--a secret that could destroy the whole world.

Review under the cut

To be honest, this book surprised me. I picked it up on a whim from the graphic novel shelf at my library with no expectations and some intrigue about the cover, as well as curiosity about how Kukkonen would play off having an straight-up thief as the main character of a middle grade book, especially a graphic novel with a female main character, which seem to trend towards light/fluffy stories, at least in the book circles I run -- think Tea Dragon Society, Molly Knox Ostertag, Hooky, Snapdragon.

Lily is an absolute gem among protagonists. Refreshingly unrepentant, she'll do anything to score a Big Job, which the head of the thieves' guild refuses to give her. Regardless of how much the older members of the guild members taunt her, her confidence and ambition are unshakable. And of course, it's her ambition which Screws Up Her Entire Life. But fear not, Lily will screw it up for an entire cult, too.

My inner protestant American is sensing that there is probably some contention around this graphic novel being categorized as middle grade. Luckily, I am a whole ass adult reading for personal pleasure, so that isn't an issue for me.

Kukkonen doesn't seem interested in overly sanitizing the world Lily lives in (or Lily herself) for the sake of a younger audience, which made for a very entertaining afternoon read and an extremely fun protagonist.

[joysofescapism]

Book Review: Grave Mistakes by Ivy Asher & Raven Kennedy

It’s never a good combo to be broke and desperate. You do stupid things. Like accidentally sign your soul over to Hell.

When I interviewed for a new security job, I didn’t bat an eye that it was for a literal graveyard shift...headstones and all. I mean, at the hourly rate they were offering, who cares? I got this.

Turns out, I’m not guarding a graveyard like I thought. It seems I’ve just walked my broke ass into protecting a Gate to Hell. Yeah…I don’t got this.

Now I’m stuck in a terrifying new reality: a group of hot demons who act like I can solve all their problems, and a battle between good, evil, and balance.

This will seriously teach me to read the fine print on Help Wanted ads. Good thing this job comes with a scythe. Maybe I can use it to stop them from dragging my ass into Hell.

Read my full review below.

Delta was the main reason why I love this book. She was funny and there were so many times when I would drop my phone to roll and laugh. I did not find her monologues annoying, I find her thought process interesting. Despite her quirkiness, she was not obnoxious when having to deal with certain situations, and I loved that.

Now, the heroes, Rafferty, Jerif, Echo, and Crux were interesting at first. I hoped that they were more complex but they were not. It was obvious that Delta was the main focus of this book.

I do not mind the Chosen One trope if it is executed well. There was enough mystery and hints to assume that Delta was an ultra-powerful being and I have no complaints with that as well.

There is not much plot in this, and it was more character-driven which I always enjoy anyway, so there was that.

This book ended with a cliffhanger and an intense scene. I was devouring it like I was starved and my heart was pounding. I could say that this book ended where it should be. It was perfect.

I gave this book a 4.75 out of 5 stars.

Though I gave high scores on some areas such as Characters, Ambience, Writing Style, Intrigue, and Enjoyment, the remaining parts such as Plot and Logic were given lower scores.

This was one of the closest to a 5-star I could give if only the plot were more intriguing and the heroes had a little more personality.

I also read the next book but, I did not like it just as much as this one. So I decided to separate the two since I really really loved this book.

GoodReads | Storygraph | Instagram

[reviewingbookshenanigans]

Welcome

This blog is a safe place for all. Hate will not be tolerated. Bigots, racists, homophobes, transphobes, misogynists, and the like are asked to please leave.

Hello lovelies! Welcome to my blog, where I review and discuss all the books I’m reading currently and have read in the past.

This is the blog of a reader who fell out of reading for several years and is trying to get back on the wagon. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been fun.

Let’s discuss what you’ll find on my blog!

Any rules?

While I won’t say minors DNI, this is a space run by an adult who will occasionally review books with adult topics with the expectation of other adults interacting. So minors, please proceed with caution.

Read the caution note above.

What do you read/review?

I review anything I read. I primarily read fantasy, romance, LGBTQIA+, and mystery, but I venture into other genres as well. I read both YA and adult and still occasionally enjoy reading kids’ books I never got to read or that are old favorites.

At this point in my life, I’m not concerning by the idea of “growing out” of a genre. I care more about finding a good book.

What type of star rating do you use?

If I’m in the mood, I may use different emojis than stars, but I digress.

I prefer to use quarter star, half star, three quarter star, full star. So I may rate 4.75 or 2.25 or 5 stars. I find that it’s less limiting than a simple 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 star rating with no in between.

Have you read (insert book here)?

Probably not! I’m always accepting book recommendations!

Will you review only completed books or will you talk about dnfs?

I’ll definitely talk about dnfs, but I might not make individual posts. Maybe one post with all dnfs compiled. I don’t dnf often, but I have dnf’d two books this year out of 10-11.

What about you?

You can call me Wing! I’m a queer adult with a busy job who makes no promises on their schedule.

There you go!

My asks are always open! Have a good scroll my lovelies!

[aurorawest]

Reading update

White Trash Warlock by David R Slayton - 4.75/5 stars

Urban fantasy with a protagonist from a trailer park, who, for bonus points, got sectioned by his older brother as a teen. Daddy issues, mommy issues, and brother issues, what's not to like? I ordered everything else by this author I could find when I finished the book, including the other two books in this series.

The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos - DNF

Boring.

The Revolutionary and the Rogue by Blake Ferre - DNF

Boring, with the added crime of actual plot happening but still, somehow, nothing actually happening. I kept reading whole pages and realizing I had no idea what I'd just read.

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard - DNF

OMFG CAN I CATCH A BREAK. This was such a disappointing DNF, too, because I'd really been looking forward to it. One of the characters is a spaceship and it bills itself as a space opera? Yes please. But after the initial marriage of convenience setup, it's just all a bunch of pointless, boring conversations. Nothing happens. I flipped ahead. Still nothing happening. Not a space opera but definitely cozy sci-fi, which I think I officially hate.

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray - 5/5 stars

An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. But oof, this book was so good. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. I really can't recommend this book enough, it fits squarely in my niche interest of mid-century America or Britain m/m romance. I think Natasha Pulley also awakened something in me with The Half Life of Valery K, because I seem to be a sucker for gay Soviet men. Speaking of, if you liked The Half Life of Valery K, I bet you'll like this too! Anyway, read this, but be prepared to be hurt by it.

Ordinary Monsters by JM Miro - 4/5 stars

X-men meets Strangers Things with a dash of English boarding school, set in Victorian Britain.

Human Enough by ES Yu - DNF

Promising until it devolved into boring, pointless conversations and tumblr posts on neurodivergence.

Olympic Enemies by Rebecca J Caffery - DNF

I put this down on page 12 and my wife grabbed it to flip through it, cackling at the amateurish prose.

Frost Bite by J Emery - 4.5/5 stars

Snowed-in cabin fic with an enemies to lovers romance between a vampire and a (former) vampire hunter. It was cute and a quick read.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - DNF

Very Not Like Other Girls. Also read a review that said pregnancy was a huge focus of the book, and that's a squick for me.

Reverie by Ryan La Sala - 3.75/5 stars

This book didn't quite live up to the promise of its beginning (missing memories, bizarre disruptions to time and space) and the writing was a little twee at times, but overall I enjoyed it. This was the author's debut, so I suspect subsequent books will probably be better. I did feel like the teenage main characters were weirdly inured to death, which also contributed to me knocking of a quarter of a star from what would otherwise have been a solid 4 star book.

All Souls Near & Nigh by Hailey Turner - 3/5 stars

If you like The Tarot Sequence by KD Edwards, this series might be worth picking up. I will say, though, that it's nowhere near as good. I think it's a combination of pacing and too many characters that detracts from my enjoyment of this series. This is the second book and I enjoyed it more than the first, probably because I sort of remembered the massive cast of characters from the first one. It's one of those things where I really don't think they're all necessary and some should be combined with others. The pacing is also...weird. It's pretty much nonstop action. At one point I think the main character drove back and forth between various crime scene locations and his office like 5 times in a day.

That said! Despite the issues, clearly I still picked up book 2, and I'll probably read book 3 at some point. I really like the two main characters.

[blueonwrestling]

Death Before Dishonor 2023 Best of for Blue Review

Gravity vs. Komander- 3.5 stars

Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dalton Castle TV Title - 3.5 stars

The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) (w/Alex Abrahantes) (c) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) vs. The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (w/Maria Kanellis-Bennett) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) ROH Tag title - 4 stars

Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Daniel Garcia Pure Title - 4 stars

Stu Grayson & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent) vs. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno & John Silver) Fight Without Honor - 4 stars

Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. PAC ROH World Title - 4.25 stars

Athena (c) vs. Willow Nightingale ROH Women’s title - 4.75 stars

A great night, everything was absolutely solid, no misses, no stinkers, all just fucking fun and absolutely go out of your way to watch Athena vs Willow is you’re someone who cries about women’s wrestling on weekly tv.