Masters of Death, Olivie Blake
Overall I really enjoyed it. The characters are great, the story straddles campy, emotional, philosophical, and suspenseful well, I am well and truly obsessed with the romance plots. (I count Gabriel and Raphael lol). My only quibble is with some of the writing style - It's not that it's purple (which I don't inherently dislike anyway) it's just that sometimes it felt like it was working a bit too hard to be Mysterious when it could have just not, and I find that takes me out of a narrative. But that's just a personal taste issue. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a comedy about human nature and what it means to love.
~ michellethestan
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
WON'T SOMEONE JUST FUCKING GIVE THESE LITERAL CHILDREN A HUG. In other news this time I got really irritated with the Katniss/Haymitch grudge which I know needs to be there for the plot but I feel like they would be more drawn together than they are. I mean I guess the real answer is that the prequels are new so the H in Mockingjay doesn't act with his own backstory in mind, but I wanted him to give Katniss more comfort. I know she tries to claw his face off but he knows why.
~ michellethestan
What Does it Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella
A bittersweet fictionalized autobiography about the author’s experience with terminal brain cancer. Probably only of interest if you’re already a fan of the author.
~ HipHopAnonymous
No Exit by Taylor Adams
Enjoyed listening to the audiobook. A competent thriller with surprising yet believable twists and a satisfying and unexpectedly heartwarming finale.
~ HipHopAnonymous
Oranges are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Read this for a reading club my friends run. Found it hard/not possible to get engaged in it basically at all but it was fine, definitely seems like a book you would read in high school and maybe that's why I was rushing to get through it lol.
~ Highwaystars
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride - Daniel James Brown
Look, I'm a simple girl with simple interests and one of those interests is stories of people attempting to take on the natural world and failing. Is it cold? Do they eat each other? I'm in. As the subtitle says, a harrowing read, a story of a personal tragedy for one family, to the larger disaster faced by a group of settlers to an overarching exploration of manifest destiny and colonialism. A little dense at times, and my wavering attention span on long drives meant that the audiobook lost me but this a great and well researched account.
~ rueforyou
The Midnight Feast - Lucy Foley
I like Lucy Foley's thrillers. I also think that she has maybe written the same book four times with different settings and characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing (though I do unfortunately prefer some of her earlier books). A fun little thriller, I figured out some of the twists, I was surprised by others and the closing line of the book made me walk away with a stupid smile.
~ rueforyou
A case of mice and murder by Sally Smith
A fun murder mystery set in early 20th century London and the world of the temple where only certain lawyers can go - the protagonist was good and I liked his relationship with the police officer but it was a little predictable who the murderer was - figured it out halfway through so the ending reveal was a teeny bit meh for me
~ watchtheflow.bsky.social
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
a short story about the traumatic Irish laundries and the danger that secrets in small communities can hold and then one man's journey to be brave within that. it was a quick read and a little confusing in it's prose but it was a good way to pass the time
~ watchtheflow@bsky.social
The Full Moon Coffee Shop - Mai Mochizuki
Really cute fun story where the stars themselves transform into giant talking cats to give you just what you need at a poignant moment in life. I've read a few translations of Japanese stories and I love how beautiful and whimsical they are - this one was no exception!
~ watchtheflow.bsky.social
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
enjoyed it! written like a diary and I liked the love story within it as well as the folklore elements - the tension in the third act came a little out of nowhere though
~ watchtheflow.bsky.social
Akira Vol 2 by Katsuhiro Otomo
I love this series, and it is really interesting seeing the differences in the Manga vs the full length anime film. Both are very well done.
~ wannabewesley
Emma by Jane Austen
Another reread - I love love love Emma. I'd forgotten how much I love it. And now I desperately need to rewatch the 2020 movie <3
~ Lindsay (wildflowerstede)
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
A beautiful story, that many people should be reading. Like with any book or movie, there ARE differences, but the tale still can transport you to another world full of adventure, romance, and drama.
~ IzzyHandsArt
1922 by Stephen King
Murder leads to death and madness. Things go from bad to worse and one man will lose everything as a result.
~ killerweasel
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
This is one of his early short story collections. Mix of darkness and horror. Personal favorites in this set include- The Mist, The Monkey, The Raft, and The Wedding Gig.
~ killerweasel
Lucky, by Jane Smiley
The temptation to point out that someone truly lucky wouldn't have picked up this book in the first place is strong...but, really, the problem is simple: Boomers.
Nobody does main character syndrome like boomers, and this book could be a case study on the subject. This particular main character will be very familiar to anyone who has endured the reminiscences of the privileged and completely un-self-aware first wave boomers who see themselves as historical figures despite being largely shielded from the historical events of their lives by their wealth, status, whiteness, etc. For FIFTEEN HOURS (audio edition), we listen to Jodie drone through the story of her life with absolutely no introspection, sense of humor, or broader perspective. Dates and historic events are periodically mentioned to provide a sort of timeline, but there's no sense at any point of Jodie's involvement with her community or the world around her in general. Even her purported love of St. Louis, which is shoehorned into every chapter, is never actually expressed in a believable way. She sure knows her street names, but Larry the Cucumber's ten-second description of his bus trip to the countertop in VeggieTales conveyed more about his relationship with Chicago than this book manages to achieve in fifteen hours. Seriously. It's at the end of Sumo of the Opera.
Aside from the St. Louis street map, the rest of the story jams in every trope of boomerdom from But I Have a Black Friend to I Loved Him Too Much To Stay With Him without an iota of personality or anything new to say. The bizarre epilogue adds insult to injury just when you think you can't find one more thing to roll your eyes about.
The narrator tries her best, and I truly admire her fortitude - but there's no saving this. It's not a particularly interesting story, and it's been done many, many, many times before and much better.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - it's not your fault.
~ meganreal
The Unseen World by Liz Moore
A poignant coming of age story with much broader societal and technological implications.
~ HipHopAnonymous
Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness, by George the Poet
Let me start by admitting that seeing this audiobook listed on NetGalley was the first time I heard of George the Poet. While I now understand that he is quite well known in the UK and its cultural territories, his U.S. profile remains low. I mention this to provide the context of going into this book with no expectations beyond the general description, which is likely quite different than most readers/listeners.
It’s pretty clear from the first syllable that comes out of the speakers that George’s voice is what draws people in - he’s got a lot to say, but I think I speak for most Americans when I say that he can narrate anything he wants to me anytime. I don’t even mean that in a creepy old lady with a crush on him way - he just has such a beautiful tone and accent that everything he says sounds extra…well, poetic.
But as he launches into the tale of his awakening to the insidious ongoing rootedness in oppression, imperialism, and racism that defines the established institutions of the UK and the U.S., the rest of his appeal becomes clear as well - he is smart, and most importantly the kind of smart that understands concepts so well that he can break them down and reframe them for a variety of audiences. This book is clearly intended for a broad audience of adults with some level of familiarity with modern music and colonialist power structures, but he could just as effortlessly provide additional analysis to defend a dissertation or simplify his references to engage a younger audience.
There is an air of excitement throughout that came across to me as charming - he has come to these conclusions and wants to share them with everyone! But I could absolutely see someone with more first-hand knowledge of the black British experience rolling their eyes a bit at the zeal of the converted.
Listening to this book is like being seated next to a fascinating fellow guest at a party - the topics bounce around a bit, but that’s OK because the flow feels natural.
I hope that this one makes it to US audiences - we have an obnoxious tendency to forget that we’re not the only people on the planet and that England is not entirely comprised of the royal family and Jane Austen characters. I look forward to hearing what George does next now that he is, in the absolute best way, woke.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
~ meganreal
Crucial Conversations by some corporate types
It makes about two solid, but obvious, points. The rest reads exactly like an infomercial.
~ FelinePharma
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
This one was not cohesive at all. I’m still not sure where the plot was going. Playing the ‘Name that Band’ game with the chapter titles was fun.
~ FelinePharma
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
Tried the audiobook version. The halting narration was annoying at first, but became tolerable. Was done quite well overall. Joss is a delight.
~ FelinePharma
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
I just loved it, as I have every entry in the series so far. Book 6 of the Murderbot Diaries takes us back in time from before book 5, which was an interesting jump to adjust to initially after everything that happened in book 5. While I was hoping to see what happens next right away with Murderbot journeying with ART, it was still such a delight to jump back for this story, so I certainly was not disappointed. It’s fun to see more bits about Murderbot’s time at Preservation Station, and it’s almost hard to believe I’m almost out of new material to read/listen to for the time being! Once again I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kevin R Free. He’s just got such a perfect cadence for Murderbot’s attitude and internal narration and I’m continuing to have the best time.
Onto book 7!
~ Kerry / CommunionNimrod
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
A sweet and sad story of a girl trying to find where she belongs, making friends, losing trust, and protecting those she loves as she tackles foster homes. Through living with a family she thinks is perfect and trouble with them, to living with a woman who has trouble remembering things. While made for a younger crowd, it’s a great story I recommend.
~ IzzyHandsArt
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
In the 2nd book of the series, Carl (still without pants) & his ex’s cat, Princess Donut, move to the next level of the dungeon where they have the added fun of bonus quests. They make new friends & enemies along the way.
~ killerweasel
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman.
3rd book in the series. Carl & Donut have made it to the 4th floor. They’ve also made it to the Top Ten & have bounties on their heads. They need to team up with new allies in order to survive the Iron Tangle.
~ killerweasel
Weird Walks: Number 5. Various Authors.
I have been seeing these around for years and as someone who loves learning folklore, particularly local one, I was interested. This issue was just fine, I'm not sure what I was expecting. Not much about folklore itself or even walks, more of literature review and promo for folklore-adjecent things. Maybe I'll try another issue just to see.
~ Highwaystars
Love and Other Cages, by Amelia Ares
Well, that was...something. After Love and Other Sins, I was looking forward to another installment of angsty teen drama between Mira and Oliver. What we got, instead, was a bizarre knockoff of Black Widow and Taken, Jr. The overwrought language and over the top emotions that were charmingly retro when applied to more run of the mill teen drama are poorly suited to the action thriller genre. To make things worse, after spending the first book building chemistry between the two main characters, this one keeps them apart for 90% of the story. Both of them make choices that are right up there with horror movie characters running into the chainsaw-filled garage instead of taking the well-lit path, and we are introduced to far too many minor characters who aren't able to stick around long enough to be interesting.
On a positive note, the narrators really lean into the melodrama and seem like they're having fun - if only they had more fun material to work with.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
~ meganreal
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