Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
A re-read for me but my first time reading it to my daughter. Old-fashioned in a gentle and delightful way, not a "yikes" way. Relatable for any kid with a sibling. A really fun readaloud. Beverly Cleary is the GOAT.
~ alimasin
Is It My Fault That I Got Bullied? by Kimizuka Chikara and Yen Hioka
A revenge drama about bullying. While maybe not the best manga I've read on the subject, it had some very complex characters and a very messy anti-hero. And it's the first thing I've managed to read since January and I read the entire thing in about six hours, so clearly it was good enough.
~ Doktor Girlfriend
Counting Miracles, by Nicholas Sparks
Oh, this is why people like Nicholas Sparks! I finally get it, since this one tells an interesting story with well written characters, unlike the first one of his I tried.
~ meganreal
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
5* - Oh my god, what a book!!! I've read a lot of mysteries, but this one feels absolutely perfect for several reasons, and I don't even know if I can list them all. I really enjoyed the main characters - Din and Ana worked really well together. The world was incredibly well-developed and I loved the way we were fed more information about it as it became relevant. And the plot! Oh, the plot was so good. I'm not sure if I should call it intricate because it is a very standard murder mystery with intrigue, but... BUT. It's so well developed and so gracefully unravelled that it doesn't feel standard.
I'm so glad to have read this, and I will be picking up the next book in this series!
I read this for the Duck Prints Press book club, and since I ran that, I had to summarise the chapters. I have to say that I was kind of annoyed I had to pause and take notes sometimes, this feels like a great book to just devour in one go!
~ fpwoper
De laatste gelofte [The last vow] by M.W. Craven
4.5* - First one I read in Dutch; it's a translated thriller. I enjoyed the book a lot. The plot worked well and was as intricate as I'm used to with Craven's thrillers. I didn't enjoy the amount of stress the main character put me through, that's why half a star is docked. But in all honesty: very much enjoyed this, and I can't wait to see what else will be happening in the series!
~ fpwoper
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
I appreciate what the author was trying to do, but something about this just didn’t hit for me and the story kinda dragged.
~ HipHopAnonymous
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
I fully picked this up because the cover makes it look like Them (Gentlebeard) lol. Beyond the minor similarities to OFMD, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It helps that I'm already a certified slut for regency romances.
~ Lindsay (wildflowerstede)
Splinter Effect, by Andrew Ludington
If you're looking for an Americanized version of the Chronicles of St. Mary's books with more action and less of the interpersonal relationships, this is it. The first few chapters set in the present day are a bit rough, since the world building is fairly minimal and we're joining a story already in progress, but once Rabbit makes the time jump (pun intended), we get to the real story. Since many series starters take the majority of the book to get to that point, it's a rare treat to have so much happen right upfront. The nice thing about time travel is that there is never a chance of running out of material, so I look forward to reading what comes next for Rabbit et al.
~ meganreal
The Buried City: Unearthing the Real Pompeii by Gabriel Zuchtriegel
I really liked this one, I ended up reading right through it practically in one go. I learned a fair amount more about Pompeii and the author's perspective on archaeology and how we relate to history was very compelling.
~ remreader
Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization by Tim Queeney
I do love a good micro-history book and this one was pretty solid.
~ remreader
Misumisou by Rensuke Oshikiri
One of the most brutal manga I've ever read. A revenge drama about bullying, desperation, and teenage ennui in a dead-end town, the central theme is that abuse begets more abuse, whether it comes from parents, peers, or the apathy of society. This was my second read, and it's just as disturbing as the first.
~ Doktor Girlfriend
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Personally, I think the first book in the series, Red Dragon, is better. However, this is a great look into the realm of serial killers. The exchanges between Hannibal & Clarice are fascinating.
~ killerweasel
Yearbook by Seth Rogen
This is Seth’s autobiography. It’s full of interesting and amusing stories.
I highly recommend the audio version as Seth reads it.
~ killerweasel
Chain-Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
It’s hard to remember this is fiction sometimes. The real world footnotes somehow make it even more amazing that this isn’t yet a thing in the prison industrial complex. This one should stay on the reading lists for the long term.
~ meganreal
Ontsnapt uit de Dode Hoek by Paul van Loon
4* - I love Paul van Loon and I absolutely loved this one too. It's a cautionary tale about making sure truck drivers can see you in their blind spot ("dode hoek", or literally translated "death corner", which is extra fun since one of the characters is just a skeleton). What a lovely way to get back into the Griezelbus stories!
[Note: Book has been published in Dutch only, has not been translated]
~ fpwoper
Bird box : josh malerman
I really liked this one! The movie was really true to it. The characters were enjoyable and the time jumps weren't too confusing!
~ Trashdog13
The Roma: A Traveling History by Madeline Potter
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about the Roma and the history of Romani communities around the world.
~ remreader
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
A brilliantly ambiguous possession story and family drama.
~ HipHopAnonymous
The Book of Sea Shanties by Nathan Evans
This was a nice little introduction to the world of sea shanties. I liked the explanations behind each one as it helped me learn about the historical context and about when each song would be used!
~ Highwaystars
Hanging On To Max by Margaret Bechard
A bittersweet story of a single father in high school, trying to balance a social life with fatherhood, and finish up his classes, all while struggling to decide if he can handle the strain it’s putting on him.
IzzyHandsArt
The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
2* - [Review contains spoilers & mentions of gore]
I... did not enjoy myself. I didn't connect to any of the characters, the book felt high-brow but in the wrong kind of way that I can't put my finger on, and most of all, I felt like it was just trying too hard to be very horrific. What ended up happening is that there's a lot of gore but also you have no clue what's going on or where it's coming from so it loses all its impact. There seems to be some kind of magic? But also, is it magic if it's just alien possession, and how does the magic even work? I have no idea, and I also don't care-the author doesn't seem to care either. There are both too many details and not enough. The flashbacks don't feel like they add anything to the book. Also: the book keeps contradicting itself and I'm not sure if that's intentional, but because it didn't seem to be able to decide on whether it was, most of the information I got I just immediately discarded as not true or not happening. Doesn't help the horror case.
I didn't enjoy this book. I didn't read the bonus scene. I nearly DNF'd this several times, and I don't think I actually took in much of the last half of the book because I just didn't care for whoever was eating who or something. It could have been horror! Right now, it's only horror in the sense that it could have been such a good book, and oh, it has a lot of gore in it.
~ fpwoper
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