I liked this much better than Gillman's other graphic novel I picked up at the same time. I was fascinated by the story revamps a3.5 Stars rounded up.
I liked this much better than Gillman's other graphic novel I picked up at the same time. I was fascinated by the story revamps and this made me want to go dig out all the original fairy tales and see how they ended so that I can better appreciate the rewrites.
I'd definitely put this into the library of any middle grader who isn't into the fairy tale vibe....more
Nghi Vo is just basically an auto buy author for me. Evocative short story with an open ending - by Vo, I'm in.Nghi Vo is just basically an auto buy author for me. Evocative short story with an open ending - by Vo, I'm in....more
My second favourite in the series so far. I really loved what we were doing with the whole "what parts are true and what parts havActually 4.5 stars.
My second favourite in the series so far. I really loved what we were doing with the whole "what parts are true and what parts have become their own myths" slow burn. ...more
While this is a short piece it is not just a smutty (basically erotica) novella. I really appreciated the amount of world building Actually 3.5 stars.
While this is a short piece it is not just a smutty (basically erotica) novella. I really appreciated the amount of world building Lauren was able to fit into such a short work, especially as this is the third book in a series/world but the only one of which I've read. This is my favourite kind of paranormal world with it's magical realism adjacent kind of world building.
I'm going to look back at the other two novellas but I wouldn't say no to a whole novel with more than just romance going on in it. One of the better novellas I started (if not finished) during my novella binge....more
My FLCBS (friendly local comic book store) told me that they observed I really enjoyed Magical Girl books and they thought I'd for sure want to read MMy FLCBS (friendly local comic book store) told me that they observed I really enjoyed Magical Girl books and they thought I'd for sure want to read Mamo and they were absolutely correct. Honestly, I'm going to need Milledge to give me more books, if not with Jo and Orla, at least in this world.
If filipino, sapphic, witches in a super interesting world + this stunning are isn't enough to sell you on Mamo, I don't know what else to tell you....more
I really enjoyed this book, and while I own Yee's Seance Tea Party I have yet to dive in but it is now moving swiftly up my To Be Read list.
One of my I really enjoyed this book, and while I own Yee's Seance Tea Party I have yet to dive in but it is now moving swiftly up my To Be Read list.
One of my favourite things about this was how unconventional it was in the way it played with the graphic novel/comic format. I loved the characters, the diversity and rep (primarily female + POC characters, gender fluid rep, etc, etc) and just how fun the story was. I'd highly recommend it both for adult and younger readers.
I would have rated this 4.5 - 5 stars but knocked it down just a bit because there was an odd jump at the end where they were asked to save everyone, and next page we're shown them being thanked but... not what happened in between. To be fair, I was reading a digital library version that seemed to have had a section where the pages were in the wrong order, so maybe a page went missing and it was just a glitch? But assuming this is the full book it was just a tiny thing that I wanted to acknowledge in my rating....more
For ages I saw people raving about this book and I didn't really bother to pay attention to it because I don't generally like paranormals with the faeFor ages I saw people raving about this book and I didn't really bother to pay attention to it because I don't generally like paranormals with the fae in them (similarly I'm not much into vampires) but I kept hearing about it and finally decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did.
This was the perfect blend of cozy with stuff happening for me. I really enjoyed the whole reading experience and found the audio book to be a great way to take this book in....more
Amazon suggested this novella to me it was $1 and I had $1 credit and I'd also been interested in this series for some time but had not yet taken the Amazon suggested this novella to me it was $1 and I had $1 credit and I'd also been interested in this series for some time but had not yet taken the plunge so I decided a novella would be a great way to feel out if I wanted to actually buy one of the full novels. And yup, I definitely do.
I really enjoyed this read. I kind of love that the characters are all anthropomorphic for no reason at all and it feels exactly like playing some of my favourite cozy video games (why don't more adult books do this?). The writing was engaging and easy to follow and the mystery wasn't blaringly obvious and it was just a great all around atmospheric read. So I'm definitely looking forward to reading more. ...more
I've been interested in reading Fonda Lee's works for a long time, so mny people rave about and love it and it just had me really cActually 3.5 stars.
I've been interested in reading Fonda Lee's works for a long time, so mny people rave about and love it and it just had me really curious - the problem is, I know I don't particularly like mafia/gangster style stories. I decided to read Janloon because it was a short piece that would give me a taste of the writing and the world, but that I'd be likely to finish.
To be clear, my rating has nothing to do with the writing or world Lee built - both of those are top notch 4-5 star work. It was simply the fact that I am correct, I do NOT enjoy the gangster/mafia aspects or the vibe of violence that comes with them (maybe it's the style of violence rather than violence in general). But I did really enjoy the characters and the mystery style plot.
Would recommend for people who are into that style of story, and while I found it a great toe dip into the world, it is set after the main books and so might not work for people who hate spoilers....more
I wasn't expecting such a profound or dark story. Normally dark stories don't work for me I'm just not comfortable in that kind of world, but this felI wasn't expecting such a profound or dark story. Normally dark stories don't work for me I'm just not comfortable in that kind of world, but this felt more profound than dark.
I am particularly impressed by McGuire's character work.
The whole vibe of this book is stillness. I just finished reading it and I feel... still. And deeply thoughtful - which, considering that is the theme of our current narrative character is very impressive. I can't wait to read the others.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 14 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
I feel like the odd man out rating this book so low when so many of the people I follow have gone the exact opposite direction of me in their ratings,I feel like the odd man out rating this book so low when so many of the people I follow have gone the exact opposite direction of me in their ratings, and in fact, their high opinion is why I wanted to read this in the first place.
While I loved the historical setting with an alternate magical history world and really enjoyed the characters, this didn't really end up working for me for three main reasons.
1. There is a lot of both described and on page emotional and psychological abuse (plus talked about physical abuse). While one character has experienced parental neglect and abandonment we meet him at a point where he's pushing forward in his life and sees himself as having something to fight past that for (his sister). But the other character, he is actively still trapped as a victim to his abuse by his family members and I really wish I had known going in that we'd be spending so much time in that. (I also really hate when full on abuse is being depicted but not being named for what it is by any of that characters.)
2. The sex scenes. Listen, I am not a prude and I read a lot of full on smut books but I did not enjoy the smut scenes in this book. They made me feel uncomfortable. They did not feel like intimate moments where our characters were connecting on a deeper level or that any real caregiving and support was exchanged - it just felt like the sex was happening and was meant to be a stand in for relationship development but it did not succeed at it. Though to be honest, that might have happened in the later two scenes and I wouldn't know because after the first (really long) sex scene we started skipping all sex stuff. I prefer my sex scenes to be intimate rather than crass. I also suspect I might have been more comfortable with style of scene if the book had been by a gay man (aka own voices).
3. We spend WAAYYYY too much time dithering about at the manor house and playing Bea's games and not nearly enough trying to actually solve the mystery.
It would probably be a 4 star book had we cut out some of the house party and sex scenes and instead spent more time exploring wtf was happening. (In hindsight it had a very "second book" feel in the way that sometimes second books end up being nothing but set ups for the third book... this was too much a set up for what's coming later and not enough story in it's own right). Overall, if you wanted a historical set in this kind of time period, with an MM couple, and magic I'd recommend C.L. Polk's Witchmark over this.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 13 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
I don't normally read Westerns - in fact, I'd say it's one of the few Will Never Read genres for me - but I bought into this because of how unique andI don't normally read Westerns - in fact, I'd say it's one of the few Will Never Read genres for me - but I bought into this because of how unique and all in the narrative voice was when I read the sample.
I loved this.
I loved the sapphic relationship and how it was represented. I loved the discussion about women and their limitations for earning income in this time and place and the talk about mediums and spiritualists (particularly because I was just reading a discussion on this in a non-fiction book). Kate's take on wives vs prostitutes and needing to be performative to survive is something I'll be thinking about for awhile.
The character/narrative voice on this totally made this a winner for me.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 10 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon. ...more
So I finished Empress of Salt and Fortune and decided to see if my library had the rest and the books and discovered yes, yes they did - in audio - soSo I finished Empress of Salt and Fortune and decided to see if my library had the rest and the books and discovered yes, yes they did - in audio - so I immediately borrowed and listened to book 2. As you do.
I love reading books that use myth and folklore from cultures outside of the American and European roots. I love learning about all the forms of magic and myth that it never even occurred to me to imagine possible. Case in point, the way the tigers are People who can simply shift forms and that's considered not worth remarking on.
So far, book 1 remains my favorite because I loved the feminism and the depth in that story. But this one was fun and clever and I'm excited to read the next two.
RATING Significance: 7 - Good Writing: 8.5 - Excellent Enjoyment: 7 - Good Plot/Character: 7 - Good Total: 29.5 = 3.75 Stars
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 9 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
This is a book I never would have picked up - or probably even heard of - if I hadn't been building a TBR for the Tor Dot Com a Thon and OMG I'm SO glThis is a book I never would have picked up - or probably even heard of - if I hadn't been building a TBR for the Tor Dot Com a Thon and OMG I'm SO glad I did.
Lately there have been a handful of books where my enjoyment of it has been so high while reading it that I need to set the book down and pause because I'm just so IN it. Kind of like how something can be so cute you want to eat/squeeze it (very cool science bits here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxsoE...) - that feeling, but with characters and story. Becky Chambers. Martha Wells. Janice Hallet. And now Marion Deeds.
I loved how I had no idea what was going on, even as what was going on was slowly being unraveled in front of me. I loved the characters. And, surprisingly for me, I loved how the story was told two steps back, one step forward through time.
It's maybe a mystery. Maybe a heist film. Magical realism. Justice. Revenge. And Good For Her. And a super engaging world all in under 200 pages. SO glad I picked this up. Now to figure out what to read next from Deeds.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 7 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
Editing to increase my star rating because I'm STILL thinking about it over a year later.
I've had this on my TBR for SO long. I'd heard so many good tEditing to increase my star rating because I'm STILL thinking about it over a year later.
I've had this on my TBR for SO long. I'd heard so many good things, knew it was much beloved, and honestly, I was scared to dive into reading it. Partly, I don't think I'd realized how short it was. The rest was that lately my mental health just hasn't supported reading really dense stuff; I've been avoiding literature, and dense or "high" fantasy for the last 4 years or so and I had the impression this book was going to fall into that place my brain just didn't have the space to parse out. How wrong I was.
In reality this was a short and easy read. The whole time I was reading it I kept observing it had a very similar feeling to Becky Chambers' Psalm for the Wild Built and Prayer for the Crown Shy - easy, almost dream like, cozy vibes. It felt like a book that wanted me to believe that there is a place where even I could be heard and seen. It was comforting and inspiring and it's art feels like it's feeding the art in me, but where Chambers' books have a Meaning of Life message impact, this allows itself to stay a story - it's ok being whatever you need it to be for you.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 8 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
This is a 30 page short story. Short stories aren't usually my thing, but despite that I found myself fully invested in the characteActually 3.5 stars
This is a 30 page short story. Short stories aren't usually my thing, but despite that I found myself fully invested in the characters and the world. This is not one of those short stories that actually has a plot, or that is doing anything to try and move the world or characters forward in any meaningful way, but the writing was excellent and did it's job. It made me feel the things the author set out to make me feel and it got me curious about and potentially invested in what else this character is doing in their world.
Typically I'd round a short story down, but I'm rounding up because it did it's job so well.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 6 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
Molly Knox Ostertag (along with Kay O'Neill) is basically an auto-buy author for me. She's always worth it.Molly Knox Ostertag (along with Kay O'Neill) is basically an auto-buy author for me. She's always worth it....more
Actually 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because I love the world and characters so ding dang much.
I really struggled to read this book initially and I couActually 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because I love the world and characters so ding dang much.
I really struggled to read this book initially and I couldn't figure out why. Before diving into Master of Djinn I had read - and loved - every novella and short story that Clark had put out in this world. I devoured them, but for some reason I just. couldn't. get. myself. to. read. this. book.
My husband, a generally slower reader than me (both because he reads less often and I'm a particularly speedy reader) picked it up while I was 30% in and still finished it before I'd reached the 50% mark. It was driving me crazy because I WANTED to read it, but the novel was just feeling so much more dense than anything else he had written.
Finally, I decided that I was probably suffering from a pacing issue - something that didn't happen in the short works but seemed to be plaguing the novel - and decided to just read one chapter every time I sat down to read and slog through. And then I reached the 60% mark and suddenly the pacing and adventure were back, and I whipped right through it.
At which point I suspected, and then was proven correct, that this was Clark's first full length novel which made everything make sense again.
My only other comment is that the "mystery" part of this is NOT a mystery, and Clark doesn't seem to have actually *tried* to use the "who did this" to guide the plot or confuse the reader in any meaningful way at all. We literally only ever get one potential suspect (the red herring) and because no others were added or looked at it's no surprise at all who did it (I knew before the 30% mark). I honestly think that both the "well obviously X did it... yup, there it is" AND the pacing problem could have been solved by an actual investigation in the first half of the book that threw up one or two other suspects who needed ruling in and out. It would have given us some momentum and movement beyond just following around and worrying about what the imposter was doing today and would have helped the mystery plot line too.
This is not to say that this isn't a really good book in an excellent and evocative world with excellent characters. It's not even a case of First Book: At Least You Tried syndrome. It's literally a pacing issue (that doesn't seem to have bothered others as much) and lack of solid mystery techniques (which, fair, it's a sci fi book published by a sci fi and fantasy publisher). And it's probably a me thing. .5 Stars off because I struggled to get to the part where the book carries itself but rounded up because it deserves it's over all 4 star rating....more
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