This is a little outside of my normal wheelhouse a dystopian sci-fi with a lot of political vibes where you aren't sure who you canActually 3.5 stars.
This is a little outside of my normal wheelhouse a dystopian sci-fi with a lot of political vibes where you aren't sure who you can or can't trust, and a rogue MC who may not be making decisions for the right reasons. Mixed with a bunch of stuff I do like: futuristic sci-fi, an inexplicable magic component, ghosts, San Francisco and super cool fusion food. I read the whole book in one setting and have already borrowed the next one from the library, so I'm still interested and engaged. I'll let you know how volume 2 goes....more
It was fine. I guess. I feel like it was all over the place, it wasn't clear on what it most wanted to say or do so there's too muActually 2.5 stars.
It was fine. I guess. I feel like it was all over the place, it wasn't clear on what it most wanted to say or do so there's too much of some things (her fantasy world) without deepening of what it's about with too little of others (any opening up in any relationship at all) with such an abrupt ending I can't honestly tell you what this was about or what the second volume is going to attempt to do. It just didn't work for me and I'm unlikely to keep reading.
The art was fine, I actually really liked Boo's character art work. That said, there are a LOT of night scenes and they are WAAAYYY too dark. The colouring might have worked fine for a webtoon being looked at on a screen, but in print, there were just pages and pages where I had no idea what was going on because it was all too dark. (To be fair, there were a lot of writing and layout things that left me feeling like I didn't know what was going on so not actually being able to SEE anything just compounded my frustration. Hence my rating.)...more
I really loved the first in this series (Meet Me in Los Feliz) last year and so was super looking forward to this one, but I ended up not liking it quI really loved the first in this series (Meet Me in Los Feliz) last year and so was super looking forward to this one, but I ended up not liking it quite as much. Still a great read, really loved the characters - particularly the hero - out of the bedroom but the bedroom scenes just didn't work for me.
I am aware that this is a very personal thing. But Killian is one of those Cinnamon Bun on the Streets, Dommy Top in the Sheets heroes - which I know is someone's thing (and if it's yours you will for sure enjoy this) but I just am not into the Dom Top vibe. Also, one of my favourite things about Los Feliz was all the open conversation and consent which we not really things in this one (for example, Killian Does A Thing during sex, then tells us he wouldn't want to do anything she didn't want so he's making her say she wants the thing done again. The fact that the thing was a VERY MILD pain/BDSM thing, but was NOT talked about or consented to before anything happened made me super uncomfortable). We find out during sex play (relatively late in the book actually) that Leighton likes a little pain with her pleasure, but only in her internal narrative, and Killian has been mixing them in their actual sex almost from the beginning with no discussion.
I know this is very personal to me, but the stark contrast in communication and consent between the books - one of the things I found super sexy about the first one that made me love it - really tips this down a lot for me. I am so not into pain with sexy times, but I'm ok with it in fiction when there's lots of... you guessed it... communication and consent. But I feel pretty confident that if you aren't like me you'll probably love this. (Also, again, this is super mild, grown adults very first bdsm level and anyone into that stuff will certainly think I'm a baby for my feelings about it. Just so you don't go in expecting more than there is.)
But I still really wish I was seeing more of the romance and smut reviewing girlies reading these books. They definitely deserve a wider audience....more
Basically, this is an essential read if you are autistic or love someone who is or even if you just want to do better for the ND peoI have no notes.
Basically, this is an essential read if you are autistic or love someone who is or even if you just want to do better for the ND people, clients, employees etc... in your daily life. Also if you suspect you might be autistic or have self identified as autistic - especially if you are deciding about pursuing diagnosis.
This is also a highly recommended read if you are ADHD (what Price refers to as a sibling condition) - love or know and ADHD person, suspect you are ADHD etc... as well as for other nuerodivergent peeps, it's about being autistic but will probably be interesting to others.
So, basically, if you have enough of a reason to be looking at and considering this book, the answer is yes, yes you should read it....more
I did not find this as engaging and captivating as I had hoped I would based on how I feel about her comedy. But as a late blooming queer person who iI did not find this as engaging and captivating as I had hoped I would based on how I feel about her comedy. But as a late blooming queer person who is also autistic and ADHD I so appreciated being invited into Hannah's personal journey and seeing both some of myself and someone unlike me too. I'm so grateful to Gadsby for being willing to lay her trauma bare like this so others could see and relate to it. I can't imagine being this brave.
I also really appreciate the lessons on queer history in Australia.
The book was sometimes hard to read and I took occasional mental health breaks as needed, but definitely worthwhile....more
This was a lovely and encouraging story I highly recommend for my fellow anxiety beans. ThActually 4.5 stars.
Content Warning: Loss and Cancer, Anxiety
This was a lovely and encouraging story I highly recommend for my fellow anxiety beans. The anxiety rep was realistic and we frequently see the MC in an anxiety spiral but it's always addressed (eventually). We see our character using support tools to move through her anxiety and other people and she herself also countermands the patterns. ...more
As someone on the Ace spectrum (I'm Demi) and autistic I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of aliens being used as a metaphor to make varioSo...
As someone on the Ace spectrum (I'm Demi) and autistic I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of aliens being used as a metaphor to make various types of humans more relatable to others. (If you don't know aliens and AI are commonly equated with both autistic and asexual traits and often used as stand in for rep which is a problem.) So, while I am aware that Jadzia Axelrod is trans herself so this is an own voices choice, it feels uncomfortable to me as a rep of my transness because I know of the issues with it when it comes to my other identity factors (that doesn't mean I think it's wrong for others it just doesn't work for me).
I am a big reader of graphic novels that are by and depict various flavours of Queerness and there are very few of them that I don't really love, but this one just didn't work for me. While I was reading it I kept wondering if part of what wasn't clicking was the difference in a book produced and published by a brand like DC - super mainstream, etc, etc - vs the small presses and indies that a lot of the queer graphics I read are published by. I have no reason for thinking about that it just popped into my mind while reading.
There are lots of things I enjoyed about this book: the art, the colour palette, the ending... and there were things that made me feel uncomfortable. In the end it was fine for me. But if it reaches it's audience (which feels like it's both young trans people who maybe aren't yet comfortable with that knowledge, and the peers of trans people who wouldn't consume other queer media without the DC Aliens angle) then I'm immesurably glad it's out there for them and I'm glad Jadzia got the chance to lay herself out here like this because I do love that part....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
Ugh I *hate* to do this because there are so few books by autistic people for autistic people and I want us to have a lot more of that, but I had to DUgh I *hate* to do this because there are so few books by autistic people for autistic people and I want us to have a lot more of that, but I had to DNF this book.
The first chapter is full of highlights and notes because: yeah, me too... but I'd given up reading by Chapter 3 and when I tried to go back after a 6+ month break I couldn't even finish chapter four. The book just felt like I was slogging through mud. I tend to really enjoy memoirs, but to make them work you still need to use narrative devices like build up and release of tension, comedic relief, foreshadowing, creating a narrative thread etc... and this lacks any of that. It's written in a kind of monotone voice with no highs and lows or break up of the - what is inevitably going to be difficult/traumatic reminders for the rest of us adult diagnosed autistics who struggled through all this - tension and weight. It made the reading feel like work with no relief - so as much as I can see myself here I had to stop. ...more
Talia Hibbert + Friends to Lovers = Yes Please. This is my favourite of her two (?) Christmas novellas - the excellent family and pining hero is what Talia Hibbert + Friends to Lovers = Yes Please. This is my favourite of her two (?) Christmas novellas - the excellent family and pining hero is what really put this over the top for me. I also was fascinated by the rep of Will as not being particularly book smart and feeling less capable on the intelligence front, but also having that not be seen as impacting his character or being made fun of (either within the story itself or by the narration. And while it's made very clear intelligence isn't Will's strength, he IS shown to be clever in other ways and how that's served him.
While there is a light smutty scene at the very end of the book, this is much more Story than smut. A head's up that Abbie's got some really strong anxiety and intrusive thoughts (negative self-talk) going on and while it didn't bother me as a reader with those same issues, I can see how it might be hard for others to read....more
Maybe 3.5 stars? I'm not sure. I didn't love this quite as much as I did the first one, but it was still excellent. And while, at the time, I was so uMaybe 3.5 stars? I'm not sure. I didn't love this quite as much as I did the first one, but it was still excellent. And while, at the time, I was so upset with Cad driving them in the wrong direction, but in the end I was glad that Probert decided to show that Cad was still a flawed and growing individual and not as perfect as he came across in Book 1. Now Cad's optimism etc... is his personality vs because he was So Mature and Wise....more
I'm basically here for Rebekah Weatherspoon and the fact that her kink is apparently that complete consent, and open and mature coActually 3.5 stars.
I'm basically here for Rebekah Weatherspoon and the fact that her kink is apparently that complete consent, and open and mature communication with mutual support is sexy. I’m so into that.
Plus I'm always amazed at how much relationship and/or personal development she can put into a short novella.
Definitely recommend for those looking for a cozy (yet smutty) good time that includes baked goods....more
I found the first book fun, if cheesy, but I actually really enjoyed this one. I also really enjoyed the way Bastone overlapped thActually 3.5 stars.
I found the first book fun, if cheesy, but I actually really enjoyed this one. I also really enjoyed the way Bastone overlapped the timelines of the two books.
P.s. We're all agreed that Elliot has ADHD right?...more
So ahhh... I love Murderbot. I am SO here for the irreverence and sarcasm - it speaks to my soul. Also, there was a two line moment that perfectly capSo ahhh... I love Murderbot. I am SO here for the irreverence and sarcasm - it speaks to my soul. Also, there was a two line moment that perfectly captured some of my own mental health moments and I totally was right there with Murderbot.
I also fully support the commentary on humans making stupid and death riddled decisions. That's so us. ...more
I love Cat Cafe. I love this addition to Cat Cafe. I don't know which one I like better, because both of these are the kind of books I want to always I love Cat Cafe. I love this addition to Cat Cafe. I don't know which one I like better, because both of these are the kind of books I want to always have a handful of on hand so I can send them out to my friends and loved ones when they are having a hard time.
Basically, Matt Tarpley's books are a hug in comic form written especially for those of us who struggle with mental health issues or are neurodivergent ourselves. I saw another reviewer referred to it as non-stop twee and cute and yeah, I guess it is, and I love it....more
Loading...
