The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón
This is literally just amazing. The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón is one of my favorite books this year, likely these past few years. This poetry collection speaks to the very essence of my soul. Practically half the collection has been highlighted as my favorite. The words are so painfully beautiful in their sincerity. I […]
Devious Lies by Parker S Huntington
I got influenced. I got got by TikTok. I saw a snippet of Devious Lies by Parker S Huntington and thought well, this sounds right up my alley. And it was! I went straight to Amazon, bought the ebook, and spent five hours reading it from start to finish. Who needs sleep when hate sex […]
Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace
I made the decision recently to get back into reading poetry. Sometimes, I just want really powerful, hyperbolic lines. Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace seemed really interesting and I found the author through some googling on top recently released poetry books. My local library had a copy so I picked it up, […]
The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
This is one of the first audiobooks I ever picked up and decided to try listening to. Three years later, once I finally got into audiobooks and was able to take time to listen and comprehend what was going on, I picked The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan up again. Absolutely […]
1000 Storms by Tony Sandoval
I previously read Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval, and loved the artwork. When I was invited to read 1000 Storms, I was excited! I couldn’t wait to see the new adventures and gorgeous illustrations. The artwork is gorgeous, which is expected. Beautiful and ethereal with a bordering menacing darkness. Its ephemeral nature complements the narrative beautifully […]
A Pre-Columbian Bestiary: Fantastic Creatures of Indigenous Latin America by Ilan Stavans, Eko
I am honestly pretty disappointed with A Pre-Columbian Bestiary by Ilan Stavans and illustrated by Eko. It feels almost as though this is a book that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. It includes mythical creatures, but also creatures like grasshoppers. The illustrations are great, but black and white. Honestly, it feels like a book with a strong premise that falters into a clunky coffee table book.
Los peligros de fumar en la cama by Mariana Enríquez
One of my goals in 2023 was to start reading books in Spanish instead of just English. I’m bilingual, and I’ve tried reading long form Spanish fiction before, but never really stuck with it. I tried reading Fellowship of the Ring in Spanish thinking it would be easier because I know FOTR so it would […]
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
This was a great read that I’m upset I didn’t get to earlier! I did read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik as an audiobook and golly Anisha Dadia is SUCH a great narrator. She gave so much emotion for each of the characters and with just the slightest change in tone or inflection, you knew who was speaking, you know their mood, you knew the situation. I think reading this as an audiobook really changed and elevated my experience.
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
Would I recommend The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner? Sure! It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t horrible. It was a good filler book to read. A palate cleanser book to read between heavier novels or series.
Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Would I recommend this? Honestly, I think I would simply because 75% of the book was really good and really captivated my attention. There are good ideas and it was good foundation, even if Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness stumbled at the end.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Long and Short of it: Great writing, but ultimately just a basic retelling with a well-known impetus. I previously read The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher which absolutely creeped me out. It was a great horror book. When I saw the cover for What Moves the Dead and that it was written by T. Kingfisher, […]
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
I am literally bereft, annoyed, betrayed, and upset. I was really loving this book. So much so that before I even reached 50%, I purchased the other two in the trilogy and now all I can think is what a waste of money! I am beyond disappointed. I feel as though this has been a […]
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
Would I recommend? Yes, and the series gets better! Again, this is a ‘re-read’ as I listened to the audiobook for the first time. Marsters continues to be the best voice for Harry Dresden and I can only picture him now as the lanky, cantankerous wizard. Onto the book itself! Fool Moon is a good […]
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Technically, this is a re-read, though this is a review of the audiobook which I listened to for the first time. Where I work, it is very quiet so I decided to try audiobooks. In the past, I was never able to really sit and pay attention. Now, knowing I wanted to do some reading […]
Sweet, Young, & Worried by Blythe Baird
I don’t typically read or look into books of poetry, and I would never have found Sweet, Young, & Worried if I had not stumbled across it at a local bookstore. It’s short but poignant. There were a few poems that really cut through me, while a few others I fear I aged out of […]