Wonderful, as one would expect from this author. I really enjoyed dipping back into this universe, and the characters were fabulous a4.5 rounded down.
Wonderful, as one would expect from this author. I really enjoyed dipping back into this universe, and the characters were fabulous and interesting and had fabulous chemistry. I will say, I did feel a smidge... idk, disappointed, maybe? with the reactions to the revelation that (view spoiler)[Templeton actually wasn't a massive asshole the way everybody assumed based on the word of his asshole father. IDK, I get why Susan and Justin etc. all believed it, but it felt a little anti-climactic when they learned they'd been lied to. I kind of wanted something like an acknowledgement that *they* were in the wrong for having zero faith in James and never giving him a chance to explain. Small quibble overall, as I do mostly get it, but emotionally it wasn't quite satisfying for me to have them basically not own up to their part in things more explicitly. (hide spoiler)]
Merged review:
4.5 rounded down.
Wonderful, as one would expect from this author. I really enjoyed dipping back into this universe, and the characters were fabulous and interesting and had fabulous chemistry. I will say, I did feel a smidge... idk, disappointed, maybe? with the reactions to the revelation that (view spoiler)[Templeton actually wasn't a massive asshole the way everybody assumed based on the word of his asshole father. IDK, I get why Susan and Justin etc. all believed it, but it felt a little anti-climactic when they learned they'd been lied to. I kind of wanted something like an acknowledgement that *they* were in the wrong for having zero faith in James and never giving him a chance to explain. Small quibble overall, as I do mostly get it, but emotionally it wasn't quite satisfying for me to have them basically not own up to their part in things more explicitly. (hide spoiler)]...more
Around the World Reading Challenge: BELARUS === 4.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed this one! The concept seemed up my alley, as I generally enjoy any kind oAround the World Reading Challenge: BELARUS === 4.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed this one! The concept seemed up my alley, as I generally enjoy any kind of fable/mythology retelling, and the vibe here was very gothic mystery, which I'm also quite into. Had the sort of expected damsel-in-distress/no real strong female characters issue that often comes with older works, but I appreciated the critical approach towards the aristocracy. On the whole an engaging read with great sense of atmosphere....more
Queer, cozy fantasy with a female fighter orc getting injured and forced to recuperate in a sleepy town, where she makes friends, a lo3.5 rounded down
Queer, cozy fantasy with a female fighter orc getting injured and forced to recuperate in a sleepy town, where she makes friends, a lover, and still manages to get up to shenanigans. Fun read, though I do think the cozy vibes ended up feeling a little too low-stakes for me, and I was glad there was at least some necromancer plotting. This is a prequel novel, and I hadn't quite processed what that would mean for the ending -- it added a bit of a bittersweet twist to the end which I liked. I enjoyed this enough that I'll probably plan to read the main book, but it didn't totally absorb me, which I think it more a testament to the tone/genre not totally being my bag....more
Interesting historical true crime book covering one of the earlier known serial killers and the evolution of forensic science. I'm not m3.5 rounded up
Interesting historical true crime book covering one of the earlier known serial killers and the evolution of forensic science. I'm not much of a true crime girlie, but I did find the forensic stuff and learning more about France in that time period all pretty interesting. The actual crime stuff and focus on the murderer himself wasn't my favorite, particularly post-apprehension and the circus of the trial, but I thought this was surprisingly thought-provoking in terms of how we view "insanity" and lack of personal responsibility when it comes to violent crimes....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: EL SALVADOR === Really didn't know what to expect with this one, but I ended up quite enjoying it! The style is realAround the World Reading Challenge: EL SALVADOR === Really didn't know what to expect with this one, but I ended up quite enjoying it! The style is really interesting, told from the POV of a wealthy, self-important member of El Salvador's upper class as if she is talking to a dear friend, confiding all kinds of salacious details about the recent death of her best friend, and said friend's exploits. Each chapter almost reads like one long run-on sentence as the main character works herself up trying to figure out what happened to her friend while El Salvador is still recovering from the aftermath of the civil war. I thought the writing and style here was clever and engaging, and even though I found Laura distasteful, on the whole this was a really interesting read!...more
This is billed as a "queer sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a locked-room thriller" which I definitely think it delivers on! 3.5 rounded up
This is billed as a "queer sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a locked-room thriller" which I definitely think it delivers on! I thought the narrative structure was fascinating, as the story is essentially set up as a retelling of a historical event, pieced together from various sources with a bit of narrative flair thrown in. It makes for an interesting read, full of unreliable (and unlikable) narrators. I read this with a book club, and most members found the unlikability of most of the characters to prevent any real connection from forming--which is a common issue I've seen in other reviews as well. I personally didn't find it so massive that I couldn't enjoy it, but YMMV. Not totally sure how I feel about the ending, and I do think there were SO many open threads about the future/world-building that it became distracting. But on the whole, I thought this was an interesting read, and I'd definitely keep an eye out for more from this author....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: IRELAND === 4.5 rounded up
I had originally planned to read one of Donoghue's other books for Ireland but I ended up Around the World Reading Challenge: IRELAND === 4.5 rounded up
I had originally planned to read one of Donoghue's other books for Ireland but I ended up switching at the last moment, and I'm really pleased I did! The summary intrigued me but I truly didn't expect to become as immediately engrossed as I was. The pacing is really excellent, and the way everything unfolds was wonderful, including an ending I didn't expect, but absolutely loved. Lib comes off quite judgemental and unlikable, particularly at the start, but I appreciated the evolution. Deducting half a star because there were a number of times where things were incredibly obvious in the narrative but then took Lib aaaaages to figure out, despite "observation" supposedly being one of her big talents. It ended up feeling a little forced to be that she would take so long in multiple instances to pick up on the pretty obvious clues being dropped. Really loved this one on the whole, though, and I'm curious about the film adaptation!...more
A delightful sequel! I enjoyed seeing more of these characters and this world, though there were definitely still a lot of bits of the magic system thA delightful sequel! I enjoyed seeing more of these characters and this world, though there were definitely still a lot of bits of the magic system that were a little unclear, and I wish the authors had spent a bit more time explaining it. Which is something I've notices in Scott's other books--they tend to leave a lot up to the reader, which I generally appreciate, but sometimes I just want a bit of extra help! I liked getting to see Julian & Ned's relationship deepen, and while I was a little frustrated by the return of the miscommunication trope, it wasn't dragged out *too* long. Interesting case, and an enjoyable read all around! This is one of those series that feels satisfying as it is, but could also easily be added to in the future should the authors be so inclined....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: HONG KONG === Really interesting novel focusing on a renowned Inspector of the genius/armchair detective variety, anAround the World Reading Challenge: HONG KONG === Really interesting novel focusing on a renowned Inspector of the genius/armchair detective variety, and his protege. There are six sections, each focusing on a different case and spanning 50 years in reverse chronological order ("present" day first) and set roughly during years/periods of great change within Hong Kong. I thought the cases were generally interesting, and I really enjoyed them as a vehicle for conveying various political issues, including civil unrest and corruption. Some casual and very unnecessary anti-fat bias, which I didn't love, and I'm actually not generally wild about the genre/character of a genius inspector who seems to practically be omniscient, but I still very much enjoyed this overall and would recommend! ...more
This was a delight! Queer historical fantasy + murder mystery! I've read/enjoyed other books by Melissa Scott and this definitely had a similar flare This was a delight! Queer historical fantasy + murder mystery! I've read/enjoyed other books by Melissa Scott and this definitely had a similar flare in terms of writing, though the world building here was quite distinct. I did find myself wanting a bit more, as at times the magical system seemed a little murky, but on the whole quite enjoyable! This had a slightly stronger relationship-focus than her other works I've read, which I liked, though I would have loved even more! I appreciated the way it was incorporated, even if the romantic plotline itself relied overmuch on miscommunication, which isn't my favorite. The mystery plot was interesting, if a little obvious. Overall, this was a lovely read and I'm excited to read the sequel!...more
Around the World Reading Challenge: ITALY === Fuck, but that was a slog and a half. Frankly, it only started getting bearable around the 75% mark, and iAround the World Reading Challenge: ITALY === Fuck, but that was a slog and a half. Frankly, it only started getting bearable around the 75% mark, and it only started to almost approach mildly interesting at the 85% mark. The concept and summary made it sound so interesting, but fuck if the execution didn't nearly bring me to tears of boredom. So goddamn pretentious and over-flowing with minutia and details that it felt like I was reading and incredibly dry history book. Anybody who describes this book as "thrilling" or a "roller-coaster ride" is just flat-out lying. Any sense of excitement and tension is squashed to death by the insufferable prose, and the over-abundance of dialogue and background. Truly, they don't even start ~The Plan~ until about 2/3 of the way through the book--up until then it's entirely set-up, which is nearly 400 pages of set-up, and incredibly uninteresting set-up at that. I've never read Eco but he's been on my list for ages, which made him seem the perfect pick for Italy, despite many people warning me off him--I think I'll take their advice going forward and skip the rest of Eco's works. Not for me....more
My first experience with Lovecraft! Put him off for years, first because I'm a baby and was concerned the "horror" would be too scary for me, and thenMy first experience with Lovecraft! Put him off for years, first because I'm a baby and was concerned the "horror" would be too scary for me, and then because I'd heard the racism and misogyny/lack of female characters was pretty gross and gratuitous. On the former, I actually didn't find it particularly scary, and for the latter, that was unfortunately borne out in the reading and definitely affected my ability to enjoy the works. I think this was unfortunately strengthened by what felt like an utter lack of concern from the editor in regards to these issues--it felt like Lovecraft's disgusting viewpoints were viewed as a character quirk instead of deeply fucked-up, and I personally think it wouldn't have left *such* a sour taste in my mouth had the instances of racism been called out and acknowledged, instead of the 500 footnotes on random shit I cared nothing about.
Some stories here were stronger than others, though overall the stories were interesting and it was cool to see the origin of so many modern and pop-culture references/homages. I'm glad to have read some of his work if only to have a bit of that background to be able to better appreciate how his influence shows up in more modern works, but I don't plan to go searching out any of the other stories not in this collection...more
This is only my third Agatha Christie, and I really enjoyed the first two I read, so I was kind of shocked that this was *such* a slog. I debaDNF ~22%
This is only my third Agatha Christie, and I really enjoyed the first two I read, so I was kind of shocked that this was *such* a slog. I debated forcing myself to keep reading in the hopes it would get better, but I just don't have time for that energy in my life anymore. I wondered if maybe my MM romance pickiness was starting to spread, but based on reviews, I'm not the only one who struggled with this one and felt it was a big departure from her usual style....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: DJIBOUTI === 2.5 rounded up
A little underwhelming. The concept is quite interesting, and there's some lovely writingAround the World Reading Challenge: DJIBOUTI === 2.5 rounded up
A little underwhelming. The concept is quite interesting, and there's some lovely writing, but something about the story felt a bit vague and opaque and distant. The ~mystery~ was obvious from the beginning--so obvious I actually thought it was a red herring and was anticipating something more exciting, which really made the reveal quite bland. There's some odd sections about Walter Benjamin that didn't land at all with me, which might be because I know absolutely nothing about him and it left me mostly perplexed. The ending was interesting, and I'm still mulling it over--I can't decide if I like it or feel it would have been stronger if left more open. Not my favorite, but a quick read and interesting enough....more
I appreciated that there was more romance/relationship in this one than in the previous book, though it's still eVery enjoyable update to the series!!
I appreciated that there was more romance/relationship in this one than in the previous book, though it's still extremely understated. I don't mind, but I definitely generally prefer slightly more character-focused books, and this is much more centered on world and mystery. The mystery was super engaging, and I continue to enjoy the world created here, though I also continue to feel a bit lost at times. The world-building is done in a way that sort of assumes the reader knows/can intuit a bit more than is perhaps entirely comfortable, and while I appreciate the confidence, I do wish there was a bit more spelled out. ...more
I wanted to read some more Christie and in looking at her stand-alones, this was pretty highly recommended!
Overall I quite enjoyed and thought the mysI wanted to read some more Christie and in looking at her stand-alones, this was pretty highly recommended!
Overall I quite enjoyed and thought the mystery was decently interesting, though something about the ending didn't quite sit right with me. Certain aspects of the plot don't totally hold up for me with any kind of scrutiny, and I wouldn't say that any of the characters particularly grabbed me/made me feel all that invested in them, but I thought it made for an entertaining read on the whole....more
Really enjoyable novella sequel that futhers the ~romance~ aspect of the series, showing how Rathe and Eslingen progress in their relationship. Case wReally enjoyable novella sequel that futhers the ~romance~ aspect of the series, showing how Rathe and Eslingen progress in their relationship. Case was interesting, and I enjoyed the further worldbuilding, though I did find myself wishing for a smidge more in the relationship department. I've resigned myself to the fact that this series is much more world/plot-focused than character/relationship-focused, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it still makes for a very enjoyable read, even if it's not totally my personal preference!...more
Around the World Reading Challenge: AUSTRALIA === This was a super fascinating read! Great gothic horror/mystery type vibes, but nothing too overwhelminAround the World Reading Challenge: AUSTRALIA === This was a super fascinating read! Great gothic horror/mystery type vibes, but nothing too overwhelming--I'm a total baby when it comes to scary stuff! While not explicitly queer, there's tons of queer coding in here that made me happy, and the open ending worked really well. I thought the characters were interesting and the way the narrative unfolds was really well done. Some not great stuff when it comes to sexism and colonialism, which isn't surprising given it was written in the 60s, but still disappointing. ...more
I've really enjoyed every T. Kingfisher book I've read, and I particularly have enjoyed the books set in the World of the White Rat, so I was excited I've really enjoyed every T. Kingfisher book I've read, and I particularly have enjoyed the books set in the World of the White Rat, so I was excited to see there is a new series set there (with 3 books out now, and a planned 3-4 more!). I enjoyed the set-up and the concept here, with the dead god's paladin and the perfumer. I did feel like there were quite a lot of similarities here between Stephen and Caliban from the Clocktaur War series, which I think is slightly intentional in that they are both paladins, and the author's made it clear that paladins tend to fall into a certain archtype, but I do wish there was a bit more distinction, particularly because it looks like every book in this series will have a paladin as one of the main love interests, and I can see it starting to feel a bit samey with the guilt and self-sacrifice etc. though I could be wrong! But this was fun and funny and a bit grim at times and I'm very much looking forward to reading the next books!...more
Around the World Reading Challenge: POLAND === 3.5 rounded down
This was an interesting read. The style was quite unique but quickly grew on me, and the Around the World Reading Challenge: POLAND === 3.5 rounded down
This was an interesting read. The style was quite unique but quickly grew on me, and the whole tone and atmosphere was really well done. I found the ~mystery~ fairly obvious but no less enjoyable for it, but the biggest issue I had is that I just didn't like the narrator/main character. I found her incredibly annoying and frustrating, which unfortunately turned what could have been a really enjoyable read into somewhat of a trial. But that's very much a personal preference thing, and I do think the book was well written and constructed, even if I found the "protagonist" insufferable....more
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