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alyssereads's reviews
145 reviews
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
5.0
I was honestly surprised by how emotional this book made me. I read the original series back in high school and (of course) loved it. But the way Stephanie Meyer wrote this book in a completely different tone, cadence, and vocabulary blew me away.
I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would and now I’m suddenly wishing all of the twilight books had a companion piece from another perspective. If you liked twilight 10 years ago but have since moved on, I recommend checking this out. It answers all the burning questions you had during that time and manages to be 10x as heart breaking as the original series.
I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would and now I’m suddenly wishing all of the twilight books had a companion piece from another perspective. If you liked twilight 10 years ago but have since moved on, I recommend checking this out. It answers all the burning questions you had during that time and manages to be 10x as heart breaking as the original series.
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
5.0
First I want to say I get why this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The romance plot is a bit cliche and kitschy but honestly I don’t think the romance is even the point of the book. It’s a vehicle for some much heavier themes to be carried on.
This Time Next Year is a story of generational trauma. It’s about working through depression and anxiety. We see some fantastic growth from the main characters as well as several secondary characters throughout the book. Near the end of the story, I honestly felt like it would be okay is the two main characters didn’t end up together, because life is like that sometimes. I think having two main characters that tackle their personal issues and take a conscious step back from romance to work on themselves is fantastic and refreshing. There’s no “I can fix him/her”.
If you want a sweet and bubbly romance book that handles its heavier themes with extreme care, This Time Next Year is a book for you.
This Time Next Year is a story of generational trauma. It’s about working through depression and anxiety. We see some fantastic growth from the main characters as well as several secondary characters throughout the book. Near the end of the story, I honestly felt like it would be okay is the two main characters didn’t end up together, because life is like that sometimes. I think having two main characters that tackle their personal issues and take a conscious step back from romance to work on themselves is fantastic and refreshing. There’s no “I can fix him/her”.
If you want a sweet and bubbly romance book that handles its heavier themes with extreme care, This Time Next Year is a book for you.
Longbourn by Jo Baker
5.0
I loved this book. Really loved it. Thought it an excellent companion to P&P. I guess I don’t particularly understand peoples aversion to it. Jo Baker isn’t Austen. That’s not an insult, it’s just a fact. She writes in a different way. And I found her way rather suitable for the subject matter.
I see a lot of comments on the crass nature of the book. Maybe consider that if you weren’t a society lady or a gentleman, and spent your days in service, your life is a bit more crass than that of the P&P ladies.
Anyway, I thought it was brilliant and sweet. It ambled in the way a nice long walk down a shady path ambles. The ending choked me up a bit, in a good way. If I’m a fool for liking this, then at least I’m a fool that can enjoy a good book!
I see a lot of comments on the crass nature of the book. Maybe consider that if you weren’t a society lady or a gentleman, and spent your days in service, your life is a bit more crass than that of the P&P ladies.
Anyway, I thought it was brilliant and sweet. It ambled in the way a nice long walk down a shady path ambles. The ending choked me up a bit, in a good way. If I’m a fool for liking this, then at least I’m a fool that can enjoy a good book!
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
5.0
I thought this book was phenomenal! A great balance of spooky and grisly. I love Starlings prose, she’s a very talented writer. This book is reminiscent of The Yellow Wallpaper and Rebecca. It made me ill, scared, happy, and sad and I’m not sure what more I could ask of a horror story.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
4.0
I almost put this down at around the 30% mark because I wasn’t connecting with the characters and I felt like the story was going in a direction I didn’t expect or really care for. I’m really glad I forged through the low point though. The 4/5 stars is mainly because of that sag in the early half, but everything else around it is great.
I went into this book expecting some subversion of the desperate housewives troupe. The first few chapters sets you up to think that Patricia is going to have some secret sexy rendezvous with the James Harris. But I was pleasantly surprised at her characterization. I do think she makes some brain-dead decisions at points, but she is a good character with a real love for her family, friends and community. I did have some serious laughs at the two scenes of Patricia trying to convey meaning to Carter via eye contact and him just completely missing it.
I think Hendrix does grope around some of the heavier aspects of his story. I’m particular, racism is used more as an ornament and less as a serious conversation topic. The black characters are largely flat. Their experiences and opinions are unexplored. As a whole, the book uses an effective amount of gore and imagery to be scary but seems to stumble through its more serious and nuanced topics. I would recommend if you’re looking for an easy and entertaining horror read, but don’t expect it to dig too deeply into racism or misogyny.
I went into this book expecting some subversion of the desperate housewives troupe. The first few chapters sets you up to think that Patricia is going to have some secret sexy rendezvous with the James Harris. But I was pleasantly surprised at her characterization. I do think she makes some brain-dead decisions at points, but she is a good character with a real love for her family, friends and community. I did have some serious laughs at the two scenes of Patricia trying to convey meaning to Carter via eye contact and him just completely missing it.
I think Hendrix does grope around some of the heavier aspects of his story. I’m particular, racism is used more as an ornament and less as a serious conversation topic. The black characters are largely flat. Their experiences and opinions are unexplored. As a whole, the book uses an effective amount of gore and imagery to be scary but seems to stumble through its more serious and nuanced topics. I would recommend if you’re looking for an easy and entertaining horror read, but don’t expect it to dig too deeply into racism or misogyny.