Scan barcode
archaicrobin's reviews
622 reviews
The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really loved the unique story, it’s not everyday you get to read a book about ghost dinosaurs! I also loved the detailed look at paleontologists and what goes into creating museum exhibits especially the struggles of non profits. The author did his research and it shows! I have always loved dinosaurs so when I heard there was a book about a museum haunted by dinosaurs I had to read it!
While I did enjoy The Paleontologist it did have it flaws. The story was a little messy with a slow moving plot and a poor twist that you kinda just have to accept and move on. The pacing was also very slow, with a big Dino ghost one moment then a slog of nothing for chapters.
If you’re into unique supernatural stories with some mystery I do think this one is worth checking out especially if you’re into ghosts or dinosaurs. If you can’t overlook a somewhat convoluted plot though you might not enjoy this one as much.
While I did enjoy The Paleontologist it did have it flaws. The story was a little messy with a slow moving plot and a poor twist that you kinda just have to accept and move on. The pacing was also very slow, with a big Dino ghost one moment then a slog of nothing for chapters.
If you’re into unique supernatural stories with some mystery I do think this one is worth checking out especially if you’re into ghosts or dinosaurs. If you can’t overlook a somewhat convoluted plot though you might not enjoy this one as much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Cultural appropriation
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I usually avoid retellings of stories because they’re usually too similar or not unique enough to differ from the source material. Kingfisher is one author I always have an exception for! Her retellings somehow remain loyal to the source but always are so unique and magical in comparison.
This is a fun retelling of sleeping beauty told from the perspective of the reluctant godmother. Filled with magic, faeries, sprites, knights, and changelings this was a delightful little novella that I recommend to anyone looking for a short, quirky, fantasy story.
This is a fun retelling of sleeping beauty told from the perspective of the reluctant godmother. Filled with magic, faeries, sprites, knights, and changelings this was a delightful little novella that I recommend to anyone looking for a short, quirky, fantasy story.
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
First of all, this memoir is about Jill’s experience growing up as a child reality star and her gradual realization and escape from her manipulative and abusive parents and their cult of a religion.
Jill does not go into detail about the abuse she suffered from her brother Josh but does touch upon it and the trial. Jill writes about the Duggars from before the show to the messy end of it and beyond. This memoir is her sharing her growth as an individual and her power as a victim to claim her pain and move forward with firm boundaries in place.
I could relate to Jill finding the strength to cut off abusive and toxic family and having to face the trauma of her past instead of continuing to ignore and push it away.
While I greatly enjoyed this memoir it was a little slow at first and I almost wanted to put it down, but I am so glad I didn’t. If you were ever aware or interested in the Duggars, or are looking for a memoir about a woman of faith having to reanalyze and come to terms with the abuse caused by that faith, I would recommend!
Jill does not go into detail about the abuse she suffered from her brother Josh but does touch upon it and the trial. Jill writes about the Duggars from before the show to the messy end of it and beyond. This memoir is her sharing her growth as an individual and her power as a victim to claim her pain and move forward with firm boundaries in place.
I could relate to Jill finding the strength to cut off abusive and toxic family and having to face the trauma of her past instead of continuing to ignore and push it away.
While I greatly enjoyed this memoir it was a little slow at first and I almost wanted to put it down, but I am so glad I didn’t. If you were ever aware or interested in the Duggars, or are looking for a memoir about a woman of faith having to reanalyze and come to terms with the abuse caused by that faith, I would recommend!
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Camp Damascus is fun campy horror at its best but with a terrifying under-layer that touches on the evil of gay conversion camps and organized Christian based religions overall. Excellent representation, excellent characters and story! This one is very out there so I recommend to those that can look past logic and appreciate fun horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Mister Magic by Kiersten White
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This is the second book I’ve read by White and like her other novel Hide, I found this one confusing, too long, and the characters lacked depth and distinction. It took me almost 3 months to get through this audiobook because the pacing was so slow and the plot was stagnant. I was bored a majority of the time and all the character other than Val and Jenny just blended together, I could tell you no details about any of them.
The premise was unique and interesting but the execution was greatly lacking. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I was not a fan.
The premise was unique and interesting but the execution was greatly lacking. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I was not a fan.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Zauner’s memoir touches on her music career and the beginnings of Japanese Breakfast but the main focus is on the loss of her mother to cancer.
Zauner does not shy away from the difficult story of her mother’s decline and being the first line of defense and support as the cancer slowly takes her mother away. This memoir is phenomenal, heart wrenching, and beautiful. It was difficult to read at times from how bleak it is at moments, but Zauner’s prose and focus on moving on despite her loss is inspiring. I have been a fan of Japanese Breakfast for years but I am not also a dedicated fan to her as an author as well. Highly recommend reading and listing to Michell Zauner’s works!
Zauner does not shy away from the difficult story of her mother’s decline and being the first line of defense and support as the cancer slowly takes her mother away. This memoir is phenomenal, heart wrenching, and beautiful. It was difficult to read at times from how bleak it is at moments, but Zauner’s prose and focus on moving on despite her loss is inspiring. I have been a fan of Japanese Breakfast for years but I am not also a dedicated fan to her as an author as well. Highly recommend reading and listing to Michell Zauner’s works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A Taste of Gold and Iron is the definition of a slow burn! I usually love a good slow burn romance but the pacing was so slow at times it crawled at a snails pace! The slow pacing was really what knocked this one down for me. One moment I’d be so invested and couldn’t put the book down, and the next I’d be struggling to read 2 pages and fighting to keep reading! This one was an up and down roller coaster for me which is why it too me so long to finish.
While the pacing was a big problem for me, I generally enjoyed the rest of the book! The characters, while at first very basic, began to grow and take on their own personalities as they interacted with each other. The characters, and they way they learned, grew, and interacted with each other are what I enjoyed most about this novel.
I appreciated the attempt at the political side plot of the book but it never came together enough to feel like a solid plot point. This book is all about Kadou and Evemer and I kind of wished the author had leaned more into the romance and less into the counterfeit coin conspiracy mystery.
I loved the scenes focused on Kadou and Evemer slowly falling in love and the humorous scenes with side characters like Tadek and Melek. These were my moments of joy in this novel, and the mystery felt boring in comparison.
Overall I enjoyed this one and would recommend as long as you like slow burn fantasy romance.
While the pacing was a big problem for me, I generally enjoyed the rest of the book! The characters, while at first very basic, began to grow and take on their own personalities as they interacted with each other. The characters, and they way they learned, grew, and interacted with each other are what I enjoyed most about this novel.
I appreciated the attempt at the political side plot of the book but it never came together enough to feel like a solid plot point. This book is all about Kadou and Evemer and I kind of wished the author had leaned more into the romance and less into the counterfeit coin conspiracy mystery.
I loved the scenes focused on Kadou and Evemer slowly falling in love and the humorous scenes with side characters like Tadek and Melek. These were my moments of joy in this novel, and the mystery felt boring in comparison.
Overall I enjoyed this one and would recommend as long as you like slow burn fantasy romance.
Men, Women, and Chainsaws by Stephen Graham Jones
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A fun short story about family, revenge, a woman’s rage, and a haunted car. Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite horror authors but I don’t always love every book. This one was short, sweet, and gruesome in all the right ways!
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First of all, if you’re someone that needs answers I’d caution you on reading this one. Everything is ambiguous and speculative and there are no clear cut answers or revelations, only theories. I love speculative fiction and while I do love answers, I can still appreciate a good book that gives you nothing but questions.
I Who Have Never Known men is a feminist dystopian tale from the 90s that starts with questions and ends with questions, all asked and attempted to be answered by the main character who has no name and is only referred to as “the child”. She is the youngest of 40 women trapped in a cage, in an unknown location, tormented by unknown men, for unknown reasons, until one day…. They’re not.
This one kept me reading in hopes of figuring out what was going on, and what felt at first felt like your normal dystopian quickly turns into a speculative story about what it means to be a human. I loved this one and am still thinking about it!
I Who Have Never Known men is a feminist dystopian tale from the 90s that starts with questions and ends with questions, all asked and attempted to be answered by the main character who has no name and is only referred to as “the child”. She is the youngest of 40 women trapped in a cage, in an unknown location, tormented by unknown men, for unknown reasons, until one day…. They’re not.
This one kept me reading in hopes of figuring out what was going on, and what felt at first felt like your normal dystopian quickly turns into a speculative story about what it means to be a human. I loved this one and am still thinking about it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, and Abandonment
Queer Little Nightmares by David Ly, Daniel Zomparelli
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This story collection features short stories and poems all with LGBTQ characters and monsters. This was a unique collection but not every story or poem was interesting in my opinion. A few good stories here but be prepared to sift through as most are ok at best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood