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ashliesydel's reviews
1193 reviews
Sundial by Catriona Ward
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Frieda WHO???
Catriona Ward has officially become the GOAT in my eyes. The twist turns, and suspense in this book is unmatched. And the ending! Like what?
I cried, I snatched my pearls, the true crime and cult nerd in me was eating this up. The dog lover in me found some parts difficult but I pushed through, and it was soo worth it.
** A longer review will be posted once I'm able to collect myself **
Catriona Ward has officially become the GOAT in my eyes. The twist turns, and suspense in this book is unmatched. And the ending! Like what?
I cried, I snatched my pearls, the true crime and cult nerd in me was eating this up. The dog lover in me found some parts difficult but I pushed through, and it was soo worth it.
** A longer review will be posted once I'm able to collect myself **
Snowglobe by Soyoung Park
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems by Megan Fox
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
4.5
I wasn't sure what to expect but Megan literally tapped into my female rage and pain and had me ready to burn the patriarchy. I appreciate this inside look of her inner self. It created a new level of respect and empathy. I love her strength and believe many other women will find strength and healing in her words.
Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very unique and beautiful self-discovery journey.
The Moon That Turns You Back: Poems by Hala Alyan
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Very heavy trigger warning for those that have struggled with infertility and/or miscarriage/infant loss.
This was a beautiful collection that was relatable to my direct experiences. It was unexpected.
This was a beautiful collection that was relatable to my direct experiences. It was unexpected.
The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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'm not crying, you're crying.
Anyone who knows me in real life knows I am terrified of birds. I have been attacked multiple times throughout my lifetime by many different species. And I'm not proud of it, but they refuse to let me ever forget, but I have used my children as a shield in aviaries. TWICE. So yeah...
This book has 3 POVS that are all connected by culture, death, and birds.
Our MC is a young artist that sees the dead, including their mom who was an ornithologist when she was alive. The MC honors their mom by painting birds all throughout NYC specifically Little Syria.
The mom died in a fire. Not really sure how that went down yet but it's suggested she had received numerous threats in connection with her work. Since her death the birds have been doing strange things. Creepy things... like RED FLAG Alfred Hitchcock things...
Then we have Laila Z. She is a Syrian Artist who went missing. Our MC has found her journal which eerily has similarities to their mom's largely in part that both seem to have witnessed a non-existent bird.
This is marketed as Historical Fiction, Contemporary Queer, and Adult Fiction. But for someone like me who suffers from a mild case of Ornithophobia I feel like this can be listed as Light Horror as well.
This is such a fantastic story of self-acceptance and love. All love, lost love, forbidden love, self-love, familiar love, just love. It's beautiful and how it came together was soo unexpected. Not only did I push through the discomfort of the birds but a bitch is thinking about getting a quote and bird tattoo. LOL
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Anyone who knows me in real life knows I am terrified of birds. I have been attacked multiple times throughout my lifetime by many different species. And I'm not proud of it, but they refuse to let me ever forget, but I have used my children as a shield in aviaries. TWICE. So yeah...
This book has 3 POVS that are all connected by culture, death, and birds.
Our MC is a young artist that sees the dead, including their mom who was an ornithologist when she was alive. The MC honors their mom by painting birds all throughout NYC specifically Little Syria.
The mom died in a fire. Not really sure how that went down yet but it's suggested she had received numerous threats in connection with her work. Since her death the birds have been doing strange things. Creepy things... like RED FLAG Alfred Hitchcock things...
Then we have Laila Z. She is a Syrian Artist who went missing. Our MC has found her journal which eerily has similarities to their mom's largely in part that both seem to have witnessed a non-existent bird.
This is marketed as Historical Fiction, Contemporary Queer, and Adult Fiction. But for someone like me who suffers from a mild case of Ornithophobia I feel like this can be listed as Light Horror as well.
This is such a fantastic story of self-acceptance and love. All love, lost love, forbidden love, self-love, familiar love, just love. It's beautiful and how it came together was soo unexpected. Not only did I push through the discomfort of the birds but a bitch is thinking about getting a quote and bird tattoo. LOL
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency by Chen Chen
fast-paced
3.5
OMFG this book is soo random and weird and a little unsettling but also really smart and real and I'm soo conflicted.
I randomly selected this book because I was craving poetry. I had to run out of town and saw this as an available audio book. 2 hours run time. I figured I could start it in the car and finish it off on my night walk.
This book seriously has me questioning the subjectiveness and art form of poetry.
Themes in this collection include Homophobia, Racism, Parents, Self-Discovery, Remembrance of Lives Lost to Violence, Interracial Dating, Childhood, Sex/Intimacy, and Covid. So, all of that is really heavy, well written, emotional, relatable, made me say wow.
But then sprinkled in we have random pieces about poop. Yep poop, skat play, keeping a good diet and maintaining a healthy anus, the smell and consistency of poop, how you shouldn't write about poop but he's totally going to do it. Like what?! His eggroll penis, Like I'm sorry but where did this come from?? There are more really random things like loving someone so much you will eat their hair.
But just when you're like, this guy is weird af I think I need to stop reading, BAM something thoughtful and emotional about a man who died at Pulse.
I checked the ratings this morning and there were several 5 Star Ratings. I'm finna finish this, not sure of what my rating will be because it's like as much as I want to say ewww poop, I can't not acknowledge the beauty of the other works in this collection.
He knew what he was doing with this one.
I randomly selected this book because I was craving poetry. I had to run out of town and saw this as an available audio book. 2 hours run time. I figured I could start it in the car and finish it off on my night walk.
This book seriously has me questioning the subjectiveness and art form of poetry.
Themes in this collection include Homophobia, Racism, Parents, Self-Discovery, Remembrance of Lives Lost to Violence, Interracial Dating, Childhood, Sex/Intimacy, and Covid. So, all of that is really heavy, well written, emotional, relatable, made me say wow.
But then sprinkled in we have random pieces about poop. Yep poop, skat play, keeping a good diet and maintaining a healthy anus, the smell and consistency of poop, how you shouldn't write about poop but he's totally going to do it. Like what?! His eggroll penis, Like I'm sorry but where did this come from?? There are more really random things like loving someone so much you will eat their hair.
But just when you're like, this guy is weird af I think I need to stop reading, BAM something thoughtful and emotional about a man who died at Pulse.
I checked the ratings this morning and there were several 5 Star Ratings. I'm finna finish this, not sure of what my rating will be because it's like as much as I want to say ewww poop, I can't not acknowledge the beauty of the other works in this collection.
He knew what he was doing with this one.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
challenging
dark
funny
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Three years ago my friend said OMG you have to read this book. There's a cat and she's crazy. Me being a dog person and believing cats are assholes put this book on my TBR but let it sit because honestly who wants to read a book narrated by a cat?
OMFG let me tell you, I can kick my own ass for waiting so long to read this. Right from the jump this book was Weird AF, but I had questions and was developing theories. Was the cat an alien, imaginary, a killer, all three? Does she know Salem from Sabrina??
Her owner Ted was just as weird and I couldn't figure out if he hired a sex worker for some weird cosplay, was he an incel, was he gay, was he cousins with Norman Bates??
Look, this book pushed me down a rabbit hole. I couldn't look away, I couldn't stop trying to crack the code, I loved it, I hate it, I wasn't even sure why I was reading it. But the twists, the reveals, the ending. It was 1000% worth my time and I would read the sequel if it was written.
Highly Recommend, Loved it, and Would watch the movie on opening night if ever made.
OMFG let me tell you, I can kick my own ass for waiting so long to read this. Right from the jump this book was Weird AF, but I had questions and was developing theories. Was the cat an alien, imaginary, a killer, all three? Does she know Salem from Sabrina??
Her owner Ted was just as weird and I couldn't figure out if he hired a sex worker for some weird cosplay, was he an incel, was he gay, was he cousins with Norman Bates??
Look, this book pushed me down a rabbit hole. I couldn't look away, I couldn't stop trying to crack the code, I loved it, I hate it, I wasn't even sure why I was reading it. But the twists, the reveals, the ending. It was 1000% worth my time and I would read the sequel if it was written.
Highly Recommend, Loved it, and Would watch the movie on opening night if ever made.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Almost 10 years ago a group of young impulsive young friends entered sacred ground and took what they had no right to. With the passing time Vengeance has laid in wait. And it's ready to take action.
I knew this was going to be a good book. The casualties both human and not were unexpected, sad, and shocking. I wouldn't recommend this to any animal lovers.