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bookishwelshie's reviews
871 reviews
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
dark
mysterious
tense
5.0
Since reading She Is a Haunting, I knew I’d want to read everything that Trang Thanh Tran subsequently publishes. It is interesting that her stories are based around Vietnamese culture and folklore, as it’s interesting to learn about different cultures through well-written literature. There is some (much appreciated) Queer representation too.
“I wonder if all myths share roots.
Maybe people across different cultures and times yearn for the same things - love, companionship, safety-and accept that there is a cost with the universe to get them.”
The ocean/botanical/body horror in They Bloom at Night is so well-described and eerie. I am a fan of all these horror sub-genres, and the way they are used to create viscerally terrifying images within the readers’ minds.
Considering this is categorised as “Young Adult” speculative/horror fiction, please don’t let that deter you. There are so many hidden gems in the YA genre.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
4.0
This one was fun! Just For The Summer starts with an AITA-style Reddit post by the MMC, Jacob. Every women he dates ends up not being “the one”, and as soon as they break up - the women end up finding their soulmates. Jacob is perpetually unlucky-in-love, this feels like a curse.
Enter Emma, who writes to Jacob saying she has the same problem, but with the men she dates. They hatch a plan to date each other, have a quick fling, and then break up, to hopefully cancel out their bad luck. Hopefully they will then go on to find the love of their lives.
Or could they find that in each other? Could fate have brought them to one another?
Some difficult themes like parental neglect are brought up, with Emma’s Mother, and how this is impacting her as an adult. I like the way Abby Jimenez has these realistic themes of mental health struggles throughout her romance books. It makes them feel more real.
Buddy read with my GR/Fable friend, Angelpompom!
Enter Emma, who writes to Jacob saying she has the same problem, but with the men she dates. They hatch a plan to date each other, have a quick fling, and then break up, to hopefully cancel out their bad luck. Hopefully they will then go on to find the love of their lives.
Or could they find that in each other? Could fate have brought them to one another?
Some difficult themes like parental neglect are brought up, with Emma’s Mother, and how this is impacting her as an adult. I like the way Abby Jimenez has these realistic themes of mental health struggles throughout her romance books. It makes them feel more real.
Buddy read with my GR/Fable friend, Angelpompom!
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
3.5
Yours Truly is a solidly good romance book. Yes, *that* trope towards the end wasn’t my most favourite, but everything else was great. I think Jacob’s struggles with anxiety were handled in a realistic way. It’s so nice to have that representation in a mainstream romance book, for those of us who suffer with their mental health every day.
The two main characters, Briana and Jacob, communicate via letters and they were really nice to read. It lets you into the characters’ minds a bit more and gives more insight into their feelings.
The yearning, longing, and lust between them was all spot on.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
2.25
Did anyone else feel like Alexis and Daniel’s romance was rushed in Part Of Your World? It makes for an easy read, fast-paced, romance story but also makes the characters contradict themselves - for example; when Alexis says she is against one-night-stands, yet is SO quick to sleep with a man who is a decade younger than her.
The best part of the story is when it covers coercive control within a relationship, as Alexis is trying to move on from her abusive ex, Neil. Although it could still go deeper on an emotional level. The way her parents’ act about this relationship is awful too, it’s as though they are enabling the abuse and actively encouraging her to stay.
If you’re in the mood for a lust-filled, quick, relationship that turns into love then I recommend you try this one. The age gap is interesting too, Alexis is 38 and Daniel is 28. She is a professional woman; working as an ER Doctor, and Daniel is a country-boy, carpenter.
I appreciate that this has so many highly rated reviews, I think because it’s the definition of an easy, beach-read. I think your enjoyment of the story will be based on how much you feel as though you connect to the main characters. There are some good quotes and the writing flows well.
The best part of the story is when it covers coercive control within a relationship, as Alexis is trying to move on from her abusive ex, Neil. Although it could still go deeper on an emotional level. The way her parents’ act about this relationship is awful too, it’s as though they are enabling the abuse and actively encouraging her to stay.
If you’re in the mood for a lust-filled, quick, relationship that turns into love then I recommend you try this one. The age gap is interesting too, Alexis is 38 and Daniel is 28. She is a professional woman; working as an ER Doctor, and Daniel is a country-boy, carpenter.
I appreciate that this has so many highly rated reviews, I think because it’s the definition of an easy, beach-read. I think your enjoyment of the story will be based on how much you feel as though you connect to the main characters. There are some good quotes and the writing flows well.
The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden
fast-paced
4.0
Sometimes, in thriller books, the main characters can be so oblivious that you just want to reach through the pages to shake some sense into them. That’s exactly how I felt with Abby in The Surrogate Mother.
Abby is struggling to conceive with her husband, Sam, even IVF treatment hasn’t been working out for them. They were considering adoption, but Abby knows that Sam is longing for a child of his own.
That’s when Abby’s younger assistant at work, Monica, offers to be a surrogate Mother. This seems like the answer that Abby and Sam have been looking for. But is it too good to be true? Is it just paranoia, or Monica have a dark side?
There are some great twists and turns here, once this story grips you, you won’t be able to put it down, Freida McFadden books are the definition of gripping page turners. This is one of the better books of hers I’ve read lately, aiming to read them all because of this fast-paced, addictive, writing style.
Abby is struggling to conceive with her husband, Sam, even IVF treatment hasn’t been working out for them. They were considering adoption, but Abby knows that Sam is longing for a child of his own.
That’s when Abby’s younger assistant at work, Monica, offers to be a surrogate Mother. This seems like the answer that Abby and Sam have been looking for. But is it too good to be true? Is it just paranoia, or Monica have a dark side?
There are some great twists and turns here, once this story grips you, you won’t be able to put it down, Freida McFadden books are the definition of gripping page turners. This is one of the better books of hers I’ve read lately, aiming to read them all because of this fast-paced, addictive, writing style.
When Is It Right to Die?: A Comforting and Surprising Look at Death and Dying by Joni Eareckson Tada
3.0
This book deceived me. It started out, in the first half, as a well-written and well-observed look into medically-assisted dying and the ethics of legalised euthanasia. Asking where should the line be drawn? If someone is suffering so much with a terminal, or life-debilitating, illness - should they be able to take the control back and choose when and where they are going to die?
Even though there were some insightful religious points throughout, the second half of this book quickly descends from life-affirming, to very much Pro-Religion, “you are going to Hell” chapters. It is written by a Quadriplegic woman who seems to have taken great comfort in Christianity. I am not a religious person myself, but am interested in spiritual and philosophical topics and discussions.
There’s a lot to be discussed surrounding this topic and it fascinates me as somebody who is personally struggling with chronic illness, severe mental illness, and disabilities.
It actually horrifies me the notion that some people, quote; “would rather be dead than be disabled”. Disability is not a death sentence, and disabled people can live fulfilling especially with the adequate levels of help, support, and care. Without those things in place, it is only natural that we can be left feeling despondent. Also if someone goes from able-bodied to disabled there is a level of grief.
The “right to die” comes from each individual person’s experience and levels of suffering. Isn’t it kinder if one is struggling beyond comprehension to allow them “dignity in Death?”
Even though there were some insightful religious points throughout, the second half of this book quickly descends from life-affirming, to very much Pro-Religion, “you are going to Hell” chapters. It is written by a Quadriplegic woman who seems to have taken great comfort in Christianity. I am not a religious person myself, but am interested in spiritual and philosophical topics and discussions.
There’s a lot to be discussed surrounding this topic and it fascinates me as somebody who is personally struggling with chronic illness, severe mental illness, and disabilities.
It actually horrifies me the notion that some people, quote; “would rather be dead than be disabled”. Disability is not a death sentence, and disabled people can live fulfilling especially with the adequate levels of help, support, and care. Without those things in place, it is only natural that we can be left feeling despondent. Also if someone goes from able-bodied to disabled there is a level of grief.
The “right to die” comes from each individual person’s experience and levels of suffering. Isn’t it kinder if one is struggling beyond comprehension to allow them “dignity in Death?”
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
5.0
As a fan of books like 1984 and Brave New World (the latter I really need to re-read now that I’m older!), and also of female-authored horror, Tender Is The Flesh is a disturbing masterpiece. This is an insightful look into the human condition; the suffering of a moral and ethical dilemma.
The most horrifying part of this book is that one could absolutely imagine humanity acting this way under these circumstances.
It’s one of the more unique dystopian stories that I’ve ever read. Animals have been rendered inedible by a virus which kills the humans who consume them. So humans now resort to consuming one another, the legalisation of cannibalism. For a more “extreme” horror topic, this is incredibly well-written, in a realistic way. This is the type of story that is food-for-thought, you will be thinking about it long after you close the pages.
The most horrifying part of this book is that one could absolutely imagine humanity acting this way under these circumstances.
It’s one of the more unique dystopian stories that I’ve ever read. Animals have been rendered inedible by a virus which kills the humans who consume them. So humans now resort to consuming one another, the legalisation of cannibalism. For a more “extreme” horror topic, this is incredibly well-written, in a realistic way. This is the type of story that is food-for-thought, you will be thinking about it long after you close the pages.
Love, That's an Understatement, Volume 4 by Fujimomo
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
{read in English!} Zen is the best manga boyfriend 🥺💖
Mondays are Murder by Ravena Guron
4.5
This may prove to be a controversial and unpopular opinion but I’m going to say it; Mondays Are Murder turned out to the book that I wish A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder had been. I didn’t dislike that one, but upon reflection, I feel like I forced myself to like it at the time more than I actually did. I may read the follow up books at some point to refresh my mind on that series, as Mondays Are Murder felt like a mix between that and Pretty Little Liars.
This was a thrilling and gripping YA mystery novel, with some chilling moments. It’s written in an engaging, page-turning, way.
Who is the mysterious Monday who is leaving anonymous letters for Kay once she moves back to her sleepy hometown, Longrove? A year prior, her friend Ivy died under mysterious circumstances.
According to this mysterious Monday character; There will be a thrill on Tuesday, a wreckage on Wednesday, treachery on Thursday, a fire on Friday, sabotage on Saturday, a stabbing on Sunday - and then Kay’s own murder on the Monday. Can she figure out who is behind this ominous threat before it’s too late?
This was a thrilling and gripping YA mystery novel, with some chilling moments. It’s written in an engaging, page-turning, way.
Who is the mysterious Monday who is leaving anonymous letters for Kay once she moves back to her sleepy hometown, Longrove? A year prior, her friend Ivy died under mysterious circumstances.
According to this mysterious Monday character; There will be a thrill on Tuesday, a wreckage on Wednesday, treachery on Thursday, a fire on Friday, sabotage on Saturday, a stabbing on Sunday - and then Kay’s own murder on the Monday. Can she figure out who is behind this ominous threat before it’s too late?