chaosbooked's reviews
159 reviews

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

3.0

This book was a Christmas gift. I was frustrated in the beginning with all the rules but I think that was the point. I thought some aspects might of been lost in translation but later learned that this was originally a play and then a book so that explained the narration better. And can totally see it being a play. The last story was the most powerful to me. Made me cry but I am a total crier. The other stories felt like a set up so I could grasp what was going on better in the last story so some parts of the begining felt long. and I totally wanted more info on the ghost.  But I guess that is why you read the next book. Tbd if I do that. 

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

3.25

I read this as part of a horror book club and this is not horror. I was hoping maybe the ghosts of the ballet (there has to be some) would rise up in the battle scene but nothing. More of a dark fantasy. Good thing I am okay with dark fantasy. I had a roommate in college who watched Center Stage on repeat for the first 3 months of classes. That is the extent of my ballet knowledge, and birth of my annoyance with stereoty ical ballerinas. This book added to both.  The gods aspect was interesting but sometimes confusing. I don't know what

Coraline got from lethe

exactly.  But it is well written and engaging. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

5.0

Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me? by Jen Mann
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.

Okay I'll admit 15 pages and some light skimming is not a totally fair chance but if the gist of the book is to find what makes you happy and do more of that, this book isnt it.  Maybe because I feel all women feel some degree of what she feels her perspective is not unique. I wasn't laug ing, I was sad she felt alone and glad she found her people but that's about it. I don't need a book championing self care,  as a society we can't even decide what is self care for women.  And maybe she should get a doctor that is more helpful to her needs. While a yoga class can be benieficial I am sure I would benefit more from the destruction of the lies perpetuated by the patriarchy more.  Saying yes to everything for a month sounds like a cliche way to try new things and a shitty reason why I would be stuck making small talk with someone I hated over coffee and then lying about how we should do it again.  But maybe I am just a hormonal bitch right now, I am of a certain age. 

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

4.0

I enjoyed this book. I will be reading the second one but this honestly ends at a good point and you are not forced to read the second book. Are all books with magic in them going to be compared to HP going forward.  Because most of the ones I have read are so much better and this one is another addition. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships in the story. The world building is on point and I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston

4.0

The Amari books are great. I enjoyed this one. I love the safe house/ghost house and the characters. I didn't love how events seemed to quickly solve themselves but for the most part it was a great middle grade fantasy read. The end chapters was having me tear up but I guess we will see what happens with this. 

Colored Television by Danzy Senna
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.

I didn't like anyone in the book except the guy that let them live in his house and is not really in the book although I suspect he makes an appearance in the end.  Jane was okay but the only tension was a series of cringe moments made by poor choices on her part. Didn't really want to ride over the middle part to get to any conclusions because again I didn't care about these characters. 

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

3.75

This book was great. I love fables and story telling and there is a ton to go on with baba yaga. I thought this was clever and entertaining.

I knew it would have a happy ending, and I liked the roll the house plays at a parent because that's what It is

and I liked the moral  that you need to be honest with the ones you love. 

Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods by Kris Spisak
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

I love folklore, witches, and baba yaga. So I was psyched to read this but found it overly wordy. Idk if that best describes it, there were a lot of open ended questions I was suppose to grapple with. It was like a guided meditation with stories thrown in and I wanted more stories. 

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

3.25

I liked it. To me it read more like an upper middle grade. I would be fine with my 12 year old reading this but unfortunately some parents would rather send their kids to this camp then let them read this book. So from that perspective I would give it around a 4.  As an adult I found the extensive internal dialogue of Rose off putting

I was fine with random facts, her logic vs religion was exhausting, and her making her own bible verses seemed off,

. Rose is super confident and didn't have a whole lot of self doubt which one would think would be a biproduct of her childhood and the camp but maybe the unwavering trust in the Lord provided her confidence

but then when that world shattered It would be crushing

but then again maybe that's why she is the hero. . . . While I am cool with

attachment of demons, mind altering larvae, ECT

it has unbelievable series of event that has to be chocked up to destiny that don't sit well with me

Saul and Willow still living around there but just utterly alone? But maybe that is trauma/grief/ memory sucking larvae inside them. They are also the only ones who kinda remember? And there is villain monologuing, the heros trying to talk reason with the villains

So I am closer to a 3.  Love all the Bible references and I am sure I missed some. Fun fact there is a Religious Summer Camp Damascus in Ohio.