dearbookshelves's reviews
442 reviews

Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I didn't really know what to expect from Green Fuse Burning but I'm always looking to pick up more short horror. The first half of this book does a great job at establishing the main character, Rita. Her past feels rich and reading about her relationship with her girlfriend, Molly, felt so real. In the second half of the book, the horror is truly gross and disturbing and I will think about those frogs every time I see one, I think. Additionally, the way the horror Rita encounters in nature is used as a way for her to process her grief over her father is such an interesting take. (Highly recommend the author's note at the end!!)

What lost me here is the building of the horror. There is a strong opening scene but then the horrific elements are largely dropped for a while. The building of strange things happening at her art retreat was a little too delayed for me. When we got there, it was great but I wanted to have that tension start building a little sooner. 

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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? No

4.5

I am so glad I reread this book. I listened to the audiobook when it first came out and it was a lovely experience but reading it physically is enjoyable in a different way.

Set in a world inspired by the pre-Columbian America's, we get an impending solar eclipse, prophecies, politics, and magic related to crows.

The opening scene of Black Sun is one I can never forget. I would never want to spoil that for someone but the impact that interaction between Serapio and his mother sets up a high stakes and epic story that unfolds in a carefully structured way. There are four groups we follow (though two converge pretty early on) and they all feel so rich with story to be told. Xiala and Serapio are clear favorites for me - I love boat journeys and ~tension~ - but the other characters are compelling too. I do think there's one person we follow that has less page time than the other two but the end seems set up to follow him more in the sequel. I'm planning to reread that one soon so I can finish out the trilogy relatively fresh.

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I finally decided to dive into this story about Fitz, the bastard son the the king and his journey as the assassin's apprentice because I really want to read the books about the boats. What I found here was writing I immediately fell in love with but a book that kept me at arm's length from the action. 

For a lot of the book, this doesn't feel like a fantasy story. We are learning about court politics and Fitz and how he fits in with the world he is in. I don't mind this because that's usually my favorite part of fantasy novels. The magic involved here has to do with connecting to other people's minds and it is given to us in a way that feels like "well duh, this is a natural part of life" This means we are picking up on things as we read. I really enjoy that style of world building when it makes sense to do it. It made sense here.

There are a couple of things that lowered my rating here. First, Fitz has such a sad life and for much of the book, it doesn't feel like he has any agency to get out of it. It feels like he's really getting beaten down over and over again for a while and that can be exhausting to read. The other thing is that until the last quarter or so, the reader is held away from much of the action. Because of the nature of the magic, we see things happening through Fitz's mind and we aren't directly in it, or we get a quick list of things that are happening. I wanted to feel more involved in the plot.

Overall, I will continue the series because the characters and the writing are strong enough to keep me interested. And I want to read about these boats.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 30 by Kazue Kato

adventurous emotional funny informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

my favorite character plays a bit part in this volume. lots of strategizing to set up a MASSIVE battle. love these characters so much.

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

3.75

If you are familiar with scientology, the beginning of Beyond Belief will seem a bit tedious but Jenna does make sure people who don't know get a sense of what Scientology is really like. From there, hearing about her personal experiences really shocked and intrigued me. Being part of the Miscavige family, you would think she'd get certain privileges but that simply isn't true. Scientology really likes to break apart the family unit so those bonds are less strong. Sometimes her name even caused her more trouble.

The last half of this really ramps up because Jenna is growing up and doing normal rebellious teen things (the rebellion in question in this case is thinking a boy is cute). Seeing her start butting heads with leadership was stressful but I also just wanted the most for her. As she starts really questioning the organization and thinking about leaving, I got so scared for her. The tension builds and there is so much conflict but I found myself feeling a sense of pride for her. This is a testament to the writing and also the audiobook narrator.

Also just a side note - I am so glad Mike Rinder decided to leave and then really actively speak out because he was not a great dude in this.

The Good House by Tananarive Due

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I enjoyed this quite a bit! The writing feels like those horror books from the 80s and 90s in the best possible way. I felt sucked into the atmosphere and mystery of what was going on with this house. The horrific moments really landed. They made me uncomfortable and scared throughout and because Tananarive Due is so great at building compelling characters, I was scared for them. This is a pretty lengthy book but I was never bored or wanting it to be over. I wanted to stay with Angela throughout her journey to figure out what's going on with this house.

I do think something about the narrative structure didn't quite land for me. There is a specific flashback scene where information is withheld from the reader and Due revisits it a few times. Some of the delayed reveals were are worth it but some aren't. We could have had that information sooner and not really lost anything. I also didn't care so much about that very last scene after the major conclusion of the main plot.

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

5.0

In What My Bones Know, Stephanie Foo unflinchingly provides readers with her journey of growing up in an abusive household, how that impacted every aspect of her life, her diagnosis of CPTSD, and her healing. I really appreciate that background she gives about herself and her relatives. Foo touches in generational trauma and how that causes others around her to act certain ways and that, in turn, manifests in her. I also like that a lot of the discussion around trauma and how she responds to it sometimes feels more widely applicable and validating if not at thr same degree of intensity. I listened to this audiobook in small chunks over the last week or so and I recommend that avenue if possible. Foo reads it herself and also includes recording of some of her therapy sessions in the last half of the book.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

3.25

I don't know how to talk about this one in an interesting way so I'll tell you what I like and what I didn't like.

like:
character growth
romance
themes of living while you're still alive


didn't like:
this tries hard to be quirky and funny and it's not either of those things

Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith by April Ajoy

This is a fantastic place to start when thinking about Christian nationalism and how it has manifested over the last couple of years. Ajoy provides a brief history to give some context and combines her own experiences with larger cultural moments to show the dangers of CN and where people who are part of it, knowingly or unknowingly, are coming from and how they got there. She takes a bit of a lighter tone in sections which makes this easier to digest. She's coming from someone who was a Christian Nationalist and started questioning her beliefs after Jan 6th so she has real insight and can also poke a bit of fun at herself. I think this book is an important piece of the conversation surrounding Christianity in the US since it's a bit more accessible than other books I've read on the subject.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.

It's the cliche sad things and the dog pov I'm sorry I can't do it