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dylanhenning's reviews
130 reviews
Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography by Wendy Loggia
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.5
At 32 years old I’m a little outside of the target demographic for this book but as a Swiftie I had to read it anyway.
Obviously this is a children’s book so it’s not going to be as in-depth or comprehensive as you would want from a biography but I think it still does a pretty decent job at laying the foundation for Taylor Swift’s origins. It shows her upbringing and her family and her struggles with bullying before she found fame with her singer-songwriter talent.
My one wish for this book is that I wish they had pulled a couple quotes from Taylor about her creativity, passion, and determination to make her dreams come true.
That being said there’s a good message for children in here about how you can make your dreams come true if you work hard, believe in yourself, and have a loving support system behind you.
Obviously this is a children’s book so it’s not going to be as in-depth or comprehensive as you would want from a biography but I think it still does a pretty decent job at laying the foundation for Taylor Swift’s origins. It shows her upbringing and her family and her struggles with bullying before she found fame with her singer-songwriter talent.
My one wish for this book is that I wish they had pulled a couple quotes from Taylor about her creativity, passion, and determination to make her dreams come true.
That being said there’s a good message for children in here about how you can make your dreams come true if you work hard, believe in yourself, and have a loving support system behind you.
Rebel Rising by Beth Revis
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Let’s start with me saying that as a diehard Star Wars fan I don’t think this book is essential reading. This book doesn’t really add much to the wider Star Wars lore and I would say is really only necessary to people who are obsessed with every little lore detail like myself, or folks who just really like the character of Jyn Erso and want to learn more about her backstory.
That being said I don’t think this book is at all bad. I had a great time with it and I think this book does a lot to explain why Jyn is reluctant to joint the Rebellion at first in Rogue One and why she’s ambivalent at best towards the Empire. She sees them both as equally destructive forces in the Galaxy. She doesn’t see one as good and one as evil. She just sees destruction, death, and fear wherever they both go and her experiences throughout this book does a good job of explaining why she wants no part in any of it.
This book is presented as YA and I’d say it is pretty accessible to that age group but it’s not all sunshine and happiness. There’s a lot of death in this book and a lot of tragedy and sadness so if you’re considering this book for your child just be aware of that before you give it to them.
That being said I don’t think this book is at all bad. I had a great time with it and I think this book does a lot to explain why Jyn is reluctant to joint the Rebellion at first in Rogue One and why she’s ambivalent at best towards the Empire. She sees them both as equally destructive forces in the Galaxy. She doesn’t see one as good and one as evil. She just sees destruction, death, and fear wherever they both go and her experiences throughout this book does a good job of explaining why she wants no part in any of it.
This book is presented as YA and I’d say it is pretty accessible to that age group but it’s not all sunshine and happiness. There’s a lot of death in this book and a lot of tragedy and sadness so if you’re considering this book for your child just be aware of that before you give it to them.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book has
• Messy bisexuals
• A magic Nazi cult
• Set in Mexico in the 90’s
• packed with references to classic horror films.
Horror books can feel a little samey sometimes so I really appreciate when I find ones that gives me something that feels unique and stands out from the pack. This book does just that. There’s interesting characters that are flawed that they don’t try to hide it or shy away from it. There’s an interesting story about this legendary horror film that was never finished and a link to occult magic. Our two main characters get pulled into the directors attempt to finish the film (and the spell) to bring them good luck and things seem to be going well for everyone…until the director turns up dead. Eventually darker forces come into play working to get their hands on the film for their own purposes.
I won’t spoil the ending but I did enjoy how our characters face their flaws and use their life long friendship to face the horrors thrown at them.
This is the first book I’ve read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia but I’ll definitely be adding more to my TBR!
• Messy bisexuals
• A magic Nazi cult
• Set in Mexico in the 90’s
• packed with references to classic horror films.
Horror books can feel a little samey sometimes so I really appreciate when I find ones that gives me something that feels unique and stands out from the pack. This book does just that. There’s interesting characters that are flawed that they don’t try to hide it or shy away from it. There’s an interesting story about this legendary horror film that was never finished and a link to occult magic. Our two main characters get pulled into the directors attempt to finish the film (and the spell) to bring them good luck and things seem to be going well for everyone…until the director turns up dead. Eventually darker forces come into play working to get their hands on the film for their own purposes.
I won’t spoil the ending but I did enjoy how our characters face their flaws and use their life long friendship to face the horrors thrown at them.
This is the first book I’ve read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia but I’ll definitely be adding more to my TBR!
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
Ok let’s talk about Iron Flame. Let’s start with what I did like because that’s always more fun.
• There was more world building and lore here and as a fantasy fan I really love that. Having rich lore and world building helps me feel more connected to the fictional world that’s being presented to me and make the characters struggles and challenges feel more relatable even though I will never experience these fantastical things in my real life.
• The cast of characters got more time to feel fleshed out and interesting. In Fourth Wing they largely felt like they were part of the background. Here they felt like they were part of the story. Injecting humor, drama, and emotional drama into the world helping it feel more real.
• The Ending. A book can be made or broken by how it sticks the landing with its ending. Especially in an ongoing series. I am happy to say that Rebecca Yarros delivers a satisfying ending that provides some answers but also sets some questions for additional books and leaving the reader wanting more.
Now for the things I didn’t like…
• Violet and Xaden have extremely bad communication in their relationship and it’s honestly toxic at times even though it’s often romanticized or sensationalized. They don’t communicate their needs or wants and then get mad at each other for not instinctively knowing the right thing to ask or knowing to volunteer certain facts and information themselves.
• This book suffers from bloat which is largely why I’m giving it a 3.5 rating. There’s a lot of fantastic story here but it’s weighed down by a lot of extraneous stuff that doesn’t matter to the overall plot or character development. This book came out just months after its predecessor Fourth Wing and it feels rushed. It feels like it didn’t have proper editing or else large chunks of inconsequential material would’ve been taken out or slimmed down to make the pacing and flow of the story smoother.
• There was more world building and lore here and as a fantasy fan I really love that. Having rich lore and world building helps me feel more connected to the fictional world that’s being presented to me and make the characters struggles and challenges feel more relatable even though I will never experience these fantastical things in my real life.
• The cast of characters got more time to feel fleshed out and interesting. In Fourth Wing they largely felt like they were part of the background. Here they felt like they were part of the story. Injecting humor, drama, and emotional drama into the world helping it feel more real.
• The Ending. A book can be made or broken by how it sticks the landing with its ending. Especially in an ongoing series. I am happy to say that Rebecca Yarros delivers a satisfying ending that provides some answers but also sets some questions for additional books and leaving the reader wanting more.
Now for the things I didn’t like…
• Violet and Xaden have extremely bad communication in their relationship and it’s honestly toxic at times even though it’s often romanticized or sensationalized. They don’t communicate their needs or wants and then get mad at each other for not instinctively knowing the right thing to ask or knowing to volunteer certain facts and information themselves.
• This book suffers from bloat which is largely why I’m giving it a 3.5 rating. There’s a lot of fantastic story here but it’s weighed down by a lot of extraneous stuff that doesn’t matter to the overall plot or character development. This book came out just months after its predecessor Fourth Wing and it feels rushed. It feels like it didn’t have proper editing or else large chunks of inconsequential material would’ve been taken out or slimmed down to make the pacing and flow of the story smoother.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
This book is so beautifully written and I can tell I’m going to be obsessed with the themes and messages presented with this story for a long time. It made me laugh and cry. I felt a range of emotions from annoyance, sadness, anger, joy, and empathy.
In this story we meet a curmudgeonly older man named Ove and initially he’s very unlikable in how he interacts with the people in his town and his neighbors but Fredrik Backman slowly starts peeling back the layers and we get more details on things Ove has experienced that had an impact and shaped who he is. As the reader I slowly began to understand and ultimately love this grumpy man for who he is at his core.
The cast of characters is wonderful and add so much personality to bounce off of the abrasive nature of Ove.
This is one book not to skip or DNF. Stick with it. I promise you the journey is worth it.
In this story we meet a curmudgeonly older man named Ove and initially he’s very unlikable in how he interacts with the people in his town and his neighbors but Fredrik Backman slowly starts peeling back the layers and we get more details on things Ove has experienced that had an impact and shaped who he is. As the reader I slowly began to understand and ultimately love this grumpy man for who he is at his core.
The cast of characters is wonderful and add so much personality to bounce off of the abrasive nature of Ove.
This is one book not to skip or DNF. Stick with it. I promise you the journey is worth it.
The Walking Dead, Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
I want to like The Walking Dead comics. I really do. Unfortunately they are rooted in 2005 which means rampant and unapologetic sexism, misogyny, and slurs.
As I’ve said in a previous post Kirkman doesn’t know how to write women or doesn’t seem to enjoy writing women. He improved a bit in the first half of this volume but in the second half he reverted back to women existing solely to fuel the plot for the men. Even Michonne a really cool new character to the story is quickly used for sex and drama.
The story seemed like it was even going to address it’s misogyny head on when Rick was baffled that no women were going to be on this new committee but it was quickly explained away as “they would rather us men do it” as if women wouldn’t want to have some say in a functional democracy.
Later there is use of the R slur which unfortunately was used pretty frequently in media back in the early 2000’s and no one seemed to think twice of it.
As I’ve said in a previous post Kirkman doesn’t know how to write women or doesn’t seem to enjoy writing women. He improved a bit in the first half of this volume but in the second half he reverted back to women existing solely to fuel the plot for the men. Even Michonne a really cool new character to the story is quickly used for sex and drama.
The story seemed like it was even going to address it’s misogyny head on when Rick was baffled that no women were going to be on this new committee but it was quickly explained away as “they would rather us men do it” as if women wouldn’t want to have some say in a functional democracy.
Later there is use of the R slur which unfortunately was used pretty frequently in media back in the early 2000’s and no one seemed to think twice of it.
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-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
3.0
I don’t typically read books that have romance as the main plot. I’m not sure why. I love rom-coms and the holiday tv movies that come out every winter (as cheesy as they are) but for some reason romance books haven’t been my cup of tea.
However with it being February and the month of love I decided to step outside of my usual comfort zone and read something I normally wouldn’t read.
I was pleasantly surprised to say I enjoyed this book. It didn’t captivate me and had me obsessively turning the pages until I devoured it but this was a cozy and sweet story about a book shop owner dealing with the recent loss of her grandmother and a budding friendship turned romance with an author who writes romance novels.
It was a cute story that felt true to life. Like Alexa Martin writes characters and dialogue that feels the way actual humans talk and behave which is rare in my limited exposure to the romance genre.
I enjoyed the various pop culture references that helped ground these characters in their relatability.
My biggest gripe with this book is the plot twist towards the end that creates conflict between the lovebird characters felt forced for the sake of shock to the reader and didn't feel like enough of a reason to split them up.
The main character also has an adversarial relationship with her father that I thought was going to play more into the end of the story but that plot point was conveniently solved and thrown away by a random third party character and didn’t give any satisfying conclusion to that plot thread.
However with it being February and the month of love I decided to step outside of my usual comfort zone and read something I normally wouldn’t read.
I was pleasantly surprised to say I enjoyed this book. It didn’t captivate me and had me obsessively turning the pages until I devoured it but this was a cozy and sweet story about a book shop owner dealing with the recent loss of her grandmother and a budding friendship turned romance with an author who writes romance novels.
It was a cute story that felt true to life. Like Alexa Martin writes characters and dialogue that feels the way actual humans talk and behave which is rare in my limited exposure to the romance genre.
I enjoyed the various pop culture references that helped ground these characters in their relatability.
My biggest gripe with this book is the plot twist towards the end that creates conflict between the lovebird characters felt forced for the sake of shock to the reader and didn't feel like enough of a reason to split them up.
The main character also has an adversarial relationship with her father that I thought was going to play more into the end of the story but that plot point was conveniently solved and thrown away by a random third party character and didn’t give any satisfying conclusion to that plot thread.
Child of the Sea: A nordic folklore horror story by Elvira Dahl
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This short story was really interesting and engaging. My biggest criticism is that it should’ve been longer. It had areas where the author could’ve expanded and gone deeper into the main characters thoughts and feeling or her mother’s backstory.
Would definitely like to read more from her.
Would definitely like to read more from her.