grimalkintoes's reviews
140 reviews

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous funny lighthearted tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Rebecca Yarros FED me.

Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

I'll be honest, when I first started reading Broken (In the Best Possible Way), I was not digging it. The essays were disjointed, the humor was tasteless, and it felt like a very unfunny editor said to Lawson, "these jokes are going to KILL." Reader, the jokes did not kill.

But once I read "The Things We Do to Quiet the Monsters" and "Awkwarding Brings Us Together," I was hooked. I may not have enjoyed the book from start to finish, but I closed it feeling like I understood Lawson on a human level. And isn't that all a memoir is supposed to make you feel?

Happy Place by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

Another 5 star novel from Emily Henry—is anyone actually surprised? Happy Place traces the outline of intimacy both romantic and platonic, and reminds us that fondness/tenderness is a symbiotic connection rooted in the place(s) we hold close.

Special thanks to Libro.fm for a free, electronic ALC of this novel.

Expected publication date: April 25, 2023

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP 

The Circus of Hungry Clowns: A Horror Novella by Caesar Ruell

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Thank you to the author, Caesar Ruell, for letting me read his horror novella, The Circus of Hungry Clowns. A unique take on the killer clown subgenre with just enough creep factor to keep you engaged 'til the end. I'll never look at 1930's circus shows the same again *shudders* 

Mushroom Lullaby by Kenneth Kraegel

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

My fiancée: "Are you going to add this to your yearly Reading Challenge?"
Me: "Duh."

Kenneth Kraegel's Mushroom Lullaby is a charming picture book detailing the daily adventures of a mushroom-seeker who lays their head down to rest in their cozy mushroom home each evening. I read this one to my cats, but your littles will adore it too. 

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser

emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

A collection of shorts dedicated to the stories hair holds.

Jamila Rowser's Wash Day Diaries is but a glimpse into the lives of five friends living in the Bronx—twisting, knotting, braiding together. This slice-of-life graphic novel is simple, elegant, and tender. I immediately need more. 

Murder Book: A Graphic Memoir of a True Crime Obsession by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell

dark funny informative slow-paced

5.0

Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell's Murder Book is as much an exploration into the true crime genre as it is a chronicle about how true crime fascination is passed down generationally and communally. An absolute stunner of a graphic novel, packed full of personal quips and well-researched chapters of information. 

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Proud member of the #DeadParentClub here to report that Tyler Feder's Dancing at the Pity Party looked me straight in the eyes and said "I see you, bestie." Relatable, vulnerable, and beautifully articulated. It was an honor to share literary space with Tyler and to hold her story so closely with mine, the likenesses and differences exemplifying why storytelling is healing. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional relaxing tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

The SJM girlies are gonna love me for this one. I'm in, I'm hooked, please give me more. As for my rating, I would have given it 5 stars had the first half of the book not been such a snooze.