houxli's reviews
285 reviews

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

adventurous lighthearted fast-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

1.75

Avatar x Helpmeet/Complimentarism. All women across the universe are dainty and pouty and all they're good for is getting pregnant. All men are cocky and logical and capable, thus are entitled to the aforementioned women. I don't get this fantasy.
That being said the prose is solid, and Georgie has a strong, enjoyable voice. Besides the title, I think that's why this is as popular as it is.
Though Vektal is read in the audiobook like Tarzan, just diving bodily into the "noble savage" conceit.
Very handholdy for people not used to sci-fi. There's always a character going "omg this is so weird!" at all times to let you, the feeble reader, know that what's happening is indeed strange and unusual.

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm obsessed with this slow breakup. For once no one is willing to shoulder the support role in the group and that one time causes the structure to collapse. The way the story invites judgement on the characters is also delicious. It's begging you to look down at Chris and Elise especially. I found myself indulging in it, but also taking a step back and asking myself why. The writing (though suffering from the occasional very blatant lines) paints a nuanced picture that puts the characters' reasoning in the forefront so that their actions aren't simply for self-induced drama.
I agree with most other reviewers that Alex gets the short end of the narrative stick.

But because of his established laid-back nature, financial security, and his community building throughout the process of heading the party, I think it's Bongiovanni trusting the reader to figure out that he is a-okay.

It's #notthatdeep but what is deep is how all the quiet stuff informs everyone's decisions. Jo never outright says that her struggles evading poverty are made harder by her being a trans woman of color, but this is implied by the comfort she finds in an intersectional reading group.
Or Chris having a "Best Mommy Blog" award hanging in their office. I have many many doubts about Chris's writing talent and parenting, but the one thing that's for sure is that they take issue with being lumped in with single mothers. Is it the validation of their work that trumps the sidelining of their identity? Perhaps!

Further supported by Elise observing that Chris would sleep with anyone that complimented them. They're nuts for recognition.

The point is that the details add up.
This is a Most Pulp Mimosa, and it's definitely something you can chew on.

One last opinion: I think Jo psyched herself out with the Tarot reading. Why she got mad at Alex makes sense, even though it wasn't 100% fair, but she was primed for a catastrophe and thus made one with Alex's admission. Does she owe him the time of day? No, especially after he hung her pay over her head for the second Grind party. She moved on to greener pastures, so it was ultimately a net positive.

The five stars are for making me be able to talk about this story for hours.

Kiss of Wrath by Sandra Hill

lighthearted fast-paced

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

1.75

This Book Is Full of Spiders by Jason Pargin, David Wong

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

It's been nine years since I've read John Dies At The End, but if I'm remembering correctly, this book doesn't feel as dense. It's breezier, the ideas are simpler, and the stakes are lower. It's in service to the theme, which is built on the massive foundation that the first book set up. It's less introspective and more intimate between David, John, and Amy. I like that the book expects you to pay attention and won't spell things out for the reader.

Prokaryote Season by Leo Fox

hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

Filled with catharsis juice. To the brim.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 5 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

adventurous funny relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

It's like reading a spiral. The repetition connects ideas together, making jewelry of a point of view.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

emotional funny lighthearted fast-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? No

4.5

Shattered by Lee Winter

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

This reads like a comic book, especially the appropriately hokey final confrontation. It highlights the mature exploration of how people interact with each other.
Lena is a great portrait of her type of person- strong despite coming from a rough background, but thinking that no one's ever had it worse than her because of that. Undereducated, ashamed of her past, good at what she does, and knows that she deserves to take up space. Her arc took me by surprise, because that summery is where she starts.
The setting is another highlight. Look up Socotra! Winter did her research. 

Kiss of Temptation by Sandra Hill

fast-paced

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

0.25

50% of the page space is taken up by Hill advertising her other series. She just didn't care. 
Though it contains the most impressive sentence I've seen in a long time.

“My fangs are about to orgasm in my gums.”