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illtakethenightshiftx's reviews
144 reviews
The Last Delivery by Evan Dahm
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a review!
This was a quirky, fast-paced, kind of funny, and kind of bleak story about a guy who’s just trying to do his job. I LOVED the art style and how fleshed out the story felt for how fast paced it was.
This was a quirky, fast-paced, kind of funny, and kind of bleak story about a guy who’s just trying to do his job. I LOVED the art style and how fleshed out the story felt for how fast paced it was.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
Louise Erdrich is a master storyteller!! I love how she uses multiple points of view and blends elements of magical realism and things we can’t always see into the narrative. She creates a deep, rich setting which is highlighted by her characters. The characters she creates feel so real and I loved them all!! Every person I met in this book (and every other book I’ve read by her) felt like I could reach into the pages and shake their hand or run into them while getting coffee.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Rape, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment
CW: discussion of indigenous boarding schools experience (moderate)
Instructions for Traveling West: Poems by Joy Sullivan
emotional
hopeful
reflective
4.0
I loved this collection! There were some poems that missed for me, but I really liked it, overall. It feels like essential reading for anyone who feels like they’re at a transition point in their life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Body shaming
A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a strange little novel that really wasn’t for me. Usually I like a story about messy women, but Helen was just a bit too messy for me. I really didn’t like her at all (which is the point!) and truly didn’t care whether or not she came out the other side in the end. This story is like a train wreck, I could not look away, even though I considered not finishing it. The side characters are intriguing and I want to know more about them outside of Helen’s POV, especially the wives and Emma.
The lack of quotation marks made it difficult to follow at times, but added to the chaotic frenzy of Helen’s internal monologue. The overall feeling of the novel is bleak, although there are moments of dark humor that contrast moments of profound sadness that hit me right in the chest. Overall, I don’t think this was for me, but I know folks who would absolutely LOVE this!
The lack of quotation marks made it difficult to follow at times, but added to the chaotic frenzy of Helen’s internal monologue. The overall feeling of the novel is bleak, although there are moments of dark humor that contrast moments of profound sadness that hit me right in the chest. Overall, I don’t think this was for me, but I know folks who would absolutely LOVE this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Child death
Additional CW: Elder abuse (moderate), incarceration (moderate)
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Beasts of Burden: Animal and Disability Liberation by Sunaura Taylor
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Ableism, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Will return to this eventually, but I really can’t listen to anybody talk about killing, preparing, and eating animals rn
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Absolutely loved this!!! I wish the ending wasn’t so quick, but besides that it was an fantastic read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
funny
reflective
I’ve been wanting to read this since I was a teenager and saw an episode of No Reservations. I’m so glad I decided to listen to the audiobook instead of picking up the print. Memoirs read by the author, especially by an author who has an amazing voice, are so much more powerful. You can tell how much food meant to Bourdain, even during his early years.
(Rating memoirs feels weird so I’m not doing it)
(Rating memoirs feels weird so I’m not doing it)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug abuse