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littlelionslibrary's reviews
438 reviews
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
4.0
This was such a fun little book! It was light-hearted, sexy, and full of that nervous sweating, 'raise your heart rate' type of chemistry between the two MCs. Enemies-to-Lovers is my favorite romance trope and OH BOY! Did Sally Thorne do it justice. My poor husband had to listen to me verbally react to the book the whole time I read it because it was one of those books that just elicited a whole bunch of surprised exclamations. I absolutely enjoyed the experience of this story due to the fact that it was very reminiscent of the fanfics I read as a teenager and honestly...it was the perfect break from the heaviness of the state of the world. Lucy and Josh are both such wonderful characters and I can't help but want to read more of them.
I'm married (blissfully so) but I want my own spicy workplace romance now!
I'm married (blissfully so) but I want my own spicy workplace romance now!
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.0
TW:// sexual assualt/non-consensual contact/body gore/incest
Set in 1950’s Mexico, this story follows Noemi Taboada through her harrowing attempt to bring her cousin home from the historic Doyle home, High Place.
I really enjoyed this book! The structure and pace of this story were almost addictive. I couldn’t stop consuming it once I started, and I was entranced; I found the prose to be almost poetic in it’s flow. Moreno-Garica uses this story to shine a light on the very real issues of the 50’s from colorism, classism, colonization, and rampant racism. I keep bouncing between 4 and 4.5 for this one just because I could see where this story was going from very early on. It’s not that the story is predictable, because it isn’t, it was just very transparent in it’s weaving. This story was also horrific in a way that I was not expecting; the traditional “Horror” aspects that you think of when you think of this genre were few and far between, but the topic of eugenics and the way Noemi was treated both disgusted and horrified me. There was also a body gore aspect that made my stomach turn, as I’m very sensitive to it. There were many times where I found myself wanting to yell and scream and reach into the story and take Noemi and Catalina out of their nightmare. I was frustrated, unsettled, and captivated. It was a beautifully written Modern take on Classic Gothic Horror.
Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone looking to make their skin crawl!
Set in 1950’s Mexico, this story follows Noemi Taboada through her harrowing attempt to bring her cousin home from the historic Doyle home, High Place.
I really enjoyed this book! The structure and pace of this story were almost addictive. I couldn’t stop consuming it once I started, and I was entranced; I found the prose to be almost poetic in it’s flow. Moreno-Garica uses this story to shine a light on the very real issues of the 50’s from colorism, classism, colonization, and rampant racism. I keep bouncing between 4 and 4.5 for this one just because I could see where this story was going from very early on. It’s not that the story is predictable, because it isn’t, it was just very transparent in it’s weaving. This story was also horrific in a way that I was not expecting; the traditional “Horror” aspects that you think of when you think of this genre were few and far between, but the topic of eugenics and the way Noemi was treated both disgusted and horrified me. There was also a body gore aspect that made my stomach turn, as I’m very sensitive to it. There were many times where I found myself wanting to yell and scream and reach into the story and take Noemi and Catalina out of their nightmare. I was frustrated, unsettled, and captivated. It was a beautifully written Modern take on Classic Gothic Horror.
Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone looking to make their skin crawl!
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
4.0
“Her one job was to protect her children from monsters. The ones under the bed, the ones in the closet, the ones hiding in the dark. Instead, she’d invited the monster into her home and been too weak to stop it from taking whatever it wanted.”
I had two most anticipated reads this year and this one was tied for top spot with Home Before Dark! This was my first Hendrix novel and it was SO good; methinks I have fallen in love at first novel.
I loved how this book was one big dissection of misogyny and marriage and how undervalued most wives are by their husbands, regardless of what they’ve sacrificed to raise their families. I stayed mad this whole book because of the way these men treated their wives, from domestic abuse, gaslighting, emotional neglect, and over-medication. These women are very nuanced characters and so well-written as they struggle to face the reality of getting older, raising teenagers, and realizing that their picture-perfect lives aren’t as wonderful as they once thought. The antagonist in this book was FANTASTIC. He reminded me so much of Pennywise from IT (my fav villain) and the gore and horror aspects of this were very well-balanced and not overdone in the slightest.
This was such a fun and creepy read with wonderful insights into the realities of motherhood and unhealthy marriages. Highly recommend!
Quote: “He thinks we’re what we look like on the outside: nice Southern ladies. Let me tell you something...there’s nothing nice about Southern ladies.”
I had two most anticipated reads this year and this one was tied for top spot with Home Before Dark! This was my first Hendrix novel and it was SO good; methinks I have fallen in love at first novel.
I loved how this book was one big dissection of misogyny and marriage and how undervalued most wives are by their husbands, regardless of what they’ve sacrificed to raise their families. I stayed mad this whole book because of the way these men treated their wives, from domestic abuse, gaslighting, emotional neglect, and over-medication. These women are very nuanced characters and so well-written as they struggle to face the reality of getting older, raising teenagers, and realizing that their picture-perfect lives aren’t as wonderful as they once thought. The antagonist in this book was FANTASTIC. He reminded me so much of Pennywise from IT (my fav villain) and the gore and horror aspects of this were very well-balanced and not overdone in the slightest.
This was such a fun and creepy read with wonderful insights into the realities of motherhood and unhealthy marriages. Highly recommend!
Quote: “He thinks we’re what we look like on the outside: nice Southern ladies. Let me tell you something...there’s nothing nice about Southern ladies.”
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
5.0
Huge thank you to MacMillan and Henry Holt Publishing for the NetGalley copy!
CW:// sexual assault, drug use, death, body gore.
I genuinely and 100% believe that Angeline Boulley has written the most powerful and stunning book of the year; with unmatched wit interwoven with generational trauma and the pain of firsthand experiences, Firekeeper’s Daughter is the type of novel that will stay with you long after it’s returned to it’s place on the shelf.
This story focuses on the raw pain that Native communities face when it comes to drugs, addiction, and the corruption that allows these sicknesses to flourish on Reservations and poorly-funded Indigenous living spaces. It details the relationship between Federal Law Enforcement, Tribal Cops, and the citizens of this town. Daunis Fontaine is the type of Native lead that all Indigenous Girls need to read about. Strong and courageous, even when her fear is choking her with every second that passes; Daunis is a fighter and a woman that inspires me. With everything she faces, she never once backs down from her challenges. This novel had it’s hooks in me from the first line and kept me burning through the pages and to the twist I never even saw coming. If you get the chance to pick this book up when it debuts in early 2021, do not pass up your chance. You’ll regret it.
CW:// sexual assault, drug use, death, body gore.
I genuinely and 100% believe that Angeline Boulley has written the most powerful and stunning book of the year; with unmatched wit interwoven with generational trauma and the pain of firsthand experiences, Firekeeper’s Daughter is the type of novel that will stay with you long after it’s returned to it’s place on the shelf.
This story focuses on the raw pain that Native communities face when it comes to drugs, addiction, and the corruption that allows these sicknesses to flourish on Reservations and poorly-funded Indigenous living spaces. It details the relationship between Federal Law Enforcement, Tribal Cops, and the citizens of this town. Daunis Fontaine is the type of Native lead that all Indigenous Girls need to read about. Strong and courageous, even when her fear is choking her with every second that passes; Daunis is a fighter and a woman that inspires me. With everything she faces, she never once backs down from her challenges. This novel had it’s hooks in me from the first line and kept me burning through the pages and to the twist I never even saw coming. If you get the chance to pick this book up when it debuts in early 2021, do not pass up your chance. You’ll regret it.