lokiisreading's reviews
459 reviews

Space for More by Emily Antoinette

3.75

Sky Full Of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

2.75

Sydney was annoying. I had to say that first because I almost DNFd this because she was absolutely INSUFFERABLE. She kind of redeemed herself in the end, but I didn’t really care.

Anyways WTF was that ending??

DID THEY BOTH DIE???

This was a stand alone book why is there a cliffhanger, and a confusing one at that. 

I got drawn into reading this because of the “In a world without white people, what does it mean to be black?” And to be honest. I don’t think that was really and truly  explored on the level that it could have been. I could be convinced otherwise, but I’m honestly too annoyed by that god awful ending to reevaluate. 

Speak by J.L. Seegars

4.0

The Afterdark by E. Latimer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.

My ears are tired of listening to the nonsense

Twisted Games by Ana Huang

3.5

Outdrawn by Deanna Grey

emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

4.5

The Life of Herod the Great by Zora Neale Hurston

5.0

“I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions.”

Although this quote is a from a letter Ms. Hurston wrote to her friend Countee Cullen. I feel like this could be a guiding principle for her latest work. The Life of Herod The Great follows a refreshed unapologetic take on Herod challenges the well-worn narratives of western society, peeling back layers of myth and bias to reveal a more complex, humanized portrait of a ruler history has often vilified.

I thought I would have a hard time with this one being more historical. But I really enjoyed Hurtson’s attention to detail and storytelling. Her ability to just step back and reexamine Herod’s life through the lens of a cultural and and historical perspective over the distortion from the religious and colonial aspects. I think this really demonstrated how much she wanted the truth to prevail. Although the manuscript was missing pieces due to how it was saved, I still think the work held its integrity. 

Much like in her other works, she refuses to settle for the “rattling wagon of wishful illusions,” instead opting to present Herod as a figure shaped by his time, his ambitions, the forces of empire that surrounded him, and an ally of Christ. 

Thank you Colored Pages Books and Amistad for the finished copy! 

Confrontations by Simone Atangana Bekono
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

I’m so confused on this story?? I think the translation really killed whatever story was trying to be conveyed. 

The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds

4.5

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

If you are a Knives Out/Whodunnit fan you will absolutely enjoy this! This was a fun/quick holiday read! I think they hit it right on the head with this being “knives out but with kissing” even though the romance wasn’t a huge factor it was very sweet to see it come together in the end. 

Thank you Avon Books for the finished copy!