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michaelinereadsalot's reviews
278 reviews
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
5.0
I can not express how much I love this book and how sad I am to see that the people I know who read it did not. I can not comprehend not liking this book. It felt like a warm hug.
Our main character, Florence, is a ghostwriter for a prolific romance novelist, but after a terrible breakup that causes her to feel that love is dead, she can't seem to complete her book. She requests an extension from her (sexy) new editor, but he refuses to budge, and Florence is certain her career is as dead as love. However, she does not have much time to panic about that before receiving a call that her father has died, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to attend the funeral. Upon returning home to the funeral home her family owns, Florence must face the reason she left so many years ago: She sees and talks to ghosts. But when the doorbell of the funeral home rings, Florence does not expect the ghost on the other side to be someone she knows. Will Florence help this familiar spirit resolve their unfinished business, or will the ghost help Florence complete her final book?
A romance ghostwriter who doesn't believe in love and sees ghosts? Probably my favorite premise in a while. If you ask me, the execution was flawless. I really loved Florence's character. There was something very relatable about her voice, and her whimsy felt so warm and cozy. She is definitely a character who doesn't take herself too seriously. My favorite part of this book, though, was the romance. It had me grinning ear to ear, kicking my feet, desperate to get to the end to find out what happens. And, boy, when I got there, my mind was blown. I did not see the ending coming at all. Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and I will probably reread it again in the future. Absolutely would recommend.
Our main character, Florence, is a ghostwriter for a prolific romance novelist, but after a terrible breakup that causes her to feel that love is dead, she can't seem to complete her book. She requests an extension from her (sexy) new editor, but he refuses to budge, and Florence is certain her career is as dead as love. However, she does not have much time to panic about that before receiving a call that her father has died, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to attend the funeral. Upon returning home to the funeral home her family owns, Florence must face the reason she left so many years ago: She sees and talks to ghosts. But when the doorbell of the funeral home rings, Florence does not expect the ghost on the other side to be someone she knows. Will Florence help this familiar spirit resolve their unfinished business, or will the ghost help Florence complete her final book?
A romance ghostwriter who doesn't believe in love and sees ghosts? Probably my favorite premise in a while. If you ask me, the execution was flawless. I really loved Florence's character. There was something very relatable about her voice, and her whimsy felt so warm and cozy. She is definitely a character who doesn't take herself too seriously. My favorite part of this book, though, was the romance. It had me grinning ear to ear, kicking my feet, desperate to get to the end to find out what happens. And, boy, when I got there, my mind was blown. I did not see the ending coming at all. Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and I will probably reread it again in the future. Absolutely would recommend.
Honeybee by Trista Mateer
2.0
Having read and loved Trista Mateer's Myth and Magick series, I was expecting to feel the same about Honeybee, but it fell pretty flat for me.
The collection of poetry details a secret sapphic romance where the narrator struggles with the fact that her friend and lover is unwilling to come out and be with her publicly. It handles topics of homophobia and biphobia, and it explores the difficulties of discovering one's identity while in the throes of young love.
I felt this collection was pretty redundant, and I kept hoping that the poetry would take off and go somewhere new, but it never did. Unlike the Myth and Magick series, this poetry did not have a strong emotional impact on me, and since Mateer's poetry is more straight forward than traditional styles of poetry, it really needs the emotion to give it life. Overall, this fell flat, and it is unlikely I'd recommend it.
The collection of poetry details a secret sapphic romance where the narrator struggles with the fact that her friend and lover is unwilling to come out and be with her publicly. It handles topics of homophobia and biphobia, and it explores the difficulties of discovering one's identity while in the throes of young love.
I felt this collection was pretty redundant, and I kept hoping that the poetry would take off and go somewhere new, but it never did. Unlike the Myth and Magick series, this poetry did not have a strong emotional impact on me, and since Mateer's poetry is more straight forward than traditional styles of poetry, it really needs the emotion to give it life. Overall, this fell flat, and it is unlikely I'd recommend it.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
3.0
This gothic horror was not my cup of tea, but I am very much not a horror reader. It had a fair amount of redeeming qualities, but in the end, the genre just really wasn't for me.
When our main character, Noemi, and her father receive a curious letter from Noemi's cousin begging that they save her from the family she recently married into, Noemi is sent to investigate the situation. When she arrives at her cousin's new home, it becomes clear that something strange is going on. Both the family and the house are hiding dark secrets, and Noemi is determined to find out what those secrets are and save her cousin from the darkness.
Fair warning, I read this book for a book club, and I would not have picked it up otherwise, since I hate the genre. Let's start with the things I did like in this book. First of all, Noemi was a bold, sassy young woman who had a quick wit and sharp sense of humor, and I enjoyed her perspective. I also thought that the writing style was fairly engaging, and I found myself wanting to keep reading even when I wasn't feeling the genre. However, the attempt at alluding to the Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe were a bit heavy-handed to me. The Tell-Tale Heart reference, in particular, felt almost like a copy-paste situation. The actual horror plot of the book was disgusting (I know that's the point, but this really isn't my genre!), and I was disappointed with the explanation of the more seemingly paranormal aspects of the story. I will encourage you to check trigger warnings as well, since there were several scenes that involved sexual assault in addition to some gore. Overall, I would probably not recommend this one, but mostly because I don't see myself as a good person to go to for horror recs.
When our main character, Noemi, and her father receive a curious letter from Noemi's cousin begging that they save her from the family she recently married into, Noemi is sent to investigate the situation. When she arrives at her cousin's new home, it becomes clear that something strange is going on. Both the family and the house are hiding dark secrets, and Noemi is determined to find out what those secrets are and save her cousin from the darkness.
Fair warning, I read this book for a book club, and I would not have picked it up otherwise, since I hate the genre. Let's start with the things I did like in this book. First of all, Noemi was a bold, sassy young woman who had a quick wit and sharp sense of humor, and I enjoyed her perspective. I also thought that the writing style was fairly engaging, and I found myself wanting to keep reading even when I wasn't feeling the genre. However, the attempt at alluding to the Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe were a bit heavy-handed to me. The Tell-Tale Heart reference, in particular, felt almost like a copy-paste situation. The actual horror plot of the book was disgusting (I know that's the point, but this really isn't my genre!), and I was disappointed with the explanation of the more seemingly paranormal aspects of the story. I will encourage you to check trigger warnings as well, since there were several scenes that involved sexual assault in addition to some gore. Overall, I would probably not recommend this one, but mostly because I don't see myself as a good person to go to for horror recs.
When the Stars Wrote Back by Trista Mateer
2.0
OK, I'm not going to lie to you. I gave this a star rating when I finished reading it in October, but now, a month later, I remember nothing. I went back to reread, and the first few pages were so meh I decided not to waste the time. I know this is marketed as YA, but I still feel it was immature, basic, and flat, which is pretty disappointing considering how much I loved some of Trista Mateer's other collections. Overall, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this one, but at the same time, since I can't remember all that much about it, feel free to check it out yourself since it's a one-sitting read.
Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
5.0
Both Strange Planet and Stranger Planet had me laughing out loud from start to finish.
These books are collections of the webcomic Strange Planet in which we discover that aliens may have different terms for things, but their lives are very similar to those of humans.
It is hard to pick a favorite theme from these collections, because every single comic made me laugh, but the ones where the aliens observed cats were perfection. If you're looking for a lighthearted giggle, I would strongly suggest checking out Strange Planet either online or in print.
These books are collections of the webcomic Strange Planet in which we discover that aliens may have different terms for things, but their lives are very similar to those of humans.
It is hard to pick a favorite theme from these collections, because every single comic made me laugh, but the ones where the aliens observed cats were perfection. If you're looking for a lighthearted giggle, I would strongly suggest checking out Strange Planet either online or in print.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
5.0
I won't pretend this book is ever going to be considered a classic, but it is absolutely one of my favorite books I read this year. So cute, silly, and funny!
When Evie is walking through the woods, she gets caught up with an incredibly attractive man who is running from the King's guards. The man reveals to her that he is the notorious Villain, an enemy to the King who terrorizes the kingdom. When Evie mentions that she has lost her job, the Villain offers her a job as his personal assistant, and needing to support her family, she accepts. As the assistant to the Villain, Evie witnesses many gruesome and violent things, but that doesn't stop her from developing a bit of a crush on her boss. But someone appears to be sabotaging the Villain's work, so Evie must put her crush aside (mostly) to help her boss find the culprit.
This book did not take itself seriously in the slightest, which I absolutely loved. It was such a fun and wild ride from start to finish, and I could not put it down. Evie's coworkers are some of the most entertaining side characters I've read in a while, and them being her found family gave the book a good amount of warmth and heart, which perfectly contrasted with the severed heads hung from the ceiling and eyeballs squishing underfoot. The romance follows your typical grumpy/sunshine trope, and the banter between the boss and Evie was perfection. I'm an absolute sucker for the "everyone knows that the main characters are falling for each other except the main characters" and the "I've never been soft and caring with anyone before" tropes, and this book delivered on those as well. There is nothing better than a male love interest being confused and mildly disturbed by his warm and fuzzy feelings. My only complaint about this book is that I could've done for even more romance, but I do know that a sequel is coming, so I assume that's where we'll get what I'm looking for. Overall, if you're looking for some lighthearted fun in a fantasy setting, absolutely give this one a shot.
When Evie is walking through the woods, she gets caught up with an incredibly attractive man who is running from the King's guards. The man reveals to her that he is the notorious Villain, an enemy to the King who terrorizes the kingdom. When Evie mentions that she has lost her job, the Villain offers her a job as his personal assistant, and needing to support her family, she accepts. As the assistant to the Villain, Evie witnesses many gruesome and violent things, but that doesn't stop her from developing a bit of a crush on her boss. But someone appears to be sabotaging the Villain's work, so Evie must put her crush aside (mostly) to help her boss find the culprit.
This book did not take itself seriously in the slightest, which I absolutely loved. It was such a fun and wild ride from start to finish, and I could not put it down. Evie's coworkers are some of the most entertaining side characters I've read in a while, and them being her found family gave the book a good amount of warmth and heart, which perfectly contrasted with the severed heads hung from the ceiling and eyeballs squishing underfoot. The romance follows your typical grumpy/sunshine trope, and the banter between the boss and Evie was perfection. I'm an absolute sucker for the "everyone knows that the main characters are falling for each other except the main characters" and the "I've never been soft and caring with anyone before" tropes, and this book delivered on those as well. There is nothing better than a male love interest being confused and mildly disturbed by his warm and fuzzy feelings. My only complaint about this book is that I could've done for even more romance, but I do know that a sequel is coming, so I assume that's where we'll get what I'm looking for. Overall, if you're looking for some lighthearted fun in a fantasy setting, absolutely give this one a shot.
The Ravens by Danielle Paige, Kass Morgan
4.0
This was a fun YA book about witches on a college campus. It's exactly what you'd expect from this type of book. Nothing more, nothing less.
Unbeknownst to the majority of the world, The Ravens, the most prestigious sorority at Westerly College, are actually a coven of witches hiding in plain sight. When Vivi decides to go to Westerly to escape her chaotic life with her flighty mother, she stumbles upon the sorority and discovers through their pledge process that she's a witch. Vivi's Big, Scarlett, is less than thrilled to have Vivi, who is completely clueless about social norms, fashion, and witchcraft, join their sisterhood. But when someone begins sending threatening messages to the Ravens and appears to be dabbling in dark magic, Vivi and Scarlett must work together with the rest of their sisters to find the culprit and keep them from exposing the Ravens' darkest secrets (which go far beyond them being witches).
I had a really good time with this book. The magic was prevalent, which I very much prefer in a witchy book, and the found family/sisterhood aspect was warm and cozy. I loved that both romantic side plots gave enough to be satisfied while still only being side plots, though the way one of them ended broke my heart. I also enjoyed all the ways the dynamics of covens and sororities were melded together. It made for a light and fun tone despite some darker themes occurring throughout the book. Overall, this book was a ton of fun to read, but it wasn't the best book I've ever read. I would recommend it for anyone looking to have a good time, but not much more than that.
Unbeknownst to the majority of the world, The Ravens, the most prestigious sorority at Westerly College, are actually a coven of witches hiding in plain sight. When Vivi decides to go to Westerly to escape her chaotic life with her flighty mother, she stumbles upon the sorority and discovers through their pledge process that she's a witch. Vivi's Big, Scarlett, is less than thrilled to have Vivi, who is completely clueless about social norms, fashion, and witchcraft, join their sisterhood. But when someone begins sending threatening messages to the Ravens and appears to be dabbling in dark magic, Vivi and Scarlett must work together with the rest of their sisters to find the culprit and keep them from exposing the Ravens' darkest secrets (which go far beyond them being witches).
I had a really good time with this book. The magic was prevalent, which I very much prefer in a witchy book, and the found family/sisterhood aspect was warm and cozy. I loved that both romantic side plots gave enough to be satisfied while still only being side plots, though the way one of them ended broke my heart. I also enjoyed all the ways the dynamics of covens and sororities were melded together. It made for a light and fun tone despite some darker themes occurring throughout the book. Overall, this book was a ton of fun to read, but it wasn't the best book I've ever read. I would recommend it for anyone looking to have a good time, but not much more than that.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
5.0
I love Britney, so I may be a bit biased, but this book was so fucking good!
In The Woman in Me, Britney Spears details her life from birth to the end of her conservatorship. She shares about her trauma, her relationships, her love for singing and dancing, her rise to fame, and how her family took control of her life and money through her conservatorship.
It seems like I say this about most memoirs I read, but this book was absolutely heartbreaking. While I had a really enjoyable time listening to Britney's stories, I was truly shattered by the way she was treated by the people who claimed to love her both before and after the conservatorship. So many people who were meant to protect her instead preyed on and exploited her. I listened to this book on audio, and Michelle Williams's voice was JUST close enough to Britney's to pretend she was reading it to you (just don't pay too close attention, or you'll realize it's not), and she did an excellent job with the narration. Overall, I absolutely adored hearing Britney's story from her own point of view. It's been a long time coming, and I couldn't have been happier with it.
In The Woman in Me, Britney Spears details her life from birth to the end of her conservatorship. She shares about her trauma, her relationships, her love for singing and dancing, her rise to fame, and how her family took control of her life and money through her conservatorship.
It seems like I say this about most memoirs I read, but this book was absolutely heartbreaking. While I had a really enjoyable time listening to Britney's stories, I was truly shattered by the way she was treated by the people who claimed to love her both before and after the conservatorship. So many people who were meant to protect her instead preyed on and exploited her. I listened to this book on audio, and Michelle Williams's voice was JUST close enough to Britney's to pretend she was reading it to you (just don't pay too close attention, or you'll realize it's not), and she did an excellent job with the narration. Overall, I absolutely adored hearing Britney's story from her own point of view. It's been a long time coming, and I couldn't have been happier with it.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
5.0
This book was so fucking cozy and sweet. I absolutely adored it!
Mika Moon is a witch, and due to the rules set for her by The Secret Society of Witches, a group of witches who meet every few months to share spells and troubleshoot witchy problems, her life is quite lonely. But this all changes when, having seen her social media account where she poses as a fictional witch, someone sends her an email requesting she tutor three young witches. Curiosity piqued, Mika goes to the strange house to check out the situation. When she arrives she finds an over the top retired actor, two overworked caretakers of the grounds and house, a grumpy (but hot) librarian, and the three young, honest to god witches that they take care of in their employer's absence. Mika knows the risk of having four witches in one house, but could the reward of family, connection, and sharing her love for magic outweigh it all?
The front of this book called it a "warm, witchy hug," and I couldn't agree more. It gave total Gilmore Girls vibes with its fall to winter setting, grumpy/sunshine romance, and a quirky found family. While it was mostly light and fluffy, it had great POC representation and touched on racism and inequality in a gentle but effective way. The romance was super sweet, though I'd have liked a couple more scenes with them together while they were falling. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, witchy romcom whether they're getting in the spooky season mood or just looking for a fun read year round.
Mika Moon is a witch, and due to the rules set for her by The Secret Society of Witches, a group of witches who meet every few months to share spells and troubleshoot witchy problems, her life is quite lonely. But this all changes when, having seen her social media account where she poses as a fictional witch, someone sends her an email requesting she tutor three young witches. Curiosity piqued, Mika goes to the strange house to check out the situation. When she arrives she finds an over the top retired actor, two overworked caretakers of the grounds and house, a grumpy (but hot) librarian, and the three young, honest to god witches that they take care of in their employer's absence. Mika knows the risk of having four witches in one house, but could the reward of family, connection, and sharing her love for magic outweigh it all?
The front of this book called it a "warm, witchy hug," and I couldn't agree more. It gave total Gilmore Girls vibes with its fall to winter setting, grumpy/sunshine romance, and a quirky found family. While it was mostly light and fluffy, it had great POC representation and touched on racism and inequality in a gentle but effective way. The romance was super sweet, though I'd have liked a couple more scenes with them together while they were falling. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, witchy romcom whether they're getting in the spooky season mood or just looking for a fun read year round.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab
informative
5.0
I read this book for therapy because I (used to) suck at boundaries, and I found it to be incredibly helpful!
Set Boundaries, Find Peace is a self-help book that teaches how to set and enforce boundaries throughout your life in order to improve relationships, avoid burnout, and regain control of your own life. Nedra Glover Tawwab shares examples of boundary setting with family, friends, romantic partners, coworkers, and even yourself.
I won't pretend this book was fun or exciting; it's a nonfiction, self-help book. However, it was incredibly helpful, informative, and thorough. As someone who has struggled with boundaries, especially enforcing them, having such detailed examples of boundary setting in pretty much every arena of life gave me a solid foundation for practicing boundaries in the particular areas that are more difficult for me. I really loved that this book was written for the common person and was not full of psych jargon because it made it so much easier to absorb and process. The book also has journaling activities at the end of each chapter to help put into motion the lessons learned. If you struggle with boundaries or have issues with communication in relationships or at work, I would strongly suggest checking this book out.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace is a self-help book that teaches how to set and enforce boundaries throughout your life in order to improve relationships, avoid burnout, and regain control of your own life. Nedra Glover Tawwab shares examples of boundary setting with family, friends, romantic partners, coworkers, and even yourself.
I won't pretend this book was fun or exciting; it's a nonfiction, self-help book. However, it was incredibly helpful, informative, and thorough. As someone who has struggled with boundaries, especially enforcing them, having such detailed examples of boundary setting in pretty much every arena of life gave me a solid foundation for practicing boundaries in the particular areas that are more difficult for me. I really loved that this book was written for the common person and was not full of psych jargon because it made it so much easier to absorb and process. The book also has journaling activities at the end of each chapter to help put into motion the lessons learned. If you struggle with boundaries or have issues with communication in relationships or at work, I would strongly suggest checking this book out.