nerdybookster's reviews
678 reviews

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

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I love this series. I can't say much as it is the fourth volume, but we do finally get some of the promised spice. I loved reading about the weird history of these characters and watching how they interact with each other as things are revealed to different people.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative inspiring reflective tense fast-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

4.0

This was definitely a fun read. I loved how Murderbot was so awkward with humans, and was aware of it, but then began referring to members of the PreservationAux Survery team as "my humans" as though they had bonded to the team. I did find it kind of strangely upsetting that they kept calling Murderbot "it" and "SecUnit" even after learning their name and that they had basically declared themselves a nonbinary entity. 

I found the intrigue to be lacking. There was no revelation as to what was happening. I'm assuming we will get that in Artificial Condition or at least closer to it? I have no idea. I'm hoping so. The scenes where the SecUnits interact was also kind of meh? That part just threw it for me. Otherwise I loved it. Had very strong Avatar vibes to it. Where they are all on this planet surveying for possible mining or terraforming for humanity. I cannot wait to see what is coming next. 

Return of the Shadows by Donald L. Marino

sad fast-paced

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

1.0

No. Just plain no. The grammar was all over the place. The characters had many names that they were called, sometimes within the same paragraph (I still don't know the dwarf's name). It progressed way too quickly. 

This had all the markings of an epic high fantasy trilogy. Something spanning thousands of pages. It was 122 pages of nonsense. I didn't care for the speed at which it was written. We seemed to just speed run through all of the important revelations and political themes that should have taken up that 122 pages on its on. 

It felt like he didn't even think of a second draft, let alone editing the book. It was as though Mr. Marino just finished his first draft and then sent it straight to a publisher raw. There were times where it physically hurt to read it. 

It is my sincerest hope that in the future, he enlists the services of some kind of editor or editorial team to make the novels/novellas make more sense. 

Zombabe by I.S. Belle

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.25

As amusing as this book was, there was a lot of suspension of belief. Quite a few times it felt like there was information that was previously given to the characters through the prose that was edited out in a revision that wasn't then fixed later on in the body of the work. So characters would often refer back to things that we as readers didn't know about. Almost as though they were reminding each other and themselves of things. 

The idea of these almost pseudozombies was unique. You make a deal, basically, with the genus loci of Bulldeen to bring someone back, then the person you bring back has to pay the cost to become fully human again. Whatever that cost may be. It was definitely an unusual take on zombies. I would love to see that explored further in subsequent novels from I.S. Belle. 

It's marketed as LGBTQIA, but I don't really remember there being much in the way of that in the novel. Unless it was that subtle that I missed it. Other than them having crushes on each other and Dude's involvement with someone else completely. I mean, that's fine, but it did take a little bit away from the rating. 

I will definitely be looking into more novels by I.S. Belle and seeing if they become a favorite of mine or not. 

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This book was briliant! I had originally requested it from NetGalley, but they declined me. A shame really, because my review would have been ravingly positive. 

I loved how we hopped around in time. It wasn't a Then -> Now part thing (which I hate). Having them meeting up without recognizing each other was a skillful move on Huang's part. I loved how we follow Dong Xian and Liu Xin as they reunite. Over and over again. 

My only issue was that at one point it was mentioned that they were cursed to end up together and then die young. Yet it is never mentioned at all who curse them or why. And in the MILLENNIA that Dong Xian was alive, he never figured out how to break the curse. There were nearly two thousand years between their first meeting and their [current] last one. How, in as long as he's been able to remember, has he never been able to figure it out? 

I loved watching them realize who they were to each other in the most recent lifetime they had and the swap that had occurred. I'm certainly looking forward to more books by Justinian Huang!

Make You Mine by E.M. Lindsey

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I adored this read. The way Noah never once treated Adriano any different over his status as a Deaf adult or as a famous adult film star. One he was quite familiar with. Parts of the book read like a gay Hallmark movie, which was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I am surprised by how much I liked it. 

Adam and Noah should have communicated more. I understand where Noah was coming from. Wanting to protect his baby brother from the sinking ship that is their grandmother's legacy, but there are better ways to go about it. Adam was not meant for the bakery. Noah should have still included him in the decision making process, though. It was unfair of him to leave Adam out. 

I loved watching them grow and I am very tempted to get the next book in the series....universe...whatever. 

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

Another book where I feel awkward giving it any kind of rating, so we pick the middle of the road. I picked up this book after a sermon given at the church I attend. The message of both is fairly clear: White people suck and we have a lot of reparations to make. I feel it. We went back on deals because we were afraid of losing imaginary power. We made it impossible for people of Color, especially Black people, to own anything. Or very nearly impossible. 

I did resonate with the book and more reading and research is now on the horizon. However, I cannot say that I liked it. Does anyone really like being called out for something like this. I know there are many proud racists and I am not one. Maybe if more people read this and start to speak up, we can really begin to rectify the harm we've done....

Loving the Sinner by Daisy Wren
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

It was way too fast paced even for me. They are making it seem like they are in love and they literally didn't know each other two pages ago. She didn't know this man's NAME and, what, six hours later she's in love with him? Too unbelievable for me. 

Stranger Things: Heroes and Monsters by Rana Tahir

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

I picked this up because I'm a huge fan of Stranger Things, I did not realize at the time that it was a choose your own adventure book. Gave it a go and while I did get through one of the endings, I stopped after that. So I'm counting it as a read, but I've now remembered why I don't like these style of book. I'm going ot hang on to it for the fandom, but I'm unlikely to ever pick it up again. No shade to the author, it's just not my cup of tea. 

This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-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? Yes

4.75