nose_in_a_book's reviews
253 reviews

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I think I will be haunted by this book for a long time. It took me an entire month to finish which is normally the mark of me hating a book but in this case, I found that I loved it with an asterisk. To be frank, it is a tragedy and I’m not equipped for these sorts of things but the writing was so well done that I could do nothing other than power through. The writing is so good that it removed any pretentiousness from quoting Shakespeare as dialog. Every step along the way felt poetically tragic and destined to happen and it took me 2 weeks to read the last 100 pages but having now done it, I’m glad I finished even if I feel wretched in the end. 

Also check trigger warnings and if you’re not in a space for gay tragedy, skip this.  

Shattered Innocence by Sara Cate

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

🌶️🌶️

I think this is a novella that would have been better with more time and breathing room. Cate tries for big swings of character growth in shockingly few pages and the effect is rather abrupt. The climax is a perfect example. I did really love Alaric and Violet fighting over her. I just wanted more of it. 

Monster Pucker by Clio Evans, Ashley Bennett

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

🌶️

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

This is one of those books where I didn’t enjoy it but I did deeply feel. She is an excellent writer in that she exposed the inner workings of her mind with precision, getting to the very heart of who she is with a poetic and acerbic lens. Her grief is never watered down nor is it aiming to be likable. It’s authentic even when not necessarily trying to be. She’s an unreliable narrator to the highest degree which frustratingly leaves little room as a reader to actually get any genuine perceptions of those around her (particularly her mom) that aren’t manufactured by her own bias. I wish there were more moments like her mom watching tv with her grandma or their fight at Cafe Seoul/ Seoul Cafe scattered about because I don’t feel like by the end of the book that I know her mom much better than I did chapter one. That said, maybe it’s because I don’t have those cultural touchstones from being Korean to recognize deeper meaning behind subtle gestures or moments talked about. This isn’t a book written with me in mind nor should it be. Despite that, the emotions explored are universal and her experience is easy to empathize with regardless of culture. If you need a way to focus your own grief, fear, or sadness, this is an excellent conduit to process. 

Monster Pucked by Clio Evans, Ashley Bennett

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

🌶️

This was very sweet. A quick easy read for anyone who needs a moment of soft love like a warm baked cookie and a side of edging. 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

No 🌶️

This is very similar to a Jim Jarmusch movie. For a couple hundred pages, we step into the lives and mundane problems of these characters where everything is mostly wonderful, even when things are bad. Nothing is particularly deep and no new ideas are presented but there’s a reason a warm cup of coffee on a cold day is consistently welcome. It’s familiar and there is relief in that familiarity. I do wish that the relationship hinted at was more in the open but aside from that, no real complaints. 

Cold Sweat by Vera Valentine

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

🌶️🌶️

This was my 69th (and last) book of 2024 and that’s really all that needs to be said I think. 

Milk and Honey: Mated to the Monster by Vera Valentine

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

🌶️

This required a lot of suspended belief in terms of how these two got together but I enjoyed the concept and the characters were relatively well rounded for how short the book is. 

Dear Santa,: A Willow Cove Novelette by Dimonick Shaw

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

🌶️

I love the female friendship in this one the most tbh. That’s the relationship we see the most of and the people we get to know the most and it seems deeply satisfying. 

Jolly Cupid by Sarah Blue

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

🌶️🌶️

Short and sweet with enough plot to give it structure and a healthy dose of groveling. Perfect for the week between Christmas and New Years.