papercraftalex's reviews
353 reviews

Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall

medium-paced

3.5

Jessie Ren Marshall is a very talented writer. Like most anthologies, there was mixed quality, but the stories that didn't work for me were still very well written. She has unique plots for a lot of the stories, but I really appreciate the ones that are subtle sad girl vignettes. My favorites were Annie 2, Dog, Late Girl, and The Birds in Trafalgar Square. My least favorite were My Immaculate Girlfriend, Mrs. Fisher, and Sister Fat. Some of the stories felt a bit like "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" where the characters are supposed to be reprehensible, but I don't think it worked in these stories. I'm interested to see what she'll write in the future.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Creepy Cat, Vol. 1 by Cotton Valent

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

A cute gothic slice-of-life that all cat owners can somehow relate to even if our cats can't make multiple copies of themselves.

Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Doppelganger is a book about doppelgangers, obviously, and about COVID, misinformation, AI, Israel, autism, MAGA, but it's also so very much about community and reflection. This wasn't an easy book to read, but it was so amazing. It brought back some of the optimism I lost from COVID and made me see what I would think of as my political opponents as holistic, confused, and afraid human beings. Naomi Klein has so many great things to say. The way she ties her doppelganger story into so many topics is quite fantastic. I highly recommend this book. 

A Polar Bear in Love, Vol. 1 by Koromo

funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

It's a cute and funny parody of popular BL tropes. 

Sierra Garcia: The Mystery Relative by Keana Lapp

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

I'm very impressed that this was written by a 12 year old! I think a lot of middle-grade and young adult readers will love this thrilling adventure.

Life Lessons from a Bad Quaker: A Humble Stumble Toward Simplicity and Grace by J. Brent Bill

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It is very well organized and so easy to read in chunks. I read a little bit before bed each night and it was a great way to relax and reflect. The lessons in it are for all people, not just Christians, not just people interested in Quakers (although I did learn a lot about Quakers). It has very actionable tips to lead an overall better life. He does incorporate god and Christianity often, but it wasn't preachy and things like being a good steward to the Earth, speaking kindly, treating others well, are all essential to being a good person. I will absolutely be reading this again in the future!

Spring Essence: The Poetry of Hô Xuân Huong by Hồ Xuân Hương, John Balaban

funny informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I picked up this collection of poetry at a library's used book sale not expecting a lesson in Vietnamese history and a fantastic introduction to Hô Xuân Huong. Hô Xuân Huong was a 18th and 19th century concubine that wrote poetry in a way that fought against social norms, specifically by having each poem be a double entendre. None of the poetry felt crass, it always felt like a way of embracing humanity and femininity. While I am only capable of reading the translation, I was blown away by her talent. It reminded me of the Persian poet Forough Farrokhzad. I highly recommend. 

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

emotional informative 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? Yes

5.0

This is such a beautiful multi-generational novel. The juxtaposition of Talia, born in America but raised in Colombia, and Karina, born in Colombia but raised in America, was so telling of the immigrant experience. The character voices were so strong and they all felt very real. The writing was lyrical and truthful. I highly recommend. 

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone

funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

I liked the plot and romance of this one more than A Merry Little Meetcute, but the conflict and 3rd act breakup was worse and I found Winnie so annoying at times. In the first book, I could see why Bee was mad at Nolan, but I also saw Nolan's perspective and it was a nuanced and complicated issue. This conflict felt contrived and forced. Kallum spent the entire book being responsible and caring, why did no one around him think he was responsible and caring just because he made a few very human mistakes? I did enjoy the surprise pregnancy (I know a lot of people don't like that in their books), but I think the story focused too much on that and not enough on the romance. The first half was so strong and then it just went downhill. I really adored Kallum though and his romance with Winnie was so tender and the sex scenes were very well done. I'm excited for the third book, especially because we haven't read much about Isaac.

Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This was an absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful collection of poetry that I hope everyone gets the chance to read. The way the author immortalized his grandmother and the history of Palestinian colonization was perfect. He made such terrible things into a work of art.