prettyflyforascienceguy's reviews
188 reviews

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen

I don’t like to rate nonfiction but I would reccomend this book. It got a little too “woo-woo” (Loehnen’s words, not mine) for me at times, but there were a lot of really good points made. Engaging read. 

The Sea Witch by Rebecca F. Kenney

3.5

Cute! A lot better than I was expecting, plot wise. Definitely a little too long. Felt myself skimming towards the end to get to the “good stuff” but I loved the story and the two MCs. 

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

3.75

I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I hadn’t already read The Poppy War. As it stands, the two share so many similarities that it was difficult for me to not compare one to the other. I prefer the Poppy War, but this book was not bad. 

My issues mostly came from characterizations. I didn’t really find myself loving any character wholeheartedly. I would also say the pacing of the middle of the book is lacking. I found myself bored from like 50% of the book through to 75%. 

The ending was great and did make me want to read the sequel, though. 

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

4.5

I’m really glad I didn’t write Silvia Moreno Garcia off after disliking Mexican Gothic. This book is very different, and much more enjoyable to me. As others have said, the first like 25-30% is a bit slow. After that, I felt myself obsess over this book. I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I finished it. 

I enjoyed the ending more than I thought I would

even though it’s not the traditional “happily ever after” I wanted with a fairytale like book.

I also found the tension between Hun-Kamé and Casiopea delicious but

the resolution left me wanting a bit more.

I almost wish the plot of this book was split into a Duology. 

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

4.0

Octavia Butler is a time traveler, I’m sure of it. This book is eerily relevant today. I forget it was published in the 90s. I feel like the book ended out of nowhere with a lot unresolved, though I guess, a lot in life is unresolved. So 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert

4.75

I didn’t want this one to end. 😭 this has been my favorite of the Dark Olympus series, and one of my favorite Katee Robert books. The spice is hot, the story is gripping m, and the relationship between Patroclus, Achilles, and Helen is amazing. I wish there were more books with just these three. 

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby

3.0

Like many essay collections, you’ll always find some that hit in some that mess. Personally, I found a lot of the humor to be a little bit too elder millennial/Gen X for me. However, there were definitely some moments that made me laugh (or rather, breathe very hard out of my nose), and some genuine, emotional moments. I’d be interested to read more from this author.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

4.5

I can’t believe this book was written 30 years ago. It feels as if it was published today. It is so significant for our times, which makes it even more eerie that it was written in the 90s. The story is gripping, the characters are each unique. I found myself enjoying the second half more than the first half, but the whole book is very well done. 

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Did not finish book. Stopped at 79%.

I couldn’t stand the story telling style in this. Every chapter had 5 new characters introduced. Read an entire chapter about how the bar owners cousins bought a horse?? Can we stick to the main plot for 10 pages please. 

I would love to read this story written by a different author. But this just didn’t do it for me. 

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

3.5

Really strong start and great tension but about 50% of the way through the book some of it fizzled for me. Once

Alim and Feyi are established, the taboo tension leaves me with a decent romance but not amazing.

Still a book I’d recommend though.