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randi_jo's reviews
396 reviews
A Tale of Whispers and Rogues by Jordan Lee
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I think the best way to describe this book is slow. Slow world building, slow plot progression, slow burn romance. If none of that is appealing to you, then I would skip over this one haha. It was definitely a lot of "on the run" -- okay so like 95% of the book is just them walking and camping out and sometimes running across ne'er-do-wells.
Pros:
π Great character development.
πBelievable slow burn romance.
π Interesting world-lore and magic system.
Cons:
πLittle plot progression until the last 10%.
π Really an almost 500 page camping excursion.
π Bros have so many close calls that it takes the suspense out of it by like, 60%.
Pros:
π Great character development.
πBelievable slow burn romance.
π Interesting world-lore and magic system.
Cons:
πLittle plot progression until the last 10%.
π Really an almost 500 page camping excursion.
π Bros have so many close calls that it takes the suspense out of it by like, 60%.
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
In this episode of Sister Wives: Vampire Revenge. . .
In all seriousness, I'm still not really sure if I liked this book or not. There were some parts I was just not intoConstanta loving Alexi "like a son" while harboring sexual desire for him; the near incessant use of calling the fledging vamps brother and sisters who also have sex with each other, sometimes calling each other sister/brother WHILE having sex; the fact that the poly relationship seemed to be built and sustained on a trauma bond and not much else yo .
I liked the writing, although it did feel a bit like an inferior Anne Rice imitation at times. I like that she denies the perpetrator a name (even though we're basically told what it is on the back of the book, sigh). But otherwise it . . . well, it just was another vampire story, I guess.
In all seriousness, I'm still not really sure if I liked this book or not. There were some parts I was just not into
I liked the writing, although it did feel a bit like an inferior Anne Rice imitation at times. I like that she denies the perpetrator a name (even though we're basically told what it is on the back of the book, sigh). But otherwise it . . . well, it just was another vampire story, I guess.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
So, I am very biased and that will likely come across in my review, but Ina Garten could punch me in the face and I would thank her, then ask her to sign my bruise.
I loved the audiobook for this. Because 1) hearing Ina Garten curse in 4k was an amazing experience. and 2) hearing Ina Garten call her group of friends "our squad" was surreal and adorable.
But I mostly loved how genuine and driven Ina came across as during the memoir. Learning about her past and all the challenges she faced not only as a woman, but as someone who constantly craves emotional and spiritual fulfillment, was heartwarming and inspiring. What an icon.
I loved the audiobook for this. Because 1) hearing Ina Garten curse in 4k was an amazing experience. and 2) hearing Ina Garten call her group of friends "our squad" was surreal and adorable.
But I mostly loved how genuine and driven Ina came across as during the memoir. Learning about her past and all the challenges she faced not only as a woman, but as someone who constantly craves emotional and spiritual fulfillment, was heartwarming and inspiring. What an icon.
The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos by Mark Easter
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
ARC version that was not edited or cohesive to the point of near illegibility. Plus the assumed knowledge threshold was a bit too high.
The Book of George by Kate Greathead
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
[Advanced warning: I am a hater.]
Do you want to read a very subjective character study on that one middle-aged white guy you know who is always bumming on couches and doing odd jobs for cig money and talks a lot about "almost having it all" but then invariably loses it at some point? Do you want the writing to be stoic, to the point where the most emotionally reactive things you will read are about a man who gets a hair stuck in his urethra or has a wad of toilet paper trapped in his ass-hair that then calcifies to his anus? Do you want to hear the "your generation" diatribe of the last bazillion years between boomer and millennial reduced to a couple of characters doing finger pointing and saying, "Your fault!" Do you want an extremely unsatisfying ending where the most annoying and pathetic character in the world doesn't even get hit by a car for some kind of divine retribution for wasting 275 pages of your time?
If you said yes to one or all of these things, then this is the book for you.
Do you want to read a very subjective character study on that one middle-aged white guy you know who is always bumming on couches and doing odd jobs for cig money and talks a lot about "almost having it all" but then invariably loses it at some point? Do you want the writing to be stoic, to the point where the most emotionally reactive things you will read are about a man who gets a hair stuck in his urethra or has a wad of toilet paper trapped in his ass-hair that then calcifies to his anus? Do you want to hear the "your generation" diatribe of the last bazillion years between boomer and millennial reduced to a couple of characters doing finger pointing and saying, "Your fault!" Do you want an extremely unsatisfying ending where the most annoying and pathetic character in the world doesn't even get hit by a car for some kind of divine retribution for wasting 275 pages of your time?
If you said yes to one or all of these things, then this is the book for you.
I Ran Away to Evil by Mystic Neptune
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Super neutral feelings on this one overall.
Pros:
π° Cute and cozy. Great for stress free reading.
π° Has some good laughs strewn about.
π° Great comeuppance ending.
Cons:
π° Very serialized feel, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
π° Some POV issues in later chapters where first and 3rd povs were mixed.
π° Romance was very chill and while normally not a negative, there wasn't much of anything else in the almost 500 pages so maybe more passion? (not smut, but like actual pining idk)
Pros:
π° Cute and cozy. Great for stress free reading.
π° Has some good laughs strewn about.
π° Great comeuppance ending.
Cons:
π° Very serialized feel, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
π° Some POV issues in later chapters where first and 3rd povs were mixed.
π° Romance was very chill and while normally not a negative, there wasn't much of anything else in the almost 500 pages so maybe more passion? (not smut, but like actual pining idk)
Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Talk about nostalgia about reading Captain Underpants in middle school. Same vibes tbh. Know I know why my kiddo loves this series.
Romantically Disturbed: Love Poems to Rip Your Heart Out by Adam F. Watkins, Ben H. Winters
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
These are cute poems, mostly iambic pentameter with AC rhyming. I'd peg these more as YA or even middle grade appeal. Mostly though, the art is great and kinda overshadows the poems.
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Ok. I'm here. I finally crossed the finish line crawling on my hands and knees. I slept on it and honestly I am still having difficulties parsing my thoughts on this.
I was extremely excited for this and I think I made too many assumptions based on the blurbs and taglines and all that fun stuff to the point where it really hurt my reading experience A LOT, which is what contributed heavily towards my rating. This is why:
1) I would peg the setting as a fantasy steelpunk sort of setting, but make it fantasy steel instead, which was GREAT. I loved that aspect so much!! Not so much 'punk-rock' because it felt too western for that?
2) It's advertised as a political call-out, however I was expecting more political commentary - or at least more than: "capitalism kills and is evil but socialism is worth dying for". I was not expecting it to lean more into the constructs of religion and nepotism and really it got super muddled at that point as to what the author's intention was with this.
3) I could see where the comparison to Gideon the Ninth came from in the sense of the frenetic prose that almost seems to riff on the English language. Do I feel like it's on the same tier as Muir? Not really, but it's unique enough to keep interest.
4) The comparison to The Princess Bride is absurd. This book isn't even a romance, unless you consider an obsession with a dead girl romance. Either way it doesn't have the easy humor, Inigo Montoya character, or really anything that made TPB unforgettable. And you can't label anything that's vaguely second chance romance as being similar to TPB, that's just silly.
Anyway to try and sort my thoughts I'll just make my list:
Pros:
βοΈ The beginning of this book! Wow! What a bang of a start! I was hooked almost immediately! You've got labor strikes, death, escapes, banditry, train robbing!!! Almost a wild-west vibe filled with comradery and lesbians! It was great!
βοΈ The varying degree of identities of the characters. Not just gender, which comes up a couple times, but within the scope of lesbianism and thoughts of dysmorphia/dysphoria.
βοΈ The last 10% of the book. Look, with all the religious allegories going on, I was expecting a Jesus Has Risen moment. Glory and all that! I was not ready forthe hatching of sentient, hive-mind metal kaiju . Plus, the very last sentence was perfect. It made the second person story-telling angle turn the entire book into a repeating cycle, which would tell the creation of the world, industrialization, and the end of the world over and over. It was a nice touch.
Cons:
βοΈ World building in general. There's a lot of it, but it feels like it's all in the wrong places? Or too little or too much all at once? There is no real balance. Example: At like 80-ish% I found out there are TWO MOONS in this setting. This feels more important than an offhand after the book is almost over?? But I do recall, after a lot of thinking, that a character mentioned a moon phase of "waning gibbous" towards the beginning, which would indicate one moon, right?? There are a lot of religions, I think maybe... 4 or more distinct ones? Only 2 of them do I have any general idea about what they are about and even then that's being generous. I think the author has a very good idea about their separate distinctions and founding myths and beliefs etc, but it doesn't really come across the story with any real clarity.
βοΈ Confusing cast of characters. As in their names and who is who. Everyone has at least 2 names, with the exception of only a few characters in a cast comprised of ugh idk somewhere in the 20s? Example: "Perdita Perfection" being called Perdita, Dita, Perfection, and sometimes even Princess Whatever Her Last Name Was - interchangeably, sometimes within the same sentence. Some characters change their names from childhood to adulthood and MC doesn't bother making the switch and uses both names whenever bc why not.
βοΈ Mid-book slump. I feel like something was lost just at the halfway point. There is the very important plot point that is supposed to rocket Marney into the second-half of the book to accomplish her page 1 goal, but it suddenly goes flat? Marney just sort've stops doing things and there is a massive focus on graphic sex scenes (that's cool but where did the plot go??). The prose loses the edge that the first half of the book had, like the author found it difficult to keep it up? I almost DNFed several times between 55% and 91%.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy of this book.
I was extremely excited for this and I think I made too many assumptions based on the blurbs and taglines and all that fun stuff to the point where it really hurt my reading experience A LOT, which is what contributed heavily towards my rating. This is why:
1) I would peg the setting as a fantasy steelpunk sort of setting, but make it fantasy steel instead, which was GREAT. I loved that aspect so much!! Not so much 'punk-rock' because it felt too western for that?
2) It's advertised as a political call-out, however I was expecting more political commentary - or at least more than: "capitalism kills and is evil but socialism is worth dying for". I was not expecting it to lean more into the constructs of religion and nepotism and really it got super muddled at that point as to what the author's intention was with this.
3) I could see where the comparison to Gideon the Ninth came from in the sense of the frenetic prose that almost seems to riff on the English language. Do I feel like it's on the same tier as Muir? Not really, but it's unique enough to keep interest.
4) The comparison to The Princess Bride is absurd. This book isn't even a romance, unless you consider an obsession with a dead girl romance. Either way it doesn't have the easy humor, Inigo Montoya character, or really anything that made TPB unforgettable. And you can't label anything that's vaguely second chance romance as being similar to TPB, that's just silly.
Anyway to try and sort my thoughts I'll just make my list:
Pros:
βοΈ The beginning of this book! Wow! What a bang of a start! I was hooked almost immediately! You've got labor strikes, death, escapes, banditry, train robbing!!! Almost a wild-west vibe filled with comradery and lesbians! It was great!
βοΈ The varying degree of identities of the characters. Not just gender, which comes up a couple times, but within the scope of lesbianism and thoughts of dysmorphia/dysphoria.
βοΈ The last 10% of the book. Look, with all the religious allegories going on, I was expecting a Jesus Has Risen moment. Glory and all that! I was not ready for
Cons:
βοΈ World building in general. There's a lot of it, but it feels like it's all in the wrong places? Or too little or too much all at once? There is no real balance. Example: At like 80-ish% I found out there are TWO MOONS in this setting. This feels more important than an offhand after the book is almost over?? But I do recall, after a lot of thinking, that a character mentioned a moon phase of "waning gibbous" towards the beginning, which would indicate one moon, right?? There are a lot of religions, I think maybe... 4 or more distinct ones? Only 2 of them do I have any general idea about what they are about and even then that's being generous. I think the author has a very good idea about their separate distinctions and founding myths and beliefs etc, but it doesn't really come across the story with any real clarity.
βοΈ Confusing cast of characters. As in their names and who is who. Everyone has at least 2 names, with the exception of only a few characters in a cast comprised of ugh idk somewhere in the 20s? Example: "Perdita Perfection" being called Perdita, Dita, Perfection, and sometimes even Princess Whatever Her Last Name Was - interchangeably, sometimes within the same sentence. Some characters change their names from childhood to adulthood and MC doesn't bother making the switch and uses both names whenever bc why not.
βοΈ Mid-book slump. I feel like something was lost just at the halfway point. There is the very important plot point that is supposed to rocket Marney into the second-half of the book to accomplish her page 1 goal, but it suddenly goes flat? Marney just sort've stops doing things and there is a massive focus on graphic sex scenes (that's cool but where did the plot go??). The prose loses the edge that the first half of the book had, like the author found it difficult to keep it up? I almost DNFed several times between 55% and 91%.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy of this book.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I enjoyed this a LOT. While the story itself is boiled down to a pretty basic foible, it's the art - the action dynamics in the poses, the colors, the juxtaposition of highly detailed and blurred lines - and the narrative angles (one chapter is told from the POV of a cigarette?!) that make it so arresting. Definitely worth the hype.