readbyashleyd's reviews
2254 reviews

Bringer of Dust by J.M. Miro

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I had very high expectations for this book since I loved the first one so much. And I’m incredibly happy to report that it met and exceeded my expectations. It took me longer to read it because I was both just savouring being back in this world and having to leave it again soon and wait desperately for the next book. The world and characters that the author has created are just beyond words! 

Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I feel like this book was just MEANT for me. I knew the second I read the first sentence that it would become an all time favourite and I was absolutely right. It’s just everything I love in a book and more. When a book is about books and languages it just hits me in a way I can’t describe. Especially when it’s this bloody brilliant! I really can’t recommend this one highly enough. 

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

Second book in a row this year that just has me seeing STARS because it’s so fucking brilliant. Gimme anything with cults and I’m sure to love it and this story, it just can’t be any more perfect. It’s dark and satanic and twisty and I devoured it from start to finish! 

youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

This. Book. Is. EVERYTHING. I can already tell you it’s going to be in my top five reads of the year. It hooked me from page one and I only sank deeper into the story as I greedily turned its pages. Everything about it is just absolutely bloody BRILLIANT! The concept, the execution, the MESSAGE! It’s just freaking perfection. 

Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman

dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

When I read “before Charles Manson there was Tony Costa” I was instantly sold. I’ll devour anything and everything serial killers and true crime and Manson is a particular favourite of mine. I really enjoyed that part of the story. But I found the author tried just a bit too hard to bring in the ties with Vonnegut and Mailer and that got tiresome after awhile. 

The St. Ambrose School For Girls by Jessica Ward

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

I adore anything even remotely dark academia related and then when you make it queer on top of it? YES PLEASE! I absolutely loved the vibes of this one, the twists and turns were on point. My only complaint is that I loved to hate our main character when I really wanted to love to love her. That would have made this a full five stars. Still loved it though! 

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

2.0

This one hurt. I’m such a big fan of Malerman’s work but his last few just haven’t done it for me, this short story collection included. There was maybe one story I enjoyed, the rest were just painful to read. 

The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Give me anything with witches and I will greedily devour it. And then add that it’s set it Norway before modern times? I just about swooned. The story is delicious, there’s characters to love and ones to hate and I mean, just look at that stunning cover art! Everything I love in a book and more. 

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This book was just absolutely everything. Fascinating, heartbreaking, revelatory, interesting, and I could go on and on. But I’ll leave it at that and say this is one non fiction book everyone should read at least once! 

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

I’m kind of right in the middle with this one. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it, it was just alright. I liked the idea and the concept of the story but the characters had nothing to make me love them. And characters are so important to me when reading. No matter how good the story is, if the characters don’t grab me I just can’t get 100% in to it.