rigbees's reviews
268 reviews

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

On the cusp of a 3.75 and 4.0. Rounded up because I'd like to read more like it, so feeding the algo my preference here.

This is a take on a monster romance, which commits to thinking through the world from non-human eyes. It makes clear connections because the monstrosity of toxic family systems and how it affects those trapped in it negatively (ultimately leading to quite a few demises). It feels like it's on the edge of being firmly in the "cozy" and "romantasy" genres, but stays just weird enough to escape those marketing pressures. In general, I enjoyed the read but could see that it had some extremely convenient coincidences for the sake of plot, and I wish the language was just a bit tighter. Solid debut, look forward to more in the future.

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

I really wished that this book clicked because the premise was great. Unfortunately, it didn't end up feeling compelling for me. I think the plot moved a bit too quickly from point to point and didn't get deep enough into the political intrigue it was trying to set up. I feel bad about DNFing it but it felt like a chore to keep reading it.

The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken

medium-paced

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

3.75

This is a strange book; it straddles the line between autofiction and memoir - at least with its writing style, call backs and the information presented within its pages. I think it's a worthwhile read, but I found it meandering toward content that feels like a hot knife for me (family members with disabilities, death of parents, etc). 

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative by Jane Alison

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

We the Parasites by A.V. Marraccini

challenging informative medium-paced

4.0

This book is one of those little ones that straddle critique and memoir. I enjoy these types of books, since they weave theory with the experience of living in our human bodies. However, these books really tend to live or die on my interest in the object of critique. In this case, I like the Illiad, I enjoyed learning more about Twombly, but I am not interested in Updike. The Updike sections didn't require deep understanding of the work for my reading, so I was able to engage with the central discussion of criticism as a queer, parasitic art form.

Hybrid Heart by Iori Kusano

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This is the novella that introduced me to Neon Hemlock and I finally read it! It's well-contained and paced, telling the story that it wanted to tell in the right amount of space. I wish I knew more about where the characters went - while the story resolves well, I find myself wanting to know more about what happens after and would readily read a follow up.