rynerecchia's reviews
25 reviews

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

dark emotional tense 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

4.25

I cried so many times reading this.

White Noise by Don DeLillo

challenging dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and for that alone I enjoyed it.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Annihilation is one of my all-time favorite films. I had high expectations going into this book and it still blew me away. It evokes so much horror and dread with so little, truly effective at conveying what makes eldritch horror so scary. Plus it’s a surprisingly brisk read!

Horror is one of my favorite genres, but too many stories (across all media) have climaxes that simply aren’t scary. They often turn from horror to action. This book was horror all the way the way through though, with a deeply unsettling climax.

The protagonist has a really fascinating journey that feels so complete in the end. All around a very thematically satisfying ending.

Dog Trivia by Willow Creek Press

funny informative lighthearted

3.0

Got this as a Christmas gift and read it in about 10 minutes (technically my 10th book of the year meaning I met my goal, woo!).

When I read it, I didn't think too much of it. There were a couple facts (of the 200+ that are advertised on the cover) that I found interesting in the moment (just a couple though). There were a handful of facts that I'm pretty sure were incorrect (this book has zero sources or authors contributed). There were many facts that were unremarkable in every way.

I was planning on rating this a 2, considering it felt like a much less offensive and faster paced version of this book I got as a gift last year that I rated a 0.5: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e63d9b60-3ff8-4d8e-9fd0-f77bd7731cbc

I then ended up referencing a couple of the facts in this book over the next few days in conversation at the holidays. So for tangibly adding to conversations I had afterward, this book gets a whole extra star. Good job!

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I would have solved this day two, maybe three. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

First act: good and upsetting.
Second act: incredible and horrifying.
Third act: tone-ruining but otherwise fine. 

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

adventurous funny fast-paced

3.5

Fun read! Recommend for anyone who has a passing interest in Norse gods. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

adventurous emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

Die, Vol. 3: The Great Game by Kieron Gillen

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.0