stardustrohrig's reviews
72 reviews

A Pale Light in the Black by K.B. Wagers

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed this for the most part. I really liked the characters and how they ended up interacting, but it never really felt like there was that much conflict. Many of the events that happened didn't feel as serious as they should have been. I did enjoy the dual plots of the games while also solving a mystery. I also felt like the family drama with Maxine and her family got a little annoying especially with the various "secrets" going on. There was also more romance/relationship stuff than I was expecting which isn't a problem exactly. It didn't do anything to distract from the dual plots for the most part it was just there more than I like. In any case the dual plots were good and I thought it worked well to have both of them in the same story as they were going about their work lives while preparing for and participating in the Games. I will be reading the next book in the series at some point. 

Crip Up the Kitchen: Tools, Tips and Recipes for the Disabled Cook by Jules Sherred

informative fast-paced

4.5

I really enjoyed reading through this cookbook and all the different tips in it. There is a great chapter about different types of disabilities and how the book can help. There are also tips for what items you should by and have available too you, grouped into least expensive to more expensive if you can get it and why these things will be helpful. My favorite chapters are the ones about how to organize your kitchen and pantry areas to make everything easier to work with and the meal planning / meal prep chapters. I think there's a lot of good information to be had in these sections before even getting to the recipes. As for the recipes I like that there is an introduction chapter for how to use the various equipment (Pressure Cooker/Air Fryer). The recipes themselves are organized well and I really like the details and stories with the recipes - the author includes some good history lessons for many of them. 

Color Taste Texture: Recipes for Picky Eaters, Those with Food Aversion, and Anyone Who's Ever Cringed at Food by Matthew Broberg-Moffitt

informative

4.5

I thought this recipe book was really interesting! I don't have as many food aversions as I used to but I did feel like I learned a few things from the earlier parts of the book about different reasons for aversions - how different colors, tastes and textures can cause the aversions and why. I thought the descriptions were detailed and informative. For example texture is the one area I still have trouble with (often combinations I don't like) so this was the section I spent the most time looking through. There are tips for making the foods more of a certain texture which seem helpful to me. I also liked the plaiting and environment section to - something people don't often think about. Where you're eating can have a lot of impact! For the recipes themselves I liked the breakdown of what colors, tastes and textures each one had - I thought those would be helpful for people looking for something specific.

Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.

Blatant ableism against a character with no awareness of it being a problem-narrative suggests it’s okay to talk about someone with cognitive disabilities that way 

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I read this one for one of my book clubs. It’s described as a queer romance but the “romance” aspect isn’t what many would usually call romance given that Shesheshen is technically a monster and wants to find someone to lay their eggs in… In any case I ended up enjoying it more than I was expecting too. Shesheshen and Homily are great characters. Homily’s family is a but much but it all works out well in the end for everyone. Part of what helps is that Shesheshen isn’t fully knowledgeable about what it means to be what she is. She had no one around to teach her anything so was essentially making it up as she went along. Shesheshen also has a lot of opinions about humans from having observed them for so long and actually seems to understand them better than she understands herself. Homily desperately needs to escape her terrible family but needs to work through a lot stuff first as well. 

The Abbess Rebellion by Oren Ashkenazi

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed the book! The characters were great and I liked the way the different groups formed and interacted. I thought it worked well that there were multiple conflicts that had to be resolved before Sophie could take the throne. I can’t decide if the one plot twist was to be expected or not but I liked how it was resolved. The ending did feel a little abrupt but it also works for the story since it’s about Sophie’s rebellion more than anything else. Still I kind of wanted to know more and there were few unanswered questions that even Sophie brought up at the end of the book. I’m hopeful for a sequel someday! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Asunder by Kerstin Hall

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters. The characters are great and I liked the way the various friendships developed. The story is the type where the reader dumped right into the plot without a lot of information about the world so they have to figure it out as they go along. I think this worked out well most of the time, even though there were a few areas I would have liked some more explanation of what was going on and why it was important. I’m not entirely on board with the romance subplot that starts to develop but that’s mostly because romance is not something I enjoy reading unless it’s a very minor subplot. 

I did like the idea that on-binary individuals in this world without it ever really being stated. They just appear one the page when talked about or described by other characters with they/them pronouns as a matter of course. There is also at least one trans character in the story. With both of these situations I liked what it meant for the world of “Asunder”. LGBTQIA2S+ People just exist as they are without question.

While the ending is rather abrupt I do believe it works for the story as it plays out. There are several things going on at once and not all of it can be solved easily. I’ve seen that the author is working on the sequel and depending on how it’s marketed I’ll probably read it. If it leans more into the romance plot I might skip it. I could also handle the book ending as a standalone because like I said it made sense with how the plot was going and the overall tone of the book. 

Watermyth by Anita Harris Satkunananthan

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters. It takes a while and some effort to get through because of the way it's set up. Each chapter is part of the overall story of one of the watermaidens. It's written as though it's third person point of view but it helps to remember that it's Regya narrating the story as she learns it. I feel that towards the end the story comes together and the narrative becomes clearer as Regya learns more and regains some of her memories. The world building in progress because Regya needs to figure everything out after being memory wiped. I look forward to reading the next book and learning more about the characters and their world. 

Meru by S.B. Divya

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book – the world building is great and while some terms used were a bit confusing it was mostly explained as you read a long what they were referring too. I really enjoyed all of the characters involved – even one that was kind of frustrating at first. I really enjoyed how disability is used in this book as a benefit – the planet is found is actually more stable to those who have a specific disability. There’s also a lot of learning about different people and coming to understand that sometimes you don’t know everything you think you know. 

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.0

I enjoyed this for the most part - though I think I do prefer the author's first two books. It's a complicated read because on the one hand something sinister is in fact going on but on the other hand Sol is dealing with depression and other mental health issues that are exaggerating some of her responses to the various situations she's dealing with. There is a very slow buildup of everything as things begin to develop in the community. Sometimes it's a little tedious but never enough that I wanted to stop reading. 

I did end up questioning how Sol and Alice ended up married - they don't seem like a good couple who actually understand each other. Beyond the fact that Alice was there for Sol when Sol's family kicked her out. Though I suspect it's a similar issue to Sol still visiting her father - she doesn't know how to do anything else and feels like she has no choices. Some other reviewers are very harsh about Sol but honestly I had more problems with Alice and how she talked to Sol or handled Sol's issues. That said we are really only getting Sol's perspective on everything. 
 
While we do find out what is going on with the community the ending is actually rather abrupt. It's never really made clear how much of it was resolved. I'm also not certain of Sol's actions near the end and what exactly she ended up doing about the community. Though ultimately it feels like she did what she felt like she had to do to survive with Alice.