venusreadshorror's reviews
101 reviews

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

It’s hard to describe the ways that I love this book. It is artistically beautiful and so heartfelt. It’s also such a wild concept: an alien, a violinist in contract with a demon, and a runaway with incredible talent. There is so much more morality to play with in a book like this, where almost anything is possible. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat dying to pick this book up every chance I got, but I still loved it so much.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Everything that I want to say about this book feels like it's not enough. The very first chapter, when I had spent all of four minutes getting to know the characters, had me bent over, crying in rage. This book very eloquently depicts so many relevant issues that can be hard to contextualize in real life. M. L. Wang accurately describes the issues with a vertical moral system, that even the worst crimes can be justified for someone delusional enough to believe they have the divine approval to do so. There are so many parts of this story that we can see echoed in our own lives in a horribly painful way. This story is invaluable, and is without a doubt one of the best and most moving books I have ever read. I will recommend this book to everyone I know, and I will be talking about it for years to come.

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

emotional informative sad 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? No

5.0

This book is a true horror. It isn’t scary, it’s horrifying. It’s sad and it’s painful to read. But this book is amazing. I have such deep appreciation for the author, for finding the records of a woman whose life was destroyed by patriarchal systems and greed, and giving us an idea of what her experiences might have been like. I appreciate the way the author illustrated how modern day cults appropriate folkish and pagan practices and use them to manipulate people. More than anything, I appreciate this author for writing something that made me get out of bed to lay down with my daughter and hold her tight.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

I knew it would happen someday: a Riley Sager book that I didn’t enjoy. It felt like it took forever for anything exciting to happen. The first 50% of the book felt like I was just listening to the MC explain her same fears over and over again. The only part I really enjoyed was the final twist at the very end. Overall I think this book could have been considerably shorter.

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

I am head over heels in love with every bit of this book. I’m always fascinated by what happens when the quest is over, and this story had a great way of mixing in the present plot while piecing together the past quest. All of the characters were very lovable, the world was fun and whimsical, and I could almost imagine all of the elements of this story fitting perfectly into a Dimension20 campaign. Easily one of my all time favorites.

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

This was absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2024. This author brought the character, or more the constant presence, of Moriarty to life in such a true-to-origin way. I loved the exploration of this world in which monsters exist and they aren't a secret. I really enjoyed the development of the main characters. I loved the mystery and the subtle, unexpected romance. I also really enjoyed the exploration of the status of women, particularly smart or talented women. I very much hope that we can expect more to come from the world of Sam and Hel.

Burn the Negative by Josh Winning

mysterious medium-paced

3.0

This book was okay. It started to feel really long about halfway through and at that point, I wasn’t getting excited about picking it up. There were a couple points where the writing felt like it was trying hard to be “deep” and missed the mark. The ending felt disjointed from the beginning, and it felt like everything was just kind of thrown together. I enjoyed the formatting; I liked the extra details and context from the excerpts between every chapter. If you’re looking for a thriller with an HEA, this isn’t it.

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Did not finish book.

I think the intention of this novella was meant to make Warner more palatable after making him an obsessive psychopath in the first book while also setting him up as the potential love interest? This book did him no favors, he’s annoying and pathetic. I also think the writing isn’t great and it makes his character seem flat and inconsistent.

The Bank by Bentley Little
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

Just isn’t what I’m looking for right now, I would like to return to this author later. I also think I might enjoy physically reading this more than listening to the audio.

Final Girls by Riley Sager

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I’ve never read a Riley Sager novel that I didn’t like and this one was no different. I read a lot of thriller/horror novels but not many of them make me jump at every noise; this one did. It was eerie and anxiety inducing and I loved all of it. It freaked me out a little extra because it frequently mentions a city I grew up very close to 😅 even scarier when they’re close to home!