woodiefrog's reviews
135 reviews

Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel: A Graphic Novel by Anya Ulinich

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

A sturdy collection of adequately dark stories, some horror some more on the mystery side. Personal favorite is The Answer Man despite the predictability resulted from its traditional fairytale structure. Afterwords shed insights into the conception of many of the stories and King’s journey as a storyteller, as well as where the brilliant title comes from. Overall a good read in October 👻

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.0

Classic and still has more than a few good points to say about our societies as well as the human condition. I might get used to Asimov’s golden-age-scifi-writer trademark awkward prose yet lol

We Want What We Want by Alix Ohlin

reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

Like a bag of wet leaves. 

Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby

emotional funny lighthearted reflective

4.25

Truly not Roxane Gay (in-book ref i swear) but hilarious with moments that made my heart squeeze. 

Rouge by Mona Awad

2.75

Kittentits by Holly Wilson

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

3.5

Lovely quirky alternative coming-of-age tale with ghosts? 

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad 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

4.25

I’ve been pushing off reviewing this for reasons unbeknownst to me. Similarly I had to take a day off from reading before finishing the book, not at all because I was tired of the book, or even that it was too intense. I don’t know if it was me not wanting to finish the book because I formed some kind of attachment with the narration.

I say narration, because although clever writing tricks were deployed to make the reading an unraveling of intrigues of the characters as much as their relationship, and we are challenged to confront our initial impressions (or judgment) of the characters and their situations as the story progresses, I can’t say I emotionally like or dislike strongly any characters. Intellectually they are very interesting, to be sure. Perhaps the flamboyant nature of the writer’s voice and the absurd realism makes them too other-life-ly for me. Absolutely a breeze, overall, especially with the awesome voice acting. It’s a book I’d love to have on my shelf.

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I found this to be one of the most moving and tenderest of Butler’s books. Her prose flows like river and I couldn’t stop reading. 

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

adventurous emotional informative inspiring relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0