xangemtheelibrarian's reviews
746 reviews

The Book of G by Lily Archer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.

2.5 Stars, if I could rate it.

I think the side characters like Madge were my favorite part. Madge especially had such a FUNNY and sassy personality. I also really like how the author made G dyslexic. It "explains" why he thought reading was stupid in the Disney movie. 

What made me so unexcited to read this that I ran out of time and DNF'd it was the lack of a solid sense of time in this story. The adventure to find the source of the Spriggans, traveling and suddenly having to battle a blizzard when the weather seemed temperate, and the way they seemed to always have rotting food in their bag when it felt like they had just received it just threw off my sense of time and place and put me off of the story as a whole.

Hexed by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.0

I struggled to get through the first two-thirds of this one. Book 2 of the Iron Druid series felt incredibly disconnected throughout most of the story, as if Atticus was spending all his time reacting to various situations and barely being able to keep up with the events happening. He gets dragged around by witches, Coyote, and the Morrigan and Brigid, gets iced out by a vampire, and almost murdered by a particular group of frenzied women. There are characters that feel incredibly random-- the priest and the the Rabbi-- and none of these events or characters start to make sense as a whole plot until the final third of the story. You finally get all the answers, you get a really cool bit of Atticus's backstory, and everything makes sense. 

I use thirds rather than halves because the main story actually ends around page 265. The remaining 80 or so pages are the acknowledgements, notes, etc etc, and most notably, the short story "Grimoire of the Lamb," a prequel to the Iron Druid series. 

I enjoyed the short story a lot! For as little as I know about Celtic mythology, I know just as little about Egyptian mythology (it's a really complicated world that I am only familiar with through the lens of Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles). The magic used in Grimoire of the Lamb was at times, really disturbing, and other times really cool. It was another really cool bit of backstory and I like that the author did take time to preface it with a note that mentions Atticus's "ill-gotten gains" from his heist at the Library of Alexandria.

Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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 can't wait to read Che'ri and Thalias: Ascendancy: Greater Good next! Seriously, these two work so well together and I am absolutely head over heels for Che'ri. 

I like this prequel series for the way we get to have deeper insight into Thrawn, his past, and how his mind works. He has enemies everywhere it seems, and I can't help but wonder if those issues will play into how the original Thrawn (Zahn, 2017) started.

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-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

Personally, I wasn't expecting all those BBEG (big bad evil guy) reveals, so kudos to the author for that! Everything tied up neatly and the story was well-written. I enjoyed learning about the historical Chinese customs, beliefs, and medical knowledge presented in the story. Lee did a fantastic job of teaching while not taking away from the story.

Celtic Spirituality: An Introduction to the Sacred Wisdom of the Celts by Philip Freeman

informative fast-paced

4.0

This book is basically just a three hour audiobook reading off primary sources and then telling some of the more popular Celtic myths. While I can't say that I enjoyed listening to the Roman's view of the Celts, this book itself is well done. I loved listening to the legends of the Tuatha de Danann and, later on, of Saint Brigid who eventually got wrapped up with the goddess, Brigid. As many others have said this is very introductory and serves as a launching point into learning more about Celtic spirituality, mythology, and mysticism. 

All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks

inspiring reflective

2.5

I don't think I've ever read a book that discussed love as a theory before. And while some of Hooks' ideas struck me as a bit odd, there were also pieces of information within that I really liked. For instance, I found that differentiating real parental love from affectionate parental moments is something that should happen more often. As the author stated herself, many grown up children don't consider their abusive parents abusive, or end up feeling guilty over even questioning whether or not their parents were abusive because they remember moments of affection. But Hooks explains how you can show affection without actually loving someone. 

Then there are other ideas that I didn't enjoy so much: like the religious love theories. I found them a bit uncomfortable and just not meant for me. I'm sure there are others who would probably resonate with Hooks' theories on love in religion, but it wasn't for me. Once the audiobook started hitting those religious tones, it sort of became background noise for me, and I wasn't quite paying attention to it probably as much as I should have. At some point, I remember hearing the word "angel" over and over again, and something about Jacob from the Bible not being able to fully love until he grew up enough to detach from his mother. Just... odd. 

Ask Me About Polyamory: The Best of Kimchi Cuddles by Tikva Wolf

emotional funny informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Breaking down big ideas like this into little comics based on the author's real life experiences really helped me to understand better what polyamory is all about. The author balances heavier topics of insecurities, jealousy, and supporting yourself with lighthearted humor and wholesome moments of affection. 

I want to purchase this comic.

City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways by Megan Kimble

hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

This shed a lot of light on highway infrastructure and inherent racism/classism, ESPECIALLY in Texas. While not many of the real projects and protests presented in this book had happy endings, I think the author still did a good job of showing that the more people who stand up against having their communities torn apart, the more our elected officials are forced to listen to us. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Car accident, Classism

My Feral Romance by Tessonja Odette

emotional funny lighthearted 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

This was absolutely adorable! I do wish there was a bit more biting, but hey. That doesn't change the fact that this was a fun, lighthearted read with characters who got exactly what they deserved!

Daphne is so relatable. She definitely feels some flavor of neurospicy-coded, and every time she did or thought something "outside of societal norms," I was struck with the sense that I'd be doing/thinking the exact same thing. I love her. I want nothing but the best for her. 

Monty is just pitiful. The poor dude is so traumatized and watching his arc just felt good. I sincerely hope he keeps healing, growing, and accepting the hard lessons he learned in this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

The Druid Path: A Modern Tradition of Nature Spirituality by John Michael Greer

informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

This is just one of those books where, if you can read it, it makes more sense than listening to it. There's an entire chapter dedicated to the meanings of each letter in the Coelbren alphabet, a common tool for divination. I wound up skipping that chapter because it was really difficult to stay on track and pay attention. 

This book is a guide to getting started in Druidry. It has meditations, rituals, and other really valuable information about Druidic history, loss and rebirth, and current practices.