yellowbinge's reviews
233 reviews

It's Tough Being A Grown Up! by MALIKA. BHANDARKAR

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emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Publishing date: 14.05.2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: Comforting oatmeal with banana slices and jam

The book left me: Wondering how many childlike traits I have carried to adulthood

Negatives:

Some poems were very relatable and others were not at all

Positives:

Lots of relatable themes

Fast paced and doesn't overstay its welcome

Features:

Seven chapters filled with lighthearted and sweet poems, reflection and wonder about adulthood and childhood

Why did I choose this one?

The idea of poems about adulthood in a lighthearted tone sounds wonderful. Right up my alley, as I have not been an "adult" for very long and struggle a little bit with all the nuances.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?

Devourable. Another collection that got gobbled up in a single sitting. Very fast paced and the poems are not too long.

What was the vibe and mood?

It almost felt like a talk with your parents about why you can't do this and that because you are of age now. A little silly lecture. Or looking back at your childhood and remembering how easy it was. Wondering why you always wanted to become an adult as a child.

Final ranking and star rating?

B tier, 4 stars. This was a very sweet collection that strutted right up my alley. The only reason it does not get 5 stars is because the poems themselves are not that distinct from other works I have read, and they were not all that relatable. It was still very good and I will recommend this to others. Especially to my teacher friends, I feel like this would fit well in a high school and college class.

Favorite poems:
Im not a pigeon
Tummy worship
The importance of name tags
Scented
A dream or a promise?
An affair
Velcro friends
Social media safari
What will you be?
Outgrown

Those Who Speak by Alexander Freed, Chad Hardin, David Gaider

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adventurous dark 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

4.0

Content Warnings

Not The Same River by Fiction › Mystery & Detective › GeneralFiction / Mystery & Detective / GeneralFiction / Short Stories (single author)

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.0

Publishing date: 03.08.2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: A buffet with an interesting selection, but the food itself was mostly subpar or just okay

The book left me: A little burnt out

Negatives:

The extraordinary circumstances were not that extraordinary

Stories felt a little too long

Positives:

Stories are very distinct and different from each other

Very good writing

Features:
14 stories, mostly male POV, slice-of-life esque, trans representation

Why did I choose this one?

I was in my short story era when picking this up, and I once again judged the cover and thought it looked interesting because of that.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?

In between. I think I have put myself in a reading slump, and with these stories being the length that they are didn't help with that. Sometimes I could knock a couple stories out easily, other times I had to force myself to read. This might have turned my opinion a little against the book.

The stories are only about 30-40 minutes long if you read a little faster than most, but they felt longer.

What was the vibe and mood?

Since each story is different, the vibes and moods are different too. All I can say is that the recurring theme is not knowing enough about the situation and being helpless in doing anything about it.

Final ranking and star rating?

C tier, 3 stars. This was okay, it didn't wow me, it didn't make me cry, and I don't think it will stick around in my mind for long. Considering the fact that I was in a reading slump might make this rating unfair, and I might pick this up again later. I think this book fits better for those who really enjoy literary fiction, but I am more in the ballpark of surrealism. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Homelessness Through The Eyes Of A Nurse In The City by Crystal E. Barker

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2.0

Publishing date: 27.04.2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Poets Choice for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Negatives:

Wish it was written from the perspective of someone homeless or has been homeless

A little too short

Poem length felt really restricted

Positives:

Gives a little more insight on homelessness

Very emotional and dour

Features:

49 short poems all in the same style and length, features different perspectives of the homeless, mixed optimism and sadness

Why did I choose this one?

I thought that poems centered around homelessness would be interesting and heartbreaking to read. I am also trying to expand my reading horizons. Stepping into a theme like this through poems felt like a good choice.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?

Pick-up-able. This is a really short book with really short poems. You can read this all in a single sitting. I personally didn't, but I believe I could if it was more catching

What was the vibe and mood?

Hopeless. Depressed. A little pinch of hope and optimism.

Final ranking and star rating?

D tier, 2 stars. I could not connect or "feel for" this collection as much as I wanted to. The restricted length of each poem didn't help. It is very clear that the author has not been / is homeless and can't get that personal, up and close view of homelessness. Certain poems also ruffled my feathers for unknown reasons, a little like a bad pit in my stomach.

Sadly a miss, but others might connect more to the collection.

The Bone That Swallowed a Man by Mark Vanner

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4.0

Publishing date: 31.07.2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Anxiety Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: A tasty fruit sorbet after wandering a haunted house at a theme park

The book left me: Very satisfied and craving more poems

Negatives:

Too few poems (I am actively craving more)

Positives:

Varying themes in the poems

Both funny, tragic, and "what just happened"

Features:

Easy to read and comfortably formatted poems, varying themes, lots of humor and surrealism

Why did I choose this one?
The title alone was enough to know that this would be up my alley (in combo with the genres I mean). Description didn't give off a lot, so I had to take a leap and judge the cover.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?

Devourable. I ate this up in a single sitting before my morning meetings. A nice treat before an honest day of work.

What was the vibe and mood?

A little bit like an old man yapping about everything and nothing at the same time with someone that is not part of his generation. It is a bunch of silly nothings and also a bunch of horrifying tales you wish no one went through

Final ranking and star rating?

A tier, 4 stars. Stunning collection of poetry. Just what I needed when I needed it. It gave a perfect blend of everything I look for in poetry collections. I absolutely recommend this to anyone vaguely interested in reading something slightly different to most collections.

Favorite poems:

The Magician

You're welcome

Dr. Freud

A Discourse in Cultural Heritage

Horseplay

Proper Gangsta

Vaba Banga

Planet Woman

Buddha on a Bicycle

Discombobulation

Red in Tooth and Claw by Steven Archer

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-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

1.0

Publishing date: 20.08.2024

Thank you to NetGalley and RDS publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: I ordered a mystery meal at a gimmick restaurant, and I still don't know what I ate

The book left me: Confused?

Negatives:

Text is very hard to read

Art is hard to interpret

Story seems to bounce a lot back and forth

Positives:

Fascinating concept (not executed at it's best imo)

Artstyle is very cool, if a little confusing

Features:

Watching what you knew change and grow into something different, loss, love, self-destruction, processing trauma

Why did I choose this one?

The artstyle really drew me in, the cover snatched me right up. I was intrigued by the idea of a horror graphic novel (have not read this before). And of course, I trust in RDS publishing to publish great books.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?

Put-down-able. This book is almost only text on top of a series of pictures. The ratio of text to pictures is nearly 70-30. With a font that is really hard to read ... It took me right out of what was actually happening. Although, I wasn't really into what was happening either.

What was the vibe and mood?

It felt like grieving all the time. Both grieving people (animals?) and the things you once knew. It felt like being stuck in your old ways. Like betrayal and hurt. Like becoming your worst nightmare.

Final ranking and star rating?

D tier, 2 stars. This was a big miss. I didn't understand or care for the story. I couldn't properly read the book. Most of the time I felt like I was going blind from the blend of the raw art and hars font blending together on page. The story was simply fine. Sadly a miss today.

The Silent Grove by David Gaider

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced