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neuroqueer's reviews
375 reviews
Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers by Jessica Roux
informative
medium-paced
3.25
Overall: B
Informative book on the language of flower giving created by the Victorians.
Each blurb about a flower includes:
* scientific name
* flower meaning.
* origin section
* what to pair the flower with
* beautifully done hand drawing of the flower
The origin section will either discuss the origin of the flower name, meaning or where it was first discovered.
What I learned from this:
* Forget-me-not name comes form a tragic but morbidly funny event
* I can give oleander and azaleas to friends who are making stupid decisions to let them know I am judging them harshly
* I can give holly and snapdragons to my boss when I fuck up at work as an apology (he probably will be confused though)
* Victorians gave wheat - which isn't a flower - a meaning which I assume means they gave wheat to people (and even if I'm wrong...I'm still going to think it)
I think if you want a quick reference for flowers for writing purposes or for just curiosity sake, this is the book for you
Informative book on the language of flower giving created by the Victorians.
Each blurb about a flower includes:
* scientific name
* flower meaning.
* origin section
* what to pair the flower with
* beautifully done hand drawing of the flower
The origin section will either discuss the origin of the flower name, meaning or where it was first discovered.
What I learned from this:
* Forget-me-not name comes form a tragic but morbidly funny event
* I can give oleander and azaleas to friends who are making stupid decisions to let them know I am judging them harshly
* I can give holly and snapdragons to my boss when I fuck up at work as an apology (he probably will be confused though)
* Victorians gave wheat - which isn't a flower - a meaning which I assume means they gave wheat to people (and even if I'm wrong...I'm still going to think it)
I think if you want a quick reference for flowers for writing purposes or for just curiosity sake, this is the book for you
Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overall: C-
Oh the potential this story had if the main character wasn't a twit.
"Cold Snap" had so much promise - a grieving widow...an isolated winter cabin...chilly atmosphere....
But it just goes downhill thanks to previously mentioned widow, Christine. She is more frustrating than the story is frightening.
The constant flashbacks to her husband's death every time that she drew a breath became more tiresome and repetitive than actually showcasing genuine grief. I ended up skipping paragraphs every time "Derek" popped up. This attempt was overkill in trying to drive home the trauma theme. If this was a novel instead of a novella with more time to space the flashbacks out and give a sense of who Derek and the family in general are as a whole, it could work.
Christine's poor decision making skills were ridiculous. What cinched my contempt for this woman was when Haiku the cat is killed and these lines occur:
"If Haiku died under the hooves of a wild animal, it's tragic, it is in fact Christine's fault for letting her slip through the door -- but it's also natural. She doesn't know why that is better but she decides to believe it"
No Christine, it's your fault for bringing the damn cat. It's your fault for ignoring the no pet warnings. It's your fault for heading blindly to a cabin instead of learning more about the destination. It's your fault for relying on a stupid getaway to help heal you and your son's relationship instead of a damn therapist.
I think the author is trying to justify Christine's negligence as a result of grief but I'm not convinced that Christine had any common sense before this. One could say "She's grieving so it's expected be a bit reckless and make mistakes". No. No she is not. Not mistakes and choices like these.
The atmosphere is good and the premise was genuinely intriguing but ultimately, the story falters because of Christine.
Oh the potential this story had if the main character wasn't a twit.
"Cold Snap" had so much promise - a grieving widow...an isolated winter cabin...chilly atmosphere....
But it just goes downhill thanks to previously mentioned widow, Christine. She is more frustrating than the story is frightening.
The constant flashbacks to her husband's death every time that she drew a breath became more tiresome and repetitive than actually showcasing genuine grief. I ended up skipping paragraphs every time "Derek" popped up. This attempt was overkill in trying to drive home the trauma theme. If this was a novel instead of a novella with more time to space the flashbacks out and give a sense of who Derek and the family in general are as a whole, it could work.
Christine's poor decision making skills were ridiculous. What cinched my contempt for this woman was
"If Haiku died under the hooves of a wild animal, it's tragic, it is in fact Christine's fault for letting her slip through the door -- but it's also natural. She doesn't know why that is better but she decides to believe it"
No Christine, it's your fault for bringing the damn cat. It's your fault for ignoring the no pet warnings. It's your fault for heading blindly to a cabin instead of learning more about the destination. It's your fault for relying on a stupid getaway to help heal you and your son's relationship instead of a damn therapist.
I think the author is trying to justify Christine's negligence as a result of grief but I'm not convinced that Christine had any common sense before this. One could say "She's grieving so it's expected be a bit reckless and make mistakes". No. No she is not. Not mistakes and choices like these.
The atmosphere is good and the premise was genuinely intriguing but ultimately, the story falters because of Christine.
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overall: C-
This is a book that I wanted to like....
The story goes from an 80s slasher into an exploration of mental instability. While that's fine to do, I was really hoping that it was about a sentient mannequin out for blood (yes, I know how weird that sentence sounds).
The story, writing and lead character does goes over the top which fits the slasher feel but does come across as unconvincing and irritating a lot. The other characters fill their roles of disposable people in a horror movie but a shitty horror movie that you will watch once then feel like you deserve a refund for it even though you pirated the movie. I'm honestly not going to remember much about this book other than a feeling of disappointment.
I'm still interested in other books by this author but this wasn't it for me.
This is a book that I wanted to like....
The story goes from an 80s slasher into an exploration of mental instability. While that's fine to do, I was really hoping that it was about a sentient mannequin out for blood (yes, I know how weird that sentence sounds).
The story, writing and lead character does goes over the top which fits the slasher feel but does come across as unconvincing and irritating a lot. The other characters fill their roles of disposable people in a horror movie but a shitty horror movie that you will watch once then feel like you deserve a refund for it even though you pirated the movie. I'm honestly not going to remember much about this book other than a feeling of disappointment.
I'm still interested in other books by this author but this wasn't it for me.
Debate and Decadence by Sula Sullivan
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Overall: B
"Debate and Decadence" is a magical cozy fantasy. The story is about the sapphic romance between Amaya, a solitary witch living alone in her forest cottage, and Rue, the disruptive, bubbly, upper crust girl who claims they are fated to be together.
The two girls are an "opposites attract" relationship. Amaya's stoic, practical nature clashes with Rue's talkative, idealistic personality. I honestly disliked Rue forcing herself into Amaya's life at the beginning (mostly due to me seeing this happen so often in anime). At the start, Rue's personality did not help with that feeling but she did gradually grow on me. While she did have an upper-class upbringing with servants and a life of luxury, she was willing to cook, clean and do manual work to help make Amaya's life easier. It's was refreshing to see two people from completely different backgrounds try to understand each other rather than the usual trope of "rich person learning how the other half lives the hard way." These attempts at mutual understandings did help make some cute moments which did redeem Rue's initial impression.
There are a few downsides. One reason Rue runs to Amaya is due to Rue's perceived mistreatment by her family but this part isn't really resolved. There are some clunky sentences and punctuation errors. The world building was really lacking. I didn't really understand Amaya's magical abilities, Rue's heritage or how their society worked.
Otherwise I think this novella is a good choice if you need a cute, low stakes, short romance to tide you over.
"Debate and Decadence" is a magical cozy fantasy. The story is about the sapphic romance between Amaya, a solitary witch living alone in her forest cottage, and Rue, the disruptive, bubbly, upper crust girl who claims they are fated to be together.
The two girls are an "opposites attract" relationship. Amaya's stoic, practical nature clashes with Rue's talkative, idealistic personality. I honestly disliked Rue forcing herself into Amaya's life at the beginning (mostly due to me seeing this happen so often in anime). At the start, Rue's personality did not help with that feeling but she did gradually grow on me. While she did have an upper-class upbringing with servants and a life of luxury, she was willing to cook, clean and do manual work to help make Amaya's life easier. It's was refreshing to see two people from completely different backgrounds try to understand each other rather than the usual trope of "rich person learning how the other half lives the hard way." These attempts at mutual understandings did help make some cute moments which did redeem Rue's initial impression.
There are a few downsides. One reason Rue runs to Amaya is due to Rue's perceived mistreatment by her family but this part isn't really resolved. There are some clunky sentences and punctuation errors. The world building was really lacking. I didn't really understand Amaya's magical abilities, Rue's heritage or how their society worked.
Otherwise I think this novella is a good choice if you need a cute, low stakes, short romance to tide you over.
Ramen Fusion Cookbook by Nell Benton
informative
medium-paced
3.25
Overall: B
Simple recipe book that teaches you how to make ramen from scratch (stock and add ins, not the noodles). Would never think to mix chicken, kimichi, apple and brussell sprouts in a ramen.
Simple recipe book that teaches you how to make ramen from scratch (stock and add ins, not the noodles). Would never think to mix chicken, kimichi, apple and brussell sprouts in a ramen.
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Overall: B
Quick young adult novella that introduces the reader to a new series. Never read or heard of the series before. The lead is likable enough and the steampunk tidbits were interesting. Nothing amazing but a decent time killer. Made me a bit curious about the rest of the books.
Quick young adult novella that introduces the reader to a new series. Never read or heard of the series before. The lead is likable enough and the steampunk tidbits were interesting. Nothing amazing but a decent time killer. Made me a bit curious about the rest of the books.
Murder at the Grand Hotel by Isabella Bassett
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Overall: C
Meh
"Murder At The Grand Hotel" is what I call a "most unorthodox!" book. A most unorthodox book usually takes place in Britain (sometimes Europe)- around the Victorian to 1920s (but can go back even farther). The protagonist is usually a woman in the upper crust who acts in a manner "most unbecoming" at the time. They can actually be any age but usually the girl is in the 20s-30s range. People around her either find her charming or alarming (usually women her age or older). The alarmed characters are usually tut-tutting her behavior which leads me to imaging them always saying "Why, this is most unorthodox"! The "forward-thinking" protagonist is usually the one solving the mystery to the amazement of everyone.
This is one of those stories but the setting is the roaring 20s with a British debutante visiting a French resort. It is told from the first person POV of the lead, Lady Caroline. As an amateur detective, she does a LOT of speculation that ends up being boring after a while. In fact, she's just boring. Her "romance" with James is lackluster. Honestly, I forgot he existed at some points. Most characters were colorful but one dimensional. I did like Poppy (though she is another "most unorthodox" character. The narrator, Sandra Churchill, did a good job of keeping me engaged.
The story is okay but the stakes never get high. At one point, Lady Caroline was in danger but I never felt like she was in danger. Obviously she wouldn't have died since this is a series but during that entire scene, I didn't feel anything. No worry or fear or suspense...nothing. The story was easy to follow even with all the characters that come and go. It's a decent time-killing cozy mystery if you want to just listen to something without racking your brain.
Meh
"Murder At The Grand Hotel" is what I call a "most unorthodox!" book. A most unorthodox book usually takes place in Britain (sometimes Europe)- around the Victorian to 1920s (but can go back even farther). The protagonist is usually a woman in the upper crust who acts in a manner "most unbecoming" at the time. They can actually be any age but usually the girl is in the 20s-30s range. People around her either find her charming or alarming (usually women her age or older). The alarmed characters are usually tut-tutting her behavior which leads me to imaging them always saying "Why, this is most unorthodox"! The "forward-thinking" protagonist is usually the one solving the mystery to the amazement of everyone.
This is one of those stories but the setting is the roaring 20s with a British debutante visiting a French resort. It is told from the first person POV of the lead, Lady Caroline. As an amateur detective, she does a LOT of speculation that ends up being boring after a while. In fact, she's just boring. Her "romance" with James is lackluster. Honestly, I forgot he existed at some points. Most characters were colorful but one dimensional. I did like Poppy (though she is another "most unorthodox" character. The narrator, Sandra Churchill, did a good job of keeping me engaged.
The story is okay but the stakes never get high. At one point, Lady Caroline was in danger but I never felt like she was in danger. Obviously she wouldn't have died since this is a series but during that entire scene, I didn't feel anything. No worry or fear or suspense...nothing. The story was easy to follow even with all the characters that come and go. It's a decent time-killing cozy mystery if you want to just listen to something without racking your brain.
For He Can Creep by Siobhan Carroll
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Overall: A
Nicely written story about a cat messing up Satan's schemes.
Nicely written story about a cat messing up Satan's schemes.
The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Overall: C
Meh.
This book was underwhelming. The story was lacking depth but the twist was interesting at least. I haven't been to Louisiana but I feel like the description and usage of the Bayou State as a the setting didn't work to me. It felt like this could have been any other state even with the references to swamps. Also, I thought basements were rare in Louisiana?
The writing was fine but the dialogue was sometimes corny. There were references to real-life serial killers. I didn't find it used a lot throughout the book so didn't find it as annoying as other readers. I came into this book without knowing the author was a crime podcast host so...that explains the writing and the serial killer nods.
The characters were one-dimensional. I'm guessing there will be more exploration into Wren and Jeremy in the next book but there was nothing interesting enough about them to make me eager enough to jump to the sequel.
Meh.
This book was underwhelming. The story was lacking depth but the twist was interesting at least. I haven't been to Louisiana but I feel like the description and usage of the Bayou State as a the setting didn't work to me. It felt like this could have been any other state even with the references to swamps. Also, I thought basements were rare in Louisiana?
The writing was fine but the dialogue was sometimes corny. There were references to real-life serial killers. I didn't find it used a lot throughout the book so didn't find it as annoying as other readers. I came into this book without knowing the author was a crime podcast host so...that explains the writing and the serial killer nods.
The characters were one-dimensional. I'm guessing there will be more exploration into Wren and Jeremy in the next book but there was nothing interesting enough about them to make me eager enough to jump to the sequel.
The Harrowing by Kristen Kiesling
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5