shereadytoread's reviews
733 reviews

I really enjoyed this entry, but not as much as the first one. Sarai is a great character and the relationship (and spice) between her and Khyri was great. While I did enjoy each character's separate story, I did think the complex backstory that Khyri was given was brushed over to wrap everything up. 

I am excited for the next book in the series!

This was a good, short, informative read. My main issue with the book lies in its attempt to organize into separate essays but there was a lot of overlap which caused some repetition as well as some entries providing context for another. 

I did like that it included a lot of information regarding witch hunts in Africa and South Asia which are often neglected in both historical documents and media, with more focus on European and North American history of witch hunting.

The bibliography is very impressive and I think this is an excellent place to start and seek out longer works or additional information sources. 

I really enjoyed this read. The chemistry between the two main characters was great and they both had fully rounded individual POVs. I really liked the discussion of the importance of libraries, their multiple uses, and difficulties and barriers that librarians face. The male MC also has dyslexia and that is discussed respectfully throughout the book. The book also included a lot of learning resources at the end of the book. 

I enjoyed the family involvement on both ends and as a hockey fan, that piece was well done too. Overall a great read.

Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of this book. No review was required and all thoughts are my own.

This is going to be one of my favorite horrors of the year, and probably my favorite general books of the year. The main character's spiraling obsession is so well done! It has a lot of commentary about fetishization of asian women and how that can show up in romantic relationships. It also looks a lot of the grief associated with family separation/divorce, and the relationships within a fractured family. I cannot wait to see what the author has next. 

It does have a bit of gore as the actual deaths start, but it is not overly gory and would be a great intro to horror or a great pick for those who already love horror. It is a psychological horror that is really well grounded in reality and the character's fracturing mind and increasing erratic decisions are really engaging.

I enjoyed this book overall. I thought the main character's journey through the multiple plot lines was well done. I think some pieces were a bit overcomplicated to give another "twist" but didn't really have the same impact. I did like the reveals of the story through the objects. The intertwining of the different plot lines made some parts of the book a little confusing, but I still found the overall mystery interesting.

This was a really unique fantasy. It follows a disgraced ex-physician and magic professor, Adrien, as he is pulled into a magical conspiracy unfolding during a time where two powerful factions are vying for power in the city. 

The mental health rep in this book was very well done. It was couched within the magic but a clear representation of bipolar disorder. Adrien is queer along with a couple side characters, although the book is not a romance. I enjoyed the unfolding of the conspiracy and the power struggles both on the large scale and within the main character's personal interactions. 

I loved that it was on the shorter side and still delivers a great fantasy story with adequate world-building. If you enjoy fantasy but you don't want to commit to a typical 500+ pages, this would be an excellent pick for you. I loved that I had a complete understanding of the world and the different factions without a ton of filler. 

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy from the publisher. No review was required and honest review is my own.

It is a literary horror that focuses on the haunting of grief and what people will give up to try to hold on to a piece of their loved one. The story examines multiple people in multiple stages of grief. It is a rather bleak but striking tale. 

The story is told from three POVs: our MC Wenqi; another child of grieving parents forced here by his parents, Liam; and another neighbor dealing with her grief alone. 

Our main character has been forced to move by her parents as they are chasing the memory of their older deceased son. We get to see the complicated family dynamics that arise due to her parents neglect interfering with her being able to grieve herself. We see a lot of iterations of grief and loss, followed with many horrors of what being frozen in grief can cause.

Overall, I really enjoyed this booklet. The updated introduction addresses some of the information that was not available at the time of writing and corrects some previously misstated info as a result. It is quick but covers a good spread of history from early witch hunts to more modern medical schools. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book . Brown offers reflections directly speaking to a variety of populations about a range of topics. The book aims to assist us with correcting ourselves and others in ways that lend toward collective change and engaging community and relationships. 

It offers very simple and accessible language to break down common barriers toward collective change, recognizing that not all aspects are within our control and the long and nonlinear road to change. 

My only drawback of this book is that is it claims to offer practical ways to practice change in each area; but outside of one section all the practical guidance is self-reflective questions. They are still worthwhile but I don’t think it fully lives up to what was originally described. 

Disclaimer: I received a gifted ARC of this book from the publisher. No review was required and all thoughts are my own.