whatchareadingheather's reviews
707 reviews

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I've previously read 'The Venue' by this author, and while this is a very different style of book than that one, I still really enjoyed it. This does a great job at making you think about how uncomfortable it actually is that there's such a thing as a 'murderabilia' market when it comes to serial killers that goes beyond tangible items, specifically the journalism and general media worlds trying to capitalize on the pain that comes with these types of crimes. I think the biggest lesson I took away from this book is the self-defense tactic of breaking someone's pinky as it's the weakest part of the hand that's usually still accessible.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.25

As someone who's come from the journalism world, this made me miss my past experiences a teeny tiny bit. I thought the slow-burn buildup (which I personally am a fan of) was done in an entertaining way, and I thought that this did a fantastic job as showcasing the concept of grief in multiple facets. I do wish the ending was a little bit stronger and more dramatic (maybe something to tie in what happens at the beginning of the book), but otherwise I really like this one overall.

Disney and Pixar's Turning Red: 4*Town 4*Real by Dirchansky

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Tbh I wasn’t expecting a whole lot of depth with this considering it’s a side adventure from a kid’s movie, but my God this absolutely exceeded my expectations. This is a great tool to discuss and combat toxic masculinity and issues that many men face but are told to keep silent about due to idiotic gender roles.

We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall

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mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Definitely times where I thought I knew exactly where the story was going, but was given the run around (in a good way) throughout the whole book. Slightly formulaic, but still entertaining. The big reveal is equal parts unsurprising and shocking (because of our villain’s motives).

Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad

5.0

This is an absolutely stunning work that I think a lot of people (regardless of if you are a part of the queer community) can find a bit of themselves in. Listening to this on audio gave me a similar experience to watching an open mic night, a meditation session, or even (dare I say it) a religious speaking engagement. I need this in physical form asap!

Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Slightly dated on the socio-political aspect but otherwise this has a lot of really good (and realistic) methods for anyone (no matter how perfect they think they are) to get their shit together. The fact that Knight got me interested in checking out her other books shows that her writing style for the self-help genre is relatable and not preach-y, and I always enjoy when the author shares their own experiences as examples.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

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emotional lighthearted sad slow-paced

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

1.5

The only reason why I even finished listening to this book was because I was super busy with work. Should have DNF-ed. Definitely NOT watching the show to see if it's any better.

Wolverine: The Long Night by Marcio Takara, Benjamin Percy

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challenging dark tense medium-paced