Sandra

I do not believe I was the targeted audience for Yellowface.

There are many positive aspects within this story that I enjoyed. However, this book felt... lackluster. Even that word doesn't describe what I'm feeling.

Anyway...

I was bored and annoyed. Which that could be because every week since December of 2021... me entering the book community I have seen these exact Twitter conflicts play out. Sheshh, I've even seen them play out on TikTok.

So, why do we need a book about it? Like... enough with the chaos.

The author has talent and a way with words but this did not showcase that talent.

Also, I can't stand this redemption arc situation. Nah... I get both girls did wrong in the book but what the FMC did was ten times worse.

But... that's just my opinion and everyone has one.

Another book that my kiddo picked up from the library. We enjoyed Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes. Lovely illustrations.
The story is pleasant and can be easily read by children. It does not have any deeper meaning but it does brilliantly describe winter. As someone who has experienced winter in Maine, I must say my favorite aspect of this book was how Kevin described winter at night and how it is a “deep blue”.
My child enjoyed the illustration of the little cotton-ball snowman on the table near the end of the book. So... we are now making cotton-ball snowmen.

Thank you, NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been in a reading slump since last October and I saw this and decided to give it a chance. I can say without a doubt that this was worth the chance.
I was 100% entertained by Celestial Academy: Essence by Olivia Pharos. Now, for some... it might be an issue because It does have a lot of other book ideas within it. For me, I have no issue with that. Celestial Academy is perfect and amazing. It was so amazing for me that I went out and bought it and the second book.
Cough I'm gonna need that third one soon. Cough

Anyway...
Content Warnings/Trigger Warnings that I remember off the top of my head for those that need it:
Cursing
Mentions of rape (Chp. 3)
Talks of sex
Depictions of violence
Mentions of Death (lots of it)
Religion (for those who have religious trauma or might be easily offended because there is a religious aspect to this book.

Ummm... I might be missing some but I got too caught up in the story to keep track of them because it was that good. LOL. Sorry.

So... within the first chapter, we jump right into the story and it takes off running. The Female main character is extremely snarky and humorous. I found myself laughing a lot due to her dark humor and the banter between her and the rest of the characters.

The Narrator was.... one of the best Narrators I have listened to in a while. Very expressive and read at a... good pace. She even did the different tones and voices for different characters. It was a very enjoyable listening experience. Well done.

Thank you Netgalley and Sparkpress for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my opinion.

The Others by Evette Davis has a very interesting idea that piqued my interest. “A centuries-old vampire, William is far too jaded to take an interest in human affairs—but Olivia no longer has the luxury of remaining impartial”. I was sold for this book at that description. However, the contents of the book read rather... rudimentary for me. I don't mind when I can't connect to characters based on physical, emotional, or other characteristics that make up someone. However, these characters lacked... personality. There is some personality among the characters but.. limited.

I... it's hard to write this review. I wanted to like The Others because I haven't read a good vampire book in a few years and I enjoy politics in books. But this... I'm disappointed.

It's... blasé??

2.5 but round up to 3 stars

My child got this from the library. We read it and the kid enjoyed it.
It's a typical children's book nice art work with few words on the actual pages. The plot is okay nothing bad or positive, just... okay.
Would I read this again? Depends if my child wants to read it again and so far the kid says... No. I've asked several times over the last 7 days.

sigh
I...
I don't even know what to say and let me explain why. This was utterly boring.
It's so boring that the characters and everything else about this book are easily forgotten about.

I was so bored with this book that I forgot about it and cleaned. I managed to wash, fold and put up my clothes, children's clothes and husbands. I also did the dishes and vacuumed the floors. Then I made food for everyone in the house.
It wasn't until the middle of the day that I realized I still had one earbud in listening to this book and that was all because the earbud beeped that it needed to be charged.

So... yeah.

The narrator has a wonderful voice but the overall story. I can't figure out why it is so popular.

It's.... Umm... average, maybe even below average standards.

Kinda cheesy, kinda good, a lot of bad and it requires little to no effort from one's brain to read.

I... I Don't know anymore my brain hurts from all the corny smut books that have been coming out over the last 3 years.

Not sure how to rate comics due to how fast they read.
But... I was cleaning out an older house and came across this. Before I left for the day I picked it up and read it.
From my perspective, it is interesting.

sigh
I have attempted to read this book several times and each time I have DNF'd the book under 50%-70%. Then I attempted to listen to several different audiobooks and that too became a DNF. At first I thought the narrators ruined it and I was just not in the mood to read this.
However, once again I find myself DNF'ing this book by both reading and listening to it.


This is truly the most boring book I have ever attempted to read in my life.
At this point, I'm just gonna google the cliff notes version of Lolita.

update:2025

It’s still not good a book for me. It’s still extremely basic and tropey.

This book reads like “let us take every single idea that is in fantasy and put it in book”. I can't stand this book and I know I'm apart of the 1%. But... omg. Why was this even hyped. Did the author even write this?I would love quality writing and storytelling back... please

Not bad but after being in the military. I see where the present day military's took some ideas and methods from.

Oh my... sigh
So we got pointless telepathy powers
Horrible written sex scenes
Cringe pet names “little dragon”

Putting my personal opinion aside (for now), I will have to say this book is one of the better children's books (late elementary/early middle school) that have been written and I have read.

I see the overall message that said author is trying to convey. However, I feel as though it could have been polished more in some areas. But... overall good.

The art work is simple and not overwhelming with too many colors, characters, and details. Which is nice in children's books.

As for the characters and plot. There are certain aspects within these categories that bother me due to what I experience in that work environment with said author. So, with the utmost respect I do not believe I can provide an efficient critique in these two areas due to working with this author.

The length of the book is in a happy-medium spot. It is not one of those short book that can be read in 3 minutes. It is also not one of those books that take 45 minutes to read and in the process the kid is becoming restless.

TW/CW for Another omnibus:

There are depictions of:
1) graphic violence
2) consumption of alcohol
3) death
4) blood

...Overall, it was a good manga. The first 200 pages are slow but after that, the pace picks up and stays consistent over the whole manga. Some parts that involved the main character's aunt did become... dull and repetitive but after finishing the manga it all makes sense.

The initial setup of Another was boring and most of the characters were bland until that first death happened. After that the plot and two main characters became interesting. There was an attempt at a "haunted/creepy" school vibe but I did not get that. Even with the mysterious deaths taking place the school still seemed "bright/happy". The only time I got the haunted/creepy vibes was when the students went to the abandoned part of the school and got that cassette tape.

There are awkward parts throughout the whole manga. I noticed it when I was around page 206 when the boys were talking about the curse of classroom 3 but never really talked about the curse. This happened a few times until that student became a "not here" as well.

As for the disturbing aspect of the manga, it was... Okay... If I am being honest. The audience does not develop any emotional connection to those deaths to make it more profound and/or disturbing. The concept felt rushed. It was like... "Oh, we need to hurry up and kill off all these side characters".

It's cute and quick

I swear I already did a review of this book.
sigh Guess I need to do it again.


Oh my Lanta, I hated this book so much. It was utterly boring. I went into this expecting something with Stephen King's essence that he sometimes put into his thriller books. All I got from this was a whiny teenager who conducted a school shooting and still whined about life.
There are heavy topics in this book but it was handled so “awkwardly/immature” (not even sure if that is the correct word(s) I want to use.

sigh
Now, it is not the worst book I have ever read about school shootings/horrible situations that minors are in. But... It is not the best.
I wish Stephen King would rewrite this.

The rating is 2.5/3
I don't even think I would recommend this book to those who are just getting into these types of books over books like Hate List or Nineteen Minutes

Update December 2023:I literally gave up after February/march. Depression hit me hard and reading felt like another thing that I must do. Putting all the books I read into this like I have done for a few years was and is still too much for me to do. Now, 2023 wasn't 100% a bad year but it wasn't good either. So, I'm finishing the 2023 reading year early. And... I know I am not going to read anymore books, let alone finish them before the end of the year. Good luck to everyone with your reading goals. I hope you all have a great end of the year and a wonderful new year. January[b:Pieces of Me 60784525 Pieces of Me Kate McLaughlin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651132104l/60784525.SY75.jpg 86064345] by [a:Kate McLaughlin 19515933 Kate McLaughlin https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1575654907p2/19515933.jpg]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - January 6th, 2023[b:I'm Glad My Mom Died 59364173 I'm Glad My Mom Died Jennette McCurdy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649286799l/59364173.SY75.jpg 93537110] by [a:Jennette McCurdy 15457334 Jennette McCurdy https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1667294883p2/15457334.jpg]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - January 17th, 2023February[b:The Real World 62185485 The Real World (Eighth Edition) Kerry Ferris https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1661829433l/62185485.SX50.jpg 97972918] by [a:Kerry Ferris and Jill Stein 23458438 Kerry Ferris and Jill Stein https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ - February 19th, 2023[b:Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice 24962218 Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice Sherwood Thompson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1424245792l/24962218.SX50.jpg 44625250] by [a:Sherwood Thompson 6228925 Sherwood Thompson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ - February 19th, 2023[b:The SAGE Encyclopedia of Intercultural Competence 23371016 The SAGE Encyclopedia of Intercultural Competence Janet M. Bennett https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422811999l/23371016.SX50.jpg 42929350] by [a:Janet M. Bennett 6746678 Janet M. Bennett https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ - February 19th, 2023[b:Toward a Psychology of Being 332792 Toward a Psychology of Being Abraham H. Maslow https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347864021l/332792.SY75.jpg 2216557] by [a:Abraham H. Maslow 4570807 Abraham H. Maslow https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1396363623p2/4570807.jpg]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ - February 19th, 2023[b:On Emotional Intelligence 23258980 On Emotional Intelligence (HBR's 10 Must Reads) Harvard Business Review https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413517560l/23258980.SY75.jpg 42799988] by [a:Harvard Business Review 711739 Harvard Business Review https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1430484897p2/711739.jpg]Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ - February 19th, 2023

I don't like rating memoirs but I am putting 5 stars because many should read it.

I... I don't even know what to say. It is heartbreaking what she went through and wonderful that Britney is sharing her personal journey. Britney is a very strong person

I am still processing all of it. I finished it at 6 p.m. EST.

At this current time, I will have to say I will just stick with the opera.

I don't know about this book. It was a challenge for me to read because I was bored reading it. I think it might be a me issue. I no longer find inspiration or the motivation to read Stephen King books anymore.

Thank you, Net Galley and CamCat Books for a copy of The Man or the Monster

The Man or the Moster is a sequel to another book and this is not my typical read. I am glad that I went outside my comfort zone. I had a wonderful experience.

The Narrator: I adore her voice and how soothing and lovely it is. The narrator makes the audience feel connected with the characters. You feel the emotions that are within this book. I was consumed by this book.

I stayed up way past my bedtime reading The Man or the Monster. It's full of betrayal, drama, forbidden romance, twists and turns. It was such a good book that I felt as though I was there. I felt heartbreak and fell in love with every aspect of the book. This is a book that is not forgettable. It is one that will stay with the reader for a very long time.

Now, I need to go read the first book in this series and this author is now on my auto-buy list.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an audiobook ARC.

I normally do not read these books but the Cover of Jester alone intrigued me to give it a try and I am glad that I did because I love Jester. The narrator also did a superb job. I have no complaints about the narrator.
The characters and plot were well developed and it meshed well together. Jester felt well thought out and complete.
Wonderful story

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this ARC audiobook.

The Woods are Waiting is a slow-burn thriller that is set in the Appalachian region of Virginia. The rhymes that warned of the monster in the woods and the lore provided a spooky atmosphere for the book. That was enjoyable and kept me intrigued.

However, the overall plot of the book did disappoint me. It was not until the last few chapters that I was truly interested again. But... Even then the end needed more. I was and was not thrilled while reading this thriller.

As for the narrator of the audiobook. I have mixed feelings about her. Her accents caught me off guard but I could tell when she would switch characters. For me, the narrator sounded monotone in areas that should have a little more... Umph. However, the narrator did have a soothing voice to listen to which allowed me to stay slightly engaged.

Thank you Net Galley for providing me with a copy of Coven by Taous Merakchi & Da Coffee Time.

This is a witchy graphic novel with a spooky setting/”vibe”. In this graphic novel, we start with four teens that dabble in witchcraft to save a tree in their city park. At first, everything is going according to the plan to save this tree. However, that quickly changes and everything starts going wrong.

Coven was an enjoyable quick read. Each character had their own story and background. We also see different communities represented in this graphic novel. I do wish it was longer so I could get to know the characters more. The illustrations were adorable but also showed the reader the personality that each character has.

I am not sure how to rate this book or how to even categorize it. Overall, it was not bad. I feel as though it is average/a little above average. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is confusing and you are left with “What did read”.

As of right now, I need more time to sit on this.

Let me just say, 3 to 3.5 stars.