Jordan
I read this book for SPFBO! Team Bookborn!
This book was very enjoyable. It was a cozy, witchy story full of friendship, a sentient house, and ghost dogs. I thought the character work was really well done. I think the pacing could've been a bit tighter, with some of the plot feeling a little repetitive and drawn out, but this was only a few spots. The rest of the time, I was just vibing in this cozy space
4.5 stars
What a satisfying ending to this first part of the saga. There were some parts I found frustrating, but again, Brown pulled through in the last third of the book. It was so fast paced and I felt like it honestly ending so well (besides one part, but that's ok.) Not a new favorite series, but super fun and enjoyable nonetheless.
This book was just absolutely bizarre.
This book opens on 1 of only 2 humans alive. This man, Piranesi, is living in this world that is just hallways and statues and changing tides. He meets once every week with the Other, the only other living human. Otherwise, they don't interact. Piranesi is just living his life when something comes up that throws a wrench in his entire perception of the world.
This book was so weird. The entire concept takes a bit to wrap your head around. I went into the story knowing absolutely nothing about the story, and I'm glad I did. My biggest critique with the book is the length. I just really wish it was a little longer because I didn't really feel that invested in Piranesi as a character. However, the story was very engaging and I couldn't put it down. I read it all in about 2 days and was reading every chance I got.
Overall, a fun, weird, interesting book that explores the human drive to survive, and also live a meaningful life. I would recommend as a quick read to any, even if you don't typically read fantasy.
What an ending! I won't get too far into this review because I will be doing a full series review soon on my YouTube channel.
This series really went in a direction I didn't expect grimdark to go in. I'm relatively new to the subgenre, and I always assumed it was all blood and gore and dark themes. While there was some of that, this story was overall just really hopeless. I appreciated the way this story wrapped up in some ways because it really hammered home that this story was hopeless from the beginning and doesn't really get better. But for that same reason, it almost felt like I read a whole lot of pages for there to not really be much of a resolution. I'm torn on my feelings for it. Overall, these are incredibly written books. But I mostly feel apathetic upon finishing.
This book was a delight and such an incredible set up. I will be posting a more detailed review on my YouTube channel in a couple of weeks.
Hadrian starts the story in the present by telling you that he ate a sun, destroying an entire alien race as well as billions of humans. He then proceeds to tell his story. With this set up, the reader is immediately aware of the tone of the story. With the first person perspective, you also are never sure whether to trust Hadrian. At times, it felt like he may be embellishing his story.
The plot was slower paced, but didn't detract. This book felt like a massive set up for an epic story. We learned a lot about the politics, Hadrian himself, and the lore of this world. It was all very interesting, and I am very excited for the next book because I've heard it goes off the rails.
I should know by now that I have a very specific set of genres I enjoy.
This book follows Finlay, a recently divorced author that needs money. Through a misunderstanding, she is offered $50k to murder someone. When she accidentally does this, her life is turned upside down.
There wasn't anything particularly bad about this book. It was fine. Just kind of boring. I didn't really care for the characters or the plot. I just think contemporary fiction, unless it's cute romances, just isn't for me.
The audiobook narrator was good though!
Viv is a legendary warrior who has decided to put down her sword. She does one last job to secure her plans, and then retires. She goes to a small town and decides to open a coffee shop. In this lovely tale, she creates a little family in this new town.
This book is adorable. The cover says it all: “High fantasy with low stakes”. This books was such a breath of fresh air. While there is still conflict and a plot, it honestly feels so relaxing and happy. I loved all of the characters and the setting. All of the descriptions of the food and the coffee made everything feel incredibly atmospheric and real.
Travis Baldree has introduced me to a new subgenre of fantasy that I am obsessed with and want more of.
In this epic sci-fi novel, we follow present day Earth as the moon explodes due to some unknown force. However, the various pieces all loosely keep their same assembly and their same orbit around Earth. Scientists quickly realize that in about 2 years time, all of those pieces will start slamming into each other at such a high velocity that they will start raining down on Earth, raising the temperature and wiping out all life. Therefore, they have 2 years to get as many people into and around the ISS with the proper equipment to survive for thousands of years as they can. The first half of the book follows this 2 year span, as well as about 5 years after the Hard Rain. The second half of the book has a huge, 5000 year time jump, showing what has become of humanity and their endeavor to reinhabit Earth.
I absolutely loved the first half of this book. It is definitely a hard sci-fi, with so much science involved. It was so fascinating to see how Stephenson showcased the human fight for survival, as well as the psyche as they watch their entire home demolished. It was masterfully written. This premise could become incredibly impersonal because of the scale, but Stephenson does a great job of making the characters that have made it into space feel very relatable and human.
However, after the time jump, I felt like the story took a very strange turn. Without going into too many details, there ends up being distinct human races with very different characteristics and mannerisms. To me, this seemed very strange because of the tight quarters they had to live in for thousands of years. I also felt like the plot got boring in this second half. There were obviously all new characters that I had a hard time connecting with. It just didn't work as well for me.
Overall, I felt like this book was a very ambitious story to tell, and Stephenson did a commendable job with it. The second half just fell short for me.
I went into this so hesitantly because I was so disappointed in Electric Idol. But Katee Robert redeemed herself with this installment.
This book follows a romantic relationship between Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen. It is a super steamy, and super sweet, story. There is more political maneuvering like in the previous books, but all of it is secondary to the romance. This isn't a detraction, though. That's why I read these books. :)
I highly recommend if you're interested in this series to just skip Electric Idol. It doesn't even compare to this book and Neon Gods.
This book is a collection of essays that discuss the ways in which the first kidnapped people were brought over from Africa in 1619 has effected history and current day life in the US.
This project and this book are masterfully assembled. This information is incredibly important for Americans to know, and should be taught in schools. So much of our history has been presented to US schoolchildren in a gilded cage. However, we should all be taught this very real history.
Some of the most impactful moments in this book were the poems and short essays from actual enslaved people. It really showed the inhumanity that they had to endure.
I implore you to read this book.