Tasha⛓️Sorsha
2.5 stars, altogether.
I found the story of the Amazonian Matis people interesting, and that- and only that- is what kept me reading. The element of leaving the modern world behind and living with an Indigenous tribe, learning how to live off the land and coming to love its people, was all really good (and admittedly a secret fantasy of mine lol). And the writing was pretty decent, aside from the awkward head-hopping now and then. I liked Tanun, but I found Leia extremely tedious and frustrating. For one, she had that whole story line of being a 26-year-old virgin waiting for the right man for marriage, which obviously made her so much better than everyone who chooses to have premarital sex. I don't have anything against a virgin per se, but the author was pretty sanctimonious about it, which became downright annoying real fast. Oh, and did Leia mention how much she loves Tanun but they can't possibly be together because of tribal law, and how much it kills her inside? Because she mentions it about fifty thousand times throughout the book. But although their love is Special, Effervescent, Written in the Stars, etc., etc., could they be bothered to communicate about their intentions and predisposed assumptions, even once? No, of course not. That would have been too easy and bad for drama. And that's the extent of the plot. The Matis culture and customs, and the beautiful Amazon adventure, is this book's saving grace. I did find the characters (aside from Leia) mostly likeable, so kudos to the author for that.
This wasn't bad, worth a read. Not as creepy/gothic/supernatural as I would have hoped, and way too slow for like the middle 200 pages, though. Also there is no spellbook. So don't get your hopes up. But still, there was something about this book that stayed with me after I finished reading it. It was very atmospheric and easy to feel like you're an intimate part of Sleepy Hollow and Katrina's life, which I loved.
It seems that everyone who rated this book three stars or less has the same issue with it as I do: namely, that we're promised a strong heroine with goals and ambitions (and for a while her wit and desire to pursue an education was great) who stands strong for women's rights, but then as soon as she falls in love with the alpha-male Duke of Douchebaggery, she turns into a tepid sap and everything that made her interesting is gone. I kinda stopped reading just over 50% at the line: “If a woman must serve as a man's broodmare, then I imagine there are men much worse than the Duke”, a line said in irritation in his defense when her friend confesses concern for whoever becomes the next Duchess because she suspects he'll suck her soul out. This is spoken by a woman who we are told apparently cares about women's freedom and choice. So. 3 stars for potential in the first half, but this book does NOT “bring down the Duke”, nor does it seem to be about “extraordinary women”.
This book was so much more than just another romance. It was a beautiful romance and partnership between two strong women, yes, but it also stood up for women in the sciences taking their rightful place by the side of male scholars. It stood against the dismissal of more feminine pursuits such as embroidery and needlework, and advocated for traditional feminine art forms to be included as “real art”. It dared to express that art is just as important and noble as science. Most importantly, it touched on the very real existence of female scientists throughout history who have had their work stolen, dismissed, and discredited by male scholars simply because they wanted to keep women out of the field. This is a story of women supporting each other in their pursuits, defending each other's right to be proud of female work, and smashing down barricades put up by men so that their sisters have a way through. Highly recommend!
Okay so this is my first Karin Slaughter book, and I'm not usually much of a thriller person, but this one kept me hanging on until the last page! I also listened to it in audiobook format (so last section?) during my commute to work and back, and the narrator was great too, very invested in every emotion of the characters. It was brutal and difficult to listen to at times, but hang on for justice to be done... Would recommend if you can't seem to get invested in thrillers and you want something that'll keep you hooked. Trigger warning for scenes of torture, and mentions of sexual assault/murder.
I'll be honest I LOVED Blend but I didn't love this one. Between that bi-erasing bitch Jonathan and people's weird, small-town grudge against Emerson for “running away” and “abandoning” her town (like people grow up and move on and get lives?? Like why is that such a difficult concept?), a lot of it just annoyed me.
So I'm rating this one higher than I think it deserves for the witches, and because Deliverance Dane is one of my favourite books ever. This was okay, but not nearly as enjoyable as the original DD. Also the ending felt a little too rushed, a bit confusing, and left too much for the reader to decide. I finished this book with a lot of questions, which I don't typically like. But overall an okay read. I'd recommend starting with DD so you know what's going on.
*Edit 2021: I don't remember anything about this book except not liking it that much. So I think that sums up my feelings toward it.
This book. Was amazing. Seriously, I think this is actually my new favourite of all time. Dragons, badass assassin priestesses, magery, a queendom instead of a kingdom! I love fantasy, but I've had the hardest time finding one that I really like because they're all based on a bedrock of misogyny and homophobia, which I simply can't read anymore- I've had enough. This book was diverse, female-driven, all the things we've been waiting for in a fantasy for our time. And the story-telling was beautiful, rich, and detailed. I just loved it!
*3.5 stars. Every now and then I come across a book that I end up liking, and it really surprises me! I don't even play Minecraft, and I know virtually nothing about it. But I ended up really liking this one, which was about a sentient Minecraft avatar who woke up on the Island and all its cube-shaped weirdness. I thought it was really funny actually, and I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Jack Black. So that endeared me to it instantly. In fact, I wanted to rate it higher but then I had to acknowledge that it was because of Jack Black. If he hadn't been narrating I don't think I would have loved it QUITE as much, but it was still pretty decent. Good for middle-grade readers I would say!
This. was. fascinating. Orphan Black is one of my favourite shows, so naturally I had to read all about the science behind it. For example, did you know that the reason Kendall Malone had the DNA for both Leda and Castor is because she's a chimera, which means she absorbed her twin in the womb and thus carries both sets of DNA? The show explains that. BUT did you know that such a person can give birth to children that may genetically be considered her absorbed sibling's children? Like I said, fascinating. Join Clone Club and read all about the science. Cosima would be proud!
I loved this book! I picked it up at first because I thought it was a graphic novel, but it turned out to be an anthology of essays, comics, and artwork about love written by every geeky lady you could imagine- authors, illustrators, game designers, etc. The voices and stories were diverse and talked about the ups and downs of dating, love, sex, romance, meet-cutes, etc. of real-life geek girls. Highly recommend!!
*4.5 stars. This book was amazing, albeit a bit confusing and unclear at times. But I think that was part of how it's supposed to be. It's jarring, unsettling, and it really makes you think critically about whether or not you've been complicit in the oppression of others, or along that vein. It was really different from the fantasy novels I'm used to as well, it presented something completely new. And I am here for it!
I finally had to throw in the towel and DNF around 3/4 of the way in with this one. I really tried for a while, but finally had to admit to myself that I simply didn't care about the characters, how the plot unfolded, or to even find out how it ends. I didn't give it a scathing rating because I have the feeling that it's just simply not for me, and may make sense to other people. The writing is beautiful but I can't tell you what this book is actually about, and I'm not interested enough to put in the final quarter.
I love this series but honestly, the characters took a big downhill turn in this book. I picked the first book up because I loved Emily's spirit, her quest for independence, and her desire to reject social restrictions on women (and for those commenting that this wasn't realistic for a woman in this time period, I encourage you to study a bit of historical feminism). I also loved Colin because I thought to myself, “Finally! A male lead who's not a typical alpha-male out to trample the heroine!” He is an enlightened, modern-type character.
Well, I was to be disappointed in this book. Emily was weak and submissive to her husband, who was dominating and tried to put constraints on her freedom in order to “protect her”. I get it. They're both dealing with a traumatic situation, and they're not at their best. But it veered so far from their characters and I hated it so much that it distracted me from the whole point of the story- a murder mystery. I'm going to give the series another chance and read the next book, but I do not want to see another weak Emily and chauvinistic, patronizing Colin.
