Beattz

I Who Have Never Known Men is a thought provoking dystopian tale of the Child, who, along with 39 other women has been held captive for unknown reasons. The Child is unique amongst the others, having been young enough to have had no memories of the before time, as well as, when her teen years come, not experiencing puberty.
This is a short tale that packs a powerful punch. The Child is not so much a character as she is a series of unanswered questions. What does it mean to be a woman? Is intimacy natural or forced? What about the desire for privacy, or modesty? What is femininity if there is nothing with which to compare it?
I subtracted a star for references that seemed out of place and without support in the narrative, and a lack of connection to the characters- although this is likely, at least in part, by design.

The second installment of the Singing Hills Cycle continues to follow monk Chih on their journey throughout the land, this time encountering a trio of tigers. In an attempt to escape without being eaten, Chih offers a story, if only so the tigers can ensure it will be told correctly in the future.
I enjoyed it very much. Not quite as impactful as The Empress of Salt and Fortune, but they are fulfilling short stories, and I will read as many as Nghi Vo releases.

4.5 Stars

Paladin's Grace was 100% a peer pressure read. There's at least 3 other T. Kingfisher books I would have picked up before starting yet another series.
At least my friends have taste. I had a great time reading this. The main characters were so realistic and relatable and absolutely adorable and I loved them and the yearning was excellent. Honestly though, I think my favorite character was Bishop Beartongue, and I really hope she'll be included in the coming installments.
Not a perfect 5 stars, just because the plot felt a bit disjointed. There was the thing that you thought was going to be the major storyline, then at the 60% mark, you get whammied with something completely different. Not bad, just a bit awkward.

This was my first Blake Crouch book, and it was pretty good. I liked the story well enough, the characters were were fairly well defined and relatable. The multiverse concept I think was handled well/uniquely, if a little clunky in bits. Far better, in my opinion, to be more heavy handed, than overly complex and alienating. I was totally with the story until the very end, but for a book with stakes this high, a “happy ending” felt really out of place to me. It was too neat. We were dealing with infinite possibilities/potential outcomes and divergences, and to have it all work out felt lackluster.

Radium Girls was an in depth look at the women that changed the face of occupational safety standards, workplace compensation laws, and quite literally being the force behind understanding the long term impacts and effects of radium exposure. This book focused on the women themselves, and their journeys as they started to fall ill, struggle to get a diagnosis, fight to be listened to, and demand justice for the lies they were told while doing their jobs as dial painters to the best of their abilities. It's a tragic story, and an important one. A timely reminder that no one will fight for your rights if you don't. Stand up, and be heard.

Lolita is definitely the most unique and technically near perfect book I've ever read. Alongside the thick prose and flowery language is lain the most astute and in depth study of pedophilic abuse. A war of opposites viciously and irrevocably entangled. What the foreword says is absolutely correct- for all of its lack of detail, it could not be more obscene.
When you break it down into its components, they're all masterfully executed. It's beautifully written, the characters are three dimensional, the plot of the descent to madness is palpable. It's obviously well researched and thought provoking. It borders on appalling satire a la A Modest Proposal, being instead a cautionary tale urging us from the outset to be better parents, teachers, citizens, humans and to see what lurks beneath the surface of both predator and prey in order to break the cycle of violence.
I understand from the perspective of HH's obsession why we didn't get to see more of who Delores really truly was, only his distorted perception of her, I just wish the novel had added that element of humanity back in so at the end of 300 pages I didn't feel so entrenched in his mind as to feel HH's crimes were my own.

3.5 stars
This is as advertised lol. The first one had more “sting” to it for sure, but it is definitely “in kind”. If you liked the first one, you'll dig this one too.

I have no excuses. I unabashedly love cowboy romances. It's part of my personality now. Maybe I like all romances, come to think of it. Or maybe I just know myself well enough to be able to pick the ones I know I'll like, then am shocked and floored when I giggle and kick my feet the whole way through.
Regardless. I had a blast. Lyla Sage has written another couple where the people are real and deal with real things that a lot of us struggle with. Depression, anxiety, the desire to bolt, even when things are good. It's a good reminder that even with HEAs, there's still a lot of communication, and growing, and understanding involved. Just bc the chemistry is there, doesn't mean it will be an easy road.
I've got 2 more books left in this series and I'm already sad that my time at Rebel Blue Ranch will be coming to a close.