DB
I dislike it when a book is short but takes forever to get to like anything that's said in the synopsis. Or just slow pace in a short book in general. When I started realising this had that, I started thinking of not finishing it. Once I'd started thinking that I saw the main character wasn't really making sense and the bit of the world-building I'd read also didn't add up.
For instance, the main character, Khiara, has red hair – which in this world means shes a witch. She has to hide it because that's very dangerous and she'd likely be killed. Then her red hair gets uncovered and... those who see it are... totally fine with it. All right, granted, it was in a sexual manner. Khiara was one of those characters who's written to be all fierce and “I'm going to do what I want” and the book showed none of that. Plus everything else was all tell, not show.
Warning: homophobic slurs. I don't know of any other because I didn't read further.
I think I could've liked this book a lot, but I just ended up not being interested in it. And I got about 30% in and realised I wasn't enjoying it.
I liked the premise – the post-apocalyptic plot, the characters have to travel. But that wasn't enough to keep me reading.
This book is an amazing book, filled with fantasy. The characters are amazing and I cannot wait to watch the movie.
Read it here: http://db-bookblogger.blogspot.co.za/?m=1
I don't really read middle grade novels, mostly because I'm not middle grade (and even when I was I didn't read middle grade novels), but also because most of my reading nowadays are fanfiction.
But I chose this book because it had an intriguing summary. While I read the book I kept looking at the back and reading the blurb - mostly to just remind myself of the story.
This was a really good read. The characters were really well written and were amazingly brave throughout everything they had to face and worked well with the others (as they're all kids in an orphanage-type-of-place).
The plot was fantastic as it drew me in and kept me at the edge of my seat. It was a rather slow plot, and most of the action happens in the last 100 or so pages. Though that isn't much of a turn off as it allowed the reader to think about what is happening, which is pretty cool, because it gives you the chance to be a detective (something I love after watching a gazillion cop shows).
So yes, read it. Not just because it's set in an orphanage or because the child characters are cool and take charge. Read it because it's a mysterious work of art. Oh and because the author manages to add in synthesia (the one where you see colours or something) to the main character – which is really cool.
Read in high school in Drama class and reading it again for college. Home field advantage? Of course. Had it for Waiting For Godot and will have it for The Great Gatsby.
Hey kids!
Here's a protip: Don't think yourself above people and assume you need to be omnipotent - because you will die!
Oops, was that a spoiler? Well it's a pretty known fact (for those of you who watch Supernatural) that you don't make deals with a demon!
It's just plain common knowledge.
The play was good. Gives out handy tips/morals:
1. Don't make deals with the seedy inhabitants of the Underworld.
2. Don't think too much of yourself (Remember Narcissius?).
I mean that's pretty much all. There's an adaption of Faustus with Richard Burton (as the good old stupid Faustus) and Elizabeth Taylor (as a woman) - though she doesn't do much other than have extremely annoying screechy music as her entrance music.
Loved this book. Wish I could say more but I'm too astounded by the fact that this amazing series is nearly finished. So, Richelle, I really don't like how you ended the book.
dnf at 29%
I originally had the e-arc and I think I must've deleted this off my Kindle whilst going through my arcs. Since it's a 2022 arc (yes, I know, quite late but this is what we do), the e-arc was archived. Only the audiobook was available for me from the library. Unfortunately I think that might've added to my reason to dnf? I didn't like the narrators.
Furthermore I didn't feel like the characters were interesting, at all. I think I maybe was more interested in the past characters but only because I wanted to see what would happen to them, not their personalities. I didn't really care much for the characters in the present. I think the writing wasn't really capturing my attention so all of together just had me click the dnf button
I got the audio from Libby, mainly because I wanted to fulfill a bingo board prompt, but also because I could see I was struggling with the e-book. Unfortunately I had to send it back early because I didn't like the narrator at all. I think the voice for the one character was fine, I just couldn't deal with the main character's voice. He was already whiny in my eyes and the voice made it worse. convenience
Then I chose to fully dnf afterwards. I didn't like any of the characters I'd met so far. I'd thought even though I didn't them, maybe the plot points would be better for me – that wasn't the case. And finally I wasn't a fan of the dialogue – especially between Gaige (our main character) and Logan (his boyfriend). It started to make me like them and the book less. So rather than having to force myself to finish the book, I chose to say bye bye.
I was excited to read this because it sounded so good and it's set at a boarding school and I love boarding school settings but unfortunately that's just how it goes! I don't have any concrete reasons for not liking this, except I just... didn't like it at all. I was bored through most of it – I told myself “okay let's listen to 30 mins real time and then make a decision (to push through or just dnf). I think I didn't even make it 10 minutes and I was zoning out and didn't even want to make myself listen to the book.
We were promised a lot in the book and I don't think I saw any of that. I found everything so boring and I try to immediately stop reading when I find the book boring. Yes, I saw the book was dark and while I do like I couldn't bring myself to actually care about it. Apparently there's humour in the book – I did not crack a single smile through the bit that I read. I didn't like the narrators so I think that added to my dislike of the book.
DNF at 7%
I suppose I'm half to blame as I know I don't like sci-fi books (prefer the movies) and easily dnf books if it's just too confusing or doesn't keep my attention. I thought I was safe because it's set in a Post-Apocalyptic world and I like those. I could feel myself drifting off and reaching for the dnf button very early on. I knew then I wouldn't like much of anything – It was an interesting concept, sure, but I think maybe if I had read this in audio I would've kept at it. I did want to like and read this as I don't really read much sci-fi.
The writing feels very juvenile – not like it's meant to be an adult book. I don't like the main character and how she views and talks about everyone. And I think there was a fatphobic comment? Who knows what else there might be?
By the writing was juvenile, I meant there were lines like: So much cursing! So much yelling! And in shouty all-caps.
Link to blog: https://dbsguidetothegalaxy.wordpress.com/2017/06/17/oh-arc-my-arc-leo-loves-aries/
Stars: 5
This is my second Anyta Sunday book (the first being True Colours – click the link to go to my review of that). And wow, she just gets better with every book (even though Leo Loves Aries was written before True Colours).
I just loved this book. I read it in one sitting – lying in my bed with my tablet slowly draining its battery. Everything was just fantastic and I just love everything in the book.
Now I've read other reviews and some people are unhappy about the fact that Theo's sexuality was never mentioned. I for one didn't have much of an issue with it, as fluidity of sexuality is a very real thing and Theo might not even know what he's feeling – if he's gay, bi, pan etc. and he might not want to know – which is fine, as you don't have to label yourself with whichever sexuality – meaning you can be bicurious or questioning or even just not straight – and that's okay.
So it's an absolutely gorgeous fluffy m/m romance book that you have to read – and will probably be the book that I'll go to after reading a bad one.
The characters are fantastic. They're funny and real and lovable and I just want to eat them all up – in a loving way, okay? Well, all except the exes. They can go die in a hole. I loved that Leone was blind and that was represented well, not made fun and she was still treated like a person. I loved the minor characters – can we get a whoot-whoot for the demisexual minor character – whom I think is Ben - but don't quote me on it or shoot me. Just tell me if I'm wrong and I'll edit the review.
And yessss for the relationship. I shipped it all the way and was groaning at my tablet because slow burn is the best and worst of the bloody tropes.
Realised very quickly on that I wasn't going to carry on with it. I didn't like the writing style and even though it's a short book; it's hard to want to carry on when you already know you won't like the writing style.
Another issue I had was the amount of world-building I got in the very little I read. This was also the issue with the next dnf. Now, as a big fantasy reader, I'm very used to a lot of world-building. It's the bread and butter of fantasy worlds. It has to be done in a good way. Which was not the case here, as you can see.
I got to about 33 or so percent when I realised I wasn't taking anything in and I wasn't really interested. Not the characters, plot, world-building, anything could really get me into the book. Unfortunately, skimming ahead didn't really do anything for me, so dnf it is.
I don't have much to say about the characters because I didn't feel like I knew them. The writing's partially at fault. It's also due to the pacing. It was incredibly fast at the beginning and then slowed down, then went fast and back and forth. That didn't give me the time I needed to figure out the characters' personalities or the world-building because I kept trying to catch up with the pace.
I think I can tell you like two things about Kiera (well, three if you include her name). One, that she has a father. I have no idea if she talks to him after she goes to the palace. Or if she ever sees him again. And two that she's able to wield some type of healing magic that was probably explained as she grew more experienced.
I also don't really have a lot to say about Dorian because he wasn't exactly memorable to me. He didn't feel like he was a Fae character. He felt more like a character who simply happened to have pointed ears and could use magic. I know I'm fairly new to the Fae genre but I don't think that's how it should be?
I mange to get to about 11% and (once again) realised I wasn't connecting at all to the characters. I'm definitely more of a character reader. Don't get me wrong, I really really love my plots, but badly written characters spoil the vibe for me and is the main cause of me dnfing a book.
Plus, there was a lot of information being shoved at the reader in the tiny part that I read and that's another reason to not carry on reading. I like having information but not that much in such a little timespan.
I managed to get to 18% before deciding to dnf and I was so bored throughout it all. From the apparent perfection of Cherry/Cerise and although her hometown views her as a bad girl for various reasons – she ran off with a man, left him, had a baby with another man, made sure her kids were fed and dressed (but that was with a job that left them clutching their pearls) but she's still seen as the ‘darling' of the town. Two men want to be with her, or maybe only one really did, but I saw absolutely no chemistry with Cerise (in fact it felt like she had no chemistry with anyone, including her kids) with either of them. The whole spiel of all the townspeople disliking her because of her choices but then also constantly showing up to help her annoyed me so much. Either have them dislike her outright or have them help her out.
The language trying to be flowery but it just fell flat for me and somehow added to trying to make Cerise out to be an amazing mom because she's great with the kids even when they're ‘difficult'. It's just all of that just tried to make Cerise a strong character and I didn't feel it at all.
So the older kid, Jonah, is disabled. It's said he has a genetic disorder and although it's not mentioned anywhere, he's autistic and largely non-verbal too. The author said in the acknowledgements that she wrote Jonah based on/for her disabled kid – and then she names his diagnoses – so we basically know what Jonah's diagnoses are. I don't know when the book is set because the year is never mentioned. Phones, their cords and cradles are mentioned but seeing as the book is set in a small town it makes sense for them to still have corded phones – let's say still into the 2000's. Jonah wears headphones, but they're actually not a new thing (dating back somewhere to the 1800s, surprisingly). All of that is to say – the r-slur is used a few times in the book – when is this book set? Their usage of it felt so casual). Either way, I don't like the slur – whenever the book is set.
I didn't like how Cerise spoke about Jonah. Specifically there was this line where he wakes up and his eyes are like dulled by the reality of life. And then it says he's ‘only fully himself when asleep' which annoyed me a lot because he stims a lot. So what? He's not himself when he stims? Stimming even helps the person feel more like themself. I stim (ADHD, not autistic) and stimming is something I like to do – it calms me down, it shows when I'm happy etc. Stimming isn't only for happy or angry. sometimes we just like to make noise for fun! Also it felt like he was only there to prop Cerise up, to show how good of a mom she was because she's taking care of him.
Had to read for college. Found it boring and Marlow a pretentious, racist and self-obsessed narrator who thinks himself above natives. I understand that was Conrad's way of telling the readers how senseless the world is. Though I do congratulate Conrad on writing such fine English with it being his third language.
Chinua Achebe wrote a bloody fine essay detailing why he doesn't like Heart of Darkness. It's called An Image of Africa, and it's wonderful. Read that instead of this.
*I'm giving it two stars on account of the writing. If only Goodreads had half-stars.
I was excited for this because it promised a heist book... and all it gave me was a stock market meeting – or something equally as boring (apologies if you love stock market meetings). Now, Afrikaans has this wonderful word: langdradig (if you want to hear the pronunciation) – and it means wordy/tedious/drawn out. And that's exactly how I felt about the little (9%) I read.
The sentences were drawn-out (unnecessarily) – like I would be reading about the one character and it would go off on this tangent – also unnecessary and made the story more boring. Maybe the plot would've been interesting, or maybe I would've liked the characters a lot – but the writing just put me off completely. And I'm sad about that, because it looked really cool.
I know I spoke about Beau Taplin being an Instagram poet and his collection being a bit too mushy – and while Poindexter is definitely very mushy too, I just love Poindexter's work.
When I got back into poetry I of course looked for modern poetry. A lot of modern poetry is indeed ‘instagram poetry' – short poems usually on a filtered background or so. Which doesn't mean that it can't be good or meaningful poetry. And Poindexter shows that. I've always enjoyed reading his work. Which is why I was happy with Old Soul Love as it was both his old and new work – meaning I could recognise his old work – some of them being ones I really really loved.
Again, I'm not a huge fan of love poetry (I do prefer the hard-hitting poetry – which I've found is a lot in slam poetry). But Poindexter makes me want to go back to reading romantic poetry. When I read his poems I want to find love, to be in love with someone (and then I remember I mostly like to be alone. Or with my cat). And that's a testament to how good of a writer he is – that he can make you feel emotions that you didn't necessarily think you really had.
I finally decided to stop reading at 60%. I really should've stopped at like 15 or 20%. I wasn't taking in anything and when I stopped reading I basically forgot about everything that was in the book – names, whatever the plot was. What I do remember is a very, very confusing plot – that even after looking at spoilery reviews – I don't understand.
The cover and the synopsis made me see it as a simple YA mystery/thriller book. I got something very more confusing and because I wasn't interested in any of it I didn't want to take the time to properly try to understand the book. I don't remember any of the characters? None were memorable at all – I only remember some names because I looked at the synopsis when I started this review.
Further on than not just remembering anything, I didn't want to know more about them or read their dialogue with each other. That also made me decide to stop reading it because you shouldn't really try to force yourself to care about characters, you know?
CW/TW: Extreme and sudden death – violent.
It was a quick and easy read. There were mini dragons involved and a smart female main character – I was interested. But that's all I was – just merely interested. I don't remember much of this other than a cave? And the school project? There was enough to keep me reading, sure, but there wasn't enough to keep me involved in the story, and not enough for me to want to read further.
I liked the writing, and the characters, Khaly was probably my favourite character and I do like how spunky she was. And like, yes, tell the superiors off, definitely, because they don't want to listen to reason – just because they think they're the better person or more educated – you can always learn from another person. I like the cover – it's a good drawing and partly why I took it (as I think it was a download now arc).
Do I recommend this: From what I can remember of this was a cute and quick read. Something you could read in a day and maybe carry on with the series. And it has dragons.
The Cauldron Stirred
Judith Stirling
Stars: 3
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from Netgalley and The Wild Rose Press, Inc in exchange for my free and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book was an average read for the most part. I really liked the plot and setting and I felt like I was there, alongside the characters – which is why I flock to fantasy – because I like to feel like I'm there. The plot was well-written – I liked the mystery aspect and I definitely enjoyed the paranormal aspects.
I didn't connect with the characters. I thought them a bit boring – which is a bit weird in fantasy as there's so much room to play and you could dress them up any which way – and they were a bit unrealistic.
But all in all, this was a quick enjoyable read, definitely something to be read in an afternoon.
I've watched Neil from Youtube so I was happy to see this book on the Read Now's on Netgalley (aka also the worst place to be if you're terrible at restraint like me. It should be renamed to something like People who can't restrain themselves – but that's too long, so we can shorten it to PWCRT – we'll have to work on the pronunciation or even rewrite the renaming).
I read (well in this anthology it mentions) that he wrote some of these while on the road and I can just see that – waiting at a petrol station or in the queue at a coffee shop and just furiously scribbling on a notepad or the back of a receipt. And I love it because it's so raw – which is something that's a theme with him – rawness in his writing. He writes poems that are to the point, ones that are real.
What I love about poetry (and slam poetry in particular) is that different people can find different meanings in the poems. I think it's so important for writers to talk about mental illness and to not treat it like something that should be stashed away in the corner. It shows that it can and should be commonplace, it should be showcased, it should be discussed.
Favourite quotes:
The Ballad of Fuckknuckle Jones:
He's the kind of guy who, when he says you'll be fine, is probably right. The end isn't coming soon, just what's next.
All Ages:
What's more punk rock than living despite all that which has tried to make you not?
Psalam 12, In Which the Author Alienates His Audience, Part 2:
Your cat is the best thing that happens in your day; your cat is the best thing that happens in your cat's day.
Going to Wales:
...right now I'm inventing castles and in one of them is a dragon.
The Future:
I know tomorrow is going to come because I've seen it. Sunrise is going to come,
all you have to do is wake up.
I saw the future, I did, and in it I was alive
