Katherine
The Spear Cuts Through Water 5/5
It's hard to collect my thoughts around this book. It's beautifully written, the characters are fantastic. It's told in such a dream-like way, and the setting of the Inverted Theater is so unique. I love the tale of this... it's almost a creation myth, with many aspects of those stories woven in, but it's also a story about how important stories are. The ending was so sweet, but it could've ended at the end of part 5 and it would've been beautiful as well. I don't think it's a perfect book, but I don't think anything is a perfect book. This one though, really touched me, and it's one I'll be thinking about for a while.
Faebound 3/5
The book is very predictable. The characters are mostly likable, but the plot has some issues and obvious editorial mistakes that stand out. There are also some world building things that drive me insane. Seriously, why camels??? Also it's less romantasy than it was marketed as. There is romance and a couple of more graphic sex scenes but it is very much sidelined by the plot. I did love the queernorm world and the twist on how elves and fae are normally presented. I may read the rest of the trilogy but if it's anything like this book I know how they'll go anyway.
Empire of Silence 4.5/5
This book draws you into its fascinating world and politics and doesn't let go. Hadrian Marlowe may not be the most charismatic character, but he is a fascinating character to follow as you go through his early mistakes that lead to him becoming the Suneater. As this is told in a sort of memoir style, older Hadrian will give tantalizing hints of what happens to him later. This books plot is a little like getting whiplash as Hadrian is yanked from one life to another, from one persons authority to a gilded cage. Stick with this book if you like morally gray characters, unexpected plots, and a world full of mysteries
A River Enchanted 3.5/5.
I didn't connect fully to the story, but I could appreciate that the characters and world were well written. I wish we knew more about the world here and that it had explored relationships a little longer, as it's quite short. Overall the story is fine but not my favorite. I like the world and the characters, while not instant favorites, are written well.
Red Mars 4/5
I liked this look at what the political situation would be like if we actually ever did try to colonize mars. The technology developed was really cool, and the process of describing terraforming felt very realistic. The characters are well written but wow it is hard to like them. Fuck Frank Chalmers in particular.
Annihilation ???/5 (5/5)
How to even begin reviewing this. Annihilation is a fever dream, a mystery, an experience. You won't know what's going on but the atmosphere around Area X is tantalizingly creepy, and haunting, and mysterious. You want to know, but at the same time, do you want to know? A truly fascinating book that makes me want to read even more about Area X.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower 5/5
“You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours”
“But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.”
“And even if somebody has it much worse, it doesn't change the fact that you have what you have.”
This story is heavy. It contains a lot of heavy topics, like sexual content, abuse, assault, and drug use. But it's an important story. It's one that someone might be living right now. Maybe that weird, quiet kid in school just really needs a friend. Maybe they have a hard time “participating” in life for whatever reason.
This is a story about trauma, and grief, and friendship, true friendship. It's a story about being present in life, even when it's hard. It's a story about making room for yourself in your own life. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not an easy read. But I would recommend everyone who can to read it. Maybe it will make you realize that there's something you're not being present for, or that you're not making enough room for yourself in your own life. Or maybe it will inspire you to forge your own path, no matter where you come from. And realize that your worries and problems are real problems, even if “others have it worse”. Make time for yourself. And be present for life, the good and the bad.
The Deep 4.5/5
A supremely creepy fever dream of a book. The one criticism I have is that it could have played with the fear of the deep ocean more, as the horrific scenes felt disconnected from its setting at times. But wow, I couldn't look away. I had my hand over my mouth for most of the book, and it made me cry at one point. The descriptions of things in the dark and body horror are truly, truly horrifying. I'll be sleeping with the lights on from now on, and God knows I'm not going into a submarine any time soon!
Hell Followed With Us 3.5/5
I don't know how to feel about this story. It was nice to have representation at the forefront, and having the plot be fighting the people around you who constantly don't accept you. But the framing was just okay? A little too on the nose for my tastes. I liked the characters but felt like they could've been deeper, especially in a 300 page book. Benji gets good characterization, but the others are a little more one-note. They're not stereotypes but they're pretty shallow. I didn't love the plot, it's very simple, predictable, and a little... wish fulfilling? I think that's the best way to describe it. Overall the book is fine but I didn't love it.
The Disappearing Spoon 5/5
This book did a great job of combining chemistry with interesting historical facts about the scientific figures and events surrounding the different elements on the periodic table. Filled with interesting tidbits as well as explanations of how chemistry works for a layperson to understand, this book is great for exploring the world of chemistry for both chemists and non chemists alike.
This book starts off a little slow, but I promise the ending is absolutely worth it. A great political fantasy from the point of view of an actor that is filled with wit and humor. The magic in this book is absolutely fascinating and very unique. If you don't love most of the cast by the end of the book, at the very least they'll have made quite the impression. These characters are fantastic. Highly recommend.
Godkiller 3.5/5
This book wears its influences on its sleeve. It clearly pulls from The Witcher for a lot of its characterization of Kissen. I love the world, there's a lot you can do with it, though some of the rules are a little fuzzy imo. I think the characters are okay, a little shallow at times since we don't get much time to explore them in such a short book. Most of the book was pretty predictable and basic. It didn't fully engage me- I wasn't dreading to pick it up, but I wasn't flying through it either. The end was a little too much out of nowhere, and would've hit harder had the book explored two characters relationship more. Overall it's a fantasy with cool world building, characters that are interesting but fairly shallow, and a fairly basic plot.
These Burning Stars 4/5
This book surprised me. What at first seemed like a fairly generic space opera turned into a layer of twists and turns that, despite a few being fairly predictable, were still surprising. There's always another secret... true in Mistborn, and true in this book. I can't say I absolutely loved it- I thought two of the viewpoint characters were fascinating, and I loved the flashback chapters. But I couldn't connect to one character very well and felt her chapters were a bit of a drag. Overall, the characters are strong, the plot is twisty, and the prose is pretty good. Unfortunately, some of the worldbuilding felt just a little lacking, for one example that really stuck out to me- the gender system only seeming to have she/he/they while still being very progressive. I also wish a little more time had been devoted to the religious side of the world building. But overall a solid book and I'll be reading the sequels
Ninth House 4/5
I liked this book. The mystery wasn't the most interesting at first, I preferred the mystery of Alex's past more. But it does a good job wrapping up and explaining everything, and you can see where most things are coming from after the reveal which is always a key part of any good mystery. One thing did come out of nowhere at the end but it made for an interesting plot point. Overall the book's plot is interesting, the characters are fleshed out, and the prose is decent. Pretty good! Would definitely recommend for lovers of mystery.
Throne of Jade 4.25/5
I love Temeraire as a character and this book continues that trend. It is heavily character focused, and the plot mostly happens in the background. It's slower than the first book, but sets up a lot of intriguing possibilities for the future. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series!
Lilac Girls: 4/5
I think I would've appreciated it more as a nonfiction. Something where the stories of the Rabbits of Ravensbrück could be heard all together, and not the fictionalized version one that was told here. I also wish less time had been focused on Caroline's fictional story. I do appreciate this book for introducing me to this horrific situation, as women during the Holocaust are not well represented. I had no idea that there was an all female concentration camp, and this book did a good job getting across the horror of what happened.
Overall this book was just... fine. Since it's in a fairytale format you could see most things coming a mile away. The ending isn't exactly surprising. There are some really sweet character moments, but then those are blindsided by weirdly brutal and graphic moments. Fairy tales were originally very dark, so it makes sense that this book would be dark in moments, but it just felt jarring when it happened since most of the book is very whimsical. It makes for a strange reading experience.