Misery by Stephen King A Horror, 1987 by Viking Press, 370 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Fat shaming. Not new for King, especially not in the late 80s, but this one definitely gets hung up on Annie’s weight and eating habits in a judgmental way a few times. Content Warning: Graphic scenes of violence, blood,... Continue Reading →
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate MG Contemporary, 2012 by HarperCollins, 307 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Punctuation is accurate. That’s a weird thing to list as a negative but it’s a question I had. If this is a 1st person story from a gorilla, wouldn’t it be badly punctuated? Of course, he... Continue Reading →
The Great Forest by Valinora Troy MG Fantasy, 2023 by Disresponsible Nodpots, 198 Pages What I Didn’t Like: There’s a lot going on since the kids are not all together. This requires you to really focus and keep track. Repetition. Some ideas are repeated, which is common in middle grade. It can get mildly annoying.... Continue Reading →
A Very Dinosaur Birthday by Adam Wallace Childrens Fantasy, 2023 by Thomas Nelson, 40 Pages What I Didn’t Like: If you’re offended by farts or the mention of dinosaur bum, maybe avoid this one. What I Did Like: The rhymes give a great cadence to the story. The illustrations are adorable. The story itself is... Continue Reading →
Ashes of Hope and Hunger by Dawn Christine Jonckowski YA Science Fiction, Independently Published in 2021, 270 Pages What I Didn’t Like: There are characters here that are not good people. It’s the point, of course, but worth earning readers about. Some of these characters will make you mad. You’ll want more. I mean, there... Continue Reading →
Kill Your Darlings by LE Harper A Fantasy, 2023 by Shivnath Productions, 320 Page What I Didn’t Like: The emphasis on body temperature gets old quickly. While I do agree you can feel warmth from emotions, it’s mentioned a bit too much. It’s a heavy book. I couldn’t read quickly because the weight of the... Continue Reading →
Sidetracked by S.K. Kelley Fantasy, Bleeding Heart Books, 2021 , 455 pages What I Didn’t Like: Jayde’s lack of confidence was a little aggravating at points, I think it’s on point for the story, just the idea that a woman would blindly do some of the things she’s done struck me as odd and frustrating.... Continue Reading →
Let’s Bake a Deal by JD Cadmon A Romance, Independently Published in 2022, 160 Pages What I Didn’t Like: I wanted a bit more. I didn’t need it, the story is wonderful as it is and didn’t leave any open questions, but I loved the characters and wanted more. Fabian made me uncomfortable. I’m sure... Continue Reading →
The Trespasser by Tana French A Mystery/Thriller, 2016 by Penguin Books, 469 Pages What I Didn’t Like: There are a few guesses the detectives make that come too close to the real thing to feel realistic, if that makes sense. The “everyone is out to get me” attitude from Conway annoyed me just as much... Continue Reading →
Reprieve by James Han Mattson A Horror, 2021 by William Morrow, 406 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Come for the horror and you’ll find the pacing too slow. Is this horrific and thrilling? Yes! But it’s also taking you on a journey. It takes time. None of the characters are explored in depth. That is... Continue Reading →
