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lolocole's reviews
408 reviews
Gravity Falls Dipper's and Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun! by Rob Renzetti, Shane Houghton
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’ve never said no to a good activity book and this definitely fit the bill (lol).
Is there more to decode or am I wishful thinking? The world may never know.
Is there more to decode or am I wishful thinking? The world may never know.
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
I read this as part of an informal book club with my sister and while I loved arming myself with information about how my body works, her tone in delivering it was hard for me.
There was an almost patronizing tone and more prescription than description where it felt unnecessary and almost pushy.
The parts of the book that resonated most with me were some of the metaphors- reflecting on accelerators vs breaks, imagining my brain as a flock of birds, realizing that pleasure often comes *before* desire, etc..
Final note, I would love to find a similar book but one that takes a more inclusive approach- this book focused almost exclusively cis-gendered, neurotypical female experience.
There was an almost patronizing tone and more prescription than description where it felt unnecessary and almost pushy.
The parts of the book that resonated most with me were some of the metaphors- reflecting on accelerators vs breaks, imagining my brain as a flock of birds, realizing that pleasure often comes *before* desire, etc..
Final note, I would love to find a similar book but one that takes a more inclusive approach- this book focused almost exclusively cis-gendered, neurotypical female experience.
Dark Restraint by Katee Robert
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Not my favorite of the series but, as always, entertaining! And I am desperate for more Hermes, Hera, and Poseidon content.
Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic by g. haron davis
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a fun collection of stories! Read for a book club. The most fruitful conversations came out of the stories that prioritized character development over world building/exposition. Loved the idea of setting each of these stories against the backdrop of a magical world/school but sometimes the authors bit off more than they could chew with the amount of space they had to introduce us to the world they dreamed up.
The Wild Hunt Divinations: A Grimoire by Trevor Ketner
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Another title in my quest to read more poetry collections. I love the project of this one- the fusion of Shakespeare's sonnets and a playfulness with the original letters to explore queerness and kink in the "high" art form of the sonnet.
These poems, again, largely eluded me in terms of meaning. But reading these poems was a fascinating exercise in self-discovery insofar as noting which lines made me uncomfortable and which words gave me pause. In noting these, it was interesting to try and deconstruct why these line constructions felt off-putting to me and where my mindset needs some opening/learning/etc.
These poems, again, largely eluded me in terms of meaning. But reading these poems was a fascinating exercise in self-discovery insofar as noting which lines made me uncomfortable and which words gave me pause. In noting these, it was interesting to try and deconstruct why these line constructions felt off-putting to me and where my mindset needs some opening/learning/etc.
Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book was in limbo! It carries the same irreverent and cheeky tone over from book one, but there was no resolution in the face of building towards a riotous conclusion to come in the final book.
I did appreciate the exposition on Becky in this book and I continue to love Evie. Trystan is still elusive for me to imagine…. I think it’s because he tries to act like a caricature and even with all the mounting cracks in his defenses, he refuses to be made more than one dimensional.
Kingsley continues to be a source of delight. I can’t wait to meet Alexander.
Very fun!
I did appreciate the exposition on Becky in this book and I continue to love Evie. Trystan is still elusive for me to imagine…. I think it’s because he tries to act like a caricature and even with all the mounting cracks in his defenses, he refuses to be made more than one dimensional.
Kingsley continues to be a source of delight. I can’t wait to meet Alexander.
Very fun!
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Things that are sticking with me after the conclusion of this book:
- the choice to have nested narration (not quite omniscient narrator but not reliable but not central?) fascinating!
- a heavy dose of philosophizing (a tad bit preachy at times)
- a great plot twist! I did not expect it
- I love Tress’ character! Ingenuitive, very demure, very classy
- slower pace than I was expecting for sci-fi pirates, almost meditative
- cool planet/magic system
- the choice to have nested narration (not quite omniscient narrator but not reliable but not central?) fascinating!
- a heavy dose of philosophizing (a tad bit preachy at times)
- a great plot twist! I did not expect it
- I love Tress’ character! Ingenuitive, very demure, very classy
- slower pace than I was expecting for sci-fi pirates, almost meditative
- cool planet/magic system
Think Tank by Julie Carr
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I… still do not understand poetry. But I loved reading this collection. Some poems haunted me more than others but I loved the ebb and flow feeling of the poems folding over and into themselves. Distorting (in every sense of the word) the lingering left in their aftermath.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The ONLY reason this isn’t a five star is because the beginning hurts my heart so much and I want them to be happy so badly and it’s unbearable to wait for them to fall back into each other.
But the end is so worth it. I love the life they build together, I love that they fight for each other, I love the slow unfurling of their defenses. I love that they’re best friends. I love how giddy they are to be in love with the other person.
But the end is so worth it. I love the life they build together, I love that they fight for each other, I love the slow unfurling of their defenses. I love that they’re best friends. I love how giddy they are to be in love with the other person.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
SWOONY. GRITTY. DELICIOUS. SEXY. GIDDY.
*check trigger warnings before diving into this one, for sure!
And now for my collection of hoarded quotes:
"'One thing," she whispered, her lips by his jaw. She didn't want anyone to overhear. "Before I forget."
"What's that?"
"Stop writing about me."
Only Eva could've noticed the change in his expression. She saw the flinch. The slow, satisfied curl of his lip. His bronzy-amber eyes flashing. It was like he'd been waiting years to hear those words. Like the girl whose pigtails he'd been yanking during recess all year had finally shoved him back. He looked gratified.
In a voice both raspy and low, and so, so familiar, Shane said, "You first"" (70-1).
""... You were overwhelming. Just wild and weird and brilliant, and I never had a choice. I liked everything about you. Even the scary parts. I wanted to drown in your fucking bathwater" (95).
""I stayed alive for you. But you killed me, anyway"" (218).
""I love you," said Shane. "Dramatically, violently, and forever"" (240).
""I wanna be everything," he said, his mouth against her ear. "Wanna be the reason you light up. I wanna make you laugh, make you moan, make you safe... I want to be the thought that lulls you to sleep. The memory that gets you off. I wanna be where all your paths end... I wanna do everything you do to me"" (241).
*check trigger warnings before diving into this one, for sure!
And now for my collection of hoarded quotes:
"'One thing," she whispered, her lips by his jaw. She didn't want anyone to overhear. "Before I forget."
"What's that?"
"Stop writing about me."
Only Eva could've noticed the change in his expression. She saw the flinch. The slow, satisfied curl of his lip. His bronzy-amber eyes flashing. It was like he'd been waiting years to hear those words. Like the girl whose pigtails he'd been yanking during recess all year had finally shoved him back. He looked gratified.
In a voice both raspy and low, and so, so familiar, Shane said, "You first"" (70-1).
""... You were overwhelming. Just wild and weird and brilliant, and I never had a choice. I liked everything about you. Even the scary parts. I wanted to drown in your fucking bathwater" (95).
""I stayed alive for you. But you killed me, anyway"" (218).
""I love you," said Shane. "Dramatically, violently, and forever"" (240).
""I wanna be everything," he said, his mouth against her ear. "Wanna be the reason you light up. I wanna make you laugh, make you moan, make you safe... I want to be the thought that lulls you to sleep. The memory that gets you off. I wanna be where all your paths end... I wanna do everything you do to me"" (241).