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thepaperwitch's reviews
503 reviews
A Willing Murder by Jude Deveraux
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Read this for one of the book clubs I run. Not my cup of tea, but the group liked one of the others in the series, so we read the first one. Definitely didn't need to read about counting calories and fatphobia by a skinny chick any time food was mentioned. The story was ok. A lot of lucky alignments of the plot and the story wrapped up with a nice neat bow, so I could see the appeal others might have with it. I do really like Aunt Sara, though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Grief, and Car accident
What Doesn't Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.0
An in-depth look at what it means to have IBD and Crohn's disease. Of course, this is one perspective, but it is very eye-opening and informative. It is memoir-like in her journey through her diagnosis, flairs, and recessions, but it also shows the numerous hardships and barriers that the healthcare system in America has that makes treatment difficult--and this is from a person with a lot of privilege compared to most of the country. There are a number of adjacent issues that people with chronic illnesses have to deal with, especially relating to their mental health, and I really appreciated that she dives into these issues. The book also has appendixes that focus on navigating these issues including: reporting a doctor, finding a good therapist, mental health resources, chronic illness and anxiety, how to talk about mental health medication, chronic illness and depression, medical PTSD, and wrongful termination.
Pick this up if you or someone you know deals with chronic illness and/or IBD or Crohn's disease specifically. I'd also recommend it to anyone looking to learn a little bit more about the chronic illness perspective.
Pick this up if you or someone you know deals with chronic illness and/or IBD or Crohn's disease specifically. I'd also recommend it to anyone looking to learn a little bit more about the chronic illness perspective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma
Minor: Eating disorder, Excrement, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
It's a book about specific chronic illnesses, so it is going to be discussing that in a straightforward way, but it is not vulgar.
Push (25th Anniversary Edition) by Sapphire
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A heavy read, but highly recommended book. The way Sapphire is so open with Precious' thoughts feels jarring at first because so many authors hold back and want their main character to not seem too tied to what has hurt them. That they have some internal "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" nonsense. But not this book. I truly felt I was inside the mind of another person with all their faults, limitations, aspirations, and hopes. Precious has been through so much. She has been repeatedly raped by her mother and father, given birth to two babies before she's 17 caused by the incest, been beaten and abused, is illiterate, and holds all her emotions inside while only letting anger and silence be shown. But she is put on a path (against her will) that does give her the opportunity to turn her aspirations into reality. Then she finds out she is positive for HIV. But Precious pushes forward. We see her abilities and situation slowly improve. We want her to be ok. We want her to be happy. But we also know the way of the world.
When we don't have the tools, how can we build our own futures?
Everyone should read this book.
When we don't have the tools, how can we build our own futures?
Everyone should read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
William by Mason Coile
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
What happens when an AI with half a functioning body decides it wants to taste freedom at any cost? William by Mason Coile happens. Henry is an agoraphobic engineer who has finally made a true AI conscious at the cost of his relationship with Lily, his brilliant, pregnant wife, who is also an engineer and designer of the smart home they live in. When some of her coworker friends come over to meet Henry, he decides it's finally time to unveil his project, William, even though the AI has been acting stranger and stranger. Things begin to unravel when William presses his pencil-like fingers into Lily's pregnant belly and then grabs her wrist tight enough to draw blood.
William is a pretty fast paced book that I read in one sitting. I guessed the ending, but I still enjoyed reading the book. Pick this up if you're looking for a quick read or AI horror.
William is a pretty fast paced book that I read in one sitting. I guessed the ending, but I still enjoyed reading the book. Pick this up if you're looking for a quick read or AI horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Pregnancy
Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A plane crashes into a nuclear reactor? I'll give that a go! Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman fed my disaster-movie-loving-heart. The story was fast-paced nearly the whole time (I finished most of it in a day), had a lot of great tense and thrilling scenes, and the science was pretty solid. That said, there was a good bit of long shots and unlikely coincidences as well as wrapping up stories with a nice bow on top, but I wasn't too mad about it. It helped get me out of my reading slump and I think I'm going to pick up Newman's other books (this was my first one of hers).
Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Animal abuse, death, and gore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson is a bit of a cozy pseudo-mystery with some depth. A diverse group of tenants in an old English historical housing complex learn that they are being evicted and they must figure out where they are going to go. One of the tenants wants to try to protest the eviction and protect the historic house, but is unable to get the group to move past their petty grievances and work together. When the tenant is found almost dead after he starts his protest, the older woman who lives across from his flat tries to figure out which tenant did it.
This was an enjoyable, easy read that centers on character interaction, backstory, and development and ends with a nice, tidy wrap-up. Pick this up if you want a pick-me-up story.
This was an enjoyable, easy read that centers on character interaction, backstory, and development and ends with a nice, tidy wrap-up. Pick this up if you want a pick-me-up story.
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
dark
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a great read. It is richly detailed with Native culture that invites you in to learn more about it and the people who still keep their traditions alive despite all the harm that has been done to their communities. It is insightful, relevant, and has a good mystery plot that blends together pretty well. There are a number of modern issues that affect Native communities that the author addresses, such as substance abuse, the exceptionally high rates of violence towards Native females, tribal laws, per cap money, blood quantum, distrust and weariness of police and Federal agents, the destruction that the government has caused Native families and their struggle to be made whole and maintain their traditions. I thought these were well balanced with the overall story.
I will say that towards the middle, I felt like it was a little slow and somewhat bogged down by Daunis' slightly repetitive internal monologue, but once it moved past that, I couldn't put it down. Daunis felt like a well built character with flaws, strengths, struggles, and triumphs. I think everyone should read this book.
I will say that towards the middle, I felt like it was a little slow and somewhat bogged down by Daunis' slightly repetitive internal monologue, but once it moved past that, I couldn't put it down. Daunis felt like a well built character with flaws, strengths, struggles, and triumphs. I think everyone should read this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Cultural appropriation
Kink by R.O. Kwon, Garth Greenwell
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.0
Many of the other reviews have it spot on about the confusion this anthology offers. Why is this book called kink? It felt like most of the authors had some short story they were looking to publish and used this book to do it even though it had nothing to do with the topic or misrepresented it in bad ways.