ashlightgrayson's reviews
754 reviews

Wholesome kinky monster romance is the best way I can describe this story. The main character, Beryl, grows up in a cult that worships monsters (called demiurgus) that they aspire to be able to have sex with. A very strange premise for a romance novel to start. Beryl is our main character who wants to leave the cult to go live in the real world. Eventually she gets her wish when an innocent demiurgus named Greid stumbles upon the cult and strikes a deal with her to leave the cult. He needs a new roommate and she needs a way out, so it works out in both of their favors. 

Greid and Beryl are both awkwardly cute and become very good friends that spend a lot of time together. It's a friends to lovers story that introduces the interesting world of demiurgus. Beryl ends up getting a job at a local bar and starts trying to make friends. I really liked that the story explored how strange it is to leave a religious cult and have to adapt back into society. Greid is a misfit as well in other ways. The demiurgus are known for being assertive and specifically sexually dominant and assertive in bed. Greid on the other hand, is a very shy, sexually submissive, and nerdy guy. What is cool is that Beryl and Greid like each other for who they are. Greid's family is also super cool once they get introduced. It's no surprise that Greid is such a sweetheart.

The story is very slice of life and the sexual scenes are very kinky and explicit. Beryl has vaginismus and I think this is the first time I've ever read a story that  includes a character with the condition. I loved that it didn't make Beryl and Greid's sex life any less exciting and joyful. There is no penis in vagina intercourse in the entirety of the story but it was still great smut. I hope to find more books with a variety of positive sexual experiences such as this one. It was written in a loving and non-judgmental way that is inclusive. We really need more books like this.

As an aside, I would only recommend reading this if you are aware that there is explicit sexual content. It is very cozy outside of that though and will cheer you up if you're looking for a wholesome and fun monster romance with lots of spice.

This was an uplifiting and hopeful poetry collection. The poet has sadly passed after losing her battle with cancer. The way the poems are written speaks to the newfound relationship the writer seemed to have with mortality. Each poem gives perspective to different romantic relationships with various endings and beginnings. Some also speculate on the idea of maybe never finding the one, and still having a wonderful life to live. I could relate to that perspective a lot as I think society tends to put romantic relationsihps on a pedestal. When time may be limited (such as knowing you have a potentially terminal illness) I think it inclindes people to cling more strongly to the relationships we already have. That may or may not involved a romantic partner. I grieved that we no longer have the honor of having Rachel Trieu with us to write more wonderfully inspiring poems like this. I hope her family continues to find peace in her published work in the way I have by reading it for the first time.

This was an informative audiobook jam packed with important historical information that is meticulously cited. There was so much work and effort that Michelle Alexander put into this and you can feel it both through her narration of the book and th work itself. Alexander walks through all the various ways in which the prison industrial complex is just one of many remnants of slavery that continue to affect us today. 

The language used in the book is reasonably simple and straighforward, but this is still a very dense reading experience. The author intermittently resummarizes and draws connections from one chapter to another. For example, at some point there is deep dive into the War on Drugs and Reagan administration that is then linked to overpolicing of black/brown communities as well as the current disproportionate mass incarceration of black individuals. Alexander expands upon the reasons why racism is baked into our justice system. It really seems that the only way to fix it is to build it from the ground up. This book is an educational experience that makes you strongly consider the current state of affairs as they are. It merits a reread just because there is so much information to unpack here. I do strongly recommend this for anyone that is interested in the history of racial bias within our justice system and the after effects today. Even if this is a topic you are already familiar with, this still stands as an excellent resource.

Such a cool interesting sci-fi romance. I originally supported the creator on Kickstarter and purchased the digital copies volumes 1-3. This year I had the pleasure of being surprised by the presence of the creator at a con and purchased all three physical volumes. The story is set in a technologically advanced future where there are people that live on various different planets. It is both a fascinating and a horrifying utopia. I'll get to why in a moment. There are a lot of technological advances that make many things more efficient, including sex. The romantic relationships in this world are like arranged marriages based on compatibility. Marriages lack physical and emotional intimacy stripping them down to a roommates/friends with benefits relationship. It was very strange to realize that people engage in sexual activity with a machine that is specialized to their physical needs/wants. It's literally two people watching each other get their physical needs met by technology with no physical contact between the two human parties. It's not really much different from voyeuristic masturbation. I think the reason it disturbs me is because you would think the point of sex is to have the ability to connect with another person via physical touch, and not just sexual necessarily. 

Our main character, Abeille, is an immigrant from another planet that has a lot of curiousity about physical touch. Part of this is also probably informed by how much of an outsider she feels like on this new planet. She has an entry level job that makes her feel quite inadequate and ignored. She also is still learning how to make more friends while learning about the planetary culture. Despite all this, she is very optimistic, kind, and charmingly awkward.

Abeille quickly befriends, Miel, a local, early on in the story. Miel is incredibly friendly and likeable and helps Miel her on endeavor to experience physical intimacy. He volunteers to be her emotional backup on a few dates. This, in a very entertaining and funny turn of events, ends terribly, but not for the reasons one might think at first. There's no social judgement in this world when it comes to engaging in sexual activity as long as it does not actually involve touching another person (this includes kissing/cuddling romantically). It made me think that this must be the norm in this society for quite a while. It sounds like they have boiled down relationships to a science to the point that everyone is emotionally detached and isolated without realizing it.

Miel and Abeille have a lot of chemistry from the moment they meet. The romantic interest between the two is very clear. They are both shy, though, and physical touch is new for both of them as a concept. There are multiple side characters that also have their own secondary storylines besides them that are incredibly engaging and interesting. Aster and Clove are two characters that have some of my favorite character designs. They are also queer characters that serve to expose that this world as openly accepting of all sexualities and gender identities. The world is also racially diverse, which is highly appreciated because there is a lot of sci-fi out there that does not.

The first volume ends on a cliffhanger as Miel and Abeille share their first physical touches. I'm looking forward to them exploring their already very cute relationship. I also want to see how all of the other characters explore their own journeys with romance. There are already some of them that undergo major changes in their relationships. I was very happy that the writer took the time to make each and every characer important and distinct. I have a fondness for all of them and just want to continue to learn more about them.

I have a friend who introduced me to Star Trek years ago and I've been a huge Trekkie since. I've watched the entire Original Series as well as the accompanying films (both classic and modern 2009 adaptation). I've watched multiple iterations since including the beginning of The Next Generation, Lower Decks, and most of Star Trek Discovery and its accompanying shorts. This book was written with Trekkies in mind, going into the theoretical physics of the show including beaming and space travel in the star ships. Everything is written in layman's terms, so it is quite easy to get through. It gives enjoyable insight into what technology is Start Trek is theoretically viable, and what is simply impossible science fiction that is treading closer to being more fantasy than reality. You can read this even if you're not a Trekkie, but it's likely that a lot of the references will be lost on you and I don't think you will have the full experience. It was a very fun geeky non-fiction read for any Trekkie sci-fi nerds that I do recommend if you love Star Trek.

The target audience for this book is individuals in romantic relationships that wish to improve their communication. However, I think it serves to give advice about healthy communication in general. The Gottman's pull examples from their own marriage as well as general examples from their clients to exemplify what unhealthy aspects of conflict between a couple look like. It makes a lot of the content presented relatable and easy to digest.

I appreciate that the Gottman's break down the spectrum of what conflict can look like. From there, they elaborate on how mistakes can be made during conflict. It's really an exercise in understanding how to argue before you are smack in the middle of it. The Gottman's introduce the concept of repair, which I think is super helpful. I feel like a lot of self-help books focus on prevention, but don't necessarily provide tools for when mistakes are made and how to fix them. The concept of repair is essentially finding ways to emotionally connect again with a partner after saying something that may be hurtful or tactless during an argument. It involves the recognition of the mistake and other times just an acknowledgement of the other person's feelings.

There are parts of the books that also explore forms of neglect and emotional immaturity during conflict. This includes giving the silent treatment or avoiding difficult conversations with a partner to avoid conflict. Really all this does often times is wedge couples farther apart from each other. There is also decades of research that the Gottman's have done to back up their advice and claims. They have done some of the longest studies, lasting years, pertaining to predictors of divorce in married couples. 
They have a website dedicated to their craft that is quite interesting:

https://www.gottman.com/about/research/

I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this, and I think the advice given can be implemented in both romantic and platonic relationships. I listened to the audiobook copy and I do recommend it as well as it is quite good.

Everyone needs a copy of this book on their shelves, regardless of gender. It is a narrative encyclopedia of anything and everything you need to know about women's health and vaginas. if you are someone who does not identify as a woman this is still something that may serve you as a way of gaining insight into the struggle that is women's health. I listened to it in audiobook format and I still feel like I need to own a physical copy. The audiobook narration by the author is phenomenal and engaging, but there is just so much interesting information that it merits a physical read. 

This book prompts a discussion about how women's pain is often dismissed. Scientific studies until very recently omitted women all together (which is mentioned in the text). Harmful marketing towards women is also addressed. The book elaborates heavily on how there are extensive societal expectations of odor and appearance of female genitalia. There are entire chapters dedicated to other topics such as birthing children, safe sexual activity, sexually transmitted infections, and the list goes on. It's quite refreshing as these topics are usually not approached openly and in layman's terms. I think any individual with female genitalia will relate and feel seen while reading this. Definitely one of the best books of the year for me and one I can universally recommend.

This was a delight to read. The author really did their research. The book mostly focuses on the contributions various women have made to different scientific fields. It also goes into the history of how some scientific branches were more open to accepting women than others. There are handpicked detailed accounts of particular women in scientific history. One of my favorites was Lillian Moller Gilbreth. I had completely forgotten that the 2003 film Cheaper by the Dozen is actually a very loose adaptation of the book. The efficiency that Gilbreth implemented into her home life was used as a template for management in the work place. I imagine with 12 children it was more of a survival skill set at that point. 

The book explores other amazing women like Rosalind Franklin and Marie Curie. There are minute details that are usually overlooked about these women's lives that the book explores. I was happy to learn how some of them had supportive husbands/romantic partners in their endeavors. Despite that support, they still endured many instances of gender discrimination, product of their time and incorrect prejudices about women in general. For anyone that is looking for an introduction to the contributions of women in science, this is a fabulous place to start. It is easy to read, entertaining, and very well cited.

This book is a personal exploration of the turmoil Jennifer Teege, the author, had when she discovered that her grandfather was a Nazi. Teege's overlapping identities (being both German-Nigerian and a black woman who spoke Hebrew) created a sort of mid-life crisis for her. The book mostly focuses on her struggle with depression as well as being hesistant about bringing up this discovery with friends. She had lived in Israel for 5 years and was fluent in Hebrews. While in Israel she naturally made friends, and she walks the reader through the emotional struggle she endured revealing this discovery to some of her friends from Israel. Some of them had family members that were murdered and were direct victims of Nazi Germany. 

As I read through the book, I can come to understand why this was such impactful discovery for Teege. She has fond memories of her grandmother and  the image she had of her was warped when she found out about Amon Goeth. Her grandfather was an unsympathetic and racist man who would have very easily killed anyone who looked like her. I think her close connections to Israel and Jewish people also contributed to her emotional state while processing all of this. 

I am glad Teege shared her story with the world. It serves as a reminder that the Holocaust did not occur in a vacuum. The Nazis were still people (as wrong as they were in their ideals), with families, friendships, and relationships. Their descendants lived on. Many of them, like Jennifer Teege, have had to come to terms with the repercussions of their legacy. Teege's case is particularly interesting since she also part of a minority group that was targeted by her grandfather. I'm glad that she brings light that she is probably not the only person dealing with something like this and that the atrocities of the Holocaust still has repercussions today. 

I wish I had discovered this book sooner. I looked into it later, and the author wrote this as a PhD student. All I have to say to that is what a wonderful academic piece it is! Clint Smith traveled to different historical planatations throughout the country and did extensive research on both the history and the legacy of these historical sites. He interviewed people that had loyalties to the Confederate flag as well as people that had direct connections to those enslaved on these plantations. He explores the hypocrisy behind a lot of plantation owners, including Thomas Jefferson who defended liberty yet enslaved hundreds of people. 

Smith is a poet, and it manifests in his writing. Listening to the audiobook narrated by him brought his work to life. The writing style is both impactful and informative. He intermittently inserts relevant anectdotes related to his own life and his family's experiences with the Jim Crow South. This helps make the facts feel more tangible and relatable. He puts into perspective that both slavery and Jim Crow laws did not end too long ago in the grand scheme of things. This was an incredibly poetic exploration of the history of plantations in the United States. The author, Clint Smith, was doing research pertaining to his PhD when he wrote this. He is a poet and it shows through the prose used in his writing. The prose is digestable and flows like poetry as you read it at certain points. Smith sprinkle anecdotes of his family's own history with the Jim Crow South and how it affected their opportunites and how they were treated. 

Thomas Jefferson is one of the primary figures Smith explores who advocated for the freedom of man whilst owning hundreds of enslaved people himself. There are many examples of this in United States history some of which is explored in the text. Abraham Lincoln had the political interests of the Union at the forefront of his mind rather than the freedom of enslaved black people. Smith provides many historical examples that brings realism to these historical figures and takes them off of the pedestal that they are often put on. 

The most interesting part to me was listening to Smith tie in some of our modern problems of poverty, housing shortages, mass incarceration, and the racial inequality of the past and present. A lot of aspects of the Jim Crow South and slavery are sometimes referenced as if it happened long ago, when we in fact, continue to see the impacts of it today. This is by far one of the best books I have read this year. I recommend it to anyone who wants a respectful and well researched work pertaining to Civil War and Jim Crow South history.