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bibliokyra's reviews
1111 reviews
Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese
4.0
I devoured Only When It’s Us over the weekend and it was perfection! It’s a frenemies-to-lovers college romance featuring a badass soccer star whose mother is dying of cancer and a hearing impaired lumberjack type. The romance was slow-burn, steamy and completely adorable. I love how the author thoughtfully incorporates underrepresented characters into her stories and normalizes disabilities. Liese introduces the reader to the lovable Bergman bunch which paves the way for the next couple of books in the series and I’m so glad that’s not the last I’ll see of Willa and Ryder. This refreshing rom-com is hilarious, sexy, heart-wrenching and will invoke *all* the feels. I highly recommend for fellow romance lovers.
Outlawed by Anna North
4.0
Many thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for my ARC of OUTLAWED by Anna North!
It’s the year of our Lord 1894 and it is every woman’s duty to bear children and replace those who were lost during the Great Flu. Our young protagonist Ada is a content newlywed and studying under her mother as an apprentice midwife. When Ada fails to become pregnant after a year of marriage, she is thrown out by her in-law’s and rumors of witchcraft begin to circulate. Before Ada is jailed or hung, her mother helps her escape town and she flees to a convent. Ada finds comfort in the library and educates herself on the reproductive system and barrenness. She hopes to spread awareness and save future victims from superstition, fear and hatred. Mother Superior convinces Ada that she will find the answers she seeks with the notorious Kid and The Hole in the Wall Gang. As it turns out, the gang is made up of fellow outcasts and nonconformists hoping to create a better place for people like them.
All I needed to hear was “feminist western” and I knew I had to read this book! The plot is fast-paced and keeps you on your toes while exploring sexuality, religion, racism, sexism, and homophobia. I adored Ada and enjoyed getting to know all of the side characters. OUTLAWED is a riveting Wild West story with strong LGBTQ+ representation and themes of community, friendship and found family. It was a fun read and I highly recommend! Out 1/5/21.
It’s the year of our Lord 1894 and it is every woman’s duty to bear children and replace those who were lost during the Great Flu. Our young protagonist Ada is a content newlywed and studying under her mother as an apprentice midwife. When Ada fails to become pregnant after a year of marriage, she is thrown out by her in-law’s and rumors of witchcraft begin to circulate. Before Ada is jailed or hung, her mother helps her escape town and she flees to a convent. Ada finds comfort in the library and educates herself on the reproductive system and barrenness. She hopes to spread awareness and save future victims from superstition, fear and hatred. Mother Superior convinces Ada that she will find the answers she seeks with the notorious Kid and The Hole in the Wall Gang. As it turns out, the gang is made up of fellow outcasts and nonconformists hoping to create a better place for people like them.
All I needed to hear was “feminist western” and I knew I had to read this book! The plot is fast-paced and keeps you on your toes while exploring sexuality, religion, racism, sexism, and homophobia. I adored Ada and enjoyed getting to know all of the side characters. OUTLAWED is a riveting Wild West story with strong LGBTQ+ representation and themes of community, friendship and found family. It was a fun read and I highly recommend! Out 1/5/21.
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
4.0
Night of the Mannequins is a horror novella written by Stephen Graham Jones. I didn’t exactly know what to expect going into this one and I think that was for the best. Told in first person, the story revolves around a group of high school friends, a silly prank gone wrong, and a mannequin. After an unexpected turn of events, the narrative shifts into a stream of consciousness style and the author’s intentions become more clear. Jones perfectly captures the hopeless dread of growing older and having your childhood ripped from you through the unreliable narrator. This psychological coming-of-age slasher is unsettling, gory, and full of dark, witty humor. I highly recommend it for slasher fans looking for a quick, entertaining read.