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katiemack's reviews
1288 reviews
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
This is...fine. It's literally a transcript of Baek Se-hee's therapy sessions and some random musings in interim chapters. While Se-hee's feelings are relatable and her revelations vulnerable, some of her psychiatrist's advice feels misguided or harmful (though I'm sure there are cultural differences for which I'm not accounting), and there's much less analysis than I was expecting. So, while her thoughts and feelings resonated with me a lot of the time, it doesn't feel particularly helpful and exists more as a space for the author to vent.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Oh boy. What a ride.
This is my first foray into SF erotica, so I'm going to refrain from rating it. It's also not the type of romance I usually go for, but between the hype and the beautiful new cover for the special edition--and the free trial of Kindle Unlimited I have until the end of next month--I figured I should try this.
As far as the romance goes, I didn't hate it; in fact, it's oddly compelling. Rather than being a total alpha asshole who tries to control his love interest, Vektal primarily seems concerned about keeping Georgie alive, safe, and comfortable and mostly just tries to be available to support her. There's also more agency and consent than some of the other "fated mates" tropes I've seen (aside from whenVektal wakes a sleeping Georgie by aggressively eating her out; that was rough for me to read --sure, he wants Georgie to accept the khui and live with him on his planet forever, but ultimately it's her choice.
Unfortunately, this theme of consent doesn't extend to the beginning of the book. There's some early sexual assault that happens on the ship before Georgie and the others land on Vektal's planet, and the way Ruby Dixon portrays this trauma is cruel and unhealthy.Dominique, the girl who is raped by the aliens transporting the women, "goes nuts" and disappears into the snowy abyss, only to be found later by Georgie. This implies that, if you've been raped, you might as well die rather than deal with it, and Dixon's trigger warning in the introduction to this book doesn't excuse this problematic way of thinking.
Overall, the world-building and romance are both surprisingly balanced, so aside from some deeply violent and terrible instances that happen at the beginning of the book, I kind of enjoyed this. Would I read the million sequels? I might give them a try in 2023...
This is my first foray into SF erotica, so I'm going to refrain from rating it. It's also not the type of romance I usually go for, but between the hype and the beautiful new cover for the special edition--and the free trial of Kindle Unlimited I have until the end of next month--I figured I should try this.
As far as the romance goes, I didn't hate it; in fact, it's oddly compelling. Rather than being a total alpha asshole who tries to control his love interest, Vektal primarily seems concerned about keeping Georgie alive, safe, and comfortable and mostly just tries to be available to support her. There's also more agency and consent than some of the other "fated mates" tropes I've seen (aside from when
Unfortunately, this theme of consent doesn't extend to the beginning of the book. There's some early sexual assault that happens on the ship before Georgie and the others land on Vektal's planet, and the way Ruby Dixon portrays this trauma is cruel and unhealthy.
Overall, the world-building and romance are both surprisingly balanced, so aside from some deeply violent and terrible instances that happen at the beginning of the book, I kind of enjoyed this. Would I read the million sequels? I might give them a try in 2023...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Saga, Vol. 10 by Brian K. Vaughan
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Nothing like an emotional gut-punch to end 2022!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The story starts slowly--it took me about a quarter of the book to really get into it--but once Parini Shroff establishes the intricate web between her cast of characters, it's hard to stop reading it. While establishing cultural elements of India as well as hard truths about the caste system and the status of women there, Shroff crafts a sharp novel filled with dark humor and a few murders. I loved seeing Geeta form relationships with the women in her village to create a group of "widow-makers" who, um, remove the problems from their marriages. This culminates into a hilarious, madcap, violent climax that ends up being deeply satisfying.
The story starts slowly--it took me about a quarter of the book to really get into it--but once Parini Shroff establishes the intricate web between her cast of characters, it's hard to stop reading it. While establishing cultural elements of India as well as hard truths about the caste system and the status of women there, Shroff crafts a sharp novel filled with dark humor and a few murders. I loved seeing Geeta form relationships with the women in her village to create a group of "widow-makers" who, um, remove the problems from their marriages. This culminates into a hilarious, madcap, violent climax that ends up being deeply satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
Sarcastic fairies, battling monsters, a princess who isn’t really a princess—this is so fun! It’s my first Tamsyn Muir, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a decently cute Schitt’s-Creek-esque Christmas romance, and I appreciate how it deals with GAD and mental health, but it also feels forgettable. Also, while Hector has a good amount of depth, the amount of times he refers to Matthew as “dude” made me want to throw the book across the room.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
The Apache Diaspora: Four Centuries of Displacement and Survival by Paul Conrad
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
4.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Before reading this, I had no idea about the gaps in my knowledge of Bangladesh and its culture, but the cultural framing Priyanka Taslim puts into her book is effective; I felt like I learned a lot, and Zahra is such a compelling protagonist that I couldn't put the book down. Her struggles with familial devotion, compromising her life plans, and trying to make time for her best friends are relatable to me as an adult and will definitely resonate with younger readers too. The romance is also dramatic and angsty in a way that works well with the narrative--while Zahra makes some cringe-worthy decisions, the climax of her romance with her chosen suitor is satisfying. (I wish we had gotten to see more of their relationship at the end, though!)
If you're a fan of South Asian Cinema (Bolly-, Tolly-, Dhallywood, etc.), you'll love this.
Before reading this, I had no idea about the gaps in my knowledge of Bangladesh and its culture, but the cultural framing Priyanka Taslim puts into her book is effective; I felt like I learned a lot, and Zahra is such a compelling protagonist that I couldn't put the book down. Her struggles with familial devotion, compromising her life plans, and trying to make time for her best friends are relatable to me as an adult and will definitely resonate with younger readers too. The romance is also dramatic and angsty in a way that works well with the narrative--while Zahra makes some cringe-worthy decisions, the climax of her romance with her chosen suitor is satisfying. (I wish we had gotten to see more of their relationship at the end, though!)
If you're a fan of South Asian Cinema (Bolly-, Tolly-, Dhallywood, etc.), you'll love this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Death of parent
Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I found the writing stilted and repetitive in a way that suggested it could benefit from more thorough editing, and a couple of the characters annoyed me. (The glitter bombs that Samuel and Calvin send not only seem annoying, but also dangerous if the glitter can literally cut people's skin.) I also thought the whodunnit could have been executed better. Still, I enjoyed the sense of place Olivia Blacke instills, and Juni's relationships with her family and her potential love interests are fleshed out well. (I appreciate that Blacke doesn't have Juni leap back into her ex-boyfriend Beau's arms, mostly because he seems like a cocky jerk--for the record, I'm Team Teddy Garza.)
I found the writing stilted and repetitive in a way that suggested it could benefit from more thorough editing, and a couple of the characters annoyed me. (The glitter bombs that Samuel and Calvin send not only seem annoying, but also dangerous if the glitter can literally cut people's skin.) I also thought the whodunnit could have been executed better. Still, I enjoyed the sense of place Olivia Blacke instills, and Juni's relationships with her family and her potential love interests are fleshed out well. (I appreciate that Blacke doesn't have Juni leap back into her ex-boyfriend Beau's arms, mostly because he seems like a cocky jerk--for the record, I'm Team Teddy Garza.)
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity and Murder
Lucky Penny by Ananth Hirsh
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The beginning dragged with the UNlucky Penny's misfortunes playing out in such a way that they feel overwhelming, but this ended up being more fun than I thought it would be! There's some fantasy/magical realism elements near the end that are silly and made me and my D&D-loving self smile. It's an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two.
One tiny aspect that confused me: Penny's age. She refers to herself as a "teenager" once or twice, but she can drink, doesn't go to school, and has a full-time job? I'll settle for "new adult" and move on.
One tiny aspect that confused me: Penny's age. She refers to herself as a "teenager" once or twice, but she can drink, doesn't go to school, and has a full-time job? I'll settle for "new adult" and move on.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence