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katiemack's reviews
1398 reviews
Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era by Saul Austerlitz
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have a complicated relationship with the show; it was a huge part of my life as a teenager, and my friends and I even embarked on a mission to watch all ten seasons my freshman year of college, but I now cringe at the homophobic remarks and other insensitive plot lines of the show, and I still fume when I think about Amaani Lyle's awful experience with the writers on the show (which later turned into a lawsuit). Also, I've listened to Andrew Reich on enough podcast episodes to find him obnoxious and man-splainey.
Thankfully, Saul Austerlitz doesn't shy away from these aspects of the show's history; I appreciated that he interviewed Lyle and made her experience into its own chapter. It's clear that Austerlitz deserves his reputation as a prolific author and historian of pop culture; his narrative structure is excellent. He also managed to invoke even more nostalgia for the show than I thought I could ever have.
I have a complicated relationship with the show; it was a huge part of my life as a teenager, and my friends and I even embarked on a mission to watch all ten seasons my freshman year of college, but I now cringe at the homophobic remarks and other insensitive plot lines of the show, and I still fume when I think about Amaani Lyle's awful experience with the writers on the show (which later turned into a lawsuit). Also, I've listened to Andrew Reich on enough podcast episodes to find him obnoxious and man-splainey.
Thankfully, Saul Austerlitz doesn't shy away from these aspects of the show's history; I appreciated that he interviewed Lyle and made her experience into its own chapter. It's clear that Austerlitz deserves his reputation as a prolific author and historian of pop culture; his narrative structure is excellent. He also managed to invoke even more nostalgia for the show than I thought I could ever have.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
4.0
Hoo boy. It's not perfect (some of the threads get confusing to follow, while others seem a little too direct), but this book sure packs a punch in the realm of feminist dystopia. I thought the framing of the novel as a research paper bookended by correspondence with a fellow author was particularly ingenious.
Color Outside the Lines: Stories about Love by Sangu Mandanna
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anthologies are always tough to rate, but I enjoyed this one more than others I've read recently. I was immediately intrigued by a set of YA short stories about interracial relationships (personal bias), and this one does an admirable job highlighting the nuances and dynamics and the beauty of being in love with someone from a different culture and background. It provides a great deal of hope along with the entertainment, and I love how it runs the gamut of genres from fantasy to historical to contemporary.
--"Your Life Matters" by L. L. McKinney (if you like secret superheroes)
--"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed (if you like historical fiction and gut-punch endings)
--"Yuma and the Wall" by Lydia Kang (if you like fantasy villages)
--"Something Gay and Magical" by Adam SIlvera (if you like bookstore meet-cutes, though this one was far too short)
Anthologies are always tough to rate, but I enjoyed this one more than others I've read recently. I was immediately intrigued by a set of YA short stories about interracial relationships (personal bias), and this one does an admirable job highlighting the nuances and dynamics and the beauty of being in love with someone from a different culture and background. It provides a great deal of hope along with the entertainment, and I love how it runs the gamut of genres from fantasy to historical to contemporary.
Spoiler
Not all of the stories are stellar (for example, What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi--about a Jewish girl and an Indian boy joining together to get revenge on a Mean Blonde Girl--felt like a stereotyped 80s or 90s flick, and I expected more depth from the girl grappling with her mom's newfound faith and community in Faithfull by Karuna Riazi), but here are some standouts:--"Your Life Matters" by L. L. McKinney (if you like secret superheroes)
--"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed (if you like historical fiction and gut-punch endings)
--"Yuma and the Wall" by Lydia Kang (if you like fantasy villages)
--"Something Gay and Magical" by Adam SIlvera (if you like bookstore meet-cutes, though this one was far too short)
Accidental Baby by Lara Swann
2.0
We chose this for our September read for our Romance Book Club; I voted for this because of the number of positive reviews and average rating, but I was a little bit disappointed.
The set-up was great, as was the initial chemistry, but the pacing was uneven (lots of buildup in the beginning and glossing over both small details and entire months in the second half). Because of this, I wasn't invested in Damien or Ava at the end. Most of the side characters were annoying and/or caricatures.
(Also, this is a small thing, but it really bugged me: the story was based in Fresno, but the characters peppered their speech with British slang. If you're going to change your setting, do your research into local dialogue!)
The set-up was great, as was the initial chemistry, but the pacing was uneven (lots of buildup in the beginning and glossing over both small details and entire months in the second half). Because of this, I wasn't invested in Damien or Ava at the end. Most of the side characters were annoying and/or caricatures.
(Also, this is a small thing, but it really bugged me: the story was based in Fresno, but the characters peppered their speech with British slang. If you're going to change your setting, do your research into local dialogue!)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
3.0
This was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I liked Celaena and the fact that she's not only a bad-ass assassin but can also speak multiple languages and is very smart (though not smart enough to catch on to when multiple people enter her room while she's asleep, apparently...), but I didn't really care for her romantic subplot with .
Her nuanced romance with, who genuinely seems interested in her strength and her as a person, was infinitely more appealing, and I hope Maas explores this more in the sequels. I also want more from the wonderful Nehemia, the best friend one could ever have.
Spoiler
Dorian, who was pretty underdeveloped aside from the fact that he's "in love" with Celaena out of nowhere and hates being a prince.Her nuanced romance with
Spoiler
Chaol
The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul by Eleanor Herman
5.0
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Herman has created a work that is morbid, disgusting, and details the ways that our own past cures and accoutrements could kill us, whether administered by our own hand or by our enemies. Perhaps it says something about me as a person, then, that I enjoyed this so much.
This book is not for the squeamish; however, it is also well-researched, flows well, and has some quietly funny moments. To be fair, I am predisposed to enjoy books about royalty and socio-political intrigue, but I think anyone who is remotely interested in history should give this a try.
Herman has created a work that is morbid, disgusting, and details the ways that our own past cures and accoutrements could kill us, whether administered by our own hand or by our enemies. Perhaps it says something about me as a person, then, that I enjoyed this so much.
This book is not for the squeamish; however, it is also well-researched, flows well, and has some quietly funny moments. To be fair, I am predisposed to enjoy books about royalty and socio-political intrigue, but I think anyone who is remotely interested in history should give this a try.
Under the Light by Laura Whitcomb
2.0
Meh. I loved A Certain Slant of Light, so I expected more out of its sequel. Unfortunately, the plot of this book consists of Billy and Jenny piecing together what happened to them while James and Helen were using their bodies--with often unhelpful, silent commentary from Helen, who came down from heaven to "help" Jenny--and not much else happens. The lyrical nature of Whitcomb's prose, which worked when it was just a 130-year-old ghost telling the story, is cumbersome and a little annoying here with its modern characters.
Admittedly, I became so annoyed with the pacing and with Helen's sense of superiority that I abandoned the book, so take this review with a grain of salt.
Admittedly, I became so annoyed with the pacing and with Helen's sense of superiority that I abandoned the book, so take this review with a grain of salt.