mmccombs's reviews
691 reviews

I’m unsure what to think of this! There were so many elements happening all at once: magical realism; climate collapse; linked individual stories. I really enjoyed the initial concept of a terrace randomly appearing and thought it would be a much goofier story based on that concept, but it was really quite melancholy and strange. I don’t know if I love where it turned up, especially with the last chapter, but it was definitely an engaging and quick read! I personally did not like the narration of the audiobook, the person’s voice was like gratingly gravely, so I might have liked it more physically because the writing was very sharp and beautiful. I might come back to this review as I think about it more, but I think I liked it?

I usually try to push through short story collections because I like to give them all a chance, but the writing quality of the three stories after the first one was just… not very good and feel like it is likely a representation of what to expect throughout. “Soul Searching” specifically induced multiple eye rolls and finalized my decision to dnf. I like the idea of this anthology, a Palestinian lens on speculative fiction led to compelling themes surrounding memory and home and family, so there are probably other stories I would enjoy. Unfortunately I had too hard of a time with the writing and editing to get through it, maybe I’ll return and give it another shot?

Hmm that was interesting but something about it didn’t fully click for me. I think I was expecting more of an overview and a clear thesis, but this was more of a collection of discrete events told in a lot of detail that loosely came together. There were chapters I really enjoyed and others that failed to keep my interest, so on the whole I do come away from this knowing I learned new things but don’t think I could exactly explain the main point of this book (other than that time is a circle and that everything is Reagan’s fault).

This was so highly anticipated I waited to read it until the end of the year just because I already didn’t want it to be over, and it truly lived up to the hype. I’m only familiar with the broad strokes of the original story, so I kind of want to go back to get more detail, but didn’t really feel like I was missing anything by not having those details. As with other Percival Everett books, this delivered on impactful prose, distinctive characters, bleak humor, and a thoughtfully rendered voice plot. James is one of the most memorable characters I have read this year, and the end of the book especially will stick with me for a long time. If all the awards and best-of lists can’t convince you, let this be your sign to read this one asap!

A unique perspective with some really good bits, but not enough of a cohesive whole for me. Looking at disability through the lens of kink, the Asian-American experience, and astrology (among many other things) was quite interesting and made for an engaging read that I found myself stewing on between listens. I wished there was a bit more connection between essays and did find it repetitive and long in the middle. Nonetheless, this was a worthwhile read that inspired a ton of introspection and thinking about things in new ways, which is always the mark of a compelling book for me!

This felt like a bite sized version of Braiding Sweetgrass, which I loved, so you can’t really go wrong here! I did feel like this was a bit underdeveloped and repetitive, I had multiple feelings of Deja vu like “didn’t I read this in her other book or even a few pages ago?” But I think this was totally accessible, heartwarming, and a call to action, even if that action feels small. She doesn’t offer concrete actions to change the larger picture of capitalism, but offers a new way to think and relate to the world around you.

Unsurprisingly excellent! I just finished The Reformatory, more of a horror angle to a very similar story, so it was really interesting comparing and contrasting these perspectives. Even though I kind of knew where this book would go, the fast pace, aching prose, and sparse but effective character development kept me absolutely hooked. I especially enjoyed tracking changes in Elwood’s relationship to and thoughts on MLK Jr.’s speeches and writings, I thought that was a compelling through line for his character and for this novel’s themes. It was a devastating and beautiful read, I’m so glad I finally got around to it (especially before the movie adaptation comes out!).

Bllaagghhh I really liked the first one, felt lukewarm about the second, and mostly hated this one. I think half of it is that I don’t love “enemies to lovers” in modern contexts because… who has an enemy in the year of 2024? I just don’t like people being mean to each other then falling in love with that kind of mean banter, so this made me kind of sad. There were bits I appreciated, I especially liked how this modeled loving fatherhood in the various dads throughout the book. But I really didn’t love the writing, there was really no cowboy content aside from vibes, and I HATED the male narrator I almost stopped listening as soon as his first chapter started. If I wanted a man to growl at me I would just antagonize my dog. I don’t see myself continuing with this series but also who knows, it was easy enough to fly through in a day so I guess I can’t complain too much. 

What’s worse, a virus that renders everyone feral with lust, or having to totally deconstruct your worldview while also living through this apocalypse? I loved this spin on the pandemic story, it was a unique way to look at American religion, morality, and gendered violence. I kind of would not say this was horror horror, there were definitely gross bits but mostly this read like a thriller/pandemic novel, which is not bad but not exactly what I was expecting. I also can’t say I loovvveedd the writing style, it took a bit for me to get into because it was written. Written like this. In short sentences. Which is a personal preference, but it bugged me for a bit until I got used to it over time. On the whole this was very strong and well crafted, I really enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this! This felt like reading a whodunnit mixed with Beartown, but if everyone in Beartown was slightly more shady and conniving and passive aggressive. I loved the small town energy, reading all of the emails very much felt like being included on an especially gossipy group text, which always fills my nosy heart. Being organized primarily through emails, articles, and police reports made it feel much more interactive, I felt like I was solving the mystery alongside the investigators. I do think there were probably too many characters, it got unwieldily especially via audio, so it felt muddled in some parts. The middle also felt a bit repetitive and long, though I do appreciate how the sprinkle of clues made for an impactful ending. I had a great time reading this, it was just a lot of fun!