mmccombs's reviews
734 reviews

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!

Very solid and absolutely devastating. I think this would have been better to read physically to see the photos and “resources” throughout the book (at least, I’m assuming based on the audio experience!) but the narration was good and captured the emotion of this story. It was very heavy to read, so I had a hard time picking it back up after putting it down, but feel glad to have read it.

I was looking for something bite sized and Christmas-y and this was bite sized and like vaguely Christmas-y, so I’ll call that mostly a win. I didn’t know that this was a spin off of an original book, so I probably would have liked this more had I read The Appeal first, but it was still decent. I liked the deduction from documents approach, it felt very fresh while retaining the classic whodunnit vibe. I can’t say this will stick with me, but it was a good way to spend an afternoon.

That was a hell of a debut! Going into this, I just could not imagine how this would work, the concept just a bit too weird to result in anything worth taking seriously, but Habeck balanced the fantastical element of human-to-animal mutations with an extreme amount of heart, tenderness, and humor. I loved the character work, Wren and Lewis and Angela were deeply fleshed out and felt very real. I was a little unsure when Part 2 left Wren to go back in time to Angela’s story, but I ended up loving her part just as much as the rest of it.  I think my only complaint is that the prose felt a bit overwritten at some points, like on the whole it was absolutely beautiful but sometimes it was just a bit much. But this was ingeniously crafted, wholly unique, and a testament to loving fully even when it can be lost.

Informative, introspective, and accessible, I think this is probably a must read for white people living in the Americas (and I guess any settler state) to begin deconstructing long held beliefs, values, and stories that we tell ourselves about our country and our history. I wouldn’t say this was exactly ground breaking if you have already begun to think about this, but I really enjoyed Krawec’s writing style and storytelling. Telling Christian origin stories alongside Anishinaabe origin stories was compelling and helped make sense of our shared history. She provided actionable steps for “unforgetting” our past, looking inward, and then working towards building sustainable relationships with others to create a greener, more generous future. I hope to force this (kindly) on my relatives and friends, I think it’s a great entry point to good discussion!

That was an interesting take on the thriller/crime story, it was definitely more character driven than most in the genre. The writing was really well done, unexpectedly lush and beautiful, and I liked that we were lead through this sweeping tale linearly (I feel like most thrillers these days jump around in time so I’m glad this one avoided the impulse). I did think it was too long, the middle felt bloated and some of the twists and turns felt unnecessary and ultimately confusing. I also disliked how short the chapters were, it was a bit jarring to constantly have minute long chapters via audio. But the ending was satisfying and I do think these characters will stick with me for a while. A read worth the investment!

A solid and quiet apocalyptic story, I loved the subtle twists on the genre and how thoroughly the author set the mood and atmosphere. I just read Station Eleven and I’d say this felt kind of similar in that it is less about an apocalypse and more about how humans handle change and conflict. I particularly loved the point this book made about how, for First Nations and Anishinaabe, this was just another apocalypse among constant apocalypses, genocide and dispossession and theft woven into the fabric of their history. It made for interesting perspective on survival, especially in conversation with that history. I do wish there was a bit more character development and this book felt a little short, but I feel excited to get to the next installment! 

Unfortunately, this book could not make me feel bad for a white dude who can’t learn a lesson, no matter how hard the author tried. The story itself is pretty thrilling and almost feels like fiction, it was solid and entertaining. However, the journalism and research did not seem robust. It mostly read like the author became enthralled with Breitwieser and his vibe and was just recounting his exploits. This book almost cast his kleptomania as the quirky character trait of a dude who just really loved art rather than a crime that ended up destroying historical artifacts, which is kind of weird!

I’ve become spoiled by really good nonfiction (Challenger and The Wager come to mind) that covers a topic very holistically, dipping into greater themes and history at large. While I liked that this was quick and to the point, I would have liked a broader look at art and art thieves throughout history and a more balanced account of Brietwieser, his girlfriend, and his mom (what was her deal?!). I was interested when the author dipped a bit into museums and their role in stealing art from, especially oppressed, people and how that might connect with art thieves. Could have been interesting to explore (though definitely a bit off topic!) Maybe this would have worked better as a long article rather than a book? I still had a good time reading it, but found it lacked depth and rigorous journalism.