reading_under_covers's reviews
1505 reviews

One of those rare instances where a collection of short stories from a sole author read as if they could have been written by a diverse group of people!

Each of these had their own voice and unique premise, which kept me engaged until the end.

So so so happy to see Nat Cassidy in the Shortwave Squad!

If this book taught me anything, it would be to never leave my phone in the car, avoid gas stations with weird vibes, and avert contact from the googly eyes!!!

This story was loaded with anxieties and gore, while also offering up meaningful insights on the impacts of generational trauma and learning to live wholly as yourself.

A fantastically scary afternoon (we're not reading this at night) read that should be on every horror-lover's shelves.

Thanks to Shortwave for the gifted ARC in exchange for a review!

Publication Date: October 15

As someone who is well-versed in the world of cults, I didn't feel that I really learned anything new from this collection. 

Because Ocker covers such a large number of cults in so few pages, most of what is discussed is a vague summary and can be easily googled - if it's a group you're unfamiliar with as a reader.

With all that being said, I think if one is new to cults, this is a great place to get started to learn more!

I'm not the reader for this one, but I can see others really getting a lot out of it.

Thanks to Quirk Books for the gifted copy!

Compared to Red, White, and Royal Blue mixed with A Nightmare Before Christmas, I was very excited to dive into this one!

I really enjoyed all of the central characters and their varying personalities and I found the politics of all of the holidays very intriguing.

The story did plateau a bit for me in terms of the conflict just ~existing~ and not really changing or escalating in any meaningful way and the "rivals to lovers" aspect was extremely lacking. As some other reviewers have said, this story would most likely translate much better to film!

For all you open door fans, this one does get pretty 🔥🥵

Thanks to Bramble romance for the gifted copy for review! This one is out October 8!

THIS BOOK. THIS WOMAN.

I was intrigued to read this one after watching Gilmore Girls for the first time in the fall of 2023 (and immediately went in for a rewatch right after), but Kelly Bishop’s life story goes way beyond that and I’m simply in awe of this woman and all she’s given to everything she’s done.

I listened to this one on audio (narrated by Bishop herself) and what a storyteller! I laughed, cried, and was overall astounded by her journey.

Definitely a memoir I can see myself picking up again and again!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book pulled me in right away - we have a mysterious box, a road trip, and tons of chaos.

I found myself fully engaged for the first half of the story, but then things really started to drag and I stopped really even caring about what was in the box?! (the final reveal lowkey made me wish I DNF'd)

An interesting look at modern society, but a bit heavy handed and never-ending for my taste!

Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC - it was a fantastic listen!

This book is as great as everyone says it is. I went in not knowing anything about it, and that made it even more of a fun read for me. Also, Elle Fanning narrates the audiobook and she was PERFECT for the role!

It is the Year of the Wood Dragon, and the ingenious Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo, Japan to open the legendary Dragon Box, a mysterious nineteenth-century puzzle that has remained unsolved for over 150 years. One wrong move and Brink will face death, but he isn’t the only one who desperately wants the puzzle solved.

THE PUZZLE BOX by Danielle Trussoni is the sequel thriller to THE PUZZLE MASTER, but I found that it can be read as a standalone!

I enjoyed THE PUZZLE BOX immensely - we move from New York to Tokyo and both places were really fleshed out and I felt like I was there in the moment - and the puzzles were extremely clever, while also dripping with history and lore.

This book read like a movie and I could picture every scene in detail and the short chapters kept the story moving at a quick pace!

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book, but this one REALLY stepped up the game for me and was a very fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 8

THE MILLICENT QUIBB SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE FOR YOUNG LADIES OF MAD SCIENCE (say that five times fast 😉) by Kate McKinnon was such a fun and quirky middle grade read!

As a millennial, I'm obviously going to compare this one to A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS because that was such an iconic cornerstone of my youth and featured many similar themes including (but not limited to) oblivious adults, orphaned children with unusual capabilities, and extremely creative storytelling!

This story plays well alongside the gorgeous illustrations and, when all is said and done, I wouldn't mind spending a day or two with the infamous Millicent myself 🙌

Weird Barbie knows how to write a great middle grade!! 

Thanks to Little Brown Books for an early copy for review - this one is out today!

Another fantastic read from Joelle Wellington!

She really loads her characters with so much depth and heart, making it so easy to root for them (even in more ridiculous moments lol).

An homage to Brooklyn and horror films, pick this one up if you want to squeeze a few more drops out of summer, but are already in that spooky season mood!