bookishaddictions's Reviews (310)

So I have had this one on my shelf for a while now, and I was determined to include this in my Pride reads for June. Although I try to read LGBTQA+ themed stories and authors year round, I really emphasize them in June since they are still definitely in the minority of published works; I am so glad I finally read this one! McQuiston creates characters that are lovable and realistic, and her alternate reality is believable. I know many of us had been disappointed with how the 2016 election turned out, especially those of who are queer or who LGBTQA+ family, and I really enjoyed being able to imagine what could have been. I know that Prince Harry (who I’m pretty sure is Prince Henry) is married, but it was definitely fun to consider a FSOTUS-Royal romance. Prince Henry and Alex are both funny, charming, and totally what you’d picture the children of global leaders would be like behind closed doors. I found myself alternating between laughing, wanting to cry, and cheering them on. If you haven’t read Red, White, & Royal Blue yet, you’re missing out! 

I really enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, so I gave this novella a chance when it became available via Libby. I hadn’t realized this was the second novella in the series, so that might have impacted my opinion. Although I found the characters to be somewhat entertaining, I just couldn’t get as hooked on the lovely duo as I did TLH. I found that the entire story came down to two people not communicating, and that trope tends to just be irritating to me; I hate reading about adults that have zero communication skills. While I have no issue with the idea of a romance moving quickly, as I firmly believe every relationship goes at its own pace, I do think they displayed that the speed of their relationship was a problem (lack of trust, inability to communicate, etc.). I’m pretty confident that the only reason they even speak is because they were literally stuck in an elevator together. Overall, I found that the characters and their relationship just wasn’t doing it for me. I’m still going to read the other two novellas though 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️

I snagged this ARC from @netgalley. I thought this would be great since Yardley is highly praised as a horror writer, however, I felt the book did not match the author’s hype. The concept of a town of horrors with frequent children disappearing was interesting, but I found the characters fell flat. Although I got a hint of their personalities, they all felt like they were shells of the people they were meant to be. I liked that she showed how cruel society can be towards a single mother, especially one with a special needs child, but I could not really empathize with the characters. I felt like the main issue with the town (will not further explain due to spoilers) could have also been fleshed out more, as it doesn’t really add substance to the story as it is. Overall, I was intrigued but disappointed.

This was my first book from Center, and I really enjoyed it. The Bodyguard is great for someone who is looking for a quick read, and it’s both funny and charming. I found myself enjoying the reverse roles as Hannah works as a bodyguard, and I found it comical that Center decides it is Jack that needs protecting. I will admit that I’m not normally huge on the whole fake dating trope, but I found myself rooting for these two to become real lovers. Despite the how quickly the novel moves along, I felt like I really got to know Jack and Hannah. I want say too much, but I likely won’t look at bridges or cows the same for a while. I do now want to experience spending some real quality time on a ranch; after living surrounded by ranches, that wasn’t a desire I expected to feel. My only complaint is pretty similar to Colleen Myers on Goodreads. Hannah is frequently hating on herself throughout the story and has so many insecurities, and it comes up every few pages at least; I wish that she wasn’t only able to really work past them because of a guy. Hannah is portrayed as a strong but emotionally-damaged woman, and I feel like it would have been more suitable to Hannah’s personality if she had figured out her self-worth without Jack’s commentary. Overall, I really did enjoy the story though. If you haven’t checked out The Bodyguard yet, you should do so immediately! 

I’d like to start off by saying that this book would probably be most enjoyable for people who enjoy 1970s US historical fiction, as well those that are into environmental-themed reads. The novel’s concept is interesting, and you really get to know each of the characters involved. Although I found myself frequently getting distracted and could barely focus on this read; I spent months trying to read this chunks at a time so I could review this as fairly as possible Dr spite my apparent disinterest. I snagged this as a ARC from @netgalley, as I had heard great things about it. I found that I learned quite a bit about how the logging process goes, and it inspired a variety of conversations with my relatives about their memories of the time. As someone who has seen the environmental changes to my Southern California town over a few years, I felt for those residents of Damnation Springs that represented everyone who was tired of our forests being destroyed. I’ve seen my town get drier, hotter, and a whole lot less green. Even if I did not really care for the writing style, I will agree that it was covering some very important issues. I think what really made this a 3/5 for me though was the ending; it felt too cliche after the originality of the rest of the story.

I was really excited for this one, but I felt like it didn’t really sit right with me. I loved the idea of The Guncle, but I was underwhelmed in a few regards. I know, I’m in the minority here according to the Goodsread rating. While I loved Patrick’s relationship with the kids, I felt like we mainly got to know the Patrick he thought he should be rather than who he was hinted at really being. I also found the story to really emphasize stereotypes (of gay men, of poly relationships, and more). While there is nothing wrong with gay men that are stereotypically flamboyant, I didn’t care for the emphasis being placed on the more negatively viewed traits (selfishness, vanity, body image issues, etc.). At least half of the men I know consider themselves queer, and less than 10% of those men would be considered “flamboyant”. I could have got past this if we could see some of the deeper parts of Patrick or JED, but we only basically get to have those depths touched on as minimally as possible. Grant and Maisie’s characters are funny, and were quite reflective of many kids grieving experience; I just wish the whole story had the same authenticity 🤷🏼‍♀️

I added this to my June TBR since I’ve been working on the @bluebookmarkfriends Pride reading challenge. I snagged this cute title from @libby.app and I was not disappointed. It’s got everything I could ask for from a witchy romance; Harper delivers scorned women turned lovers, undeniable chemistry, strong female characters, and a touch of witchcraft to leave the whole story feeling magical. I will acknowledge that the very beginning of the story gave The Ex Hex vibes, but that’s not a bad thing considering I loved that novel too. If you ever wanted a Goblet of Fire-esque political election, this is the story for you ✨

Okay, so I absolutely HATED this one. I gave it an honest try, as I saw it had really good reviews on Goodreads. I found the book disturbingly disgusting. There are books that are weird yet good…. This was not it. This included everything considered taboo; it covered prostitution, drugs, bestiality, pedophilia, abortion, and much more. I can handle the vulgar language (do you know how many times they said “c*ck?), but this book gets downright foul. I wasn’t impressed by the writing style, and the story just seemed pointless to me. I did not find myself satisfied by the the whodunnit answers either, as it didn’t really come off as much of a mystery. If you have been waiting to read this one, I recommend just skipping it unless you are going to try it in the original language 🚫

“He is me, who I have been, who I am, who I hope to become. Someone fabulous, wild, and strong. With or without a costume on” 📖

I’ve had this one on my shelf for a while, so I really wanted to incorporate it in my pride-themed reads this month. I normally hate prose/poetry, but I actually loved this. The main character, Michael, is so relatable as he focuses on trying to find himself and learn to be himself without apology. Although I can never fully understand the experiences of discrimination and (often accidental) bigotry towards queer POC, I am all too familiar with the gender expectations that Atta sets out to challenge. I was one of the girls growing up that was always being told that the things I liked were “too boyish” or “not for little girls.” Thankfully my father didn’t care- even when at times my mother did. Multiple of my siblings have come out as queer over the last few years, and it breaks my heart when they face many of the struggles Mikey does. While it can be heartbreaking at times, I love how authentic the story and his struggles are. Atta doesn’t shy away from depicting the harsh realities of homophobia. Atta realistically addresses the struggles with racism and identity faced by POC with multiple ethnicities as Michael navigates being Greek, Jamaican, and British; it is hard enough to find good queer representation in the mainstream media, but it is even harder to find queer POC main characters. I honestly think this book could be a game changer for many teens that are working on accepting themselves in the same way Mikey does. I love that readers get to follow as Michael grows, and his confidence by the end of the novel is inspiring. The prose was well crafted as well, so the book still read like a beautiful novel. Although I wish I could have read a bit more about the main character’s experience as The Black Flamingo, I do recognize that his first live performance is ultimately an artistically symbolic way for Atta to end the story. I would definitely recommend adding this to your TBR! 🏳️‍🌈

First, thank you to @blackspotbooks for an ARC of this title through @netgalley. This collection of short stories caught my attention right away, as I had not previously known very much about Baba Yaga (the folklore witch that lives in the woods in her house with chicken legs). As I researched her a bit, I realized there was a ton of variety on the lore pertaining to Baba; she was both a villain and the hero for many. I found that the collection of short stories written by female-identifying horror writers captured the complex idea and interpretations of Baba Yaga. I loved that she was loving in kind in many stories, as well as dangerous and vengeful. I found myself laughing, wanting to cry, and frequently rooting for her (even when I probably shouldn’t be). The writing was strong, the stories were compelling, and the collection was education overall. I would recommend checking out this one when it releases this fall!