emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

Right now all I can say is AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!

What a book, what an ending, what a STORY. I can't believe that I held off on reading this for so long. If you liked tone of The Dragon Republic, it continues in The Burning God. We're diving in to the war to reclaim Nikara, carnage and all. And there were so many elements where this story could've gone wrong, yet we reach this bittersweet perfect ending to a wonderful series.

I just want to hold my hardcover copies and tell them it's going to be okay.

This book is one big AWW moment and I absolutely loved it! Kate was an ambitious career-driven woman with fierce determination and Drake was the brooding writer with a heart of gold... Need I say more? While the burn is initially slow, the steam at the end more than makes up for it! Plus I'm a sucker for any book about cupcakes and event planning.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This book had me turning the page going "wait what?", then turning the next going "WAIT WHAT!?". I found a lot of the plot points predictable, but that was because the reader was able to live in both Logan and Delilah's heads. So perhaps they were more foreshadowed than predictable. I loved how she was able to characterize Logan both from Delilah and the world's perspectives, giving more weight to his facade. I'm excited to see what's coming in the sequel!

I waffled for awhile on whether I was going to enjoy this book. Taking a suburban town and plunging them into a near apocalyptic setting seemed interesting, but I wasn't sure about focusing on what seemed like a normal nuclear family.

I was wrong. This book focuses on the best and worst of us, and how that truly comes out during times of crisis. We get to follow the four members of the Altman family as they individually process the effects of the new normal on their ways of life. I found their reactions to be realistic to how mine would be in that situation and thought that the speed of the chapters helped with what would otherwise be a quite lengthy book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Some books are even better on audio. Taking this domestic multi-PoV thriller and incorporating 3 distinct voices made it even more impactful. From Skye's trauma, to Heather's grief, and finally Burke's struggles with addiction, this book is truly immersive. It even had twists that I didn't see coming and felt like a realistic take on struggles with mental health. And now I can say - this book is too good to be true. (Y'know... because it's fiction.)

*Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review*

Wow wow WOW. I knew that I was going to love this book but I didn't know how much. It had everything - mystery, drama, romance, you name it! I thought Daunis was a complicated main character, as she struggles with her sense of identity, dreams, and grief. It's unapologetically Anishinaabe, something I really loved about it. The plotlines are well-crafted and engaging, but do contain basically every trigger under the sun. However despite that, I think it was well-done and careful in its treatment of them.

This anthology has a little bit for everyone. Horror, drama, love, friendship, the works! I particularly enjoyed the darker stories because I felt as though they were a different take for the collection. But honestly it's amazing that none of the 13 stories are alike, given that they're all themed around being up all night. This is a great way to get a taste of a new author with little to no commitment, and I've found a few that I want to check out further!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book was simultaneously a satirical masterpiece about the horror industry and an allegory of the female experience. Lynnette was an unlikely, and sometimes unwilling, heroine who grew to be more than just a victim. Mixing in multimedia about fictional horror stories (which believe me, I googled because I thought they were real!) made this book so immersive. I'd recommend this to any classic horror fans or any thriller junkies. Amazing!

I'm a bit conflicted about this book. While it had me looking over my shoulder and checking my locks, I felt as though it was a bit obvious who the perpetrator would be. That being said, I loved the therapist interludes and the idea of a gated community rattled by a brutal murder. It did leave me questioning the narrator at times, both in her actions and in her reliability, which I thought was nice in this case.

This was one of the most interesting books that I've read in awhile. I loved the format, the content, the descriptions of music, everything! And given my reverent hatred for footnotes, these footnotes were even tolerable. This is a vivid journey into the music industry, the 1970's, and bigotry. My only complaint is that I wish I'd listened to it on audiobook because I would've engaged with it even more.