howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

This was so disappointing and tremendous levels of boring, sadly. None of the stories are particularly creepy, which would be fine if they weren't also so unimaginative and predictable. It's one of those collections that I think would've never drawn anyone's attention if it didn't have such a big name tied to it, which is always really unfortunate. I have volume 2 out from the library as well right now so I may try flipping through it to see if it gets any better than this one did, but if I didn't already have it checked out, I absolutely would not bother picking it up just based on how little there was to redeem volume 1.

While this definitely wasn't my favorite, I'm glad I picked it up despite my misgivings with volume 1, as this volume was much, much better! There are more stories and many of them are pretty creative — or, at the least, fun. I wouldn't say I'll be recommending this one very highly, but it was a decent way to pass a little time.

Meh. I think it's time to accept that Vera Brosgol's work isn't for me, outside of that one hilarious picture book she did. This was longer than it needed to be yet somehow also totally rushed in its ending, and it featured so much girl-hate and fat-shaming, complete even with some slut-shaming that never got acknowledged in any way whatsoever — not something I particularly love reading about.

As far as I'm concerned, every call we get is a bad call by definition. Who calls an ambulance unless something bad has happened in the first place. From that point on, it's simply a matter of degree.

When I was in my very early twenties, I worked for a while as part of the HR team for a hospital. My boss had worked on an ambulance for a time in his late teens/early twenties, much like Mike Scardino here, and over our lunch breaks, sometimes he'd regale me with a few gruesome tales. Don't get me wrong — I find no comfort in the thought of the average human being suffering — but there's something incredibly intriguing about these stories. Needless to say, when I learned this former ambulance attendant had written an entire book about his experiences, on the old TBR it went — and I'm glad it did.

Scardino's writing style fits the stories perfectly: blunt and to the point, brimming with cynicism and deadpan, and leaving little room for flowers and poetry. It adds a flair of real authenticity as it feels truly like you're being told this guy's memories and experiences, not dolled-up dramatics for the sake of selling a book. Many of the stories don't have endings at all, so you're left wondering about a lot of these folks. In other stories, sometimes you wish you didn't know. There are a few emotional ones, but mostly it's a bit awe-inspiring.

Needless to say, I recommend this for people whose stomachs don't turn easily, as Scardino doesn't shy away from the gritty details. I'm almost impossible to perturb, honestly, and there's a story in this book that even had me gagging a little (if you've read it: hands held out the window and piles of blankets, that's all I'll say).

content warnings: descriptions of gore, death, illness, child/baby death, abuse, assault, rape, racism, misogyny, mental illness, body-shaming (very brief)

Meh. I thought this had a lot of potential to be awesome, especially as someone who has been following the "black-eyed kids" urban legends a loooong time. It's not something I really ever see depicted in media, so I was pretty excited to learn this graphic novel series existed, but sadly, it was really boring and the art was so dark that I could barely make out any details at all. I won't be continuing the series. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because I was intrigued by the subplot idea of these black-eyed kids having been around on the planet for a long time and having slowly plotted this world takeover sort of ordeal.

content warnings: death, violence, animal death

This was easily one of the best horror graphic novels I've read in a long time! One thing about Cullen Bunn's work is that I always know I can count on it to be detailed and intriguing, and this was no exception. I'd definitely class this as horror, but I could easily see it going under dark fantasy, too, as it's got this lovely sort of fairytale-esque vibe to it with the whole rebirth of a witch, spectral companions, eerie minotaur demons in the forest ordeal it has going on.

On top of the story being fantastic (and Emmy being such a lovable main character with her healing tendencies and love for animals — I always enjoy the "healer witch" trope and this one's executed brilliantly), the artwork is so fascinating. It's all watercolor and alternates between muted tones and bright colors depending on the characters/scenery depicted. My favorite aspect was easily the haints in the forest cemetery, which are this brilliant orange and red layered over a black background that makes them jump right off the page in this unsettling, fiery way. I really just can't say enough good things about this volume and I'm already counting down the days until my library hold for volume 2 comes in!

50% of me: wow the writing is so gorgeous, much love, Holly is so amazing

the other 50% of me: why the #&%&$(# did I just sit through 50 PAGES of this NONSENSE and when do I get to watch this stupid brat BURN

FRIENDLY REMINDER that my favorite Christmas romance story of all time is only a dollar for the ebook and you, too, can get your angsty slow-burn fix complete with a hero I definitely pictured as Richard Armitage circa North & South. (You're welcome.)

After Sophie's father has spent all of their family's money (including her dowry) on renovating his family home, her parents encourage a courtship between Sophie and Edward Sharpe, a merchant who has worked hard to build a wealthy empire out of simple beginnings. Unfortunately, Sophie and Edward won't ever stand a chance if Edward doesn't learn to stop taking advice from a Gentleman's Etiquette book. After a falling out, Sophie offers him one last chance during her family's Christmas party.

First of all, how have I gone so long without reading historical romance, when historical fiction was one of my all time favorite genres as a teen?! This was absolutely delightful; I love stories that take place in the Victorian era and this is one of the best portrayals of that setting I've seen yet. On top of that, A Holiday By Gaslight is everything a Christmas love story should be: cozy, sweet, warm, and charming.

She'd been ready to love him. It would have taken so little encouragement. A fond glance. A kind word. An affectionate touch.

There are so many different things I loved about this story, but we'll start with the characters. Despite the timeframe, Sophie is a very headstrong, clever young woman who will keep her family safe and happy at all costs, even if it means losing her own happiness. What I loved about her character was not only her boldness, but Edward's reaction to it. Instead of scolding her or trying to box her in, he sees her as an equal and cherishes her brazen remarks and stubborn nature.

"I admired her. A great deal." The understatement of a lifetime.

Edward, on the other hand, is such a precious, soft little thing and I loved it. He puts on a stoic front because he feels he'll never fit into the politically lofty world of Sophie and her family, but he's smitten with her from the start, and it was refreshing to see that in a historical setting. I loved that, at the end of the day, Edward didn't care about what anyone thought as long as Sophie was happy and taken care of. Even when he wants to protect and take care of her, it's never from an "alpha" stance—he simply wants to see her thrive. It was quite probably one of the most mature, genuine portrayals of truly loving someone as an equal partner that I have read in a long time.

Had she really believed he'd deny her? If so, she'd vastly underrated her charms. Either that or vastly overrated his strength of will.

Finally, the writing and setting are just delightful. This is the perfect Christmas read because it's so atmospheric with the snow, and the search for the perfect tree and mistletoe, and the party atmosphere as a whole. The writing is tender and sweet and funny enough that, despite this being such a short book, I have countless highlights saved on my Kindle!

If I could recommend you to pick up any cozy Christmas read this year, A Holiday By Gaslight would easily be at the top of the list. I am so happy to have read it and can't wait to pick up more of Mimi Matthews' books!

Talk about swoony, angsty, atmospheric wintry lovin'. ♥ Seriously though, this was sweet as hell and I loved it a lot. Full review coming soon!

#1 Illuminae ★★★★★
#2 Gemina ★★★★★
#3 Obsidio ★★★★★

reread update - March 12, 2018

Just checking in to say that I still adore this book so much and Nik is still my lil' cinnamon roll. <3

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ILLUMINAE SPOILERS AHEAD - do not read this review if you haven't finished the first book in the trilogy!

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”

Kady and Ezra, now aboard the ship Hypatia, are fast on their way to Jump Station Heimdall. Their intentions are not only to inform the Jump Station crew of BeiTech's disastrous attacks, but to save countless innocent people. The problem is, someone has beaten them there.

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5 STARS

When an elite team of BeiTech soldiers are dispatched to Heimdall, all war breaks loose, and we find ourselves once more at the hands of two young, unlikely heroes: Hanna Donnelly, prissy daughter of the station's captain, and Nik Malikov, young heir to the House of Knives Russian drug mob. They couldn't be more different, but Hanna is forced to move past her annoyances with Nik's endless love for her (I'm only exaggerating a little) so they can work together to save their loved ones... and a helluva lot of other folks, naturally. The duo is joined by Nik's computer hacker savant cousin, Ella, who manages to practically run the entire damn station from the safety of her wheelchair.

First of all, let me begin by saying that the characters in this book are goals for life. Hanna is badass and pissed as fuck, Nik is adorable and precious, and Ella is just one of the funniest damn fictional characters I've ever come across in my LIFE. I seriously want so badly for her to be real so that I can steal her away as one of my best friends because she is just so damn hilarious and sassy and fun. I loved the interactions between the three of these characters so much, whether one-on-one or in group format. Much like in the first installment, the non-stop action, back-stabbing, and generally dark twisty-ness was lightened just enough with comic relief to be the perfect mix. Nik has also immediately become one of my most endeared-to characters, and I loved every moment of our interactions with him, because he's just so kind-hearted and precious.

Speaking of lovable characters, we also get to visit once more with Kady, we see a little bit of Ezra's humor and goofy mannerisms, and, best of all... More AIDAN narratives. Anyone who has heard me rave about the first book knows that AIDAN was my favorite aspect to it, and the same goes for Gemina. He is hilarious in the best ironic ways, sassy as hell, and brilliant. He has so many quotable lines in this installment that are just downright savage and I basically want most of his pages tattooed onto various parts of my body because they. are. PERFECT.

Now, moving on to the world of The Illuminae Files, this book perfectly does what so many sequel titles fail at: it manages to expand upon the world we already know, without feeling repetitive. It teaches us just enough new information to bring so much more of their world into light, but it never feels like an overload, or like any of it was just made up on the spot to appease the readers. Everything feels carefully mapped out, which I don't find often enough in YA trilogies/series, and I really appreciated it.

As far as the plot goes, if you've read Illuminae, you may be familiar with how skilled Jay and Amie are at creating an ever-twisting and turning story line that keeps you on the edge of your seat, evokes ALL THE FEELS, and just basically leaves you with the desperate need to convince everyone you know to GO READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY. If you do know what feeling I'm talking about, you'll be delighted to find that Gemina takes that feeling and doubles it. The story becomes so much more complex than we ever realized, and you will positively gasp, rage, grin, and maybe even cry a little (I did all of the above).

The bottom line is this: if you liked Illuminae, you will not regret continuing with the next piece of this brilliant trilogy. I would recommend The Illuminae Files to anyone who enjoys YA sci-fi, delightful character development, enjoyable world-building, a healthy ratio of action to romance, and, oh yeah... enjoying life.