howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

 I could see this being pretty useful for someone who is definitely wanting to try out minimalism but doesn't know where to start! I'm in the boat of "I've been hardcore de-cluttering my home for two months and am content with my progress thus far" and this isn't really doing anything for me in that vein. 🤷‍♀️
 

 This was so wholesome and sweet — honestly the epitome of a warm hug from an old friend who's rooting for you every step of the way and just thinks you're an incredible human being worth every ounce of space you take up, and sometimes we all need that. ♥

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own. 

 This was such a fun collection! If you enjoy MG horror, I strongly recommend checking out this anthology. R.L. Stine picked a lot of gems to put together, and they offer a nice variety of subgenres and levels of cheesiness or darkness (with a few even feeling downright wholesome). I think this would be a perfect book for any young horror lover, especially one who might be new to horror and uncertain of what exactly they'd like best, since there's so much to pick from here!

✨ Representation: several stories feature BIPOC main characters 

 DNF @ 51%

I'm applauding myself a little for getting this far before I decided to look up spoilers and call it a day. While this book will certainly have its audience, that audience isn't me. Not only do I think the writing is mediocre (and a very clear imitation of Shirley Jackson that falls short), but the mass amounts of hate in this book are nausea-inducing, even for someone, like me, who doesn't have triggers for these particular things.

Content-specific issues I had:

- massive amounts of anti-Semitism (VERY hateful language, numerous cruel Holocaust references, terrible treatment of a Jewish side character)

- how racist Alice is and has been in the past

- the portrayal of a closeted trans man as a very vocal and well-known TERF

- how heavy-handed the usage of rape as a plot device is (it is literally referenced and/or depicted constantly!)

As an aside, while I certainly don't feel like it's fair to hold it against a trans author for writing graphic transphobia, I have never read such gratuitous, over-the-top transphobia in any other book as this one. There's a scene in particular where a forum post/transphobic fantasy is included that is so long-winded and repetitive and cruel that I finally had to tune out the audiobook altogether until it was over.

I had tremendously high hopes for this book and author, and was genuinely banking on having a new favorite of the year here, but every single page has been an utter and complete disappointment and I can't currently say I have any desire to read future works by Rumfitt.

Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own. 

 A little boring, but cute/heartwarming enough. I liked the lil' alien dude and I'd recommend this if you like quick, slice-of-life sci-fi.
 

 This was absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud so much through this comic collection, especially because of how relatable it was—SO many panels made me think of myself and my spouse. 😂 I'd say you'll especially enjoy this if, like me (and Meg), you love rainy days, give zero fucks about decorum, and are obsessed with all things Halloween. 🎃 It may be February as I'm typing this review, but it's always October in my heart.
 

 Things I liked about this book:
- the author took the time to note that parents should not declutter behind their kids' backs if the kid is old enough to notice; despite it being "your" home, those are your child's belongings that you (or others) gave them and your child deserves the right (and your respect) to have an input on what stays and what goes.

Things I didn't like about this book:
- too much religious talk in the beginning

- waaaaay too much focus on the implication of every reader of this book being a cishet woman and a mother (sentences constantly calling the reader "girl", assuming every reader is a parent, etc.)

- weird random body-shaming tidbits (i.e. the bit about "if you aren't wearing Spanx and you have a c-section scar, trust me, everyone can see how lumpy your scar is" - WTactualF is this and why is it in a de-cluttering book???)

- vague parent-shaming stances (such as criticizing toys that are "unimaginative")

- every 3rd page is a plug for the author's website, paid downloads, paid online courses, etc.

- constant plugs for various brands (like Spanx underwear)

- falls off-topic constantly (again, with the underwear)

- The entire book reads like a long, drawn-out, rambling blog post that was only intended for people who are already friends and/or followers of the author's content. It could easily have been trimmed down to a couple of pages if not for the endless tangents, repetition, and long bulleted lists (the section on de-cluttering your bathroom literally includes a 20+ item bulleted list of items most cis women have in their bathrooms).

Bottom line: this is one of the worst self-help books I've ever read and I strongly recommend skipping it and picking up something by a number of other decluttering and organizational aid authors (with my #1 rec being Dana K. White, whose books cover many of the same methods that Allie Casazza details in this book, but in a better, more thorough, and more accessible way). 

 This was an absolute treasure! Buster is so precious and I loved seeing him step up and lead his own adventure, especially knowing that he was so uncertain about his own abilities but he didn't let it stop him from helping a kitten in need. Onion was such an ominous little cutie from the start, and of course, how could I not enjoy seeing the next step in Nova and Chauncey's journey? The ending made me so emotional, too — I'll fully admit that I closed the book and instantly went and found one of my cats for much-needed cuddles! ♥ I really hope the author writes more books about little Buster and his pals, but I'd also be content to see things end right here, because the ending of Lost and Found was kind of perfect.