I had quite a journey with this book. The first 100 pages I was pretty bored. I then read onto page 150 and was definitely having a better time with it, but I felt like I wasn’t really able to get absorbed into the story and humor. Then, I decided to listen to the audiobook while I read it physically. Absolutely would recommend reading it this way! The audiobook is fantastic, and really helps move the novel along as well as get a better grasp of the humor and characters. I have watched the 2005 move and it’s one of my favorite films, so even though there are some differences, I do feel like my love of the film has helped me enjoy the book as well. Austen has such a fun and quick wit, and she was obviously a great writer. I can’t wait to read more from her. Elizabeth was an amazing and funny main character, and although I feel like we see less of Mr. Darcy in the book than we do in the film, he’s still great as well. Also I must admit, I did not read any of the introductions or extra content in this edition so I have no thoughts on those lol.

This was fine, very underwhelming. If you were born in the late 90s or early 2000s and the animated show is where you know the teen titans from, please know that it seems like the author is going to be making the characters her own. Raven is not at all like her character in the show. The story is really cliche and there’s a lot of teenage angst and “boy drama.” I looove how diverse the characters are, and I liked the setting of New Orleans. Max was a nice side character. I knew about this series because I’ve been a fan of Gabriel Picolo and I love teen titans, and I hadn’t read the synopsis for this. I really don’t understand why this has an amnesia plot….felt like it was underestimating the readers. This is YA, but that doesn’t mean that everything needs to be spelled out. This feels more like it’s written for older middle schoolers rather than for high schoolers. I’m definitely pretty disappointed in this but I’m going to continue the series cause I’ve really be looking forward to reading “Beast Boy Loves Raven.”

This novel was heartbreaking and extremely well written. The dual pov is done perfectly, every change in timeline is done purposefully in order to make the story more engaging and emotional. I’m ngl, I did not like Ruth’s chapters For the first half, but I loved watching her grow and find herself as the story went on. It made it even more heartbreaking cause we know what happens to her. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the ethical dilemma of the writing of this novel. On one hand, I think it was done very respectfully, but I also think the story would’ve had the same impact had it not taken from the Bundy case. 
You’re rooting for Pamela from the very first page, and there are some absolutely amazing quotes. I annotated quite a bit. Would absolutely recommend.

This was a fun and fast horror novella. The horror doesn’t take up much of the novel, but when it does come around it’s very engaging. The best part of this book is the characters and writing. T. Kingfishers writing style is great, and Easton’s character shines through every sentence. It was so nice seeing Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter again, and the widow was a great addition as well. So much fun! But not very horror.

Sooo much fun, and the audiobook narration was perfect. What I loved the most was the characters and their little found family. I absolutely adored Vera, and the characters had such fun interactions. Even though the mystery isn’t the most engaging part of the novel, I was satisfied with how everything ended. Definitely recommend!

I loved the romance between Claire and Delilah, they have such a sweet and sexy connection. I loved Claire as a character and as a mother, you can really feel her love for her daughter. Although overall I liked Delilah, her “everybody hates me I’m so alone” inner monologue got very tiring very fast….like you are 30, have a conversation with your damn sister lol. The humor and dialogue at times is very millennial, but it’s not always so it didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment of the book. One thing that drove me crazy is the constant alcohol though…..every scene it’s “ugh I need a drink” like please seek therapy lol. Also, there is ONE character of color in this 390 page book and they have a very very minor role, like they’re mentioned twice. For how diverse the queer characters are, it’s a bit frustrating for me as a queer WOC. The writing style was pretty solid, but didn’t stand out to me. There’s a fun cast of characters and their interactions feel pretty genuine. Overall this was a great read! Excited to continue with the series.

Cute YA graphic novel that reads a bit on the younger side. It has some good moments about the history of slavery in New Orleans.  Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to because the MC has a crush on the son of a plantation owner who’s amazingly a woke ass guy and it felt a bit “white savior”….theres a plot twist near the end that makes it better but I wish we’d known that plot point in the beginning rather than being a plot twist cause it dampens the reading experience before you find out. On a good note, the art is wonderful!

Some great stories, some mid stories, and a god awful one lol. I think it’s important to point out that most of these stories are not horror !! Very disappointing when on the cover it literally says “new black HORROR” lmao. A lot of these stories felt like the author was catering to what they think Jordan Peele would like, rather than writing a story they’re passionate about. I also found it disappointing that we barely hear from Jordan Peele at all from this anthology that he’s supposed to have edited…..his intro is about a page and an half. A lot of the stories felt out of place or simply unnecessary. There were a few great stories, but overall the book felt a bit exhausting at times. The rating based on the rating I gave the individual stories is a 3.5, but in my heart it feels a bit more like a 3 lol

Individual ratings 

reckless eyeballing- 2.5⭐️
eye and tooth - 3.25⭐️
wandering devil - 2⭐️

invasion of the baby snatchers - 4.25⭐️ loved but should’ve been a novel cause the ending was a mess….also not horror

the other one - 5⭐️ so atmospheric 

Lasirèn - 3.5⭐️

The rider - 4⭐️

the aesthete - 3.25⭐️

pressure - 2⭐️ 

dark home - 4⭐️

flicker - 5⭐️ loved, would’ve been great as a novel

the most strongest obeah woman of the world - 2.5⭐️ exhausting….

The Norwood trouble - 3.75⭐️

a grief of the dead - 3⭐️ some great elements but also messy 

a bird sings by the etching tree - 4⭐️ so much fun

an American fable - 4⭐️

your happy place - 5⭐️ MY FAVORITE but again, not really horror

hide & seek - 4.5⭐️ what a short story should be

origin story - 1⭐️ this one actively pissed me off lol

A very important and informative read, and for me it felt like a great introduction to Angela Davis. I’ve ordered more books by her and am excited to learn more. This is a collection of speeches and essays, so at times it feels a bit repetitive, therefore did not get 5 stars. 

Listened to the audiobook and it felt like I was being read a bed time story. So soft and inviting. Loved!