No fault of the book. It was just easy to tell two chapters in that this was a book that I was no longer interested in. 

I was so excited for this book I actually requested a paper arc from the publisher. I adored Felix Ever After and wanted to read more by the same author, especially their YA Fantasy debut. My first reading obstacle was that so many sentences start with someone’s name. I tried to brush it off as a preference as I am also editing now also. Then there are half developed scenes that just drop off suddenly. 

Again this is more a preference so I went on. The rep is phenomenal with a trans man as our main character with a genderfluid and cis man as love interests. There was more emphasis on the romance than the world building, but the world has potential. But the romance feels flat to me. I don’t get why they like each other.  But the final straw was describing how to throw a punch is just so wrong. 

“Never hold your thumb on the outside of your fingers”…moving the thumb so it was tucked inside instead.” And later “You even tucked in your thumb.” I tried to play it off as it could just be the wrong word but there is no way. This is basic research and I just can’t anymore. So I’m DNF’ing it. 

Nothing has happened. Voyerism. Word chooses that take you out of the story and make you realize sentences are fragmented. I really wanted to love this, but I have no connection at this point, and according to the other reviews that probably won’t change. 

Title: The Red Scholar Wake
Type: Paper
Thoughts: I knew I would love this book from the first page. I knew I would question my love of this book from the first page. Ships are sentient. They get married and have relations…with humans. This is an Asian inspired space opera that is weirdly sapphic (ship/human) and questions society and politics. It is character heavy and beautifully written. I loved it even as I laughed as I tried to explain. One aspect I didn’t enjoy was the son Being upset that his parents were not intimate. Beyond being weird as an ace I found this kind of offensive. I think if it was framed more as him being upset at an unstable upbringing it would have worked. But nope he wanted is parents together together. Also, toxic bad relationship and immediate new relationship for political reasons. This is not a book for everyone but I adored it and want to go read everything from this author. 

This is a light novel my son bought me about over a year ago. The thought was very nice. A combination of his love of Japan/anime and my love of books. But as much as I have tried I am not an anime person and this book reads exactly like anime - it played in my head as I read. So it is exactly what it is supposed to be. My only valid thought is that the bookstore was not as essential as it should have been given the title. 

HP mentioned but also a whole scene going on about the joy of HP combined with questionable therapist ethics. 

I started this in audio and as much as I wanted to like it I wasn’t. I switched over to paper thinking that may be better, but it really wasn’t. I don’t think the writing style was for me. But more then that this book is dark even when it is supposed to not be. It also had too much going on. Having the emotional intensity of WWII as a backdrop and then throwing a super villain in as well felt overwhelming.

There was an inconsistency within the first four pages.

It just isn’t my thing.