morganthebee's Reviews (489)

This wasn’t what I was expecting, but that isn’t a bad thing. It was a series of wonderfully poetic, sometimes painful, sometimes ugly stories woven together into a beautiful non-linear tale.

I listened to the audiobook read by the author, and it was lovely to hear to it in his heavy Canadian accent. There were some times, though, where the audio got tinny and electronic, like little bits of it had to be re-recorded or recreated. It’s possible that’s because I was listening on 1.5x speed, but I usually do and it’s not something I’ve noticed in other books. It wasn’t enough to dissuade me from listening to it, but it was enough that I found it a bit distracting at times.

Stars Collide has been on my TBR for a while, and I finally decided to dive into it with Rachel Lacey’s newest book focusing on a side character from this story.

The book features Eden, a star who is dealing with the aftermath of divorce and a career slump, and Anna, an up and coming star 9 years Eden’s junior, who idolized her growing up. I really enjoyed both characters and the way they interacted, and the way they supported each other from very early on. Their chemistry was great, and so was the spice. I did think the third act drama felt a bit forced and unnecessary, but at least it didn’t drag on too terribly long.

I really, really wanted to like this one. It’s totally in my wheelhouse, I love a good graphic novel and the story sounded interesting. It wasn’t bad, just… disappointing, and not what I was hoping it would be. The art was nice but the story fell flat for me, and much of it felt underdeveloped. Should you read it? Sure, if you’ve got the time, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

I’m not sure how I stumbled onto this one. It is queer, and I read a LOT of LGBTQ+ books, but 95% of my reading is fiction and most of what isn’t is poetry, so this is definitely not my usual read. That said, I don’t regret picking it up for a second. A series of autobiographical essays, it explores the author’s experience finding his place in the world while growing up black and queer in America. Some of the stories are beautiful, some are sad, and others left me wanting to hold out my arms with an “oh, honey,” and draw him in for a hug. 

There were some times that it felt a little preachy but overall it drew me in, and I’d definitely recommend it—especially if you can listen to the audio book, which is read by the author. I’m starting to think all memoirs should be read by the author so you can take in their story in not just their words but also their voice.

I think the first book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series is still my favorite, but this one slid in as a close second. Okay, maaaaaaybe some of that is because these are the two books so far in the series with sapphic romances at the fore, I am a lesbian after all, but still. This book picks up where Back in a Spell left off, with Delilah dealing with the after effects of a spell that damaged her and left her unable to depend on her own memory and mind. 

There’s more town history introduced, and the arrival of the first non-human characters in Thistle Grove, but I found myself wishing we’d spent a little more time with some of the other characters. It felt like a lot of Delilah alone, with Ivy or Cat popping in—but at the same time, part of what she’s dealing with internally is her inability to open up to people, so I supposed that isolated feeling is warranted here in a way.

Lana Harper has a way with writing about trauma and its after effects that really gives you a feel for the characters without being too heavy handed. Much of this story focuses on dealing with the consequences of actions, both within and outside of the characters’ control. Delilah’s rage and fear, learning to open up and trust the people around her even in the face of betrayal, was handled very well. The ending was left more open than previous installments, but I have a feeling that may be revisited in the next book.

This is the second book of Sonora Reyes’ that I’ve read (although it’s their debut novel), and their books will definitely be an automatic read for me in the future. The way they write about emotion and experience, and navigating familial and cultural dynamics really speaks to me. 

Yes, it’s a YA book, so there’s some teenage drama and cliches, but honestly I remember my teens feeling a hell of a lot like that and I found the storytelling to be very realistic. I do think it ended a bit abruptly, but overall it was a really enjoyable read.

Wow, what a fabulous read! I loved the concept, and the worldbuilding was well thought out. It touched on nature vs nurture and generational trauma without beating you over the head with it. Cara is fully developed and complex, flawed but loveable, with clear reasons behind why she thinks and behaves the way she does. There are twists and turns that kept the story moving in really interesting ways, some I anticipated and some I didn’t, and I really enjoyed the writing style. Highly recommend!

It’s okay. Pretty standard, nothing too exciting. Girl disguises herself as a boy to be able to play basketball at her school, which only has a boys team. Other girl who has expressed homophobic views is in love with the “boy,” but changes her tune as soon as she realizes she’s a girl and decides it’s okay after all, which happens very early on. Hijinks and miscommunication follows.