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219 reviews by:
philsbookcorner
Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4.5 Stars
Kirstin Chen's Counterfeit is the perfect book to kick off summer with - breezy & hilarious with a dash of mystery & thrills, I absolutely loved this!
I listened to the audiobook & thought it was fantastic, the narrator did an excellent job & I enjoyed her different voices for different characters; I know the book itself is written without quotation marks, so if that bugs you, I'd go with the audiobook, you won't notice at all! I loved the way this was structured - it's hard to get into too much detail without getting spoilery, so all I'll say is that the format made for a few nice surprises throughout. I thought Ava & Winnie were both really complex, interesting characters, their actions throughout really challenged my own perspective on just who the "bad guys" are when it comes to the luxury goods market. Counterfeit had a lot to say - about identity & belonging, the price to pay for the "American Dream", international labor laws, the role the luxury market places in perpetuating often inhumane conditions in exchange for status & wealth; there was a lot of substance underneath the fun & I really appreciated that. & Chen's writing was just so sharp, there wasn't a single dull moment throughout - I was very satisfied with the way everything wrapped up!
I think this would make such a great movie or limited series, highly recommend picking this up if you're looking for a quick, fun, impactful read! & thank you so much BiblioLifestyle, William Morrow Books & Kirstin Chen for the gifted copy, & Libro.fm & HarperAudio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!
& I just have to say, I loved this quote so, so much, it actually made me tear up; it's kind of spoilery so I'll hide it behind the tag -
Story: 4.5 Stars
Kirstin Chen's Counterfeit is the perfect book to kick off summer with - breezy & hilarious with a dash of mystery & thrills, I absolutely loved this!
I listened to the audiobook & thought it was fantastic, the narrator did an excellent job & I enjoyed her different voices for different characters; I know the book itself is written without quotation marks, so if that bugs you, I'd go with the audiobook, you won't notice at all! I loved the way this was structured - it's hard to get into too much detail without getting spoilery, so all I'll say is that the format made for a few nice surprises throughout. I thought Ava & Winnie were both really complex, interesting characters, their actions throughout really challenged my own perspective on just who the "bad guys" are when it comes to the luxury goods market. Counterfeit had a lot to say - about identity & belonging, the price to pay for the "American Dream", international labor laws, the role the luxury market places in perpetuating often inhumane conditions in exchange for status & wealth; there was a lot of substance underneath the fun & I really appreciated that. & Chen's writing was just so sharp, there wasn't a single dull moment throughout - I was very satisfied with the way everything wrapped up!
I think this would make such a great movie or limited series, highly recommend picking this up if you're looking for a quick, fun, impactful read! & thank you so much BiblioLifestyle, William Morrow Books & Kirstin Chen for the gifted copy, & Libro.fm & HarperAudio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!
& I just have to say, I loved this quote so, so much, it actually made me tear up; it's kind of spoilery so I'll hide it behind the tag -
Spoiler
Winnie's the one who showed Ava her country for what it truly is: a wild-fire, a head-on collision, a spooked horse that's thrown off its rider, a motherfucking driverless car. It's the only place for freaks like them, hucksters, con men, unicorns, queens. Winnie is the American dream, and that's what drives everyone mad, mad, mad - that she had the gall to crash their game & win it all.
Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars
As soon as I saw the comp to Final Destination, one of my all-time favorite horror franchises, I knew I had to read Jennifer Thorne's Lute - & ya'll, this lived up to that comp in every way!
I have to start by saying the audiobook was absolutely fantastic - Victoria Blunt, you did that, one of my favorite audiobook performances ever, a truly cinematic listening experience from start to finish! As with most horror, I'd highly suggest going into this as blindly as possible, so I'll keep all of the details relatively general. The way Thorne built suspense was so well done, I loved the way this book was structured - a few days leading up to "the day", & then the actual day itself, split up into different hours throughout the day. I was on the edge of my seat so many times, & the last 20% had me audibly gasping & yelling in my car - I'll reiterate, this completely lives up to its Final Destination comp through & through. Nina was the perfect protagonist to follow with a story like this, I was fascinated with her journey & personal progression as "the day" went on, & I think the way everything ultimately played out, especially with her character, strikes up a lot of interesting philosophical discussions. This was such a great blend of horror, fantasy, & hints of a domestic thriller (& some slight romance/steam), & it ultimately had a lot to say, particularly about community & duty.
I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this & giving the audiobook a listen, this is the perfect spooky season read/listen! & thank you so much Jennifer Thorne, NetGalley, & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!
Story: 5 Stars
As soon as I saw the comp to Final Destination, one of my all-time favorite horror franchises, I knew I had to read Jennifer Thorne's Lute - & ya'll, this lived up to that comp in every way!
I have to start by saying the audiobook was absolutely fantastic - Victoria Blunt, you did that, one of my favorite audiobook performances ever, a truly cinematic listening experience from start to finish! As with most horror, I'd highly suggest going into this as blindly as possible, so I'll keep all of the details relatively general. The way Thorne built suspense was so well done, I loved the way this book was structured - a few days leading up to "the day", & then the actual day itself, split up into different hours throughout the day. I was on the edge of my seat so many times, & the last 20% had me audibly gasping & yelling in my car - I'll reiterate, this completely lives up to its Final Destination comp through & through. Nina was the perfect protagonist to follow with a story like this, I was fascinated with her journey & personal progression as "the day" went on, & I think the way everything ultimately played out, especially with her character, strikes up a lot of interesting philosophical discussions. This was such a great blend of horror, fantasy, & hints of a domestic thriller (& some slight romance/steam), & it ultimately had a lot to say, particularly about community & duty.
I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this & giving the audiobook a listen, this is the perfect spooky season read/listen! & thank you so much Jennifer Thorne, NetGalley, & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!
Narration: 5 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars
If you've been on the hunt for collection of short stories with a pretty unique take on the horror genre, look no further than Rachel Harrison's Bad Dolls - what a great collection! Since there were only a handful of stories, I thought the best way to do this review would be to break it down into a bunch of mini-reviews per each story, & then give ya'll my overall thoughts on the collection as a whole!
Reply Hazy, Try Again: This was a great way to open the collection, "Reply Hazy, Try Again" hits you with a big dose of nostalgia for Magic 8 Balls (maybe not this Magic 8 Ball, though). This story strays the farthest away from traditional horror, it was almost more of a relationship drama with a dash of fantasy, but it worked for me!
(4 Stars)
Bachelorette: Easily my favorite out the collection, "Bachelorette" really, really played on a lot of my own personal anxieties with lifelong friends & friend groups, in general. This story made me genuinely uncomfortable a handful of times & I was really surprised with the turn it took, definitely didn't see that coming at all!
(5 Stars)
Goblin: If you have any kind of aversion or triggers towards dieting & eating disorders, stay away from "Goblin" - this one really got to me, too. As someone who's been on a weight loss journey for quite some time now, this played into so many inner fears I have with fitness. & this had such a satisfying ending!
(4.5 Stars)
Bad Dolls: Out of the entire collection, "Bad Dolls" serves up the best dose of traditional horror - can't ever go wrong with a creepy porcelain doll! I really liked how Harrison tackled grief with this one, & dolls will never fail to freak me the hell out.
(4.5 Stars)
Overall, I had a great time listening to this & think it'll be perfect for spooky season! I desperately need to dive more into Harrison's backlist, really looking forward to Such Sharp Teeth!
Overall: 4 Stars
If you've been on the hunt for collection of short stories with a pretty unique take on the horror genre, look no further than Rachel Harrison's Bad Dolls - what a great collection! Since there were only a handful of stories, I thought the best way to do this review would be to break it down into a bunch of mini-reviews per each story, & then give ya'll my overall thoughts on the collection as a whole!
Reply Hazy, Try Again: This was a great way to open the collection, "Reply Hazy, Try Again" hits you with a big dose of nostalgia for Magic 8 Balls (maybe not this Magic 8 Ball, though). This story strays the farthest away from traditional horror, it was almost more of a relationship drama with a dash of fantasy, but it worked for me!
(4 Stars)
Bachelorette: Easily my favorite out the collection, "Bachelorette" really, really played on a lot of my own personal anxieties with lifelong friends & friend groups, in general. This story made me genuinely uncomfortable a handful of times & I was really surprised with the turn it took, definitely didn't see that coming at all!
(5 Stars)
Goblin: If you have any kind of aversion or triggers towards dieting & eating disorders, stay away from "Goblin" - this one really got to me, too. As someone who's been on a weight loss journey for quite some time now, this played into so many inner fears I have with fitness. & this had such a satisfying ending!
(4.5 Stars)
Bad Dolls: Out of the entire collection, "Bad Dolls" serves up the best dose of traditional horror - can't ever go wrong with a creepy porcelain doll! I really liked how Harrison tackled grief with this one, & dolls will never fail to freak me the hell out.
(4.5 Stars)
Overall, I had a great time listening to this & think it'll be perfect for spooky season! I desperately need to dive more into Harrison's backlist, really looking forward to Such Sharp Teeth!
Narration & Story: 5 Stars
I'm allowed to hate someone else's dream, even if it is my reality.
I'm going to keep this short & sweet - this was brave, honest, funny, raw, & deeply personal. If you're reading this purely for the drama & tea, you're completely missing the point (although yes, there are certainly some shocking revelations - my jaw dropped with one towards the end). I highly, highly recommend giving the audiobook a listen, this is a memoir that almost necessitates hearing these stories told through the author's own voice. Jennette, I'm so happy you've been able to find peace & healing, thank you for sharing your story with the world & I can't wait to see how your life blossoms from here. & thank you so much Libro.fm & Simon & Schuster Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!
I'm allowed to hate someone else's dream, even if it is my reality.
I'm going to keep this short & sweet - this was brave, honest, funny, raw, & deeply personal. If you're reading this purely for the drama & tea, you're completely missing the point (although yes, there are certainly some shocking revelations - my jaw dropped with one towards the end). I highly, highly recommend giving the audiobook a listen, this is a memoir that almost necessitates hearing these stories told through the author's own voice. Jennette, I'm so happy you've been able to find peace & healing, thank you for sharing your story with the world & I can't wait to see how your life blossoms from here. & thank you so much Libro.fm & Simon & Schuster Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!
Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars
The point is to let your bruised and bloodied bodies serve as evidence that the government means to kill you, if you so much as protest its bigoted policies.
This, right here, is a powerhouse debut - hilarious, heartbreaking, poignant, sexy, and thought-provoking, this is easily my favorite book of the year thus far!
I loved the way this story was told - it's divided up into different lessons, rather than chapters, lessons like "a sanctuary can be a sordid place" & "victory can be a thorny crown", & is presented in an autobiographical way from the perspective of Trey, a young, gay Black man in NYC in the 1980's. It was fascinating seeing how Newson wove real life queer & non-queer historical figures & events throughout - I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed the footnotes, which provided a little more context into specific moments within the story (the physical book is a must). Newson's writing was phenomenal, I'm surprised at just how much he was able to pack in a book that's just under 300 pgs. Amongst other important topics this covered activism, Blackness, the HIV/AIDS crisis, misogyny, queerness, privilege, & racism - not only are you given an amazing story, you're provided with an opportunity to learn more about people & events often shadowed throughout history. & I can't finish this review off without giving a huge standing ovation for our audiobook narrator, Jelani Alladin - what a performance, he really made these characters & this story come to life!
I highly recommend grabbing both a physical & audio copy upon release next week, trust me when I say this is story you don't want to miss! & thank you so much Rasheed Newson, NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC, & Flatiron Books for providing an ARC, in exchange for a honest review!
Story: 5 Stars
The point is to let your bruised and bloodied bodies serve as evidence that the government means to kill you, if you so much as protest its bigoted policies.
This, right here, is a powerhouse debut - hilarious, heartbreaking, poignant, sexy, and thought-provoking, this is easily my favorite book of the year thus far!
I loved the way this story was told - it's divided up into different lessons, rather than chapters, lessons like "a sanctuary can be a sordid place" & "victory can be a thorny crown", & is presented in an autobiographical way from the perspective of Trey, a young, gay Black man in NYC in the 1980's. It was fascinating seeing how Newson wove real life queer & non-queer historical figures & events throughout - I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed the footnotes, which provided a little more context into specific moments within the story (the physical book is a must). Newson's writing was phenomenal, I'm surprised at just how much he was able to pack in a book that's just under 300 pgs. Amongst other important topics this covered activism, Blackness, the HIV/AIDS crisis, misogyny, queerness, privilege, & racism - not only are you given an amazing story, you're provided with an opportunity to learn more about people & events often shadowed throughout history. & I can't finish this review off without giving a huge standing ovation for our audiobook narrator, Jelani Alladin - what a performance, he really made these characters & this story come to life!
I highly recommend grabbing both a physical & audio copy upon release next week, trust me when I say this is story you don't want to miss! & thank you so much Rasheed Newson, NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC, & Flatiron Books for providing an ARC, in exchange for a honest review!
(Mini-Review) First & foremost, check TWs! This gets pretty dark & disturbing, with a heavy emphasis on child sexual abuse. Having said that, I really believe Amy Engel did an excellent job of of weaving such a controversial topic between the pages of a truly compelling mystery/thriller. This was gorgeously written - each character had complexity & depth, the locations were vividly described, & sensitive topics were dealt with in a way not just meant for shock value. This isn’t your typical fast-paced thriller, it’s more of a slow burn mystery, but that didn’t take anything away from the story at all. I really enjoyed taking a bit of time with this one. This was a great read, one that I’d recommend to those looking for a twisted family drama!