Sometimes I think I never again want to read books with dragons, but I refuse to let that one popular, overhyped, overrated, and stupid fantasy romance series ruin dragons for me.

Anyway this is an interesting sapphic reimagining of Beauty and the Beast set in a Vietnamese-inspired world. One of the women is a scholar who gets sold to a dragon. The romance was too insta-love for me but a lot of readers enjoy that so whatever. I really liked the writing even if at times I had to reread a passage or an entire paragraph. This is my second time reading a book from this author, and I'm not sure I want to read more from her.

This series is so fun, silly, and ridiculous. In this volume the fairy Riri shows up in human form pretending to be Anzu's cousin. She continues to be as insufferable and manipulative as usual. Also there's a new rich guy who's extremely annoying and needs to get punched. The things I really didn't like are having to see the phrase "just friends" and the part where a random man breaks into Anzu's home and steals her mother's underwear. The fact that Anzu keeps ruining Riri's attempts to "fix" her with magic so she's "normal" is what's motivating me to keep reading this manga.

Valya is seven months pregnant and has depression and anxiety. She gets an implant game called Casual that helps her to feel relaxed. However she is expected to have it shut down as she gets closer to her due date. If she wants to continue using Casual, then she has to have to sign up for a trial that would mean an implant would get put into her baby's brain.

It took me a while to finish this because I'm tokophobic and childfree, and I hate human babies. However this is definitely a thought-provoking scifi book about motherhood and mental illness. Also it was annoying having to read "everyone wants sex" and "everyone settles down" because neither of those statements are true. Even though I didn't always like this I'd still recommend it and I will read more by Koji A. Dae.

Quinn's dad Glenn moves them to a small town called Kettle Springs after the death of her mother. The town has a clown mascot named Frendo. When Quinn goes to a party with her new friends, a bunch of adults dressed as Frendo go on a killing spree.

This book started out slow and then got fast when the killings started. There was already some tension between the teens and adults, which is especially obvious with an asshole teacher and the sheriff. Many of the deaths are creative and brutal. My favorite moments were when despicable characters died. Also it would be nice if I never again had to read about making a place "great again" but unfortunately that is an unrealistic expectation, since there will always be people who cling to traditions that are outdated and don't benefit everyone. Anyway, I really like this book and will totally read the sequel.

This is such an interesting collection of essays about growing up in West Virginia as an Indian person. Neema Avashia does a great job at showing her affection for Appalchia and the people with whom she grew close to and even considers family, while also acknowledging the racism and xenophobia she had to deal with. This book was on my radar since I first heard of it and I'm so glad I finally got to read it.

An unnamed narrator goes from running a beauty salon before it becomes a mortuary for men who are sick and dying of a plague. The narrator also describes the fish he's kept throughout his life and the ways they'd die, as well as the times he'd dress up as a woman while tending to his salon when his salon was in business, and also at night he'd dress up as a woman and have sex with men. It was painful to read this but the writing is exquisive and captivating, and despite the cruelty and descriptions of illness and neglect there is still a lot of empathy and kindness in this short book.

I've only started listening to MrBallen's podcast this year and have been enjoying it, so I knew I had to read this book. There are some disturbing and strange stories in the comic. For instance one is about a giant, and another is about a woman who had a nightmare about thorns piercing her head. The story about a beast and a soft-hearted, "cowardly" child who stood up to it is the only I didn't care for, as it seems too much of an urban legend. All of these are supposed to be true, and while I'm not sure I believe them, I don't dismiss them either. They're all intriguing and captivating, and the illustrations are absolutely exquisite.

Ford is a living hitman, and his partner Neuland is undead. When they fail to complete a job, they flee to California. When they reach California, they meet Tilda, who tells them that her great-grandfather wants them to kill a devil that lives in their old house. This was fun and often funny despite some typos and some cringe dialogue. There were also times when I got frustrated at Tilda. I am still looking forward to the sequel and reading more of Ford and Neuland's adventures.

After Noor got the feather at the end of the first book, she gets sent to 1177 in Jerusalem during the Crusades. She makes new friends, one of whom is Zainab, a girl who can make herself invisible. She helps them save some books from being burned before finding the next bird. Sonia Nimr is a good writer and Lynx Qualey does an excellent job at translating this story. I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait to read more of Noor's adventures.

None of these stories were easy to read. There is a lot of brutality and cruelty, but they also have much empathy for the flawed and often insufferable characters. Some are terrifying and others are heartbreaking. They are all going to stick with me for the rest of my life. I am definitely going to read more from this author.