readingrainbill's reviews
474 reviews

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

I'm Still Here (Adapted for Young Readers): Loving Myself in a World Not Made for Me by Austin Channing Brown

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Straight by Chuck Tingle

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I'll be honest. I was expecting a lighthearted and dumb book. Good, but dumb. Why did I think that? Because Chuck Tingle is the authors of such modern day classics as "Bigfoot Pirates Haunt My Balls." So I thought I was getting more of the same, just with a horror tone.

Nope.

What I got instead was a premise that may sound a bit far fetched but it delivered on something truly amazing. Yes, this book is like the love child of The Purge and 28 Days later, but gay, which does sound like  a Chuck Tingle book. But there so much to unpack in the 127 page novella (or 3h 32m for audio). 

Not only does this book tackle allyship and how some people are allies in name only. But it also tackles the lack of care and empathy for the LGBTQIA+ community. AND because we're not done here, and it tackles the selfishness of people who were able to yet did not get the COVID vaccine. 

But Bill, you may be saying. All of that in 127 page?  Yes. 

I want to read this again. I want to enjoy this for the first time again. I want to be amazed at how layered the book is and how so many good messages are placed in a horror story that could easily have been just dumb fun. Thank you Chuck Tingle. 

NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is cute and while I'm an adult, and not the target audience, I can still appreciate it at a fun story. Nerd Crush does a few things well. First of all Alisha Emrich writes her nerdy characters well. In fact, being a pedantic nerd myself, I found only one thing to criticize. Original characters technically aren't cosplay unless they originate from something like a game where you create your own avatar. That's really it. And it's sad but that's outstanding. So many times when I read about nerds it gets cringy.

Another great thing about this book is that Ramona's parents aren't horrible BUT they get things wrong in a very realistic way. I could even relate with her when her parents didn't get her interests and downplayed them as nothing serious and the mom even gets her character's name wrong even though she's probably been told it hundreds of times. I think this is important, especially in YA and Middle Grade because it can show kids that they're not alone. Their parents may not be awful but words and indifference can still hurt.

This book was very predictable. In fact I guessed the ending by the end of the first quarter of the book. However this isn't an adult contemporary fiction book where I'd dock points for that. This is an easy and enjoyable book that a kid could pick up and read. It's wonderfully inclusive and even dabbles in topics that I'm familiar with but have never experienced. Being a Black nerd cosplaying as a White character as well as not being considered Black enough by your peers because of how you act is nothing I have ever experienced so I can't critique that part of the book, but what I can do is say that I love the inclusion of those topics because they are important and hopefully someone who needs to hear it will read this book. 

Nerd Crush is great for a young audience and has a cute story and important lessons but it never gets bogged down by those lessons. If you're an adult and want to read this, go for it. Just be ready to find it predictable.  Remember, you're not the target audience. I did get this as an ARC and I'm so glad I did. Otherwise I may have let it pass me by.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Do people like this because it's good? Or because it's old? Frankly there was little to like. The writing style was like I was being told a story secondhand. I don't need a lot of flowery descriptions but come on, give me a little more.

Also there was probably only one character who wasn't a piece of crap and we don't even see a lot of them. 

After the time jump the story becomes fragmented and convoluted and then ends as suddenly as a power outage. 

Mediocre at best.

Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Another solid book in a good series. This is probably the weaker book in the set but this the one that's building up to the final battle so I can see why there was so much set up. A lot of set up in the previous books came to fruition now in predictable ways, but come on, this is a middle grade book. If you're not a kid and you're reading these for pure enjoyment, you probably don't (or shouldn't) care about predictability. This is a great series for you and your kids to read (or just you if you're sans child). The Rick Riordan Presents books (along with Rick Riordan himself) are what we should fill that Harry Potter gap with. 

Earthdivers: Kill Columbus #1 by Stephen Graham Jones

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

If you're not already a fan of Stephen Graham Jones, it's never a bad time to start. Earthdivers has a very interesting idea which is so blatantly dark that it gives the whole comic an edgy feeling from the very beginning. Look, I love DC and Marvel too. Super heroes are great. But if you want something different and a true unique idea, then this is for you.

Thanks to Net Galley and IDW for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. 

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

adventurous dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A fantastic follow up to a great book. What I liked most about this sequel is that the effects of the first book can really be seen. Think about horror movies you've watched and in part two there's hardly any sign that anything happened besides Dewey's limp in Scream. This book reminds you. The characters that got brutalized still show their scars and the events of book one still weigh heavy on the town.

What's great about Don't Fear the Reaper is that it jumps right back into. We don't have a quarter of book introducing everyone because we know them already. Any new characters we meet along the way. It's like watching the latest Fast & Furious movie. I don't need exposition, I want action. And Jones delivers.

What starts out as a familiar premise slowly turns into more. If there's one thing I can say about Stephen Graham Jones, is that he's always interesting and original.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait for the next book.

Knee Deep: Book One by Joe Flood

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I had fun but not enough fun to keep going. This could be a good graphic novel for a kid who needs an introduction to non-mainstream comics. But for me this is where I stop.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. 

Infamous by Lex Croucher

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I get what Lex Croucher is trying to do by making her main characters unlikable but it still bugs me. Don't want a perfect character for a high society period romance? Sure. But Eddie was so rude and idiotic that I can't believe anyone would want to be her friend.

Rose and Adam (Or whatever his name is) saved the book.

While I did like this more than reputation, I think this is my last Lex Croucher book. She's talented but I'm just not the right audience for her work. 

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.