Mini Review Dump #5 - It's All 4 Stars+ Today

Recent Mini Reviews

Let's face it, most of my reviews lately are what most people consider "mini" anyhow. Most of the time I'd rather be reading than writing an essay deconstructing every part of a book, so it is what it is. Here are the quick takes and the thoughtless thoughts about the recent(ish) books I've read. 




Red, White & Royal Blue

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a good read with some terribly flawed characters who pissed me off multiple times before I learned all of the circumstances. It's a well-crafted spooky read with some great characterization. Stick with it if the fighting between the siblings starts putting you off. I probably would've quit if I weren't listening on audio because it's long and the arguments drove me nuts but I'm so glad I finished. I’m also pretty sure my mother’s creepy ass Ashton Drake dolls feature heavily in this book so that was an extra level of creep. Recommended if you don't mind being very annoyed for a bit.







⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Freedom means that I get to be as beautifully imperfect as everyone else."

I had only surface knowledge of Britney Spears and the conservatorship she was stuck in when I picked up this book. Discovering what went on and how she was treated by her own family was horrifying and tragic. I hope she remains ok, enjoys her life and that her family gets a good kick in the ass when karma catches up with them.










⭐⭐⭐⭐


These stories (five or so) included in Amazon's "Creature Feature Collection" have been a bit hit or miss for me ranging from creepfest to snorefest. 

This one - a folk horror short - about a young couple dealing with grief, was excellent at the creepiness. I recommend it if you like this kind stuff. The audio version was excellent. I listened to it as part of Kindle Unlimited.








⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2


I know people keep saying this, but this was truly such a comforting read. It has a bit more action than Legends & Lattes but it still has the same cozy feel and the ending was lovely. If this is the beginning of a "cozy fantasy" trend, I'm all in.

I liked L&L just a smidge more but that's because I'm not really an action fan so it's 4 1/2 stars for me. 

That's it for now. Have you read any of them? Or read something else that you want the world to read? Let me know in the comments!

Comments

  1. GregTuesday, February 27, 2024

    I'm kind of all for cozy fantasy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary KirklandWednesday, February 28, 2024

    I've heard a little bit about the Britney Spears book and how everyone around her treated her badly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bark At The GhoulsMonday, March 04, 2024

      Yep, treated like one of those women in victorian times. It's very sad.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Darkness, Delight: Masters of Midnight edited by Andrew Lennon | Horror Fiction Review

Image
I love finding new writers via anthologies and I found a few here! In Darkness Delight Released May 2019 Source: Received for Review Consideration Goodreads  | Amazon Midnight strikes like an invocation, clock hands joining in prayer to the darkness. After the twelfth chime, there’s no escaping the nightmare. Fear reigns supreme. In Darkness, Delight is an original anthology series revealing the many facets of modern horror—shocking and quiet, pulp and literary, cold-hearted and heart-felt, weird tales of spiraling madness alongside full-throttle thrillers. Open these pages and unleash all-new terrors that consume from without and within. Midnight is here. It’s now time to find . . . In Darkness, Delight. My 2 Cents for Free! This is a collection filled with nightmarish images and stories. As with collections of these types, there are always some you’re going to love and others you might not be quite as crazy about. A few of them were so deeply depressing that I had to take breaks in-b
Read more

Sundial by Catriona Ward | Horror Fiction Review

Image
I read and reviewed this one a little bit ago but forgot to post it here. But it's never too late to discover a new read, right? Sundial by Catriona Ward Released March 2022 Source: Received for Review Consideration Goodreads  | Amazon Sundial is a new, twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, internationally bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street. You can't escape what's in your blood... All Rob wanted was a normal life. She almost got it, too: a husband, two kids, a nice house in the suburbs. But Rob fears for her oldest daughter, Callie, who collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her too much of the family she left behind. She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice. Callie is worried about her mother. Rob has begun to look at her strangely, and speaks of past secrets. And Callie
Read more

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt | Book Review

Image
Just like Rumfitt's previous book, this book will upset you. Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt Released October 2023 Source: Received for Review Consideration Goodreads   | Amazon From Alison Rumfitt, the author of Tell Me I’m Worthless — “a triumph of transgressive queer horror” (Publishers Weekly) — comes Brainwyrms, a searing body horror novel of obsession, violence and pleasure. When a transphobic woman bombs Frankie’s workplace, she blows up Frankie’s life with it. As the media descends like vultures, Frankie tries to cope with the carnage: binge-drinking, fucking strangers, pushing away her friends. Then she meets Vanya. Mysterious, beautiful, terrifying Vanya. The two hit it off immediately, but as their relationship intensifies, so too does Frankie’s feeling that Vanya is hiding something from her. When Vanya’s secrets threaten to tear them apart, Frankie starts digging, and unearths a sinister, depraved conspiracy, the roots of which go deeper than she ever imagined. Shocking,
Read more