Bookish Blerd

This was tough. I enjoyed the books, but at the same time I can see why some people don't. The interludes, while amusing, got old. Some wete just way too long and boring. And the "Buttercup's Baby" extra...I could have lived without it.

 

I did enjoyed the story and the whimsy. It was full of adventure, romance, and humor. I enjoyed the character developement and learning more of the backstories of everyone. I think I could read this again minus the interludes.

Someone once told me that if I enjoyed the "John Dies At The End" series, then I would love Welcome To Night Vale. They were so right!

 

This books was great. Night Vale is such a mess, but in the best way. You just want to see what's going to happen next. And everything that happens is more insane and convoluted than the last thing.

 

This was all about the Smiling God, the other world that Carlos was once trapped in for 10 years, and oddly, Carlos losing his shit.

 

I loved everything about this. I listened to the audiobook as I read, and of course Cecil did an amazing job narrating.

A series of stories that intertwined.  I very much enjoyed them all.  I can't wait to really get into this series!

This was an amazing book that in the year 2022 hit a little two close to home.  The people of Lille have been subject to to whims of a power-hungry tyrant for over two centuries, with women and girls bearing the brunt of his madness.  Cinderella is dead, and it turns out the story everyone has been told about her is a lie.

This was a beautiful retelling.  So original and thought provoking (considering today's current atmosphere.)  I was completely caught up in the tale.  The characters, even with a few annoying habits, were so likeable.  I was right there in it, fighting with them.  It was well thought out and wonderfully written.   I read along with the ebook, while listening to the audiobook and as usual, Bahni Turpin knocked it out of the park!  She captured the emition of the characters and did amazing distinguishing them with different voices.  This was a 10-out-of-10 would/will read again.

This was amazing.  Sometimes a full-cast audiobook can turn into a hot mess, but this was very well done.  The story follows a group of survivors holed up in an old castle.  Seven years prior a comet blacked out the sun and created an endless night.  Then the vampires came.  With the ability to travel without fear of the sun, they basically take over the world.  The story was wonderfully original and kept me engaged.  The voice actors did a excellent job of bringing the story to life.  And though this was a short listen, it didn't feel rushed or have major plot holes.  I have my fingers crossed that there will be a follow-up because I am invested in this world and the characters.

Not even Vincent Price could save this for me.  It's official; while I enjoy some of his stories and poems, overall, I am not a fan of Poe.

More of a 3.75.  I have the ebook and the audiobook.  I listened the the audiobook and it was the most disappointing part of the book.  Being used to hearing Jean Shepard's narration, it was a shock to the system to hear someone else telling the story.  Especially because their narration was bland and a little momotoned.  All of the movie is there--with minor changes here and there.  The story switches back and forth between older Ralphie's present day and him flashing back to memories from his childhood.  It isn't all one long story based on Christmas like in the movie.  It was funny and a little weird considering I have been watching the movie multiple times a year since the 80's.  The story of the movie is ingrained in my memory, so it was odd hearing the story as a mish-mash of seperate memories.  Not a bad story, though I do regret purchasing the audio version.

Wowzers!  This was so similar and different to the podcast.  I had head of Night Vale for quite some time and when I saw the book on sale a while ago, I decided I should find out what it was all about.  But it sat on my shelf for and embarrassingly long time.  I finally checked out the podcast this year and was instantly hooked on the world, the craziness of it all and "The Voice of Night Vale" Cecil.  When I decided to finally read this, I thought it would be awesome to listen to tha audio while reading along--cuz Cecil.  I swear I would listen to him read stereo instructions.

Anyway, this was a very indepth story about Diane and her form-shifting son, Josh and the unaging Jackie.  This had all of the weirdness and shenanigans of Night Vale.  Time is a mess and there are multiple Troys spread across mutliple towns bringing the mess of Night Vale to other times and wreaking all kids of havoc.  This is full of adventure and mystery.  It was an excellent read/listen.

This was a slog. Three stars is a gift. I am invested in the characters based on the previous two novels, which were excellent. In the beginning I enjoyed the militaristic strategy the protagonists, Kilroy, took to surviving the zombie apocalypse; it's what kept him and the people he found along the way alive for as long as they have been. It was enough to make sense why he survived and was able to help people along the way; creating a community of survivors.

 

This novel took away the connection with the characters, changed the plot, made it slightly convoluted and ramped up the military aspect to 1,000. This novel is 80 percent military jargon and operations now, as Kil and his group encounter a working branch of military and he, as an enlisted man, is pushed back into service.

While I am still very invested in the characters and would like to see where this goes, but who knows what gresh hell the next installment will bring.

Wowzers! Ms. Jackson does not disappoint. I watched the film first and loved it. Great caset; excellent story. They did the book justice.

So very dark and mysterious. Sisters and their invalid uncle living in the family home. The town hates them for their wealth and because one of the sisters allegedly murdered of the rest of their family. The whole family is clearly traumatized from the deaths of their family years prior and they live as shut-ins in their home.

A visit from a sistant familt member throws things upside down for the family of three. And because of shenanigans, the house catches fire. A good bit is destroyed and rhenthe rest of the hateful town helps the fire by attacking the house they've always been so envious of. Just horrible people ina vicious, violent frenzie leavint the sisters hiding until they've all gone.

The whole thing was mysterious, strange and very sad. A very good read and I look forward to working my way through the author's catalog.

I remembered enjoying the movie, but I hated this book. It was hard to get into, even with C. Michael Hall's narration. I didn't like the story or the characters as they were not likeable--particularly Holly. And don't get me started on the poor cat, who had no name and deserved better. I figured I would adore the book since I liked the movie; however, I am now beginning to rethink my enjoyment of the film.

Wherein we meet Ceony, a young Apprentice Magician who is forced into paper magic out of necessity. There are too few Paper Magicians, or Folders, in the country, and from time to time a student has the medium forced upon them to keep it from dying out.

 

Emery Thane is introduced as Ceony's teacher. An odd man, whose talent for folding is astounding. It doesn't take long for Ceony to develop a grudging like for her strange teacher, and the medium of folding.

 

Shenanigans ensue when someone from Thane's past attacks him in his home and it's up to Ceony and per paper puppy companion Fennel to save the day.

 

This book was lovely. The story was original and kept my interested the whole way through. The characters were likable. Fennel was my favorite and must be protected at all costs. I love the fact that though it's the first in a series, this book had a clear ending and was not a cliffhanger. A fun read and the audiobook was wonderful. The narrator did a wonderful job with the voices and her telling of the story kept me attentive.

This was amazing. It was funny, as expected, but also sad. I love how Felicia grew up "weird"; I feel like we all grow up in varying degrees of weird. It's what makes us who we are. It was fascinating hearing, in her own words, in her own voice, her childhood, her initial trip into the interwebs, her gaming obsession. It was sad to hear about her descent into depression, and the decline of not only her mental health but her physical heath. Her slow journey back to to good form was heartening. Creating her webshow and learning all it entailed was surprising and it made me so happy that she never gave up and ended up with own company. Sometimes I forget she was behind Geek & Sundry. We're not even going to talk about internet trolls and especially not gamer gate. This look into Felicia's life, a person who's content, I have greately enjoyed over the years was super fun and I think I got misty-eyed a time or two. I have the paperback and the audiobook and I find listing to the audio by the author always makes the read/listen that much better. This did not disappoint.

Wow. Ms. Ireland took us for a wild ride on this one. Wherein Jane and Katherine become the best of friends, go on more adventuers. We have deaths, rebirths, apparently the vaccine works, but also, it does not work. We have a mad scientist on the loose, and vengeful bounty hunters on his trail, the East Coast has fallen, more racism and mysoginy. There are not-so-happy reunions, a whole lot of character development, more allies, and lots more death.. This was just fabulous. I loved the story, the characters, the narration with the added narrator was wonderful, and the ending left me wanting more, yet was completely satisfying. I loved this book and its predecessor and whether or not it's this story continuing, or something completely new, I look forward to reading more by the author.

To start, I have no idea what I was thinking when I decided I HAD to read this. I shall quantify this by saying, as someone who has lived her intire life dealing with the reality of slaver, racism, and mysoginy, I despise dealing with it in my fantasy world. I actively avoide books and movies that are racially charged or heavy with the sexism. Sometimes you can't avoid it, and sometime and book/movie is so effing fantastic that I can give it a pass. Dread Nation is going on the list. But make no mistake, the racism really grated on me.  Also, it was in first person perspective, which I normally loathe; this was not bad.

 

With that being said, this was an amazing story, and what drew it to me was zombies, combined with historical fiction, and black people in the forefront. The characters were fun and likeable, even when they were unliekable. The world building was amazing and the writing was incredible!

 

We follow Jane McKeene a half black/white girl who is a student at Miss Preston's School for Negro Girls (I think that's what it was called.) Basically when the dead decided to get up and walk during the battle of Gettysburg The Civil War "ended" and the war vs the Dead began. The North still "won" and blacks were given freedom, but not really. They, along with indigenous tribes were swooped and placed in combat schools where they taught them how to be on the frontlines in the battle against the dead, as well as beat their culture and "savageness" out of them so that they can better serve their white betters. Sigh, I'm letting the bitterness bleed into the review.

 

Anyway Jane gets thrust into crazy adventures and all around bad situations with her nemisise Kathrine Devaraux, who is also of mixed race, but a goody-goofy know-it-all, which irks Jane to no end. There are devious plots, secret "utopia" towns, crazy scientists with vaccines and terrible experiments. There is also the dead, which the characters refer to as shamblers. There's a lot of death, allies, betrayals and grudging friendships.

 

I've heard the narrator before and they were amazing. They captured the voices and brought the world to life.

 

Just read/listen to it; it was great!