In The Solarium

5/5 ⭐ This queer rom-com with its surprisingly on-point introspection on what a healthy relationship looks like and well-developed characters will leave readers' hearts a little more full than before. And swooning for their own Delilah Green. I loved this queer romance, it’s one of the most well-written ones I have read so far. The characters were so well developed, the usual tropes and aspects I am used to seeing in romance novels were not there at all or written so well that I couldn’t be annoyed they were used at all. Blake gives us two women both at very different points in their lives but both struggling with coming to terms with events from their pasts. I will say that for a romance it was quite emotional on all fronts. Familial, friendships, and romantically. But I think it just enriched the story and made it more relatable to the readers. It was well balanced throughout. All in all, a solid, well-developed queer romance that I recommend to anyone looking for something fresh...

4/5 ⭐ ~ Warning - Contains Spoilers ~ Who doesn’t love a fairy tale retelling where everything gets tilted on its head and prince charming get’s punched in his face? This quick-to-consume but absolutely memorable Sleeping Beauty sort of retelling, sort of inspired by story, is one you don’t want to miss. Not only are the pages decorated with beautiful black and white illustrations adding to the beauty of the story, but the writing itself is another masterpiece. Harrow does a fantastic job of creating a spellbinding setting and story that you can’t help but to want to read in one sitting. Zinnia Gray is dying. Only slated to live until her 21st year and is obsessed with Sleeping Beauty. So what happens when on her 21st she pricks herself on a spindle and is transported to a Sleeping Beauty-esque realm? Well, she teams up with Primrose, Sleeping Beauty, to defeat the evil fairy who cursed her. Except it wasn’t just a simple curse. And this is no simple adventure. I loved the story as it ...

4/5 ⭐ A story of getting your life in order. On the inside and outside as well. With themes of alcoholism, self-discovery, and coming out, Huntley gives us Stevie Green, a perpetual runaway-er who has started her own organization business back in her hometown she originally ran away from 20 years earlier. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. While light in some spots, with humor and wisecracks being made about social media and the likes, there were some heavier moments as well. Although some of the bigger reveals felt very predictable and I wasn’t surprised when I read about them later. The characters themselves were... at points very frustrating and sometimes felt as if they were trying too hard to be realistic. And while a lot of people were frustrated with Stevie, I was most annoyed with the mother, Kit. Who seemed totally fine with talking about her children behind their backs, keeping tragic secrets from them, and just throwing money at them to make herself feel better. The POV shifts ...

4.5/5 ⭐ Haunted motels, serial killers, and missing people. A good selection for a horror novel. And a great selection for this novel by Simone St. James. This horror plot follows both Viv and Carly in two very different journeys involving the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. Viv, a young women working the night shift at the hotel with dreams of New York City in 1982. And Carly, Viv’s niece, desperate to learn what happened to her Aunt all those years ago on the night she disappeared. I’ll admit, from the description and setting St. James created from page one, it was clear that this was going to be a spooky horror story. But I think that was part of the build up. And the description alone gave me chills. I am not usually a fan of the back and forth POV shifts, nor am I a fan of first person but I found that neither bothered me her as they have in the past. I liked seeing what was happening in the past that Carly was trying to uncover in the present. It built the suspense as we got cl...

5 /5 ⭐ This collection of short stories from Hiromi Kawakami takes the reader through the streets and peeks into the lives of the people from the neighborhood. The grumpy chicken farmer, a school principle who trains dogs, and a delinquent for a best friend. In between the mundane happenings of these people Kawakami creates a universe filled with mystery and occasional mayhem. Drastic transformations of people and places, reverting back by the end of these bite sized tales. 3-4 page stories, packed with a satisfying story from start to finish. Learning little bits and pieces of characters that have been expertly woven throughout the pages. This collection was my first short story collection in years and the first one of 2022. I’ve read other works by Kawakami, and I was so excited to see this collection. The eye catching pink cover with little figurines depicting Japanese styled houses was the first thing that caught my eye. It was cute and interesting. I ended up reading the entire co...

4/5 ⭐ A serial killer only known as The Cur, comes out at night and hunts down, mutilating young girls that aren’t “good girls”. Those who fight back and use their voice to stand up for themselves. This is absolutely a feminist horror novel that explores dark themes of sexism and societal expectations of gender norms. Told in duel timelines, we follow Lila, a 13-yr old, and her mother Caroline in their town as a young girl’s body was just discovered after having gone missing a few days before. And then jumping back to when Caroline was younger and we start to see parallels between then and now. Both are unreliable narrators, but don’t fall into the category of the reader being frustrated with their every decision. Tension builds slow but steady until you’re on the edge of your seat, devouring what happens. Recommended for horror fans that like a bit of social commentary and feminist elements. CW: Some graphic imagery\description referencing to assault\mutilation of younger teen victims...

5/5 ⭐ Not very often am I struck with the urge to go and read more of the same books from a series as fast as I was for Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mysteries. Luckily, one of my libraries had a copy of the first story available. I ended up reading it all in just about two days. One thing that struck me right away was how well balanced it was with introducing the characters and setting while also introducing the mystery elements. It never felt like an information dump or that the mystery was pushed to the side. Which is often the case for setting up a cozy mystery series. The information we need was carefully dotted throughout the novel, explained exactly when we needed it. As for the characters, they were to be expected for a cozy mystery. An amateur sleuth thrust into an investigation after suspicion falls on them. Desperate to prove themselves innocent and find the guilty party they drag their coworkers and friends into their shenanigans. Different from most though, Theodosia (this series...