en-US Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:36:00 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 33780485 166 Kiersten White 0545945860 Bunny 0 3.42 2017
author: Kiersten White
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: currently-reading, multi-read, the-kidlet
review:

]]> 6345760
When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask. Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of impossible events.]]> 201 Kate DiCamillo 0763644102 Bunny 3 the-kidlet, read-in-25
Jeremiah was given this by his school, and we've had it on his bookshelf for a few months. This is the first time we've read a chapter book together that I haven't read or at least heard of before, so it was a fun experience.

In theory.

Jeremiah gave this an 11 out of 10, but he has recency bias, and also enjoys any snuggly book time. So his opinion doesn't count. (Kidding) (Kind of)

It's not that this book is bad. But god, it's so............dreary? Non eventful? No, non eventful isn't the right word. I am having such a hard time placing why this was such an unenjoyable read.

Someone said in a review that DiCamillo made an entire novel out of Dickensian characters, and they aren't wrong. It's a series of people living rather depressing lives, and how one magician's accidental spell changed their lives, for the better.

I don't know if I would've finished this without him? And I enjoyed giving each character voices, and there were some scenes that were so easy to push emotion into the lines, because it is a greatly emotional book, with a lot of lovely touches.

But I noticed that the trailer for the movie, which we may or may not be watching this evening, has entire plot lines invented for the movie.

And that would be because the book has that thing I can't put my finger on. Unmemorable. Just. It exists. ]]> 3.85 2009
author: Kate DiCamillo
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2025/07/06
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: the-kidlet, read-in-25
review:
There is no problem that cannot be solved by dropping an elephant through the roof of an opera house.

Jeremiah was given this by his school, and we've had it on his bookshelf for a few months. This is the first time we've read a chapter book together that I haven't read or at least heard of before, so it was a fun experience.

In theory.

Jeremiah gave this an 11 out of 10, but he has recency bias, and also enjoys any snuggly book time. So his opinion doesn't count. (Kidding) (Kind of)

It's not that this book is bad. But god, it's so............dreary? Non eventful? No, non eventful isn't the right word. I am having such a hard time placing why this was such an unenjoyable read.

Someone said in a review that DiCamillo made an entire novel out of Dickensian characters, and they aren't wrong. It's a series of people living rather depressing lives, and how one magician's accidental spell changed their lives, for the better.

I don't know if I would've finished this without him? And I enjoyed giving each character voices, and there were some scenes that were so easy to push emotion into the lines, because it is a greatly emotional book, with a lot of lovely touches.

But I noticed that the trailer for the movie, which we may or may not be watching this evening, has entire plot lines invented for the movie.

And that would be because the book has that thing I can't put my finger on. Unmemorable. Just. It exists.
]]> 218431703 The Pallbearers Club and The Cabin at the End of the World.

In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.

The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.

The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions—demons of the past be damned.

But at what cost?

Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful twist on the “cursed film” that breathlessly builds to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.]]> 288 Paul Tremblay 0063070022 Bunny 0 to-read 3.52 2024
author: Paul Tremblay
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 229153452
Set in a small town where rumour spreads as fast as the fire on the day of the killings, the theory is the old ghoul who haunts the house after his own murder hundreds of years ago has finally taken revenge. As Cam, Jonesy, Amber and new-girl Buffy investigate, the rumour feels closer to the truth than they ever dared think possible, and as they enter the mansion themselves, the idea of splitting up to find evidence will prove to be either the best ... or worst decision of all...

A guaranteed page turner full of tension and twists you won't see coming! From BookToker Bill Wood comes SCOOBY DOO meets WIN KILL LOSE DIE Perfect for the YA BookTok generation]]> 352 Bill Wood Bunny 0 to-read
Did you? Go. Go read it.

It's called Let's Split Up.

The second book is called Be Right Back.

There are characters named Jonesy and Buffy.

The fact that it was schilled to me as "Tailor-Made for Booktok" cannot even dissuade me from needing to read these. Dear god, please let it be as funny as it promises to be. ]]> 3.00 2024
author: Bill Wood
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/03
shelves: to-read
review:
Did you read this description?

Did you? Go. Go read it.

It's called Let's Split Up.

The second book is called Be Right Back.

There are characters named Jonesy and Buffy.

The fact that it was schilled to me as "Tailor-Made for Booktok" cannot even dissuade me from needing to read these. Dear god, please let it be as funny as it promises to be.
]]> 195790870 From Chuck Tingle, author of the USA Today bestselling Camp Damascus, comes a new heart-pounding story about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead.

Misha is a jaded scriptwriter who has been working in Hollywood for years, and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. But when he's pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character in the upcoming season finale―"for the algorithm"―Misha discovers that it's not that simple.

As he is haunted by his past, and past mistakes, Misha must risk everything to find a way to do what's right―before it's too late.]]> 295 Chuck Tingle 1250874653 Bunny 0 currently-reading 4.11 2024
author: Chuck Tingle
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/02
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 207298440 From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a young adult thriller about a world where happiness becomes contagious and the teens caught in the conspiracy by the powers that be to bring back discontent.

An unprecedented condition is on the rise. It behaves like a virus, with the first symptom being a fever, but those who contract it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.

Almost everyone revels in this mass unburdening. But people in power—who depend on malcontents tuning into their broadcasts, prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince people they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Soon, campaigns start up convincing people that being happy all the time is dangerous. There’s even a vaccine developed to rid people of their inner peace and get them back to normal because, surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos.

It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their own agendas, and two teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in different ways by the virus find themselves enmeshed in the center of a dangerous power play. Can they reveal the truth?]]> 528 Neal Shusterman 1534432752 Bunny 0 audio-book, no-way-no-how
To be fair, I still don't understand how it ends, but that's probably because I skipped 45% of the book.

I love Shusterman's writing, but this just was not keeping my brain engaged. It's such a good premise, the next Covid (or, next next next Covid), and while it may still kill you, if you recover, you suddenly discover the secret to happiness.

You're at peace. You slough off material needs, you want to help people, your color blindness is cured. All is awesome in the world.

You may also allow yourself to be beat to death without fighting back, and also may actively throw yourself into danger to help people but. Sacrifices, amirite?

I cry at not liking this. Because again, such a good premise. But there's a lot of characters, a lot is happening, and my brain would be 3 characters back and not paying much attention to our two main characters, who I think I was supposed to like more than I did. ]]> 3.67 2025
author: Neal Shusterman
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/07/02
shelves: audio-book, no-way-no-how
review:
DNF'd, but skipped to the last hour to see how it ends.

To be fair, I still don't understand how it ends, but that's probably because I skipped 45% of the book.

I love Shusterman's writing, but this just was not keeping my brain engaged. It's such a good premise, the next Covid (or, next next next Covid), and while it may still kill you, if you recover, you suddenly discover the secret to happiness.

You're at peace. You slough off material needs, you want to help people, your color blindness is cured. All is awesome in the world.

You may also allow yourself to be beat to death without fighting back, and also may actively throw yourself into danger to help people but. Sacrifices, amirite?

I cry at not liking this. Because again, such a good premise. But there's a lot of characters, a lot is happening, and my brain would be 3 characters back and not paying much attention to our two main characters, who I think I was supposed to like more than I did.
]]> 219301753 A vibrantly illustrated collection of cat-related proverbs and idioms collected from around the world—by the New York Times bestselling author of Tiny But Mighty, beloved by millions online as the Kitten Lady.

There's more than one way to get the job done, or as they say in Finland, "There are many ways, said Grandma, while wiping the table with a cat..."

In this charming, gift-worthy collection, renowned kitten rescuer, humane educator, and author Hannah Shaw shares 60 feline-focused phrases gathered during her worldwide travels as an animal advocate. Perfect for cat lovers, language nerds, and avid travelers, Cat Got Your Tongue? presents each saying in its native language along with an English translation, a simple explanation of its meaning and use, and a delightful illustration. For

Portuguese: "Quem não tem cão caça com gato," or "One who has no dog hunts with a cat" (we must make do with the resources we have)Yiddish: "Vern zol fun dir a blintshik, un di kats zol dikh khapn," or "May you turn into a blintz and be snatched by a cat" (a curse expressing ill will)Dutch: "De kat op het spek binden," or "tie the cat to the bacon" (to forbid something that's very tempting, like kids with a cookie jar)
Featuring proverbs from India, France, China, Malaysia, Turkey, Holland, and many more—in languages from Arabic to Spanish—this enchanting little book reveals the central role that cats play in cultures everywhere, whether to impart a wise piece of advice, insult a rude neighbor, or as they say in Romania, to "look like the cat at a calendar" (appear very confused).]]> 128 Hannah Shaw 0593836383 Bunny 5 read-in-25, netgalley Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

I want to buy literally everyone I know a copy of this book.

Even the non-cat lovers in my life. I am not exaggerating, all of you may end up with this book at some point in the near future.

60 phrases, from all over the world, all involving cats. All hilariously and beautifully illustrated. So much to see and yet I wanted so. much more. I never wanted these to end. I would like this author to create an entire series of books, each featuring a different theme.

My favorites were always the most off kilter, and the Yiddish expressions somehow always made me laugh the most. I've often said I would love a book of Yiddish expressions to memorize, and use in every day life.

I could fill this review with my favorite phrases, but I don't want to discourage anyone from getting their hands on this AWESOME little book. So, here's a few of my favorites, with literally zero context or explanation.

"To place someone before the nose of a cat."

"Three legged cat kung fu."

"May the cat eat you, and may the devil eat the cat."

The last one may speak for itself, to be fair.]]> 4.64
author: Hannah Shaw
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.64
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/07/01
date added: 2025/07/02
shelves: read-in-25, netgalley
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

I want to buy literally everyone I know a copy of this book.

Even the non-cat lovers in my life. I am not exaggerating, all of you may end up with this book at some point in the near future.

60 phrases, from all over the world, all involving cats. All hilariously and beautifully illustrated. So much to see and yet I wanted so. much more. I never wanted these to end. I would like this author to create an entire series of books, each featuring a different theme.

My favorites were always the most off kilter, and the Yiddish expressions somehow always made me laugh the most. I've often said I would love a book of Yiddish expressions to memorize, and use in every day life.

I could fill this review with my favorite phrases, but I don't want to discourage anyone from getting their hands on this AWESOME little book. So, here's a few of my favorites, with literally zero context or explanation.

"To place someone before the nose of a cat."

"Three legged cat kung fu."

"May the cat eat you, and may the devil eat the cat."

The last one may speak for itself, to be fair.
]]> 222326102 Laugh along with your child with over 200 silly “Would You Rather?” questions for ages 5–8!

Nothing’s better than laughing out loud with your child! And these silly “Would You Rather?” questions are designed to make you both giggle (and reveal how your child thinks!). Whether you’re choosing a taco filled with frog legs or lizard toes or wondering if sleeping in an amusement park or a toy store would be more fun, Would You Rather? Super Silly Edition! taps into the silliness that makes kids giggle.


Kick around 200 entertaining “Would You Rather?” questions that will make your child laugh, think, and stay off screens.Engage your child’s imagination with funny, age-appropriate questions for the younger crowd.Help your child read with engaging questions in a large font designed for early readers.A great way to pass time at restaurants, on a car trip, or at a doctor’s office.Makes the perfect gift for birthdays and holidays for the children in your life.
This first book in our new Would You Rather? Junior series—like all the books in the popular Would You Rather? companion series for older kids—is creative, hilarious fun for the whole family!]]> 128 Zeitgeist 0593886119 Bunny 3 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

When my niece was in junior high, the Coke or Pepsi books were a big thing, and while this isn't the same thing, it is the same general idea but for a younger demographic. I knew if I could catch the kid on a good day, we would enjoy doing this together, and I was absolutely right.

We took turns with each section, asking the other what they would choose, and it led to so many laughs but also to some really interesting conversation, and learning about ourselves, which was my favorite part.

When asked whether we would like grow claws on our hands, or scales on our arms. Jeremiah chose the armor, and I chose the weapon.

When asked if he'd rather have a tree that grows money, or lollipops, he chose lollipops.

"YOU CAN BUY LOLLIPOPS WITH THE MONEY!"

When asked if he'd rather live next to a zoo, or a McDonald's, he chose McDonald's, at which point I told him to get packing because I'm kicking him out. ]]> 4.50
author: Zeitgeist
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/07/01
date added: 2025/07/02
shelves: read-in-25, the-kidlet, netgalley
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

When my niece was in junior high, the Coke or Pepsi books were a big thing, and while this isn't the same thing, it is the same general idea but for a younger demographic. I knew if I could catch the kid on a good day, we would enjoy doing this together, and I was absolutely right.

We took turns with each section, asking the other what they would choose, and it led to so many laughs but also to some really interesting conversation, and learning about ourselves, which was my favorite part.

When asked whether we would like grow claws on our hands, or scales on our arms. Jeremiah chose the armor, and I chose the weapon.

When asked if he'd rather have a tree that grows money, or lollipops, he chose lollipops.

"YOU CAN BUY LOLLIPOPS WITH THE MONEY!"

When asked if he'd rather live next to a zoo, or a McDonald's, he chose McDonald's, at which point I told him to get packing because I'm kicking him out.
]]> 23341938 all the time. And while you want to give them the best, snack time can be a true test. How do you avoid the convenient-but-unhealthy storebought treats and instead provide something that not only tastes good, but is good for them them too?

With The Best Homemade Kids' Snacks on the Planet, you'll find more than 200+ great ideas for solving the snack conundrum. Recipes and ideas you can whip up in minutes, without fuss in the kitchen, or fuss from your kid! So whether you're packing snacks for your purse, the school bag, the sports bag, or the can't-make-it-until-dinner whining hour, you'll find quick and healthy ideas everyone in your family will love.]]> 240 Laura Fuentes 1592336612 Bunny 4 Received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I've been scouring the internet the last few months looking for healthy snacks now that my nephew is moving out of baby food and into real foods. I want to find healthy, safe foods he can enjoy eating and that will make snacking fun for him.

This book is absolutely perfect for this, and I really want to own it. Filled to the brim with healthy snacks, tips for making preparation easier, and even ideas on storing and transporting, this is so great for anyone who feels guilty that they keep buying pre-packaged chips and cookies, or stopping in a drive-thru for Happy Meals after extracurricular activities.

She also includes tips on how to adjust recipes for food allergies, including gluten and dairy free options. Fun snacks that everyone can enjoy, that can be eaten at home, in the car, or tucked into a lunch box for school or work. Absolutely awesome.]]> 3.86 2015
author: Laura Fuentes
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2017/06/15
date added: 2025/06/26
shelves: cookbooks, read-in-17, edelweiss
review:
Received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I've been scouring the internet the last few months looking for healthy snacks now that my nephew is moving out of baby food and into real foods. I want to find healthy, safe foods he can enjoy eating and that will make snacking fun for him.

This book is absolutely perfect for this, and I really want to own it. Filled to the brim with healthy snacks, tips for making preparation easier, and even ideas on storing and transporting, this is so great for anyone who feels guilty that they keep buying pre-packaged chips and cookies, or stopping in a drive-thru for Happy Meals after extracurricular activities.

She also includes tips on how to adjust recipes for food allergies, including gluten and dairy free options. Fun snacks that everyone can enjoy, that can be eaten at home, in the car, or tucked into a lunch box for school or work. Absolutely awesome.
]]> 37921713 160 Gale Galligan 1338068156 Bunny 4 read-in-19
These comics modernize the club for today's kids while still maintaining the sweet and innocent nostalgia of the original series. The art is SO over the top, you can't help but laugh.

I have got to get these books for my goddaughter.]]> 4.42 2018
author: Gale Galligan
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/07/11
date added: 2025/06/26
shelves: read-in-19
review:
I genuinely enjoy re-reading the original BSC from my childhood. Pure nostalgia, plus the descriptions of those 80's outfits. Hoo. child.

These comics modernize the club for today's kids while still maintaining the sweet and innocent nostalgia of the original series. The art is SO over the top, you can't help but laugh.

I have got to get these books for my goddaughter.
]]> 44442959 144 Katy Farina 1338356119 Bunny 4 read-in-20
Though much like with the original books, Karen Brewer is such a little brat. Can't stand it.]]> 3.93 2019
author: Katy Farina
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/03/14
date added: 2025/06/26
shelves: read-in-20
review:
These modernized comics are so cute, I can't even stand it.

Though much like with the original books, Karen Brewer is such a little brat. Can't stand it.
]]> 12143433 225 Roald Dahl Bunny 5 the-kidlet, read-in-25 You can fake a mouth-smile any time you want, simply by moving your lips. I've also learned that a real mouth-smile always has an eye-smile to go with it. So watch out, I say, when someone smiles at you but his eyes stay the same. It's sure to be a phony.

Jeremiah has listened to two Roald Dahl books via audiobook on long drives, but this is the first one we sat and read together, 2 chapters at a time, in the evening. Which is wonderful, because this is my favorite Dahl book.

Jeremiah has learned the pain of a good cliffhanger. Which is even more wonderful. Once, when I corrected him on the author's first name for the 10th time, he said, "He deserves to be called Ronald! Because he keeps leaving me with cliffhangers!"

I was slightly worried he wasn't going to enjoy this. No giants, no girls with telekinetic powers, no oompa loompas. It's such a gentle kind of magic in this book, not always appreciated by the young it's written for.

But he was so, so bummed we were done with it. And I am so, so glad. ]]> 4.53 1975
author: Roald Dahl
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.53
book published: 1975
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/24
date added: 2025/06/24
shelves: the-kidlet, read-in-25
review:
You can fake a mouth-smile any time you want, simply by moving your lips. I've also learned that a real mouth-smile always has an eye-smile to go with it. So watch out, I say, when someone smiles at you but his eyes stay the same. It's sure to be a phony.

Jeremiah has listened to two Roald Dahl books via audiobook on long drives, but this is the first one we sat and read together, 2 chapters at a time, in the evening. Which is wonderful, because this is my favorite Dahl book.

Jeremiah has learned the pain of a good cliffhanger. Which is even more wonderful. Once, when I corrected him on the author's first name for the 10th time, he said, "He deserves to be called Ronald! Because he keeps leaving me with cliffhangers!"

I was slightly worried he wasn't going to enjoy this. No giants, no girls with telekinetic powers, no oompa loompas. It's such a gentle kind of magic in this book, not always appreciated by the young it's written for.

But he was so, so bummed we were done with it. And I am so, so glad.
]]> 220217822 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface comes an all-new, fully illustrated, hardcover Deluxe Collector’s Edition of R. F. Kuang’s The Dragon Republic, with a full-wrap illustrated jacket and black-and-white interior art by JungShan Chang throughout, plus embossed case, designed endpapers, and stenciled edges!

Considered one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, the second book in the beloved Poppy War Trilogy continues Rin’s epic struggle to defend her homeland at any cost.

The war is over.

The war has just begun.

Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has ended, the war still rages for Rin. Haunted by the atrocity she committed to save her people, the shaman and warrior is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vise, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with fearsome power.

While the young warrior welcomes death, she must remain alive until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed her homeland. Rin’s only hope is to join forces with the enemy of her enemy—the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to destroy the Empress.

But Rin soon learns that the Empress and the Dragon Warlord are not what they seem, leading her to contemplate the unthinkable: using the Phoenix’s deadly power once more. Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.]]> 704 R.F. Kuang 0063432935 Bunny 0 to-read 4.50 2019
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 71456250 At midnight, one of them is dead. By morning, all of them are suspects.

It's the party to end all parties….but not everyone is here to celebrate.

On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests. His vacation homes on Mirror Lake are a success, and he's generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbors.

But by midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year's Day, Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects. The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbors, friends and family―and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn't who wanted Rhys dead…but who finally killed him.

In a village with this many secrets, murder is just the beginning.]]> 482 Clare Mackintosh 1728269849 Bunny 0 to-read 3.68 2022
author: Clare Mackintosh
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220160840 A deeply irreverent and Biblically correct takedown of the far-right and their co-opting of religion, and guide to engaging them in effective conversational combat, in the spirit of Bill Maher and Christopher Hitchens.

For over two centuries, the United States constitution has given us the right to live in a society where church and state exist independently, and without conflict. So why is it that, suddenly, Christianity is being co-opted by far-right groups, politicians, friends, and family members to justify oppressive and unequal policies? And how do we fight back against those acting—literally—in bad faith?

Separation of Church and Hate, a new and critical book from comedian and TV and radio host John Fugelsang—who himself is the child of a former Catholic nun and Franciscan brother—finally offers the answers.

In this informative, perspective-shifting guide, Fugelsang takes readers through common talking points and arguments—God condemns abortion, gay marriage is a sin, guns are an ordained right, and more—and exposes their hypocrisy and overall inaccuracy through scripture, philosophy, and plain old common sense.

Told with Fugelsang’s trademark blend of radical honesty, relevant humor, and deep political and religious knowledge, Separation of Church and Hate is the book every American today needs. It is a return to civility, a rallying cry for compassion and clarity, and a reclamation of the values and truths we hold dear, for anyone who was raised Christian but has become disillusioned with organized religion; for Democrats, progressives, liberals, and moderates who are tired of the right wing pretending to own Christianity; for atheists, agnostics, and any one of any faith who’s sick of the fundamentalists using religion as a cloaking device for hate; for everyone who’s realized you don’t necessarily need organized religion to be a good person.]]> 304 John Fugelsang 1668066890 Bunny 0 to-read 3.50
author: John Fugelsang
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216971219 A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods.

While on a camping trip, five high-schoolers bound by an oath to always protect one another discover something in the middle of the forest: a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend climbs up but does not come back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later it reappears, and the friends return to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase.]]> 388 Chuck Wendig 0593156560 Bunny 0 to-read 3.62 2025
author: Chuck Wendig
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228027025 An updated and abridged edition of Bono’s bestselling memoir, including a new introduction by the author, Stories of Surrender is an unforgettable love story, a tribute to fatherhood, friendship, faith and music.

Honest, irreverent, and intimate, the book is a backstage pass to a frontman’s remarkable life, from Bono’s childhood in Dublin to the rise of U2. A companion to the Apple Original Film of his critically acclaimed solo theater show, Stories of Surrender is a luminous autobiography of one of the great voices of our time.

Stories of Surrender, An Apple Original Film is streaming on Apple TV+ this May

Originally published as 40 Songs, One Story


“Bono—the guy that wants to save the world. One of the Dubliners. Rock star poet. Lovable rogue. You have to appreciate his commitment to social causes—always pushing for change, always trying to fix things. Good for him. Most people don’t even bother. Trying to change the world and maybe transcend it. Singing for a world too obsessed with noise to listen. Searching for redemption like all of us are—and he seems to be aware of the depths of that search. He knows the distance between the soul and the public square. He’s got guts that guy. Bravo Bono.”
—Bob Dylan

“Bono tells us who he is as a friend and a family member, an artist and a true believer. The result is both electrifying and intimate, a spectacular read.”
—Ann Patchett

“Surrender is a rich and honest book, rich because of its honesty. If you want to know the man behind the shades, read this book. He’s worth getting to know.”
—Salman Rushdie]]> 384 Bono Bunny 0 to-read 4.58
author: Bono
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.58
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220458668 Capture the details of your unique and remarkable experiences with this illustrated guide to drawing your travels and adventures, whether close to home or around the world.

In Draw Your Adventures, artist and illustrator Samantha Dion Baker invites you to savor moments and capture memories using your eyes, your creativity, and a few art-making tools. With as little as a sketchbook and some pens, begin a new art practice or enliven an existing one with inspiration from the prompts, challenges, examples, and scavenger hunts that populate these pages.

Your adventures are worth recording, whether they take you as close as your own kitchen or across the globe. Baker encourages you to see the world through an explorer's lens and provides ideas to guide you through adventures you can have during the everyday, on staycations, and over grand trips.

Paint your own postcards to send when abroad. Add pockets to your sketchbook for storing mementos.Create abstract pieces featuring the colors of the clothes you dug up in a closet cleanout.Make a series of paintings of family and friends' front doors.Document what you see around you on plane, train, boat, and road trips.
Draw Your Adventures is the perfect size to carry with you on your excursions. Stunning visual examples from Baker's own work accompany the prompts, making this the perfect book to help inspire your own artmaking practice.]]> 160 Samantha Dion Baker 0593836235 Bunny 0 to-read 0.0
author: Samantha Dion Baker
name: Bunny
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228487131 Fly alongside Hiccup and Toothless on the Isle of Berk with this unique look at the creation of Universal Pictures' How to Train Your Dragon—complete with never-before-seen concept art, exclusive interviews, and gorgeous on-set photography!

How to Train Your Dragon tells the incredible story of young Hiccup and his friendship with the formidable Night Fury Toothless on the stunning Isle of Berk. Writer-director Dean DeBlois returns to tell the young teenager’s story in a thrilling live-action reimagining, breathing new life into a beloved film.

Created in collaboration with Dean DeBlois, this deluxe book features hundreds of never-before-seen pieces of concept art, gorgeous images straight from the set, and exclusive interviews with key members of the cast and crew—including Mason Thames, Nico Parker, and returning actor Gerard Butler. This book takes readers on a comprehensive journey through the making of the film, detailing everything from the construction of sets and the creation of the film’s score to the process of bringing the dragons to life on-screen.

Including an exclusive preface by author Cressida Cowell and an introduction by Dean DeBlois, The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon will be sure to delight both new and returning fans of all ages.]]> 208 Jerry Schmitz Bunny 0 to-read 4.50
author: Jerry Schmitz
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60708721
Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropes—such as the circumspect and resilient “final girl,” body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closet—spark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world.

"It Came from the Closet" features twenty-five original essays by writers speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on "Jennifer’s Body", Jude Ellison S. Doyle on "In My Skin", Addie Tsai on "Dead Ringers", and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.]]> 298 Joe Vallese 1952177790 Bunny 0 to-read 4.16 2022
author: Joe Vallese
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220458608 From linguist Adam Aleksic, known as @etymologynerd on social media, comes a captivating exploration of how internet algorithms are transforming language and communication in unprecedented ways.

“Packed with fascinating facts, of-the-moment observations, and a sparkling voice, Algospeak is a gift to any word nerd. Deftly covering everything from emoji etymologies and trendbait to Taylor Swift fanilects… Adam Aleksic is the wise, yet accessible internet linguistics oracle we need.” —Amanda Montell, author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and Cultish

From “brainrot” memes and incel slang to the trend of adding “-core” to different influencer aesthetics, the internet has ushered in an unprecedented linguistic upheaval. We’re entering an entirely new era of etymology, heralded by the invisible forces driving social media algorithms. Thankfully, Algospeak is here to explain. As a professional linguist, Adam Aleksic understands the gravity of language and the way we use it: he knows the ways it has morphed and changed, how it reflects society, and how, in its everyday usage, we carry centuries of human history on our tongues. As a social media influencer, Aleksic is also intimately familiar with the internet’s reach and how social media impacts the way we engage with one another. New slang emerges and goes viral overnight. Accents are shaped or erased on YouTube. Grammatical rules, loopholes, and patterns surface and transform language as we know it. Our interactions, social norms, and habits—both online and in person—shift into something completely different.

As Aleksic uses original surveys, data, and internet archival research to usher us through this new linguistic landscape, he also illuminates how communication is changing in both familiar and unexpected ways. From our use of emojis to sentence structure to the ways younger generations talk about sex and death (see unalive in English and desvivirse in Spanish), we are in a brand-new world, one shaped by algorithms and technology. Algospeak is an energetic, astonishing journey into language, the internet, and what this intersection means for all of us.]]> 256 Adam Aleksic 0593804074 Bunny 0 currently-reading 4.20
author: Adam Aleksic
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 221047811
Photography’s power to capture a subject—representing reality, or a close approximation—has inherently been linked with the construction and practice of identity. Since the camera’s invention in 1839, and despite periods of severe homophobia, the photographic art form has been used by and for individuals belonging to dynamic LGBTQ+ communities, helping shape and affirm queer culture and identity across its many intersections.

Queer Lens explores this transformative force of photography, which has played a pivotal role in increasing queer visibility. Lively essays by scholars and artists explore myriad manifestations of queer culture, both celebrating complex interpretations of people and relationships and resisting rigid definitions.

Featuring a rich selection of images—including portraits of queer individuals, visual records of queer kinship, and documentary photographs of early queer groups and protests—this volume investigates the medium’s profound role in illuminating the vibrant tapestry of LGBTQ+ communities.]]> 342 Paul Martineau 1606069691 Bunny 3 netgalley, read-in-25 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

Well, I'll tell ya. This is not the book you may want to be reading while stuck in an airplane circling Orlando for 40 minutes. Luckily, I was on a redeye flight and didn't have anyone in the middle seat next to me to look over and notice some extremely NSFW photos on my phone.

On my return flight, there was a joking threat that I may be stuck sitting next to bosses, and I said I had the perfect book to read during the flight.

This is a really nifty little book, and it is definitely a HISTORY. Over a hundred years' worth of photography, not all of which you wouldn't want to be looking at while sitting next to a sitting judge from a small rural southern town. Some of it is just your classic black and white or sepia toned photograph and a little life blurb somewhere else in the book explaining who they were.

The problem is with those words up there. Somewhere else.

I realize I'm reading an ebook and that can lend itself to photo not being nicely next to each other, but this can't be blamed on ebook. Your story is on page 3 and the photograph is possibly on page 5, but make sure you keep a finger somewhere to get back to that original story, otherwise you're looking at a naked person and just trying to assume what's happening. Or you're reading someone's story and when you see a photo later, hoping it's them.

It does not lend itself to learning the history, so you have to decide if you're here more for a photography book, or for a history book. You'll have to read a few times if you want to have both.]]> 4.00
author: Paul Martineau
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/30
date added: 2025/06/17
shelves: netgalley, read-in-25
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

Well, I'll tell ya. This is not the book you may want to be reading while stuck in an airplane circling Orlando for 40 minutes. Luckily, I was on a redeye flight and didn't have anyone in the middle seat next to me to look over and notice some extremely NSFW photos on my phone.

On my return flight, there was a joking threat that I may be stuck sitting next to bosses, and I said I had the perfect book to read during the flight.

This is a really nifty little book, and it is definitely a HISTORY. Over a hundred years' worth of photography, not all of which you wouldn't want to be looking at while sitting next to a sitting judge from a small rural southern town. Some of it is just your classic black and white or sepia toned photograph and a little life blurb somewhere else in the book explaining who they were.

The problem is with those words up there. Somewhere else.

I realize I'm reading an ebook and that can lend itself to photo not being nicely next to each other, but this can't be blamed on ebook. Your story is on page 3 and the photograph is possibly on page 5, but make sure you keep a finger somewhere to get back to that original story, otherwise you're looking at a naked person and just trying to assume what's happening. Or you're reading someone's story and when you see a photo later, hoping it's them.

It does not lend itself to learning the history, so you have to decide if you're here more for a photography book, or for a history book. You'll have to read a few times if you want to have both.
]]> 219303580 The history of art activism in the how art and artist have changed the world

O'Neill-Butler argues that the braiding of art and politics is an essential, yet overlooked, part of America's cultural history.  That artists have long fought hard against injustices; that art itself can in fact “do more.”

Recent decades have seen an explosion of art activism, but little discussion of this deep history. The War of Art charts the post-war story of those who have used their artistic practise as a form of political protest. The book offers portraits of the key individuals, and groups of art activists who have campaigned for solidarity, housing, LGBTQ+, and indigenous injustice,  the exclusion of women in the art world, the call for AIDS awareness. This the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition (BECC), Women Artists in Revolution (WAR), David Wojnarowicz's work with ACTUP, Top Value Television (TVTV), Agnes Denes, Edgar Heap of Birds, Dyke Action Machine!, fierce pussy, the Project Row Houses, and Nan Goldin's Prescription Addiction Intervention Now (P.A.I.N.).

The book will be valuable to anyone interested in the history of artistic activism in the US and the global political and aesthetic debates of the 1960s to present. In contrast to financialised art market and mega-star artists, the book explores the power of collective efforts, and the uses of art as a means of resistance.]]> 240 Lauren O'Neill-Butler 1804296333 Bunny 1 read-in-25, netgalley Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

Well.

You know. When you read a book called The War of Art. And it's specifically about Artists' Protests in America.

You expect there to be....art. In the book.

And the author ABSOLUTELY knew this, because the start of the book features multiple pictures of variations on the "If I die" protest sign that everyone familiar with the AIDS epidemic has seen before, reimagined for both BLM and Trans rights protests.

This really psyched me up for the book, and then I immediately got crushed by a giant house out of nowhere and someone stole my ruby slippers because WOW, is this a slog and a half to get through. Extremely dry, reads like a college thesis.

It makes absolutely no sense. This is a waste of a gorgeous premise. ]]> 3.11
author: Lauren O'Neill-Butler
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.11
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/06/17
date added: 2025/06/17
shelves: read-in-25, netgalley
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

Well.

You know. When you read a book called The War of Art. And it's specifically about Artists' Protests in America.

You expect there to be....art. In the book.

And the author ABSOLUTELY knew this, because the start of the book features multiple pictures of variations on the "If I die" protest sign that everyone familiar with the AIDS epidemic has seen before, reimagined for both BLM and Trans rights protests.

This really psyched me up for the book, and then I immediately got crushed by a giant house out of nowhere and someone stole my ruby slippers because WOW, is this a slog and a half to get through. Extremely dry, reads like a college thesis.

It makes absolutely no sense. This is a waste of a gorgeous premise.
]]> 220999773 Following the award-winning bestseller They Called Us Enemy, George Takei’s new full-color graphic memoir reveals his most personal story of all—told in full for the first time anywhere!

George Takei has shown the world many faces: actor, author, outspoken activist, helmsman of the starship Enterprise, living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans, and king of social media. But until October 27, 2005, there was always one piece missing—one face he did not show the world. There was one very intimate fact about George that he never shared… and it rhymes with Takei.

Now, for the first time ever, George shares the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and the way that moment transformed everything. Following the phenomenal success of his first graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, George Takei reunites with the team of Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger for a jaw-dropping new testament. From his earliest childhood crushes and youthful experiments in the rigidly conformist 1950s, to global fame as an actor and the paralyzing fear of exposure, to the watershed moment of speaking his truth and becoming one of the most high-profile gay men on the planet, It Rhymes With Takei presents a sweeping portrait of one iconic American navigating the tides of LGBTQ+ history.

Combining historical context with intimate subjectivity, It Rhymes With Takei shows how the personal and the political have always been intertwined. Its richly emotional words and images depict the terror of entrapment even in gay community spaces, the anguish of speaking up for so many issues while remaining silent on his most personal issue, the grief of losing friends to AIDS, the joy of finding true love with Brad Altman, and the determination to declare that love openly—and legally—before the whole world.

Looking back on his own astonishing life on both sides of the closet, George Takei presents a charismatic and candid witness to how far America has come… and how precious that progress is.]]> 336 George Takei 1603095748 Bunny 3 read-in-25, netgalley Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

I love so much that George Takei did graphic novel autobiographies. I love an autobiography in general, but to do it comic book style makes it so much more approachable for reluctant readers and it's just so smart.

I read this while circling Orlando for 40 minutes waiting to land, and it just made me smile. I've followed him online pretty much since the invention of Twitter, and remember so much of what he references of current day, but his early life sections were obviously new to me, and the art is so good, and the story even better.

An amazing Pride read, and an amazing Other 11 Month read, as well. So lovely.]]> 4.62 2025
author: George Takei
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/06/17
shelves: read-in-25, netgalley
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

I love so much that George Takei did graphic novel autobiographies. I love an autobiography in general, but to do it comic book style makes it so much more approachable for reluctant readers and it's just so smart.

I read this while circling Orlando for 40 minutes waiting to land, and it just made me smile. I've followed him online pretty much since the invention of Twitter, and remember so much of what he references of current day, but his early life sections were obviously new to me, and the art is so good, and the story even better.

An amazing Pride read, and an amazing Other 11 Month read, as well. So lovely.
]]> 22554204 FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

Collects Lumberjanes No. 1-4.]]> 128 N.D. Stevenson 1608866874 Bunny 0 to-read 3.91 2015
author: N.D. Stevenson
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217387860 From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the much-anticipated sequel to the international bestselling sensation EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone.

But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth.

And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.]]> 736 Jay Kristoff 1250874920 Bunny 0 to-read 4.40 2024
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 26030734
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is—but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home—until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.]]> 282 Peter Brown 0316381993 Bunny 0 to-read 4.19 2016
author: Peter Brown
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 52439531
To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.]]> 386 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1368052401 Bunny 0 to-read 4.13 2020
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214150752 In this unique, illustrated collection, Literary Witches co-creator Katy Horan resurrects the real and fictional women (and men) of twenty traditional murder ballads, exploring their legacy in modern American music and culture.

Murder Ballads is a guide to the origins and cultural impact of murder ballads as a music genre, covering its roots in patriarchal violence and white supremacy, as well as its contemporary relationship to true crime.
 
From “Delia's Gone” to “The Death of Queen Jane,” each of twenty carefully chosen ballads is accompanied by one of Horan’s beautifully macabre illustrations and a thoroughly researched reflection on the song's history and evolution. At the back of the book, readers can browse a list of essential recordings for each ballad.
 
Mysterious and alluring as the songs themselves, Murder Ballads will delight history enthusiasts, armchair musicologists, true crime fans (and critics), as well as anyone who appreciates the darker side of folk music.]]> 144 Katy Horan 1524889261 Bunny 3 read-in-25 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I don't know what I expected going into a book with this title. This was, let's be real, a title grab. Tell me more, tell me more. And I absolutely got what I asked for.

BUT HOLY CRAP.

I enjoy that the author really researched the origins of these songs, the folklore and actual people behind some of the MOST HORRIFIC SONGS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD.

That's not fair. People are probably way ahead of me on this. I've only ever heard of one, and even that was a cover done by Nirvana that I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS A MURDER SONG.

Seriously, this book deserves all the capslock.

Unfortunately, and rudely, so rudely, the part I criticize is the illustrations. Again, not sure what I expected, but these stories are so horrifying, and the art is so...underwhelming. Each piece is almost a cut and paste of the other, with a few things changed and maybe some variants thrown into the background.

It's a beautiful style, to be sure. I don't want it to seem like I am criticizing the artist's talents. But we're talking about songs where women stab newborns and women are cut into three pieces by their siblings. Like, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect more.

I will be listening to all of these songs. And I will be judging the artists who did Delia wrong VERY HARSHLY. Looking at you, Dylan.]]> 4.11
author: Katy Horan
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/05/28
shelves: read-in-25
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I don't know what I expected going into a book with this title. This was, let's be real, a title grab. Tell me more, tell me more. And I absolutely got what I asked for.

BUT HOLY CRAP.

I enjoy that the author really researched the origins of these songs, the folklore and actual people behind some of the MOST HORRIFIC SONGS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD.

That's not fair. People are probably way ahead of me on this. I've only ever heard of one, and even that was a cover done by Nirvana that I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS A MURDER SONG.

Seriously, this book deserves all the capslock.

Unfortunately, and rudely, so rudely, the part I criticize is the illustrations. Again, not sure what I expected, but these stories are so horrifying, and the art is so...underwhelming. Each piece is almost a cut and paste of the other, with a few things changed and maybe some variants thrown into the background.

It's a beautiful style, to be sure. I don't want it to seem like I am criticizing the artist's talents. But we're talking about songs where women stab newborns and women are cut into three pieces by their siblings. Like, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect more.

I will be listening to all of these songs. And I will be judging the artists who did Delia wrong VERY HARSHLY. Looking at you, Dylan.
]]> 217182125 Journey into your own pocket-sized museum, filled with a collection of charming art-historical pups!

Ready to meet a pack of very good dogs immortalized in painting and sculpture? This quirky and fascinating little book collects the best canines in art history, including:
- Figurines carved in ancient Greece
- Elegant porcelain pooches handcrafted in 19th-century Russia
- A tiny Japanese netsuke in the shape of a puppy
- A portrait of a spaniel woven by a beadwork artisan in Mexico
- And so much more!


Artist and writer Jessica Poundstone has scoured the world's museum collections for these hidden treasures and offers fun and informative commentary on each. Her bite-sized text gives historical context and celebrates each dog’s sweet, noble, or wacky personality, which transcends history to hit us right in the feels. This delightful volume offers pure delight for dog lovers and art lovers alike.

PERFECTLY This is a charming gift for people who love art and dogs! A petite and beautifully designed hardcover book, it makes an entertaining and educational present for friends and family or a treat for yourself. It's simply impawsible to resist.

CURATED Flipping through this art book is like getting a special guided tour of a wondrous museum devoted entirely to our furry friends. In a world of sensory overload, it offers a wonderful way to tap into the joy of something curated just for you. 

FUN ANGLE ON FINE Whether you are a devoted museumgoer or casually art-curious, this book offers a unique and delightful spin on art history. The content covers a wide range of styles, media, and eras, creating a perfect opportunity to brush up on your art IQ with the help of man's best friend.

Perfect loversArt and art history buffsGift-giving to dog owners, artists, and collectorsFans of art/humor crossovers like Men to Avoid in Art and Life and William Being HumanFans of clever art history like Art Dog and A History of Art in 21 Cats]]> 224 Jessica Poundstone 1797234242 Bunny 3 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I was stuck on an airplane for 40 minutes due to gnarly weather and an airport refusing to let us down, so I spent the time reading books I needed to catch up on. Despite the droning of the plane, the chattering of the people, the joking of the stewardess, and the fact that it was a plane at 60% capacity of humans, people absolutely heard my regular (attempted quiet) buckawks of laughter at some of the insane art pieces in this book.

The best part of reading this digitally is, you read the brief description before ever seeing the picture, and you're basically NEVER prepared for what you're about to see. Sometimes the art is beautiful, sometimes it's insane, and sometimes you have to stare at it for a few minutes to decipher why the curator decided this was supposed to be a dog.

Look, I am no artist. I will not be sharing my tragic attempts to draw a dog. Not a drawer, a sculptor, a carver, none of that.

But looking at ancient Egyptian, and Greek, and, you know, even American art, I have to pause and wonder....

Had they ever actually SEEN a dog?? I have questions.

My only real complaint is the author occasionally tries too hard to be clever in her descriptions of the art pieces. I enjoy a touch of humor, but I think I would've enjoyed this more with art descriptions and less with pithy commentary. Sorry, Poundstone. I do appreciate you putting this together.]]> 4.32
author: Jessica Poundstone
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/05/28
shelves:
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I was stuck on an airplane for 40 minutes due to gnarly weather and an airport refusing to let us down, so I spent the time reading books I needed to catch up on. Despite the droning of the plane, the chattering of the people, the joking of the stewardess, and the fact that it was a plane at 60% capacity of humans, people absolutely heard my regular (attempted quiet) buckawks of laughter at some of the insane art pieces in this book.

The best part of reading this digitally is, you read the brief description before ever seeing the picture, and you're basically NEVER prepared for what you're about to see. Sometimes the art is beautiful, sometimes it's insane, and sometimes you have to stare at it for a few minutes to decipher why the curator decided this was supposed to be a dog.

Look, I am no artist. I will not be sharing my tragic attempts to draw a dog. Not a drawer, a sculptor, a carver, none of that.

But looking at ancient Egyptian, and Greek, and, you know, even American art, I have to pause and wonder....

Had they ever actually SEEN a dog?? I have questions.

My only real complaint is the author occasionally tries too hard to be clever in her descriptions of the art pieces. I enjoy a touch of humor, but I think I would've enjoyed this more with art descriptions and less with pithy commentary. Sorry, Poundstone. I do appreciate you putting this together.
]]> 217182209 From the award-winning author of Finding Home and Rescue Cats: a dazzling collection of photographs of cats throughout the iconic city of Rome.

Whether you are a cat lover, armchair traveler, or photography buff, Traer Scott’s Cats of Rome will entice you into this ancient city that is home to more than 300,000 cats. Of these, at least one-third are thought to be feral. As Roman cats are protected by law, they have the right to live where they choose in architectural ruins, parks, and neighborhoods throughout the city.

In seventy-five brilliant color photographs, Rome’s feline denizens are shown as they live naturally among stunning, classical backdrops, with visual whispers of the gattaras—the often nameless and plentiful women of Rome who volunteer to care for the feral colonies. These beautiful cats are safe, cared for, and magnificent, and this keepsake volume is perfect for anyone who has visited Rome or dreams of doing so.

CELEBRATED Traer Scott, award-winning photographer and animal welfare activist, turned her lens on the cats of Rome as she explored the Eternal City and sought out evidence of its estimated four thousand feral cat colonies. Through her practiced lens, these majestic felines and their breathtaking surroundings—from the Colosseum to lush cemeteries to the ruins of Porta Magica—create an irresistible travelogue for cat lovers and travel enthusiasts alike. Scott’s bestselling animal photography books include Forever Home, Radiant, and Shelter Dogs.

CAT COFFEE TABLE Several children’s books feature the wondrous cats of Rome, but this is the first photography book to showcase the beloved cat sanctuaries of this historic and uniquely beautiful European city.

ITALIAN Each chapter showcases one of Rome’s vibrant cat colonies, with introductory text about the location, a brief bit of history, and an overview of the cat population’s roots within it. From ancient to modern Rome, this artful book offers a visual journey through a mesmerizing place.

Perfect lovers and collectors of cat photographyTravelers and armchair travelersFans of Italian culture, history, and architectureReaders who enjoy nature, animal, and travel coffee table books]]> 144 Traer Scott 1797231278 Bunny 4 netgalley, read-in-25 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

When I die, bury me in Rome, and plant catnip on my grave so that some of the over 4,000 cat colonies in that city can come visit and roll all over my final resting place.

I have no idea where I heard the term gattara before, it was certainly on social media and my brain immediately circled around it, squeezing it tightly like a cat curled around a mouse toy. An Italian woman who feeds alley cats. A cat woman.

As a woman of a certain age with a last name that has 9 letters and ends in a vowel, someone please regularly remind me that I am absolutely a gattara and proud. of. it.

This book is not fancy, nor is it pretentious. This is what it is. A love letter from a woman who knew of the cat colonies and hunted for them. Who got on the ground and crawled in the crevices and found as many furry babies as she could, sweet and grumpy, old and young, limber and loaf.

The pictures aren't ahhhht. They're cat photos, the kind of photos I live for most. Cats glaring, cats ignoring, photos where I am 1,000% sure there IS NO CAT THERE but having cats myself, I know they're hiding in the background.

Get me to Rome, and put catnip in my pockets. I need to meet these cats, promptly.]]> 4.36
author: Traer Scott
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/05/28
shelves: netgalley, read-in-25
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

When I die, bury me in Rome, and plant catnip on my grave so that some of the over 4,000 cat colonies in that city can come visit and roll all over my final resting place.

I have no idea where I heard the term gattara before, it was certainly on social media and my brain immediately circled around it, squeezing it tightly like a cat curled around a mouse toy. An Italian woman who feeds alley cats. A cat woman.

As a woman of a certain age with a last name that has 9 letters and ends in a vowel, someone please regularly remind me that I am absolutely a gattara and proud. of. it.

This book is not fancy, nor is it pretentious. This is what it is. A love letter from a woman who knew of the cat colonies and hunted for them. Who got on the ground and crawled in the crevices and found as many furry babies as she could, sweet and grumpy, old and young, limber and loaf.

The pictures aren't ahhhht. They're cat photos, the kind of photos I live for most. Cats glaring, cats ignoring, photos where I am 1,000% sure there IS NO CAT THERE but having cats myself, I know they're hiding in the background.

Get me to Rome, and put catnip in my pockets. I need to meet these cats, promptly.
]]> 214150726
Struggling 20-something Tessa has a dead-end job as a barista and the dream of a creative career that never quite seems to take off. When the coffee shop where she works goes out of business, she's able to visit her parents for the first time in years. Arriving at her family home, she discovers that her parents have rented out the basement apartment to her high school nemesis, Olive Virtue. Old wounds resurface during Tessa’s stay, but an accident that traps them in the attic forces them to face their past and think about their future.

I Hated You in High School is an enemies-to-lovers story inspired by classic romantic movies—with a queer twist. Author and illustrator Kathleen Gros has expanded her short story webcomic into a beautiful tale of love and learning.]]> 264 Kathleen Gros 1524889539 Bunny 3 comics, netgalley, read-in-25 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

This is cute, cute, cute and mostly harmless. Set in Canada, our frustrated protagonist Tessa is a frustrated artist, working as a barista, publishing her comics online, terribly unlucky in love but incredibly lucky in friendship. When her going-nowhere job ends, she gets a fat severance (oh, Canada) and finally has some spare time to go home and see her family for the first time in years, just in time to celebrate her parents' big milestone anniversary.

This is when she finds out that her parents are renting their basement apartment to

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.

Her high school nemesis.

Olive Virtue.

Who, quite unfortunately, has gotten incredibly hot since high school ended. And who is being disconcertingly nice to her, considering.

Considering what?

Well, you'll have to wait and see. Because Tessa won't even talk about it. Those memories are relegated to the hidden corner of her brain. She just remembers Olive was her sister's friend, and was horrible to her.

Readers of romance know where this is going, right? I don't need to spell it out?

The high school flashbacks are where the mostly harmless part comes in. Because Olive really was terrible to her. But the present day interactions, the work they both do to bond and eventually become more than former nemeses?

Totally worth the price of admission.

Cute, cute. ]]> 3.87
author: Kathleen Gros
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/05/28
shelves: comics, netgalley, read-in-25
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

This is cute, cute, cute and mostly harmless. Set in Canada, our frustrated protagonist Tessa is a frustrated artist, working as a barista, publishing her comics online, terribly unlucky in love but incredibly lucky in friendship. When her going-nowhere job ends, she gets a fat severance (oh, Canada) and finally has some spare time to go home and see her family for the first time in years, just in time to celebrate her parents' big milestone anniversary.

This is when she finds out that her parents are renting their basement apartment to

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.

Her high school nemesis.

Olive Virtue.

Who, quite unfortunately, has gotten incredibly hot since high school ended. And who is being disconcertingly nice to her, considering.

Considering what?

Well, you'll have to wait and see. Because Tessa won't even talk about it. Those memories are relegated to the hidden corner of her brain. She just remembers Olive was her sister's friend, and was horrible to her.

Readers of romance know where this is going, right? I don't need to spell it out?

The high school flashbacks are where the mostly harmless part comes in. Because Olive really was terrible to her. But the present day interactions, the work they both do to bond and eventually become more than former nemeses?

Totally worth the price of admission.

Cute, cute.
]]> 219602969 One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.

Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.

But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead.

With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.]]> 400 Riley Sager 0593472411 Bunny 0 to-read 3.57 2025
author: Riley Sager
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 173754979 A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780385550369.]]> 303 Percival Everett 0385550367 Bunny 0 to-read 4.44 2024
author: Percival Everett
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 3313176
Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.]]> 0 Anita Shreve 1600244025 Bunny 2 audio-book, read-in-13
Seriously. If I'd been reading the physical copy of this book, I would've quit early on, flipped to the final pages to see who it was who recorded the video, and been done with this.

Also, I saw the death coming a mile away.

What a waste.]]> 3.25 2008
author: Anita Shreve
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at: 2013/04/23
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves: audio-book, read-in-13
review:
I've got to give it up to Anita Shreve. It takes some serious talent to make a book about a Duke University-esque sex scandal boring as hell. You go, Anita.

Seriously. If I'd been reading the physical copy of this book, I would've quit early on, flipped to the final pages to see who it was who recorded the video, and been done with this.

Also, I saw the death coming a mile away.

What a waste.
]]> 202204691 Ask Cordelia Black why she did it. The answer will always be: He had it coming.

Cordelia Black loves exactly three things: Her chosen family, her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip), and killing bad men.

By day she's an ambitious pharma rep with a flawless reputation and designer wardrobe. By night, she culls South Louisiana of unscrupulous men—monsters who think they've evaded justice, until they meet her. Sure, the evening news may have started throwing around phrases like "serial killer," but Cordelia knows that's absurd. She's not a killer, she is simply karma. And being karma requires complete and utter control.

But when Cordelia discovers a flaw in her perfectly designed system for eliminating monsters, pressure heightens. And it only intensifies when her best friend starts dating a man Cordelia isn't sure is a good person. Someone who might just unravel everything she has worked for.

Soon enough Cordelia has to come face to face with the choices she's made. The good, the bad, and the murderous. Both her family, and her freedom, depend on it.]]> 432 Emma C. Wells 1464218625 Bunny 4 read-in-25, audio-book Rude how there was no single aesthetic for fuckery.

After finishing this book, I went hunting to find out if it had been listed as a dark comedy. I saw nothing to confirm that, but I swear there are some serious comedic timings happening in here. If they aren't on purpose...well....

Cordelia Black is a bad ass bitch. She has her entire life figured out, managed from her ice blonde roots to the tips of her Louboutins. She's the perfect pharmaceutical sales rep, beloved and devoted best friend and godmother. She has great style, great elocution, and she takes shit from no one.

She's also the perfect serial killer of monsters.

Well. She thinks she is, anyway.

Trigger warnings abound here, though there is nothing graphic, because the kinds of monsters Cordelia kills - well, they definitely deserve it, and the women and children of the world are better off because of her work.

One small glitch in her matrix leads to the absolute definition of chaos, and she's left scrambling to get everything neatly back on track and keep her perfect world moving on.

Around the halfway mark, I buckawked out loud with laughter at the absolute ridiculousness that was her carefully laid plans utterly falling apart. My coworker asked, so I gave him a rapid fire explanation of all of her unfortunate events, and his jaw dropped with laughter.

I saw a review complaining that Cordelia swears she's on top of everything but makes a lot of stupid mistakes. But I don't think that's all that true. She's very rigid in her system, and the second one part of it had issues, her brain stopped autocorrecting and things....slipped.

Have we not all been there? This is why I would be a terrible serial killer. Officer.

I really enjoyed this. But I do think it needs a "dark humor" tag added to it.]]> 3.64 2024
author: Emma C. Wells
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/03
shelves: read-in-25, audio-book
review:
Rude how there was no single aesthetic for fuckery.

After finishing this book, I went hunting to find out if it had been listed as a dark comedy. I saw nothing to confirm that, but I swear there are some serious comedic timings happening in here. If they aren't on purpose...well....

Cordelia Black is a bad ass bitch. She has her entire life figured out, managed from her ice blonde roots to the tips of her Louboutins. She's the perfect pharmaceutical sales rep, beloved and devoted best friend and godmother. She has great style, great elocution, and she takes shit from no one.

She's also the perfect serial killer of monsters.

Well. She thinks she is, anyway.

Trigger warnings abound here, though there is nothing graphic, because the kinds of monsters Cordelia kills - well, they definitely deserve it, and the women and children of the world are better off because of her work.

One small glitch in her matrix leads to the absolute definition of chaos, and she's left scrambling to get everything neatly back on track and keep her perfect world moving on.

Around the halfway mark, I buckawked out loud with laughter at the absolute ridiculousness that was her carefully laid plans utterly falling apart. My coworker asked, so I gave him a rapid fire explanation of all of her unfortunate events, and his jaw dropped with laughter.

I saw a review complaining that Cordelia swears she's on top of everything but makes a lot of stupid mistakes. But I don't think that's all that true. She's very rigid in her system, and the second one part of it had issues, her brain stopped autocorrecting and things....slipped.

Have we not all been there? This is why I would be a terrible serial killer. Officer.

I really enjoyed this. But I do think it needs a "dark humor" tag added to it.
]]> 227836621 In this dystopian fairy tale from the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, a small town’s storyteller struggles to protect a local demon from the knight hired to kill it.

Hundreds of years after the end of the world, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow finds itself beset by demons. Such horrors are common these days in the outlands, where most folks die young—if they don’t turn into monsters first.

When a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest unearthly beast to haunt their woods, the town’s new oral historian, Shrike, has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still herself, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he’ll do anything to protect it.]]> 39 Alix E. Harrow Bunny 0 to-read 4.10 2025
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221896822 Cher 0063422778 Bunny 0 to-read 4.86
author: Cher
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.86
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 56269064 Think you know the person you married? Think again…

Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.]]> 294 Alice Feeney 1250266106 Bunny 4 A haunted marriage is just as terrifying as a haunted house.

It's been eight years since I read my first Alice Feeney book. When I decided to pick this one up, I couldn't even remember the name of the other book I read. But what I did remember is that I was immediately in love with her writing style and had big plans to read more.



I am really pleased to report that my excitement to read more was not misplaced. Alice Feeney is the queen of Unreliable Narrators, and I will hear of no others who could possibly do it better, because lies.

Our story begins with Amelia and Adam, an unhappily married couple who are trying desperately to salvage their destructo marriage. Amelia wins a stay in a Scottish cathedral turned Airbnb for the weekend, and their marriage counselor believes this could be a great way to begin repairs. Adam is skeptical, but hey, what could go wrong?

Driving through a serious snowstorm and staying overnight in a creeptastic dusty cathedral? Sure? What's not to love, right?

They seem to hate each other, quite frankly.

Each chapter starts with a traditional anniversary gift. Paper, Wood, Bronze, Patridges, Pear Trees, you know the drill. And each year, a Dear Husband letter, progressing through a 10-year marriage that starts with such love and joy and devolves into resentment and dislike. You start to open the door to what's happening in the current, but slowly. Piece by tiny piece.

Boy, when the door opens all the way, it seriously blows off the hinges and right down a cliffside.

Adam is a screenwriter, so we get some really fun descriptions in his point of view. A really fun detail is, he also has face blindness. It's introduced right at the beginning, and it fascinated me to the point of distraction the entire time I was reading. I immediately saw a way for the plot to go, which I kind of knew wouldn't happen because if I think of an idea, it's not clever enough. But I wouldn't mind reading that book anyway.

This isn't what happens, but I'm putting it under a spoiler cut because it spoils...what isn't going to happen? I guess?

[spoilers removed]

These people have ridiculously tragic lives, more dead parents than the Disney vault.

But again.

We have some deeply. deeply. deeply. unreliable narrators.

Much like the first Feeney book I read, there's probably one or two twists too many. But I'm actually not complaining. Because as they kept rolling in and slapping me in the face, I found myself almost laughing from how insane the endings were. Ridiculous, and absolutely delightful.

I am going to re-listen to at least the start of the book, because damn, did that twist knock me on my ass.

I will not take another 8 years to read more by her.]]> 3.87 2021
author: Alice Feeney
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: audio-book, need-to-read-it-twice, read-in-25
review:
A haunted marriage is just as terrifying as a haunted house.

It's been eight years since I read my first Alice Feeney book. When I decided to pick this one up, I couldn't even remember the name of the other book I read. But what I did remember is that I was immediately in love with her writing style and had big plans to read more.



I am really pleased to report that my excitement to read more was not misplaced. Alice Feeney is the queen of Unreliable Narrators, and I will hear of no others who could possibly do it better, because lies.

Our story begins with Amelia and Adam, an unhappily married couple who are trying desperately to salvage their destructo marriage. Amelia wins a stay in a Scottish cathedral turned Airbnb for the weekend, and their marriage counselor believes this could be a great way to begin repairs. Adam is skeptical, but hey, what could go wrong?

Driving through a serious snowstorm and staying overnight in a creeptastic dusty cathedral? Sure? What's not to love, right?

They seem to hate each other, quite frankly.

Each chapter starts with a traditional anniversary gift. Paper, Wood, Bronze, Patridges, Pear Trees, you know the drill. And each year, a Dear Husband letter, progressing through a 10-year marriage that starts with such love and joy and devolves into resentment and dislike. You start to open the door to what's happening in the current, but slowly. Piece by tiny piece.

Boy, when the door opens all the way, it seriously blows off the hinges and right down a cliffside.

Adam is a screenwriter, so we get some really fun descriptions in his point of view. A really fun detail is, he also has face blindness. It's introduced right at the beginning, and it fascinated me to the point of distraction the entire time I was reading. I immediately saw a way for the plot to go, which I kind of knew wouldn't happen because if I think of an idea, it's not clever enough. But I wouldn't mind reading that book anyway.

This isn't what happens, but I'm putting it under a spoiler cut because it spoils...what isn't going to happen? I guess?

[spoilers removed]

These people have ridiculously tragic lives, more dead parents than the Disney vault.

But again.

We have some deeply. deeply. deeply. unreliable narrators.

Much like the first Feeney book I read, there's probably one or two twists too many. But I'm actually not complaining. Because as they kept rolling in and slapping me in the face, I found myself almost laughing from how insane the endings were. Ridiculous, and absolutely delightful.

I am going to re-listen to at least the start of the book, because damn, did that twist knock me on my ass.

I will not take another 8 years to read more by her.
]]> 212987930 From the bestselling author M. R. Carey comes an utterly unique and enchantingly dark epic fantasy fable like no other.

This is the tale of Once Was Willem, who - eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England - rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham.

Pennick for all its beauty was ever a place with a dark reputation. The forests of the Chase were said to be home to nixies and boggarts, and there was a common belief, passed down through many generations, that the castle housed an unquiet ghost of terrible and malign power. These rumours I can attest were all true; indeed they fell short of the truth by a long way . . .]]> 310 M.R. Carey 0316505129 Bunny 0 to-read 4.06 2025
author: M.R. Carey
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 39847584
Frank Li has two names. There's Frank Li, his American name. Then there's Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.

Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl--which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.

As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he's forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don't leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he's found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he's left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.]]> 432 David Yoon 1984812203 Bunny 0 to-read 3.72 2019
author: David Yoon
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: to-read
review:
We know I hate romance, but Jes makes me want to check this out to see if Journey would like it.
]]> 218462386
Exclusive content includes: A letter from author Adam Silvera, scanned pages from the novel's first draft with handwritten annotations, and an interview with the real-life inspiration for the character of Thomas.

“Silvera managed to leave me smiling after totally breaking my heart. Unforgettable.” —Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving New York Times bestselling-debut--also called "mandatory reading" and selected as an Editors' Choice by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?]]> 368 Adam Silvera 1641297190 Bunny 0 to-read 4.44 2015
author: Adam Silvera
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 40056826
'Pest Control' by Peter Anghelides - read by David Tennant. The Doctor and Donna face monstrous insects and a ruthless robot exterminator.

'The Forever Trap' by Dan Abnett - read by Catherine Tate. On the Edifice, the Doctor and Donna become neighbours to a terrifying assortment of aliens.

'The Nemonite Invasion' by David Roden - read by Catherine Tate. The Doctor and Donna fight for their lives against aliens in the Second World War.

'The Rising Night' by Scott Handcock- read by Michelle Ryan. The Doctor is plunged into a nightmarish adventure in 18th century Yorkshire.

'The Day of the Troll' by Simon Messingham - read by David Tennant. In a barren England of the far future, something is preying on people - and the Doctor....

'The Last Voyage' by Dan Abnett - read by David Tennant. Terror ensues when the Doctor joins the maiden voyage of a pioneering space cruiser.

'Dead Air' by James Goss - read by David Tennant. The Doctor faces an enemy of pure sound. Who can he trust in the dark?

With thrilling music and sound design, these seven adventures are based on the hit BBC TV series.

Duration: 13 hours approx.]]> Peter Anghelides Bunny 0 to-read 4.07 2016
author: Peter Anghelides
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220531016
They were just friends. Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north Omaha—Shiloh would go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friendship would never change.

Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.

Now Shiloh’s thirty-three, and it’s been fourteen years since she talked to Cary. She’s been married and divorced. She has two kids. And she’s back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.

When she’s invited to an old friend’s wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be there—and whether she hopes he will be. Would Cary even want to talk to her? After everything?

The answer is yes. And yes. And yes.

Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.

It’s the story of Shiloh and Cary, who everyone thought would end up together, trying to find their way back to the start.]]> 400 Rainbow Rowell 006338020X Bunny 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213245129 Explores the architecture of haunted houses, uncanny domestic spaces, and how the horror genre subverts and corrupts the sanctity of home.

The history of horror begins with a house. From Otranto to Amityville, the haunted house story endures because it perverts what is equally the most universal and the most personal of the home. Our home is an extension of our self, a manifestation of our identity, and a repository of our memories. It is a micro-universe of our own creation that we control. It is also where we are the most vulnerable because we are supposed to be the most safe.

Whether it is a decrepit Victorian mansion, a modernist luxury high-rise, a little cottage in the woods, or a starter house in the suburbs, Sick Houses explores how the horror genre in film, television, and literature uses architecture and the ideology of the home against us. It looks at the mythology of the American Dream and how the lure of homeownership becomes a trap. It celebrates the witch house, the power of the crone, and the fear of aging women who live alone. It explores how concrete utopias became ready-made mise en scene for urban terror.

From the betrayal of sentient shape-shifting houses to shadow-self dollhouse doppelgangers, Sick Houses examines how the horror genre subverts and corrupts that which is the most sacrosanct.]]> 240 Leila Taylor 1915672635 Bunny 0 to-read 3.81 2025
author: Leila Taylor
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59149026
Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to her family's lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake.

Everything about the Royces seems perfect. Their marriage. Their house. The bucolic lake it sits beside. But when Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she discovers the darker truths lurking just beneath the surface of the Royces' picture-perfect marriage. Truths no suspicious voyeur could begin to imagine--even with a few drinks under her belt.

Like Casey, you'll think you know where this story is headed.

Think again.

Because once you open the door to obsession, you never know what you might find on the other side.]]> 349 Riley Sager 0593183193 Bunny 0 no-way-no-how
God, this drags so hard. I read some spoilery reviews and learned it's not worth carrying on. Bummer.]]> 3.62 2022
author: Riley Sager
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: no-way-no-how
review:
I'm marking this only to make sure I don't try to start it again later because I've forgotten I tried.

God, this drags so hard. I read some spoilery reviews and learned it's not worth carrying on. Bummer.
]]> 55339007 Viral sensation and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordan regales fans with entertaining stories about the odd, funny, and unforgettable events in his life in this unmissable essay collection that echoes his droll, irreverent voice.

When actor Leslie Jordan learned he had “gone viral,” he had no idea what that meant or how much his life was about to change. On Instagram, his uproarious videos have entertained millions and have made him a global celebrity. Now, he brings his bon vivance to the page with this collection of intimate and sassy essays.

Bursting with color and life, dripping with his puckish Southern charm, How Y’all Doing? is Leslie doing what Leslie does best: telling stories that make us laugh and lift our spirits even in the darkest days. Whether he’s writing about his brush with a group of ruffians in a West Hollywood Starbucks, or an unexpected phone call from legendary Hollywood start Debbie Reynolds, Leslie infuses each story with his fresh and saucy humor and pure heart.

How Y’all Doing? is an authentic, warm, and joyful portrait of an American Sweetheart— a Southern Baptist celebutante, first-rate raconteur, and keen observer of the odd side of life whose quirky wit rivals the likes of Amy Sedaris, Jenny Lawson, David Rakoff, and Sarah Vowell.]]> 272 Leslie Jordan 0063076195 Bunny 5 audio-book, read-in-25
But god, did it make me laugh. I don't need to review this. If you're looking to read this, you're already delighted by Leslie Jordan, and no review is going to change your mind. And it shouldn't. Because he was fucking delightful.

I do strongly recommend the audiobook version, though. If only to hear him occasionally giggle at his own stories.

Now I get to tell my Leslie Jordan story, which you can all certainly skip, because it's not book related.

I met Leslie Jordan, what would turn out to be 3 months before he died. He went to the national association of drug court professionals yearly conference in Nashville, to speak. Because that's the kind of person he was. And I was standing outside in between sessions, having multiple rolling anxiety fits despite taking far too many antidepressants because my world was literally falling apart back home a few states away, holding my phone so tightly I probably bruised my hand.

And I looked up as a car pulled in front of the hotel, and in the passenger seat was a very, very short man that, after a few seconds of staring, I realized was Leslie Jordan. I didn't want to walk up and bother him, because anxiety attacks but also ew, rude. He did end up looking up in my direction, and I made heart hands at him, and he rolled his window down and motioned me to come over.

He was so sweet. It was a quiet conversation, and I told him I was so glad he was there, and he said he was thankful for all we did, and then he pointed at my phone that I was fidgeting with unconsciously, and asked if I wanted to take a . I wouldn't have even thought of it, because ew, rude.

But I have that picture. And my world did right itself eventually. And I will always remember that spot of sunshine in a really, really, really dark week.]]> 4.13 2021
author: Leslie Jordan
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: audio-book, read-in-25
review:
I knew this book was going to make me sad.

But god, did it make me laugh. I don't need to review this. If you're looking to read this, you're already delighted by Leslie Jordan, and no review is going to change your mind. And it shouldn't. Because he was fucking delightful.

I do strongly recommend the audiobook version, though. If only to hear him occasionally giggle at his own stories.

Now I get to tell my Leslie Jordan story, which you can all certainly skip, because it's not book related.

I met Leslie Jordan, what would turn out to be 3 months before he died. He went to the national association of drug court professionals yearly conference in Nashville, to speak. Because that's the kind of person he was. And I was standing outside in between sessions, having multiple rolling anxiety fits despite taking far too many antidepressants because my world was literally falling apart back home a few states away, holding my phone so tightly I probably bruised my hand.

And I looked up as a car pulled in front of the hotel, and in the passenger seat was a very, very short man that, after a few seconds of staring, I realized was Leslie Jordan. I didn't want to walk up and bother him, because anxiety attacks but also ew, rude. He did end up looking up in my direction, and I made heart hands at him, and he rolled his window down and motioned me to come over.

He was so sweet. It was a quiet conversation, and I told him I was so glad he was there, and he said he was thankful for all we did, and then he pointed at my phone that I was fidgeting with unconsciously, and asked if I wanted to take a . I wouldn't have even thought of it, because ew, rude.

But I have that picture. And my world did right itself eventually. And I will always remember that spot of sunshine in a really, really, really dark week.
]]> 1122026
Imogene is young and beautiful. She kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead and waiting in the Rosebud Theater for Alec Sheldon on an afternoon in 1945 . . . Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with big ideas and a gift for attracting abuse. It isn't easy to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town . . . Francis is unhappy. Francis was human once, but that was then. Now he's an eight-foot tall locust and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing . . . John Finney is locked in a basement that's stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. In the cellar with him is an antique telephone, long since disconnected, but which rings at night with calls from the dead . . . The past isn't dead. It isn't even past . . .]]> 13 Joe Hill 0061447757 Bunny 3 audio-book, read-in-16 Autographed by Joe Hill 4/3/25 - Book signing for the 20th anniversary edition of this book, bought the paperback to attend the signing, which he autographed to my mom and drew a , which he did not draw on mine, and I am 100% bitter. My mother wasn't even there! All I got was "With best wishes". Boooooo.

Mm.

I am super super glad this wasn't the first Joe Hill book I've ever read. It's not that the stories are bad, by any means. They're just not my type of stories. I was excited for this because I'm a horror story buff, and Hill is a master of horror. Period.

And in the introduction, written by the incredible Christopher Golden, he tells me up front that these are not horror stories, at least not in the conventional sense. So, I was warned. But still. These were just not my cup of tea. Let's go down the list.

Best New Horror - The closest to conventional, and so meta it hurts. This was a great introductory story. Seriously, I can't even tell you what it's about, it's so meta you have to read it for yourself. If my review leads you to not want to read the whole book, at least seek this one out.

20th Century Ghost - A ghost story. Literally. But not scary. Sweet, actually.

Pop Art - So bizarre. But really, really great. And sad. So, so sad.

You Will Hear The Locust Sing - I don't like bugs. I really, really don't like bugs. So, this one kind of had my skin crawling. But the sympathy I had for the main character was oddly intense.

Abraham's Boys - An amazing side story to the traditional Dracula tale. Absolutely worth the read.

Better Than Home and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead - Skip it.

The Black Phone - Not nearly as good as it could have been.

In The Rundown - You will spend a lot of time saying, "What are you doing, you idiot?"

The Cape - The only story with a real twist. And it's pretty fantastic.

Last Breath - SO WEIRD. But I really loved it. And want to know more about this museum.

Dead-Wood - Short, almost a poem. I listened to it twice. Beautiful, and one that might stay with you as it did with me.

The Widow's Breakfast - Uncategorical. Google says that's not a real word. I'm using it anyway.

My Father's Mask - I don't get it. Not even a little.

Voluntary Committal - I agree with Christopher Golden on this one, it is very reminiscent of Ray Bradbury. I believe this is the longest story in the bunch, and it's worth it.

Scheherazade's Typewriter - The hidden story. As someone who reads both the introductions and the acknowledgements, I loved how this one was hidden. And it's possibly my favorite? Also a ghost story, but a sweet and sad one.]]> 3.69 2005
author: Joe Hill
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/30
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: audio-book, read-in-16
review:
Autographed by Joe Hill 4/3/25 - Book signing for the 20th anniversary edition of this book, bought the paperback to attend the signing, which he autographed to my mom and drew a , which he did not draw on mine, and I am 100% bitter. My mother wasn't even there! All I got was "With best wishes". Boooooo.

Mm.

I am super super glad this wasn't the first Joe Hill book I've ever read. It's not that the stories are bad, by any means. They're just not my type of stories. I was excited for this because I'm a horror story buff, and Hill is a master of horror. Period.

And in the introduction, written by the incredible Christopher Golden, he tells me up front that these are not horror stories, at least not in the conventional sense. So, I was warned. But still. These were just not my cup of tea. Let's go down the list.

Best New Horror - The closest to conventional, and so meta it hurts. This was a great introductory story. Seriously, I can't even tell you what it's about, it's so meta you have to read it for yourself. If my review leads you to not want to read the whole book, at least seek this one out.

20th Century Ghost - A ghost story. Literally. But not scary. Sweet, actually.

Pop Art - So bizarre. But really, really great. And sad. So, so sad.

You Will Hear The Locust Sing - I don't like bugs. I really, really don't like bugs. So, this one kind of had my skin crawling. But the sympathy I had for the main character was oddly intense.

Abraham's Boys - An amazing side story to the traditional Dracula tale. Absolutely worth the read.

Better Than Home and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead - Skip it.

The Black Phone - Not nearly as good as it could have been.

In The Rundown - You will spend a lot of time saying, "What are you doing, you idiot?"

The Cape - The only story with a real twist. And it's pretty fantastic.

Last Breath - SO WEIRD. But I really loved it. And want to know more about this museum.

Dead-Wood - Short, almost a poem. I listened to it twice. Beautiful, and one that might stay with you as it did with me.

The Widow's Breakfast - Uncategorical. Google says that's not a real word. I'm using it anyway.

My Father's Mask - I don't get it. Not even a little.

Voluntary Committal - I agree with Christopher Golden on this one, it is very reminiscent of Ray Bradbury. I believe this is the longest story in the bunch, and it's worth it.

Scheherazade's Typewriter - The hidden story. As someone who reads both the introductions and the acknowledgements, I loved how this one was hidden. And it's possibly my favorite? Also a ghost story, but a sweet and sad one.
]]> 15729539 NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns.

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.]]> 692 Joe Hill 0062200577 Bunny 5 Autographed by Joe Hill 4/3/25: "To Bunny - Best" and then he drew a grumpy little . Luff him.

Jesus Christ tap dancing on a cracker.

I can't remember the last time a book scared me this badly. I think it was Something Wicked This Way Comes. And that's Beverly Cleary in comparison to this.

I had to take continuous breaks to get through this. I read it at home, and at work. Never after the sun went down. Not that it helped.

[spoilers removed]

I said from page one that I was worried I was going to make too many unfair comparisons to Joe Hill's father. And for the first 10 or so pages, I did. But this book...Joe Hill kicked his father's ass with this book. All love and respect to Stephen King, but your kid's wiping the floor with you. If all of his books are as amazing as this, you're not the king anymore. And I swear to god, I did not intend for that to be a pun.

I keep imagining a kid growing up in the King household. Growing up with stories. Stories of cars that run on their own, and kill people. A man who promises the world, both to adults and children, for his own greedy pleasures, his own need, if you will. The scariest clown every invented in any universe. Little children with weapons who kill adults gleefully.

And then he grows up, and this is what he writes.

Amazing. Absolutely incredible.

I can't wait to see the "prequel" story, Wraith. And I really want to know the story behind Walking Backwards Man. Seriously, the thought of him has taken over my brain.

Now I must go and read, like, Babysitter's Club or something. I need a palate cleanser.]]> 4.06 2013
author: Joe Hill
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/06/23
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: read-in-13, whedon-reference, owned
review:
Autographed by Joe Hill 4/3/25: "To Bunny - Best" and then he drew a grumpy little . Luff him.

Jesus Christ tap dancing on a cracker.

I can't remember the last time a book scared me this badly. I think it was Something Wicked This Way Comes. And that's Beverly Cleary in comparison to this.

I had to take continuous breaks to get through this. I read it at home, and at work. Never after the sun went down. Not that it helped.

[spoilers removed]

I said from page one that I was worried I was going to make too many unfair comparisons to Joe Hill's father. And for the first 10 or so pages, I did. But this book...Joe Hill kicked his father's ass with this book. All love and respect to Stephen King, but your kid's wiping the floor with you. If all of his books are as amazing as this, you're not the king anymore. And I swear to god, I did not intend for that to be a pun.

I keep imagining a kid growing up in the King household. Growing up with stories. Stories of cars that run on their own, and kill people. A man who promises the world, both to adults and children, for his own greedy pleasures, his own need, if you will. The scariest clown every invented in any universe. Little children with weapons who kill adults gleefully.

And then he grows up, and this is what he writes.

Amazing. Absolutely incredible.

I can't wait to see the "prequel" story, Wraith. And I really want to know the story behind Walking Backwards Man. Seriously, the thought of him has taken over my brain.

Now I must go and read, like, Babysitter's Club or something. I need a palate cleanser.
]]> 913453 11 Joe Hill 0061235873 Bunny 4 Autographed by Joe Hill 4/3/25: "To Bunny - Hail Hail Rock 'n' Roll" and he drew two little hearts around the one heart on the title page. Luff him.

Bloody. hell.

I knew from reading NOS4A2 that Joe Hill was a pretty sick ticket, but DAMN. I don't even know if I can do a proper review of this, it was such an intense ride.

I'm shocked at the negative reviews of this. I didn't find it lagging in the least. I was into it from the jump, fascinated by Jude. Being a fan of aging rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper, artists who have/had a reputation for eccentricity, Jude felt like a very familiar character to me.

It took me awhile to care about Georgia, and Florida, but by the time I cared about them, I cared hard. Thereby, trapping me completely. I cared even more about the dogs. I always care more about the dogs.

I guessed mostly what the means of getting rid of the ghost would be. And it ended up being very, very strange. Very hard to follow, that entire section. But still well done, and the ending was not smooshy.

I can't get over how good Joe Hill is at writing horror novels. It's been so long since I've had novels legitimately scare me, and this is the second novel by him I've read, and the second novel that's frightened me. It's fantastic to find. I want to read so much more by him.]]> 3.51 2007
author: Joe Hill
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2015/04/03
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: audio-book, read-in-15, autographed
review:
Autographed by Joe Hill 4/3/25: "To Bunny - Hail Hail Rock 'n' Roll" and he drew two little hearts around the one heart on the title page. Luff him.

Bloody. hell.

I knew from reading NOS4A2 that Joe Hill was a pretty sick ticket, but DAMN. I don't even know if I can do a proper review of this, it was such an intense ride.

I'm shocked at the negative reviews of this. I didn't find it lagging in the least. I was into it from the jump, fascinated by Jude. Being a fan of aging rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper, artists who have/had a reputation for eccentricity, Jude felt like a very familiar character to me.

It took me awhile to care about Georgia, and Florida, but by the time I cared about them, I cared hard. Thereby, trapping me completely. I cared even more about the dogs. I always care more about the dogs.

I guessed mostly what the means of getting rid of the ghost would be. And it ended up being very, very strange. Very hard to follow, that entire section. But still well done, and the ending was not smooshy.

I can't get over how good Joe Hill is at writing horror novels. It's been so long since I've had novels legitimately scare me, and this is the second novel by him I've read, and the second novel that's frightened me. It's fantastic to find. I want to read so much more by him.
]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 387 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Bunny 0 to-read-owned 4.55 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: to-read-owned
review:

]]> 51901147 Ambition will fuel him.

Competition will drive him.

But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.]]> 541 Suzanne Collins Bunny 0 to-read-owned 3.99 2020
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: to-read-owned
review:

]]> 204294824
Dark and twisting at every turn, fans of Catriona Ward will love this chilling new tale from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the “clear heir to Stephen King.”

Beware the one who got away . . .

Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his “House of Horrors,” they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor–a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast.

The detective’s daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence’s legacy.

When Tess’s daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, Tess is forced to face her worst fears and long-buried memories. With no leads to follow, she travels back to Twisted Tree to visit the boy who survived and see what secrets might be buried in the tangled web of his broken mind.

With captivating prose and an old-school horror flair, Sleep Tight is a must-read, haunting tale from a true master of the genre.]]> 336 J.H. Markert 1639108734 Bunny 1


I then got really frustrated and did a Dramatic Reading of the plot summary to Coworker, who was chuckling and ended up Googling the book, ending up on 카지노싸이트 himself, to look at other reviews on here.

Upon finishing the plot summary: "DoEsN'T tHaT sOunD lIkE a GrEaT bOoK?!"

I ended up asking him to find a spoiler-filled review for me, in case it promised to get better. And holy crap it does not and I QUIT.

I QUIT.

I QUIT I QUIT I QUIT.

I am not slumping for this. It is not. worth. it. ]]> 3.63 2024
author: J.H. Markert
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: no-way-no-how, did-not-will-not-cannot-finish
review:
I got 29% through this book. And I decided to spend today focused on working hard on it, because I kept thinking, we'll get past the domestic nonsense, and the cop stuff, and we'll get to the horror elements if I can just. keep. going.



I then got really frustrated and did a Dramatic Reading of the plot summary to Coworker, who was chuckling and ended up Googling the book, ending up on 카지노싸이트 himself, to look at other reviews on here.

Upon finishing the plot summary: "DoEsN'T tHaT sOunD lIkE a GrEaT bOoK?!"

I ended up asking him to find a spoiler-filled review for me, in case it promised to get better. And holy crap it does not and I QUIT.

I QUIT.

I QUIT I QUIT I QUIT.

I am not slumping for this. It is not. worth. it.
]]> 79328894
Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…

Duration: 13 hours.]]> 13 Grady Hendrix 0593591844 Bunny 4 audio-book, read-in-25 Your mom's puppets are watered down copies of copies ... They're off-brand muppets. Put real puppets in a church, and they'd burn it down. Puppets unleash anarchy. Punch in a Punch & Judy show beats his wife, kills his baby, and when they try to execute him, he tricks the hangman into hanging himself. Puppets are about violence. They don't do life lessons. They don't do love.

Going from The Final Girl Support Group straight into this was quite the curveball. I went from straight serial killer thriller to murder puppets and honestly, I should've realized I needed a palette cleanser in between. Jesus.

I've heard the phrase puppet hole more times than I ever imagined I would and I can go a nice long time without hearing it again.

Other than in the Angel episode Smile Time, but that is an obvious exception.

Louise is kind of a control freak. Left home for college as soon as she could, leaving her parents and golden child brother behind. Corporate job, in complete opposition to her mother's job as a Puppet Minister. Didn't really look back, hard judger of her brother. Loves her parents, adores her 5-year old daughter Poppy.

Then one day, she gets a call from said brother. Their parents are dead. Killed in a terrible car accident. And Louise needs to come home.

Clean up the house. Hopefully sell it for a profit. Grieve and get back home to her daughter, who she *really* shouldn't have told her grandparents kicked the bucket. Poor girl's completely broken up over it.

Time to clean out the dozens. And dozens. And dozens. Of puppets in this house. Also a taxidermied squirrel nativity, which I would pay good money to see a picture of that.

Man, this book telegraphs it's going to freak you out so early. So, so early.

I took long breaks between because the tension is a little TOO real. I have become an absolute whimp in my old age but GAH, did this get me. It got me so hard.

I'm pretty disappointed that Mr Hendrix broke from his tradition of giving each chapter a clever title-related name. He could've found a way to haunt up a traditional listing cliche, views and floor space and the lot. He did seem to name some of the sections after the stages of grief, but we didn't get through all of them, so it felt half hearted.

We ended up coming to the "end" but, being the horror movie watcher I used to be, I checked the time left on the audiobook and promptly took another break before finding out what fresh hell was about to be unleashed in the last section.

This ended up being way more wholesome at the end than expected, but even still, complete freak show. Blergh.


]]> 3.54 2023
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: audio-book, read-in-25
review:
Your mom's puppets are watered down copies of copies ... They're off-brand muppets. Put real puppets in a church, and they'd burn it down. Puppets unleash anarchy. Punch in a Punch & Judy show beats his wife, kills his baby, and when they try to execute him, he tricks the hangman into hanging himself. Puppets are about violence. They don't do life lessons. They don't do love.

Going from The Final Girl Support Group straight into this was quite the curveball. I went from straight serial killer thriller to murder puppets and honestly, I should've realized I needed a palette cleanser in between. Jesus.

I've heard the phrase puppet hole more times than I ever imagined I would and I can go a nice long time without hearing it again.

Other than in the Angel episode Smile Time, but that is an obvious exception.

Louise is kind of a control freak. Left home for college as soon as she could, leaving her parents and golden child brother behind. Corporate job, in complete opposition to her mother's job as a Puppet Minister. Didn't really look back, hard judger of her brother. Loves her parents, adores her 5-year old daughter Poppy.

Then one day, she gets a call from said brother. Their parents are dead. Killed in a terrible car accident. And Louise needs to come home.

Clean up the house. Hopefully sell it for a profit. Grieve and get back home to her daughter, who she *really* shouldn't have told her grandparents kicked the bucket. Poor girl's completely broken up over it.

Time to clean out the dozens. And dozens. And dozens. Of puppets in this house. Also a taxidermied squirrel nativity, which I would pay good money to see a picture of that.

Man, this book telegraphs it's going to freak you out so early. So, so early.

I took long breaks between because the tension is a little TOO real. I have become an absolute whimp in my old age but GAH, did this get me. It got me so hard.

I'm pretty disappointed that Mr Hendrix broke from his tradition of giving each chapter a clever title-related name. He could've found a way to haunt up a traditional listing cliche, views and floor space and the lot. He did seem to name some of the sections after the stages of grief, but we didn't get through all of them, so it felt half hearted.

We ended up coming to the "end" but, being the horror movie watcher I used to be, I checked the time left on the audiobook and promptly took another break before finding out what fresh hell was about to be unleashed in the last section.

This ended up being way more wholesome at the end than expected, but even still, complete freak show. Blergh.



]]> 214150787
Together, they escape the prison and return to Saint Domingue, where the smell of rebellion is thick in the air. Edmond, once an enslaved man himself, thought he had escaped the colonized land and his past life for good, only to return as the wealthy and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. In pursuit of his enemies – including Mercedes, once his fiancée – he finds his careful rage growing only more reckless and ravenous. Haydee, a young revolutionist, tries to use his fury for good, while Faria, drunk off the misery Edmond has caused, hungers for the fresh taste of innocent blood. As Edmond’s enemies begin to catch on to the count’s true identity, and the fight for liberation from the French colonists swells to a pop, Edmond must reckon with the deal he’s made with Faria. Is it any more sinister – or any different – than the pact he’s made with his own inner demons?]]> 208 David Dabel 1524892432 Bunny 0 to-read 4.12
author: David Dabel
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215057207 Celebrate Juneteenth with this heartfelt introduction for kids ages 3 to 6.

A is for ancestors, and B is for Black. There is a complex history behind Juneteenth—but in The Juneteenth Alphabet, kids (and adults) can find celebratory moments of joy and inspiration as they learn about the origins and traditions of this day of freedom (for all!). Includes a glossary of important words and a list of websites for further reading.]]> 40 Andrea Underwood Petifer 146421901X Bunny 0 to-read 4.25
author: Andrea Underwood Petifer
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215149250 ODDER, a New York Times bestseller for over a year, this picture book follows Odder's rescue and subsequent new role as a mentor to other rescued otter pups.]]> 40 Katherine Applegate 1250323592 Bunny 0 to-read 4.50
author: Katherine Applegate
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 219542928 Axolotl snacks-alotl.

And lives life to the max-alotl.

Little brother Axolittle

likes to study facts a little.

For total opposites like these two, sometimes differences can lead them to poke-a-little and joke-a-little, then shout-a-lotl and pout-a-lotl. This axo-lutely hilarious new read-aloud about fighting and making up is a must-buy for siblings and friends who need to chill their gills and learn to get along.]]> 40 Jess Hitchman 1464237905 Bunny 0 to-read 4.47
author: Jess Hitchman
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216724313 272 Gregory Maguire 0063438593 Bunny 0 to-read 3.58 2004
author: Gregory Maguire
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211004837 From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.]]> 400 Leigh Bardugo 1250884276 Bunny 0 to-read 3.80 2024
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 219603177 One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.

Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.

But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead.

With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.]]> 383 Riley Sager 0593472403 Bunny 0 to-read 3.44 2025
author: Riley Sager
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211004045 The next high concept horror novel from NYT bestselling author Christopher Golden.

Across Italy, there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years. It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives.

It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought.

There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside.

While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.]]> 320 Christopher Golden 1250879418 Bunny 0 to-read 3.18 2024
author: Christopher Golden
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 207293651 32 Kai Lüftner 0735845557 Bunny 3 the-kidlet, read-in-25
Walter a very, very shy little Moth, prefers to hide away in his room. (Who doesn't?) But in the quiet place in his heart, he wants to be........a drummer.

Again, who doesn't?! Rock on, Walter!

This is so sweet. And there are so many tiny rock and roll easter eggs to find. The kid fell asleep almost before I got to page one, but we were both pretty tired, so I'll say it's not the book's fault. ]]> 3.91
author: Kai Lüftner
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: the-kidlet, read-in-25
review:
This is seriously so flipping adorable.

Walter a very, very shy little Moth, prefers to hide away in his room. (Who doesn't?) But in the quiet place in his heart, he wants to be........a drummer.

Again, who doesn't?! Rock on, Walter!

This is so sweet. And there are so many tiny rock and roll easter eggs to find. The kid fell asleep almost before I got to page one, but we were both pretty tired, so I'll say it's not the book's fault.
]]> 150247393
On the surface, Liv Edwards has a near-perfect life—a handsome new fiancé, an apartment in Boston, and plans to launch a career in law. No one would suspect how hard she’s worked to conceal the strange darkness that often bubbles up inside her. But Liv’s polished façade threatens to crack with the arrival of a letter from her childhood best friend, Sam. The chilling message is folded into the shape of a heart like the notes they passed in high school: I need help.

Liv is still haunted by what she did to destroy her friendship with Sam. High school was hard enough without having to start over in a new town, but with Sam, Liv grew into herself like never before. Now Liv resolves to do right by Sam—except when she returns to her small New England hometown, she is too late.

Sam has disappeared and clues suggest foul play. To add to the mystery, Sam has transformed over the years, living with the odd girls from high school, Eden and Cora, and working at their esteemed bridal boutique. Liv reconnects with them in search of answers. With couture gowns, exquisite cakes, and a glittering display room, these women make fairy tales come to life, and Liv, too, can be a part of it all. But as Eden and Cora teach her to harness the qualities that have always made her feel different, Liv discovers that a much darker reality may be lurking beneath the satin and pearls—and within herself.]]> 368 K.L. Cerra 059350027X Bunny 2 read-in-25
Not that I don't like dark magic, but this started out feeling more like a thriller, and a good thriller, with a delicious edge of paranormal, and then it just entirely went off the rails. Sigh.

Liv is an unlikeable narrator. We meet her as she's thinking about how easy it would be to shove her fiance in front of a subway train, which made me super interested in getting to know her. She makes jewelry, including a bird's nest ring with spiked edges to keep her from having too many dark thoughts, and as a subtle punishment for herself. Okay, okay, I'm going with this, yes, yes, yes.

Liv has a nice life. Handsome fiance, successful job sort of kind of maybe not. Then she gets a letter in the mail from her bestie Sam from high school, who she hasn't spoken to since before they graduated. Folded in the shape of a heart (a skill I used to have and which I want to look up a tutorial on how to do again), like their notes used to be.

Asking for help. Begging for help.

And then Liv finds out that Sam has gone missing, and she makes the trek back to her hometown, to find out what happened, racked with guilt from What Happened To Break Up Their Friendship.

Doesn't that sound so great? Yeah.

I had been taking tiny baby nibbles on this on break at work and during down times, and it wasn't that great at keeping my attention. I see what the author is attempting to do, especially showing off Liv's uncertainty about getting married next to her sister's absolute misery with being married to a mostly absent husband and her exhaustion and haggard appearance after having babies. And sister got fat, which. Oof. Cardinal sin.

So. much. clunk. So much behavior that a mistrustful character would never do.

I got to the big exclamation point moment while getting a , and it infuriatingly really didn't help take the pain away. Then I finished it on a car ride and I think it caused my motion sickness.

Just.

So.

Clunk.]]> 3.33 2024
author: K.L. Cerra
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: read-in-25
review:
I think I should've paid closer attention to the "dark magic" part of the summary.

Not that I don't like dark magic, but this started out feeling more like a thriller, and a good thriller, with a delicious edge of paranormal, and then it just entirely went off the rails. Sigh.

Liv is an unlikeable narrator. We meet her as she's thinking about how easy it would be to shove her fiance in front of a subway train, which made me super interested in getting to know her. She makes jewelry, including a bird's nest ring with spiked edges to keep her from having too many dark thoughts, and as a subtle punishment for herself. Okay, okay, I'm going with this, yes, yes, yes.

Liv has a nice life. Handsome fiance, successful job sort of kind of maybe not. Then she gets a letter in the mail from her bestie Sam from high school, who she hasn't spoken to since before they graduated. Folded in the shape of a heart (a skill I used to have and which I want to look up a tutorial on how to do again), like their notes used to be.

Asking for help. Begging for help.

And then Liv finds out that Sam has gone missing, and she makes the trek back to her hometown, to find out what happened, racked with guilt from What Happened To Break Up Their Friendship.

Doesn't that sound so great? Yeah.

I had been taking tiny baby nibbles on this on break at work and during down times, and it wasn't that great at keeping my attention. I see what the author is attempting to do, especially showing off Liv's uncertainty about getting married next to her sister's absolute misery with being married to a mostly absent husband and her exhaustion and haggard appearance after having babies. And sister got fat, which. Oof. Cardinal sin.

So. much. clunk. So much behavior that a mistrustful character would never do.

I got to the big exclamation point moment while getting a , and it infuriatingly really didn't help take the pain away. Then I finished it on a car ride and I think it caused my motion sickness.

Just.

So.

Clunk.
]]> 4133366
Complete with Fitzgerald's original text, dazzling watercolor illustrations, and an afterword describing the story's origins and critical reception, this edition offers a fresh look at a literary masterpiece.]]> 128 F. Scott Fitzgerald 1594742812 Bunny 5 read-in-12 3.71 1922
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1922
rating: 5
read at: 2012/06/09
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: read-in-12
review:

]]> 23625872 Do I need to talk to my cat about gun safety?
Do cats really play with guns?
So my cat finds a gun, what's the big deal?
Is it safe to own a gun if I have cats in my house?
I'm responsible with my gun, why should I bother to teach my cat about gun safety?
What age is right to start talking to my cat about gun safety?
What are the risks of not talking to my cat about gun safety?
... and much more!]]> 12 Zachary Auburn Bunny 2 netgalley, read-in-16 Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

I expected humor. Because....why wouldn't you?

But this just isn't funny. I'm giving the book two stars because the cat pictures are fantastic (Can we talk about Planned Purrenthood?). But this just wasn't handled well.

I adore satire, and am deeply disappointed that this didn't hold up.]]> 3.55 2016
author: Zachary Auburn
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2016/06/16
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: netgalley, read-in-16
review:
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

I expected humor. Because....why wouldn't you?

But this just isn't funny. I'm giving the book two stars because the cat pictures are fantastic (Can we talk about Planned Purrenthood?). But this just wasn't handled well.

I adore satire, and am deeply disappointed that this didn't hold up.
]]> 49757149
Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.]]> 337 Karen M. McManus 0525708014 Bunny 2 audio-book, read-in-25 Two Can Keep A Secret, really loved One of Us Is Lying. I guess this is the tie breaker on McManus.

-----

Verdict? Karen M McManus and I aren't going to be friends.

Which is disappointing because I enjoyed One of Us Is Lying very much. I'm going to chalk it up to First Book Syndrome and keep it going.

SUPER promising premise, enjoyable main characters, plenty of intrigue, and the biggest donut hole and WTF for my troubles. Boo.]]> 3.76 2020
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: audio-book, read-in-25
review:
Hated Two Can Keep A Secret, really loved One of Us Is Lying. I guess this is the tie breaker on McManus.

-----

Verdict? Karen M McManus and I aren't going to be friends.

Which is disappointing because I enjoyed One of Us Is Lying very much. I'm going to chalk it up to First Book Syndrome and keep it going.

SUPER promising premise, enjoyable main characters, plenty of intrigue, and the biggest donut hole and WTF for my troubles. Boo.
]]> 6346975 The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory

An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory. From the United States Memory Championship to deep within the author's own mind, this is an electrifying work of journalism that reminds us that, in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.]]> 307 Joshua Foer 159420229X Bunny 0 to-read 3.86 2011
author: Joshua Foer
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55939506
Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece.   But the thing about final girls is that no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.]]> 352 Grady Hendrix 0593201256 Bunny 4 audio-book, read-in-25 I’m every girl who’s ever run from a man with a weapon, every girl who ever ran for her life across spaces where she was supposed to be safe.

In my now 5-year struggle against a reading slump, I forgot Grady Hendrix. Not literally, I still talk about the Haunted Ikea book, and while I can't remember the plot, I describe the cover of My Best Friend's Exorcism any time I bring up the Haunted Ikea book.

But I forgot how good he is at writing horror. I forgot that his books are smart, and sharp, and so funny in a way that feels completely inappropriate and yet perfect. I forgot that his chapter titles are so on theme it hurts your occipital lobe.

I've had this on the TBR for so long. If not on GR, then on my mental TBR shelf that is so neglected and only remembered when I see a flash of a cover. I live for a final girl. I grew up with Nancy Thompson, was in senior year of high school with Sidney Prescott, and while I've ignored Laurie Strode and don't even know the Texas or Crystal Lake girls, they're all dancing on the periphery of my pop culture whirlpool.

This book is about women who survived homicidal maniacs. One woman was a camp counselor. Another was a senior in high school. Another was in Texas and met a crazy family with terrible table manners.

Their stories sound oh-so familiar and a little too on the nose until you get to the punch. That after their stories were splashed in the headlines, they sold the rights to Hollywood and then got to see their stories play out on the big screen.

All of these women are final girls, and they all meet once a week for therapy. Until one day, one of the women doesn't show up. Her head does, though, but that's later.

This. is. so good.

I am going to talk about this pretty much the same way as I do the Haunted Ikea. We're going to be talking books, and I'm suddenly going to give you a one paragraph blargle about final girls who sold their stories to Hollywood and then started being killed off and the chapter titles are plays on the ridiculous names they give horror sequels and IT'S SO GOOD AND THE MAIN CHARACTER HAS LONG TWO WAY CONVERSATIONS WITH HER PLANT NAMED FINE AND ALL OF THE HORROR STEREOTYPES ARE HERE AND THEY'RE SO GOOD.

::ahem::

So just save yourself this conversation and go read the book.]]> 3.64 2021
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: audio-book, read-in-25
review:
I’m every girl who’s ever run from a man with a weapon, every girl who ever ran for her life across spaces where she was supposed to be safe.

In my now 5-year struggle against a reading slump, I forgot Grady Hendrix. Not literally, I still talk about the Haunted Ikea book, and while I can't remember the plot, I describe the cover of My Best Friend's Exorcism any time I bring up the Haunted Ikea book.

But I forgot how good he is at writing horror. I forgot that his books are smart, and sharp, and so funny in a way that feels completely inappropriate and yet perfect. I forgot that his chapter titles are so on theme it hurts your occipital lobe.

I've had this on the TBR for so long. If not on GR, then on my mental TBR shelf that is so neglected and only remembered when I see a flash of a cover. I live for a final girl. I grew up with Nancy Thompson, was in senior year of high school with Sidney Prescott, and while I've ignored Laurie Strode and don't even know the Texas or Crystal Lake girls, they're all dancing on the periphery of my pop culture whirlpool.

This book is about women who survived homicidal maniacs. One woman was a camp counselor. Another was a senior in high school. Another was in Texas and met a crazy family with terrible table manners.

Their stories sound oh-so familiar and a little too on the nose until you get to the punch. That after their stories were splashed in the headlines, they sold the rights to Hollywood and then got to see their stories play out on the big screen.

All of these women are final girls, and they all meet once a week for therapy. Until one day, one of the women doesn't show up. Her head does, though, but that's later.

This. is. so good.

I am going to talk about this pretty much the same way as I do the Haunted Ikea. We're going to be talking books, and I'm suddenly going to give you a one paragraph blargle about final girls who sold their stories to Hollywood and then started being killed off and the chapter titles are plays on the ridiculous names they give horror sequels and IT'S SO GOOD AND THE MAIN CHARACTER HAS LONG TWO WAY CONVERSATIONS WITH HER PLANT NAMED FINE AND ALL OF THE HORROR STEREOTYPES ARE HERE AND THEY'RE SO GOOD.

::ahem::

So just save yourself this conversation and go read the book.
]]> 194577491 368 Megan Miranda 1668055716 Bunny 0 to-read 3.95 2024
author: Megan Miranda
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221473209 The first book in Maggie Stiefvater's #1 NYT bestselling series The Raven Cycle, now gorgeously illustrated as a graphic novel!

Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics. Only, she has never had the same clairvoyant abilities they had and has always felt too ordinary within the magic that surrounded her. Enter Gansey, a rich student from Aglionby, the town’s all-boys private school teeming with wealth, privilege, and trouble. Blue's always made it a point to stay away from its students, the Raven Boys.

But when Gansey asks her to join him and three other Raven Boys on his quest to find a long-forgotten Welsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of their quiet Virginia town, Blue doesn’t hesitate. She jumps at the chance to finally be a part of something real and full of magic, a world she was born into yet one that always stood just out of reach. Soon enough, she’s swept into a strange and shifting world woven into theirs, one far more dangerous than anything they could have dreamt up.

Now reimagined as a stunning full-color graphic novel adapted by Stephanie Williams and illustrated by Sas Milledge, The Raven Boys unravels a thrilling plot around a cast of characters impossible to forget.]]> 256 Stephanie Williams 0593621182 Bunny 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Stephanie Williams
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61271940 Free yourself and your family from the f*cking clutter before you croak!

Inspired by The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Nobody Wants Your Sh*t will light a fire under your untidy ass with humor and helpful organizing tips that you’ll actually want to use.

Like a delightfully foul-mouthed best friend, this book dishes out the funny, unpretentious advice you need to hear most. You’ll discover how to deal with your sh*t like there’s no tomorrow, live in the moment without the f*cking mess, and make your life and your eventual death a hell of a lot easier. With this witty guide, you’ll learn how to
- ditch the d*mn indecision
- get your sh*t together and feel fantastic
- give your busy family a f*cking breakand more!

Whether you’re getting ready to move in, move on, or just move your ass, Nobody Wants Your Sh*t will help you take control of your f*cking life.]]> 194 Messie Condo 1510775110 Bunny 0 to-read 3.64 2023
author: Messie Condo
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199353348 Shades of Grey—in an exclusive edition for North American readers, complete with a never-before-published short story

“Fforde's books are more than an ingenious idea. They are written with buoyant zest and are tautly plotted . . . and are embellished with the rich details of a Dickens or Pratchett.” —The Independent

Welcome to Chromatacia, where the societal hierarchy is strictly regulated by one's limited color perception. Civilization has been rebuilt after an unspoken “Something that Happened” five hundred years ago. Society is now color vision-segregated, professions, marriages, and leisure activities all dictated by an individual’s visual ability, and everything run by the shadowy National Color in far-off Emerald City.

Out on the fringes of Red Sector West, twenty-year-old Eddie Russett is being bullied into an arranged marriage with the powerful DeMauve family, purples who hope to redden up their progeny’s color-viewing potential with Eddie’s gene stock. Their obnoxious daughter Violet is confident the marriage won’t hamper her style for too long because Eddie is about to go on trial for a murder he didn’t commit, and he’s pretty sure to be sent on a one-way trip to the Green Room for execution by soporific color exposure. Meanwhile, Eddie is engaged in an illegal relationship with his co-defendant, a Green, the charismatic, unpredictable, and occasionally deadly Jane Grey. Time is running out for Eddie and Jane to figure out how to save themselves. Negotiating the narrow boundaries of the Rules within their society, they search for a loophole—some truth of their world that has been hidden from its hyper-policed citizens.

New York Times bestselling author Jasper Fforde returns to his fan-favorite Shades of Grey series with this wildly anticipated, laugh-out-loud funny and darkly satiric adventure about two star-crossed lovers on a quest to survive—even if it means upending their entire society in the process.]]> 459 Jasper Fforde 1641296283 Bunny 0 to-read 4.40 2024
author: Jasper Fforde
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215149189 A swoon-worthy young adult graphic novel about a girl's summer job at a theme park from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer.


When Tabitha Laurie was growing up, a visit to Sommerland saved her belief in true love, even as her parents’ marriage was falling apart. Now she’s landed her dream job at the theme park’s prestigious summer program, where she can make magical memories for other kids, guests, and superfans just like her. All she has to do is audition for one of the coveted princess roles, and soon her dreams will come true.

There’s just one problem. The heroes and heroines at Sommerland are all, well… thin. And no matter how much Tabi lives for the magic, she simply doesn't fit the park's idea of a princess.

Given a not-so-regal position at a nacho food stand instead, Tabi is going to need the support of new friends, a new crush, and a whole lot of magic if she’s going to devise her own happily ever after. . . without getting herself fired in the process.

With art by Joelle Murray, the wonder of Sommerland comes to life with charming characters and whimsical backdrops. We Could Be Magic is a perfect read for anyone looking to get swept away by a sparkly summer romance.]]> 256 Marissa Meyer 1250379393 Bunny 0 to-read 4.43 2025
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203578713 R.L. Stine meets Urban Legend in the next twisty horror novel by New York Times bestselling author Vincent Ralph.

“Ready or not. Whatever you do. The Hiding Boy is coming for you.”

Sixteen-year-old Nate Campbell grew up in the shadow of Murder Road – a street cursed by the vengeful spirit of the Hiding Boy.

Every few years, for nearly six decades, a different house on that street has been the scene of a tragedy.

Nate and his family move to a new town as they try to outrun the curse once and for all. But, when he is pulled into his new friends’ urban legend club, new ghost stories merge with old until there is nowhere left to run.]]> 320 Vincent Ralph 1250882184 Bunny 3 read-in-25 I don't want to be the reason your urban legends are coming to life. This is no way to live.

I've been sitting on this book for awhile. It's what I do when I finish a book and need to figure out whether I actually disliked it or not.

I liiiiiiive for a good Urban Legend, real* or fictional. And this book circles around a seriously tragic Urban Legend, wherein a family is murdered by an abuser who everyone turned a blind eye to, and the young son will not stop until he has vengeance on everyone even remotely associated with covering up the abuse of his family.

Nate and his family are running from The Hiding Boy. Constantly having to move, having to run, trying to stay one step ahead of, and seemingly incapable of escaping their fate.

Then the family comes to a new town, and against his better judgement, Nate becomes friends with 3 kids who have their own little club. The Hellfire Club. And what they're into is Urban Legends. They do the research, they go to the locations, they chant the chants. Nothing ever happens, but it's a way to pass the time.

That is, until Nate goes along with them, and the urban legends start coming to life.

Author had me in the first half, not gonna lie. The writing style is off, in a distracting way, but the story beats were good. I was really interested to see where this was going, who was putting the clippings from prior Hiding Boy victims into Nate's locker. I was IN THIS.

And then we hit the halfway point and the script flipped and it just....was a let down. The "explanations" weren't even explained that well? Really? And it just kind of left me with a big donut hole where my "finished the book" satisfaction should be.

Mmmrpmh.

* You know what I mean!]]> 3.39 2024
author: Vincent Ralph
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: read-in-25
review:
I don't want to be the reason your urban legends are coming to life. This is no way to live.

I've been sitting on this book for awhile. It's what I do when I finish a book and need to figure out whether I actually disliked it or not.

I liiiiiiive for a good Urban Legend, real* or fictional. And this book circles around a seriously tragic Urban Legend, wherein a family is murdered by an abuser who everyone turned a blind eye to, and the young son will not stop until he has vengeance on everyone even remotely associated with covering up the abuse of his family.

Nate and his family are running from The Hiding Boy. Constantly having to move, having to run, trying to stay one step ahead of, and seemingly incapable of escaping their fate.

Then the family comes to a new town, and against his better judgement, Nate becomes friends with 3 kids who have their own little club. The Hellfire Club. And what they're into is Urban Legends. They do the research, they go to the locations, they chant the chants. Nothing ever happens, but it's a way to pass the time.

That is, until Nate goes along with them, and the urban legends start coming to life.

Author had me in the first half, not gonna lie. The writing style is off, in a distracting way, but the story beats were good. I was really interested to see where this was going, who was putting the clippings from prior Hiding Boy victims into Nate's locker. I was IN THIS.

And then we hit the halfway point and the script flipped and it just....was a let down. The "explanations" weren't even explained that well? Really? And it just kind of left me with a big donut hole where my "finished the book" satisfaction should be.

Mmmrpmh.

* You know what I mean!
]]> 23634011
They didn't expect actual mermaids.  They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands.  Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.  Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.]]> 128 Mira Grant 159606708X Bunny 5 audio-book, read-in-25 There was blood in the water. Their home had been invaded. They would respond.

omgilovemymurdermermaidssomuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch.

It's been over 5 years since I read Into the Drowning Deep, so all of the sharp details are gone, but the feel of that book remains. I made my boss read it, I've made so many people at least add it to their TBR. It's so. damn. good.

All that, and I didn't KNOW there was a prequel? I feel like this is someone's fault other than mine, but I can't figure out who.

It's a 3 hour audiobook, and it packed more suspense than most of the horror novels I've attempted to read in recent memory. It's SO short, and packs such a massive punch. There's a very good chance I'm about to turn around and read Into the Drowning Deep again.

We'll see. The slump lurks on.]]> 3.90 2015
author: Mira Grant
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: audio-book, read-in-25
review:
There was blood in the water. Their home had been invaded. They would respond.

omgilovemymurdermermaidssomuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch.

It's been over 5 years since I read Into the Drowning Deep, so all of the sharp details are gone, but the feel of that book remains. I made my boss read it, I've made so many people at least add it to their TBR. It's so. damn. good.

All that, and I didn't KNOW there was a prequel? I feel like this is someone's fault other than mine, but I can't figure out who.

It's a 3 hour audiobook, and it packed more suspense than most of the horror novels I've attempted to read in recent memory. It's SO short, and packs such a massive punch. There's a very good chance I'm about to turn around and read Into the Drowning Deep again.

We'll see. The slump lurks on.
]]> 57185878 Giant turtles, impossible ships, and tidal rivers ridden by a Drowned girl in search of a family in the latest in the bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire.

Nadya had three mothers: the one who bore her, the country that poisoned her, and the one who adopted her.

Nadya never considered herself less than whole, not until her adoptive parents fitted her with a prosthetic arm against her will, seeking to replace the one she'd been missing from birth.

It was cumbersome; it was uncomfortable; it was wrong.

It wasn't her.

Frustrated and unable to express why, Nadya began to wander, until the day she fell through a door into Belyyreka, the Land Beneath the Lake--and found herself in a world of water, filled with child-eating amphibians, majestic giant turtles, and impossible ships that sailed as happily beneath the surface as on top. In Belyyreka, she found herself understood for who she was: a Drowned Girl, who had made her way to her real home, accepted by the river and its people.

But even in Belyyreka, there are dangers, and trials, and Nadya would soon find herself fighting to keep hold of everything she had come to treasure.]]> 160 Seanan McGuire Bunny 4 read-in-25 Russia had, after all, repeated the one crime for which Nadya had never been able to fully forgive her first mother. Russia had given her away when she was too much to care for.

Reading two Seanan McGuire books at the same time, one under her horror penname, is an absolute trip. Because even if you know that fact, you'll never be able to put two and two together. It's a complete split personality, and the two never meet in between.

I took so long reading this because I know I'm going to have an eternity to wait for the next in the series. And I love the characters here, and the doors, and the rich syrupy lore that makes me want to cry, makes me want to punch people, makes me want to go to impossible worlds and do impossible things.

I'm pretty sure I'm too old to find my own door, so if SM could just keep pumping these books out so I can peek into the worlds from a distance, that would be GREAT.]]> 4.01 2025
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-in-25
review:
Russia had, after all, repeated the one crime for which Nadya had never been able to fully forgive her first mother. Russia had given her away when she was too much to care for.

Reading two Seanan McGuire books at the same time, one under her horror penname, is an absolute trip. Because even if you know that fact, you'll never be able to put two and two together. It's a complete split personality, and the two never meet in between.

I took so long reading this because I know I'm going to have an eternity to wait for the next in the series. And I love the characters here, and the doors, and the rich syrupy lore that makes me want to cry, makes me want to punch people, makes me want to go to impossible worlds and do impossible things.

I'm pretty sure I'm too old to find my own door, so if SM could just keep pumping these books out so I can peek into the worlds from a distance, that would be GREAT.
]]> 3342446
“Button, Button," Richard Matheson’s chilling tale of greed and temptation, is now the basis of The Box, the new film from the director of Donnie Darko.  In addition, this outstanding collection also contains many other unforgettable stories by Matheson, the award-winning author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come.

Button, button --
Girl of my dreams --
Dying room only --
A flourish of strumpets --
No such thing as a vampire --
Pattern for survival --
Mute --
The creeping terror --
Shock wave --
Clothes make the man --
The jazz machine --
'Tis the season to be jelly]]> 5 Richard Matheson 1427205612 Bunny 3 audio-book, read-in-10 NOT publish.

The title story is actually incredible. I do not understand how they could've possibly made this into a motion picture, unless they drag it out irritatingly. Pattern of Survival took me 2 times listening to understand, and while the premise was great, there was no spine tingle. I read Matheson for the spine tingle.

I really did enjoy Clothes Make the Man. That gave me a good little jolt, and I intend on sending it to friend Alley so she can enjoy it, as well.

The Jazz Machine had a phenomenal ending thought, but the story itself trudged, and while I enjoy Jive talk for its humor, this fell flat.

Short of these few stories, I was sincerely disappointed by this. I need to read/listen to another by him to wash the taste of this out of my mouth.]]> 3.00 1970
author: Richard Matheson
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1970
rating: 3
read at: 2010/02/20
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: audio-book, read-in-10
review:
I really, really hate to admit that I didn't like this. I adore Matheson, I really do. But I get the feeling this is a collection of stories that someone requested he NOT publish.

The title story is actually incredible. I do not understand how they could've possibly made this into a motion picture, unless they drag it out irritatingly. Pattern of Survival took me 2 times listening to understand, and while the premise was great, there was no spine tingle. I read Matheson for the spine tingle.

I really did enjoy Clothes Make the Man. That gave me a good little jolt, and I intend on sending it to friend Alley so she can enjoy it, as well.

The Jazz Machine had a phenomenal ending thought, but the story itself trudged, and while I enjoy Jive talk for its humor, this fell flat.

Short of these few stories, I was sincerely disappointed by this. I need to read/listen to another by him to wash the taste of this out of my mouth.
]]> 208840704 Just add lemon, garlic, and a dash of the one percent.

This smart, biting novel explores what happens when a Haitian American girl uses her previously hidden zombie abilities to exact revenge on the wealthy elites who’ve caused her family pain.

Brielle Petitfour loves to cook. But with a chronically sick mother and bills to pay, becoming a chef isn’t exactly a realistic career path.

When Brielle’s mom suddenly loses her job, Brielle steps in and uses her culinary skills to earn some extra money. The rich families who love her cooking praise her use of unique flavors and textures, which keep everyone guessing what’s in Brielle’s dishes. The secret ingredient? Human flesh.

Written by the storytelling duo Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, The Summer I Ate the Rich is a modern-day fable inspired by Haitian zombie lore that scrutinizes the socioeconomic and racial inequity that is the foundation of our society. Just like Brielle’s clients, it will have you asking: What’s for dinner?]]> 400 Maika Moulite 0374390533 Bunny 0 to-read 3.38 2025
author: Maika Moulite
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212961462 She believed her serial-killer ex was innocent, but now history is repeating itself. What does she really remember?

Writer Karen Walker knows more than most about murderers. Her first love went on to become The Bagman, a notorious serial killer now locked away for life in a maximum-security prison.

Karen has spent her life running from the weight of having loved him, defended him and, ultimately, leading the police to his door. But now, ten years later, just as she’s about to publish her account of his crimes, a young woman is abducted in horribly familiar circumstances.

It can’t be The Bagman…can it? He’s safely behind bars, thanks to her. But she has to know for sure.

Returning to the hometown she thought she’d left for good, Karen is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man she’s never escaped. If there’s any chance of saving the kidnapped girl, she’ll have to face up to what really happened back then, once and for all…]]> 314 Claire McGowan 1662513895 Bunny 0 to-read 3.74 2025
author: Claire McGowan
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214128353
Five years into their happily ever after, Isabel and Johnny are making the most of their second chance at love. Then one night, Johnny awakens from an extraordinary dream…and their world is irrevocably altered. Isabel does her best to give Johnny space as he struggles to accept the new chapter life has opened for them. But Johnny can’t do it alone—no one can. As the whole family is soon to discover, seasons change, but love never does.]]> 35 Alice Hoffman 1662522045 Bunny 0 to-read 4.05 2025
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211004350
Then she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day, and he has a proposition for her: Thirteen-year-old Alice Webber claims a witch is haunting her. Living with her family in the remote village of Banathel, Alice finds her symptoms are getting increasingly disturbing. Taking this job will give Mina some experience and much-needed money; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better—Mina is sure of it.

But instead of improving, Alice’s behavior becomes inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of…dealing with it. And they don’t expect outsiders to understand.]]> 295 Daisy Pearce 1250334381 Bunny 0 to-read 3.32 2025
author: Daisy Pearce
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217163697 "The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else's belief in them."

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of a wide expanse of sea. But Louisa, soon to be eighteen years old and an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise. She is determined to find out the story behind these three enigmatic figures.

More than two decades before, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up every morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that, after a chance encounter in an alleyway, will unexpectedly be placed into Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to discover how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more anxious she becomes about what she'll find. Louisa's complicated life is proof that happy endings are sometimes possible, but they don't always take the form we expect them to.

Fredrik Backman's signature charm, humor, and attention to the poignant details of everyday life are on full display in this funny, moving novel. His most heartfelt and personal tale yet, My Friends is a stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of art and friendship.]]> 436 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 Bunny 0 to-read 4.48 2025
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220817728 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Bunny 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 49494921 Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns, & Moonage Daydreams is the original graphic memoir of the great Ziggy Stardust!

In life, David Bowie was one of the most magnetic icons of modern pop culture, seducing generations of fans with both his music and his counterculture persona. In death, the cult of Bowie has only intensified. As a musician alone, Bowie’s legacy is remarkable, but his place in the popular imagination is due to so much more than his music. As a visual performer, he defied classification with his psychedelic aesthetics, his larger-than-life image, and his way of hovering on the border of the surreal.

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns, & Moonage Daydreams chronicles the rise of Bowie’s career from obscurity to fame; and paralleled by the rise and fall of his alter ego as well as the rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust. As the Spiders from Mars slowly implode, Bowie wrestles with his Ziggy persona. The outcome of this internal conflict will change not only David Bowie, but also, the world.]]> 160 Mike Allred 1683834488 Bunny 0 to-read 3.97 2020
author: Mike Allred
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7330453 ? calculate how much you owe?and what it?s costing you
? build a budget that works
? maximize your debt repayments so you can be free of consumer debt in 3 years or less
? prepare for a rainy day so it doesn?t mean a major setback
? set goals for your new, debt-free life. Make no Getting out of debt isn?t easy. But in Debt-Free Forever , Gail gives you a clear strategy and the steps needed to implement it. So if you?re finished with excuses, overdue notices, and maxed-out credit cards, pick up this book, follow Gail?s plan, and start becoming debt-free forever.]]> 320 Gail Vaz-Oxlade 1615190201 Bunny 3 read-in-25, audio-book A Year of No Clutter. I relisten to that at least once a year, because it is FANTASTIC at subliminally getting me to declutter my house. Maybe not so subliminal. There's a word I'm looking for here. Brainwash? Peer pressure?

This book has a lotta math. If you know me, math and I are mortal enemies. Math beats me up, steals my lunch money, and calls my mom a ho. Worst of all, I have no idea how much lunch money it stole because MATH.

But the tips and advice in this book are INCREDIBLY useful. I've set new financial goals for myself for 2025 and if I feel myself slipping, I'll just listen to the first half of this book again. It's incredibly helpful.

Second half is more about savings and retirement, and sadly, I bleed red white and blue because something is wrong and I can't afford a doctor, so we don't have the same financial set up as Canada. But it's still light motivation, so that helps.]]> 4.14 2009
author: Gail Vaz-Oxlade
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: read-in-25, audio-book
review:
This is going to be a book I treat similarly to A Year of No Clutter. I relisten to that at least once a year, because it is FANTASTIC at subliminally getting me to declutter my house. Maybe not so subliminal. There's a word I'm looking for here. Brainwash? Peer pressure?

This book has a lotta math. If you know me, math and I are mortal enemies. Math beats me up, steals my lunch money, and calls my mom a ho. Worst of all, I have no idea how much lunch money it stole because MATH.

But the tips and advice in this book are INCREDIBLY useful. I've set new financial goals for myself for 2025 and if I feel myself slipping, I'll just listen to the first half of this book again. It's incredibly helpful.

Second half is more about savings and retirement, and sadly, I bleed red white and blue because something is wrong and I can't afford a doctor, so we don't have the same financial set up as Canada. But it's still light motivation, so that helps.
]]> 55711690 An all-new novel based on the landmark TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from the acclaimed author of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe!

Jadzia Dax has been a friend to Etom Prit, the Trill Trade Commissioner, over two lifetimes. When Etom visits Deep Space Nine with the request to rein in his wayward granddaughter Nemi, Dax can hardly say no. It seems like an easy assignment: visit a resort casino while on shore leave, and then bring her old friend Nemi home. But upon arrival, Dax finds Nemi has changed over the years in terrifying ways…and the pursuit of the truth will plunge Dax headlong into a century’s worth of secrets and lies!

™, ®, & © 2021 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.]]> 308 Alex White 1982160829 Bunny 0 4.07 2021
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: completely-biased-but-also-not
review:

]]> 58340716 When an army of giant robot AIs threatens to devastate Earth, a virtuoso pianist becomes humanity's last hope in this bold, lightning-paced, technicolor new space opera series from the author of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. 

Jazz pianist Gus Kitko expected to spend his final moments on Earth playing piano at the greatest goodbye party of all time, and maybe kissing rockstar Ardent Violet, before the last of humanity is wiped out forever by the Vanguards--ultra-powerful robots from the dark heart of space, hell-bent on destroying humanity for reasons none can divine. 

But when the Vanguards arrive, the unthinkable happens--the mecha that should be killing Gus instead saves him. Suddenly, Gus's swan song becomes humanity's encore, as he is chosen to join a small group of traitorous Vanguards and their pilots dedicated to saving humanity. ]]> 451 Alex White 0316430579 Bunny 5 But if the world has to end, Ardent wants the best seat: front row, mosh pit.

I need a GR shelf for "I am so thoroughly biased that I don't think my review counts but also because of the way I read it I am not allowed to be biased so it still counts".

Also known as my Alex White shelf, I guess?

I adore EVERYTHING about this book.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and everyone at this party is drunk or high, living life to the fullest before their doom. The whole world knows that the Vanguards (see above re: Mechas From Space, aka Giant Murder Robots) are about to arrive, and decimate the planet, just like they've done to so many before.

Possibly the only person not enjoying themself is Gus. There to play jazz piano at the Last Party on Earth, having already made out with the Ultra Famous, Uber Fabulous Ardent Violent, and then screwed that up. What a terrible last act on earth, amiright?

But then the Mechas arrive. And Gus and Ardent make like the Titanic orchestra and have one last jam before it all ends.

But it doesn't end.

In fact, one of the Mechas apparently really digs jazz, and...well. Eats Gus.

And that's just where the story BEGINS.

I haven't even talked about the BRAIN EATING BABY MURDER ROBOTS. Because those fuckers.



Have I mentioned I love EVERYTHING about this book?

This is unlike anything we've seen from Alex so far, but has all the hallmarks that those of us who have read their books have come to expect, and come to adore.

If you loved Salvagers, and think you're getting the remix, you'll be let down. But if you loved Salvagers and want to see what else Alex can do, this is right up your street.

And if you've never read an Alex White book, what are you doing with your life? Get on this. ::snap snap::]]> 3.76 2022
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/09
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: read-in-22, completely-biased-but-also-not
review:
But if the world has to end, Ardent wants the best seat: front row, mosh pit.

I need a GR shelf for "I am so thoroughly biased that I don't think my review counts but also because of the way I read it I am not allowed to be biased so it still counts".

Also known as my Alex White shelf, I guess?

I adore EVERYTHING about this book.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and everyone at this party is drunk or high, living life to the fullest before their doom. The whole world knows that the Vanguards (see above re: Mechas From Space, aka Giant Murder Robots) are about to arrive, and decimate the planet, just like they've done to so many before.

Possibly the only person not enjoying themself is Gus. There to play jazz piano at the Last Party on Earth, having already made out with the Ultra Famous, Uber Fabulous Ardent Violent, and then screwed that up. What a terrible last act on earth, amiright?

But then the Mechas arrive. And Gus and Ardent make like the Titanic orchestra and have one last jam before it all ends.

But it doesn't end.

In fact, one of the Mechas apparently really digs jazz, and...well. Eats Gus.

And that's just where the story BEGINS.

I haven't even talked about the BRAIN EATING BABY MURDER ROBOTS. Because those fuckers.



Have I mentioned I love EVERYTHING about this book?

This is unlike anything we've seen from Alex so far, but has all the hallmarks that those of us who have read their books have come to expect, and come to adore.

If you loved Salvagers, and think you're getting the remix, you'll be let down. But if you loved Salvagers and want to see what else Alex can do, this is right up your street.

And if you've never read an Alex White book, what are you doing with your life? Get on this. ::snap snap::
]]> 53806056 Alien: The Cold Forge takes readers to a rogue colony where terror lurks in the tunnels of an abandoned Weyland-Yutani complex.

"Shy" Hunt and the tech team from McAllen Integrations thought they'd have an easy job - set up environmental systems for the brand new Hasanova Data Solutions colony, built on the abandoned ruins of a complex known as 'Charybdis'. There are just two problems: the colony belongs to the Iranian state, so diplomacy is strained at best, and the complex is located above a series of hidden caves that contain deadly secrets. When a bizarre ship lands on a nearby island, one of the workers is attacked by a taloned creature, and trust evaporates between the Iranians and Americans. The McAllen Integrations crew are imprisoned, accused as spies, but manage to send out a distress signal... to the Colonial Marines.]]> 560 Alex White 1789095271 Bunny 5
I read Cold Forge before I became friends with Alex, and I read it solely because of how much I loved The Salvagers series. I'm pretty much on auto buy for Alex's books, I still have some to catch up with.

You would think that would make me incredibly biased towards their books, but considering how I read it, it goes without saying that I read this more critically than any ARC I've ever been lucky enough to get my hands on.

The characters absolutely made this book. Our main character, Shy, is exactly what I want from a sci fi novel. Strong, no nonsense, completely left out of the crowd and only grudgingly accepted. Kamran, our main character from the other side, who has such an amazing soul and spirit and who I was rooting for SO HARD.

One thing that made this an impossible read is the large number of people I wanted to be the Last Human Standing. And knowing Alex White, being really concerned I might end up with no one as the Last Human Standing.

Then again, I also wanted there to be a Last Android Standing and a Last Alien Standing, so....poo.

So good. SO satisfying, on so many levels. And if you're like me, and you have the disadvantage of anthropomorphizing murder kill death babies, you're REALLY going to like our main Alien.

And despise our villains.

Seriously, I can't say enough how good this trip into the Alien-verse is.

And really, it's not just because there's a badass lawyer who would like to speak to your manager who may or may not be named after me. ]]> 3.81 2021
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/02/23
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: read-in-21, completely-biased-but-also-not
review:
It's been quite some time since I finished this amazing novel, but so much of it still sits in my brain.

I read Cold Forge before I became friends with Alex, and I read it solely because of how much I loved The Salvagers series. I'm pretty much on auto buy for Alex's books, I still have some to catch up with.

You would think that would make me incredibly biased towards their books, but considering how I read it, it goes without saying that I read this more critically than any ARC I've ever been lucky enough to get my hands on.

The characters absolutely made this book. Our main character, Shy, is exactly what I want from a sci fi novel. Strong, no nonsense, completely left out of the crowd and only grudgingly accepted. Kamran, our main character from the other side, who has such an amazing soul and spirit and who I was rooting for SO HARD.

One thing that made this an impossible read is the large number of people I wanted to be the Last Human Standing. And knowing Alex White, being really concerned I might end up with no one as the Last Human Standing.

Then again, I also wanted there to be a Last Android Standing and a Last Alien Standing, so....poo.

So good. SO satisfying, on so many levels. And if you're like me, and you have the disadvantage of anthropomorphizing murder kill death babies, you're REALLY going to like our main Alien.

And despise our villains.

Seriously, I can't say enough how good this trip into the Alien-verse is.

And really, it's not just because there's a badass lawyer who would like to speak to your manager who may or may not be named after me.
]]> 40671658 The greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.

The crew of the legendary Capricious may have gone legitimate, but they're still on the run.

With devastatingly powerful enemies in pursuit and family and friends under attack planetside, Nilah and Boots struggle to piece together rumors of an ancient technology that could lead to victory.

Ensnared by the legend of Origin, humanity's birthplace, and a long-dead form of magic, the Capricious takes off on a journey to find the first colony ship...and magic that could bring down gods.]]> 487 Alex White 0316412147 Bunny 5 crazy fucking cool friendship with the author.

People who've been around for some years know how absolutely obsessed I became with this series after reading A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. Recommended by a friend who has almost impeccable taste in reading, and has consistently recommended some of my all-time favorites. I went in with low expectations and got blown across the ocean by how amazing this world, this magic system, this entire universe is. I was itching for more, and waiting between books had me chewing my fingertips off because I ran out of fingernails.

So, when I got the chance to read this ahead of time, I calmly responded, then screamed so loudly I think they heard me five states away. I couldn't tell anyone, and I would have basically been doing cartwheels out in public if my lumpy body could contort into those shapes.

I have witnessed so many failed trilogies. Where the first book is absolutely all consuming, and you want to ride this tidal wave of action, suspense, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, love, hate, to the final crashing moments, then lay on the beach wiped and exhausted and absolutely, blissfully devastated to be done with the world forever.

And then Mockingjay comes and everything is ABSOLUTELY RUINED.

::cough:: I mean. The ending is never as satisfying as you desire.

This is, hands down, far and away, the best, most satisfying trilogy I have ever read. WOAPW is the better-than-cherries-because-I-hate-cherries on top of a delicious science fiction magical world full of ass kicking characters and brilliant battle scenes. This final installment is ALL about the friendships and fight scenes.

My girls, Boots and Nilah, get my top billing here, and their friendship got my blood singing. I was a roller coaster of emotions through this entire book, and was so pumped to find out how it ended but at the same time, I wasn't ready. I couldn't be ready.

I desperately hope that someday, Alex can build us another world based off the scraps of tastiness left at the end of this incredible trilogy.

PLS AND THANK YOU.

If you haven't read this series, please get your ass in gear. Not only because it's amazing, but because I am TOTALLY IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND IT'S AWESOME.]]> 4.20 2020
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2021/02/24
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: owned, read-in-21, completely-biased-but-also-not
review:
I read this in 2019, after a major, mind-fucking, too-good-to-be-true, pinch-me-because-I'm-either-dreaming-or-stoned, conversation via Twitter that has led to a crazy fucking cool friendship with the author.

People who've been around for some years know how absolutely obsessed I became with this series after reading A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. Recommended by a friend who has almost impeccable taste in reading, and has consistently recommended some of my all-time favorites. I went in with low expectations and got blown across the ocean by how amazing this world, this magic system, this entire universe is. I was itching for more, and waiting between books had me chewing my fingertips off because I ran out of fingernails.

So, when I got the chance to read this ahead of time, I calmly responded, then screamed so loudly I think they heard me five states away. I couldn't tell anyone, and I would have basically been doing cartwheels out in public if my lumpy body could contort into those shapes.

I have witnessed so many failed trilogies. Where the first book is absolutely all consuming, and you want to ride this tidal wave of action, suspense, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, love, hate, to the final crashing moments, then lay on the beach wiped and exhausted and absolutely, blissfully devastated to be done with the world forever.

And then Mockingjay comes and everything is ABSOLUTELY RUINED.

::cough:: I mean. The ending is never as satisfying as you desire.

This is, hands down, far and away, the best, most satisfying trilogy I have ever read. WOAPW is the better-than-cherries-because-I-hate-cherries on top of a delicious science fiction magical world full of ass kicking characters and brilliant battle scenes. This final installment is ALL about the friendships and fight scenes.

My girls, Boots and Nilah, get my top billing here, and their friendship got my blood singing. I was a roller coaster of emotions through this entire book, and was so pumped to find out how it ended but at the same time, I wasn't ready. I couldn't be ready.

I desperately hope that someday, Alex can build us another world based off the scraps of tastiness left at the end of this incredible trilogy.

PLS AND THANK YOU.

If you haven't read this series, please get your ass in gear. Not only because it's amazing, but because I am TOTALLY IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND IT'S AWESOME.
]]> 36475917
With the failure of the Hadley's Hope, Weyland-Yutani has suffered a devastating defeat--the loss of the Aliens. Yet there's a reason the company rose to the top, and they have a redundancy already in place. Remote station RB-323 abruptly becomes their greatest hope for weaponizing the Xenomorph, but there's a spy aboard--someone who doesn't necessarily act in the company's best interests. If discovered, this person may have no choice but to destroy RB-323... and everyone on board. That is, if the Xenomorphs don't do the job first.]]> 432 Alex White 1785651943 Bunny 3 Buddy read with the dynamic duo of Jes and Samm.

A lot of authors who I truly adore have done pop culture novelizations, both TV and movies. Some I've found through that work, and others I've found their other works first, then decided to read their novelizations.

It's kind of amazing to see the difference between the original work and the fanfiction. Some authors can't do originals well, they need an already created world that they can build on and flesh out. There's nothing wrong with that, I love a good piece of fanfiction.

But an author who writes a novelization, then goes on to write mind blowing, explosively fantastic original works?

Well, they're worth their weight in gold. ]]> 3.87 2018
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2019/02/22
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: buddy-read, read-in-19, completely-biased-but-also-not
review:
Buddy read with the dynamic duo of Jes and Samm.

A lot of authors who I truly adore have done pop culture novelizations, both TV and movies. Some I've found through that work, and others I've found their other works first, then decided to read their novelizations.

It's kind of amazing to see the difference between the original work and the fanfiction. Some authors can't do originals well, they need an already created world that they can build on and flesh out. There's nothing wrong with that, I love a good piece of fanfiction.

But an author who writes a novelization, then goes on to write mind blowing, explosively fantastic original works?

Well, they're worth their weight in gold.
]]> 39723966 The greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.The crew of the legendary Capricious are rich enough to retire in comfort for the rest of their days, but none of it matters if the galaxy is still in danger. Nilah and Boots, the ship's newest crew-members hear the word of a mysterious cult that may have links back to an ancient and all-powerful magic. To find it, hot-headed Nilah will have to go undercover and find the source of their power without revealing her true identity. Meanwhile, Boots is forced to confront the one person she'd hoped never to see her old, turn-coat treasure-hunting partner.]]> 544 Alex White 0316412090 Bunny 0 4.08 2018
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: completely-biased-but-also-not
review:

]]> 35520564
Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world–until she witnesses the murder of a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah only has one lead: the killer also hunts a woman named Boots.

On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.]]> 480 Alex White Bunny 4
I have so many feelings.

This is Firefly plus Battlestar Galactica plus a metric fuck ton of MAGIC. I want to cry at how Firefly this is, and how much this would've been an amazing season 4 of the show. And when they finally turn this into a movie, or a TV show, Nathan Fillion is the perfect age to play Cordell. I AM JUST SAYING.

Seriously, this book is so jam packed full of action, it would be a crime not to turn it into a movie. It could possibly be a TV show, but considering how heavily I am comparing it to Firefly, let's not. Please.

I don't even know how to give a fast summary of this. I'm trying, and failing. This is a futuristic world, with space ships and all that sci fi jazz, but magic and technology go hand in hand. Everyone is born with a type of magic, which they wield with 'glyphs', signs they spell out in the air to make things happen. Everything from healing to marksmanship to mechanics. Magic fits so brilliantly into this world, it's a bit unnerving when talking about our main character, Boots.

Boots is born without magic. Something so rare, she's basically the only one in the world, so far as we can see. She was a soldier during the war, and when her home died, she left the military and became a treasure hunter, with her own reality show. Since then, she's sold mostly bogus treasure maps and kept one step ahead of everyone who wants to kick her ass once they realize there's no treasure.

Other end of the spectrum is Nilah, a character I wanted to punch for maybe 60% of the story. She's the sci fi equivalent of an Indy 500 driver. She's incredibly rich, not from driving but from family money. She's spoiled as fuck, and only cares about her standings in the race.

Both of these women get on the wrong side of a massive galactic conspiracy, one which could see them both dead without a second thought.

Enter Serenity The Capricious, our space ship, run not by a bunch of spunky underdogs, but by a kind of amazing, tight knit, well run crew. Each with their own special brand of magic, all but one of them with a hell of a grudge against Boots. See above re: bogus treasure map. Nilah gets dragged along against her will, spends most of the time whining and bitching, but eventually gets her shit together after a few bangs to the head.

I can think of another book I read recently where a few bangs to the head of a spoiled brat would make the plot entirely more tolerable.....

My biggest complaint about the sci fi genre has always been the phlebotinum. We get into these futuristic worlds, and there's so much jargon and technicalities and it's basically impossible to follow on the first run. You have to read them twice to catch everything, and it's already taken so long to get through the first time, why bother? I'm a fast reader, and if I can't read a book fast, it better be DAMN good, and worth my time.

This was 100% worth my time. It may have slowed me down, but it was so worth it. So savory, so rich. You get so attached to these characters, even the ones you want to punch in the face (lookin' at you, Orna). You NEED them to survive, you NEED them to win the day and come out victorious and happy. Absolutely happy.

Did I mention there is a walking suit of battle armor that acts basically like a pet? Half dog, half mountain lion, all super fucking cool? Team Ranger. I need a Ranger.



Seriously, I really recommend this to all of my loves who, like me, are still angry at Fox. And who could potentially get a little weepy when a certain theme song starts up.

Not that I do that.

If you love Firefly, you will love this. If you love Battlestar Galactica, you will love this.

Also, if you love this book, go watch Firefly. Join the rest of us in hating network execs who need Ranger to re-arrange their faces.]]> 3.73 2018
author: Alex White
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/07/22
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: read-in-18, completely-biased-but-also-not
review:
Can we talk about the fact that the literal first chapter of this book is titled "D.N.F."? Please let this have been on purpose, because if I had actually had to DNF this, I would've been absolutely tickled.

I have so many feelings.

This is Firefly plus Battlestar Galactica plus a metric fuck ton of MAGIC. I want to cry at how Firefly this is, and how much this would've been an amazing season 4 of the show. And when they finally turn this into a movie, or a TV show, Nathan Fillion is the perfect age to play Cordell. I AM JUST SAYING.

Seriously, this book is so jam packed full of action, it would be a crime not to turn it into a movie. It could possibly be a TV show, but considering how heavily I am comparing it to Firefly, let's not. Please.

I don't even know how to give a fast summary of this. I'm trying, and failing. This is a futuristic world, with space ships and all that sci fi jazz, but magic and technology go hand in hand. Everyone is born with a type of magic, which they wield with 'glyphs', signs they spell out in the air to make things happen. Everything from healing to marksmanship to mechanics. Magic fits so brilliantly into this world, it's a bit unnerving when talking about our main character, Boots.

Boots is born without magic. Something so rare, she's basically the only one in the world, so far as we can see. She was a soldier during the war, and when her home died, she left the military and became a treasure hunter, with her own reality show. Since then, she's sold mostly bogus treasure maps and kept one step ahead of everyone who wants to kick her ass once they realize there's no treasure.

Other end of the spectrum is Nilah, a character I wanted to punch for maybe 60% of the story. She's the sci fi equivalent of an Indy 500 driver. She's incredibly rich, not from driving but from family money. She's spoiled as fuck, and only cares about her standings in the race.

Both of these women get on the wrong side of a massive galactic conspiracy, one which could see them both dead without a second thought.

Enter Serenity The Capricious, our space ship, run not by a bunch of spunky underdogs, but by a kind of amazing, tight knit, well run crew. Each with their own special brand of magic, all but one of them with a hell of a grudge against Boots. See above re: bogus treasure map. Nilah gets dragged along against her will, spends most of the time whining and bitching, but eventually gets her shit together after a few bangs to the head.

I can think of another book I read recently where a few bangs to the head of a spoiled brat would make the plot entirely more tolerable.....

My biggest complaint about the sci fi genre has always been the phlebotinum. We get into these futuristic worlds, and there's so much jargon and technicalities and it's basically impossible to follow on the first run. You have to read them twice to catch everything, and it's already taken so long to get through the first time, why bother? I'm a fast reader, and if I can't read a book fast, it better be DAMN good, and worth my time.

This was 100% worth my time. It may have slowed me down, but it was so worth it. So savory, so rich. You get so attached to these characters, even the ones you want to punch in the face (lookin' at you, Orna). You NEED them to survive, you NEED them to win the day and come out victorious and happy. Absolutely happy.

Did I mention there is a walking suit of battle armor that acts basically like a pet? Half dog, half mountain lion, all super fucking cool? Team Ranger. I need a Ranger.



Seriously, I really recommend this to all of my loves who, like me, are still angry at Fox. And who could potentially get a little weepy when a certain theme song starts up.

Not that I do that.

If you love Firefly, you will love this. If you love Battlestar Galactica, you will love this.

Also, if you love this book, go watch Firefly. Join the rest of us in hating network execs who need Ranger to re-arrange their faces.
]]> 213263148
This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life—
how it ends, and how it starts. ]]> 535 V.E. Schwab 1250320526 Bunny 0 to-read 4.31 2025
author: V.E. Schwab
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215020997
This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life—
how it ends, and how it starts. ]]> 535 V.E. Schwab 1035064642 Bunny 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: V.E. Schwab
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36315727 9 hours

When your fairy godmother threatens to enslave you with a curse - when a malevolent piper solves your rat problem but steals your children - when you seek revenge on the prince who turned you into a frog - who can you turn to in your hour of need? The band of scoundrels known far and wide as the Bastard Champions - the swashbuckling trio who travel a world of legend, seeking adventure and righting wrongs - as long as there's enough gold to be earned. They are Jack, the seemingly unkillable leader whose ever-present grin belies a dark past; Marie, who fights with fury but battles more fiercely to control the beast within; and Frank, the master of logistics, whose cloak hides horrific scars that are far more than skin-deep. As they slash and scheme through kingdom and village alike, the Bastard Champions uncover tantalizing clues to their ultimate quarry: the powerful Blue Fairy, who has made each of their lives a living hell.

Second Hand Curses adds a dash of sly wit and a heaping portion of action to the fairy tales you thought you knew.]]> 9 Drew Hayes Bunny 0 to-read 4.15 2017
author: Drew Hayes
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221452815 From the author of the internationally bestselling The Book of Doors, another fantastical, stand-alone novel in which a trio of seemingly everyday people are members of a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects—ordinary items with extraordinary properties. 

The world of unknowable objects—magical items that most people have no idea possess powers—has been quiet for decades, but the three current members of a secret society have remained watchful, meeting every six months in the basement of a bookshop in London. They are pledged to protect their archive of magical items hidden away, safe from the outside world—and the world safe from them. But when Frank Simpson, the longest-standing member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, hears of a new artifact coming to light in Hong Kong, he sends Magda Sparks—author by day and newest member—to investigate.

Within hours of arriving in Hong Kong, Magda is facing death and danger, confronted by a professional killer who seems to know all about unknowable objects, specifically one that was stolen from him a decade before. Magda is forced to flee, using an artifact that not even the rest of the Society knows about.

Returning to London, Magda learns hers is not the only secret being kept from the other two members. And that the most pernicious secret is about the nature of the Society’s mission. Her discoveries will lead her on a perilous journey, across the Atlantic to the deep south of the United States, now in pursuit of not an unknowable object, but an unknowable the professional killer she first faced in Hong Kong. In doing so, Magda begins to understand that there are even more in the world who are chasing these magical items, and that her own family’s legacy is tied up in keeping all these secrets under wraps.

Magic has always been too powerful to reveal to the world. But Magda will learn there might be something even more

The truth.]]> 352 Gareth Brown 0063324032 Bunny 0 to-read 4.27 2025
author: Gareth Brown
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 12954783 New York Times bestselling Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, comes UNHOLY NIGHT, the next evolution in dark historical revisionism.

They're an iconic part of history's most celebrated birth. But what do we really know about the Three Kings of the Nativity, besides the fact that they followed a star to Bethlehem bearing strange gifts? The Bible has little to say about this enigmatic trio. But leave it to Seth Grahame-Smith, the brilliant and twisted mind behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to take a little mystery, bend a little history, and weave an epic tale.

In Grahame-Smith's telling, the so-called "Three Wise Men" are infamous thieves, led by the dark, murderous Balthazar. After a daring escape from Herod's prison, they stumble upon the famous manger and its newborn king. The last thing Balthazar needs is to be slowed down by young Joseph, Mary and their infant. But when Herod's men begin to slaughter the first born in Judea, he has no choice but to help them escape to Egypt.

It's the beginning of an adventure that will see them fight the last magical creatures of the Old Testament; cross paths with biblical figures like Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist; and finally deliver them to Egypt. It may just be the greatest story never told.]]> 270 Seth Grahame-Smith Bunny 0 to-read

Am I going to read this? Probably not.

Is this an excuse to remind everyone of the Myrrh vine?

Maybe.

Am I annoyed GR won't just let me embed the video?

]]> 3.84 2012
author: Seth Grahame-Smith
name: Bunny
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:


Am I going to read this? Probably not.

Is this an excuse to remind everyone of the Myrrh vine?

Maybe.

Am I annoyed GR won't just let me embed the video?


]]> 22543554 152 Louis Sachar 0545315433 Bunny 3 the-kidlet, read-in-25
Still as funny as I remembered, but even smarter than I remembered.]]> 4.04 1989
author: Louis Sachar
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1989
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: the-kidlet, read-in-25
review:
Jeremiah was happy this was our first finished book of 2025. He liked it, and I liked the nostalgia endorphins.

Still as funny as I remembered, but even smarter than I remembered.
]]> 60353900 An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected--she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way--and stop more girls from being sacrificed.]]> 432 Xiran Jay Zhao 0735269955 Bunny 0 to-read 4.06 2021
author: Xiran Jay Zhao
name: Bunny
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>