ashliesydel's reviews
1460 reviews

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

4.25

Magic Enuff by Tara M. Stringfellow

4.0

Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black Women in Pop Culture by Zeba Blay

4.5

I Should Have Worn A Curtain 2: A Novella by Samyra Alexander

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

 When I started book one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'll be honest I didn't LOVE Shaena. As readers we are given a very intimate view of her thoughts and emotions and our girl is messy.

Her struggle with food, her inability to admit her flaws, and the excuses irked me. With that said, I was still empathetic because there were several people in her life that triggered her and pushed her to be on the defensive.

In book 2, we see her continue to slip and make excuses, but we also see the catalyst that brings her clarity. Once she stops making excuses and puts in the work and allows herself to be vulnerable, she becomes unburdened and embraces personal growth. I was rooting for our girl and was ready to throw hands when that fake bish did her dirty.

This story reminded me of Bridget Jones where you have a flawed protagonist, that is simply trying to exist and find happiness and inner peace. 

I Should Have Worn A Curtain: A Novella by Samyra Alexander

4.0

Shaena is plus size. Mentally she knows that she wants to lose weight and tells herself over and over again that she's going to do it. But finding the motivation, understanding her triggers, and putting in the work keep eluding her. Then you add in her binge eating and it's a losing battle for sure. 

She believes with a sponsor from Overeating Anonymous and her new beau who happens to be a fitness trainer with genuine concern for her health and an active interest in helping her she can overcome her personal demons and stay on the right track. 

This story was incredibly relatable. Every time our girl slipped up and tried to justify her poor food choices it felt like a lived experience. When she told herself she deserved to eat junk for the hard work she had put in, I felt like I was seeing myself. 

This is a two parter and the ending was difficult. I had a feeling she was going to snap and she did but not in the way I had anticipated. 

I'm hooked and plan on finishing up the second half very soon.

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Sins of Christie by Linette King

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.5

 Thriller Novella Book Review 

Sins of Christie by Linette King 
Available on Kindle Unlimited 

Linette King's name has been heavily rotated in my black girl thriller/horror reading group.  Her entire catalog has been devoured and all anyone can say is "She's that girl". 

I decided to start with a novella so that I could get a feel for her writing style and story building. 

In hindsight I should have went with a full-length story because I NEEDED more. 

This quick little novella follows three women Jasmine, Christie, and Rochelle. 

I didn't like Jasmine at all. She's married to a controlling man who is up to no good. Corporate corruption shit at an Elon Musk level. 

Rochelle I respect. She saw an opportunity and went for it. Sadly, she was a bit too impulsive and didn't know how to keep her mouth shut. 

Then there's my girl Christie.  Pretty sure she has Alexithymia (Emotional Blindness). Poor thing just doesn't know how to interact with others or read a room.  She meant well. 

This is a very fast paced story that is exciting and leaves you wanting. 

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

The way this book kept me in a chokehold from start to finish. Wow just Wow. What an emotional rollercoaster. 

Our girl Mary was convicted for killing an infant when she was just 9 years old. The public and justice system did not take lightly to a little black girl killing a white baby. The investigation and trail were not fair, and public opinion was the driving force pushing for the death penalty. 

 This story followers her after she's been released from the juvenile facility and is now in a group home. Her name and crime are well known. There are books, documentaries, and a movie in the making. Everyone hates her. She's consistently bullied and beaten, and she's simply accepted that this is her life. 

However, once she finds out she's pregnant and that her child, like her is a ward of the state and will be taken, she's ready to be brave and tell the true story of what really happened.

She hopes to gain her freedom so she can attend college and raise her baby with her partner. 

This story was so incredibly thought provoking. So many topics were examined. Race inequality in the justice system, overworked social workers, child abuse/sa, and the adult and juvenile prison system to name a few. 

This was such an incredible read that I would recommend to any and all readers. 

The Little People by Steven Millhauser

3.0

This was a quick audio book that I played while driving to fill time. It was unique because it gives a brief history of little people that exist in the world and how they cohabitate with "normal" full sized individuals. There are examples of mixed sized relationship, one that was successful and another that was sad. 

I felt like I was watching a documentary that was interesting and enjoyable. 

Finding Tamika by Erika Alexander

4.0

 Okay, so you know how every few months there's the debate on if audiobooks are real books. I've never paid much intention to it because I read all formats, and I know for me audiobooks are books. However, after coming across this title, I am now contemplating the validity of podcast being considered books. 

Finding Tamika came up under the Audible book search. It's listed on Goodreads and Storygraph. However, if you read the description, this is a collaboration of a 10-episode podcast That follows the disappearance and murder of a 24-year-old black woman. 

A woman, like many others who the police didn't look for, and botched their investigation by not securing crime scenes, and only focusing on one suspect. 

Had it not been for the fact that Tamika's aunt was actively working as a journalist and had connections and pull to get the public's attention and demand Justice be served, Tamika, like many others, may have just become a cold case. 

I really appreciated this story. And the fact that it was created to shed light on not just Tamika. But how black and brown missing persons are treated within the justice system. This is not an isolated incident, it's something I felt passionate about since my early twenties. Everyone knows who Lacey Peterson is, yet nobody knows who Latoya Figuero is. 

Both were pregnant women who went missing at the end were founded murdered by their partner. Music producer Damon Dash even offered an award for information on Latoya's disappearance, yet it never hit national news. 

I feel weird counting this as a book, because it is a podcast. I didn't care for the excessive music That played in the background. It was said that there was a composer who put together a musical interlude in honor of Tamika, and I felt like a douche for not liking it. At one point there's an entire quote chapter that's just straight music. Which adds to my discomfort in saying that this is a book. 

Overall, I found this educational, but it reminded me of the podcast Black Girl Gone. Kevin Hart and Charlemagne tha God helped produce this. It was narrated by Erica Alexander, these are very big names in Hollywood, so I just feel like the quality of the production doesn't match the people who are involved. 

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The FMC is a college freshman. her dad left her mom adn the mom gets a new boyfriend she hates. IHoneslty, I hated him too and wanted to cuss out her mama for being with him) 

We see the FMC slowly start to lose it. She becomes obsessed with eyes. she sees them staring at her, she feels like someone is watching her, she comtmeplates stabbing dude in the eyes. 

So, I'm thinking okay so we're basically building up to her stabbing dude. I'm not impressed... Ya'll the way this escalted. Chick turned into a full-on serial killer running aorund Cali unaliving randoms and eating their eyes. Yes eating them. And NO this isn't a paranormal story. This is a 90lb little Asian chick taking downg rown ass men and feasing liek it's her last supper. It's all very detailed and should be read on a full stomach because you might lose your meal. 

The reders also find out she's been cray for a minute and has a history of erratic and toxic behaving. The ending was soo good. Highly Recommend.