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bashsbooks's reviews
225 reviews
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such a sexy and engaging vampire novel. I love the bisexual drama of it all, and the eroticism of the blood drinking in particular is done so well. Epistolary novels are usually hit or miss for me, but this one was a hit - I think the fact that Constanta was speaking to Dracula the entire time was really in this novel's favor. I do think that marketing it as a Dracula reimagining is a little misleading as it doesn't engage much with the actual text of Dracula. If it didn't mention the Harkers in passing, it would easily be any other vampire story (and in this version of events, they survive the Harkers anyway? I was confused as to why we surpassed the point in time where they would've been). That said, I do love that one of the "brides" was a man. I also greatly enjoyed Gibson's take on vampirism as a slow-grade draining of humanity over a long period of time rather than an instant transformation. That was super cool, and I'd love to see that in more vampire media.
"Encore of Roses" was included in the version that I read; I thought it was a sweet epilogue to their story, and I love that Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi remained important to each other while living out their own lives.
"Encore of Roses" was included in the version that I read; I thought it was a sweet epilogue to their story, and I love that Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi remained important to each other while living out their own lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Classism
My Child Is Trans, Now What?: A Joy-Centered Approach to Support by Benjamin Greene
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.75
One of the best trans-related resource books I've read. I like the grace with which Greene handles imperfect allies, and I appreciate the way he emphasizes that he is suggesting guidelines and redirects the reader to communicate with the trans people in their lives as experts on their own experiences.
Like any resource book, it makes some definitive statements here and there that make me roll my eyes - but I can tell that Greene was very thoughtful in the writing of this book, so, thankfully, those are few and far between.
Like any resource book, it makes some definitive statements here and there that make me roll my eyes - but I can tell that Greene was very thoughtful in the writing of this book, so, thankfully, those are few and far between.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
If you have seen and enjoyed NBC's Hannibal, Vengeful is for you!
I knew that Schwab was a fan (as they posted something about rewatching Hannibal as she's writing the third Villains book), but the influence was much more direct in this one than Vicious - especially in the Eli and Stell storyline, which has a lot in common with Will and Hannibal's stints in high-security prisons, helping to catch other killers. And of course, the climatic scene harkens to the defeat of the Red Dragon.
Do not think that this book is just Hannibal with a superhero veneer, though. There are a lot of subplots woven together, and most of them are unique. For example, I love June and her entire character. I love poor Sydney's struggles. I'm intrigued by the shady-orgness of EON. I'm curious as to how the next book will go, given how we left off with plot twists at the end of this one - and I hope Schwab doesn't take too much longer to give it to us!
I knew that Schwab was a fan (as they posted something about rewatching Hannibal as she's writing the third Villains book), but the influence was much more direct in this one than Vicious - especially in the Eli and Stell storyline, which has a lot in common with Will and Hannibal's stints in high-security prisons, helping to catch other killers. And of course, the climatic scene harkens to the defeat of the Red Dragon.
Do not think that this book is just Hannibal with a superhero veneer, though. There are a lot of subplots woven together, and most of them are unique. For example, I love June and her entire character. I love poor Sydney's struggles. I'm intrigued by the shady-orgness of EON. I'm curious as to how the next book will go, given how we left off with plot twists at the end of this one - and I hope Schwab doesn't take too much longer to give it to us!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, and Vomit
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Continued my Brontë read-through with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and I have to say, Anne Brontë really stepped up her authorial game with this one - it's leagues better than Agnes Gray. I've decided that the quality of Brontë novels are proportional to how scandalous the book was considered at the time of publication. This, of course, means that Wuthering Heights still tops the charts, but The Tenant of Wildfell Hall edges out Jane Eyre, with the main character literally running away from her husband yet being seen in a sympathetic light the whole time. Also, I appreciated Helen's "brazen coldness," and I need more of these mid-1800s ladies to lock in on that front.
I'm not entirely sure why this is an epistolary novel, because it didn't really have to be. I liked Helen's diary as a narrative device, but I wasn't keen on GIlbert Markham and his letters - though I understand she had to end up married to a "good" man, I wasn't particularly fond of any of the male characters. That's at least half the point, I know, but I'm from the 21st century so I feel like we could've gone harder.
Also, I was not keen on this narrator. She didn't do anything particularly wrong (in fact, she did a good job distinguishing between the characters in her narration of dialogue), but my brain didn't jive with her voice. If there was another unabridged version free on Spotify, I'd have listened to that one instead, but alas.
I'm not entirely sure why this is an epistolary novel, because it didn't really have to be. I liked Helen's diary as a narrative device, but I wasn't keen on GIlbert Markham and his letters - though I understand she had to end up married to a "good" man, I wasn't particularly fond of any of the male characters. That's at least half the point, I know, but I'm from the 21st century so I feel like we could've gone harder.
Also, I was not keen on this narrator. She didn't do anything particularly wrong (in fact, she did a good job distinguishing between the characters in her narration of dialogue), but my brain didn't jive with her voice. If there was another unabridged version free on Spotify, I'd have listened to that one instead, but alas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
What the fuck? I said to myself when I picked up this book at the library and realized it was a first person POV alternate history novel about Hillary Clinton née Rodham. I was intrigued but also kind of appalled by the concept - there's something that strikes me as... tasteless, I guess, about writing an AU of a real person's life while they're still alive and profiting off of it. That said, I doubt that someone of Hillary Rodham Clinton's fame and power would allow such a book to exist without her permission.
What the fuck? I continued to think as I read Rodham. It's written more or less like a political memoir - though with more honesty and more risque details. We meet Hillary in the late 60s and follow her to 2016, though we jump around in time, with some years coming to us as flashbacks, and some year summarized down to a few sentences. The premise, of course, is that Hillary meets Bill, dates him, but doesn't marry him. And because of that, it ends up being weirdly like a one-that-got-away romance? (Side Note: Kinda of funny in a fucked up way to write a book that basically says "If you hadn't married your husband, you wouldn't have taken the biggest L of your life." Like that's embarrassing. )
Rodham gives us intimate details, like Bill Clinton's height (he's 6'2", his tallness is referenced constantly), what sex is like with him (good but kind of boring), and how he has to have the agency in their relationship even in this girlboss trainwreck (why is he the one who decides they shouldn't get married???). It gives us things I never wanted to see, like Hillary Clinton experiencing widespread lesbophobia, Donald Trump endorsing her for president for some reason (that felt masturbatory in the bad way I fear), and a last minute fake dating subplot. And it left me thinking, at the very end, what the fuck did I just read?
My friends really liked hearing me talk about it in the groupchat, though. That's why I finished it. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a hater like me.
What the fuck? I continued to think as I read Rodham. It's written more or less like a political memoir - though with more honesty and more risque details. We meet Hillary in the late 60s and follow her to 2016, though we jump around in time, with some years coming to us as flashbacks, and some year summarized down to a few sentences. The premise, of course, is that Hillary meets Bill, dates him, but doesn't marry him. And because of that, it ends up being weirdly like a one-that-got-away romance? (Side Note: Kinda of funny in a fucked up way to
Rodham gives us intimate details, like Bill Clinton's height (he's 6'2", his tallness is referenced constantly), what sex is like with him (good but kind of boring), and how he has to have the agency in their relationship even in this girlboss trainwreck (why is he the one who decides they shouldn't get married???). It gives us things I never wanted to see, like Hillary Clinton experiencing widespread lesbophobia, Donald Trump endorsing her for president for some reason (that felt masturbatory in the bad way I fear), and a last minute fake dating subplot. And it left me thinking, at the very end, what the fuck did I just read?
My friends really liked hearing me talk about it in the groupchat, though. That's why I finished it. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a hater like me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Teach Your Cat Irish by Anne Cakebread
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Cute book with a lot of common phrases to practice! The pronunciation guides are a bit off (especially given Irish has three major dialects that cause alternate pronunciations), but it's still a cute learning tool. I've been telling our cat Ellie to Fág é whenever she gets into stuff she shouldn't.
Gaeilge i mo Chroí - Irish in my Heart by Molly Nic Céile
funny
informative
slow-paced
5.0
A great resource from one of my favorite Irish content creators! I was so excited when Nic Céile announced Gaeilge i mo Chroí, book version. It's entertaining, it's clear, it's generous, and it brims full of love for the Irish language. I appreciated the vocabulary lessons and the extensive integration of Irish into the text - it's a shame that StoryGraph only allows one language on the listing, because this book is truly bilingual. I will be coming back to reference this as my journey as Gaeilge continues. Go raibh míle maith agat, Molly!
Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
1.0
This is the most embarrassing book that I have ever had the misfortune of reading. The lack of self-awareness is so extreme that it seems willful, and the lack of meaningful interaction with privilege seems deceptive. What do I mean?
To the first point: Tendler seems to believe she is incapable of being in the wrong - she plays the victim in this book like it's a competitive sport and she is going for Olympic gold. Every boyfriend she's ever had, he's the problem. This is why she has concluded, without any sense of nuance, that men are the problem and women are not - to the point where she says stuff like "I don't think I could raise a male child." What? This is a strange conclusion given that the reoccurring antagonists of her life are her mother and her ex-therapist, both of whom are women. I commented on this to my friends about halfway through the book, so imagine my surprise when she reveals at the end that her psychiatrist observed the same thing, and she directly refutes it by calling him a misogynist without a hint of irony. The people in her life clearly don't care about her to let her publish something that makes her look that stupid. Her black-and-white view of gendered interactions suggests to me that she wouldn't know the meaning of intersectionality if it walked by her in the form of race, class, sexuality, or any other identity axis upon which she is privileged. Which brings me to the second point: Tendler clearly has money and white privilege - specifically the type that is typical for white women to flex, which explains this lack of interest in intersectionality (then she wouldn't be the victim anymore!). She rarely acknowledges her privileges; she says something about having money in passing when she discusses her dog's extensive medical bills. But it haunts the narrative like it's Laura fucking Palmer: she moves across the country multiple times, she renovates a Connecticut home she fills with vintage furniture, she specializes in Victorian lampshade making, she has a spare grand to replace expensive hormones when she fucks up one of the bottles (because she's mad that she didn't have a person to show her how to inject them!), and, of course, she can afford nearly two weeks of inpatient care.
I am empathetic to her problems - I, too, was raised as a girl and am still viewed by many as a woman; thus, I experience a lot of misogyny myself. I, too, have been suicidal and self-harmed, and I, too, have GAD and MDD. But goddamn. She needs a hefty dose of reality and perspective, especially if she's telling her own story in such an unlikeable way.
I went into this book assuming I would feel sorry for her because, well, I was exposed to the same news cycle about her divorce that the rest of us were. But I left it with a deep sympathy for the comedian who must not be named.
To the first point: Tendler seems to believe she is incapable of being in the wrong - she plays the victim in this book like it's a competitive sport and she is going for Olympic gold. Every boyfriend she's ever had, he's the problem. This is why she has concluded, without any sense of nuance, that men are the problem and women are not - to the point where she says stuff like "I don't think I could raise a male child." What? This is a strange conclusion given that the reoccurring antagonists of her life are her mother and her ex-therapist, both of whom are women. I commented on this to my friends about halfway through the book, so imagine my surprise when
I am empathetic to her problems - I, too, was raised as a girl and am still viewed by many as a woman; thus, I experience a lot of misogyny myself. I, too, have been suicidal and self-harmed, and I, too, have GAD and MDD. But goddamn. She needs a hefty dose of reality and perspective, especially if she's telling her own story in such an unlikeable way.
I went into this book assuming I would feel sorry for her because, well, I was exposed to the same news cycle about her divorce that the rest of us were. But I left it with a deep sympathy for the comedian who must not be named.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
The Summer Palace and Other Stories by C.S. Pacat
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A nice companion to the trilogy! The Summer Place and The Adventures of Charls the Veretian Cloth Merchant were my favorites (the latter made me laugh out loud several times), but I enjoyed them all. A very nice peak into the perspectives of other characters and the world after the end of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Slavery, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual violence and Xenophobia
Minor: War
Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
AHHH this one is my favorite! I read it in a medication mishap-fueled haze in the middle of the night. I did not stop. I was on the edge of my proverbial seat. It was a neat end to the series - and until the last like 15 pages I was like, how are they going to get out of this one? I love Laurent and the Regent playing 5D chess even if it has ruined my blood pressure. I love Damen's stupid himbo ass (does he think ANYTHING through?) I love gay sex. And I can excuse monarchies just this once, for all the aforementioned reasons.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Incest, Suicide, Medical content, and Alcohol
-Manipulation and betrayal