bookishkellyn's reviews
309 reviews

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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challenging informative

4.0

As a journalist who admittedly got his big break writing about (and criticizing) the first Black president, his essays during Obama’s eight-year tenure served as a keen perspective to how America went from extreme optimism to the open racism that inconceivably led to the election of 45. This finished product is a beautiful and cohesive literary work that’s part history lesson, autobiography, and social commentary wrapped up in one.
2nd Time Around: A B-Boy Blues Novel by James Earl Hardy

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emotional hopeful
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Initially, the formatting threw me off, as there weren’t really defined chapters. It was like a stream of consciousness (with intermittent flashbacks) showcasing Raheim’s growth and correction of of his misbehaviors from the first book. It was a little boring until the conflict with his father was broached, which did answer some of my questions about his insecurities on fatherhood and his sexuality. Any scenes where Raheim was interacting with Mitchell and/or Junior were highlights and won me over–especially the last 25%.
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B-Boy Blues: A Seriously Sexy, Fiercely Funny, Black-on-Black Love Story by James Earl Hardy

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

4.5

Besides this book being published almost 30 years ago, it (minus some outdated terms and views) is still poignant and a testament to the author’s writing skills. Mitchell’s attraction to thuggish men felt less like a fetishization and more of a trade off with Raheim as they both fell victim to patriarchal gender roles while seeking love and acceptance. This gave major Noah’s Arc vibes but with a toxic, central love story forged out of lust. Only flaw was the casual mention of some incestuous thoughts.
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Witch- Trapment by ML Bash

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dark
A witch, werewolf, and vampire walk into a bar… This sounds like the opening line of a joke, but I promise nothing is funny about it as Cree, Huck, and Najee’s one-night stand is chocked full of taboo kinks. It felt like the author was just throwing stuff at the wall hoping it would stick. This has been my least favorite why-choose romance from her so far. I’m withholding a numerical rating because if it had been another author and/or a longer length, I would’ve DNF’d for sure.
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Togetha by Keith F. Miller Jr.

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

5.0

Unraveling the mystery was a detailed and engaging wild ride that seamlessly incorporated themes of betrayal, grief, and community. However, the main attraction was always the male vulnerability–familial, platonic, and romantic–between Jay, Leroy, and their support circle. The author infuses their dialogue and inner monologues with a level of sensitivity that doesn’t make their teen emotions feel trivial but instead feel like there’s something truly at stake. The nostalgic 2000s background and lyrical writing had me comfortably kicked back and rubbing my feet together like a cricket while reading. I liked this sequel even more than the first book. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Splinter by Jasper Hyde

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mysterious tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a diverse twist on Sleepy Hollow–the tale and TV series. Just as family and work starts getting weird, Dru’s ex-BFF (Ichabod) reappears to make everything even more complicated by revealing a supernatural world previously unknown to her. I barely remembered the legend of the Headless Horseman and still enjoyed this book. This short, spooky read had minor errors (and a cringy sex scene) but was the perfect mood for October.
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Bookmarked by Bella Jay

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emotional reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

When ‘Juice’ & ‘Books’ (“Jooks”) first embarked on a bookish getaway to commemorate their time together and gain closure, I was bored…until the reasoning for their divorce was revealed at the halfway mark. I was prepared for the physical closure, but the emotional closure had me boo-hoo crying. This tore me up real bad even though I completely agreed with the topics of choosing yourself, mental health, and letting go. It was refreshing to read a blameless breakup story.
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His Crimson Mask by Dani M. Ward

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adventurous dark hopeful
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The sexual tension between Meko & Nikolai reminded me of the dynamic between Kidan & Susenyos from Immortal Dark except these urges are acted upon here. The author did not play with the spice and kinks at all. It took a couple chapters to hook me in, because I couldn’t understand the pull of attraction until they entered into their ‘fake dating’ agreement. The plot took the scenic route to solving the mystery, but that just gave me more time to fall in love with the emotionally starved but defiant FMC and the psychopath vampire with a soft spot just for her. The epilogue left their storyline open.
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Soul of the Stone by Sharina Harris

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

4.0

The full powers of the stone begin to reveal themselves to Raven/’Texas’. To prevent the release of an omnipresent power, she must go on an introspective Jumanj-like quest but can’t seem to escape the pull of her ex…who she still kinda hates. I liked the use of Egyptian mythology, and the pacing of this storyline was so much better than the first book that I was able to finish it in a couple hours. This was less romantasy, more action and pleasantly gave more Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes than its predecessor. Ends on a cliffhanger.
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Candy Corn Curses by Aria Daze

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

4.5

Sparks (literally) fly between ‘Candy’ and a demisexual incubus (‘Corn’) when they meet, leading to a “curselationship” that has serious implications for the three realms–Hell, Heaven, Earth. This was a smutty twist on fated soulmates, but still had a touch of the author’s signature quirky humor to make it a little unserious. It was a fun, adventurous, monster romance, but the numerous pop culture references sometimes took me out of the immersive storyline.
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