ronniereadsbooks's reviews
173 reviews

Idol Moves by KT Salvo

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adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • 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

5.0

When I read Idol Minds earlier this year, I was in love. It brought together two things I enjoy: Kpop and queer romance. I immediately pre-ordered Idol Moves the second it was available. I’m beyond happy I did. This book took the aspects I loved about Idol Minds and built upon them with a darker twist. We dove deeper into Jason & Tae Hyun relationship and the aftermath of their public coming out. We explore the lengths a company would go through to silence and control what they deemed to be an asset as opposed to a person. I also enjoyed how it dives deeper into family dynamics and the expectations parents have for their kids. Now did I expect a full on action movie type climax in this? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes! I was completely hooked in on this story and love how it ends with the opening for the third book. If there is one, I want it and need it. Def recommend this series!
Chasing The Alpha's Son by Penny Jessup

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • 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

I read The Alpha’s Son in early 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a book that helped me get over a reading slump. When I started Chasing The Alpha’s Son, I was dropped right back into this wolf shifter gay romance. One thing I enjoyed was the elements of community. Max spent so much time trying to figure out what “label” fit him and how others would react all while being madly in love with Jasper. In the process of chasing his love, he found connection with other queer wolves that he didn’t expect. The politicized elements of Jasper needing to not acknowledge his feeling for Max due to his role as the alpha’s son weighed heavy. It gave very much forbidden love even though the alpha was the ultimate JasperMax shipper. Once again, this was an enjoyable ride with several twist and turns and I can’t wait for the what seems to be the next installment!
Manner of Death, Vol. 2 by Sammon, Yukari Umemoto

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

4.5

Like Vol. 1, I thoroughly enjoyed volume 2. It picks up where volume 1 left off. I loved the elements of the original story that were kept with the sister unaliving Pued. But also appreciated the subplot of Bun being outed by someone in his past. The introduction of Bun’s brother is also a nice twist on the story as I know. The golden child older brother with whom the younger brother is compared to. But without envy, Boon is protective and playful with Bun, whether Bun likes it or not. In the manga, it was much clearer that Bun and Tan had feelings for each other than the drama (which is one of my favorites). And this book definitely doesn’t shy away from the spice. Once again, I recommend this and the tv drama!
Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • 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

I loved this! A story about Black witches set in my hometown of New Orleans felt right. I loved the explorations of race and magic and how just like present day New Orleans, there is a racial divide even within magic. The story had me hooked from seeing the various perspectives of Clem and Cris; how their story intersects. The origins of Moon magic had me yearning for more. And the ending was so satisfying, but I was left with a sense of unease. There were several moments where I was waiting for the ball to drop. Alas we are getting book 2 and I can wait! Hopefully all my questions are answered because this is a world I look forward to exploring some more. I highly recommend this book.
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Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.25

I've been waiting for a book featuring a magical Black boy for a while. When I first heard about Blood At the Root, I was excited. And it definitely kept me excited throughout the book. The story of a Black boy who faced tremendously loss while holding out hope to be reunited with his mother hit me. I admit Malik worked my nerves at times. I understood his distrust for many people based on his upbringing, there were moments where he could've saved himself some stress by listening to others. However, in that regard he was a typical teenager. In terms of writing, the use of pop culture references throughout helped me related to the narrative, but at times took me out. Instead of a reference, a more detailed description would've kept me immersed in the world. At one point, there is a reference to a character acting like they are meeting Beyonce or Oprah. I would've preferred for the reaction to be described in detail. Additionally, some twists were easy to pick up on. Overall, I really enjoyed Blood At The Root and am excited for Book 2.
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The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

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

4.5

This book has been sitting on my shelf (physical and virtual) since 2015. As the third book of the series, it picks up right where you left off in Shadow of Night. While I was engaged throughout the book, there were moments that were faster than others and once you enter the final third of the book, it’s full steam ahead. I appreciated learning more about vampire politics and seeing Diana finally own her identity as a witch. It’s a great ending to this trilogy though part of me wants more. Guess it’s finally time to watch the BBC series: A Discovery of Witches!
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Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

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

4.0

Review:
This book had me torn between I’m in love with it and fuming! I should’ve known that a book about a remote conversion therapy camp would have me going through multiple emotions but this had my emotions in a yo-yo. One thing I loved is that it was unpredictable. I’ve said before that thrillers can be predictable, but I didn’t know what was coming next in this one. There was such a realism to the emotions each character portrayed. Adam completely captured the insidiousness of conversion therapy and how people can think they are doing the right thing while cause tremendous harm and trauma. I couldn’t imagine the thought process it takes for someone to even consider putting their child through this. It was rough at times, but I so enjoyed this book.
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The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

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

4.5

Synopsis:
You think you know who Avatar Kyoshi was. The badass Avatar who took no prisoners and is considered the longest living avatar? Find out how the legend began. It’s not all that it seems.

Review:
Wow! I expected none of what happened in Kyoshi’s story. The lies, betrayal, vengeance, heartbreak. All of it kept me on the edge of my seat. We learn about Kyoshi’s upbringing and how she was identified as the Avatar later than most would have liked. You meet her version of Team Avatar made up of an unlikely group of daofei! In learning more about Kyoshi, you also get glimpses of Avatar Kuruk. For many he was regarded as a useless avatar, but you begin to explore his story and the complexities of his team avatar. Interesting enough it seems like the previous team avatar plays a key role in the lives of the next avatar. By the end I was craving the next book. I guess I need to make a trip to the book store to get it. If you love Avatar: The Last Airbender’s universe as much as I do, I highly recommend this book!
Incomparable by Nikki Bella, Brie Bella

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informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

I don’t often read non-fiction books. Life as a Black gay man is eventful enough. Fiction has been a means of escapism for me. However, I love wrestling…women’s wrestling in particular. Among the women I love include Brie & Nikki Bella. Their memoir encompasses their upbringing, their break into wrestling, and the lives they lived. I enjoyed getting a behind the scenes glimpse into the wrestling world and the vulnerability they both shared about heartbreaking moments in their lives. But while there was heartbreak, they also shared a message of empowerment. The thing that keeps this from being a 5-star read (and possibly because of my unfamiliarity with memoir) is how much it flip flops through time and theme. I personally would’ve loved to see all the wrestling related content closer together than to hop back and forth between childhood to wrestling to waitressing to relationships. It also felt very stream of consciousness to me. Whatever memory popped up when they were talking is what was written. All in all this was a good read and I recommend it. You’ll gain a whole new respect for Brie Mode and Fearless Nikki!
KinnPorsche Story 2 by Daemi

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challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

When I read the first book of this series, I was in love. I watched the live action series and loved it. Book 2 picks up right after book 1 and explores Porsche’s feelings after his first encounter with Kinn, his confusion and insecurity, and the challenges to his and Kinn’s relationship with interference from Vegas and Tawan! To say that I was enthralled is an understatement. I can’t wait to start book 3 and continue my journey with these characters.
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