shelbs_can_try's reviews
670 reviews

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

5.0

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

2.5

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

4.0

This was a charming and lovely read, and I enjoyed it immensely. 

Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange

3.5

This book was really well researched and provided numerous points that were equally intriguing and exciting to read about. The topic of the mall was not something I had spent much time thinking about, but this book got me thinking about it in all new ways. I found myself, however, regularly feeling dragged through too much information, especially at the beginning of this book. While I appreciate the writer's knowledge of this topic, the fluff made it strenuous to read sometimes. It certainly made the book seem way to long to make it's points which is not ideal since it's not very long to begin with. Overall, if you have any interest in microhistories related to architecture and planning this may be a good read for you. I learned a lot, and I hope to read more by Lange in the future. 

Book of Night by Holly Black

3.25

I was a big fan of the Western Mass rep in this book and the atmosphere Black created in this book. The characters were really intriguing too. I think I just wanted a little more from the plot especially for the first half. It was way too slow and I was beginning to wonder what the point was. The second half really picked up and so maybe I’ll pick up the next one eventually.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

5.0

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

I loved the haunted house aspect and the southern setting, though it did feel like it was jumping around a lot. The creepy things happening were super unnerving and absolutely chaotic. The bugs...heebee jeebeeies. I think the most fascinating part was the familiar whispers and the vultures. I liked everything and all of it could’ve been great, especially towards the end, but I think it needed more time to really build up to it. It was all too fast and breezed over. Maybe I just wanted it to be longer. 

But we had a funny main character and some pretty interesting supporting characters. I liked following along with the mystery of it and I love a good southern vibe. 

This is less spooky horror and more ha ha horror. If you like a little spunk in your horror and don’t mind a lot of bug talk, give this a whirl. 

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

5.0

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

5.0

Great collection of essays for an introduction to an intersectional perspective to feminism! It overviews a number of topics effectively and also has a good bibliography at the end for additional resources. Anyone trying to expand their understanding of what feminism should be, should read this. 

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

5.0

I mean, like…obviously. Rick was low key trying to hurt my feelings this book and I am not even upset about it.