triciajk's reviews
144 reviews

The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Cute, campy, kinky, Katee Robert. Who doesn’t need a little monster-smut in their life? I know I did, and Katee Robert delivered. Got trauma? Not after meeting this dragon. He’s a total hunk and the sweetest thing. Do you have trouble choosing between the charming prince and the hunky dragon (with two… you know…)—not here! Both charming prince and freaky kinky monster. No more choosing! Fulfills the scary-on-the-outside-squishy-on-the-inside needs that I know you have. Buy it. Read it. Love it.

Home Bound: An Uprooted Daughter's Reflections on Belonging by Vanessa A Bee

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

This is a moving memoir about finding place and love while navigating the nuances of immigration, broken families, religion and womanhood. It explores the meaning of home and belonging following the author as she is swept from Cameroon to France to the U.S. Drawing from her background learning law at Harvard, Bee discusses economic justice and the deviation of what she was supposed to have/want and what she actually saw and experienced. She carries with her both the love and harm that have been done to her and learns how to use this to make a home.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Meadowlands by Louise Glück

5.0

This is a wonderful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and divorce told with the voices of the characters closest to Odysseus' domestic life, including Penelope, Telemachus, and Circe. I personally loved the poems "Ithaca" and "Circe's Power” for the silent, unseen strength possessed within the voices of these narrators. The agency Gluck gives to Penelope and Circe is so rich with the empathy and self-awareness that resonates in all of her work. There is a reason she was the US Poet Laureate for 2003-2004. I recommend her as a poet and this book with all my heart <3  

Little Mushroom: Revelations by Shisi

5.0

Little Mushroom: Judgment Day by Shisi

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 This is one of my favorite danmei novels so far. For a book about a little tiny mushroom becoming human and going on an adventure to find his lost spore, this book really kicks you in the heart right out of the gate. Don’t be fooled, this is a dark dystopian novel about what it means to be human and what it means to be a monster. The setting is dystopian Earth, specifically North America where global warming, the loss of the electromagnetic field, and mass radiation have caused dangerous and terrifying mutations. Humanity is pushed to the brink of collapse with only their technology and the indiscriminate killing of anyone thought to be mutated keeping them from going completely extinct. This is the world An Zhe, our main character, is born into. That being said, An Zhe is 10/10 the best little baby mushroom man. If you read this for any reason, read this for him. I would absolutely give up all of humanity for this mushroom man. Such a little guy. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

5.0

Sappho: A New Translation by Sappho

4.75

How to Care for a Human Girl: A Novel by Ashley Wurzbacher

emotional hopeful reflective sad

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

4.0

Two sisters estranged by loss and blame become pregnant at the same time. One chooses abortion, the other chooses motherhood. Drawn together by the same past that once drew them apart and an ever more uncertain future, they must navigate the turbulent political climate, the expectations of those important to them, more than a little emotional manipulation, and their own complex needs and desires. This is a story of gray areas, where we, the reader, may never know who made the right or wrong decision, but where each character is undoubtedly and unequivocally human, facing all the complex realities that come with existing in our modern world.

Goblin Mode: How to Get Cozy, Embrace Imperfection, and Thrive in the Muck by McKayla Coyle

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Coyle’s book is all about getting cozy with the weird, embracing the less-loved sides of nature, and anti-capitalist self-care. She addresses every aspect of the goblin life-style: including DIY and craft ideas, inspirations for getting in-touch—and I mean really in-touch—with nature, and tips for shopping in a way doesn’t give in (or gives as little as possible) to the corporate machine. Find here: making a mushroom patch with felt, basic mending instructions, fun animal personality types (frogs and lizards and turtles, oh my!), and so much more! I personally liked this books anti-capitalist message of repairing rather than throwing away and making or thrifting rather than buying non-local goods. There’s a strong message of expressing your individuality no matter what form it takes, even if others won’t understand it, and I support that message with my whole heart.