Wow I've been a terrible blogger in May. My mojo, it seems to have vanished. What better way to get it back though than with some Quickfire Reviews.
Quickfire Reviews is a thing I do very sporadically when there are books to talk about that I should have reviewed but haven’t. Let's have a chat about books I've been reading, lately.
What’s it About? It’s what is says on the tin, this one. It's a year in the life of Drag Queen Crystal Rasmussen, told through their personal diaries.
What I liked I love that this wasn't what I expected. I was expecting it to be glamourous and fabulous and full of witty and cutting drag queen escapades. It's not. It's raw and honest and yes ok sometimes it made me laugh but it also made me achingly sad. This book packs no punches - and nor should it. Crystal is telling - with unflinching honesty - what life is like for them, what life is like as part of the LGBT+ community and a lot of the time it isn't pretty. They talk about being punched in the face just because of how they look, of unrequited love and the hook-ups they hope will ease the pain. It's intimate - and by intimate I mean like really really intimate, and also graphic; this is not a book for the prudish. It's a 'tell it how it is' book and I liked that - and Rasmussen is a great writer.
What I liked Less Whilst I didn't have a problem with the more shocking anecdotes, or the sex scenes I couldn't help but wonder if really, they might have been included just for the shock value. I get that they happened and I get that they're part of the story as a whole and that this is a memoir and so it's not really for me to say what should and shouldn't be included but I don't know - I feel like this was part social commentary and part reminiscence about dirty sex and I would have really liked to have gotten to know Crystal themsleves just a little bit better.
What’s it About? Fifteen years after Claire Calderwood's sister was killed in the small island town they grew up in another girl's body is found. Claire, now a police officer, is called back home to try and solver the murder that is eerily similar to that of her sister.
What I liked I don't know if you know but I love me a good crime novel. This is pretty much that. It was an easy read and one I fairly flew through - I liked Claire and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and I loved the small town vibe the book had; I'm endlessly fascinated by that small community that' sort of cut off, and where everybody knows everybody. There were enough plot twists to keep me going too which is always a bonus.
What I liked Less I didn't buy into the romantic element of the story - whilst I do love a good hate-to-love story, this one felt a little bit too insta-love for my liking and there just wasn't any chemistry; it just dragged me away from the nitty gritty. It could have been a little more detailed - a lot of the time a lot was left to the imagination and that bugged me. Also, I was underwhelmed by the ending.
What’s it About? Oh God. It's like Harry Potter - but for assassins. A school in a magical world where the sun never sets and school is like X-Factor where instead of Christmas Number One you win the right to be a fully fledged assassin.
What I liked Hahaha have you met me? This book is all morally grey characters with questionable motives and I am so here for it. I loved it. I loved the story and I loved the characters and I loved how you can go to class and get your arm chopped off and that's fine and how Kristoff will just kill off anybody at any point. Glorious. It's so clever and Mia, the main character just delighted me with her fantastic anti-hero ways. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
What I liked Less It was a little more predictable than I'd liked - there were things that I think were meant to shock me that I totally saw coming. The ending was weird and at odds with the rest of the book. Also everybody was beautiful. Le sigh. That whole storyline made me salty.
What’s it About? SOMEONE IS KILLING HOMECOMING QUEENS IN SMALL TOWN AMERICA.
What I liked I loved One of Us is Lying so I was super excited for this book. Again, I love me a good thriller and this one is YA so another tick in another box. I liked it. I liked the characters - especially Ellery - and the plot was so clever and well thought out and I didn't figure out the ending so kudos to Karen McManus for that!
What I liked Less I was a little bit bored; I had such high expectations and I was just so disappointed.
What’s it About? Jack meets Kate at a party, they fall in love and everything is dreamy and then Kate dies and Jack wakes up on the day he met her and Jack has to decide - does he try to save her, even though the whole idea of time travel seems ridic? Of course he does, over and over. This, is that.
What I liked Wow but the premise of this book is so cute it hurts, like TFiOS meets The Time Traveller's Wife. I love a good meetcute, I like a nice love story, I like some heartbreak and I am always and forever here for some time travel. Sign me right up for this book please. I loved the Groundhog Day way the story unfolded - you'd think the same loop on repeat would get old quick, but it works. It'd work really well on screen actually. Jack is cute and his character arc is excellent; the way he changes with each journey through his own story is excellent storytelling.
What I liked Less I was a little bit bored by the romance element which is problematic because that's what the book is actually about. I was so much more invested in Jack's relationships with his family and friends. Also you know I can't even remember how this ended.
