Book'd Out 2020 Nonfiction Reader Challenge

Trying out a new reading challenge this year:

The perfectionist in me really wants to go for the title of Nonfiction Know-It-All but realistically, I know that is an over-ambitious goal with grad school in progress. I'll be happy if I can check off three books from any categories. Wish me luck!

Book Mail!

One of the books that I won from participating in the Seasons of Reading Spring into Horror Readathon has arrived! Thanks Michelle, Erin, and Raw Dog Screaming Press. Stoked to get started on this one!

Things have been crazy busy lately because we're in the process of moving into our very first home (goodbye apartment living, forever!), tomorrow I'm going to Montana on a whitewater kayaking trip for cancer survivors, and I start grad school in less than a month. AAH! Fun and crazy times!

I'll try to post again soon.

Review: Slash by Hunter Shea

                                                                                                                                                             

           ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 

Supernatural Splatterpunk for the strong-stomached.
      Slash starts out a bit slow to set up the story (at first, I thought it was a sequel), but the last half of this book is non-stop action, gore, and supernatural-based horror. I kept picturing the Hayden Resort as The Overlook Hotel- there’s even a brief mention of Jack Torrance (the film version) at one point. I had some unanswered questions about the origins of the Wraith/bad guy, but this information might have been deliberately withheld for a potential sequel and/or prequel. This was my first time reading this author’s work and I look forward to checking out his other books. 
     Thank you, NetGalley, Flame Tree Press, and the author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Need by Helen Phillips

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 

*I won an ARC copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway and this is my honest review based on my reading experience.* 

This is a hard book to review because it’s very easy to unintentionally give things away. I would recommend reading The Need in one sitting if at all possible. I made the mistake of reading other books concomitantly so I kept putting it down and picking it back up later. That really stalled the suspense and I wasn’t immersed in the story until I’d finished the others and just focused on this book. Then I didn’t want to put it down because I thought, “Oh, I have to see if this is going where I think it’s going…” *reads on to the ending* Well…I was wrong.

There’s elements of a sci-fi and a thriller, but it’s sort of both and not really either of those. There’s some really creepy almost Donnie Darko-ish moments but there’s no guts and gore scary horror. The Need is it’s own thing which I appreciate but have to admit that I was disappointed when the plot direction I’d foreseen in my head differed so much from the one on the page. In some sense, I felt cheated by missing out on what could have happened. 

Ultimately, I think this book is about motherhood and all of the insecurities and messiness that can accompany it. One idea being: could you ever be the mother that you feel your child needs? It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it did make me reflect deeply on concepts of motherhood and/or maternalism. 

Review: Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward

I read Beautiful Bad for Houston Public Library's Reads Book Club pick for June-July.

This a well-written psychological, time-jumping thriller told mainly from the perspective of a female protagonist (a few times the perspective shifts to the boyfriend/husband, Ian). I liked how the author incorporated some of the ways that PTSD and traumatic brain injuries might affect personality and behavior in order to blur the lines between who is "good" and who is "bad" and create sympathy for all of the characters. Beautiful Bad reminded me of The Girl on the Train in some ways so if you enjoyed that book you might enjoy this as well.

Review: The Lady from the Black Lagoon

3 1/2 stars

Pop culture, Old Hollywood, Monster Movies, and the story of a talented and confident women who broke new ground in a film system that (still) dismisses and undervalues women (and anyone else who isn't a straight white male).

Much of Patrick's work went uncredited and this isn't a strict "just the facts" biography. It's more of an ode to an (unfairly) unknown female artist in the entertainment industry from her biggest fan. Bits of the artist's history are alternated with the author's reflections and experiences while researching Milicent Patrick's personal life and professional work.

It's an interesting and sad story and one can't help but pine for the potential creations that might have been brought to the big screen from Patrick's abundant imagination and talent. To sum up her professional career simply : Woman creates monster. Monster makes money. Man takes credit. THE END. This book spotlights the injustice Milicent Patrick endured in the the 1950s with the hopes that her story inspires women to create art that confronts and defies the sexism that we still face. 

Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North

The Whisper Man is a first-rate multiple POV crime thriller. I was reading this novel over Father’s Day weekend which ended up being the perfect time as it touches on several child-father relationship issues (physical and emotional estrangement, alcoholic fathers, abusive fathers, fathers and sons dealing with bereavement, etc.) Most thrillers rely solely on twists and turns to keep readers engaged, but North’s dives into the deeper waters of father-son dynamics makes his debut a cut above the rest. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a fair review.