As I read Searching for Disaster, my thoughts about how the review would go changed dramatically. When I started, I thought that I would like the book a lot. The Prologue was well-written and set up the story well. Isabella (Izzy) MacKenzie is prowling a bar and she chooses the man she wants. She is confident, independent and strong. She picks up her chosen man, they go to her room and talk and then Do … Continue reading Searching for Disaster by Jennifer Probst →
I was so, so excited for The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas. I mean, look at that cover! Look at it! When I was a kid, we watched three movies on rotation at every sleepover: Dirty Dancing, The Cutting Edge and, my favorite, The Bodyguard. That cover is clearly a reference to The Bodyguard and when I saw it I was light-headed with nostalgia. So I picked up the book and I was prepared to … Continue reading The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas →
First of all, Bohemian Gospel needs to come with a trigger warning for EVERYTHING: rape and attempted rape, domestic violence, scenes of torture, and violence to animals and children. The last one was especially hard for me and I had to skim some scenes. A lot of historical fiction can get pretty gritty (history is not pretty, ya’ll), but this book was just goddamned depressing. Bohemian Gospel takes place in 13th century Bohemia (obvs) and … Continue reading Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter →
Welp, that was whelming. Suicide Squad is the third movie in the DC Extended Movie Cinematic Anything Marvel Can Do We Can Also Do Universe, about Amanda Waller, a US intelligence operative, and her handpicked team of really really bad guys who she wants to use to fight Superman. See, since Superman exists, and there are the DC version of mutants evolving (they’re called metahumans here), we need something to fight the Supermen of the … Continue reading Movie Review: Suicide Squad →
London 1885 : A young woman stands apart watching her bleeding body on the ground and the thugs who cut her throat being beaten away by two lovely, properly dressed young women who appeared armed with sword and baton. Eliza had just docked in London hours ago from Boston, fleeing the ugly things she had done there to survive after her family had died, and with the fervent hope of finding her distant relatives in … Continue reading Soulbound by Kristen Callihan →
Given how much I disliked Barefoot with a Bodyguard, one might be surprised to see that I am reviewing the next installment in the Barefoot Bay Undercover series. Why, do you ask? Because I liked all the other Barefoot Bay books except Barefoot with a Bodyguard and I thought I’d like this one more than I did. What attracted me to this book? I liked Francesca Rossi in the previous books. Malcolm Harris is a wounded … Continue reading Barefoot with a Stranger by Roxanne St. Claire →
I just…I still…What the hell was this book? The trigger warnings alone…I had to take notes as I went so I wouldn’t miss any. Check out this list: child abuse (emotional and physical) drug addiction mental illness emotionally toxic parent child death mentions of child sexual abuse memories of marital rape attempted suicide/suicidal tendencies fat shaming slut shaming The thing is…only half of these were relevant to either the plot or the development of the … Continue reading The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak →
When I signed up to read Not a Fairy Tale, I was really excited about it. Celebrity scandal, “awkward wardrobe malfunction,” hot stunt man? Sounds great to me. But no. I hate to say this about any book, but it was completely unmemorable. I found myself skimming more than reading and I had a hard time convincing myself to come back to the book each day. It’s even harder to write a review about an … Continue reading Not a Fairy Tale by Romy Sommer →
I picked up “Toward the Sunrise” fully expecting to enjoy it, but ended up wanting to hurl my Kindle into the ocean like a frisbee of rage. On its face, this is actually a well crafted novella with strong characters, emotional nuance, and a premise that seemed almost tailored to bring me joy. I genuinely believe that most people who read this will rate it highly—as the other SBTB reader who reviewed it did—but I … Continue reading Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden →
True story: as I was on my way to the theater, my mom called to say that she had mailed a box that includes a bag of mine she got repaired, a book of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s letters that she picked up, my old Kindle that my dad doesn’t need anymore, and “a surprise.” I love surprises, and asked if it was chocolate, and she said no, it was about as far from chocolate as … Continue reading Movie Review: Mother’s Day →
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the DC blockbuster that’s been hyped since forever it seems. Redheadedgirl and I went to see it and we had thoughts. Be warned, we spoil the hell out of this movie. Elyse: So that happened. RHG: Ugh. It really did. Elyse: I think this movie didn’t know its audience. We got a lot of backstory–Bruce Wayne’s parents getting killed, him falling into the bat cave as a kid, … Continue reading Movie Review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice →
