Amazing fictional account of a very real issue faced by native women across the US.
Anna and Grace are sisters and young adults who are growing into wAmazing fictional account of a very real issue faced by native women across the US.
Anna and Grace are sisters and young adults who are growing into womanhood. Just like a lot of other women in their community they are working at the resort on the Rez. Anna, as the oldest, started first and is trying to watch out for her baby sister but there are sinister men in their midst. Anna is almost positive her supervisor Fox is one of them and wants her sister to stay far away from him. Grace, as the younger sister is in the phase of her teen years where she is rebelling against not only her sister but also her own ideals as she is trying to figure out who she really is and who she wants to be.
Girls have been going missing for some time when we pick up with Anna and it's not long until someone close to her is the next missing girl. We follow Anna while she travels around and connects the dots between the missing girls, odd situations she's encountered at the resort and the old stories she's clung to from her old mentor, who herself was missing and found murdered in Anna's childhood.
Through this novel we learn about the plight of a lot of Native American women and how the rest of the population reacts and helps (or doesn't) them with this sadly ongoing problem.
I love how the author wove cultural elements from multiple tribes into it so that he didn't have to focus on one tribe which helped bring light to the problems faced across many tribes....more
Wow!! How have I never read any of Butler's books yet?? She's an amazing writer! I need some time to formulate my review, also I have bookclub tonightWow!! How have I never read any of Butler's books yet?? She's an amazing writer! I need some time to formulate my review, also I have bookclub tonight so I want to discuss it before I review....more
Wow!! I've always loved fairy tales and folklore so this book called to me when I saw it offered on BOTM. Then it sat on my shelf for way too long. I'Wow!! I've always loved fairy tales and folklore so this book called to me when I saw it offered on BOTM. Then it sat on my shelf for way too long. I'm working on getting back into my old reading pace but it's hard when your attention span isn't quite the same.
Anyways, Thistlefoot hooked me from the very beginning. The characters, including the house, (who am I kidding) especially the house, are so great and loveable but not perfect annoying people that I would definitely read a continuation of their lives, even the mundane boring parts.
Thistlefoot, our protagonist on chicken legs is not only loveable but also so fascinating that I also would love a history on these homes which sprout legs. The world in which this story exists is abundant with content for some very interesting reads. At the same time I love that it was a modern day retelling of an old European myth and am ok leaving it there.
I can't say much about the actual storyline because I don't want to spoil any of the magic but the parts told in the voice of the house were my favorite. Baba Yaga and the stories the house tells us about her and her daughters are so wonderful that when we get to the end and hear the true story, it's all the more heartbreaking because we love these characters so much.
I already want to read more on the myth that inspired this story and I credit that to the author....more
This book moved me. I need some time to formulate a review but as a modern feminist this is a story everyone needs to read (or hear as I listened to tThis book moved me. I need some time to formulate a review but as a modern feminist this is a story everyone needs to read (or hear as I listened to the audiobook and I would recommend that medium)....more
Moreno-Garcia has done it again. I am not even joking when I say that every single book I've read by this author makes me want to research the coveredMoreno-Garcia has done it again. I am not even joking when I say that every single book I've read by this author makes me want to research the covered topic more. Whether it's mycology or silver nitrate prints, every topic has been written so beautifully that my own love of history takes over and makes me need to know more.
Silver Nitrate follows two childhood best friends Momo and Tristan as they first befriend a famous Mexican horror director and then attempt to help him with a small task that becomes much larger than they ever expected. This is a story of the occult and the effects of one occult leader's influence long after his death.
It's spooky, creepy and dark in all the best ways.
This author has joined my list of favorites for sure....more
Poirot is on the case. Love AC and love Poirot. I am currently trying to read all the books in the series that I've skipped along the years and this wPoirot is on the case. Love AC and love Poirot. I am currently trying to read all the books in the series that I've skipped along the years and this was a quick and easy one to check off. Short stories, some very short, but still the detective we love....more
I genuinely have no words to describe how much I loved this. I need a min but a full review to follow shortly. I have bookclub tonight and so will Wow
I genuinely have no words to describe how much I loved this. I need a min but a full review to follow shortly. I have bookclub tonight and so will review tomorrow....more
I really dislike book Benedict. He's pompous, pushy, rude, and oftentimes downright cruel. I much prefer show Benedict who seems to be kind and caringI really dislike book Benedict. He's pompous, pushy, rude, and oftentimes downright cruel. I much prefer show Benedict who seems to be kind and caring. He tries to blackmail someone he supposedly loves more than anyone, he feels a servant is so beneath him that he basically demands that she become his mistress, and worst of all he never takes no for an answer. Even going so far as to say he knows better than she does what's best for her. ...more
Anthony just isn't my favorite Bridgerton sibling. I do love Kate though.Anthony just isn't my favorite Bridgerton sibling. I do love Kate though....more
I have so many reviews to write but I will be adding this to the pile. I'll probably read the next two (#4 just arrived from my pre-order today!) befoI have so many reviews to write but I will be adding this to the pile. I'll probably read the next two (#4 just arrived from my pre-order today!) before I sit down to write all my backlog of reviews.
Really enjoying the world this author has created with the Crenshaws. Lord Leigh is a character, that's for sure but I love love love Violet. Maybe more than August even....more
This is a novel with dual timelines which I love, and it also is somewhat of a generational saga and that is probably my favorite type of historical fThis is a novel with dual timelines which I love, and it also is somewhat of a generational saga and that is probably my favorite type of historical fiction.
We first meet Hazel and Mary in North Carolina under Jim Crow. Mary is Hazel's daughter who was conceived in the most vile way. Hazel never thought twice about her love for her daughter though and when she was born light-skinned she hoped that it could be an advantage for her daughter. Mary never saw the upside to being lighter than her peers, the town gossiped about her and her mother, and her classmates teased and bullied her for it so what possible advantage could she have seen in their small southern town? Hazel, however, knew the ways that they could use Mary's light complexion to their advantage and so Mary grew up going to movie theatres and shopping in stores she would have been unwelcome in if they knew her true race.
In current times we meet Elise who is Hollywood royalty. A legacy (more than she even knows) she is currently fighting for her place in the world. We find that a beloved family friend, Kitty Karr has passed and Elise has been tasked with fulfilling the old woman's last wishes in regards to her personal belongings and in truth her legacy. Elise is struggling with these tasks not only because of her sadness but also because of the turbulent path her own life has taken recently. She is in an unhappy relationship and feels restless with work because her activism has been silenced by those closest to her.
When Mary comes of age her mother insists that she take a trip to LA before she settles down. Mary has always loved the movies from her youth and she has even spent the better part of her younger years writing her own stories so this trip is a chance for her to see a place she never expected to experience. Mary has no idea but this trip will alter the course of her life.
Kitty is a starlet who is trying to navigate her career, personal life, and activism. She is strong-willed when women are preferred to be meek and mild. Kitty is also married to the head of Telescope Pictures so she has considerable influence in a time when women's opinions were seen as irrelevant.
Mary's, Kitty's, and Elise's stories all collide in an unexpected way, and through the trials her elders experienced Elise is able to see a path forward for her own life.
I really enjoyed this author's writing and will be looking forward to her future work!...more
Wow!! I'm giving this one five even though it was less than 2 weeks ago that I went back and reviewed some of my old ratings and lowered a couple thatWow!! I'm giving this one five even though it was less than 2 weeks ago that I went back and reviewed some of my old ratings and lowered a couple that I thought maybe I had been a little overzealous with the fours and fives on. This one deserves the five all day everyday.
This novel is billed as a feminist horror western. The oddness of that combo alone is what really real me in, and imagine my surprise when I found out that there is a history of lone women homesteading. After this novel I will be seeking out more about the subject, because it is such an interesting subject all on its own.
We open the novel with Adelaide Henry and her frantic rush to douse her childhood home and parents corpses in fuel so that she can burn the entire thing to the ground. Adelaide is a black woman who has grown up in California on her parents farm. She rides off with a trunk and is headed for Montana. That's where she understands a lone woman can take advantage of the government's offer of free land for homesteaders. Her journey getting there is interesting, but by far not even close to the meat of the story.
The trunk that she has brought with her (and it's contents) all the way from California is what haunts her, and at times others. She settles into Big Sandy, Montana and tries to keep her head down while she earns her land. What follows is not how she wanted her experience in Big Sandy to go.
Along the way she meets some really great characters like Grace and Sam, a mother and son duo who are surviving by themselves living as outcasts in Big Sandy. She also meets the proprietor of the local watering hole called The Blind Pig, and her significant other Fiona Wong.
I can't say too much at a risk of spoiling any part of this wonderfully layered novel. I love how even in the last 20 pages I was surprised by a couple of twists.
I enjoyed the author's writing first and foremost, I like how he explains things and describes things without being overly wordy or in a way that feels like someone is just trying to fluff up the vocabulary of the novel. I also really enjoyed the way he made even mundane twists and turns into the novel suspenseful, I enjoy that in a book that I am expecting to be afraid of while reading. I look forward to reading some of his other works, and I'm going right now to look for more....more
I used to love reading romance novels but I stopped at some point in the last decade or so. I picked this one up trying to get back into the genre andI used to love reading romance novels but I stopped at some point in the last decade or so. I picked this one up trying to get back into the genre and I'm happy that I did.
This is a story about two people who think they're broken and the way that they help each other get back to a life that feels fulfilling.
I enjoyed the author's writing style and the story was decently entertaining. I appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to write super graphic sex scenes (as those always feel like the writer is trying too hard). Overall I would definitely pick up other novels by this author, especially when I'm looking for a light hearted easy read to cheer me up....more
**spoiler alert** It would be impossible for me to review this novel without spoilers so here we go, lots of spoilers ahead... I would only read ahead**spoiler alert** It would be impossible for me to review this novel without spoilers so here we go, lots of spoilers ahead... I would only read ahead if you've either read it already or know for sure you will not be reading it.
Wow do these characters suck. Other than Henry and Piper and their story line, they're all terrible. At first I wanted to dnf. This is one of my first audiobooks and I was listening at 1.5 speed so I thought maybe my issue was with not being used to the pace and hearing it in someone else's voice. But as I went on I realized the characters suck because they're terrible people so it clicked and suddenly I couldn't put it down. This is one where I rooted for the killer at a certain point and was slightly disappointed with the ending but I want to expand on that.
Mako, his sister Hannah, his ex Cricket, and all their significant others are hard people to like. Mako (actually Michael but also one of those guys) immediately gave me a creep vibe and I hated and I mean *hated* how his sister and ex who is also his sister's bestie, not only made excuses for him but actively covered up crimes for him. I hated them all for so many reasons.
When I realized that this was by design because we were meant to feel this way about them it was an ah-ha moment for sure. Genius writing on the part of the author, really, because I *really hated* these people.
I am slightly disappointed in the end where the women got off by making a Facebook post? I mean come on, but I'm also thinking that's probably what the author was going for. I get women are always made to be punished for men's actions (and I agree) but I feel like in this situation they should have been punished for something, at least more than 'losing some friends over the Facebook post'. I couldn't have rolled my eyes harder there and based on the earlier twisted narrative I think this was the goal of this part.
I do feel like the sex scenes were slightly more graphic than made sense for the level of detail elsewhere in the novel. Again, one of my first forays into audiobooks so it may have just been the fact that it was being read out loud.
I would definitely read more from this author and would recommend their work to those who like to hate the characters, it does make for a more interesting ride....more
I listened to this over a few days and I really enjoyed the author's style. I like the way he gave us some teasers and kept reminding us of them as weI listened to this over a few days and I really enjoyed the author's style. I like the way he gave us some teasers and kept reminding us of them as we went along.
Earnest was an awesome narrator. He was witty and informative all while living through the events he is describing in this book. He's the black sheep of his family but is desperate to get back into their (especially his mother's) good graces. His family all having killed someone is explored while they attend a family reunion at a secluded ski resort. We learn the when, where, why, and how of each situation as people at the resort are slowly picked off.
I can't say too much about the actual plot because I wouldn't want to ruin even one page of this for anyone but I can say that I really enjoyed the way the author wove together a mystery and humor. I am pleased to see there is a second book and have already placed a library 'hold' for when they have audiobook copies. I would just preorder the book itself but I loved the reader and I'm not sure it would be the same in my own internal voice....more
This one is a 4.5 ⭐ rounded down. I truly enjoyed the plot, characters and especially the writing. This one didn't have the biggest twist, but otherwiThis one is a 4.5 ⭐ rounded down. I truly enjoyed the plot, characters and especially the writing. This one didn't have the biggest twist, but otherwise this is a fantastic novel. Especially the character development. I would pick up more books about Alex for sure. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author!...more
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