Month: December 2023

Review | Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

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Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller.

What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’ll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.

But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.

A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep.

How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?

Rating: 3 out of 5.

As much as I was intrigued by the concept of this one, it didn’t quite get there for me. I felt like the differing perspectives didn’t really fit together for most of the story. Things like that can cause me to not be able to really get into the story and that’s what I found happening here. By the end everything did come together, but the pacing was off since I kept being thrown off by the disjointed perspectives. Also, there weren’t really any characters that were reliable or likeable, so that’s another thing that was pulling me out of the story. Once completed I can definitely see how the story can be enjoyed, it is certainly twisty and does come together in the end – but this one just wasn’t entirely for me.

Happy reading!

End of the Year Update | Reflecting on 2023+2024 Plans

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Hey all – as it is the end of the year I figured it would be a good time to talk about 2023 as well as talk about some of my plans for 2024. 

As some of you may have noticed, 2023 was not as consistent as the last couple years when it came to me posting on the blog. It wasn’t planned to be that way and I certainly didn’t like that I wasn’t posting as frequently, but things happen. I received a new medical diagnosis at the end of 2022 that is very life impacting and I thought I was doing ok coming to grips with it but in the last month or so I realized it really messed with my mental health more than I realized. I’m not going to go into details because for the most part I try to keep talk of my conditions off of my blog but be assured that I am ok, I’ve got some great doctors and after some trial and error with medications am in a far better place than I was when it was diagnosed.

The blog wasn’t the only thing impacted unfortunately, my reading also took a hit. For the most part I made sure my obligations were covered, but beyond that it was a struggle. Safe to say I had some of my lowest reading months in history, but as I said…I was having a really hard time adjusting/coming to terms with the new diagnosis.

So where are we for 2024? I’m happy to say that once I figured out what was really impacting me, I did a much better job of processing it/coming to terms with it. No guarantees it won’t rear its head again, but in the last month I definitely feel more like myself. December has been my best reading month this year and I actually already have my 2024 journal pages and January pages done (there were some months this year I didn’t get done until 1.5 months after they were done, it was sad). I’m feeling like my enjoyment/passion is back and feel like getting back on my schedule of posting every day. Who am I right now? Haha.

Though I don’t talk a lot about challenges or readathons I do, I have a plan to do more of them in 2024. Rich helped me revamp my TBR game, and we also added some more challenges that he helped with. I may talk about them in a future post, but right now I’m fine with them just living in my journal and being something purely for fun.

What else is on deck for 2024 that is not blog related? Our wedding! We are currently in the middle of planning, but thankfully the big things are locked in, so we took a little break from planning for the holiday season. I both can’t wait for it and am terrified it’s going to come entirely too soon, I imagine that’s pretty normal.

I can’t guarantee I will always post every single day, but I’m hoping to get back to a place where I’m doing that. What would you all like to see in 2024?

Happy reading!

Review | Dear Rebel

DeAnneLeave a comment

More than 125 extraordinary teens and women share their advice, experiences, and the secrets of their success—in their own words. Through letters, poems, essays, self-portraits, and more, the authors tackle topics like overcoming obstacles, discovering your passion, and dreaming big.

Learn how Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani connected with her roots through her character. Read about how March for our Lives co-founder Jaclyn Corin found her voice as an activist. Follow mountaineer Carla Pérez on the final 100 meters to the top of Mount Everest. This rich collection of first-person stories has something for everyone, inspiring young readers to try new things, face their fears, and be themselves.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

If you’re expecting the typical format that most Rebel Girls books follow, this one will surprise you. This installment would be a great coffee table book, or something to read a letter from each night or something like that. It is very personal, as it is told in each individual’s voice and from their hearts. Whether it be them simply telling their stories, or sharing hard learned advice. There’s definitely something that will resonate with everyone as the included individuals vary greatly in accomplishments, career, diversity, etc – so I’m sure there’s something for everyone. Though it’s a different format than we are used to, it’s definitely a great addition.

Happy reading!

Review | Rebel Girls Level Up: 25 Tales of Gaming and the Metaverse

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Meet 25 inspiring women in the world of gaming and the metaverse. Read about how they’ve created innovative technology, designed the video games you play, and broken barriers whenever their industry put up walls.

Dive into gamer communities with popular streamers like Imane Anys, better known as Pokimane. Learn to lead with Aya Kyogoku, who directed several Animal Crossing games. Design digital clothing with Roblox creators like cSapphire. And compete in the wild world of esports with pro gamers Sasha Hostyn and Sylvia Gathoni.

This book pairs inspiring, easy-to-read text with colorful full-page portraits created by female and nonbinary artists from all around the world. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls app!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was super excited to see that one of the newer installments in this series was about gaming as it does feel like a space that the series hasn’t explored before. The format is very similar to other installments in the series and is easily consumable with a great mix of different personalities and motivations in the gaming/metaverse community.

The only thing I didn’t love about this installment is that a couple of the images were generating using AI illustration. One of the things I love about these books is the fact that for each person represented, they are also highlighting the work and style of different artists. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding AI art as everyone knows. I’m not going to really get into it in a review, but that did knock me back a bit. I did appreciate the note at the end of the book where this is actually talked about and I appreciate the shared perspective as to the why, but that did upset me a little.

That being said it is still a wonderful addition to the series that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m excited to see what they add next.

Happy reading!

anOther Mythology by Maxwell I. Gold

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A Queer Poetic Retelling of Classic Myths.

From Thanatos to Hades, Maxwell Gold’s book of horror prose poetry reimagines myths from a queer perspective. Gold’s poetry merges camp sensibility and cosmic horror in poems that are beautiful, bloody, and barbed. A poetic soap opera of gods and monsters.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’m always up for anything that tackles lore, fairytales or mythology, so a look at mythology through a queer lens utilizing prose poetry sounded interesting to me. The writing itself is very lyrical, but it is something that you need to sit with and examine. It’s not light, and it’s not meant to be. I thought it was a really good exploration of both well known myths and those that may not be well known to a lot of people, through a unique perspective.

Happy reading!

Review | Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni

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Mean Girls meets Dear White People in this big-hearted, sharp-witted UK boarding school story about family, friendship, and belonging—with a propulsive mystery at its heart. Within the walls of Wodebury Hall, an elite boarding school in the English countryside, reputation is everything. But aspiring photographer Iyanu is more comfortable observing things safely from behind her camera. For Iyanu’s estranged cousin, Kitan, life seems perfect. She has money, beauty, and friends like queen bee Heather. But as a Nigerian girl in a school as white and insular as Wodebury, Kitan struggles with the personal sacrifices needed to keep her place—and the protection she gets—within the exclusive popular crowd. Then photos from Iyanu’s camera are stolen and splashed across the school the week before the Valentine’s Day Ball—each with a juicy secret written on it. With everyone’s dirty laundry suddenly out in the open, the school explodes in chaos, and the whispers accusing Iyanu of being the one behind it all start to feel like déjà vu. Each girl is desperate to unravel the mystery of who stole the photos and why. But exposing the truth will change them all forever.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As soon as I heard that this was a Shakespeare retelling, I was hooked as I have a soft spot for Shakespeare, especially certain plays – A Midsummer Night’s Dream being one of them. I definitely felt that the buzz words of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mean Girls was appropriate. It definitely wasn’t just a light, funny story though, there were very real issues that were tackled and woven into the story, such as bullying, racism and other issues that teens face on a regular basis. It was a fast paced read for me that was hard to put down once the secrets started being revealed. I wasn’t expecting to go through a lot of twists and turns, so was happily surprised when there were points where I was left guessing what was going on. All in all a fantastic debut and I look forward to what this author comes up with next.

Happy reading!

Review | The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert

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From Boston Globe/Horn Book Award–winning author Brandy Colbert comes the story of four generations of a Hollywood family—an unforgettable tale of ambition, fame, struggle, loss, and love in America.

The Blackwoods. Everyone knows their name. Blossom Blackwood burst onto the silver screen in 1962, and in the decades that followed, she would become one of the most celebrated actors of our time—and the matriarch of the most famous Black family in Hollywood. To her great-granddaughters, Hollis and Ardith, she has always just been Bebe. And when she passes away, it changes everything. Hollis Blackwood was never interested in fame. Still, she’s surrounded by it, whether at home with her family or at the prestigious Dupree Academy among Los Angeles’ elite.

When private photos of Hollis are leaked in the wake of Blossom’s death, she is thrust into the spotlight she’s long avoided—and finds that trust may be a luxury even she can’t afford. Ardith Blackwood has always lived in the public eye. A television star since childhood, she was perhaps closer with Blossom than anyone—especially after Ardith’s mother died in a drug overdose. Ever since, she has worked to be everything her family, her church, and the public want her to be. But as a family secret comes to light and the pressures from all sides begin to mount, she wonders what is left beneath the face she shows the world.

Weaving together the narratives of Hollis, Ardith, and Blossom, award-winning author Brandy Colbert tells an unforgettable story set in an America where everything is personal, and nothing is private.  

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy this one, mostly because it isn’t necessarily a subject I reach for much, but the premise intrigued me enough that I wanted to give it a read – and I’m glad I did. It does take some time to get going, but I really enjoyed the multi-generational aspect and the way we were moving back and forth between them. I really enjoyed the look at Black Hollywood as it is something I don’t know a lot about, but can definitely see a place for books like this to explore it. Colbert’s writing style is wonderful and easily consumable, which makes me want to pick up more of their books in the future. I did feel that there were some things that could have been perhaps fleshed out a bit more, such as things happening in the present, but that doesn’t mean the story wasn’t complete. Overall I’m really glad I picked this one up and found it to be a very enjoyable read.

Happy reading!