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libraryofbaxobab · 6 days

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April 24, 2024:

After finishing this, I sat quietly for a long moment. I considered this book and it's chilling foreword's meaning. I considered my own culpability for writing & posting this review. I considered throwing my phone into a quarry and running off to live in the wilderness. Only thing is, all that and I still wouldn't be able to escape.

This is a very particular flavor of horror. It's not fear-- the only anxiety is from waiting for the downward spiral to start. After that, it's kind of calming, in a way: even though worse and worse things are happening, they are presented with non-urgency, an eerie peace by design. Of course this awful thing is happening, the characters have completely forgotten that it's awful. Once the stage is set, the depravity starts up pretty quick.

In the foreword (which again, dropped more of a weight on me than the rest of the book), we are introduced to some of the fundamentals of marketing, priming the reader to understand that this is a book about consumerism. But more than that, this is a book about wanting. Ordinary, hideous wanting.

Narratively, the story is satisfying! Dark as hell, yes, and with a heavy dose of madness. It's a straightforward sort of madness though. Even if I want to disagree on the underlying assumptions about human nature and pure id, it all makes sense. Writing-wise, it could use a little more work for its proofreading problems and especially accidental substitutions of similar-sounding words. Actual example: use of the word "innately" when they clearly meant a word like "intricately." I think maybe that's something I'll just have to deal with when reading something from publishers unknown.

There are a few pieces of the overall theme (I can't rightly call it a metaphor) that I'm still trying to parse, so I'd love for more people to read this so I can compare notes.

8/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 16 days

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April 13, 2024:

Based on how much I loved her other book, Dead Silence, my expectations were too high. I spent the first half of this book concerned that this was wayyy too similar to We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen but by the time the good stuff (i.e., the horrors) started happening I finally perked up.

I just love when a character is losing their mind, tries to speak, and then hears what they *actually* said. It must be so hard to write that in a way that scans, but it also wouldn't work in any other format. That scene was fantastic.

However, in general, the characterization "ineffectual psychologist who is more damaged and neurotic than literally everyone else" does not speak to me. Somehow they're always overly concerned with subtle power dynamics & what every little utterance or facial expression could mean, while also simultaneously acting clueless, overreacting, & speaking like they've never studied psychology. They're more like paranoid sociologists but it's harder to shoehorn in a sociologist into an interplanetary mission (hello, Invisible Things by Mat Johnson, I see you). People who watch Dr. Grande's YouTube channel have more clinical knowledge. To be fair, this particular Unwelcome Sci-Fi Psychologist is the best one I've come across, but I still just generally don't like it. Personally.

I was also waiting for a big twist and there wasn't one. I also didn't like how happy the ending was. For what was going on and the impossible position the characters were in, that pulled punch was way, way too soft. Not that everything has to be grimdark edgy shit, but this ending was all just a little too convenient.

6.5/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 20 days

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April 5, 2024:

I... hesitate to call this horror. It's more like tense historical fiction that suddenly veers into fantasy territory. This certainly does not merit the title or cover art, which imply this should be about 17th-century witches, instead of a 1920s nurse fighting for the right to wear pants. I don't know. I liked it for sure, I just wouldn't say it evokes the feelings I associate with horror. Maybe that means I'm desensitized.

The conflict is mostly transphobes vs healthcare, and while that's horrifying in real life, it's also pretty mundane. This is for fans of Upright Women Wanted (Sarah Gailey) with an added power fantasy attached, and a main character who occupies the same gender-space as Alex Easton in the Sworn Soldier series (T. Kingfisher).

You could absolutely market this as a dark paranormal T4T romance. I liked seeing sexual tension between two trans men! I don't usually get that, and they switch who is bottom so that's cool. And the rumors are true: Monsterfucking.

7/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 21 days

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April 3, 2024:

I've caught up, so no more Pentecost & Parker for me until the author writes more, but I'm a ride or die fan now. They got me. The sometimes-butch, sometimes-femme bisexual detective is in my bloodstream now.

I found this one a little annoying because of the important subplot being based on a pointless lie which always irks me, but I'll forgive it because the mystery part was so good.

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libraryofbaxobab · 27 days

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April 2, 2024:

Reading this is like going through the Reddit post history of a mass shooter: starts out violently unhinged to begin with and only gets more and more incoherent. And if that sounds like a fucked up comparison to make, know that this is a fucked up book.

It's also disturbingly thought-provoking, mixed in with the demented philosophy screed and pornographic cruelty. Horrifically, I think I accidentally learned something. And the subtle slide from at least intelligible madness to fully incomprehensible madness was superbly written.

At 150 pages, it only took 1 night to read. I... might have to read it again.

[CENSORED]/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 28 days

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April 2, 2024:

I'm eating these by the handful like Skittles, and for this reason I don't think it's right to review each of them. All you have to know is they're fun and I love every accent the audiobook narrator does.

8.5/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 1 month

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March 26, 2024:

I thought giving it a couple days would help me gather my thoughts, but looks like they want to remain ungathered. So here's what I've got:

This main character is a gift to me. She/her nonbinary, who presents androgynously, with moderate-to-severe mental illness and in desperate denial of her attraction to her cameraman. There's A LOT going on there and that's just the character, aside from the plot. I love her, and even more I loved seeing her from his perspective; his interpretation of her body language, how he regards her when they're alone, what he sees when she's in Business Mode. All that was gloriously romantic without being too much.

Storywise, there are a lot of characters and moving parts, considering there is a mystery on top of a mystery and everyone is holding something back, but also there is the "you can't go home" subplot, but also there is the secret backstory, but also there is the possibility that there's Something In The Woods. Normally, I'd say a book with all that is trying to do too much. But... can I really call it too much if it's all handled competently? The only part where I think it dropped the ball is with the one missing teenager, that kinda got overshadowed by the main character's personal stuff, but then again this story's about her not them.

8/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 1 month

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March 23, 2024:

Major points for body horror, and not the kind I expected. There was a good escalation of squirmy, disgusting moments but the abrupt ending left me wanting at least one more.

I've been encountering quite a few horror novels that turn out to be primarily about abusive sapphic relationships specifically; it seems to be a trend. Or, it's been a staple of the genre since Carmilla (1872), hard to tell... It's weird though, that I wouldn't consider any of them "queer horror," this isn't what I think of when I say that phrase. In fact, this book contains very few, if any, politics.

5.5/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 1 month

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March 22, 2024:

This is my second time reading this, since it's this month's Last Words book club pick.

Somehow, I had already forgotten all the details other than "this book is really good" and this time round, I was able to pick up on the themes more. Not that they're subtle. But I like to think I've gotten better at close-reading in the last couple years.

Not much to say, I think this book still kicks ass, I love the character, and-- thank god-- I'm so glad-- it has no sequel. Story complete

#WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 1 month

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Welcome to the Library of Baxobab

Please present your Library Card. If you do not have a Library Card, you can apply for one! All you need is your Library Card as identification.

1-2’s: Not really worth my time, or I regret reading this. 3-4’s: Below average, or even good until it betrayed me. 5’s: Average. Decent. Understood the assignment. 6-7’s: A good book I had a fun time reading. 8-9’s: This rules, and I highly recommend it. 10’s: This book was written for me.

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libraryofbaxobab · 1 month

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March 17, 2024:

My streak of fantasies with themes of colonialism continues. Of course the locals know that no one who goes into the woods ever returns, but the conqueror monarch's children are a different story. The question is, are they fully innocent of their father's crimes, or poised to benefit from the continuation of violence?

The first thing I noticed about this dark fairytale is that it's so pretty. I was on, like, page two and already smiling like I was looking at a beautiful painting. So while the story is painful and cruel, the writing is lush so you can feel free to agonize succulently.

A lot of the traditional hallmarks of old fairy tales can easily get lost in translation for a modern reader. We prefer things to be fair, to make sense, to be explained. For even harshness to follow its own recognizable logic. There is a bit of that last one present here, but I'm pleased to see the resurrection of some classic tropes:

The rules that must be followed seem nonsensical and arbitrary

The creatures are certainly unkind but not necessarily malicious

Punishments are severe & enforced by the world itself

Supernatural powers are not explained or even questioned

Unclear if protagonist's abilities are magic or cleverness

Magic is real but also isn't

As you can probably tell, worldbuilding is both the focus and the highlight, so the tradeoff is that the narrative itself isn't complex & the characters aren't super dynamic (much like a classic fairytale, how about that).

7.5/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 1 month

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March 17, 2024:

I'm really on the fence because technically this is a complete heist... but it also ends on a weird cliffhanger in the middle of the consequences right after a huge reveal. So it's really not resolved and I find that kind of sequel bait really, really annoying. There's a difference, a fine one, between 'wanting more' and 'dissatisfied.'

However! I see this as a great thrill for its intended audience. There are secrets and reveals, there is a strong anti-colonialist overtone, and all the characters are just... so, so horny.

I liked the found family brother-sister relationship (non-horny) between the main characters, I liked the internal struggle of the rich girl trying to decide where she belongs. I liked the rules for vampires: how they're created, what their weaknesses are, how they're treated by society at large. The vampire rules here resemble those of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, which I consider the standard and a return to my roots as a reader of Vampire Shit.

I did not like that most of the male characters were kind of the same; pissy, flirtatious asshole is too powerful an archetype to be overused like this. Three pissy, flirtatious assholes is far too many, even if their pissiness, flirtation, and assholery are pointed in different directions.

6.5/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 2 months

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March 11, 2024:

This book comes out in June! I requested this ARC from the author via BookSirens so I could review it early! Cause I'm like that!

First, the premise: the last 4 contestants on legally-not-The-Bachelor, their basic-ass bachelor, and a camera crew go to a spooky mansion in the woods to film the season finale, but somebody has ulterior motives and shit gets weird.

Yes please! I love reality TV in horror novels. Weirdly, the characters in this book act more reasonably than I'd expect from characters in a reality show like this one. Also I strongly suspect the behind-the-scenes is not even close to how shows like this are made, BUT if that part was totally accurate none of this would happen and we would have no fun. I suggest we let it slide.

Positive notes:

The Scary Thing is pretty unique! There is eventually a physical being which is cool but I mean more the process and mechanism is pretty out there. It's telegraphed early, but why it's happening is left ambiguous

Interactions between contestants was so much fun. There's alliance, intimidation, attraction, paranoia... very cool watching their feelings toward each other constantly shifting

Great character arc as one overly-dependent woman becomes more powerful & confident but watch out!

Catharsis at having some of the contestants lose interest in the bachelor and start noticing each other. Everyone has always wanted that to happen, right? Not just me, surely

Camera crew polycule

Negative notes:

The writing is pretty unpolished. I understand this ARC is uncorrected, so hopefully most of the typos are cleaned up by time of publication, but there were a LOT of them by the end.

In a few places it was very unclear what the characters were doing/ talking about/ reacting to, which were likely just misedits that took out crucial scene information. At some points the narration seemed uncertain on exactly how many people had died, misplaced details like that.

Neutral notes:

I found it interesting how often the narration referred to the contestants as "women" vs how often the characters referred to them as "ladies." There's something there

There's not the kind of creepy progression I expect from a book like this. The bizarre tree-themed house is a fantastic setting and has some very good secrets, but scary happenings don't escalate in a familiar pattern

This results in a definite "feel" with this book. Like you can just tell it's a little unusual. It tastes like it didn't follow a recipe. Your mileage my vary on this: you could love it for its less-formulaic vibe, or you might prefer a more tried-and-true experience.

Overall, this is a tough one to review because on one hand it's rough around the edges and I can't say it's objectively great... but I feel some pressure to be kind to an author who likely won't get a lot of press. And here's the important thing: I did enjoy this a lot! How does it stack up to books in the same vein? I like it less than Hide by Kiersten White, but WORLDS better than The Holy Terrors.

7/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 2 months

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March 8, 2024:

Tell me why I teared up during a funeral scene in a murder mystery. You know, the one type of book guaranteed to have a dead person in it. Where the focus seems to be on everything but the emotional impact of the loss of the deceased. There was something deeply moving about the community's funerary flair.

This series in general puts a smile on my face. I liked Fortune Favors The Dead a bit more, but probably for the novelty of it. I love these characters, I love their voices, I love the vibrancy in these pages.

8/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

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libraryofbaxobab · 2 months

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Doomsday prepper but instead of hoarding water and rations I’m hoarding books that I don’t have time to read.

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libraryofbaxobab · 2 months

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March 2, 2024:

I'm so deep into my niche that I forgot there was normiecore horror. That people who hate thinking about things too hard & forget everything they've read as soon as they close the cover are a demographic that needs something to read.

I was going to claim that this book is boring.

I was going to complain that the horror has so little to do with the premise it's infuriating.

I was going to recommend that if you wanted to read this for some reason, start on page 130 because most of it is there to waste your time on characters I couldn't bother to like or hate.

But I think the most damning thing I can say about this book is that it is disinterested in challenging or even examining any of its assumptions. From its gushy worship of *~European culture~* to its tacit endorsement of gentrification, from the bland detachment with which it references historical atrocities to its ambivalence about polarizing topics, it remains offensively uncritical. It has presented me with a world very similar to the one I live in but told me there's nothing wrong with it.

It's rare to find a book that goes so far out of its way to ask no questions and make no statements. Thank goodness.

2/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

#whatskenyareading #books #reading #horror #library #the house of last resort #italy #Sicily #travel #immigration #emigrate #revitalization #gentrification #exorcism #demons #catholiscism #priest

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libraryofbaxobab · 2 months

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I'm so happy to see libraries working!

I have been on the waitlist for a book for almost 4 months now. My local library system only had one copy of it & that copy does not appear to have come back.

Generally, items can be checked out for 3 weeks at a time and will only renew if no one else is waiting for it. Something must have happened to this book because it never changed status-- did the last person just never give it back? Was it damaged? Was it lost? Who knows!

Today I checked, and now I see the library system has ordered 4 new copies of this book! That's 5 sales for this author, and 4 of those are in part because of me. And it cost me nothing! I could have been impatient and bought my own copy, but at best that's 2 sales for the author if I don't buy secondhand. Not that I take full credit for all 4 new copies, as there are 6 people currently on the waitlist, but because we increased the demand for this title, someone took notice. And because someone took notice, I benefit, 5 other patrons benefit, the library benefits, and the author benefits.

Can I get a W in the chat for libraries

#library #books #reading #book #authors #readers #publishing #writer #fiction #sale #sales #libraries #library card #books & libraries #local library

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