Scan barcode
thereadinghammock's reviews
599 reviews
Cities of Smoke and Starlight by Alli Earnest
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Just wasn't interested, and that's OK. Maybe I'll get back to it in the future
Invitations by C.M. Nascosta
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You gotta love going into a book knowing it's going to knock you off your axis in all the ways you expected, and a few that you didn't as well. I laughed. I cried. I had several Whoppi Goldberg "you in danger, girl" exclamations.
The girls are back and things are seemingly great. But Ris and Lurielle are feeling the longevity of their long lives, compared to the comparatively short ones of their orcish lovers and it's a heavy burden to contend with. Silva is finally feeling confident enough to push Tate into her elvish sphere in a more meaningful way. To marry Silva of the Daytime and Silva of the Nighttime; to be just Silva, only for Tate to hold her at arms length again.
Everyone goes through some growing pains in this one. Learning that relationships have to evolve to survive. That communication with a partner is great, but you also need to make sure you're still on the same page together. That laughter and support through the hard times is even more important than in the easy times. And that counting on tomorrow isn't a guarantee.
I'm positively vibrating with excitement to see how this all wraps up in Reunions at the end of the year!!!
The girls are back and things are seemingly great. But Ris and Lurielle are feeling the longevity of their long lives, compared to the comparatively short ones of their orcish lovers and it's a heavy burden to contend with. Silva is finally feeling confident enough to push Tate into her elvish sphere in a more meaningful way. To marry Silva of the Daytime and Silva of the Nighttime; to be just Silva, only for Tate to hold her at arms length again.
Everyone goes through some growing pains in this one. Learning that relationships have to evolve to survive. That communication with a partner is great, but you also need to make sure you're still on the same page together. That laughter and support through the hard times is even more important than in the easy times. And that counting on tomorrow isn't a guarantee.
I'm positively vibrating with excitement to see how this all wraps up in Reunions at the end of the year!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Blood and Pregnancy
Exhibited by Nellie Wilson
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"And then I met you. And you feel safe."
Finding your person can happen when you least expect it and in the last place you'd think to look. All the hype for this last book in the Museology trilogy I read and saw was calling this a gentle love story and Nellie nailed it. It's not often that I'm genuinely moved to tears (or very near tears, because emotions are hard) while reading a book and Jeremy and Davis were the softest for each other and I was LIVING for it.
My heart ached with Davis's struggles and fears to be an openly queer man in a role that's often very heteronormative. Jeremy's emotions journey of having to navigate love in the shadow of idolizing parents relationship and not having them with him to celebrate finding that kind of love for himself too.
I can't wait to continue to see more of the Vanberg crew in the next set of stories!!
Finding your person can happen when you least expect it and in the last place you'd think to look. All the hype for this last book in the Museology trilogy I read and saw was calling this a gentle love story and Nellie nailed it. It's not often that I'm genuinely moved to tears (or very near tears, because emotions are hard) while reading a book and Jeremy and Davis were the softest for each other and I was LIVING for it.
My heart ached with Davis's struggles and fears to be an openly queer man in a role that's often very heteronormative. Jeremy's emotions journey of having to navigate love in the shadow of idolizing parents relationship and not having them with him to celebrate finding that kind of love for himself too.
I can't wait to continue to see more of the Vanberg crew in the next set of stories!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
Skyward, Vol. 1: My Low-G Life by Joe Henderson
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Death of parent, and Classism
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera
Did not finish book. Stopped at 71%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 71%.
I just didn't find myself caring about Cora or Manuela enough to want to finish it. Their relationship is so hot and cold, and I know it has a HEA so my brain already knows she'll leave the fiancé in Venezuela for Cora and they'll live on Sapphic bliss in Paris or something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I feel like I fell in love with Percy as accidentally as Kit did as the story progressed. He started as such a prat, really living up to the life of privilege he clearly grew up in. But as his attitude toward his predicament, and his deeper direct involvement with the scheme to steal from his father to blackmail him (to pay the other blackmailer), he really grew on me as a character.
We had to earn the fantastic ending through watching Percy grow as a person and watch Percy help bring Kit out of the doldrums living he'd been shuffling through in the year since the accident that forced him to leave his life of highway robbery behind. It was lovely to see Kit's gruff demeanor thaw and soften toward Percy as they planned their heist, and the honesty of Kitt's "I've never done this with a man, but I know this is real and good and right." was lovely and felt so pure.
We had to earn the fantastic ending through watching Percy grow as a person and watch Percy help bring Kit out of the doldrums living he'd been shuffling through in the year since the accident that forced him to leave his life of highway robbery behind. It was lovely to see Kit's gruff demeanor thaw and soften toward Percy as they planned their heist, and the honesty of Kitt's "I've never done this with a man, but I know this is real and good and right." was lovely and felt so pure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Dorsey was truly insufferable and I had no interest in Liza's general demeanor. I didn't resonate with anyone.
All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions by Iliza Shlesinger
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
This book has all the wit, humor, and poignant talking points you come to expect from Iliza Shlesinger. While I'm sure the print version is great, I knew listening to the audio would be the perfect format, since Iliza herself reads it, which means you get every funny aside in the hilarious voices she does and with the comedic timing and cadence of a professional stand-up comedian. It's a short, but very easily digestible listen and I found myself genuinely laughing out loud as I did yard work while listening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Miscarriage
Moderate: Animal death, Sexism, Excrement, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol and Pandemic/Epidemic
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Robin Wall Kimmerer reads this weaving of story, history, cultural reclamation, and scientific exploration in beautiful narrative and such a calming voice. I was entranced by the cultural stories, celebrations of the land and natural world by the Indigenous communities across the country. I enjoyed seeing the marrying of traditional land stewardship with contemporary western science; possibly even more when traditional stewardship shows how care and respect for the world around us can also care for us in turn.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide and Colonisation
Minor: Racism and Grief
The Gargoyle from General Management by Kate Prior
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Not the strongest of the Claws and Cubicles so far. It shared most of the same humor, because who doesn't love dunking on office culture, but I don't feel like I was invested in Gwen and Vlad until at least the 75% mark. I never really felt pulled to pick it back up as I was juggling 3 other books at the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying and Outing