The first book is the older one and it’s Jurassic Park! It’s quite different from the movie, with more violence but also a lot of great social commentary. The focus is a lot more on the issues of unregulated bioengineering and the effect it has on the world and people, as well as criticising capitalism and the greed of the rich and how they exploit those around them, and refuses to listen to experts in the subjects. And of course there’s plenty of action, and it is amazingly written!

I’ve also enjoyed the books Strange Buildings, Strange Houses and Strange Pictures by Uketsu, which are more horror/thriller. I don’t really know how to describe them, but they’re about a man that discovers weird things about like floor-plans (Strange Buildings and Strange Houses) and drawings (Strange Pictures). And then seeks to uncover the mysteries behind them. All of the books have themes of the hardship of motherhood and familial issues, which I found quite interesting, because I’m unsure if it was actually a conscious choice from the author or if it simply happened. The books are also written as like more of a series of interviews and transcripts. Although, there is some traditional writing-style in them as well.

The Sun Down motel by Simone St. James was also enjoyable. We follow a woman in 1989, who mysteriously disappears from her shift at the Sun-down motel one night, and then her niece many years later as she tries to uncover the mystery of what happened to her aunt all those years ago. The switches between the two perspectives are done very well. And I feel like the author did a great job at keeping the thrill going throughout the book.

And then I’ve just started She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang and I was completely captivated from the beginning. It’s a supernatural horror about a couple moving to the Philippines to stay with the man’s family so they can assist with some family thing, but also so the man can record his series where he shows how ghosts are fake. The couple struggles to find common ground because of their differences in belief and superstition, and when an accident hits, the wife is suddenly in the middle of the dark secrets that her husband’s family has, while feeling completely alone. The chapters switch between the wife and husband’s perspectives, and beyond supernatural horror, it deals with themes of emotional neglect, guilt, building resentment and like caregiver burn-out? I would describe it as. So far, it’s absolutely amazing.

Thank you, darling!! 🤩 I think we are a good taste match since I’ve read a couple of the books you mentioned and really enjoyed them!

I’m afraid I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump for the last month 😭 But I’ll try for you, dearest!

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati: My favorite read of the year so far! Fits in well with the current Iliad/Odyssey craze, and had a unique take on the infamous character. I’m actually going to go pick up the author’s other novel, Babylonia, later today.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: Sapphic sci-fi enemies-to-lovers! It’s has a very complex time traveling story for such a short novella. Even though it took me a couple chapters to get into, by the end of it I was crying over a very beautiful love story.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman: I don’t know if you like horror, but this was a really intriguing novel! It’s from the perspective of a young girl being stalked by a demon. Definitely one of the scariest books I’ve ever read.

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan: This is actually my current non-fiction read, but I’m almost finished. It’s heavy, but a very interesting look at mental health, the struggles at high academic schools, and the world of athletics.

Other recs:

I haven’t read it, but two of my sisters and a bunch of my friends have been raving about Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke- the psychological thriller about the tradwife influencer who wakes up in 1855.

My husband just finished Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and said it was amazing. I’ve been meaning to read this for a long time since my mom showed me the mini-series when I was a kid (and she actually gave my husband her copy of the book 🥰). I can definitely vouch that it’s a very beautiful story!

I’m not sure if I actually need spoilers for a book that released in 2016, but imma do it anyways.

So I am basically done with the book, I’m just missing around 90 pages and I already have a few opinions that I need to get out.

We have our three most relevant characters and one of them, the protagonist, is Chance Rain. The book series is written for children (11~ years old) and that is why I think the plot is written in an obvious-way, I managed to predict everything so far, even tho I avoid predicting stuff. That isn’t bad by the way, I had to mention that the writing style felt like it was made for a younger audience. ANYWAY, the brutality of this book tho????? how is it for 11 year olds? I like the action scenes, I like how packed the book is with action scenes, but god damn is it brutally written.

It doesn’t describe the scenes in a “disgusting way” but it still is pretty graphic, which made me double check if the book really is a children’s book. I personally liked it, I like when books leave you speechless because of the gruesome stuff and the action and brutal scenes are well written, so it makes it really enjoyable.

About the characters: We have the protagonist (like earlier mentioned) Chance Rain, his older brother Patrick Rain and Patrick’s girlfriend, Alex (I forget her last name and I can’t find it).

I like their dynamic but at the same time it frustrates me a lot, because each individual relationship makes sense and is written in a cohesive way, but as a group dynamic??? god I hate it. Alex and Patrick stick to each other like glue, which is fair, but Patrick was about to die and he knew he had only 48 hrs left, and that bitch-ass mainly spend time with his girlfriend than with his younger brother, who would’ve also lost him!!!!

That genuinely made me so mad, their relationship is poorly written, because they seem so codependent of each other and it’s actually frustrating to read. They are always stuck to each other and especially in a post-apocalyptic scenario I feel like the characters should focus more on all of the people they care for, because they already lost so many, why would you focus on one person solely? Of course the affection should vary, Chance is his younger brother and not his lover (thankfully), but it actually feels like Patrick has no emotions towards him and I don’t think the author intended to do that, which sucks.

Also there are hints here and there (there were more at the beginning of the book) about Chance having feelings for Alex… yes you are right, his older brother’s girlfriend. I personally find that an awkward dynamic, I don’t enjoy reading about it. Maybe I have interpreted the signals wrong and she is only his “romantic/sexual” awaking, basically his realization that he yearns for a romantic attraction… but not gonna lie, that is still a weird detail to add.

Okay it seems like I only have bad things to say about this book but that isn’t true. I actually quite enjoy the series so far. I like how Chance has a proper character arc and I like to see how he has evolved so far, especially cause he is about to go on a solo mission now against the Hosts and I can just feel how independent and cool he is becoming. Yeah a few people online mentioned that the writing of the book sucks and that people dropped it after a few chapters, but to be honest it doesn’t bother me? I know that the book was intended to be read by children/young teenagers (actually what age range is the term “children”? have I been using it wrong??), so the writing portrays it pretty well. The book uses simple words, the sentences are structured in an easy to understand way and the children in this book are acting and thinking child like. I can understand if it’s off-putting, but I know what I was expecting of this book and for what it is, it is nicely written.

I do think that the content of the book shouldn’t be young teenagers, it should be teenagers and/or young adults, but then it should fix the writing to something more suited for that age-range.

Anyway, I like the plot, I thought that adding the whole alien invasion seemed too random and silly to me (there was a meteor at the beginning mentioned, so aliens aren’t too random). I really thought they will have the parasites/insects explanation, so suddenly hearing aliens was a bit too silly for me, but I am now I quite like the idea.

I like writing or talking about my book opinions, so I will do it once in a while and maybe I’ll learn over time to have it more properly structured, because it feels like I was all over the place. If anyone has feedback, just leave a comment or message me.