reioka-reads

[reioka-reads]

What the fuck

She just ended it there and. The next book doesn't come out until November? Like I enjoyed it and I'm excited for the next book but this is a lot to take in

#books #reading #reioka reads #fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[reioka-reads]

I spoke too soon I think Violet should get to kill him slowly

Just kidding Dain can go get fucked by his fucking rules die

#books #reading #reioka reads #fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[reioka-reads]

Me: This is an adult book treat it seriously

My brain: Tairn and Andarna :V

#books #reading #reioka reads #fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[reioka-reads]

I must say I enjoy the diversity in this book and how it's just treated as normal. Nobody cares who sleeps with who. They/Them pronouns played without gendered descriptions of the character. Characters who Sign. It's nice. I'm sure other books do this too but like sometimes their diversity just falls flat in a way? Idk. I just really liked the Signing character.

#books #reading #reioka reads #fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[reioka-reads]

Just kidding Dain can go get fucked by his fucking rules die

#books #reading #reioka reads #fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[reioka-reads]

Me trying to figure out how I feel about where this story went

My god. It’s good but like. I had to set the book aside before reading the last three chapters because I was so fucking stunned. I never could have seen that twist coming. Bitch that wasn’t a twist that was a goddamn PRETZEL. That twist looped around behind me, smacked my ass, and called me sweetheart. And I LIKED it.

So I ended up grabbing that book off TikTok called Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor because I'm a bleeding heart apparently. I'm reading it at work because I have like two hours of downtime and don't wanna be on my phone the whole time.

I've gotta say, I can definitely see where this could have used improvements. Like it really could have used another go-through and edited one last time before going to print. There's some formatting that's kind of weird, especially when the characters are talking, and it's kind of a struggle to figure out which one is speaking because of it.

That being said, the premise is great. I love mysteries, and the sixteen-year-old character actually acts like a sixteen-year-old, not an adult in a teenager's body. The ghosts are unlike anything I've read before and I find them incredibly compelling. Like this is a great debut novel even with all the formatting and pacing changes I think could be helpful. I believe he self-published as well? Which could also lend to why an editor did not find and note these problems. That being said I could definitely get into a sequel. It's fun and fresh and I'm enjoying it.

#books #reading #reioka reads #leigh howard and the ghosts of simmons-pierce manor #shawn m. warner

[reioka-reads]

So I ended up grabbing that book off TikTok called Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor because I'm a bleeding heart apparently. I'm reading it at work because I have like two hours of downtime and don't wanna be on my phone the whole time.

I've gotta say, I can definitely see where this could have used improvements. Like it really could have used another go-through and edited one last time before going to print. There's some formatting that's kind of weird, especially when the characters are talking, and it's kind of a struggle to figure out which one is speaking because of it.

That being said, the premise is great. I love mysteries, and the sixteen-year-old character actually acts like a sixteen-year-old, not an adult in a teenager's body. The ghosts are unlike anything I've read before and I find them incredibly compelling. Like this is a great debut novel even with all the formatting and pacing changes I think could be helpful. I believe he self-published as well? Which could also lend to why an editor did not find and note these problems. That being said I could definitely get into a sequel. It's fun and fresh and I'm enjoying it.

#books #reading #reioka reads #leigh howard and the ghosts of simmons-pierce manor #shawn m. warner

[reioka-reads]

This is not a complaint or a criticism btw this is simply an observation. I hope they have a threesome.

My friend said "it's hard to believe she was a romance novelist and this is her first fantasy!" but babe I already clocked who Violet is going to fuck.

#books #reading #reioka reads #rebecca yarros #fourth wing

[reioka-reads]

My friend said "it's hard to believe she was a romance novelist and this is her first fantasy!" but babe I already clocked who Violet is going to fuck.

#books #reading #reioka reads #rebecca yarros #fourth wing

[reioka-reads]

Reading Fourth Wing because a friend bought it for me because I was too scared to read her limited dragon-printed one and the world building in this book is really neat! Not a slog at all. Is this how you guys feel when you read my AUs? If you're even halfway as impressed with my world building as I am with Yarros's, I am astounded.

#books #reading #reioka reads #fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[reioka-reads]

Me, reading my Dynamic Dames book: Did Greta Garbo start the “there’s only one bed” trope

#reioka reads #dynamic dames #sloan de forest #books #reading

[reioka-reads]

I really do appreciate the stylistic choice they made for Jennette's shocked "….……WHAT?" Like the emotion is right there on the page and I know exactly how she said it because it's exactly how I said it.

#reioka reads #i’m glad my mom died #jennette mccurdy #books #reading

[reioka-reads]

Title: Iron Widow

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

Status: Keep

Series Continue: Yes

Okay. So. I’m going to preface this by saying that this has some spoilers in it. It’s only been a year so I’m aware that some people might still be on the waiting list at their library for this NYT Best Seller lol.

Anyway, sometimes I take a peep at the negative reviews on books to see if it changes my perspective and this time they absolutely did not. A lot of the negative reviews on this book have the same talking points: It feels rushed/some parts feel shoehorned in. And I agree. But you know what? Zhao does too. I remember them making a post somewhere (I follow them on both Tumblr and TikTok so it could have been either one) explaining how they had to cut back parts because it was their debut novel and in the publishing industry, the companies don’t like those novels to exceed a certain amount. Zhao, also, was not satisfied with their novel as it was published. Knowing that, I felt like I could see the parts where they cut back to fit into those guidelines. I think, if they hadn’t had to cut back, it would have been an even better book than it is.

That being said, I thought this book was great. I actually caught Zhao on TikTok and that’s what led me to reading the book (they are very funny and clever). It was an interesting premise and I enjoyed it. It felt very… refreshing, somehow? I’m not sure that’s the word I want but you know, after the inundation of vampires/werewolves/wizard schools the past few years, it was a breath of fresh air. I especially loved that the one-sidedness of the love triangle lasted maybe about a minute before all of these bi disasters decided actually no let’s be a true triangle. Good for them.

Zetian was brutality in its purest form. I love that for her. But I also loved the parts where she was vulnerable—where she allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of the men she loved. And how she refused to feel shame in front of others either. I also, for some reason, really like that she’s disabled? And it’s a focal point of the story, her constantly thinking about how she’s crippled and how it was supposed to make her desirable but all it did was make her life harder; how she’s constantly comparing her Lotus feet to the unmarred feet of her female peers and feeling envy and shame. It’s not a throwaway problem, it doesn’t get fixed, and I’m interested to see how it’s going to show up in the story in the future. I wish we could have seen Yizhi and Shimin fleshed out as much as she was, but the breadcrumbs that were dropped that I pieced together have me looking forward to maybe seeing more fleshing out in the sequel(s).

This story had so many twists and turns that I was constantly and genuinely shocked (delightfully so!) when they happened. I itched to get back to the book when I had to put it down; I wanted to know what happened next. I honestly didn’t expect the betrayal from the Black Tortoise and Shimin’s “death,” and I mourned with Zetian as soon as his qi reader hit zero. Then she actually found Qin Zheng and the yellow dragon! Piloted it herself!!! And then Shimin wasn’t dead and apparently the “gods” had saved him?! What the fuck!!!! And Yizhi simply killing his father with no remorse, no regrets. Qiu was probably the only person who figured out how Zetian truly ticked and he was so busy facing off with her that he didn’t even think his son could or would turn on him. My only beef is that Xiuying wasn’t alive to see Zetian crush her family to death, so that she could see that Zetian was stronger than her in every way.

I have more thoughts but I can’t really seem to articulate them, so I think I’ll leave this here. So bummed that the release date for Heavenly Tyrant has been pushed back, but I appreciate that Zhao is being transparent for their reasons. If pushing it back means a better story, I’m happy to wait.

#reioka reads #iron widow #xiran jay zhao #book review #books #reading

[reioka-reads]

Absolutely ghoulish that a nurse tried to ask Jennette for her picture while her mother is dying between them. What the fuck. Actors are people too.

#reioka reads #i’m glad my mom died #jennette mccurdy #books #reading

[reioka-reads]

My twin sibling has mentioned that in interviews Jennette McCurdy is often asked “but are you really glad your mom died?” as if it’s just some ploy to sell more books or she can’t really be glad her mom is dead and she always answers, “Yep! I’m really glad she died! :)” and I’d just like to say I don’t understand how anyone can read this book and ask that question of her.

With every page, I’m glad her mom died, too.

#books #reading #reioka reads #i’m glad my mom died #jennette mccurdy

[reioka-reads]

I… finished it

#reioka reads #iron widow #xiran jay zhao #books #reading

[reioka-reads]

“It would not be noble or respectable just because I did it alone.” Hmmmm gonna come back to this. It evokes something in me.

#reioka reads #iron widow #xiran jay zhao #books #reading