Scoured the library to your satisfaction, have you? Excellent.

Hi there! You can call me Sapph. This page acts as a database of books that I've read for a college class. I may keep up with it periodically. If you're seeing tag spam, that's why. Sorry!

[larimarathenium]

And Then There Were None -- Agathan Christie

An invitation to an AirBNB goes horribly wrong.

Hardcover is $17.74 on Amazon (240 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook, and it has been made into several adaptations of various types (though, none recently).

This is one of the original Saw traps, if you've ever seen that movie. Given this book's age and its fame, the twist is already well known-- but if you somehow don't know it, stop reading this review immediately and please go and read the book itself! Otherwise, there's some satisfaction to it-- everyone is there for a reason, and try as they might, they can't outwit it. I do think that the ending, much like Orient Express, falls a little flat in the red herring way-- there's not very much evidence for the reader to come to the correct conclusion. That said, that's 100% the way that it was set up in Saw, so I still had fun with it.

Creativity: ★ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ★ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ⯨

Final evaluation: ★★★★☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

A group of people are lured to Soldier Island on behalf of an eccentric couple that none of them have met. Their first night on the island, everyone in the group is accused of murder, and one of them is poisoned. Over time, they are picked off one by one, in the same methods outlined in a children's poem that is posted in everyone's rooms. The police arrive after everyone is dead with intent of piecing the story back together.

[larimarathenium]

Bookshop by the Sea -- Denise Hunter

A pair of exes are stranded together when a hurricane hits a seaside town.

Paperback is $8.99 on Amazon (336 pages). Also available as an audiobook and ebook.

I just think that this book was a little uninspired. Romance like this doesn't usually suit my fancy because there's nothing behind it. The setup is contrived (as much as I love a good exes-to-lovers story, they don't exactly address the thing that made them exes), and while the characters were sometimes likeable, but their motivations didn't feel super sound to me. I think that there are better books that are more indicative of the genre. I don't dislike Christian Fiction, so that isn't one of my gripes with this book, but as Christian Fiction, I don't think that this book is very fun.

Creativity: ☆ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ☆

Final evaluation: ★★☆☆☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

After a young adulthood of misfortune and taking care of her family as a parentified older sister, Sophie Lawson's luck turns around. She's given a chance to chase her own dream by opening a bookshop. Just before she's set to begin, she attends her younger sister's wedding, where Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart turned bitter ex boyfriend, is in attendance. Though Sophie survives the ordeal, a storm is set to hit their cove, trapping Aiden in town. With Sophie as the only person able to take them in, they're given a long while to sit with who they were-- and who they are now.

[larimarathenium]

The Ministry of Time -- Kaliane Bradley

A government agency brings people from the past to the near future.

Hardcover is $17.43 on Amazon (352 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

The style just jumps off the page. While the pacing is a little difficult to contend with (timeskips aren't consistent and the genre shift is a little sudden), it's fun! It reminds me a lot of a classic romcom with a sci-fi bend to it. I really enjoy when genres are mixed around like this, so it was very fun. I do think that having the male lead be a real guy might be pushing it for some readers, but that's ultimately dealer's choice.

Creativity: ★ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ⯨

Final evaluation: ★★★⯨☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Graham Gore, the first lieutenant of the ship The Erebus, was supposed to die during its voyage to the arctic. The newly minted Ministry of Time instead brings him to the present day as an expat under an unnamed "bridge." As she acquaints him to the modern day, they steadily fall in love with one another. However, there is danger in the ministry, and someone within threatens to put every expat and every bridge in danger.

[larimarathenium]

Red Rabbit -- Alex Grecian

A posse forms to claim a bounty on a witch's head.

Hardcover is $15.84 on Amazon (464 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

To be completely honest with you, I cared a lot more about the witch herself than the main protagonists-- which isn't a bad thing, but given the meandering nature of the plot, it was a little harder to get to the parts that I enjoyed. There are a lot of varying threads at play, and tying them all together is extremely satisfying. If you like more complicated narratives, this book is perfect!

Creativity: ★ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★★☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

The witch Sadie Grace is accused of killing the wives of gentlemen in a Kansas town, leading to a bounty being placed on her head. This is a story in several parts, about the posse hunting her down and her own effort to survive. While several groups form, the primary one is made of a single witch hunter, his young charge, a schoolteacher, and a pair of travelers. They continue the hunt for Sadie Grace after the witch hunter's death, leading all the way to her home and unaware of what else draws them together.

[larimarathenium]

The Gunslinger -- Stephen King

The Last Gunslinger begins his journey to kill the Man in Black.

Hardcover is $16.99 on Amazon (284 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook. There is also a film adaptation!

This is one of my father's favorite books, so I was really excited to read it. Being the beginning of a longrunning saga, it felt a little slow to me, and a lot more like its original parts. This book was originally five different short stories, and though they've been edited into a single volume, there is still some disconnect from one story to the next. Still, this is one of the defining weird westerns, and I think that it's worth cracking into. The characters were fun (if a little stale), and the worldbuilding is not only interesting to consider on its own, but connects every other King book together. Totally worth it!

Creativity: ★ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ⯨ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★⯨☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

The last Gunslinger, Roland, travels through the desert in search of Walter, the Man in Black. He makes it to several locales, including small waypoints and towns overrun by demons. Though he meets many people and briefly accompanies a young boy, Roland's journey is ultimately one that he makes alone.

[larimarathenium]

Play Nice -- Jason Schreier

A thorough overview of Blizzard Entertainment.

Hardcover is $15.59 on Amazon (384 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

I've been following Jason Schreier's gaming journalism for a while now. I was really eager when this book came out, and I wasn't disappointed. It is essentially a chronological story, and I appreciate that sort of storytelling in nonfiction books such as this. It allows connections to be formed between the readers and the people involved, and humanizes some big names beyond the news articles published. I didn't learn quite as much since I've been following Blizzard for a while, but the coverage of the early years was really interesting!

Creativity: ⯨ Did I Learn Something?: ⯨ Storylines: ★ Research Effort: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★★☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

An in-depth biography of Blizzard Entertainment, from its initial conception to its modern controversies. This includes interviews with people involved with Blizzard, an overview of the video game industry as a whole, and other bits of trivia from the office. It includes the origins of Blizzard, its eventual connections to companies like Activision, and the games that made Blizzard popular (Warcraft and StarCraft most notably, though the Overwatch saga is also detailed).

[larimarathenium]

The Martian -- Andy Weir

A botanist is stuck on Mars after the rest of his crew escapes a storm.

Hardcover is $21.17 on Amazon (384 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook. It has also been made into a very good movie!

This is probably one of my favorite books of all time. The science is brought up in an approachable way-- as a layperson, you get the sense that Mark is smart, but you also have an idea of what he's talking about. The humor's approachable, too, and I think that our primary point of view character feels realistic. I love Mark's voice, I love sitting in his head, and I love this book.

Creativity: ★ Characters: ★ Plot: ★ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★★★

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

A storm hits the crew of the Ares as they undergo tasks during a month on Mars, forcing their evacuation. All escape except for botanist Mark Watney. He is presumed dead, but is still very much alive, and forced to survive alone on Mars using meager rations. Meanwhile, Earth learns he lives after declaring him dead, and mounts a rescue mission to bring him home.

[larimarathenium]

Devil's Call -- J. Danielle Dorn

After the death of her husband, a witch hunts for revenge.

Paperback is $11.99 on Amazon (275 pages). Also available as an audiobook and ebook.

I tore through all of this in like a day. It was super compelling, and the magic felt super thoughtful. I love these kinds of stories! I will say that the timeline didn't feel quite right, and we jumped over months in an instant, so parts of it feel a little difficult to track-- and the plot was a little contrived in a way that feels a little cruel to the reader (a little like a "gotcha! you thought it was a single thing, and you should feel bad for thinking that!), but it ultimately wasn't enough to make me put it down.

Creativity: ★ Characters: ★ Plot: ☆ Genre Consistency: ⯨ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★⯨☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Li Lian is a witch, descended from an old Scottish clan. Ever wild, she never thought that she would settle-- but she falls in love with army doctor Matthew Callahan, and moves with him out west to Nebraska to care for a frontier town. Early in her pregnancy, a man uses his lackeys as bait to shoot Matthew dead in order to plant a seed of darkness in Li Lian. His goal is to send her on a journey of revenge in order to purge the evil from her. Li Lian takes the bait and chases him down, chronicling the adventure for her young daughter.

[larimarathenium]

The Ghost Variations -- Kevin Brockmeier

An anthology of ghost stories.

Hardcover is $21.00 on Amazon (288 pages). Also available as a n audiobook and ebook.

Because of the genre variation within horror, it can be a little harder to sell. I enjoy anthologies, so I had a lot of fun, but the length of some of the stories was a little frustrating. It seemed like some of them stopped just when I was starting to enjoy them.

Creativity: ★ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ★ Genre Consistency: ⯨ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★★☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

It sure contains variations of ghosts, alright! The stories inside are very short and easy to get into, and though they share the common theme of ghosts, they truly jump from genre to genre.

[larimarathenium]

Poverty, by America -- Matthew Desmond

A thorough examination of American poverty.

Hardcover is $17.06 on Amazon (304 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

This is not the first Matthew Desmond book that I've read! I prefer his personal anecdotes, all told, but that doesn't make this a bad book; it's thorough, for sure, and the arguments surrounding poverty are inherently tied with everything else. I do wish that he had followed more individuals and spoke in less broad strokes for this one, but it'll still be a good pick for a research project

Creativity: ⯨ Did I Learn Something?: ★ Storylines: ⯨ Research Effort: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ⯨

Final evaluation: ★★★⯨☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Using personal anecdotes and deep research, Desmond tackles poverty from all angles. This is not his first book on the subject of poverty and inequality, as he's written at least one book on eviction in the past. Here, Desmond examines what poverty is, the methods by which it is forced upon people, and potential solutions for it.

[larimarathenium]

The Unhoneymooners -- Christina Lauren

Enemies to lovers fake dating story taking place on a tropical getaway.

Paperback is $9.00 on Amazon (416 pages). Also available an audiobook and ebook.

This is the perfect book if you just want to zone out and enjoy some folks having fun for a while. While I think that the plot is a little contrived, I earnestly enjoyed myself reading it. The dialogue is fun (though, some of the references haven't aged well despite its recent publication), and it was overall just fun!

Creativity: ☆ Characters: ★ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ⯨

Final evaluation: ★★★☆☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Olive Torres is the unlucky sibling compared to her newlywed twin sister. Even her luck, a tropical vacation when her sister is too sick to attend her own honeymoon, is twisted by the misfortune of having to attend with her brother-in-law's brother, Ethan. They got off on the wrong foot, and even though their attraction is palpable, they can't stand each other. Still, they try to make the best of their trip-- going as far as lying and claiming to be newlyweds in front of people that Olive personally knows. The more that she gets to know Ethan, the less that she seems to hate him, but even that could come at a cost.

[larimarathenium]

The Madstone -- Elizabeth Crook

A man writes to the son of the woman he helped escape her abusive husband.

Hardcover is $22.16 on Amazon (288 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

Did you know that people actually believed in Madstones? It's a deer organ that could supposedly draw the poison out of wounds, isn't that exciting? This book feels a lot longer than it is, being written as a chapterless letter, but the earnest description of the people and the world is enough to draw you in. If you're looking for character interactions, this might not be the book for you, but if you like introspective protagonists, then this is perfect. I enjoyed the dialect in particular, and the idea of this being read to me is a pretty good one. I recommend it!

Creativity: ★ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ★ Genre Consistency: ⯨ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★★☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Carpenter Benjamin Shreve volunteers to take a businessman to the next town over. Along the way, they come across a carriage that is being held up by a gang. Inside is the young family of a pregnant Nell and her son, who Benjamin calls Tot. Just as the hold-up ends, another man rushes to the carriage-- and is instantly shot dead by Nell. The man is Nell's abusive husband, who she is fleeing after reporting him to the authorities for his gang's behavior towards freedmen. Ben agrees to bring the family to safety, but when Tot is bitten by a rabid coyote, they have to find a mystical Madstone in order to cure him-- all while avoiding Nell's in-laws.

[larimarathenium]

Murder on the Orient Express -- Agatha Christie

A detective solves the case of a man killed on a stalled train.

Hardcover is 13.99 on Amazon (272 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook. It has also been adapted into several films.

I was disappointed by this book! I was hooked, I was invested, I was the Watson to Poirot's Holmes (is that a blasphemy?), and then the ending fell a little flat. I think that it's cathartic, in a way, and there are very clear clues leading up to it that I won't spoil for the sake of a mystery, but I wish that there were just slightly less red herrings about it. They seemed fairly pointless.

Creativity: ⯨ Characters: ★ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ☆

Final evaluation: ★★★☆☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Hercule Poirot must unravel the murder of an American criminal upon the stalled Orient Express. The time of the crime doesn't quite line up with his own senses, though, and the criminal seems to be leaving hints for him in particular. Who should he chase when everyone has motive?

[larimarathenium]

Lone Women -- Victor Lavalle

A homesteader's baggage is literal and metaphorical.

Hardcover is $21.20 on Amazon (304 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

A little slow, but very interesting. The character work is phenomal, and they're compelling, but it has a tendency to lose people in the second half. There are plot twists galore, and if you want to keep guessing, this is a good book for you! Much more magical realism than some people prefer.

Creativity: ★ Characters: ★ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ★

Final evaluation: ★★★★⯨

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Before leaving to homestead in Montana, Adelaide Henry burns her own house to the ground. The monster that was born the same day that she was has killed her parents, and she has to escape in order to avoid being implicated herself. She becomes a "lone woman," who will own the land she tends if she can make something of it. As a Black woman in rural Montana, this is easier said than done; there are few others like her in the area, and racism is just as much a problem as her harvest and her family's curse (which sets itself loose in her first year). Despite that, Adelaide finds community and presses on.

[larimarathenium]

Prepper: Book 1 -- Tom Abrahams

A series of intertwined stories about the early days of a world-ending disaster.

Hardcover is $17.49 on Amazon (281 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

The characters were interesting, but it is very clearly the beginning of a series. If I had to guess, the entire series was written as a few less books than it actually is, and those longer books were fairly arbitrarily cut in order to sell more. While it doesn't feel like a dystopia, if you enjoyed the tension of the early seasons of The Walking Dead or the prologue to The Last of Us, this is probably a good choice for you! It was just a little slow for my taste.

Creativity: ☆ Characters: ★ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ☆ Would I Read It Again?: ☆

Final evaluation: ★⯨☆☆☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

An EMP hits Central Texas, knocking out power in the entire state. Luckily, one family has prepared for disaster, so despite the fear overtaking individuals, they stay relatively safe with each other. The book follows that family through the introductory days of the apocalypse, along with the tech CEO architect of the attack's understanding of the day and the governor of Texas trying to govern from a secure bunker. This is the first in a series!

[larimarathenium]

The Housemaid -- Freida McFadden

Content warning: Abuse

An ex-felon is hired as the housekeeper in an abusive home.

Paperback is $6.96 on Amazon (208 pages). Also available as an audiobook and ebook.

I know that this book is popular. I am not entirely sure why. I read the entire thing, and I will admit that the writing sucks you in, but I did it more out of spite than earnest enjoyment. It demonizes those with mental health problems beyond the mindfuck that genres like this already have, and it seemed more like an exercise to justify some arbitrary amount of cruelty enacted by the characters so that they could get along to the thing that we really care about, which is deciding which brooding sexyman is hotter. Everyone is gaslighting everyone else. The point-of-view character felt incredibly vapid but suddenly becomes a badass in the end because..? Of reasons. There are better suspense novels out there, I promise.

Creativity: ☆ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ⯨ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ☆

Final evaluation: ★★☆☆☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

Ex-convict Millie is hired as the housekeeper in a suburban socialite's home. Her boss, Nina, quickly becomes difficult to work for, changing her mood at the drop of a hat. She blames Millie for small mishaps in the home, but quickly forgives her. In short, she tries deliberately to get Millie to hate her. This is ultimately to drive Millie into the arms of her abusive husband, Andrew, in hopes that Millie will make room for her to escape.

[larimarathenium]

Black Sheep -- Rachel Harrison

Content warning

A sacrificial lamb walks into the lion's den for a family reunion.

Hardcover is $19.12 on Amazon (304 pages). Also available as a paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

I wanted to like this book a lot, I really did. I think that proper black sheep are a fascinating topic, and this had everything that I could have wanted in a book. But, it doesn't really turn out; the book isn't sure if it wants to commit to its humor or its message, so it sort of fumbles both. I never felt scared during this book, and I rarely felt amused. It seems like a generic Satanic Panic pamphlet that's just being spread around ironically. The twist is neat, but I wish it had more than just a neat twist. I do think that if you like Addams Family style dark comedy, you might like this.

Creativity: ☆ Characters: ⯨ Plot: ☆ Genre Consistency: ★ Would I Read It Again?: ☆

Final evaluation: ★⯨☆☆☆

Appeal tags and genre information will be in the tags and a longer summary beneath the readmore!

An ex-cultist returns home for her cousin's wedding. Her entire family is glad to see her home, including the father that she hadn't seen in over a decade. As it turns out, they needed her-- she is the spawn of Satan Himself, and the lynchpin for the firey apocalypse that the cult wishes to rain upon the world.