Phoenixmaiden Books

Reviews and summaries of the books I read.

[glowtinggg]

[phoenixmaiden-reading]

If It Bleeds Book Review

If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Read: October 27, 2022 - February 19, 2023

This book was a collection of stories by Stephen King and of course each one is really good and gave you creepy vibes. The first story “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” was creepy in a chill up your spine sort of way. It gives to life what you would think would probably happen if you buried someone after they died when they died with a phone. If you called...would they answer? Ooh creepy. “The Life of Chuck” was a different sort of story and started backwards. I’ve never read a story like that before where it started at the end and then we learn what happens just before. It was pretty creepy learning what seemed to have happened in the beginning which was the end of the world. It did make me a little bit confused though. The next story was “If it Bleeds” which is connected to a previous book I’ve read “The Outsider” when one of the characters Holly, finds another creature the was feeding off the fear and terror of people dying. It was a longer story than the other short stories but I was hooked from the start. I loved seeing Holly again and seeing her character develop and how she was able to defeat one of those outsider’s on her own. Loved it. The last story was called “Rat” which was about a man trying to write a novel and in a fever dream makes a deal with a rat that he would finish it, which he does, with some consequences. As a writer myself, it was creepy and really what wouldn’t you do to just find the inspiration to just finish a book. All in all, each story was unique and I just couldn’t get enough, I wanted more.

Stars: ★★★★★

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Elyon Book Review

Elyon by Ted Dekker

Read: August 9, 2022 - January 29, 2023

It took me forever to finish this one because I got tired of it right from the beginning and put it in my bathroom to read while I was in there...then didn’t read it. So it sat there for a while, until I found it behind a drawer when it wouldn’t close. I still didn’t enjoy it though. It was still as whiny as the previous book when Johnis was being possessed and everything just seemed to just drag on. I will say that toward the end it did get better, ironically, as soon as he wasn’t possessed anymore. Then it was over. I’m just glad it is over now and don’t have any other ones. I guess I’ll just stay away from the teen novels.

Stars: ★★1/2

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The Institute Book Review

The Institute by Stephen King

Read: September 30, 2022 - October 27, 2022

Wow. That is really all I can say about this book. I already knew it was going to be good because, come on, it’s Stephen King. I really couldn’t put this book down from the very start. It was so good!  The beginning was a little confusing, but I knew it was setting up where Tim was going to come it. Then it shifted to the real main character, Luke. Luke was really smart, the way he thinks is really adult like but King really puts in moments that he really is just a child. And that is what this book is about, children. And just learning what these scientists, adults were doing? It really riles you up. There were some parts where the scientists were just so...they’re kids! Why would they do that? Make them do such a thing until they were mentally gone, and just dispose of them when they were no longer needed. The adult’s reasons for it were just so disillusioned, they were making excuses for their actions. It was just so messed up. So when Luke gets out and outsmarts them, I was like “fuck yeah!” They certainly messed with the wrong kid and they knew it. This book really had me at the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to put it down when it was time to get back to work (I read during my lunch time). It really is a must read and it will make you mad, but that just goes to show what a good writer Stephen King is, and is also why he is my favorite author.

Stars: ★★★★★

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The Penelopiad Book Review

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Read: September 12, 2022 - September 27, 2022

I picked up this book when I got The Testaments, it was in the same section and it looked interesting. It was basically the Odyssey but from the wife’s POV. I remember vaguely reading the Odyssey in college, it was long and over the top and this one was kind of the same, which worked since this one was more recent and modern. It was funny how it showed Penelope’s version of her waiting for Odysseus and the Suitors that came to try to get them to marry them and her tricks. It just gave some background on how she was and how she wasn’t just a weepy wife. I really liked it.

Stars:   ★ ★ ★ ★

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The Testaments Book Review

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Read: August 10, 2022 - September 9, 2022

I had been looking forward to this book when I found out there was a sequel to the Handmaid’s Tale. I really enjoyed this one because it shows us the fall of Gilead. I liked how it gave us different point of views of characters that came from the last book. Like what happened to the Handmaid’s daughter after they took her away and also her baby at the end of the book. We also got to see the other side of things from what goes on in the Commander’s Houses and the kids and Wives. And I have to say, all of it is fucked up. The way the men treated the women and what they taught the kids in “school” if you even call it that. It made me so mad. Ugh. It even gave the info how it all started by taking all the rights away from women...I can’t even. So it gave me great joy in reading how it all fell apart. But yeah, wow. What an amazing book. 

Stars:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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Lunatic Book Review

Lunatic by Ted Dekker

Read: September 14, 2021 - August 9, 2022

It took me a really long time to finish this one. I just got bored with it. I read the first half then put it down and didn’t do any reading for a several months before I got another haul of books and decided I would try to finish it. I had thought about just abandoning it, but I hate doing that.

I didn’t care for it like the one before it, it was slow and a lot less action packed. Nothing really made sense because the timeline was now different. I didn’t care for the whole possession aspect as well and the MC just seemed whiny and weak. I just didn’t like him as I had before. I still have one more book in the series so I’m going to try and read it. I hope it’s better than the last two.

Stars:  ★ ★

[coolcurrybooks-deactivated20230]

Asexual spectrum protagonists in science fiction and fantasy books!

If you’re looking for ace or aro fiction, I highly suggest checking out Claudie Arseneault’s awesome database. Link is here. 

A lot of the time people act like there’s no ace fiction, but that’s not true! A lot of these books are by ace-spec authors as well. We’re out here writing the stories we want to see ourselves in. :)

Other queer book PowerPoints:

Massive queer SFF rec post

Trans SFF

F/F SFF

Bi and Pan SFF

Queer SFF by authors of color

I’m not transcribing all the text, but you can find the titles, authors, information on TW, etc beneath the cut.

When possible, I’m linking to my database of queer books. The page for each book includes the synopsis, content warnings under spoiler tags, and links to reviews from queer readers. If it’s not in the queer database at the time of posting (8/18/19), I’ll link to Goodreads instead. 

Keep reading

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Chaos Book Review

Chaos by Ted Dekker

Read: June 5, 2021 - September 8, 2021

It really took me a long time to read this one. I just couldn’t get into it. I would start it and not want to pick it back up. It was a continuation of the other books in the series with the main characters going to the past and trying to stop basically the end of the world. There was one surprise that wasn’t all that of a surprise because I suspected it. And the ending was kind of anti-climatic. Honestly, I was not all that impressed so I don’t have much to say about it.

Stars: ★★

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Renegade Book Review

Renegade by Ted Dekker

Read: January 4, 2021 - February 12, 2021

It took forever to get through this one. I just didn’t want to pick it back up. Renegade just wasn’t...as exciting and I found it to be kind of whiny. Billos’s actions was seen a mile away and his attitude just didn’t sit right with me. It just felt like he was full of himself and thought he was invincible until he wasn’t and he was just pathetic. Then we get to Darsel, she was just whinny the entire time. I mean I get it, it had to happen, but...I just wasn’t into it. That’s all I am going to say.

Stars:  ★ ★ ★

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Infidel Book Review

Infidel by Ted Dekker

Read: November 12, 2020 - December 22, 2020

This book is the second in the series of Lost Books and it picks right up where book one, Chosen, left off. I had a hard time getting into it this time. It seemed more...whiny? I guess because of the main character’s choices. I don’t want to give the plot away but that was what it felt like to me. Not that it wasn’t good, but I didn’t want to pick it back up and continue reading right away like the first book, which is why it took so long for me to finish it. But there were some interesting parts about the Horde and the ending I could see coming a mile away. We’ll see how the next one goes.

Stars:  ★ ★ ★ ★

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Chosen Book Review

Chosen by Ted Dekker

Read: November 4, 2020 - November 11, 2020

This book is part of a series called the Lost Books and in turn connected to the Circle Series. I haven’t read any of it but the last time I went to Barnes & Noble, I grabbed the entire Lost Books set. I didn’t know it was a YA series so it explained the pace of the story and how I read it so fast. It only took me a little over a week. But over all, it was interesting. I was a little lost (hehe) because I think these came after the Circle Series,  it seemed like the story had already been set and was like a continuation or add on to something else, so most of the details were kind of...glossed over or not all the way there. So I didn’t fully understand why there was a group of people living in forests and the connection to the real? world, present time where Thomas was I think from. So from that perspective, I didn’t get it. But like I said, it may be because I didn’t read the original series. Other than that, I really liked it. There was a lot of action, detailed descriptions of the Horde people and Roush and the black bat things. I really like the main character, Johnis, who is more smart than buff as a warrior, but I’ve always liked the underdog. It shows it’s not always about strength. I’m not doing a good job in describing it without revealing too much. Just read it and find out for yourself.

Stars:  ★ ★ ★ ★

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Obsessed Book Review

Obsessed by Ted Dekker

Read: October 1, 2020 - November 3, 2020

Honestly didn’t care too much about this one. The concept was interesting which was why I bought it, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. The main character while he was supposed to be acting obsessed with the Stones and finding them, I felt like he came off more as whiny and throwing a tantrum when things didn’t go his way. And his attempts to break into the building were kind of...boring, I guess...the last one not so much but the others yes. It would pick up at some moments and get interesting, but then I would loose interest again, which is why it took me so long to finish it. I wasn’t interested in picking up the book, but I forced myself to. The scenes in the past were what kept me interested from the start, not Stephen. Him flying into situations half assed and with no plan was just ridiculous. It was no wonder that Roth was able to outsmart him so many times. Glad I finished it though, it will go back onto my pile of books.

Stars:  ★ ★ ★

[the-book-diaries]

I am a lover without a lover. I am lovely and lonely and I belong deeply to myself.

Warsan Shire, Thirty Four Excuses for Why We Failed at Love (via the-book-diaries)

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Adam Book Review

Adam by Ted Dekker

Read: September 18, 2020 - October 1, 2020

This book wasn’t quite what I expected. Obviously it was about a serial killer which is why I picked it up, knew the killer had a religious reason to do it, but it went so much further than that. Like in the supernatural way. It wasn’t what I was expecting and honestly…didn’t care for it. Don’t get me wrong, the book was good, just as it went along and got to the climax, I started to lose interest. The main character constantly almost killing himself got pretty old fast too. But the background of the killer was expertly laid out and we knew who it was right from the beginning, so learning the why was interesting. Over all, not my favorite book, but It was an interesting read.

Stars:  ★ ★ ★ 1/2

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The Girl Who Lived Twice Book Review

The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz

Read: August 24, 2020 - September 17, 2020

I always loved this series and when I found out there was another one I was so excited. I actually got this one from a friend who said I could have it once she had finished reading it, so as soon as I got it and had finished my last book, I started reading it. It was a little slow to get started, but it picked up really fast and at some parts couldn’t put it down. Lisbeth is such a badass and I love her. Bloomkist takes some getting used to because he was a little whinny in this book, so he was a little annoying and a little useless in this case. And the ending was a little anti-climatic, wished there was a little more that happened between Lisbeth and her sister, not that. Besides that, it was pretty good.  It could be the last book but it is certainly open to have another. I definitely recommend it.

Stars: ★★★★ 1/2

[barefootonfirstsnow]

Chaotic bookstores are the most beautiful ✨