Long Spoon Scraps

Better late than never? I read 7 books in November, which I believe is tied with April for the most books I have read in a month. After each month, however, I felt intense reading fatigue and fell into a bit of a slump. Reading this many books back to back requires a lot of intense focus for me, and in turn my brain demands some down time to rejuvenate and rouse the desire to pick up another book.

Books Read: 7
Total Pages: 2,307
Genres: Fiction
My Average Rating: 3.71

1. The Wicked King by Holly Black

My Rating: 3.75
Goodreads Rating: 4.28

Unfortunately I remember nothing about this book, but based on my rating I guess I decently enjoyed it. Do with that what you will. Maybe a recommendation for those who like fantasy and want an easy read that will require very little thought both during and after.

2. The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

My Rating: 3.5
Goodreads Rating: 4.34

An echo of my review above! I’m not sure why I keep reading these books that leave absolutely no imprint on me, but maybe it’s indicative of how much (or how little) new information I am capable of digesting at any given time.

3. Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

My Rating: 2.75
Goodreads Rating: 3.78

I rated this pretty low by my scale, but not for it’s lack of impact or quality of prose. This book is haunting. It deeply disturbed me and left me feeling genuinely nauseated on multiple occasions. It is a dystopian novel wherein cannibalism is legal and our main character works at a slaughterhouse. I think that’s all I need to say to drive my point home. If you’re into really messed up fiction and an entire abandonment of morality, then give it a go. I try my best to think about this book as little as possible.

4. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

My Rating: 5
Goodreads Rating: 4.14

Oh wow! I think this is one of the first proper science fiction books I have read as an adult, and it was truly such a joy. Crouch pulls you in from the first page with immediate action and emotional high stakes. I read this book in maybe two sittings because it is fast-paced and incredibly difficult to put down. It reads like an action movie and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I don’t want to say much else about this book because I went in completely blind and I highly recommend other readers do the same, but just know you’re in for some fun.

5. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

My Rating: 2
Goodreads Rating: 3.81

To the girl in Powell’s Bookstore who swore up and down that this book was amazing, look away now. This book is bad. It is not good. It is full of unlikable characters that are poorly written and remain undeveloped in the end. And there are somehow 7 of these?

6. Recursion by Blake Crouch

My Rating: 5
Goodreads Rating: 4.17

So you though Dark Matter was good? Just WAIT until you read Recursion. No notes.

7. Bride by Ali Hazelwood

My Rating: 3.5
Goodreads Rating: 4.01

Full transparency, this is a guilty pleasure read. A slightly darker monster-romance that had weird vibes at times, but I did secretly enjoy it. Don’t pick this one up mom, okay?