What I Read Last Week - July 27th
5 Stars
Starside completely lived up to the hype for me and has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year.
At its core, it plays with the enemies to lovers trope... but the question is, are they really lovers? That uncertainty creates so much tension, and I loved never quite knowing where the relationships were headed. Every interaction crackled with chemistry, suspicion, and conflicting loyalties, making it impossible to stop reading.
The pacing kept me hooked, the twists landed, and the emotional stakes only grew stronger as the story unfolded. Alex Aster strikes a great balance between romance, intrigue, and high stakes fantasy, leaving me eager to see what happens next.
If you're a fan of morally gray characters, slow burning tension, and relationships that keep you guessing, Starside is absolutely worth the read. One of my easiest five star ratings this year.
4 Stars
I'm sorry... did you just say the moon turns into cheese?
That absurd premise alone was enough to get me to pick up When the Moon Hits Your Eye, and somehow John Scalzi makes it work. This is one of those books that fully commits to its ridiculous concept and then thoughtfully explores how humanity would actually respond if the moon suddenly became... well, cheese.
The real fun isn't the science. It's watching governments, scientists, conspiracy theorists, religious leaders, and everyday people react to a completely impossible global event. Scalzi blends humor, satire, and surprisingly believable human behavior into a story that's as entertaining as it is bizarre.
It's ridiculous. It's clever. It's funny. And somehow, it made me spend an entire book seriously contemplating the geopolitical implications of a cheese moon.
If you're willing to embrace the absurd, you're in for a delightfully weird ride.
3 Stars
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter ended up being a mixed read for me. I'd heard so much praise going in that my expectations were pretty high, but it ultimately landed in "just okay" territory.
This is less of a horror novel than I expected and more of an atmospheric, character-driven vampire story. The take on vampires was interesting and different enough to keep me reading, and I appreciated the way Stephen Graham Jones blended history, folklore, and mythology into the narrative.
That said, I never found it particularly scary or emotionally gripping. The pacing felt uneven at times, and I kept waiting for the story to reach the level of intensity I'd been promised. It never quite got there for me.
Overall, it's a unique vampire novel with some compelling ideas, but it didn't live up to the hype in my experience. If you're looking for a thoughtful, unconventional take on vampires rather than a frightening horror novel, this may be worth picking up.
4 Stars
Nope. I refuse to emotionally accept the events of this book. If you know, you know. The trauma is real, and I'm still processing it.
R.A. Salvatore isn't afraid to make bold choices, and while I respect the risks he took, they definitely came at the expense of my emotional well being. It's a gripping start to the New Jedi Order series, but be prepared. This isn't the comfortable, hopeful Star Wars adventure you may be expecting.
An excellent book that hurt my feelings. Four stars.
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