Not Sarah Connor Writes

Book Review: The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

NotSarahConnorWrites

April 7, 2021

“Why wasn’t fully committing to creation more desirable than observing what everyone else was doing and doing the same?” (Shraya 4).

Indie artist Neela Devaki has been writing songs that only a small few seem to actually want to listen too, but when one of Neela’s songs goes viral by internet cover artist RUK-MINI things begin to change. The two muscians meet and a deep friendship blossoms, but the music industry has a way of pitting friends, especially women, against one another. Jealousy and self-doubt begin and with a single tweet a friendship ends as does one of their careers as the women find themselves the centre of internet drama. Continue reading

Book Review: Sisters by Daisy Johnson

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April 6, 2021

“This is the year we are haunted. What? This is the year, as any other, in which we are friendless, necessary only to ourselves,” (Johnson 5).

Sisters July and September are as close as can be. Born ten months apart they do everything together, depend on one another, will do anything for the other. After a bullying incident at their school the girls move away with their single mother to a faraway home that belongs to their long dead father’s family. Isolated and in a new area and feeling detached from their mother, July finds the connection she and September share change in unsettling ways as revelations of their past and future come to light. Continue reading

Book Review: Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett

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April 5, 2021

“A few nearby disciples sniff, The same guilt and resentment and anger I felt earlier bubble up again, but this time it’s directed toward myself. The same question keeps repeating in my mind: What have I done?” (Moffett 103).

Emily thought college would be very different. She imagined immersing herself in college life, meeting friends, finally finding and feeling like she belonged. Instead she finds herself alone, feeling disconnected from her family and classmates. But then one day in a café the Kingdom finds her and offers everything she’s wanted: friendship, a possible boyfriend, , and finally feels like she’s found a place and people who accept her. When Emily is chosen to go on a mission trip to Italy she thinks it will be an exciting experience, but when the Kingdom takes their passports and money, things take a dark turn and one of the members ends up dead. Continue reading

WandaVision, Complicated Grief, and Emotional Women

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March 27, 2021

SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION

After nine weeks the hit Marvel television show (does it still count as TV if it’s on a streaming service?) WandaVision has come to an end, with mixed results. But I’m not here to talk about the criticisms some fans have with WandaVision, I adored the show and the finale. I think it did an excellent job at looking at grief and complex trauma, about what would happen if a grieving person had the power to bring back their loved one, to create the life they planned on having together. Continue reading

Book Review: Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles

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March 7, 2021

CW: Sexual assault, animal abuse.

“This might hurt a little. Be brave.”

More than a little honestly because this book sure packs a punch. During a blizzard on Valentine’s Day the staff at The Hazel restaurant have their own storm brewing, one fueled by betrayal and hurt. As the long day goes on tensions rise as more customers come in to avoid the storm, leading to painful revelations, hard truths, and heartache before the final course is served. Continue reading

Book Review: Fight Like A Girl by Sheena Kamal

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February 23, 2021

“Rule number one of being a woman from Trinidad: be hella fierce,” (Kamal 5).

Trisha hates her father who comes and goes as he pleases living his life between his family in Trinidad and his one with Trisha and her mom in Toronto’s east-end. Trisha wishes he would stay in Trinidad though because when her father comes back so do the bruises on her mother’s body. Violence is a normal part in Trisha’s life and she tries to break the cycle by doing Muay Thai kickboxing, an unlikely sport for a slight girl of Trinidadian descent, but it works for her and helps her work through her home life. That is until one night when her father wanders out drunk in front of the car Trisha is driving, her mother in the passenger seat. Now that her father is dead the violence is gone, her mother strangely at peace things should be better but Trisha isn’t sure. She doesn’t know what exactly happened that night and she’s afraid for what comes next, because her mother has a new boyfriend and it looks like things are about to repeat themselves. Continue reading

Book Review: Meet Cute – Some People are Destined to Meet – Anthology

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February 20, 2021

I don’t read a lot of romance novels. It’s not that I’m opposed to love, only that the tropes of it annoy me for how unrealistic it’s portrayed. But I still read this anthology that was centered on romance, first love, and the whole “meet cute” trope. I knew what I was going into with this book and I didn’t have my hope up too high, which was good because this anthology was very meh. There are some real stinkers in here, a lot of forgettable ones, and a few that actually are wonderful. Mostly though the stories are simple and predictable, which is what I expect from most romance books.

One of my biggest pet peeves about this book was the use of second person narration. It’s a difficult style to use and when done correctly can make for a great story which the three stories that used this narration style didn’t achieve.

What I did enjoy about this anthology was the diversity of it. In terms of race and sexual orientation Meet Cute does a wonderful job of showing the different couples and I feel like the romance genre isn’t as diverse as it should be, so if you’re looking for more diverse romance you’ll enjoy this anthology just for that.

Overall this book wasn’t for me but if you like romance and “meet cutes” you’ll probably like this. Below you’ll find a mini-review of each of the stories in this anthology, so take what you will from that. Also note that my ratings for the stories may have changed from when I first rated them on Goodreads: Continue reading

Book Review: Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

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February 16, 2021

“Whoever had written the note understood that by masking one’s peculiarities, one invokes authority. There is nothing as imposing as anonymity,” (Moshfegh 3).

One day while Vesta is walking her dog Charlie by the woods near her house she finds a slip of paper which reads, “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her body” but despite the note Vesta doesn’t see a body. Recently widowed and new to town Vesta doesn’t know many people and becomes shaken and obsessed with the note. She begins investigating who wrote the note, who Magda was, and who killed her. But does the note mean anything or is Vesta making it into more than it actually is?

Book Review: A Stranger in Town (Rockton #6) by Kelley Armstrong

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February 9, 2021

Thanks to Raincoast books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“The gun jerks, and I yank away, but she has my wrist in an iron grip…She’s staring at me, blue eyes impossibly wide. She hisses a harsh stream of foreign language, as if she’s uttering a curse,” (Armstrong 10).

Casey Duncan is back in the sixth book of the Rockton series. For the past few months things have been surprisingly calm, there have been fewer new residents coming in but Casey’s boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton says that’s normal for Rockton but Casey isn’t so sure. But bigger concerns come to Casey in the form of a foreign traveler, the only survivor of a hostile attack, and while Casey and the other residents try to get around the language barrier and find out what happened to the hiker tensions get high and the situation gets dangerous. Add in a visit from a mysterious council member which only further complicates things, but luckily Casey and Dalton are on the case, and they’re determined to find out what exactly is going on. Continue reading

Blog Tour: A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong – Interview

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February 6, 2021

Hello everyone! I’m so happy to have a very special guest on the blog today! The one and only Kelley Armstrong answers some question on her blog tour for the newest book in the Rockton series A Stranger in Town, which comes out next week on February 9th.

AStrangerinTown “In #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s next Rockton book, A Stranger in Town, the biggest mystery is the fate of the town itself.

Detective Casey Duncan has noticed fewer and fewer residents coming in to the hidden town of Rockton, and no extensions being granted. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, presumes it’s the natural flux of things, but Casey’s not so sure. Something bigger is happening in the small town they call home.

When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, the sole survivor of a hostile attack, it’s all hands on deck. Even a member of the elusive Rockton council comes in to help. This council member also comes bearing news: Rockton is being shut down due to the hostile situation.

Casey and Eric must now race to save the town that has allowed residents to have a fresh start, away from the mistakes of their past, while also getting to the bottom of this latest attack. ”

INTERVIEW