9/9
@nineovernine.bsky.social
Book reviews by a guy who likes books. I am mostly just doing this to have a record of my reads and it felt weird to have an account for following others that was totally empty. Durham, NC
A #bookreview of The September House. 5/5. It is difficult to find a unique take on a haunted house tale, but this one is unique, with well crafted characters and a satisfying conclusion. The balance between creepy and interesting is well handled and I never felt like l knew how it would end. 💙📚
July 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM
A #bookreview of The September House. 5/5. It is difficult to find a unique take on a haunted house tale, but this one is unique, with well crafted characters and a satisfying conclusion. The balance between creepy and interesting is well handled and I never felt like l knew how it would end. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Under Fortunate Stars. 4.5/5. I am always a sucker for time travel paradoxes, and when you add in interesting world building and space ships, I am not surprised I loved this. Fun characters, though one annoyed me more than they should have. A great read. 💙📚SFF
July 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM
A #bookreview of Under Fortunate Stars. 4.5/5. I am always a sucker for time travel paradoxes, and when you add in interesting world building and space ships, I am not surprised I loved this. Fun characters, though one annoyed me more than they should have. A great read. 💙📚SFF
A #bookreview of Mary. 5/5. This was a well-crafted slow burn of a creepy ghost story. The balance of the instability of the MC's mental state along with the instability of the world around he was really well done. I am looking forward to more from this author. 💙📚
July 3, 2025 at 2:02 PM
A #bookreview of Mary. 5/5. This was a well-crafted slow burn of a creepy ghost story. The balance of the instability of the MC's mental state along with the instability of the world around he was really well done. I am looking forward to more from this author. 💙📚
A #bookreview of The Way Up Is Death. 2.5/5. A fun idea that never came together. The plot of strangers navigating a mysterious tower to stay alive could be engaging, but it either needed to be cut down to just the action or really extended into a long series with better character growth. 💙📚SFF
May 31, 2025 at 7:43 PM
A #bookreview of The Way Up Is Death. 2.5/5. A fun idea that never came together. The plot of strangers navigating a mysterious tower to stay alive could be engaging, but it either needed to be cut down to just the action or really extended into a long series with better character growth. 💙📚SFF
A #bookreview of Bury Your Gays. 4.5/5. I wasn't expecting as deep a story as I found here. The combination of inner demons and an outer sci-fi "monster" the characters face was really unique and engaging. A book with both a message and an interesting mystery. 💙📚
May 30, 2025 at 12:36 AM
A #bookreview of Bury Your Gays. 4.5/5. I wasn't expecting as deep a story as I found here. The combination of inner demons and an outer sci-fi "monster" the characters face was really unique and engaging. A book with both a message and an interesting mystery. 💙📚
A #bookreview of The Dead Take the A Train. 4.5/5. This is one of the most interesting urban fantasies I have read in a while. Gory, violent and engaging in the story of a law firm, an angry angel, and a hunter for hire. Great world building, and I hope it is the start of a long series.💙📚 SFF🪐📚
April 8, 2025 at 1:50 AM
A #bookreview of The Dead Take the A Train. 4.5/5. This is one of the most interesting urban fantasies I have read in a while. Gory, violent and engaging in the story of a law firm, an angry angel, and a hunter for hire. Great world building, and I hope it is the start of a long series.💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. 4.5/5. I was surprised at how well this one made me feel connected to the characters, unwed pregnant teens, that are very different than me (and the author). I have had mixed feelings on his other books, but this is his best so far. ♥️📚
March 26, 2025 at 11:36 AM
A #bookreview of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. 4.5/5. I was surprised at how well this one made me feel connected to the characters, unwed pregnant teens, that are very different than me (and the author). I have had mixed feelings on his other books, but this is his best so far. ♥️📚
A #bookreview of Sky Full of Elephants. 4/5. This book, about a world where all white people die, hits tough topics, but has a balance of anger and joy. Hard to read at points, hard to put down at others. There were some dropped plot points and the story rambles, but that isn't really the point.💙📚
March 15, 2025 at 2:22 AM
A #bookreview of Sky Full of Elephants. 4/5. This book, about a world where all white people die, hits tough topics, but has a balance of anger and joy. Hard to read at points, hard to put down at others. There were some dropped plot points and the story rambles, but that isn't really the point.💙📚
A #bookreview of The Lola Quartet. 4/5. No one can structure a story like Mandel can. I didn't find most of the characters here particularly memorable, but she writes so well that it hardly matters. This book didn't have the weight of Station Eleven, but I was just as sad when it ended. 💙📚
March 6, 2025 at 2:38 AM
A #bookreview of The Lola Quartet. 4/5. No one can structure a story like Mandel can. I didn't find most of the characters here particularly memorable, but she writes so well that it hardly matters. This book didn't have the weight of Station Eleven, but I was just as sad when it ended. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Obviously, Aliens. 3.5/5. A funny and lighthearted take on first contact, with a kidnapping and body stealing adventure included. I enjoyed the read, but it felt pretty disjointed and would benefit from some clearer character development. Fun, regardless. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
February 28, 2025 at 3:40 AM
A #bookreview of Obviously, Aliens. 3.5/5. A funny and lighthearted take on first contact, with a kidnapping and body stealing adventure included. I enjoyed the read, but it felt pretty disjointed and would benefit from some clearer character development. Fun, regardless. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Hammered. 2.5/5. This third book in the series is much like the first two. Fun action, but the world building is uneven and the plotting feels odd. It would be better as a short story or a much bigger and deeper book. I will probably continue, but I am not drawn in much. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
February 22, 2025 at 2:49 AM
A #bookreview of Hammered. 2.5/5. This third book in the series is much like the first two. Fun action, but the world building is uneven and the plotting feels odd. It would be better as a short story or a much bigger and deeper book. I will probably continue, but I am not drawn in much. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Listen For the Lie. 3.5/5. Nothing new about a "podcaster solves cold case murder" story here, but this one is engaging with interesting characters. I felt like the reveal left a bit to be desired, but the twists were interesting and I was interested throughout. 💙📚
February 16, 2025 at 1:56 PM
A #bookreview of Listen For the Lie. 3.5/5. Nothing new about a "podcaster solves cold case murder" story here, but this one is engaging with interesting characters. I felt like the reveal left a bit to be desired, but the twists were interesting and I was interested throughout. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Boys in the Valley. 4/5. This was slow to grab me and the characters (boys in an old orphanage) blurred together, but the creepy vibe was off the charts here. Plot and character depth were secondary to the feeling of dread that kept me up at night after reading this one. 💙📚
February 4, 2025 at 2:13 AM
A #bookreview of Boys in the Valley. 4/5. This was slow to grab me and the characters (boys in an old orphanage) blurred together, but the creepy vibe was off the charts here. Plot and character depth were secondary to the feeling of dread that kept me up at night after reading this one. 💙📚
A #bookreview of First Lie Wins. 4/5. I enjoyed this thriller/mystery story having a unique hook (scam artist meets someone pretending to be the real them), and the resolution tied a bunch of loose ends together well. Some of the tech and behaviors were unrealistic, but it was a very fun read. 💙📚
January 29, 2025 at 3:30 AM
A #bookreview of First Lie Wins. 4/5. I enjoyed this thriller/mystery story having a unique hook (scam artist meets someone pretending to be the real them), and the resolution tied a bunch of loose ends together well. Some of the tech and behaviors were unrealistic, but it was a very fun read. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Hexed. 2.5/5. The second book in this series was light and engaging, with improved world building. I would like to see more depth to the main story moving forward. The author writes a lot about how attractive every female character is, which feels kind of gross at times. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
January 24, 2025 at 3:32 AM
A #bookreview of Hexed. 2.5/5. The second book in this series was light and engaging, with improved world building. I would like to see more depth to the main story moving forward. The author writes a lot about how attractive every female character is, which feels kind of gross at times. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Calculating God. 3.5/5. An interesting first contact story (aliens show up, looking for proof of god), but it was more a philosophy book than a plot-driven story. It was interesting and well-written, but I found myself wanting more to happen. Still, I enjoyed it and the ending. 💙📚🪐📚
January 20, 2025 at 12:08 AM
A #bookreview of Calculating God. 3.5/5. An interesting first contact story (aliens show up, looking for proof of god), but it was more a philosophy book than a plot-driven story. It was interesting and well-written, but I found myself wanting more to happen. Still, I enjoyed it and the ending. 💙📚🪐📚
A #bookreview of The Measure. 2/5. The concept has a lot of holes in it, especially the more you think about it. I can forgive that with good stories and characters, but too many were shallow and didn't connect with me. That said, I would have loved a full book on the letter writers. 💙📚
January 14, 2025 at 3:45 AM
A #bookreview of The Measure. 2/5. The concept has a lot of holes in it, especially the more you think about it. I can forgive that with good stories and characters, but too many were shallow and didn't connect with me. That said, I would have loved a full book on the letter writers. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Tender is the Flesh. 4/5. This is a very tough book to read, with a lot of focus on pain, despair, and grief. I would have liked some more exploration of how the world came to be and why some people are food and some are not, but that is secondary to the emotional focus. 💙📚
January 9, 2025 at 4:04 AM
A #bookreview of Tender is the Flesh. 4/5. This is a very tough book to read, with a lot of focus on pain, despair, and grief. I would have liked some more exploration of how the world came to be and why some people are food and some are not, but that is secondary to the emotional focus. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Hounded. 3/5. This was an entertaining, but not particularly deep, urban fantasy book. I liked the humor and light nature, but the world building felt a bit jumbled and there wasn't a lot of character development. As the first of a series, it had potential, but we will see. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
January 4, 2025 at 4:25 AM
A #bookreview of Hounded. 3/5. This was an entertaining, but not particularly deep, urban fantasy book. I liked the humor and light nature, but the world building felt a bit jumbled and there wasn't a lot of character development. As the first of a series, it had potential, but we will see. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Certain Dark Things. 3.5/5. The world building is some of the best I have read in long time. The characters are interesting and developed, but the story was oddly paced and disjointed. Maybe too many POV's? This could have been the start of a great series. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
January 1, 2025 at 12:49 AM
A #bookreview of Certain Dark Things. 3.5/5. The world building is some of the best I have read in long time. The characters are interesting and developed, but the story was oddly paced and disjointed. Maybe too many POV's? This could have been the start of a great series. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Legendborn. 4/5. A story about finding a magic society at school isn't super unique, but this is an interesting take on the dark, fantasy, academic tale. The characters and prose are its strengths, and I hope for clearer world building in the sequels. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
December 30, 2024 at 2:59 AM
A #bookreview of Legendborn. 4/5. A story about finding a magic society at school isn't super unique, but this is an interesting take on the dark, fantasy, academic tale. The characters and prose are its strengths, and I hope for clearer world building in the sequels. 💙📚 SFF🪐📚
A #bookreview of Hidden Pictures. 4/5. I feel like there were plenty of reasons not to like this book, from bad decisions from the MC to an unconvincing twist to some underdeveloped characters, but it engaged me emotionally from the start. I don't know why this one grabbed me, but it did. 💙📚 SFF
December 25, 2024 at 10:38 PM
A #bookreview of Hidden Pictures. 4/5. I feel like there were plenty of reasons not to like this book, from bad decisions from the MC to an unconvincing twist to some underdeveloped characters, but it engaged me emotionally from the start. I don't know why this one grabbed me, but it did. 💙📚 SFF
A #bookreview of The Centre. 3/5. The characters were deep and engaging, but were frustrating at times. The concept (a learning center that is too good to be true) was interesting, but there were too many loose ends left. Pacing was odd. I enjoyed reading, but was left a bit unfulfilled. 💙📚
December 23, 2024 at 8:48 PM
A #bookreview of The Centre. 3/5. The characters were deep and engaging, but were frustrating at times. The concept (a learning center that is too good to be true) was interesting, but there were too many loose ends left. Pacing was odd. I enjoyed reading, but was left a bit unfulfilled. 💙📚
A #bookreview of Tell Me I'm Worthless. 4/5. This book is graphic and difficult to read at times, but is an interesting take on trauma and how it haunts those dealing with it. From childhood abuse, Terfs, fascism, and more, this book packs a punch. The supernatural side almost feels unneeded. 💙📚
December 20, 2024 at 12:52 AM
A #bookreview of Tell Me I'm Worthless. 4/5. This book is graphic and difficult to read at times, but is an interesting take on trauma and how it haunts those dealing with it. From childhood abuse, Terfs, fascism, and more, this book packs a punch. The supernatural side almost feels unneeded. 💙📚