wisecraic's avatar

wisecraic

(any pronouns!) Maryland, USA 🦀Forensic Science, ARC Reviews, and Queer Panic ✨️

1672 points

0% overlap
Cozy Fantasy
Dark Academia
Level 5
Reading...Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity
My Taste
If We Were Villains
Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1)
Captive Prince (Captive Prince, #1)
The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1)
The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)

wisecraic finished reading and wrote a review...

3h
  • The Little Frog's Guide to Self-Care: Affirmations, Self-Love and Life Lessons According to the Internet's Beloved Mushroom Frog
    wisecraic
    Apr 03, 2025
    4.0
    Enjoyment: 3.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 3.5Plot: 3.0
    👢
    🐸
    🫶

    Cute little self care book which is mostly just an excuse for positive affirmations and beautiful froggy art.

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  • wisecraic commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    21h
  • Bookish Tattoos

    Hi all just curious to see who else in this lovely community might have some bookish/literary tattoos too. Even if you have plans on getting one. I wanna hear all about them!

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    comments 21
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  • wisecraic commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    21h
  • Why Did You Pick Your Pagebound Avatar?

    I’m curious—how did you decide on your avatar when you joined Pagebound? I originally picked the goth/emo-looking girl because her haircut was similar to mine. I almost went with the little green witch because she has such a cool vibe, but in the end, I chose my current avatar since I’m a total sucker for romance books. Don’t be surprised if I switch to the little green witch at some point, I just feel drawn to her! I’d love to hear your stories! Did you pick your avatar because it looks like you, fits your favorite genre, or just because it’s cute?

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  • wisecraic commented on LaurasLibraryCard's review of The Alien Bodyguard (Interspecies Alliances #1)

    23h
  • The Alien Bodyguard (Interspecies Alliances #1)
    LaurasLibraryCard
    Apr 03, 2025
    2.0
    Enjoyment: 2.5Quality: 3.0Characters: 2.5Plot: 2.0
    🏳️‍🌈
    👽
    🌻

    I felt very much so thrown into this book and setting. There were potentially interesting politics and maneuvering happening but I felt that I never got enough explanation for me to care or understand. I literally did not know what Oliver was doing here, where "here" was nor any of the history of this location. I didn't understand his motivations outside of impressing his father, I didn't understand how many species were involved of other characters he was talking to, I didn't understand anybody's history in relationship to each other or their respective positions with regards to this location and affecting the future?? Just wtf was anybody trying to do? There were hints of interesting or layered backgrounds for our two main characters, like Oliver with his cleanliness and a brief mention of possible past lovers? But these were never explored and I felt like the characters lacked depth. They felt very much so like stereotypical cardboard cutouts to me. The smut was fine, not memorable, it felt shoehorned and plopped in, or even as if there was a word count limit and important plot and background development was cut simply to make room for the fucking. There was definitely NOWWHERE near enough emotional development between our two characters, so even when there was somewhat of a grand gesture toward the end it felt like it came out of left field and I didn't give a shit. Overall there was just not enough non -smut content in this book for me to understand or care. I see other reviewers who claim to really enjoy the world building, but I also saw many complaints at the abrupt ending. Also comments regarding the pacing being off, but I felt that a better description was this quote "the balance of intimacy and action was not right" 💯 agree with. Another reviewer points out that all of the important high-ranking people in this book never accomplish anything, which is so true!! I only just now when writing my review saw the author's note at the end of the blurb that recommends reading number 0.5 first, despite this book being listed as the first/#1 in the series on Goodreads and also the blurb indicating that this is a standalone book...

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  • wisecraic commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    1d
  • Tracking Resources

    I'm curious what services/apps/resources everyone uses in addition to Pagebound, if any, to track their reading. I personally made the transition from Goodreads to Storygraph a few years ago, and I'm still using it in addition to Pagebound to get information on my reading stats. But does anyone have any nifty apps, resources, or personal methods they've found fun and/or useful for tracking various aspects of their reading?

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  • wisecraic commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    1d
  • Readathon Discussion- Magical Readation Spring Equinox 2025

    Hey y'all! I'm not sure if this is really the spot for this, but would love to chat with folks about readathons we are participating in! So if anyone is participating in Magical Readathon for the Spring 2025 semester (running for the month of April), I figure this can be the thread :) I'm keeping my character that I have had from the very beginning and pursuing dual callings (Alchemist and Demonologist). Will probably tackle the Leyline Train Conductor and the Impling Sitter Scheme as well. If not allowed, please do delete 😅

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  • wisecraic commented on a post

    2d
  • 2025 Dark Academia Releases?

    hi everyone! As the owner of this quest, I want to keep us up to date with important dark academia releases. Let's use this thread to aggregate suggestions! Has anyone read a new dark academia release yet or have some on their TBRs??

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  • wisecraic started reading...

    2d
    Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity

    Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity

    Lee Mandelo

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    wisecraic started reading...

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    When the Bones Sing

    When the Bones Sing

    Ginny Myers Sain

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    wisecraic started reading...

    2d
    A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)

    A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)

    Robert Jackson Bennett

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    wisecraic commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    2d
  • Readathon Discussion- Magical Readation Spring Equinox 2025

    Hey y'all! I'm not sure if this is really the spot for this, but would love to chat with folks about readathons we are participating in! So if anyone is participating in Magical Readathon for the Spring 2025 semester (running for the month of April), I figure this can be the thread :) I'm keeping my character that I have had from the very beginning and pursuing dual callings (Alchemist and Demonologist). Will probably tackle the Leyline Train Conductor and the Impling Sitter Scheme as well. If not allowed, please do delete 😅

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    comments 8
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  • wisecraic wrote a review...

    2d
  • The Corruption of Hollis Brown
    wisecraic
    Apr 01, 2025
    4.0
    Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 4.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 3.5
    👻
    🏚️
    🏳️‍🌈

    **I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.** K Ancrum returns with a YA queer romantic thriller in The Corruption of Hollis Brown. Titular character Hollis is stuck going no where fast in a worn down small town with few options. A dash of possession adds a bit of interest to his days after he inadvertently strikes a crossroads deal with Walt Eidelman, who died at age 17 in 1931. Walt is a local guy and is shocked to learn that his home is haunted and might be tied to the circumstances leading him to share a body with Hollis. But so much time together with no true barriers between Hollis and Walt leads to stronger feelings and Hollis' friends are certain that something is off with him. Hollis has to save the town from whatever is cursing it while not accidentally getting Walt exorcized. This is K Ancrum's writing a la The Wicker King and Icarus, and it is so much fun. Content warnings for mental health discussions and suicidal ideation as well as descriptions of violence. This story is basically exactly as described in the synopsis. The actual journey to achieving those things and the execution of the plot points is what makes this story successful. As with previous Ancrum books, chapters that are very short are used to push the action forward at a steady, driving pace. This book adds in some fun recipes as well. I would happily recommend this to anyone interested based off of the synopsis and look forward to whatever Ancrum puts out next.

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  • Post from the Pagebound Club forum

    3d
  • Readathon Discussion- Magical Readation Spring Equinox 2025

    Hey y'all! I'm not sure if this is really the spot for this, but would love to chat with folks about readathons we are participating in! So if anyone is participating in Magical Readathon for the Spring 2025 semester (running for the month of April), I figure this can be the thread :) I'm keeping my character that I have had from the very beginning and pursuing dual callings (Alchemist and Demonologist). Will probably tackle the Leyline Train Conductor and the Impling Sitter Scheme as well. If not allowed, please do delete 😅

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    comments 8
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  • wisecraic finished a book

    3d
    The Corruption of Hollis Brown

    The Corruption of Hollis Brown

    K. Ancrum

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    wisecraic commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    3d
  • 5 star reads

    Just want to start this post by saying I love this site and it's so nice to be around so many supportive book besties! So, I would love to know what everyone's 5 star books are and what made them a 5 star read for you? I think those 5 stars are so subjective and I haven't actually read any 5 star reads so far this year, so I'd love to know what everyone else's are and why!

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  • wisecraic finished reading and wrote a review...

    3d
  • Proof of Life (Scars and Stripes, #1)
    wisecraic
    Mar 31, 2025
    5.0
    Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 4.5
    🦿
    🎖️
    🏳️‍🌈

    MM military romance between squad leader and his right hand man that sparks into love after they've been blown up on mission and medically retired. Every trigger associated with that and with recovery, but Riley handled the topics with so much grace and by keeping it real. Riley used sensitivity readers and it absolutely paid off here. Couldn't ask for anything more from this type of book.

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  • wisecraic wrote a review...

    3d
  • Otherworldly
    wisecraic
    Mar 31, 2025
    3.5
    Enjoyment: 3.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 3.5
    🌬️
    🌊
    🏳️‍🌈

    All of FT Lukens' books are cute, light-hearted YA fantasy romance types, and this was exactly what I have come to expect from them. Loved that this incorporated an enby MC. Good fun and gorgeous cover.

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  • wisecraic wrote a review...

    4d
  • Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens
    wisecraic
    Mar 31, 2025
    3.0
    Enjoyment: 2.5Quality: 3.5Characters: 3.0Plot: 3.0
    🧜‍♀️
    🌱
    🌊

    **I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. ** Lynn Hutchinson Lee presents Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens, a literary magical realism story written in mini-vignettes. Readers follow Orchid through her life as a member of the Romany diaspora who has settled in Canada. Orchid speaks with the rusalka of the orchid fens about how they have been wronged by society. Orchid lives alongside people of the First Nations as they go to town meetings to argue against mining in their cultural fishing grounds. Each chapter is a small snapshot of Orchid's life and the everyday magic and tragedies side by side within it. This was 100% my bad. I'm not a literary magical realism reader on purpose. It isn't for me. I recognize the writing is right there where it should be for genre conventions and this slice-of-life story makes perfect sense within those parameters. I was expecting heavier horror components given that this was in the literary horror shelves on NetGalley and was excited to read something with Romany perspective. Also, the cover is completely stunning and drew me straight in. Definitely recommend this story to fans of literary magical realism and appreciate the opportunity to read it early.

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