it was fine | Read With Kennie

No More Cozy Mysteries Methinks

These books are remarkably Fine to me. They're quick books to read but lack any genuine substance. It skirts around any sort of depth by playing every character and situation off as a gimmick.

Kendall Carroll

Nov 6, 20253 min read

Horatio, the Teen Detective

I'm very conflicted about this book. I really shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. There were some messier moments, but overall I thought it was a very competent retelling.

Kendall Carroll

Oct 25, 20254 min read

The Lucky One

Overall, though, I did like the book. The writing in particular really stood out to me. I liked how atmospheric it was; the style did a good job to encompass the tone and messages that the author was trying to portray. It wasn't a perfect book, and I thought it took a moment to find its groove, but I enjoyed reading it.

Kendall Carroll

Oct 12, 20255 min read

When Art Becomes Creepy

I kind of don't know how to feel about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. At the same time, though, I am interested in reading the other book by this author, Strange Houses. Ultimately it was just fine, and probably way overhyped.

Kendall Carroll

Sep 14, 20252 min read

Another Deadly Writer's Retreat

I was looking for a book that was just a fun mystery, and this certainly qualified. The atmosphere was really well done, and the thriller aspect was really strong. And while I did have fun reading it, I don't think the execution was particularly spectacular.

Kendall Carroll

Aug 29, 20252 min read

Well, Women Aren't Perfect Either

I guess I should've known better from the title, but I wasn't expecting this book to be as male-focused as it was. This brand of "feminism" is unfortunately a little too TERF-like than I'm comfortable with, but I also have to wonder if that was the goal. Was this book actually attempting to be a feminism novella? I don't really think so. Perhaps it should've tried harder to do so, because as it was, I found this book lacking.

Kendall Carroll

Jul 16, 20252 min read

We're All Murder Experts Here

I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing of this book, though I did like it overall. The author is clearly competent and knowledgeable about how to write a mystery, and I did enjoy the concept.

Kendall Carroll

Jul 14, 20252 min read

Not Actually Board to Death

I'm not too proud to admit that I chose to read this book pretty much exclusively because the main character's name was a reference to Hamlet. And you know what? It was a quick, funny mystery that made just enough references to the classic play (and reminded me of Benjamin from The King of Infinite Space, although I think that was unintentional) to keep me satisfied. It's not a perfect book: far from it, actually. But it was decidedly good enough, and I had fun reading it.

Kendall Carroll

Jun 2, 20253 min read

Hamlet, the Robot

I enjoyed this book. As a fan of Hamlet, I'm very easy to please. Of course I enjoyed the beat-for-beat retelling of a play that I adore. What's not to love? In fact, that's also my biggest problem with this book. I wanted to love this book because of what it was, not because of what Shakespeare already wrote.

Kendall Carroll

May 14, 20252 min read

Another Haunted House Story

This book was fine. It wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. It reminded me a lot of The Haunting of Hill House (both the movie and the show), but not as good. The concepts in this book had some real potential, but I don't think the execution matched up to expectations.

Kendall Carroll

Apr 25, 20252 min read

The Book About Loving Books

Overall, this book was fine. I'm glad I read it, because it was a sweet story that was clearly written by a lover of a books, which I appreciate. But it's certainly not my favorite book ever.

Kendall Carroll

Apr 11, 20252 min read