Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Matt_Austin

Matt_Austin

Joined May 2020

I love getting lost in a story especially when it has a supernatural element. Audiobooks and puzzles are getting me through the quarantine of 2020.
review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

This series is really an amazing addition to the Avatar universe. LOVED the second book. Kyoshi is navigating a difficult world and finally taps into her spiritual self and attempts to access her past lives. Having the story showcase the difference in the Avatar universe prior to what we know from the TV show is fascinating to me. I hope there are many more books to come!

review
Matt_Austin
Avatar: The Rise of Kyoshi | Michael Dante DiMartino, F. C. Yee
Pickpick

I‘m a huge fan of the world of Avatar the Last Airbender and this book did not disappoint. I got this from the library and already reserved the sequel. Kyoshi‘s story is far more complicated than I would have imagined and it made for a great read. If you‘re an Avatar fan I definitely recommend this book.

4 likes1 stack add
review
Matt_Austin
The Gravity of Us | Phillip Stamper-Halpin
Pickpick

I can‘t remember how I came across this book (I listened to the audiobook) but I actually really liked it. Fun and quick gay themed YA love story. What I really appreciated was how the author approached mental health in the book. It‘s not a focus of the book but it‘s a refreshing way to view being sensitive to one another‘s mental health all while navigating love and pursuing your passions.

review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

I enjoyed the series as a whole. This book had some slow parts but I was excited to reach the end of the story. Still a pick but I‘d only give it 3.75 stars.

review
Matt_Austin
Red, White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston
Pickpick

Finally got this audiobook from the library and enjoyed the story. Saw this was recommended after I finished Gentleman‘s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I like Gentlemen‘s Guide a bit more then this one though. I thought the secret love story was adorable but the politics were just ok for me.

review
Matt_Austin
Alias Hook | Lisa Jensen
post image
Pickpick

Alias Hook is one of our Bookclub picks for this year. I had a lot of fun with the story and was glad it was an adult book and not YA. The author gives depth to all the characters even her version of Pan.

review
Matt_Austin
Cress = Cress | Marissa Meyer
Pickpick

Can‘t wait to see where this story ends with the next book. I enjoyed the multiple storylines that built in Cress.

JillsBookshelf This is an amazing series! I hope you enjoy the rest 😁 4y
8 likes1 comment
review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

Still loving this series although the middle of this book kind of dragged for me. The ending was great and I can‘t wait for the third book. Again the narrator was phenomenal, same narrator as book 1. Thank you Jack Phoenix for recommending this series!

comics_librarian Yaaaaaaaaasssssss 4y
10 likes1 comment
review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

Got this on audiobook and took me a minute to get into the story but I still fell in love with the adventure pretty quickly. The narrator, Bahni Turpin, is incredible and brings each character to life in a way that builds dimension to the story like I didn‘t expect. Would absolutely recommend the audiobook. Already downloading the sequel from the library.

review
Matt_Austin
Scarlet | Marissa Meyer
Pickpick

I‘m enjoying this series as my fun summer reading (although I‘m getting them on audiobook). I love the play on the fairytales each book is bringing as well as the sci-fi elements.

hannah-leeloo I loved this series. I found it so hard to put winter down when you get there. Scarlet was my favourite 4y
9 likes1 comment
review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

Really loved this book and the authors style of telling Milicent‘s amazing life. I enjoyed all the extra movie making knowledge the author is able to add from her own experiences and her research process. I had a real hard time putting the book down. This was part of my Bookclub‘s reading list and I can‘t wait to talk about it with everyone. Now I have to go watch the movie with new appreciation for the Gill-man.

annahenke Thanks for reminding me of this book! I‘ve put it on my official list now! 4y
Matt_Austin I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 4y
7 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

Saw this book reviewed on this app and thought I‘d give it a shot. Got the audiobook from the library and I ended up enjoying it more and more as the story went on. I‘m interested enough to get the next book in the series as each book draws inspiration from different fairytales/children‘s stories.

blurb
Matt_Austin
post image

With my library doing curbside pickup I get to actually read my next Bookclub book! And our pug loves reading cuddles.

BillBlume Read this one earlier this year, and I enjoyed it a lot. Hope you do, too. 4y
Matt_Austin I had so much fun reading this book and glad someone in my Bookclub pick it for us to read. I‘ve already recommended it to a few people too. 4y
8 likes2 comments
review
Matt_Austin
The Immortalists | Chloe Benjamin
post image
Mehso-so

I picked up the audiobook to go along with “They Both Die At The End” and the theme of known death. This was just ok for me. I enjoyed the story and it had that supernatural element that I usually enjoy, but I didn‘t love the book. I‘m not getting to a deeper level of thinking about life after finishing, I just think it was nice story.

12 likes1 stack add
review
Matt_Austin
post image
Pickpick

After enjoying “What If It‘s Us” which is co-written by Adam Silvera I tried this on audiobook and really enjoyed the book. I found it extremely thought provoking although I understand this might not be everyone‘s cup of tea. This is the kind of story that, for me, lingers on for weeks not only to consider what I would do in this situation but realizing the small points in the story that allowed these young men to have an extraordinary last day.

review
Matt_Austin
What If It's Us | Becky Albertalli
Pickpick

Got the audiobook and this story is cute but spelled with a capital K. A teen gay romance that I wish I could have had back in the late 90‘s when I needed one. The audiobook has different narrators for the two main characters which allowed me to get lost in the different perspectives. The story doesn‘t get stuck on self discovery or family acceptance which is refreshing. This is an adorable summer romance and first love story that made me smile.

review
Matt_Austin
Mehso-so

I got the audiobook and I really enjoyed the story because John is the narrator. I‘m giving it a so-so since if I had read it myself I wouldn‘t have liked it as much. It‘s fun but isn‘t lingering in my thoughts. I do keep thinking that I drove 70 west to Iowa once right through the places he got stuck, and keep wishing it had been at the same time and could have picked him up.

blurb
Matt_Austin
What If It's Us | Becky Albertalli
post image

Saw this book posted by someone and after reading the summary thought I‘d give it a shot. Luckily the library had the audiobook available and I just got started. This is audiobook 15 since the stay at home quarantine started, most books I‘ve “read” in a year, I think.

review
Matt_Austin
Fall of Man in Wilmslow | David Lagercrantz
Mehso-so

Got the audiobook and if I had tried to read it myself I would have put it down before halfway. I loved the parts about Alan and his life but just couldn‘t really getting it the detective‘s story. The ending did hit me in the feels a bit. Overall I just didn‘t love it.

review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

Got the audiobook and loved the narrator. The story is all about about growing into ones self and had it ended any other way I might have bought the book just burn it, kidding! I did enjoy the story and the main trio of characters had me eagerly listening throughout the book. The main character made me reflect on my own life and all the thoughts I keep to myself so much that I think I get to take away more then I expected from this book.

review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

Jenny‘s retelling of her life reminds me of a mix between my mother and my older sister. All wrapped in the humor style of a Gilmore Girls episode, I love that show btw. I couldn‘t stop reading this book to get to the next wild/insane/ridiculous thing she did or experienced. I loved that Jenny dove into her mental illness and bravely told her personal struggles without losing the humor and emotion of her life experience.

megnews This is in my tbr. I laughed out loud so much at her Furiously Happy 5y
Matt_Austin There were many times I had to stop reading because I was laughing too hard to continue. 5y
5 likes2 comments
blurb
Matt_Austin

I tried to read this book twice, once reading myself then again through audiobook. Couldn‘t get past chapter 2 both times. Just wasn‘t my thing and it never will be. You might love it though and it could just be me not getting it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

megnews I loved it. But everybody‘s different. 5y
rwmg I enjoyed the body of the book but then she had to ruin it with the epilogue 5y
4 likes2 comments
review
Matt_Austin
Circe | Madeline Miller
Pickpick

Read this as part of my Bookclub and everyone of us enjoyed the book. It‘s great if you liked Greek mythology in school but didn‘t study it that hard. Don‘t worry Madeline gets you caught up and then takes you off into her world. This book is great for a time you need to take yourself into a world of magic and mischief. Madeline creates a relatable and loving character in Circe. Just remember Greek Gods weren‘t that nice 😉

review
Matt_Austin
The Song of Achilles | Madeline Miller
Pickpick

I read Circe by the same author and thoroughly enjoyed it. Picked this up as I had heard the premise and love me a good man-man romance. The author did not disappoint. I love a different spin on mythology and the story made me long for more at the end, if you don‘t know how Achilles ends the Trojan War *spoiler alert* there is no sequel. I really hope Madeline creates another tale from mythology as her first two are fantastic!

kgriffith Song of Achilles is easily one of my top books of all time. If you‘re an audiobook person and want to revisit this one, highly recommend listening — the narrator is exquisite. 5y
Matt_Austin I probably should have mentioned I picked this up on audiobook, oops. But I totally agree with you the narrator was incredible. 5y
6 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

I read this from my Bookclub list and loved it. I had each and every feeling after finishing the book. It made me reflect on my own life and experiences so much that I want to remind myself not to stay silent. Every character and experience felt real and went far deeper then just the words on the page.

NikkiRobson73 I listened to it on audio book loved it so much I‘m reading it now 5y
9 likes1 comment
review
Matt_Austin
Someday | David Levithan
Pickpick

After reading Every Day this book is the story I craved. In the audiobook the story is read by a full cast which I loved. This story goes even deeper into gender exploration at times. The main focus to me was the drive to determine who we are not by what we were born as but the actions we take. I found it to be a great end to the series.

review
Matt_Austin
Another Day | David Levithan
Mehso-so

I thought this was a good book but didn‘t give me the excitement as Every Day did. However, I wanted to read through it to get to the third book in the series so I didn‘t miss details of Rhiannon‘s experience. I just didn‘t feel like I got a different understanding of her after finishing the book than when I started.

review
Matt_Austin
Every Day | David Levithan
Pickpick

As an adult this is a fun vacation read that also made me think about larger ideas of gender, attraction, and the human condition. There are some good thought-provoking ideas about what we go through, take for granted, and assume in others that David allows his character to experience for you in the first person.

review
Matt_Austin
The Shadow Land: A Novel | Elizabeth Kostova
Mehso-so

This book took me a good amount of time to get into the story but once up and running I couldn‘t stop. If you need a look into a place most of us know very little about, Bulgaria, take the time to get immersed into this story.

review
Matt_Austin
Pickpick

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the wild life of Allan Karlsson. I got the audiobook and feel the delightful British man that reads the story added to the tale.