Affy Reads

     Sisterhood Above All follows three young women whose emotional worlds are shaped by the intensity of early adulthood, the choices they make, and the perceptions they carry — all of which converge when the story’s central mystery begins to unfold. I’ll admit I went in a little wary because of the college‑sorority drama and the young adult perspectives we were witnessing it from, but the book ended up being far more grounded and emotionally aware than I anticipated. Once I settled into the characters’ world, I could see how real their stakes felt to them — their priorities may look small or chaotic from an adult vantage point, but inside their heads, everything is high‑stakes. The book captures that beautifully. I found myself reflecting often, not because the story is heavy, but because it’s anchored by something honest underneath.      One of the things I appreciated most about this book is its sense of narrative integrity. The authors and the entire ...

     The Vermilion Sea blends historical fiction with a touch of eco‑horror and something quietly uncanny, following a 1920s marine expedition where scientific ambition, personal history, and an eerie presence beneath the waves all intersect. I drifted at times and grew curious at others, especially once the story moved past the early focus on Billie and Roland’s unresolved tension.      I liked the idea of Billie’s position as a woman in science during a time when that required a particular kind of resilience, though her dynamic with Roland sometimes overshadowed the aspects of her character I wanted to understand more deeply. I also found that Billie’s thoughts about Roland sometimes felt slightly at odds with how she’s otherwise portrayed, and her frustration with his ambition felt uneven given her own. I also wished for more clarity about their past; the generalities made it harder for me to understand the depth of their conflict. I think I would have...

    Humboldt Cut blends eco‑horror with a family story, and the mix works really well. The horror comes through in sudden, almost casual bursts of gore that caught me off guard more than once.      I’m not a big fan of gore, but I stuck with it, and I know some horror readers will be more comfortable with those moments than I was. The gory bursts reminded me a bit of Final Destination or Stephen King’s The Monkey .      Horror also isn’t a genre I ever expected to enjoy (I get scared too easily LOL), but after listening to a Grady Hendrix audiobook one day, I realized I actually love the thrill of horror in audio form. The narration becomes part of the experience I’m looking for. Here, Jasmin Walker’s performance does not disappoint. I love the quality of her voice, and she slips into each character in a way that feels lived in rather than performed.      The book also reads like an intergenerational family story set inside a horr...