About the Scoops

Hello and Welcome. 

In this page, you will find information regarding your major questions; who, what, where, why, and how are addressed in this brief introduction. 

One of my favorite things about YA is how authors handle complicated topics, like coming of age or understanding unique perspectives, is very digestible ways. I prefer fantasy, but will read most anything with a sprinkle of mystery, queer romance, or critique of history. You may also find me reading a non-fiction here and there, expanding my understanding of political or historical topics relevant to modern events. I'm actually trying to get my reading goals /down/ so I can savor and remember more details about what I've read. 

History

You can call me Bert (pronouns she/her).

The name 'Sherbert' began on Club Penguin, circa 2009-- a massive multiplayer online game featuring an ice capped island complete with dojo sanctuaries, messy pizzerias, and a mine cavern that definitely raised OSHA concerns. Now, I've never been very good at pronouncing words correctly, and no one had the heart to tell me 'sherbet' was neither spelled or pronounced with an 'r.' Color elementary-school-me surprised when my (misspelled) favorite desert was an available name on the penguin game...

I have since attended and graduated from university, and although my spelling hasn't really gotten any better, my ability to articulate conversation has. Fast forward to the COVID-19 Pandemic and subsequent lockdown: suddenly, dormant hobbies left unnurtured were the only thing keeping the world anxiety at bay. I got involved in book clubs, rediscovered Tumblr, and connected with people across social media.

Now I just need a space to put all my thoughts together. 

Rating Systems

In addition to a five star rating for a book, I've established a 'Ice Cream' flavor to a purely subjective 'vibe test' of each book. If you like the characteristics I've assigned to the flavor, you'll also probably like the books associated with them. Check out tags for book reviews to sort by different 'scoops'--Its still an experimental rating system, so more flavors are likely to appear as I read more, and this list can be modified at any time. 

The Flavors

The Chocolates 

     Chocolate: There's romance, there's yearning, there's angst, there's a *scene* or two... 

     Dark Chocolate: The romance is a bit toxic, but I'm in love anyways.

     Chocolate Therapy: A feel good book, the romance is nothing but gentle and fluff.

The Cookie Collection

     Cookie Dough: Something about this surprised me.

     Cookies 'n Cream: Silly, goofy, haha. These books don't make a lot of sense, but were fun regardless.

     Chocolate Chunk: The pacing was soo off, I had to revisit it or put it down

The Others

     Strawberry: A joyful delight-- this has kick your feet and giggling vibes

     Mint Chip: Something about this was fresh and different, often a retelling done right.

     Coffee: This kept me up at night... 

     Cotton Candy: A guilty pleasure, for whatever reason. 

     Vanilla Bean: This is where I'd categorize the classics and old souls. 

The Genres

Generally speaking, I'm going to use the genre* that is prescribed by GoodReads, the publishers, or the authors themselves-- however, there is the rare occasion that I disagree with it's categorization. When that occurs, I'll make sure to state it, but please refer to this guide. These descriptions are not revolutionary or original, but rather clarify what I expect from a genre when I tag it.

Contemporary fiction: Books that take place when they are written-- meaning this genre encompasses the old classics and modern fiction, so long as the setting of the book occurs around the time it's written. 

Fantasy: They got magic, that swords, they got dragons-- or any mix of the above! The important part is that characters in these books are doing things I can't do every day.   

Historical Fiction: Written with 20/20 hindsight, these books 

Humor: Funny. I laughed. It was on purpose. 

Mystery: Is there a murder? is there espionage? is there political intrigue? I got questions.

Non-Fiction: Citations are cited, references are provided, and it's fact. 

Pirate-Fantasy: There many not always been magic or dragons (or sea monsters), but they certainly aren't historic. Rather, pirate fantasy are Pirates-of-the-Caribbean coded, and (with swords). 

Romance: There's kissing on purpose.

Romantasy: Romance First, Fantasy Second. The romance exists in a fantasy setting, but kissing is the primary purpose of the book.  

Science Fiction: Generally speaking, this category of books is expressly scientific in nature, or even magical science, goes to space or time travels. However, I would also include most dystopias into this bracket, as they're inherently a commentary on some kind of system, technology, or science in our real lives (yes, that includes the YA ones).

Star Wars: Star Wars is not Science Fiction. Star Wars is a space opera with fantasy elements. But, more importantly, Star Wars books are published fan fictions. I will treat them as such, in its own category. 

Thriller: When mysteries get spooky. 

* Books may have more than one genre, and I'll do my best to identify as many as possible. 

Personal Disclaimers

Everyone is subject to their biases, including me. These reviews and discussions are a direct product of my experiences, and if you find you disagree with anything I say, I ask you be respectful about it in the comments. I am learning how to be a better reader, reviewer, and book nerd, so please feel free to contact me with concerns. 

That being said, here are some 'bonus stars' (+1⭐) I like to give:

Pirate Fantasy 

It's (healthy) Gay 

Indie or Self Published 

 Regarding Net Galley

**I am taking a break from NetGalley as of 4/5/2024 and will not be accepting ARCs**

Something I've Learned: Reviewing is about your response ration, not quality of review. If you're new to the review spaces, make a point to respond to as many books as possible, even if you don't have any strong opinions. Your indifference also matters and you wont like everything you ever ARC.