12rhys23's reviews
458 reviews

The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.

Bored. Very YA compared to Song of Achilles. I don't get any sense of stakes or urgency, and there's no pull to keep picking this up because the author hasn't made me care enough to. 30% in and there's no plot spark urging me to find out what's going to happen next. 

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol

challenging funny informative lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

Not liking the second person narrative, and the writing seems purposefully confusing, but not in a fun way. 

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Did not finish book. Stopped at 1%.

Two people with similar tastes as mine on Story graph both gave this two stars, and after reading a few pages I can tell its too slow and stuffy for me to enjoy.

I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny by Bob Newhart, Bob Newhart
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.

Lots of transcribed comedy bits (not all his, but from other comedians he knew) that don't work as well on page. 

The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism by John U. Bacon

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.5

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Meh. This one didn't didn't compel me like the first. I think mostly because I couldn't stand the cop, Nick, from the first book, since he made a bad impression on me by being so aggressively possessive and toxic, and the author torpedoes the love interest from that first book that fit Finnlay much better almost immediately. 

So yeah, I'm not as excited by this series anymore.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.

“Just breathe, Olivia,” Alejandro said, patting my hand. 
I blinked. Glanced down. My hand was clenched around the listing. “Sorry,” I said, releasing it to the coffee table. 

Releasing it to the coffee table? The writing is very choppy and unpolished, full of unnatural sentencing. DNF 6 pages in. 

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

I think only the hardcore SW or Carrie Fisher fans. As a non-SW fan, not much kept my interest.