abookishmagpie's reviews
607 reviews

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

I had all the hopes this was going to be such a fun little rom-com for me to devour, and they crashed down around me by the end of the book. I had an inkling around page 50 that maybe I should just DNF and save myself the wasted time, but it was a fast read and some bits really stuck out and hit me as memorable and well-written, so I decided to just keep going. Sadly, it never really got any better and by the last 2o or so pages I was dramatically sighing each time I turned a page and saw it was full of text and not just the last bit of the book. I think there is so much potential here and that's why it really sucks to have to say this was a big let down for me, the idea of a fat, bubble ghostwriter being matched up with a surly ex-athlete who she has to coax to get to open up to her to write this memoir of his, and oh by the way when she is seen leaving his house and gossip runs rampant they also have to pretend to date till the book is out? Sounds like a slam dunk of a plot if written well and with good pacing, which sadly this lacked for me. Mabel and Alfie as our leads were just developed enough that we could connect with them, but they had so little other people in their lives that we actually got to know that it felt so flat. Some friends and relatives are mentioned, but hardly ever actually talked too or seen and so their lives don't feel well and rounded out, making it hard to care for our main characters and their journey in this book. 

Not to mention the pacing and plotting is weak, if barely there at all. The chapters are so quick and so choppy that one scene can take place over three or more chapters and it felt a lot like "and then this happened. And then this. and next this." so time became a little hard to follow. Then there is the third act conflict that most all romances have, but this one is truly third-act in the sense it happens with less than 50 or so pages to the end (I think) and then is so quickly wrapped up by a time jump and a little bit of fluff and confessions of miscommunication that the stakes are so low for the resolution.

I don't know. I probably sound so cranky and mean about this, but I was really let down and then just mad at myself for not DNF'ing it and wasting my time. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there this works for, it just most definitely was not me.

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I had a absolutely wonderful time with this book. I picked it up knowing I was in the mood for a good romance and thought it was time I give this author's romance a try, I liked what she did in a thriller I read from her so I figured it was at least a safe bet for another book that I'd enjoy. Plus the cover is super cute and I am always more excited to dive into a book that has a bit of politics to its overall story. 

Alexis and Logan end up in a fake-dating situation after their attempt at a one-night-stand with each other goes awry when lightening strikes the hotel and causes a fire. When they get to the street, Logan carrying Alexis after she tripped trying to do stairs in heels, the real world comes back to them and when Logan sees cameras and reporters on the street he flees with out an explanation. Turns out he is running for governor and was hoping to avoid any negative press that could affect his campaign, but of course they were spotted and the best his team can come up with is for Logan and Alexis to agree to be fake-dating...at least until the election is over. Alexis, a elementary school librarian trying to get her groove back after a bad break up, agrees to the terms and finds herself enjoying some of the tasks and perks of being a politician's partner. But while they fool the world, they have to wonder if they are fooling themselves in thinking this is only a transactional thing and that no real feelings are involved. 

I found both Alexis and Logan to be great characters who had a lot of layers and depth to them. I loved their chemistry and how it sizzled on the page, making the slow burn we had to live through all the more worth it when we got to the sparks and emotional reveals. I thought the side storylines were done equally as well as the main romance one, and all the side characters were fun and added just enough to the story that they didn't feel useless or like filler. I know Winstead has another romance out and after this one I know I need to add it to my TBR.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I’ll be honest, after the third book in this series I was a little leery as to how much longer Cosimano was going to be able to keep putting out new books without it getting stale or old. Which is why I am both surprised and happy to say I really enjoyed this fourth installment, even better than the last one, and am glad I chose to pick it up and give it a go. We pick up right where we left Finlay and Vero as they make their way to Atlantic City to deal with Vero’s substantial debt to a loan shark who is calling to collect and playing dirty about it. And if you thought that was the only high-stakes and outrageous problem for them, I’d worry what book series you thought you were reading. Of course the road trip goes from a girls trip to a family trip as Finlay’s kids, mom and ex-husband tag along making all the secret dealings Vero and Finlay have to try and tackle all the harder to pull off. I hit a bit of a funk as I started this book and so it took me way longer than it should have to get into and finish, but once I got invested I was in and making sure I found time to read and figure out what next outlandish thing our characters were going to get up to. I will keep an eye out if we get more from Finlay’s world after this installment. 

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

From the moment I saw the young girl handwriting on a burnt CD I knew I was going to have to pick up this book to see if the contents resonated as much with me as the cover. I was not aware of the 'Be There in Five' podcast or Kate before I picked up this novel so I don't have anything to compare her story telling ability from, but from what I experienced in this collection of essays I definitely understand why she has a following and will have to make an effort to check out the podcast now. As a slightly younger millennial than Kate herself my time frame of experiencing the oddly specific events of the 90s and 2000s is a little off her own, but I still found myself sucked deep into the web of nostalgia she talked about boy bands, pop culture TV and movie moments, discovering (and definitely abusing) the internet, going out-out and the drive to perfect epic handwriting. As well as the more deeper and intense moments she described as she (we really) grew up in a time that really warped our understanding of who we are versus what society wants us to be and trying to find that balance. 

I'd agree with some comments saying that at times the chapters got too long and Kennedy had a tendency to wander a bit off topic, but I can't say those things ruined my experience at all. I didn't connect as much with the end chapters about parenthood, but I could empathize with why they were important for Kennedy to share and I thought she did a good job of bringing in the things growing up as a millennial taught her about how to approach the concept of becoming a parent. Overall I am really happy I picked this up and I could see myself getting a copy of my own so I could go back and highlight the lines that really struck a chord with me. I'd definitely recommend this to fellow millennial's, especially those who have a fondness and love of pop culture.

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I am always down for any type of Sleeping Beauty retelling or story inspired by it since it is my favorite Disney movie, and so I was all over this when I was told about it. I loved how diverse this book was in so many ways, especially the journey of gender expression that our main character Calla goes on throughout the novel and how well that lent to the other story lines. I found the romance to be well done, even if at times the fated mate thing was talked about more than I cared for, the characters had good chemistry that was apparent in more than just a physical sense. I do think that there could have been some editing around the middle and the start of the final act. It felt drawn out at times and, like some scenes added little to the book. Overall, though, I had a really enjoyable time reading this, and I am so happy I jumped it to the top of my TBR when I heard about it. Will for sure be keeping my eye out for the sequel.

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After current events I knew that I waned to make an effort to pick up a piece of work by a Palestinian author and after seeing many good reviews of this one I put a hold on it from my library. It was for sure a difficult read filled with many trigger warnings that I highly suggest you look into before you pick up this book. But as hard as some of the topics and scenes are to read, they are written with such talent and care. Nahr is a child of Palestinian refugees living in Kuwait for her formative years, in current day we are with Nahr as she is a prisoner of war in an Israeli jail cell called 'The Cube' and she is recounting her life from the time she is about 18 to the events that led to her being captured and put in prison 16 years ago. I sadly am way more uneducated on the history of Palestine, particularly their relationship with Israel, than I should really be and so this was a book that opened my eyes to a lot. It made me want to take the time to do some more research and educate myself. Nahr is a dynamic and intense main character who is both difficult and a joy to follow through this story and I think that is what makes her and the book so impactful. The things she experiences feel like they are so outlandish they have to be pure fiction, but the author states in the acknowledgements that she has formed Nahr based on interviews she has completed with real life prisoners of war and so they are based in reality. I am glad that I put this on my list and that I got to it sooner rather than later, I'd highly recommend this novel. 

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone

challenging dark emotional funny informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Nothing hurts like being sure a book is going to be a slam dunk and then having it disappoint. I had such a blast with the first book in this series and I was so excited to get to the follow up, and truth be told I had an equally great time with the first half to two thirds of this book, but then one of my most disliked tropes popped up out of nowhere and my enjoyment went downhill pretty quickly. 

However, if we are talking writing style and talent, this author duo is still wonderful at what they do. They have such lovable characters, especially the whole big cast in this Christmas Notch world they have created, and they do a lovely job at things like body and sex positivity and having a diverse representation in their books. I can't say the writing was bad or that the story was underdeveloped and flat or that the characters were weren't enjoyable to read from. In that sense this book is on par with book one and could easily be a 4.5. 

It's just that unfortunately the use of the trope in the second half/last third of the book is one that I just don't like to read and so I was kinda mentally checked out for that last bit of the book because all the fun had been sucked out for me. I still liked Winnie and Kallum, I just didn't like the situation they were in and what it created for their story. And it made the overall story feel like it was dragging towards a finish line that we all could see coming, so sadly I have to say that while this isn't a terrible book - it just fell sort of what I expected/wanted. If there is more books in this series I'll still read them because I like the authors and I think they are talented and this wold they've created is so fun to be in, I'll just never care to return to this book again.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 I’ve had this book on my radar for a while now and finally got around to picking it up. I’ve read from Emezi before and really liked that book so I felt confident in going into this book of theirs. In it we follow Feyi as she is five years out from losing the love of her life, Jonah, in a car accident and she is just beginning to get back out there in life and feel somewhat ready to start dating again. Enter Nasir, who she is attracted to and feels a connection to, but she wants to take things slower and he reads her loud and clear. He eventually invites her to visit his family on their island home, where she learns his father is famous chef, Alim Blake, and her attraction to him is instant. She tries to fight it, but can’t help but to be drawn to Alim and to feel a connection to him much stronger than one she has felt since Jonah. Alim too knows the grief of losing a spouse and how that alone feeling sits with you and affects every aspect of your life. The story is deep and raw with all these strong emotions and heavy plot points, but also filled with wonderful moments of laughter and joy. Emezi has a writing style that is unique and really brings out the visual as well as emotional that hooks a person quickly. I do think the pace was a little off and dragged the story a bit in the middle, so at times it felt like a chore to pick it up. However, I still really enjoyed my time with this unique story and how it was crafted by such a talented author. 

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 This essay collection is brilliantly written and handles topics that are heavy and at times hard to read about, but that makes them all the more important to take in. I found the way that Elliot used her immense talent to describe things in such lyrical yet powerful words captivating, particularly her essay where she compares dark matter to the existence of Indigenous people, their land and their culture and the way colonizers act like they "discovered" or amplified these things as if they didn't exist fully before them. I was also impressed with her ability to tell about her mother and father and her upbringing in a way that was extremely honest and yet didn't overly color it with too much emotion. I am really glad that I was introduced to this book via a Booktuber and that I took the effort to search it out and include it in some of the first books I read of this year. 

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I had heard some really wonderful things about this, and then when I read the synopsis myself, I kinda fell for the whimsical nature of it and then knew I had to give it a go. Lucy is a kindergarten aid with a special bond with a young boy named Christopher who has had a rough time since his parents died and he has been in the foster care system. Her biggest wish is to be able to adopt him and become his mother, but with a minimum wage job and debt that feels insurmountable, she needs a miracle to make that wish a reality. Enter Jack Masterson, author of the beloved 'Clock Island' children's book series, who has been MIA for years but makes a sudden reappearance with the announcement of a competition for some lucky people to win the newest manuscript in the series and do with it whatever they want.   

The Willy Wonka like character with his own Clock Island where he hosts the contest and talks in riddles was a lovely aspect to the book that I particularly enjoyed. I don't know that this book needed as many layers to Lucy's past, it got a bit convoluted at times with all the little parts we had to revisit and address that we could have spent on more world and game building. However, I liked the pace and the way there was a depth to the emotions of the story, getting to know the characters and their motivations and stories unraveled this really beautiful story. Yes, it had a cheesy and overly happy ending that was triple sugar coated, but it felt earned and deserved after we spent this time with these characters. I'm really glad I picked this up and would be curious to read more from this author in the future.