abookishmagpie's reviews
612 reviews

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

challenging emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

2.5

This is going to be one of those books that everyone seems to love, and I just didn't. I thought fortune it was going to be a cozy and heartwarming read, but the way the main character was written (and acted via the audiobook) I usually found myself irritated and pulled so far out of caring for the main relationships going on. Patrick has become the guardian of his niece and nephew for a summer after the death of their mother and Patrick's best friend, Sara. Their dad has some issues to work out, so he can be the dad his kids need, so it is off to Palm Springs with their guncle Patrick. The plot felt meandering and, like the author, had a clear beginning and ending in mind, but then muddled around in the middle just adding little plot points to make it fit a certain length. It sucks because I have been anticipating this read, but it just didn't work for me in the end..

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Everything you heard about this book is right. It is wonderful with such a well paced and plotted out story. The characters are extremely lovable even while flawed as heck, and the romance has such a nice balance of steam and sweetness. Nora and Charlie made me smile, laugh, and even tear up a couple of times, all while being great characters on their own. I especially love the sister relationship between Nora and Libby and how much focus it got throughout the novel, showing the importance of that kind of love and connection as well. I join the leagues of people who highly recommend this book.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

It feels a little odd to rate this and my last read the same, but a full four star feels not quiet right for this either so I'll stick with a 3.5. Again it is clear that Kuang has an immense talent for writing and story crafting, but in the books I've read from her (Babel and this one) I have yet to fully fall into her books. I can recognize her way with words is incredible and I like the premises of the stories, but she kinda loses me in the nitty gritty of it. I think with Babel it was that I felt a little too stupid to get some of what she was expressing, and with this one it felt a little contrived at times and the focus on Twitter discourse felt so on the nose that it came across as the author venting real life issues into her book/characters. Which she has every right to do, it just brought me out of the story so it became less enjoyable. That being said, it is still a compelling and captivating concept and I was fully invested in where it was all going and where it would end up, so rating it any lower than I have feels incorrect. I'd also suggest to check out own voice reviews before reading as well because they will be able to better speak to the representation and the way certain issues are discussed.  

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

At this point I think this series is going to be one I turn to for a good cozy time or a pallet cleanser when I am in a funk or need to recover from a heavy read. The mysteries are intriguing enough to keep you guessing without being too heavy or serious, and Finlay is charming enough that you laugh multiple times at the uncanny situations she gets her and Vero in. My only nitpick of this installment was that the romance heavy plot was not my favorite part, I can't really explain why, but I think I prefer the other love interest version than the one we focused on in this book. However, that is minor in the grand scheme of things, and what I love the most in these books is the relationship between Finlay and Vero and them being a team. Which means I am excited we got to expand a bit more on Vero's backstory, and it looks like book four is going to be a big focus on her. Still having a fun time when I pick these up so I don't anticipate it stopping anytime soon.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

dark emotional hopeful informative 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

4.0

I have yet to find an Elizabeth Acevedo book that I don't really like. This being her first venture into adult books had me excited, and I am so glad to say it lived up to my anticipation. This is a story that follows the women of the Marte family over a couple of generations as they start in the Dominican Republic and end up in New York City. When Flor asks her family to indulge her in throwing her a living wake, they all begin to worry as they prepare to fulfill her wishes. We follow the lead up to the wake, and we get to follow multiple POVs, which allows us to know each of the women deeply and know their backstories. Acevedo and her stunning writing talent weave such an eloquent and moving story of women navigating life and love and family. This book continues the trend of wonderful books from Acevedo and solidifies that I will always pick up what she writes.

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This title and cover had caught my eye when it first came into our library, but after seeing a BookTuber give it good feedback I bumped it up my TBR list and made it a priority. We have a dual POV in 1870s London where Lenna is studying the art of séances and being a medium under famed Vaudeline D'Allaire so she can eventually preform a séance for her sister Evie who was murdered a few months back. They are brought back to London from Paris when Vaudeline is requested to do a séance for the former director of the London Seance Society and what they thought was a routine part of their work becomes a murder mystery to solve they get wrapped up in charlatans and crimes beyond their control. The other POV is Mr. Morley who is working at The London Séance Society and is doing his best to get the clubs reputation back on track after some rumors of poor behavior and ruses have begun to make their way around London. I read this in one sitting and just devoured chapter after chapter needing to know where the story was headed and how everything was going to connect. I thought the author did a good job of building suspense and plotting out twists and turns that kept the reader hooked. I liked that I could gather some of the twists before they happened, but not all of them. I'd recommend this for mystery lovers as a quick paced story with interesting insight into the world of Victorian London and their beliefs of death and the after life. 

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson

emotional funny hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

3.0

This is one cute book, and I knew from just the title it was going to be a fun time. Maggie is the daughter of a Beefeater and lives with her dad at the Tower of London and while her home is one of the coolest places for someone to live, her life definitely pales in comparison. After a recent break up of her seven-year relationship and her job at the ticket booth of the Tower she feels lost and aimless. When she meets Freddie, a royal guard working at the Tower with his regiment she finds someone who seems to get he and like her just as she is. Their friendship grows over time and Maggie has to admit that as much as she loves having a friend, she can't deny her feelings for him as hopefully something more. However, anytime they seem to start getting close, he plus away or disappears all together. I think the strongest part of this novel was the relationships we see Maggie have with all the staff at the Tower and how they have become her extended family, it took over the romance a little bit for me, but I didn't mind that actually. And the history that we got to learn throughout the book was really fantastic as well and I am so happy we got that. In the end this is cute and fun and for some it is probably a perfect romance book, for me though it was just fine. Nothing bad about it at all, just didn't hit as a new all-time favorite. I'll still be checking out works form this author in the future.

Circe by Madeline Miller

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

After reading The Song of Achilles I knew immediately that I wanted to pick up Madeline Miller's other novel as soon as possible. I knew even less about Circe than I did Achilles and Patroclus so I went into this book basically blind, and I really liked that. I think it allowed me to really fall into the story and learn about Circe and her world better. As the daughter of the God of the sun, Circe grew up in the shadow of him as well as hee siblings who all were more attractive and destined for big things. But living in this shadow taught her all sorts of things that lead to her being curious, patient, a listener and steadfast. When she makes a decision that leaves her in the ire of the Gods she is exiled to an island to live alone and eventually hone her powers of witchcraft that she didn't discover till late in her life. From there we follow her through many chapters and seasons of her life and we meet some other well know characters of Greek mythology along the way. Again the writing is just stunning from Miller and brings things to life in a turn of a phrase. I'd argue that this one seems a little less tight in a storyline than her previous book so at times you feel as if you're just floating along with no climas or resolution to look forward too, which for me brought down the enjoyment a tad. But the writing is so strong and Circe is so fascinating to journey with it still felt like a strong read that I'll remember for a long time.

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

The blurb on the front saying this book is 'Clue meets Great British Bake Off' had me immediately sold. I am still getting more used to reading mysteries and I have found that I do enjoy a more cozy or fun mystery over an intense and dark one. The Golden Spoon is the trophy given to the winner of the beloved baking competition show 'Bake Week', hosted by "American's Grandmother" and famous baker Betsy Martin at her ancestral home, Grafton Manor, in Vermont. The show is in its tenth season and to add some spark and excitement producers have decided to add a co-host with Betsy and as much as she would like to fight it, she needs the money the show brings in to stay on top of the upkeep of her home. Throw in the six new contestants, who all have various baking talents as well as unique backstories it gives you a really fantastic set up for a 'who-done-it' told in a fast-paced narrative that keeps you hooked from page one. I thought the author did great job of building a mystery and tension and then unveiling pieces of information to lead the reader down avenues of possible answers. For a debut it was really well done and such a fun time that I am looking forward to whatever the author comes up with next.

I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi by Gina Siciliano

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

3.0

This is an insanely well done and researched graphic novel biography of the incredible life of Artemisia Gentileschi. The amount of time and effort Sicilian put into the creation and research of this is impressive for sure and delivers exactly what the title tells you it will; the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi. I picked this up because I have built a fascination and interest in Artemisia ever since reading 'Blood Water Paint' by Joy McCullough a few years ago and wanted to find a way to learn a bit more about this woman's life beyond just her teenage years and the rape trial that McCullough's book focuses on. And while I for sure got that in this book, I have to say that at times it felt more like a history lesson of the time rather than a straight up biography of Artemisia. The detail that was gone into of the political and religious landscape of the time and virtually every person Artemisia interacted with was a bit trying for me and brought down the interest I had. The artwork was wonderfully done, and it was really cool to see replicas of Artemisia's work and of others of the time in the style of the authors. Overall, I am still pretty happy I picked this up because I did learn more about her life as I intended to, but I am a little bummed that it felt to me that it didn't always keep Artemisia as the focus of the material and at times felt like a history lesson.