alishareadsandrambles's reviews
95 reviews

Outlawed by Anna North

slow-paced

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

I had high hopes for this book, and sadly it did not quite live up to them. I still did enjoy this book, but I felt like the story got lost in the message that Anna North was trying to get across. This is supposed to be a feminist western retelling, but I felt like it fell a little short on the delivery of the western aspects. As with any western there are shoot outs and gun fight, but in this book they didn't feel exciting. I think overall this book was hard to get fully engaged in because it felt like the whole time the writing was getting me at arms length and not letting me get fully invested in the story. 

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly

dark tense medium-paced

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

This book over all was pretty interesting and I think the concept is great. I thought the execution was a little bit lacking though. While I was listening to this book I felt that the main plot felt less developed than the smaller sub-plots. For me this led to have a few parts during the book where if felt like it was reaching a conclusion to the story and that the book could be done when I still have hours left to listen to. 

Lara did do a really good job at making the characters actions and motivations understandable and relatable. And also how the book ended was a perfect mix of wrapping the story up while also leaving so minor cliffhangers to be resolved in the next book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Sexual content

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

funny lighthearted

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

Okay, when I first started this book I wasn't really sure what to expect. But what I got was not what I expected. This book was incredible. I was sucked in the whole time, the writing is incredible and Meryl Wilsner does a fantastic job of making the story immersive. I was amazed by how Meryl kept building the tension even though going into this book I was pretty confident that I knew how it was going to end. That is the true mark of a great author if they can take you make you enjoy a book even if you know more or less how the book is going to end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Homophobia

Moderate: Sexual content

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

funny mysterious fast-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

This book was great! It is fun, it is fast paced, it has a great twist at the end and I don't know what else you could want in a mystery. 

This book follows Lila who moved back to her home town to help her aunts failing restaurant after finding her fiancé cheating on her. One day after getting into an argument with her ex-boyfriend when he comes into the restaurant he passes out and dies in the middle of his desert. This summary instantly made me want to read it. I love mysteries where every one is in the same room, or on an island that no one can get too, or in a restaurant where it seems obvious that they were poisoned even though the protagonist swears up and down it didn't happen. 

I think this book overall was really well done. There was one scene in the middle where the timeline got a little mixed up for me because so much was happening and I got confused by some of the wording. Other than that though this book was really easy and fun to read. And maybe best of all is that everything was well balanced, the fun lightheartedness, the serious mysterious aspect as well as the obligatory romance. 

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.

Dnf'd after about 100 pages because there was nothing compelling about what I was reading. I do not like Frederick Backman's writing style and his characters all feel extremely underdeveloped. I looked up spoilers for how the book ends and I'm glad I dnf'd because I'm the ending would have been disappointing to me after slogging through reading about characters that I do not care about. 

I know I'm in the minority on this, but this book is not worth picking up. 

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

adventurous 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

4.5

This book was super entertaining to listen to. The story is very well crafted and engaging. 

The Hike by Drew Magary

adventurous fast-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

What the hell did I just read? I am not sure what to rate this book because going in I knew it would be weird and I was all on board. I was enjoying the first half and then it started to go down hill for me. I am conflicted because I was enjoying the first bit, but I am pretty disappointed in the end.

I did really like that Teresa had also visited the path, but I hated the whole Producer thing. It really bothered me. I was really hoping that it would be like he woke up and it was all a dream or something like that, which I normally don't like but it felt right for me for this book.

 

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Holy crap. I had heard a lot about this book and thought it would be good, but I didn't realize it would be as good as it was. This book is the type of book you never want to put down because you are so wrapped up in the story!

Werewolves Anonymous by C.K. Johnson

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

5.0

C.K. Johnson knocked it out of the parked again! I love the Anonymous series and if you like werewolves, witches, and vampires then this is the series for you! 

Vampires Anonymous by C.K. Johnson

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

5.0

Again, like the first one, this book is fun but has a very interesting lore with the supernatural creatures at it's center and and interesting mystery that you are trying to figure out with them. C. K. Johnson is doing things that I love in a way I have never seen them done before.