amy_reading_23's reviews
76 reviews

Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I was amazed after finishing this book to look at the published date and see that it's older than I am. Terry Practhett touches on issues that are just as relevant today and in some ways was ahead of his time. I love how the discworld books use humour and satire to explore some serious social and political topics. There is some language or descriptions used that I feel are a bit outdated but since it's nearly 30 years old it's not that surprising. Will always love the discworld series, with the night watch being especially fun, and Practhett one of my favourite authors. Still sad I didn't get to meet him when he was alive. 
Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

This book is an interesting one, and it definitley got me thinking. It doesn't have much of a plot but is more like a slice of life. Its about a trans vampire archivist falling in love with another queer person whilst also working through depression and questioning the liminality between life and death.

It reads more like experimental literary fiction than fantasy - the vampirism is used as a metaphor for chronic illness, living in a trans body, and being othered. If you are questioning your gender or identity then there are definitley bits of this books that can feel quite affirming. Overall it is quite a challenging book though, I wouldn't read it just for fun, but there were elements I liked. 
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Magical Midlife Madness by K.F. Breene

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This book was just so much fun, it's really refreshing to see a chosen one fiction with older characters. I loved the grouchy Mr Tom and Niamh and their dynamic, I loved Edgar and Austin and just all the characters are great. But mostly I just loved Jessie's confidence with herself and the positive view of aging. It wasn't perfect, and there were a few moments of fat phobia I could have done without, but I gave it 5 stars for how much I enjoyed it and I will be looking at getting the next books in the series! 
The Other Ones by Fran Hart

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book made me cry in a good way ❤️ its just so cute! 🎃
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Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

It's a good book, but I found it a little slow at times and would have loved to have more out of it. In some ways it is similar to the movie but in other ways quite different so definitley keeps you guessing! 
Double Dead by Chuck Wendig

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

4.0

I actually really enjoyed this book! It finally answers the question of what would happen to a vampire in the zombie apocalypse. I loved the character of Coburn, idk he's just funny, he's not really what you could call a good person, but his arc is really interesting and overall just a good character. If you love vampires like I do, I think you'd enjoy his story.

 There are some bits that are disturbing and pretty unhinged but I think that's to be expected with horror. There is some not great language used, although since the main character is not meant to be 100% likeable I think thats to eb expected too. Overall I am really glad I read it and honestly wish there was a sequel. 
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Palace of the Damned by Darren Shan

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adventurous
I enjoyed the book overall, it wasn't my favourite in the series though and I didn't like the blatant fatphobia about one if the characters.
Brothers to the Death by Darren Shan

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adventurous emotional funny

3.75

I enjoyed these books a lot more than I thought I would. I would have given them higher ratings but sadly we only get snapshots into Crepsley's life and I would have preffered it be more fleshed out. But I enjoyed the themes that came up in them - depression, figuring out your path, making mistakes, redemption. There were a few moments that really spoke to me, and overall I had fun reading them. 
Ocean of Blood by Darren Shan

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adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-paced

3.75

This book actually had one of my favourite endings for a vampire story. I enjoyed it a lot! 
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

The ending was actually my favourite bit and I feel all emotional after just finishing it! This was a good book with an interesting concept at its core. I think Julian was actually my favourite character, with his unbound energy and fierce love for his friends. I enjoyed all the references to latinx culture and learning more about it. I would have given the book more stars but the majority of the book is a bit slow paced and can make it hard to get into. This was my second time attempting to read it. Still, I enjoyed the narratives and the characters and will never say no to a queer paranormal romance. 
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