ash_thelibrarian_reads's reviews
472 reviews

Scarred by Emily McIntire
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

It did not grab me right away as I’d hoped. I could not take the text seriously with so many direct or similar enough lines lifted from The Lion King. It’s just not my thing. 

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

I was just not feeling the audio and will give  reading the print version I have instead as I love all P&P retellings. 

Sapphistries: A Global History of Love Between Women by Leila J. Rupp
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

As a history grad I usually love this kind of writing and even though I am extremely into this topic I could not get into the book at this time. Maybe I’ll try again sometime. 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

Don't Cry for Me: A Novel by Daniel Black

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Inital Insult by Mindy McGinnis

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was twisty, turny, graphic and psychologically messed up and I liked it a lot! The narrators fit their characters perfectly and had me completely engrossed in the story. 

I had no clue going into it that it was book 2 in a duology and wouldn’t have even been able to tell if I hadn’t looked elsewhere. The culminating events from book 1 are what kick off this book and there’s enough background and details at the beginning that you have no problem following along as if it were a stand alone novel. 

As a Poe fan I enjoyed all the references and could follow which stories were being represented. Even if you are not a Poe fan you should still enjoy the twisted content!

Beneath the Ocean by J.N. Eagles, J.N. Eagles

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

 This collection of nautical themed poetry was truly beautiful and moving. I am by no means a poetry expert so my thoughts are based on how the words made me feel, what they made me think and contemplate and the quality of the writing. What I got out of the poems was a mental health battle, changing perceptions and personal growth. This was a very powerful collection with each poem building on the previous one. I loved everything from the beautiful cover to the poem formats and illustrations inside. My favorites were the ones with mostly blacked out lines and only a few words. Those few remaining words spoke volumes. I also loved TAKE A BREATH. The author can’t know at this exact moment of my life with my own mental health struggles and doctor visits/therapist visits how this mantra personally affects me and impacts me. 

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher

adventurous emotional funny 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

This witchy read was fun, cute and of course magical and did not skimp on the laughs. Violet was a strong leading woman who was not about playing the demure damsel in distress. Lincoln was a leading man with a lot of integrity and determination. I love that they both had their passions that they were willing to fight tooth and nail for. They make a great power couple. The tension building throughout the book really pulls you in and you really get invested in all the characters. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

After reading Delilah Green and loving it I knew I wanted more of that world and those characters. What I wasn’t sure about going into reading this one was if I’d like Astrid Parker as the main character. She added a lot to Delilah’s story and helped us understand where Delilah was coming from, but Astrid wasn’t terribly likeable and I didn’t know how I’d like her book.

Well, I’m so glad I got to read this and learn more about Astrid and her motivations. There is so much more substance to her than comes across in book one. Jordan was a great main character as well. I became enamored with them both and with their story. The writing was great, all the characters were fun and interesting and the story ticked all my must have boxes. 

I can’t wait to read Iris’ story!