ashley_schulte's reviews
252 reviews

The Tsarina's Daughter by Ellen Alpsten

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.25

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think it was a good book overall and I enjoyed it for the most part. It was fairly long but it had a ton of chapters and most were pretty short. This was an interesting way to write and lay out the novel. I did feel that there were a few too many breaks, but it did make it easy to put the book down frequently. This novel moved fast at times and slow at others. 

The story of Elizabeth was one that I was not familiar with. I feel like she is a historical figure that is not often presented except as a side note or just a notch on the timeline. Her life was fascinating and heartbreaking. This book made me want to look more into her and I am curious where the author may have embellished and not. Some of it was so hard to read and it is hard to imagine those times, but I will hand it to this author that her words made it so vivid, it came to life in my mind. 

Overall it was a good book, but I would not want to read it again.

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I started this book years ago and never finished it. My friend just read it and recommended it to me. It motivated me to pick it up again and finish it and I was glad I did. Once you get past the first few chapters it really picks up and you can’t put it down. It was quite the page turner and was an interesting story, of a type that I had not read before. I probably won’t put this book on my re read list, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

adventurous hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.75

I started this book a while ago and I had a hard time finishing it. It was a good book, but a bit slow. I found myself putting it down and forgetting about it. I enjoyed the story overall. The main character had a fascinating life and I loved reading about a time period that I haven’t read too much about. There were several twists and things don’t always work out as you hope they would for the characters, but it made it feel real at the same time. Having the historical person be a side character to the main was very interesting and I thought a brilliant way to go about it. I have not read many historical fiction books like this and I loved it. I would not feel the desire to read this book again in the future but I enjoyed the read overall and glad that I finally finished it. 

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

My friend recommended this book and I enjoyed reading it. It was a bit different than I tend to choose to read but it was fun to read something new. I wouldn’t put this on my re-read list, but overall it was a good book. It was hard to put down at times and left me guessing a lot. I was anxious to reach the end and see how it turned out. A fun read. 

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this book. It was a bit different than my typical reads. I do enjoy fantasy books, but I had not read one like this before. I enjoyed how the setting was in an almost familiar place, based on something in the real world, but it was so unique and interesting. The characters pulled you in and you easily became a part of their lives and felt for them. There was such a wide array and at first it took me a bit to get used to going between character perspectives. Sometimes I enjoy that type of writing and other times I do not. I feel like this author did it well and it actually kept the story moving along. Once I got used to it I ended up enjoying it. At times it was a bit more graphic than I like, but it wasn't too much to make it unbearable. Overall it was an enjoyable read. I also listened to this as an audiobook once my library had it and I loved listening to it. It had different narrators for each character which was amazing and made it so easy to switch between them. I definitely recommend the audiobook!

This story of a fractured and tenuous world with forms of magic and suspense was an interesting tale that I enjoyed. At the beginning I wasn't sure if I would read the whole trilogy, but after completing it the author had me on the edge of my seat and now I cannot wait for the second instalment. 

*I received this book as a free preview from NetGalley for my fair and honest review.

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly

emotional inspiring 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? No

4.25

I quite enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I truly love a good historical fiction and I would read this one again and I think I will read a physical copy next time. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and learn about their friendship alongside one of their granddaughters. I related to some of it in that way as well. It was also interesting to see the beginning of WWII from a different perspective than I ever had before. This story of three women living in Britain at the beginning of WWII was wonderfully told and pulled me in. I never even knew Britain had had internment camps in the past. I learned a few new things and enjoyed the story. Well worth a read/listen!

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

challenging dark informative slow-paced

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

3.25

Well it took me a few more weeks to finish than I had hoped, but it was a good read overall. I typically love historical fiction, but this one moved a bit slower than I like. It was also extremely complicated in how many characters there were and how the story was told. It felt like it jumped around a lot and I’d be a few pages into a new section before I realized I was reading about a different character than I thought I was. 

I did love the author’s descriptiveness, which made it so easy to paint a picture in my head of what was going on. I saw these well known historical figures in a different light. Overall I did enjoy the book, but I do not think that it will make it to my re-read list. 

Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.25

I found this book as part of a short story challenge and I quite enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook, which was a great way to experience this set of stories. Each one was so unique. I wasn’t too familiar with all of the stories they were inspired by and I think if I was I would have enjoyed the book even more. This author did a wonderful job and kept my attention through each story. Another book that had me branch out of my usual, and it was a lot of fun. 

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I am very glad I listened to this book as an audiobook rather than read it. If I had tried to read it it honestly would have taken me a very long time. It took forever for me to get into the story. It wasn’t until the last 6 or 7 chapters that I was actually excited about what would come next. The story just jumped around too much for my taste and let me put it away and not wonder for long periods of time. 

I reread the vast majority of my Star Wars books, but this one will not be joining that list. 

A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Córdova

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

This was definitely my least favorite Star Wars book I have ever read. I haven’t been a big fan of the new stuff, but this one just felt too fluffy and quite boring to be honest. It will definitely not be a repeat for me.