audreading's reviews
16 reviews

Beach Read by Emily Henry

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing tense 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? Yes

4.5

Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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

4.75

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Loved this book all the way up until the end, which made me almost not even want to read the sequel I anticipated so highly up until then.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

3.0

Very cool idea but needed a lot more time in my opinion. Felt so surface level, and as someone who experiences true depression, honestly a little insulting. It trivializes the concept and portrays such an outdated idea of what depression looks and feels like. I found the book entertaining and enjoyed the short chapters. About 3/4 of the way through I did kinda feel like I got it at was ready to wrap it up. I enjoyed the choices made in the end. Overall, though, it didn’t blow my mind or really change my perspective.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident and Gaslighting

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie

adventurous challenging mysterious 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

My first Agatha Christie book and I absolutely loved every second of it! From the moment I picked it up I could not put it back down. She gave me exactly what I hoped for in her writing without a single dull moment. Brb while I add every Agatha Christie book to my TBR.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Child death, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this enough to keep reading, but I just can’t get past the main character. She is not just flawed, not just unlikeable, but honestly the worst. And I don’t think she’s supposed to be super lovable, but she’s not even interesting. She’s unbearable and predictable because every page is just her making the worst possible decision she could make, even for her own potential gain. She’s a psychopath rubbing that bracelet for comfort and pretending to care for friends only to want them in harms way. And yet she’s still somehow also completely one dimensional. I have no idea what her hobbies are, what interests her, what she was like before her sister left. Does she have literally any personality besides wanting to avenge her sister and kill vampires (and maybe hurt vulnerable humans too)? Again, I could have gone for a villain arch if she was a multi-faceted character with some intrigue. I could go for the dark romance if I didn’t think she was such an annoying counterpart to his actual intrigue. I liked the writing and I truly think the plot had so much potential. I would gladly read more from this author with a different protagonist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0