bestja01's reviews
303 reviews

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

I had no idea  that there was another book coming out set in this universe, and I was so excited! I love this world and these stories, and was obsessed with them in high school. It was like a warm hug returning to this world (a warm hug with a whoooole lot of angst, since Murtagh is an angst lil guy). Loved the story and loved getting to see the world from his POV. What a treat to have this book to read!

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Short, simple, and beautiful.

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

5.0

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

4.25

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

4.0

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

4.0

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

4.5

This book had a lot of hype, so I was nervous to read it in case I didn’t enjoy it as much as everybody was telling me I should. Luckily, that wasn’t something to worry about! I loved how it was written, as an oral history, and I found myself very invested in the characters and their journeys. You could definitely feel the Fleetwood Mac inspiration, but it didn’t feel like a cheap imitation.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Loved this book- it took a while to understand the large cast of characters and their relationships, but it was easy to fall in love with them and root for their successes. The final 1/4 of the book was particularly satisfying, as all of the threads connected. 

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Very unique narrative voice- I don’t think I’ve ever read a first-person book where it felt like that. A strange combination of passivity and reflection- it was very interesting, but took a while to acclimate to.

The Cave Dwellers by Christina McDowell

dark reflective 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

3.5

I was really intrigued by the premise of the book, and the glimpse behind the curtain at these ultra-privileged, ultra-insulated insiders. The story worked best when watching these characters deal with the threat to their stability and security- they weren’t necessarily likeable characters (though I felt sympathy for the younger ones, trapped in a system they didn’t choose), but they were interesting characters and the author did a great job digging into their psyches. I wanted more resolution from the inciting murder incident, but the reality is that those kinds of things don’t always have a tidy ending.