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bobinsbooknook's reviews
206 reviews
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Where to even begin to describe how much I LOVED this audio book! Absolutely faultless and immediately want to listen to it all over again.
Sci-fi books sometimes run the risk of being so science heavy it feels like hard work to follow … this book however took a clever approach of using characters less versed in science to help explain concepts in layman’s terms so it was so easy to follow along with an enjoy and created some great character interactions.
The humour in this book is was brilliant. The witty sarcasm from various characters regularly had me in fits of giggles without detracting from the plot line at all.
The characters themselves felt incredibly varied and built some dynamic relationships which I really enjoyed and ultimately became really attatched to particularly Rocky and their playful demeanour and sarcasm .
I also found myself getting incredibly emotional during parts of the book and full disclosure actually cried! When Rocky said how long they had been alone for and saving Grace’s life! My heart absolutely broke.
Without a doubt THE best audio book I’ve listened to. Huge praise to Andy for the fantastic plot but also to Ray Porter who narrated the book! An absolute MUST to add to your TBR in the audio book format!
Sci-fi books sometimes run the risk of being so science heavy it feels like hard work to follow … this book however took a clever approach of using characters less versed in science to help explain concepts in layman’s terms so it was so easy to follow along with an enjoy and created some great character interactions.
The humour in this book is was brilliant. The witty sarcasm from various characters regularly had me in fits of giggles without detracting from the plot line at all.
The characters themselves felt incredibly varied and built some dynamic relationships which I really enjoyed and ultimately became really attatched to
I also found myself getting incredibly emotional during parts of the book and full disclosure actually cried!
Without a doubt THE best audio book I’ve listened to. Huge praise to Andy for the fantastic plot but also to Ray Porter who narrated the book! An absolute MUST to add to your TBR in the audio book format!
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A very dark book that left me with the feeling of “what the f*** did I just read” …
The writing style itself was very gritty and created a very dark and twisted atmosphere which left me feeling uncomfortable as a reader … but in a way that felt intentional and appropriate for the plot and it’s characters. I particularly like the writing choice of not forgiving the “Nightbitch” a true name and is just referred to as mother or Nightbitch as a reflection of her lack of identity outside being a mother.
That being said, this felt like it should have been a short story that was drawn out far too much. A lot of the book is reiterating the same dark thoughts of this wolffish-aggression tendencies brought on by the loss of self and struggles of motherhood…which whilst interesting to start just brought the book to standstills as nothing was really happening and just felt like random points of sudden development rather than a slow growing change in the mother.
The amount of animal death/attack - particularly the outright violent murder of their pet cat … in this book and the detail did make me feel quite uncomfortable - though I understand it being used a tool to show this frowning animal instinct, I feel like a lot of the time it was just used to create shock for the reader.
Overall whilst the writing style was intriguing, the premise of the book and its pacing just didn’t work for me. Not one I would read again.
The writing style itself was very gritty and created a very dark and twisted atmosphere which left me feeling uncomfortable as a reader … but in a way that felt intentional and appropriate for the plot and it’s characters. I particularly like the writing choice of not forgiving the “Nightbitch” a true name and is just referred to as mother or Nightbitch as a reflection of her lack of identity outside being a mother.
That being said, this felt like it should have been a short story that was drawn out far too much. A lot of the book is reiterating the same dark thoughts of this wolffish-aggression tendencies brought on by the loss of self and struggles of motherhood…which whilst interesting to start just brought the book to standstills as nothing was really happening and just felt like random points of sudden development rather than a slow growing change in the mother.
The amount of animal death/attack -
Overall whilst the writing style was intriguing, the premise of the book and its pacing just didn’t work for me. Not one I would read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pregnancy
The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I should preface this by saying that this book shared lots of similarities to that of the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - which is one of my favourite books - so my view of this book is slightly skewed by the comparison.
The writing style was incredibly atmospheric and described a very beautiful and magical setting for the plot to unfold which I enjoyed thoroughly.
However, I found myself strongly disliking both MFC Beatrice and Rosa who came across as a very un-genuine friendship which made the plot harder to fall for at times. The way Rosa belittled Beatrice’s mum dying when she was a kid and then later Beatrice believing her wish to redo her goodbye to her dead mum is more important that helping her best friend get a wish to bring back her dead daughter … baffling.
If you were to remove the themes of an abusive husband the writing style of the book did seem to lean into a YA style book which made it seem like it skirted the edge of some deeper and complex emotions and instead invested the word count into very descriptive detailing on the world around them.
Whilst the writing certainly captures the imagination, the plot pacing and characters could have done with a better balance.
The writing style was incredibly atmospheric and described a very beautiful and magical setting for the plot to unfold which I enjoyed thoroughly.
However, I found myself strongly disliking both MFC Beatrice and Rosa who came across as a very un-genuine friendship which made the plot harder to fall for at times.
If you were to remove the themes of
Whilst the writing certainly captures the imagination, the plot pacing and characters could have done with a better balance.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A very sweet and lighthearted book filled with little nuggets to wisdom and poetic quotes.
I enjoyed the format of a series of short stories which cover a range of ages and dilemmas of the various characters and how their lives in twine in simple but unexpected ways.
This format does seem to be very popular with other Japanese translated books I have read in the past.
The format and writing style were minimalistic which made for a gentle and quick read.
That being said the content of the plot itself is meant to be a very lighthearted thought provoking book rather than any hook and intrigue or drama which made it feel slightly monotone throughout.
whilst I did enjoy the book and the messages it portrays in each story, not sure i see myself reading again but glad to check it off my 25 for 2025!
I enjoyed the format of a series of short stories which cover a range of ages and dilemmas of the various characters and how their lives in twine in simple but unexpected ways.
This format does seem to be very popular with other Japanese translated books I have read in the past.
The format and writing style were minimalistic which made for a gentle and quick read.
That being said the content of the plot itself is meant to be a very lighthearted thought provoking book rather than any hook and intrigue or drama which made it feel slightly monotone throughout.
whilst I did enjoy the book and the messages it portrays in each story, not sure i see myself reading again but glad to check it off my 25 for 2025!
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
challenging
dark
sad
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
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever read such a gritty, dark and intense book and though it isn’t a book for everyone given the incredibly difficult nature of the plot … it is a fantastic read, though please check content warnings before reading!
The writing approach with the longer chapters and dual timeline really captured the slow manipulation and development of Vanessa’s mindset in a way which felt raw, challenging and outright heart breaking.
The characters themselves felt incredibly clever and multi-faceted. From grooming nature of the teacher which felt even me as the reader feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable to the clear obsessive attachment issues Vanessa adopts.
The plot itself did slow down in parts but still continued to keep me hooked and didn’t ease up or comprise on trying to unravel the trauma that Vanessa faces just for some nice tidy ending.
A very dark and challenging read but the author has created what’s feels like a very human depiction of trauma and denial. The writer balances Vanessa’s revision of an abuse as a romance as a coping mechanism without glorifying topics of sexual abuse between an adult & minor.
The writing approach with the longer chapters and dual timeline really captured the slow manipulation and development of Vanessa’s mindset in a way which felt raw, challenging and outright heart breaking.
The characters themselves felt incredibly clever and multi-faceted. From grooming nature of the teacher which felt even me as the reader feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable to the clear obsessive attachment issues Vanessa adopts.
The plot itself did slow down in parts but still continued to keep me hooked and didn’t ease up or comprise on trying to unravel the trauma that Vanessa faces just for some nice tidy ending.
A very dark and challenging read but the author has created what’s feels like a very human depiction of trauma and denial. The writer balances Vanessa’s revision of an abuse as a romance as a coping mechanism without glorifying topics of sexual abuse between an adult & minor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide
The Seven Ages of Death: A Forensic Pathologist's Journey Through Life by Dr. Richard Shepherd
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.5
A very insightful and enjoyable medical memoir and actually found myself enjoying this even more than his other book.
The medical cases in this book provided a more “Sherlock-Holmes” insight into the mysteries hidden in the body which made it very intriguing to listen to.
I really enjoyed the writing style which showed an almost beautiful and intricate view on the body during postmortem rather than a sad or gruesome affair.
Another strong factor to point out is the level of vulnerability Dr.Shepherd goes into about not only his own health struggles but of those of loved ones and how it has impacted his life.
Despite the methodological structures of the book through death at different ages, the only thing I’ll say is in some places I did find myself disconnecting with the audio book and becoming a bit lost which is the only reason I have not rated it 5 stars.
Overall a very solid book.
The medical cases in this book provided a more “Sherlock-Holmes” insight into the mysteries hidden in the body which made it very intriguing to listen to.
I really enjoyed the writing style which showed an almost beautiful and intricate view on the body during postmortem rather than a sad or gruesome affair.
Another strong factor to point out is the level of vulnerability Dr.Shepherd goes into about not only his own health struggles but of those of loved ones and how it has impacted his life.
Despite the methodological structures of the book through death at different ages, the only thing I’ll say is in some places I did find myself disconnecting with the audio book and becoming a bit lost which is the only reason I have not rated it 5 stars.
Overall a very solid book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Having really enjoyed the family upstairs towards the start of the year had high hopes picking up this book but was left disappointed.
I think my main issue with this book is that it didn't really add to much to the original story. Whilst we got a deeper insight into the characters, the plot line itself outside what is already told in the original book fell flat for me.
There wasn’t anything to keep me hooked which didn’t help when the pacing already felt quite slow.
I think my main issue with this book is that it didn't really add to much to the original story. Whilst we got a deeper insight into the characters, the plot line itself outside what is already told in the original book fell flat for me.
There wasn’t anything to keep me hooked which didn’t help when the pacing already felt quite slow.
Overall whilst I like the writing style still and there were some points that caught intrigue… I don’t think it added anything worthwhile from the first book. Perhaps the family upstairs should have stuck as a standalone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Murder
I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
As I’ve found when reading Harlan Coben’s books, I was hooked very early on and the fast pace nature of the book made it a one day read for me.
Parts 1 and 2 were great, filled with some great mystery, bit of action and interesting plot and character developments. I enjoyed how much more real it felt - particularly how spot on the FBI detectives were with sussing out lies and not being easily fooled as happens in many other mystery books. Put simply, none thing in the plot felt like it came too easily or convient which i appreciated.
Parts 3 however fell a bit flat for me. I am unsure whether it was the tangent into this old mob style backstory which felt a bit out of place - though I understand its purpose for the plot. I also think the end resolve wasn’t my favourite. Given the various POVs for the story a lot of the twist ends felt a bit anticlimactic as you already knew what was going to be revealed by another POV before it happened.
That being said, though I did enjoy it - I feel some of his other work felt … smarter for a mystery.
Parts 1 and 2 were great, filled with some great mystery, bit of action and interesting plot and character developments. I enjoyed how much more real it felt - particularly how spot on the FBI detectives were with sussing out lies and not being easily fooled as happens in many other mystery books. Put simply, none thing in the plot felt like it came too easily or convient which i appreciated.
Parts 3 however fell a bit flat for me. I am unsure whether it was the tangent into this old mob style backstory which felt a bit out of place - though I understand its purpose for the plot. I also think the end resolve wasn’t my favourite. Given the various POVs for the story a lot of the twist ends felt a bit anticlimactic as you already knew what was going to be revealed by another POV before it happened.
That being said, though I did enjoy it - I feel some of his other work felt … smarter for a mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Rape, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron
lighthearted
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
2.5
As romantic-comedies go there wasn’t anything particularly wrong with it but also nothing over special either.
Very much the run of the mill slow burn friends to lovers romance, however did appreciate the Indian heritage and dynamics being intwined which made it different to other books I have read of a similar nature.
The let down for me I think is that I wasn’t partially invested in the characters and didn’t really feel there was any major character development which was a shame. I think this is less to do with the plot of the book and more of the reparative phrasing in the writing style.
Not a bad read necessarily but for a 10hr audio book…it wouldn’t be a Rom-com I’d look to pick up again.
Very much the run of the mill slow burn friends to lovers romance, however did appreciate the Indian heritage and dynamics being intwined which made it different to other books I have read of a similar nature.
The let down for me I think is that I wasn’t partially invested in the characters and didn’t really feel there was any major character development which was a shame. I think this is less to do with the plot of the book and more of the reparative phrasing in the writing style.
Not a bad read necessarily but for a 10hr audio book…it wouldn’t be a Rom-com I’d look to pick up again.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
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
5.0
I am insanely in love with this book that it is hard to put into words a review that can justify how enamoured I am by it!
First and foremost, the prose of this book is simply beautiful. I was completely encapsulated in the writing style which left me feeling immersed in rich greek mythology.
The romance between Achilles and Patroclus was perfectly written and can clearly see the bond grow so organically and shift throughout the course of their story. A genuine connection forge that didn’t just feel like a “lust at first sight”.
All the characters were complex and interesting, as we see their character arch’s develop and shape them. Seeing how the accidental death Patroclus caused plaguing him to want to avoid all violence, to the ego and arrogance shifting the morality of Achilles.
The pacing of the plot had me hooked throughout and though I’m a sucker for a Greek mythology re-telling stories … this one has shot to the top as one of my favourites!
An absolute must read in my opinion!
First and foremost, the prose of this book is simply beautiful. I was completely encapsulated in the writing style which left me feeling immersed in rich greek mythology.
The romance between Achilles and Patroclus was perfectly written and can clearly see the bond grow so organically and shift throughout the course of their story. A genuine connection forge that didn’t just feel like a “lust at first sight”.
All the characters were complex and interesting, as we see their character arch’s develop and shape them.
The pacing of the plot had me hooked throughout and though I’m a sucker for a Greek mythology re-telling stories … this one has shot to the top as one of my favourites!
An absolute must read in my opinion!