book_ishjournal's reviews
87 reviews

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

funny lighthearted 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

2.75

I picked this book knowing that cosy fantasy is not my thing but I wanted to try it out. There are some parts that I enjoyed, the stories of the folk, Wendell, getting into the fae world. However I was never really that curious about anything that happened. I also spaced out a lot while reading it, as all the most fun parts (for me aka fighting and gruesomeness of the folk) was touched only in words. As a scholar it does fit the main character.

24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak

funny informative fast-paced

5.0

Some stories were more interesting than others. Nonetheless it was informative and I learnt some new stuff. 
Tip: have ancient greece map somewhere around you, it's much more interesting to read while looking at it.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

dark emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

I enjoyed the writing, it was very vivid and interesting to read about the different languages and how words come to be. The research that has been put in this is really shown, and very well done. Also, I loved reading the footnotes that showcased the world better and had interesting facts. However, I found it a bit too slow for my liking. Most of the book nothing was happening, yes we got to know the characters, their lives. But putting all the action to the end is becoming annoying for me. Some of the deaths happened too quickly and I felt nothing, when I was supposed to feel that everything is crumbling.

The Costume History by Auguste Racinet

3.0

Felt like I was in a museum without a guide. Nice to look at the pictures, but that's basically all you gonna get. Not that much information and some sentences are questionable.

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

Why nipples play such a big role in this book? How many times do I have to read about them?
The book started out great. It was mysterious, dark, but had some lightness in it. I also like the writing. However, I was so disappointed with the direction the book took. I wanted to read about their traumas and how they get through it with a bit of mystery going on but it was nothing like that. Harder topics are never acknowledged, rather the focus is on the lust and the father's insanity. For the book so short why did it feel so long?

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

dark 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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The book has pulled me in from the beggining. The disgust, the sadness that I felt reading the book was just on another level. The writer did a good job of not romanticising the killer, and also the characters who met him were also so interesting. Their minds, flaws that they had, made them more realistic, and how they perceived Ansel was intriguing. I would have also loved to see more from Blue's perpective.

The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As much as I would have loved to read from evil Wren's pov, Oak didn't disappoint me either. He is a bit overthinker, and sometimes it felt a but repetitive but I just gave it him being him. Jude and him might not be related but that overthinking somehow is passed in the family. The book was a bit slower than I expected making me worry how Holly Black will tie everything when not a lot of pages were left. I'm happy to say the ending did not feel rushed and everything went very swiftly. I feel like I enjoyed characters in this book a bit more than the first part, but maybe it was because I was already familiar with them.  

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham

dark emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

I still cannot get where such hatred for another person who has a different colour than you comes. It was disgusting to read some parts but definitely needed. I'm not from USA, so I have never heard of the 1921 race massacre, so it wasn't just an interesting story but also quite informative one. The pacing was also well done, when nearing the book I could not let go of it. All I wanted was for characters to have a happy ending. 
However, I wished that Rowan was put into more of an ivestigator role. I still have no idea why Geneva just told her things but let's just go with it, I guess. 

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.25

They spent like a week on the ship but it felt like forever. The mystery was pretty easy to solve but sometimes it annoyed me that the focus shifted a lot from the murders to the romance. Especially when Mephistopheles is just a bolder font of Thomas. Also I get that they're not detectives, they just analyse dead bodies, but you would think Uncle would have some more knowledge but the guy is barely in the book. 
I found myself to be quite disappointed in this book. 

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.75

Maybe if I liked Shakespear just a little bit more. Maybe if I was more of a theatre kid maybe I would have like this just a little bit more.
On the other hand, I found the story very interesting and all the emotions that characters had. It felt real. The writing is amazing too, it's a good reminder that you can writer however you want. Just make it brilliant.