book_rascal's reviews
90 reviews

Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense 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? No

5.0

I love this series and even though it gets confusing at times it all comes to light eventually. This is not for everyone but hard core fantasy fans will love it!

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.0

This is not my favorite of this authors work but it was ok. I listened to it on audio book while doing other things and it was easy to follow. 

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

 

Chloe and her brother Cooper have had to live with the reality of their father being a serial killer. When Chloe was twelve girls started to go missing from her small town. One of the girls was a friend of hers so it was personal to her. It was a summer of terror that ended with six missing girls.  

One day Chloe went into her parent's closet looking for something and found jewelry that had belonged to those missing girls. She told the police; they arrested her father and he confessed.  

Now it’s been twenty years and similar murders are being committed and they all are linked to her somehow. It feels personal. She goes out of her way trying to figure out who around her is the killer but she’s not going to like who it is.  

I figured it out early on but enjoyed seeing the direction it would take to get to the revelation. A real good thriller!!! 

Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

 

This is an Emma retelling and I’m here for it! Kamila Hussain works at her father's accounting office and takes care of him. She loves her work and her friends and has no trouble finding hookups when she needs them. She loves entertaining and taking pictures of her little dog Darcy who has a large Instagram following.  

Rohan is a family friend who helps her take care of her dad and is always available to flirt with. When things start to go wrong, he is the one she turns to and she finally realizes that she has feelings for.  

I adore this book. I’m an Austin fan going way back and love a good retelling which this is. I also want to go to the Bollywood movie parties but oh well!  

If you enjoy a good friends to lovers this is for you. 

On The Way To The Wedding by Julia Quinn

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

 

This is Gregory Bridgerton’s story. He is the last of the siblings in the main series. Gregory thinks he has fell in love with Hermione but it isn’t real. Her friend Lucy has become his friend and then he falls for her. Lucy is already engaged to be married so is out of reach for him. He refused to except that and will do anything to get her.  

This is another sweet romance! 

First Comes Scandal: A Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.5

 

Georgiana Bridgerton had been abducted and that’s left her with the problem of a ruined reputation. Nicholas Rokesby is a family friend and asks her to marry him to save her reputation. Georgiana doesn’t want anyone to sacrifice themselves to help her. It became clear that that there are some sparks flying but he still has to convince her to marry him.  

This is another sweet story! 

The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

 

This collection of short stories that take place during and before the main trilogy has a more taste. Now I’m wanting another book in this world. These stories give more insight into the characters and their world. They are all short and fit into the trilogy at different points. My favorite part was Rustam and Duriya’s story. I liked hearing how they met and seeing how sweet they were together. I think that there should have been more of their story in the main trilogy, considering who they were parents of.  

Altogether I enjoyed this collection. Fans of the original trilogy should definitely read this; they will enjoy it like I did. 

The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.5

 

Merlitt became a detective after dropping out of college. She lost her best friend to a fraternity and that led to her hating fraternities. Now that she’s working a hit and run case in a college town, her suspicion that a fraternity is involved causes waves among the elites at the college.  

The witnesses of the hit and run swear that the person who hit the guy looked just like him. He was even driving the dude's car. What a great premise for a thriller! I was into it and enjoyed it all the way through. The beginning was slow but you could tell it was setting it up for some serious twists later and it definitely delivered.  

I liked this book and recommend it to mystery and thriller readers! 

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

 

 This is the second book in the Crescent City series.  

The King of Autum has set up an engagement between Bryce and Prince Cormac. Bryce and Hunt are together so she’s not going for it. Cormac is more than he seems and recruits Ruhn into the rebellion. They all get involved looking for a boy who is important to a lot of people. Eventually Bryce wants to know more about secrets her friend Danica had. This leads to some dangerous places and dangerous secrets that could get them all killed.  

I don’t want to say too much and give spoilers. Just know that it’s great but ends on a cliffhanger! This left me shook and I now have a book hangover. Love, love, loved this! 

The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Timeless Story of an Outspoken Woman and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore

dark emotional informative inspiring slow-paced

5.0

 

This is a true story about a woman whose husband didn’t like her opinions and what she had to say so he had her committed. Elizabeth Packard was married twenty-one years to Theophilus a preacher in Illinois and they had six children together.  

In the 1860s a husband owned his wife and she had very little say in what was done to her. Because Elizabeth had different religious views from him, he was worried that she would corrupt his church and was embarrassing him. He had her committed at the Illinois State Hospital with the help of Dr. Andrew McFarland. For the years Elizabeth was there she met many other women who shared her story. The patients were treated badly and abused. When she got out, she set out to get the laws changed to protect the other women who was going through it and keep other women from going through it. 

Elizabeth spent the rest of her life fighting for change in the system and was very successful. Because of her many changes occurred in the rights for women. She should be better known because we all benefit even today by her work. 

This is an important part of history that everyone should be aware of. I recommend this book.