bookishaddictions's reviews
310 reviews

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

First, I’d like to thank @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for my audio ARC. I really enjoyed my ARC for the first of Saffron’s mysteries, so I was excited to see the audio for book two was available for requests. I got lucky; my request was approved on release day! Saffron is still the sassy, smart, and determined protagonist we met in book one; however, Saffron undeniably shows more confidence in the sequel. I enjoyed Lee’s character as well, as he challenged Saffron in a way that Alexander didn’t. Let me say though, his smug attitude did get on my nerves periodically just as it was likely intended to. The audio narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. I found this murder mystery was not just a copy of the first book, so I’m thankful that Khavari was able to maintain some relationship between the books while also making the sequel original. It was dark, engaging, and led to me developing a variety of questions regarding poisons during that point in history. I look forward to seeing what she has in store for the inevitable book 3

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Ms Perfectly Fine by Kate Callaghan

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

3.5

First, thank you @netgalley for my ARC of MPF. Second, I’d like to make it clear that this story is worth checking out for people who enjoy a quick-blooming romance. I found Autumn to be relatable quirky, strong, and a solid representation of invisible disabilities that often go unseen in the literary world. I thought Elijah was intriguing, considerate, and I liked that he is never portrayed as trying to downplay Autumn’s struggles or baby her for having them. However, I wasn’t a fan of how fast their relationship progressed within the enemies-to-lovers trope. I felt like their relationship felt like it almost sprung up out of nowhere; while this isn’t inherently bad, I’m just not big on the idea of fast love. That is the one thing keeping me from giving this story a 4⭐️ rating. I will say that the twists within the story outside of the Autumn/Elijah romance kept me interested while I was reading though.

Content Warnings

Tastes Like War: A Memoir by Grace M. Cho

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My library did not renew the license, and I ran out of time :(

A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I snagged this beauty via @netgalley since I enjoyed The Ghosts of Rose Hill. Just like TGORH, A Warning About Swans was a quick read written in prose; this story is suitable for middle school students to adults alike, so I would definitely love to put a copy in my class library. I found our protagonist, Hilde, fits well within what we expect of our fairy tale women (as well as a non-human woman can). She is curious, passionate, and just wants to find her own place in the world without others telling her who she must be; she represents the struggles of identity and purpose felt by many women just for existing. On the other hand, we have the our antagonist, Richter; he’s our classic fairy tale’s wolf in sheep’s clothing (although I’d argue he is worse- at least wolves do not hide their intent to eat you alive). While I will not spoil what happens between Hilde and Richter, it is ultimately her relationship with a third character (Franz) that shows her who she wants to be. This story is full of magic, charged emotions, and experiences that everyone can connect with in one way or another. I highly recommend checking this one out when it releases in July 2023

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Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space by Zoraida Córdova

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

This Latinx-written short story anthology focuses specifically on Latinx characters within sci-fi and fantasy; this addresses largely under-discussed sub-genres and representation problems while providing readers with various beautiful stories. I found that I struggled to get into the initial stories, as I’m not a sci-fi fan myself, but I loved many of the fantasy tales that were included. The anthology is broken into three parts: “To the Stars,” “The Magical Now,” and “Other Times, Other Realms.” I found myself primarily enjoying the stories of the final category, and I struggled to enjoy the stories from the first. I will acknowledge the skillful writing that is seen through every story included; the characters are complex, their worlds are detailed, and every story has a message that is relatable for readers. Important topics such as love, feminism, faith, independence, and much more feature throughout the anthology and make the stories shine. No matter my own feelings about this collection, it was one that I have no regrets about snagging off Amazon to add to my classroom library 🌙

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Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

I’m not normally a fan of the damsel in distress trope, but Hazelwood did it well. Hannah is portrayed as strong, bold, and independent; despite this, we get to see that even the fiercest women need help from time to time. Ian is intelligent, considerate, and apparently gorgeous. I found Hannah was the most relatable of the three Steminist novella leads, although Ian highly reminds me of the other male love interests. While I wasn’t thrilled that Hannah and Ian’s story centers around a general miscommunication- similar to Stuck With You- I enjoyed it nonetheless ❄️

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Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson

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funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

I have to say- these were interesting reads for someone with an anxiety disorder that cares too much. Whenever I start to panic, I’ve been working on reminding myself that it does no good to hope or worry about the things that I cannot control; instead, I should focus my energy on things that I can actually change. I’m not a big self-help person, but I enjoyed this one. There is something freeing about Manson’s radical views. While they may not be for everyone, I found some information that helped me 🤷🏼‍♀️

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

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funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I have to say- these was an interesting read for someone with an anxiety disorder that cares too much. The Subtle Art reminded me that it’s okay to care; I should, however, try to be more selective about what I really worry about. Obviously, that’s easier said than done, but I find it helpful when I remember all of the other people that are in the same position as me. I’m not a big self-help person, but I enjoyed this one. There is something freeing about Manson’s radical views. While they may not be for everyone, I found some information that helped me 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I’ve spent all day teaching Shakespeare to teenagers, so my mind is on the classics. One classic I finally read recently was Lord of the Flies; I figured it was overdue. Let me just say… I was very underwhelmed with all of the hype I’d heard. I liked the proposed idea that maybe we are the monsters that go bump in the night, as well as the social collapse that’d occur without rules (or adults). I find myself randomly saying “sucks to your as-mar” now, but that about sums up my relationship with this book. I will say that Piggy and the others deserved better 😔

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Yearbook by Seth Rogen

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adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Do yourself a favor and snag this audiobook ASAP! I got my copy on @libby.app and I wish I had got it sooner. Rogan tells stories from throughout his life, including his childhood. While he does mention a few of the movies he has done, they are not the focus of his book. He tells of wild adventures as a child comedian, trips to Amsterdam, and much more. I found his story funny and addictive; I found myself finding excuses to put this book above the others (ex. Cleaning, extra showers, driving others for errands, etc.). I never find myself that hooked on an audiobook, so that was a crazy experience. I wish I could experience this one for the first time all over again

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bookishaddictions's reviews 310 reviews

bookishaddictions's reviews
310 reviews