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bookishfoxes's reviews
367 reviews
Kindling by Bonnie Woods
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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 went into this book not knowing anything except an autumn vibes book set in Scotland. I had been searching for an audiobook I wanted to listen to for days and when I found this I was excited to start, but didn't expect much... imagine my absolute delight to find out that this book is filled with representation. A bisexual female main character, nonbinary side character, an established sapphic side relation, multiple characters with disabilities.
I fell in love with Fraser. I mean, a grumpy introverted dude with abandonment issues? Sign me up. I loved how it was clear that the issues he struggled with were from childhood trauma and felt very realistic instead of how sometimes books give characters random flaws. I could also relate a lot to Harper's issues and I absolutely adored her.
This story was a perfect book to read in autumn. It was sweet and made me laugh. I cared about the characters. I nearly shed a tear or two. And most importantly: the characters had chemistry!!
I listened to the audiobook. I did have to get used to the male narrator - not his accent but his voice. When Fraser was introduced in Harper's POV I didn't really feel like the narrator's voice fit the character. But I got used to it. But I definitely preferred listening to Harper's POV.
I am definitely going to want a physical copy of this some day!
I fell in love with Fraser. I mean, a grumpy introverted dude with abandonment issues? Sign me up. I loved how it was clear that the issues he struggled with were from childhood trauma and felt very realistic instead of how sometimes books give characters random flaws. I could also relate a lot to Harper's issues and I absolutely adored her.
This story was a perfect book to read in autumn. It was sweet and made me laugh. I cared about the characters. I nearly shed a tear or two. And most importantly: the characters had chemistry!!
I listened to the audiobook. I did have to get used to the male narrator - not his accent but his voice. When Fraser was introduced in Harper's POV I didn't really feel like the narrator's voice fit the character. But I got used to it. But I definitely preferred listening to Harper's POV.
I am definitely going to want a physical copy of this some day!
Spineless by Samantha San Miguel
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.25
This is the first time I'm reviewing an ARC of an audiobook so I'm separating my review in two parts: the story and the narrator.
The story
It started interesting, however if I hadn't already known this took place in the past, I wouldn't have noticed. Throughout the entire story it's not really that obvious, if I'm honest.
It kind of turned chaotic at some points and it was hard to follow sometimes. I wasn't a very big fan of the graphic detailed of animal death, animal cruelty, and animal hunting. (Ironically, I started this right after finishing another audiobook that had this too because I thought a middle grade novel would help ease my mind.)
The characters were ok. I didn't form any attachments to them. However I did really like the octopuses.
The plottwists were good, I never suspected them. I enjoy being surprised by those!
Audiobook
I feel complicated about the narrator. His normal talking voice was good. I am VERY picky with voices, so me saying that means a lot!
However I did not like it when he did voices. I really, really did not. While the voices were obviously different from each other, they were not pleasant to listen to at all. It was also unnecessary loud and often hurt my ears.
I think I would've enjoyed this book more if I had physically read it. I'm not sure if I'd 100% recommend the audiobook. I suppose I'd say someone would have to try for themselves and see if the voices bother them as well or if they're fine with it.
Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible that I could listen to this ARC. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Sadly I didn't love it like I expected it to, but I do want to give my honest opinions.
The story
It started interesting, however if I hadn't already known this took place in the past, I wouldn't have noticed. Throughout the entire story it's not really that obvious, if I'm honest.
It kind of turned chaotic at some points and it was hard to follow sometimes. I wasn't a very big fan of the graphic detailed of animal death, animal cruelty, and animal hunting. (Ironically, I started this right after finishing another audiobook that had this too because I thought a middle grade novel would help ease my mind.)
The characters were ok. I didn't form any attachments to them. However I did really like the octopuses.
The plottwists were good, I never suspected them. I enjoy being surprised by those!
Audiobook
I feel complicated about the narrator. His normal talking voice was good. I am VERY picky with voices, so me saying that means a lot!
However I did not like it when he did voices. I really, really did not. While the voices were obviously different from each other, they were not pleasant to listen to at all. It was also unnecessary loud and often hurt my ears.
I think I would've enjoyed this book more if I had physically read it. I'm not sure if I'd 100% recommend the audiobook. I suppose I'd say someone would have to try for themselves and see if the voices bother them as well or if they're fine with it.
Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible that I could listen to this ARC. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Sadly I didn't love it like I expected it to, but I do want to give my honest opinions.
How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.25
Ah, I'm struggling so much with this book. If it didn't include unnecessary disgustingly detailed scenes of killing animals, it would've easily been a higher rating. I enjoyed the story. I laughed, I nearly cried. I was shocked by plottwists. I loved reading about an unhinged character getting revenge on awful people. But the animal scenes... look, maybe I'm weird for being fine with detailed murder of fictional people, but even a mention of dead animals makes me want to puke. These extremely detailed scenes of animals being killed? It completely ruined this book for me that I almost DNFed me. It felt unnecessary and disgusting. It made me sick.
So yeah, in the end, I don't think I'd even recommend this book because of that. If it weren't for those scenes, this would've been an all time favorites. But alas.
Not sure if I'll read the sequel. The animal deaths in this book came out of nowhere because I didn't research trigger warnings - I didn't have to because aside from animal abuse and death, I don't need those. But I'll do some research on the sequel and if it has scenes like that as well. If not, I might still read it.
So yeah, in the end, I don't think I'd even recommend this book because of that. If it weren't for those scenes, this would've been an all time favorites. But alas.
Not sure if I'll read the sequel. The animal deaths in this book came out of nowhere because I didn't research trigger warnings - I didn't have to because aside from animal abuse and death, I don't need those. But I'll do some research on the sequel and if it has scenes like that as well. If not, I might still read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
challenging
dark
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
4.0
Uhm, ouch?? I'm not even sure what to say. I don't know what I expected when I started this book, I knew it was about a school shooting, yet I was still surprised by how dark and sad this was. But that only made it even more realistic.
It's not a perfect book. I didn't always love the writing and found some vocabulary a bit... eh. BUT I still whole heartily recommend this book. Because wow.
Also, yay for Dutch authors!!
It's not a perfect book. I didn't always love the writing and found some vocabulary a bit... eh. BUT I still whole heartily recommend this book. Because wow.
Also, yay for Dutch authors!!
Witchcraft: A Graphic History: Stories of Wise Women, Healers and Magic by Lindsay Squire
informative
medium-paced
4.0
A graphic novel that explores witchcraft with enchanting illustrations. In this book you learn more about the history of witchcraft, including Biddy Early, an important witch in witchcraft history.
Witchcraft is not a topic I know much about, though I've always kept an open mind about it. With that I mean that I neither believe or not believe in it and I respect anyone who does. However, I do believe that witches have always unfairly been given a bad name.
Going into this with an open mind is the best thing to do - even if you don't particularly believe in it. There is a lot of historic information as well that I've never read about before. Graphic novels like this are always a great way to learn about history. I 100% recommend this if you are interested in learning more about history or witchcraft.
However I did expect a bit more about history rather than the one fictional part of Biddy meating her apprentice. I would've liked to see her full story from birth to death and I felt like it was marketed as such.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for making it possible to read this arc. I'm very excited for the release on October 15th!
Witchcraft is not a topic I know much about, though I've always kept an open mind about it. With that I mean that I neither believe or not believe in it and I respect anyone who does. However, I do believe that witches have always unfairly been given a bad name.
Going into this with an open mind is the best thing to do - even if you don't particularly believe in it. There is a lot of historic information as well that I've never read about before. Graphic novels like this are always a great way to learn about history. I 100% recommend this if you are interested in learning more about history or witchcraft.
However I did expect a bit more about history rather than the one fictional part of Biddy meating her apprentice. I would've liked to see her full story from birth to death and I felt like it was marketed as such.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for making it possible to read this arc. I'm very excited for the release on October 15th!
Lore of the Deep: Folklore & Wisdom from the Watery Wilds by Claire Cock-Starkey
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
A fun and beautifully illustrated book filled with facts about all things related to the sea and oceans. As someone who is interested in mythology, I enjoyed reading it. I'm sure this would be a great book for many people (young and old) to add to their collection. I would especially recommend it to those interested in mythology or the sea. It's also a great way to introduce kids to other cultures that are often barely represented in media.
Some things I noticed: the font wasn't always very pleasant to read, especially not when the text turned wavy. While I understood that was to minic the waves of water, it was a bit tough to read sometimes. Some pages also had white stripes on the sides, and one page was even turned upside down. I don't know if this will also be in the finished copy once this book got published on October 1st.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and anyone else who made it possible for me to read the arc of this book!
Some things I noticed: the font wasn't always very pleasant to read, especially not when the text turned wavy. While I understood that was to minic the waves of water, it was a bit tough to read sometimes. Some pages also had white stripes on the sides, and one page was even turned upside down. I don't know if this will also be in the finished copy once this book got published on October 1st.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and anyone else who made it possible for me to read the arc of this book!
Soma by Fernando Llor
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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 was pleasantly surprised! Graphic novels are usually a hit or miss with me, even though I adore reading them. It's just that they're often so quick that I don't form attachments to the characters. This time, however, I did.
Soma is about Maya, an artist, who is going through a burn out. One day she gets an unexpected visitor: an alien warning her about danger. Together they try to save the world. Meanwhile Maya's friend Juu tries to survive with people he found on the street.
First of all I want to point out the AMAZING art that pulled me in from the first second I opened the book on my Netgalley shelf app. I am absolutely amazed by the talent. And everything looked beautiful put together. The style, the colors... everything. It is safe to say I found the art a masterpiece.
I really enjoyed the story as well. It immediately interested me while it normally takes me a couple of pages to get into a story. It was a perfect combination of humor and seriousness. It was fast-paced, but not too fast, you could still keep up with what was happening. I also adored the characters and started rooting for them.
You know what, I think it is safe to say this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. (And yes, that means higher than my previous favorites: Heartstopper). Obviously it's a different genre with this being sci-fi, but still.
I am VERY excited for this being released on February 25th and I am definitely going to try to get my hands on a physical copy. I can't wait to see other people reading it and share my love for it.
Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible for me to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to read this absolutely masterpiece.
Soma is about Maya, an artist, who is going through a burn out. One day she gets an unexpected visitor: an alien warning her about danger. Together they try to save the world. Meanwhile Maya's friend Juu tries to survive with people he found on the street.
First of all I want to point out the AMAZING art that pulled me in from the first second I opened the book on my Netgalley shelf app. I am absolutely amazed by the talent. And everything looked beautiful put together. The style, the colors... everything. It is safe to say I found the art a masterpiece.
I really enjoyed the story as well. It immediately interested me while it normally takes me a couple of pages to get into a story. It was a perfect combination of humor and seriousness. It was fast-paced, but not too fast, you could still keep up with what was happening. I also adored the characters and started rooting for them.
You know what, I think it is safe to say this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. (And yes, that means higher than my previous favorites: Heartstopper). Obviously it's a different genre with this being sci-fi, but still.
I am VERY excited for this being released on February 25th and I am definitely going to try to get my hands on a physical copy. I can't wait to see other people reading it and share my love for it.
Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible for me to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to read this absolutely masterpiece.
Maar ik ben jou niet by Nadine Swagerman
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Sjongejonge, wat heb ik heerlijk genoten van dit boek. Ik zat er gelijk in. Natuurlijk wist ik van te voren dat ik dit boek leuk zou vinden, het is ten slotte geschreven door Nadine Swagerman, maar de bevestiging is toch wel goed.
Dit las heerlijk snel en makkelijk, ik ging er zo doorheen. Ik kon het boek ook amper weg leggen. Ik had eigenlijk andere plannen voor vanmiddag en zou alleen een stukje lezen totdat de bezorger voor de deur stond, maar ik ben daarna gelijk weer verder gelezen.
Ik heb nog een boek van Nadine gekocht voor de 2+1 Kluitman Novelle actie and ik kan niet wachten om die ook te verslinden.
Dit las heerlijk snel en makkelijk, ik ging er zo doorheen. Ik kon het boek ook amper weg leggen. Ik had eigenlijk andere plannen voor vanmiddag en zou alleen een stukje lezen totdat de bezorger voor de deur stond, maar ik ben daarna gelijk weer verder gelezen.
Ik heb nog een boek van Nadine gekocht voor de 2+1 Kluitman Novelle actie and ik kan niet wachten om die ook te verslinden.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Minor: Death
The Sad Ghost Club 2 by Lize Meddings
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this one a bit better than the first volume. I don't think I really like SG, it felt like they kind of abandoned Socks pretty easily. I did start liking Socks, so maybe that's why I liked this volume more than the others.
I'm not sure if I'll read volume 3 and 4. This ending feels satisfying enough for me to stop. Maybe if I come across volumes 3 and 4 on sale I might.
I'm not sure if I'll read volume 3 and 4. This ending feels satisfying enough for me to stop. Maybe if I come across volumes 3 and 4 on sale I might.
The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The art is very pretty, however some pages were difficult to read. Sometimes a panel was drawn over two pages, making the middle unreadable. While the anxiety and depression parts are relatable, I still feel like I barely know the main character. I mean, I didn't even know their name until nearly the end. I also have no clue what pronouns they use. I like the concept of them being drawn as ghosts, but it does make it difficult keeping characters apart.
Overall I liked this, but the only reason I'm reading volume 2 is because I already own it. Otherwise I don't think I would have continued this series.
Overall I liked this, but the only reason I'm reading volume 2 is because I already own it. Otherwise I don't think I would have continued this series.