booksanddachshunds's reviews
229 reviews

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey

emotional

• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

I really loved how Darcy was ingrained with words, memorizing stories into her mind and getting comfort in them when everything went wrong in her daily life. Even better, she has a job in a library after school! The last scenes with the play was marvelous you definately see how she got a talent with words.

Her mother being a hoarder and her dad dissapearing on them, that’s her coping mecanism. That’s the first novel I see that include hoarders and how the people around them might feel, the shame attached to it; and I like it for it as it’s definately more common than we think!

That Weekend by Kara Thomas

3.0

As the story progress and the clues are revealed, the more does it set doubts on what informations Jesse & Kat might’ve had hidden from their friend; something that is actually one of my bigger fear. Despite knowing people for years, we might not actually *know* them.. they might’ve hidden big part of themselves, or even just played a role all along. 

 

The part called “The other side” being from Kat POV and knowing the behind the scenes, what really happened on that mountain and what informations was withheld from Claire.. I was surprised. Absolutely did not saw that coming; shows how the outside look of a situation is SO different from the reality. 

The last chapters though, binging again from Kat to Claire? It was hard for me to keep reading, though I wanted to finish the book anyway at that point, and we did found out another MAJOR shocker.. but of no real interrest for me, I gotta say. I think I would’ve rather had a different ending, or for it to end sooner without having the resolve to all the questions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

informative

3.0

Most importantly, the book reassured me on my own asexuality. How what I had been experiencing with my ex was “normal” and I wasn’t broken- it’s simply a different sexuality. 

I learned many things that I didn’t question before, such as with different races & disabilities, the book was very well construct to include many different settings. Such as it being a more whitewashed movement, because of racist ideology that individuals mostly might not wanna “proove” in a way.

F**ck Eve, mon père Noël s'appelle Adam by Caro M. Leene
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.

Nothing personal, just wrong mood to what I was feeling. 

The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills

emotional fast-paced

3.5

I loved the idea of catching ghosts into their hair; a new but lovely concept. 

I can see this book being one to learn about grief, as we go through Shelly’s  journey through grief and letting her own ghosts go- literally as figuratively- the ending made me tear up. 

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

4.0

It was interresting to hear the backstory of the stolen name, and I can definately see why Minnie would had grown to ressent Quinn.. her mother definately did her wrong by constantly reminding her that « things wouldn’t be that way if you would’ve been a Quinn! ». On that note, all that negativity from her mother is probably the root of her birthday being jinxed.

It worked so great to have the novel going back-and-forth from current (2020) to prior years, where we draw the dots to be all the times Minnie & Quinn met before.. without knowing it was them! My favorite has to be NYE 2003 with Quinn’s POV

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Blood

Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

Severe Anxiety, Agoraphobia

The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

• Loveable characters? No

3.0

I’m only happy their friendship got better in the end; the way they treated each other as « bestfriend » for the 3/4 of the book sickened me. 

It felt a bit too much, falling on two maniacs hunting victims while Neena had JUST mentionned them? To have a friggen BEAR come out of nowhere and save them? … 😳 just a tad too big and « arranged with the guy who makes the movies »

Gardez l'œil ouvert, tome 3 : 20 histoires criminelles déconcertantes by Victoria Charlton

4.0

J’ai bien aimée voir differentes affaires se reliant au paranormal dans ce tome-ci, sa change des autres, et c’est un aspect que j’adore.

Je doit dire que la dernière histoire a probablement eu le plus d’impact, que ce soit arriver en 2021 à une femme seule, par un policier. 

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

4.0

 found our 3 main characters to be quite fun to observe, I liked Chloe having the similar drive of Rohan in Today Tonight Tomorrow; would do EVERYTHING to be Valedictorian, such as going into full-on in-dept adventure following pink cards to find her back. The rivalry between Smith & Rory was entertaining at times, and I definately got to like them more once we learnt more about them, such as their past with Shara and all that. 

Now, for Chloe to go to a Christian’s focus school to get the best education, despite being a not-religious person with two mothers? I could never. It really needed LOTS of dedications, and i’d add that it was kinda sad to see all those queer kids oppress themselves and not realising they were indeed what they were because of the “way of the christ”.. forcing themselves to be someone they weren’t because that’s just how it was in false beach.

Light and humoristic at times, it was quite an enjoyeable read with good final intentions. I definately teared up aswell as giggled a few times while reading! 

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

4.0

The riddles were so smart and intricate- containing anagrams on words that are seemingly out of place, and also a false path to lead the players in the wrong. Lily was so strong at them, honestly I couldn’t figure them out myself

I was not ready for the reveal, proving itself to be so much more intertwined and complicated than I would’ve first thought; going even further than the game itself. 

Similarly to Lily, guess I am not a good judge of character either.. though it’s a bit different “knowing” a character through reading than you would a real person, I got yet again fooled.