booksnacks's reviews
1505 reviews

Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez Gomez

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

emotional reflective sad 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

Touching and impactful within a short novel- I read this in one sitting. Excellent writing and delivery through dual perspective, each with such a distinct voice. 

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Normal People by Sally Rooney

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.75

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

adventurous funny lighthearted

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

4.5

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

‘Grief is a swallow,’ he said. ‘One day  you wake up and you think it’s gone, but it’s only migrated to some other place, warming its feathers. Sooner or later, it will return and perch in your heart again.’

Poignant and emotional, this was my first novel by Elif Shafak. I have a soft spot for stories of friends and found family. What masterful writing, I love how this story was told. I will earnestly be searching for more of her works soon. 

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

adventurous mysterious relaxing fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

Dream-like and a touch abstract, this was a starry journey. While the characters fell flat for me, the premise and settings were delightful. I enjoyed the relationship between Hana and her father and wish it had been explored more, especially at the end. 

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly

emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.75

I am jealous. I am jealous that I will never be as funny and quick-witted as Greta or Valdin or their family or Rebecca K. Reilly. These two shine bright, complex and nuanced as they struggle with issues both separate and similar. I haven’t laughed out loud like this from a book in a while, the dialogue was superb! But between the laughs, there were moments that squeezed my heart, that made me stop and say “Oh god, that was real.”
 
I sincerely loved experiencing this quirky family, their friends, and their messy, dramatic lives. This book made me want to call my sister and tell her I love her, and also that I remember every bad thing she has ever done to me and that I have done to her and laugh about it over dinner. 

Head Cases by John McMahon

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

An addicting introduction to a cast of dynamic FBI agents. I enjoyed Gardner’s perspective and I look forward to learning more about other members of the team. The procedural aspects were interesting, but the characters and writing really drove this one for me.