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booksteabedby7's reviews
98 reviews
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
So I’m almost 20 years late to this. And what about it? I was about to move to Britain for my Master’s Degree and I guess it slipped my mind. Fortunately, Disney+ reminded me by putting the first episode of their excellent adaptation on Hulu to remind me to read this. It was the first audiobook I have listened to via Spotify as well.
Let’s be real- middle grade novels aren’t my jam. I really struggled to get into this novel. I don’t think the audiobook is as ✨produced✨ as it could be. I don’t think the characters behaved like children their age would. Demigod or not, you would never get me on a long haul bus across the country without money for food. Also…wouldn’t a 12 year old who witnessed something unexplainable and horrible happen to a parent…take some time to deal with it? Maybe I missed these details because I about my mind wondered a lot. By the end, however, I really did enjoy the layers to the mystery. I think I’ll give the second book a try.
Let’s be real- middle grade novels aren’t my jam. I really struggled to get into this novel. I don’t think the audiobook is as ✨produced✨ as it could be. I don’t think the characters behaved like children their age would. Demigod or not, you would never get me on a long haul bus across the country without money for food. Also…wouldn’t a 12 year old who witnessed something unexplainable and horrible happen to a parent…take some time to deal with it? Maybe I missed these details because I about my mind wondered a lot. By the end, however, I really did enjoy the layers to the mystery. I think I’ll give the second book a try.
Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown
It took me about 6 months to finish this book, which likely colours my opinions of it. Any book involving voodoo or hoodoo in New Orleans will make its way onto my shelf. I really loved the story and the ideas in this work. However, so much of it was on the nose, straight narrative and there wasn’t a whole lot of mystery to it. I almost felt that I was reading a textbook in the way things were described. But I want to again emphasise the IDEAS were stellar and I really loved them. There was one unforeseen twist at about 75% through, but it wasn’t enough for me. Also, this was a novel where is couldn’t understand many of the characters’ motivations. Even with mitigating factors and past traumas, SURELY you would tell future generations about a deadly family curse?! This was a case of me being frustrated because so much could have been resolved by people just acting like rational adults and speaking the truth. Sometimes that can’t happen, but I didn’t buy into any of the reasons trying to frame such behaviour as impossible within this story. Still, the author is on my radar and I’ll likely check out her later works. I just think the style can use a little finessing.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It took me about 6 months to finish this book, which likely colours my opinions of it. Any book involving voodoo or hoodoo in New Orleans will make its way onto my shelf. I really loved the story and the ideas in this work. However, so much of it was on the nose, straight narrative and there wasn’t a whole lot of mystery to it. I almost felt that I was reading a textbook in the way things were described. But I want to again emphasise the IDEAS were stellar and I really loved them. There was one unforeseen twist at about 75% through, but it wasn’t enough for me. Also, this was a novel where is couldn’t understand many of the characters’ motivations. Even with mitigating factors and past traumas, SURELY you would tell future generations about a deadly family curse?! This was a case of me being frustrated because so much could have been resolved by people just acting like rational adults and speaking the truth. Sometimes that can’t happen, but I didn’t buy into any of the reasons trying to frame such behaviour as impossible within this story. Still, the author is on my radar and I’ll likely check out her later works. I just think the style can use a little finessing.
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I definitely didn’t expect to see another trailer for a spooky vibes TV show and plunge head first into another book but here I am. I binged this audiobook during a winter storm. The story is addicting and has so many moving parts. It is at turns the story of a haunting, religious belief, rural Britain (for local people!) and a crime mystery. I really recommend it for atmosphere and an absorbing set of mysteries.
Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East by Benjamin Law
This is a great book for anyone interested in travelogue and/or LGBT cultures around the world. Each chapter is dedicated to Law’s observations and interviews as a gay Australian Chinese man in a different South/East Asian country. Not all chapters will interest everyone, and I admit the final two had be quickly skimming due to a large focus on AIDs that I wasn’t fully vining with. However the chapters dealing with Trans women in Thailand and visibility of gays in China were really interesting. I recommend it but also would encourage all readers to excessive various degrees of ‘focused reading’ depending on your interest in the chapter’s focal issue.
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is a great book for anyone interested in travelogue and/or LGBT cultures around the world. Each chapter is dedicated to Law’s observations and interviews as a gay Australian Chinese man in a different South/East Asian country. Not all chapters will interest everyone, and I admit the final two had be quickly skimming due to a large focus on AIDs that I wasn’t fully vining with. However the chapters dealing with Trans women in Thailand and visibility of gays in China were really interesting. I recommend it but also would encourage all readers to excessive various degrees of ‘focused reading’ depending on your interest in the chapter’s focal issue.
Sanctuary by V.V. James
Okay, I was not expecting to find one of my top favourite reads of recent years via YouTube. However, the all-knowing Algorithm told me I wanted to watch a trailer for this new AMC+ series about witches. And immediately after watching, I started researching and was reading this book the same night.
I would say it’s like Practical Magic, Desperate Housewives and Law & Order all smashed together to make a thrilling and compelling narrative. There is a thought out and meaningful magic system inside a crime drama procedural. I was not able to piece everything together, and the final pages left me somewhat breathless. I deeply love this and will need a copy for my bookshelf. When are we getting the deluxe special edition? WHEN?!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Okay, I was not expecting to find one of my top favourite reads of recent years via YouTube. However, the all-knowing Algorithm told me I wanted to watch a trailer for this new AMC+ series about witches. And immediately after watching, I started researching and was reading this book the same night.
I would say it’s like Practical Magic, Desperate Housewives and Law & Order all smashed together to make a thrilling and compelling narrative. There is a thought out and meaningful magic system inside a crime drama procedural. I was not able to piece everything together, and the final pages left me somewhat breathless. I deeply love this and will need a copy for my bookshelf. When are we getting the deluxe special edition? WHEN?!
Samson & Domingo by Gume Laurel III
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
]I was totally enchanted. The characters are full and rich and endlessly charming. I was surprised by how impactful the story was because it was such a quick read. Despite the brevity inherent in its form, I was really caught up in the emotional world of these two young men. I wholeheartedly recommend this. It’s a joy!