candoreads's reviews
28 reviews

mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

I love Agatha Christie. I read this with my book club to get us prepared for Halloween and we did not even know it was being turned into a movie. With Christie, you never know who the killer is until the very end. The big reveal is always worth the wait and you feel smart for even getting one detail correct. There were many guesses as to who the final killer was. I think Agatha Christie is one of the best mystery writers and I have loved every book of hers that I've read. I cannot recommend this one enough. The only downside is the outdated language from the time period that you have to google o figure out what characters are saying sometimes. "Ding dong dell, pussy's in the well."

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

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mysterious medium-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? No

1.0

Y'all...I did not like this book. I felt like the writing was subpar and the (rightly) perceived prejudices of the other characters were heavily in focus. In every other paragraph, we're reminded that the main character, Louise, is a black woman from Harlem. Her history is important to the plot, but the lack of trust the author has in the readers is kinda appalling. I don't need to be reminded every three sentences that your main character is a black lesbian because I can remember those details. The pacing was weird, there were too many times where I felt myself saying "Holy shit they still haven't solved this murder yet?"

Then we get into the third act where the red herring is caught and everyone thinks it's over until there is another victim found. The last fifty pages is when we actually start getting into who the actual murderer is and the book is resolved with very little view of what happens after.

Anyway, all this to say I was betrayed by a "Blind Date with a Book" from my local bookstore.

You've Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric LaRocca

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challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Holy shit. No, like literally holy shit. This book is disturbing but in a good way? I read it in one sitting and I can't imagine reading it in multiple sittings. This book is unsettling. It's not even the murder or the thoughts of the main character that are unsettling, what really got me was the book within the book. That premise and idea unsettled me so much. I was unexpectedly unsettled but the book within the book. Bravo and congrats I may never read this again.

Content Warnings

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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adventurous slow-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? No

2.0

My god. Not to be harsh but I mean come on. I read this book with my book club and if I was not a person who thrives from spite I would have dnf'd this book. Like I had high hopes at the beginning but then it becomes exhausting to read. I loved the characters at the beginning but then we slowly move through the plot and the interesting things are skipped over and completely ignored. The writing was not great either, like I can't even put into words how this book made me feel. It felt like a chore.

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

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dark sad fast-paced

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

2.5

I just wasn't a huge fan of this book. TW: there's a bit of sexual assault and anti-LGBTQ language but it's in a "internalized homophobia, I'm growing and learning as a character way" so I guess it's okay? It just caught me really off guard the first time the word queer was used as a synonym for weird. Also the use of f*g caught me off guard and I felt like it was a bit much. But other than that, there's a pretty good message with this book. It was a quick read, only took me about a day and I probably won't reread it.

Content Warnings

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

I am nearly speechless about this book. I don't usually like romance books, but as a Star Wars fan, I knew I had to at least give this book a shot. And oh my God, it blew my expectations away. I loved this book. I don't like miscommunication as a trope, it's something that I find very annoying, but the usage of it in this book was very believable. Although fake dating isn't something that happens in real life, the circumstances of this book and the characters' reactions were pretty realistic and spot on. After about chapter fifteen was when I really really got into the book. After the conference, everything picks up the pace and it's almost impossible to put down.

Content Warnings

Circe by Madeline Miller

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emotional reflective slow-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

I love Madeline Miller as an author, I fell in love with Song of Achilles. It's my favorite book. But Circe was amazing as well, although I knew a lot about Achilles and his story when I began reading, I knew nothing about Circe. Everything I experienced here was new information and it was wonderful. Your heart bleeds for Circe as she experiences the pains of her family and the way people treat her. You feel the anger with others as they take advantage of her kindness and heart. You cheer or her when she finally begins seeking revenge and making decisions that might not be the best. It's so easy to fall in love with the characters and feel the emotions with them.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

I loved this. I've heard the joke around BookTok that this book is the "Christmas Special" of the series and while that is true, it did not lessen my enjoyment of the book. Actually, if anything, it was a breath of fresh air after the war and all the turmoil of the past few books. It felt like the characters were finally able to breathe and relax for the first time. I also loved seeing bits of everyone's individual ways of healing. This series is full of the found family trope and that is one of my favorite tropes in media. So I loved it.

Haikyu!!, Vol. 02 by Haruichi Furudate

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 2 by Gege Akutami

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

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candoreads's reviews 28 reviews

candoreads's reviews
28 reviews