catalyst226's reviews
200 reviews

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

It's pretty refreshing to have a leading female character that is strong and confident in their own skills. It's very clear this was one of the first novels this author wrote but she found a voice and it works jumping between multiple characters in third person. The final fight left a little to be desired but I enjoy the world building and look forward to reading the remainder of the series.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm a huge fan of contemporary novels that have characters that aren't entirely aware of how their lives intertwine. Mix in an octopus trying to feed them clues and you've got Remarkably Bright Creatures.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.

Found my mind drifting too much while listening.

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

emotional lighthearted 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? No

4.0

A fun contemporary romance with a fake engagement trope. I liked all the characters and the overarching plot was engaging. Would have loved this more if the main couple communicated a bit better because there was one too many times Cherry decided she didn't want anything to do with Ruben.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.

Premise sounded interesting. Narrator was solid. Took far too long to get through the first chapter so it's just not for me right now.

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

adventurous dark 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

3.5

I needed a romance break and this more than satisfied. The story had a fun overarching narrative with the game within Phantasma and a decent twist at the end. Blackwell was a fun love interest. Genevieve and Ophelia's sister relationship was pretty realistic.

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

A dystopian novel that takes place after a man-made smog covers the earth and crops die with the lack of sunlight. Our main character gains employment as a chef in the Land of Milk and Honey above the smog in the Italian mountains. The characters are specifically unlikeable and flawed but I enjoyed them nonetheless - with the exception of the employer. I quite enjoyed the author's writing style and careful attention to descriptions of food, textures, etc.

Salt Slow by Julia Armfield

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

A collection of eerie stories from the author of "Our Wives Under the Sea" which I read last year. Perfect October reading if you, like me, like light horror. 

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

The audiobook, narrated by the author, is read like spoken word or gospel and evokes every intended emotion written. The descriptions and tangents are well blended with the referential information about Cleveland and Ohio's basketball scene. Despite my unfamiliarity of that portion of the subject matter, it goes well beyond that.

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

This felt like Howl's Moving Castle with African-based magical realism and a heaping dose of commentary of class inequality and disability awareness. I was stoked to see that the author acknowledged the Howl's Moving Castle inspiration so no wonder I loved this story!

I highly recommend reading this and plan on checking out more of this author's work.