chardavidson's reviews
49 reviews

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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? No

3.5

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

3.75

 Not the genre I usually gravitate towards, but I’m so glad I read this book! It made me feel really validated in my current career crisis and had important shit to say about regret (but I won’t spoil it for you). 😊

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.25

This book was a great thriller, but I need to stop trying to find books that remind me of The Secret History because then I set my expectations way too high. This book was an easy read with lots of Greek Mythology and mystery and intrigue. However, if I can finish a book in two days (one that makes scholarly promises), it won’t make a lasting impression. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

Adrift on the Nile by Naguib Mahfouz

reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark mysterious reflective fast-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? No

4.75

This book chewed me up and spit me back out again. I need to nourish my inner child for a bit, call my mom, and fall asleep in a forest 

Sword of Destiny (the Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski

adventurous tense fast-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

4.0

Now why would this Polish family get me the 2nd book in a series they know I haven’t read? Anyways, it was nice of them! I haven’t ventured into true fantasy before and this was so adventurous and dramatic and medieval!

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

4.25

History and facts woven into an easy to follow epic narrative. It’s exciting and informative and has very high stakes. It definitely got me emotional at some points too. Please stop the Mongol slander and educate yourself on the greatest leader of all time!

Sidetracked by Henning Mankell

dark 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? No

4.5

I was not expecting this to be so good! It was one of the better serial crime novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading. So many crime authors fall into the trap of writing the same book over and over just with different characters. Mankell is not one of those authors! While audiences know Kurt Wallander, the character is so developed that there is always something new to learn about him. The writing was digestible, yet deep, and following the undercurrents of politics in Sweden was captivating. This book is easy to devour, so enjoy it while it lasts!

The Green Mile by Stephen King

dark mysterious sad medium-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

3.5

I had a hard time getting into this book, and I thought it was a difficult world to be thrown into at first. It was just a lot of men talking in jail. Descriptions of the different jailers and how they are all different (but pretty much the same). I kept picking the book up and putting it back down. But finally, as the story started to get going… I began liking it more and more. It became almost a drama! I loved the choices King was making and I appreciated that the book was no longer about 1 thing. Instead, it became adventurous and important and all the loose ends were tied together in the end. I’d love to see the movie, it feels like a good book to become a movie. And everyone says so! Anyways, slow getting started, but an easy finish.