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dearbookshelves's reviews
442 reviews
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The Djinn Waits A Hundred Years is the best book I've read so far this year. When Sana and her father move into this strange house with an eclectic group of tenants, Sana begins to uncover the history of this strange house.
This book has a bit of everything. There's horror - some scenes at the beginning really had me creeped out. There's a mystery - Khan has mastered the slow reveal of bits of information about both the present timeline and the past to keep you reading. I haven't read anything this quickly all year, it seems. This book is part historical as it details the original owner of the house in 1930s South Africa and the more current timeline is set in 2014. It's also a sad story. There are some dramatic reveals and then Khan hits you in the chest with a line that perfectly sums up grief or trauma or an imperfect love.
"But don't you know? The best songs are the sad ones. It's like love-the best love stories are the painful ones,"
I initially thought that this would be great for a list of "weird house" books but it's so much more than that. I highly recommend.
This book has a bit of everything. There's horror - some scenes at the beginning really had me creeped out. There's a mystery - Khan has mastered the slow reveal of bits of information about both the present timeline and the past to keep you reading. I haven't read anything this quickly all year, it seems. This book is part historical as it details the original owner of the house in 1930s South Africa and the more current timeline is set in 2014. It's also a sad story. There are some dramatic reveals and then Khan hits you in the chest with a line that perfectly sums up grief or trauma or an imperfect love.
"But don't you know? The best songs are the sad ones. It's like love-the best love stories are the painful ones,"
I initially thought that this would be great for a list of "weird house" books but it's so much more than that. I highly recommend.
Gather Together in My Name by Maya Angelou
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
3.75
I read all of Maya Angelou's autobiographies out of order and this being the second to last piece of the puzzle I uncovered is absolutely WILD.
Maya Angelou gets caught up in some very precarious and dangerous situations. She doesn't shy away from showing us the bad choices she made and isnt afraid to be totally vulnerable. The writing is very straightforward and honest and that's exactly why I keep picking up her autobiographies.
There were two things I didn't love about this one, though. The first time she gets caught up in sex work, she is the one proposing to two lesbians that they are the sex workers and she gets the benefits. This happens because she thinks they're trying to seduce her so her response is this plan. I just don't think we had enough of her thought process here for it to make sense to me. Maybe that's because it wasn't even a clear decision to Angelou at the time but the whole thing just read so strange.
I also wasn't a huge fan of where it ended. This book is pretty short and I think maybe combining it with the next one would have prevented this ending from feeling so abrupt.
Not my favorite of the six I've read so far, but a fascinating look at Maya Angelou's early life.
Maya Angelou gets caught up in some very precarious and dangerous situations. She doesn't shy away from showing us the bad choices she made and isnt afraid to be totally vulnerable. The writing is very straightforward and honest and that's exactly why I keep picking up her autobiographies.
There were two things I didn't love about this one, though. The first time she gets caught up in sex work, she is the one proposing to two lesbians that they are the sex workers and she gets the benefits. This happens because she thinks they're trying to seduce her so her response is this plan. I just don't think we had enough of her thought process here for it to make sense to me. Maybe that's because it wasn't even a clear decision to Angelou at the time but the whole thing just read so strange.
I also wasn't a huge fan of where it ended. This book is pretty short and I think maybe combining it with the next one would have prevented this ending from feeling so abrupt.
Not my favorite of the six I've read so far, but a fascinating look at Maya Angelou's early life.
You're the Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
The beginning of this is so slow. I was starting to think my love of Don't Want You Like A Best Friend was a fluke because I never love historical romances.
I am happy that things picked up around a quarter of a way through. I really enjoyed seeing Bobby and James interact and figure out their relationship while there was so much uncertainty. I also love seeing Beth and Gwen together again and getting involved in the main plot.
I do think some of the plotting was strange here, though. There is a main conflict set up relatively early on and then we just drop it entirely for a pretty long stretch before picking it up again at the end. After the slower start, I really enjoyed the individual pieces of this story but as a whole, it isn't my favorite.
I am happy that things picked up around a quarter of a way through. I really enjoyed seeing Bobby and James interact and figure out their relationship while there was so much uncertainty. I also love seeing Beth and Gwen together again and getting involved in the main plot.
I do think some of the plotting was strange here, though. There is a main conflict set up relatively early on and then we just drop it entirely for a pretty long stretch before picking it up again at the end. After the slower start, I really enjoyed the individual pieces of this story but as a whole, it isn't my favorite.
The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
NK Jemisin started this series as a trilogy but having written one book pre-2020 and writing the next later, it became apparent the city and our world changes too much to realistically leave the city the same. It became a duology at the point.
The conflicts in The World We Make feel so pressing in the first few months of 2025. The avatars of the boroughs of NYC are navigating a changing and scary landscape and dealing with their own personal crises. I adore each of these characters in their own way. They're rich and interesting much like the areas they represent. I think what was missing for me this time were the interactions between each character. They were separate for a lot of this but the moments they were together were golden.
I genuinely enjoyed this duology as a whole and would recommend it to people who like urban fantasy. NK Jemisin is such a fantastic author and I'm excited to read more from her.
The conflicts in The World We Make feel so pressing in the first few months of 2025. The avatars of the boroughs of NYC are navigating a changing and scary landscape and dealing with their own personal crises. I adore each of these characters in their own way. They're rich and interesting much like the areas they represent. I think what was missing for me this time were the interactions between each character. They were separate for a lot of this but the moments they were together were golden.
I genuinely enjoyed this duology as a whole and would recommend it to people who like urban fantasy. NK Jemisin is such a fantastic author and I'm excited to read more from her.
Pounded By Produce: An Unholy Romance by G.M. Fairy
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.0
I saw my local bookstore post this so I bought it while I was sitting at Valentine’s dinner because I just wanted a silly, fun time. This starts off so silly and goofy and ever veggie tales reference sent me further from god. This little novella then takes a more serious turn. Robert and Laurent are truly in love with each other and it’s a bit heartbreaking to see them navigate that since they aren’t up posed to have each other. I just wasn’t expecting that turn, if I’m being honest.
I will say, this is EXACTLY like Challengers.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I've heard mixed things about The City We Became and that made me really delay picking it up but I should have trusted my love for NK Jemisin and read this years ago.
All over NYC, avatars of the five boroughs are waking up. They must come together in order to find the primary avatar who represents the city as a whole and save the city from a mysterious threat.
NK Jemisin is fantastic at world building. While The City We Became takes place in our world, there is still a lot of explanation required to understand and avatars and what powers they have. Rather than giving this to us up front, we are discovering information along with the avatars and I really enjoy that style of world building. I also enjoy how distinct each character is and how well thought out their characterization is in comparison with the boroughs they represent. Seeing them find out about themselves and each other is such a fun time. Lastly, the themes of gentrification, distinction between communities, and working with others while maintaining uniqueness make this an urban fantasy that gives something to chew on.
I think my only qualm with the story is the pacing. There is all this build up and at 75% of the way through I started getting concerned about the ending. It felt like there was so much left to do and not enough time to accomplish it. The ending felt really rushed and while you could argue that the story has a conclusion, it left me a bit unsatisfied so you absolutely need the second book, I think. I'll be starting that immediately to see the aftermath of the sudden ending.
All over NYC, avatars of the five boroughs are waking up. They must come together in order to find the primary avatar who represents the city as a whole and save the city from a mysterious threat.
NK Jemisin is fantastic at world building. While The City We Became takes place in our world, there is still a lot of explanation required to understand and avatars and what powers they have. Rather than giving this to us up front, we are discovering information along with the avatars and I really enjoy that style of world building. I also enjoy how distinct each character is and how well thought out their characterization is in comparison with the boroughs they represent. Seeing them find out about themselves and each other is such a fun time. Lastly, the themes of gentrification, distinction between communities, and working with others while maintaining uniqueness make this an urban fantasy that gives something to chew on.
I think my only qualm with the story is the pacing. There is all this build up and at 75% of the way through I started getting concerned about the ending. It felt like there was so much left to do and not enough time to accomplish it. The ending felt really rushed and while you could argue that the story has a conclusion, it left me a bit unsatisfied so you absolutely need the second book, I think. I'll be starting that immediately to see the aftermath of the sudden ending.
One Piece, Vol. 103: Warrior of Liberation by Eiichiro Oda
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
OMG
This volume is so satisfying
This volume is so satisfying