doogsley's reviews
142 reviews

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.25

peak cozy fantasy. maritime-meets-cottagecore atmosphere. a friend describes this as “stardew valley in book form” and… yes. precisely. 🙂‍↕️💕 the spellshop honors hopeful community care, valuable bartering, sharing resources with your loved ones to empower each other, choosing kindness just because you can … indeed, these lessons are blooming at a very important time in my life. it was the perfect balm as i watch our world devolve into madness. community, truly, is everything. idyllic in the most uplifting of ways.

my biggest complaint: the cast is missing a lil bit of development across the board. there are so many whimsical and fascinating basis for these characters, but not enough depth for my liking. like i want to know more about the magical dragon deerman!!

kiela is def a complicated fmc, but not unlikeable imo. i kinda wanted to shake her and then immediately pull her into a hug over and over lol. kiela and larran are the neurodivergent power couple of all time. and even larran was a little flat! but the narrative never let me forget that he was very, very tall.

caz is a VERY satisfying mix of jiji and calcifer. great character!! charming af! (did anyone else have difficulty Picturing him? haha)

recommended for those who need a kind swig of societal optimism, raspberry jam enjoyers, taurus-dominants, or anyone looking for a magical, sugar-y sweet palette cleanser.

Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

challenging emotional inspiring sad fast-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

4.75

heartwrenching, captivating, bizarre, raw. my body aches from crying so much lol. this was just so *readable*, dancing between lyrical prose and theatre scripts and compelling metaphor. this story is stitched with love and family and healing and i loved it so so much.

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

2.0

a twee and cozy premise, with a story that flatlines from beginning to end. the mystery is pathetically easy to solve, the fmc is flat flat flat. stereotypes abound in this story, and not in a quirked-up, fun, neo-archetypal way. idk... i wasn't expecting much and i'm Still displeased lol. this is giving "i wrote a mid murder mystery, so let me turn them all into animals to make it more interesting!" i should've Known better from the author's note (explaining that this is ~fiction~ and who cares if prey and predators are hanging out?) that i was Not going to be pleased lol. lenore rules and is the best part of this lil story.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

i really loved this. contemporary gothic fantasy, more atmospheric than scary. it was ever-so-slightly intangible from beginning to end. the cast was stellar and stubborn lol. the house is my favorite character and i wish we saw more of them. i look forward to getting my own copy to highlight all of the delicious metaphors and mythos. to all of my 4h neptunes and piscean souls - this one’s for you! 🐦‍⬛

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mercurial, mischievous, smart, and very very scottish. postmodern gothicky goodness. at times it's superfluous, yet informative, which is just fine for my gemini brain. bella baxter is downright refreshing, and badass, and is a good archetypal reminder to stay vigilant and cognizant in a world of men who wish to ventriloquize us. a very welcome addition to the frankenstein extended universe, joining the ranks of young frankenstein.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-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

3.25

this was one of those books where the microplot was hitting (the magic system and lore of witches, the fmc’s distress around “being invited to the adult table”), but the main story beats were honk mimimimi 😪 i highlighted nearly nothing, so the writing didn’t pull me either. the kids were okay, the love interest was predictable. there were too many attempts at banger one-liners that fell flat. i also hated how many chapters ended mid-dialogue??! so weird lol. maybe a hot take but: cerulean sea did it better, in almost every way.

i do, however, desire an ian and ken story. i could use a rambunctious old queer moment with those legends.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

such an uplifting, sweet, cozy, earnest lil read. kiki and jiji are a wonderful duo, filled with playful banter and heartfelt adoration towards each other. the mundane magic system has me Yearning. koriko is so idyllic, yet grounded. it’s honestly just as magical as the movie, but with extra thickening of ~lore~ and intentions and more vignettes of the art of deliveries.

this was perfect for reading outside during a particularly blustery autumn, accompanied by freshly brewed tea and ginger cookies. 🧹

an aside: i really appreciate miyazaki’s vision for the movie after reading the source material. what he chose to keep, alter, and evolve truly speaks to his storytelling prowess.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

so so cute !! 🎃 it’s a quick swig of sweet pumpkin charm. really loved the thoughtful and mature dialogue between the two protags. this should be added to the ranks of empirical autumnal media, a la over the garden wall and gilmore girls and hozier’s discography. 

Circe by Madeline Miller

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0