doogsley's reviews
142 reviews

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

this novel is many things: heart-achingly beautiful, raw and emotional, a snapshot of youthful and voracious love, a discussion on ethics and violence and hubris. it was a gratifying read, filled with lavish prose and banger one-liners. i adored grounded petroclus and vain achilles, their love transcendent and vernal and genuine. i also have a soft spot for the mercurial odysseus, who oozed character and wit.

but, most of all, the song of achilles gave me one of the loveliest tom bombadillian, eye-of-the-storm exhales i’ve witnessed. i’ll truly never forget petroclus’ and achilles’ time in chiron’s rose quartz cave, surrounded by medicine and nature and mastery - it tickled something satisfying and valuable within me. i, too, desire a safe space where i get to grow and play amongst the woodlands and my love and a discipline to learn. in another lifetime, they never left pelion lol. and this is only one droplet of glory in a book filled to the brim with engaging storytelling, satisfying pacing, and a convincing, warming romance amidst the war and strife. i can’t wait to dive into circe. 🏛️

Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block

emotional inspiring 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? Yes

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous challenging funny tense slow-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

5.0

The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O'Neill

hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? N/A

4.75

such a lovely conclusion ;_; everything gets tied up all sweet n pretty, n it makes my heart happy. love, trust, and teacups 4ever. it’s simple and kind and big-hearted. ahh i love this world so much!!! minette and chamomile are my favorite characters!! i also love our tea grandpas 💕 

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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

4.75

tender, expressive, and transformative. chambers crafted a truly idyllic and earnest world, rooted in community, mutual aid, harm reduction, and kindness. it’s hard to tear myself away from these pages and reenter corporeality. yet, monk and robot has only strengthened my resolve to live with authenticity and intention and playfulness, alongside my lost-ness. to carry even a teaspoon of the presence and curiosity that this story invokes would surely lead to a more nourishing existence, for both the Self and the World. love love love. this lil duology will cradle my heartspace for a looooong time. compassioncore in a solarpunk utopia: name a better duo.

Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 by Naoko Takeuchi

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

rtc of the entire series. my head hurts from crying so much lmao

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

adventurous challenging mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

dragonfruit delivers on some good ol whimsical world-building fun! the stage of pacific islander mythology was refreshing, magical, and lush. i appreciated the underbelly of environmentalism n conservationism, and the marriage of faith and science woven throughout this book.

unfortunately, it suffers from having too interesting of a world in too small of a story: the dragonfruit lore itself, all of the islands and their unique cultures (why doesn’t this book have a map?!), seadragons and kelpies and magical animal companions that are also tattoos, even the twee currency of “squid” all added up into a really compelling n charming microverse. i would’ve loved a deeper dive into tamarind and co. over the course of a few novels.

now that i think of it, this whole story suffers from strong foundations and flimsy execution. i enjoy our protags, but they lack depth across the board. hanalei rapidly shifted between “badass academic” and “never-wrong mary sue.” flat flat flat! and whoever got away with advertising this as a romantasy is villainous; there is approximately 3% of romance in this novel, which was choppy and unconvincing. the cast is large, and some storylines are wrapped up better than others. there’s too many pretty plot bows tied up at the end for my liking - while i like the ending well enough, i wish it didn’t feel quite so rushed/hand-waved. idk. OH and what was the reason for [redacted] 😭⁉️ iykyk. so random lmao

nonetheless, i don’t regret reading this. dragonfruit features a gem of a world, and there are definitely pretty lil moments explored n a silly cast to fancy. it was a breeze to read n could definitely serve as someone’s slump-ender. maybe give it a shot if you’re lookin for a capricious, feel-good, noncommittal, polynesian love letter to seadragons. 

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

a short n sweet love letter to mahou shoujo, and a sharp reflection on climate change, violence against women, and other heavy societal weights we witness and carry. plus a lil bit of sapphic instalove, as a treat.

magical girls are one of my favorite motifs/genres, so this was a highly anticipated read for me; there was definitely a tint of rose in my glasses. i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed this whimsical, yet dark, novella. it’s relatable, especially as a fellow 29-year old who yearns for a magical girl, save the world arc of her own. anton hur is a wonderful translator; there are some banger one-liners sprinkled across the pages. speaking of which, the brief length plus the large font PLUS the beautiful chapter opening illustrations made devouring this book a breeze. such a crisp n delightfully-nuanced read. i’m sure some people will walk away feeling unsatisfied by the depth of the characters/plot itself, but i loved experiencing this as a lil 12-episode anime in my head. in n out!

this has gotta be one of my favorite covers ever. multiple times during my reading sesh, i would pause and rotate the book around in my hands, gliding my fingers across the rose petal matte, marveling at the classic n bold sailor moon-inspired art, swirling rose petals n magical transformation artifacts n frilly lolita dress. ✨ absolutely stunning. this *will* be facing outwards on my bookshelf lol.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

adventurous emotional funny tense slow-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

3.75

a charming, ghastly, and swashbuckling romp of brigandry, grief, delectable meals, and fucking up colonizers. unfortunately, this is the second pirate book that nearly slumped me this year haha. but i am SO glad i pulled through - i loved this offbeat, violent cast of pirates and our flawed and privileged mc. the tale was both adventurous and mundane, and the food porn was incredible. i will definitely revisit this book again in the future - it has a very distinct and unique flavor that i’ve not captured in other stories. so grateful i had this hiding in the depths of my kindle library. i hope it gets a grotesque lil miniseries one day!