eggbeater's reviews
1103 reviews

Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book will make you want a cigarette, even if you have never smoked. It romanticizes smoking so much that this ex smoker with seriously itchy. So be forewarned.

I was really into it. I had trouble putting it down, but there were a few details that struck me as implausible. Certain involvement with mobsters and where bodies ended up didn't make sense to me. 

The book was more historical fiction than fantasy. There were elements of magic, but the atmosphere was very 1925. The author did a good job with that. The racism, misogyny, and homophobia tracked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Homophobia

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.5

This book was heartbreaking. The characters were imperfect in a relatable way, and it made me really consider different LGBTQ circumstances and what they might be like living in Nigeria.

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

 This book is kind of like a light Handmaid's Tale for middle graders. I dig it. It is more of a feminist fable than a magical fantasy. 

I Only Read Murder by Will Ferguson, Ian Ferguson

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed the exaggerated character of Miranda. I know actors. Sometimes they act like they are always on screen. I found this to be tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted, quirky fun. I did not even come close to guessing the killer.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

slow-paced

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

3.25

 My expectations of this book were too high. The Familiar Tropes. 

Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

challenging emotional informative sad 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

5.0

I love a book that makes me consider different circumstances and perspectives. The logging industry, and all of its complications, was not previously on my radar at all. This book brought to light legitimate worker concerns as well as environmental issues. There didn't seem to be easy answers. I really felt for the characters and the hardships and dilemmas they faced. This was a great book.

Victim by Andrew Boryga

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

challenging emotional funny 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

4.0

I loved this book. It was a 5 star book for me until the ending ruined the perfection. This line alone took it down a star:

"What is a woman but her labor and her children?"

That sentence made me livid. It was totally out a character and a disgusting opinion. No man decides what women are worth.

There were other things at the end that I did not appreciate, but I don't want to spoil it. I will just say that as an atheist, certain crap makes me roll my eyes.

However, I appreciated the humor and sense of community surrounding the church that is very much a central part of this book. I adored these characters like they were my own neighbors. At first it seemed like I had to go to a lot of effort to keep track of everybody, but it was worth the small challenge. I was highly entertained and felt transported to the New York projects in 1969.

I just so regret the ending.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I could have read each of these women's stories in a more linear fashion, but individually, they were very good and I like the genre bending. This is a good fit for people who like historical fiction with magical realism.

The Last Chairlift by John Irving

emotional funny reflective sad slow-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

This is a 900 page book. That, in itself, makes it not for everyone, but it is perfect for me because the characters are so endearingly strange. Sometimes the plot is slow and resembles historical political commentary--definitely left leaning. Sometimes it's riveting drama, and people start dropping like Game of Thrones. The story is quite poignant and reflective, but everyone's sexual foibles had me laughing out loud like a loon. There are common John Irving themes: a straight, cisgender man and everyone he loves is part of the LGBTQ community, there's wresting, of course, and writing. And then there are the addition of the quirky ghosts and his girlfriends' reactions to them. The screenplay episodes took a minute for me to get used to, but they make sense when I realize Adam has to remain detached when recounting certain parts of his life. If you like John Irving's other books, this one won't let you down.