eggbeater's reviews
1108 reviews

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. 

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

It was slow getting started for me, but I ended up really liking the story. The book made me think of Where the Wild Things Are. Those who like gothic fiction tied in with fantasy will probably like this one.

Sign Here by Claudia Lux

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.25

Hell itself is comedic--you can never find a pen that works, you're always stepping in deep puddles, the radio only plays songs that you hate, the bar only serves Jägermeister--but life on earth can be surprisingly dark and involves a lot of child abuse, fair warning.

The short chapters, constant small reveals, and switching points of view kept me quickly turning the pages. It was messed up, but I liked it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

Horribly written and rapey. The exact kind of romance I despise.

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

adventurous funny 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

4.0

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

 I love this author's imagination. She is a go-to author for me. Her characters are also very down-to-earth. This time there featured a pet vulture. I was impressed.