eggbeater's reviews
1230 reviews

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark funny hopeful tense 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? Yes

4.25

T. Kingfisher is one of my favorites. This was a dark fairy tale that had humor and sweet, sentimental moments. It was very creative and imaginative . I really appreciated the faithful guardian geese. Hester was my absolute favorite character as my rusted old joints are right there with hers. 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

This is a genre-bending book that combines a mystery/thriller with literary historical fiction. There were a lot of perspectives to keep track of and several different time periods, so I thought it was more complicated than it had to be, but I enjoyed it. I was engrossed in the story the whole time and it had an interesting ending. I didn't think it was a stunning literary marvel, but I count it as a book worth reading. Sometimes the hype can be a little overdone, but the characters will stick with me.

Looking for Smoke by K. A. Cobell

dark emotional informative mysterious tense 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

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

The suspense really grabbed me in this thriller. The tension was written really well. I was actually scared. I'm never scared.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I thought this was going to be a cuddly, feel-good book, but it was actually pretty intense--in a good way. I was completely engrossed in the town and the behavior of its characters. The book goes out of its way to point out the misogyny that is an integral part of many boys' sports and the consequences of that. It is not for the faint of heart. This book is an emotional roller-coaster. I thought it was excellent.

Lucky Girl: How I Became A Horror Writer: A Krampus Story by M. Rickert

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

 This horror novella is about as Christmasy as I get. I liked it. I was engaged. The characters were all delightfully obnoxious. I only wish the krampus made more of a showing. 

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

This twisted thriller was really riveting. I sympathized with the characters, and there was crafty misdirection. It's clever how it's all wrapped up.

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

I loved it! I couldn't put it down. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the plight of women thought to be witches in 1590s Scotland. It is scary and interesting at the same time. The story goes back and forth between 1594 and the present day, and the two time periods are tied together by a creepy book.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

This book was a good homage to the fierce and loving Persian women I know in my family. 

I felt the book was realistic. The storyline could really happen. I don't think any book can truly capture the horror that was Khomeini, but it did illustrate how the U.S. had previously interfered with the Iranian government, ultimately leading to a terrible backlash. I hadn't fully grasped this history until I read this book.

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.0

Be forewarned that this is not a cosy mystery. There is a lot of domestic violence and rape as well as traumatic birth covered in this book. The cover looks a little misleading. I liked the author's descriptive writing style and I liked the main character very much, but the end was overwhelming and I felt yanked around.