elopez's reviews
461 reviews

Free Houses in Japan: The True Story of How I Make Money DIY Renovating Abandoned Homes by Anton Wormann

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adventurous informative medium-paced

3.0

Free Houses in Japan was a very thorough and detailed book about looking for, renovating, and giving properties in Japan new life. For someone looking to purchase and renovate properties in Japan for personal use or for profit, this book is a goldmine of information. Anton shares his own personal experiences throughout the book as well, charting his journey from Sweden to Japan and how he became familiar with the country, language, and culture. For prospective visitors to Japan, this book also offers tons of information on customs, the language, terms, history, and architecture. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! 
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

I really enjoyed this addition to the Legendborn series. Bree's journey navigating her new role and what that means to everyone else, including herself, was full of twists and turns. I could not predict how this one would turn out but am so excited for the next book!  
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

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

4.5

T. Kingfisher did such a wonderful job on the Sworn Soldier series. The books are just long enough to entertain and creep out/scare readers. I enjoy how T. Kingfisher continues to share new elements of the history, customs, culture, and language of Gallacia. I also really love Alex Easton's character and his sense of humor. This book was so good!
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

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challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.5

When I picked up this book to learn a bit more about something I felt I was already familiar with, I was surprised to find that I had so much more to learn about a topic everyone has had at least some exposure to at some point. Matthew Desmond does such a great job laying out the issue of poverty, its origins, addressing many sides of the issue, and proposing a number of solutions. The topic is challenging and the information sometimes dense, but it is a very rewarding read. I can walk away saying I know so much, but definitely could learn more, about this issue.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

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

4.5

If Ali Hazelwood writes it, I am more than happy to read it! This book was such a good addition to the STEMinist series. I love the enemies to lovers trope and the back and forth banter was so entertaining. I also enjoyed elements of the other STEMinist books bleeding into this one, bringing back characters and updates from their storylines. Also, I love an antagonistic hedgehog.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

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5.0

Ward D by Freida McFadden

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

My first Freida McFadden book and I devoured it in less than a day! I love a good psychological thriller and this one did not disappoint. Although at times the story was predictable, I still was well entertained. The characters were not lovable and, at times, frustrating, but it definitely added to the on-edge feeling.
Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey

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funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

Aside from the fact that the main character's name sounds like a popular water filter, it was a good read. I think that the "I need to marry you for a green card" plot is a bit exhausted, but the book was short enough that it was not too overwhelming. However, I did enjoy the main character's storyline and how it all tied together in the end.
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

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

4.25

This book was so cute! My dream growing up was to be an archaeologist, so for the story to be about archaeology and also involve a love story- I was very entertained. It was the perfect length and did not feel like it was dragging. The plot was interesting and the characters and their relationships were so entertaining and very funny at times. I'm hopeful for a Book 2!!!
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was absolutely wonderful hitting on themes like love, loss, second chances, and inherited family. I loved the alternating storylines between characters, to include the animals-of course. When a book makes you feel all of the emotions, you know the author did an amazing job. I can't wait to read the next book, The Goodbye Cat.