emilyrowanstudio's reviews
206 reviews

Snowflake by Louise Nealon

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I Never Said I Loved You by Rhik Samadder

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.

Can't quite believe i've DNFed this after loving Open Water so much. The storytelling felt disjointed and I found myself not wanting to pick it up. The writing style is easier to read than Open Water yet at over a hundred pages longer it feels too long. Really wanted to like this, but alas...

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

4.5

So sad, so funny, so real. Through the worst of times we have humour and love, which this book encapsulates beautifully.

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

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

3.75

The First Bad Man by Miranda July

funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

4.25

4.25 stars - An enjoyable read with irreverant and unexpected twists and turns. The pacing felt a little off, but every character had a charm that can't be ignored.

Grieving her failed marriage and parents who long ago went missing in the Australian outback, Penny tries to navigate the lives around her as a way to escape from her own - including a possibly murderous Grandmother, her accountant who shares a toupee with his brother, and a fluffy orange dog named Kweecoats.

Although more to my taste than most of 2023's Women's Prize longlist, i'm surprised this got a nomination as it doesn't feel like there's enough here to make it uniquely IT, as the others had (for better or worse).

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

Pod by Laline Paull
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.