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frogsarelovely's reviews
299 reviews
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5.0
I just finished this and I want to read it again already.
This lived up to the hype for me. It was so magical and beautifully written. The autumn backdrop just made the story so whimsical and nostalgic. All the descriptions of food, smell, the rain, the cosy clothes... it was all so exciting for my autumn loving heart.
Here's some scruffy notes I made while I was reading through the book:
‘You can smell caramel wafting through the evening breeze, beneath the crisp scent of the autumn leaves.’
Really inviting opening. So autumnal and atmospheric already
Prospero is an abusive ahole
‘why is it only girls that get swept away from their lives in stories?’
Love the café scene in the rain. She’s great at writing atmospheres. So believable, you can feel it all
I love the chapter, ‘the magicians umbrella’. So cosy and whimsical, I love all the rain
I love the scene where Bailey, Poppet, and Widget are walking round the circus in scarves and coats, drinking hot chocolate and eating cinnamon pastries. So cosy and atmospheric. Pg. 247
I’m really enjoying the romantic aspects of this. I’m not sure if there will be a romance but I’m loving the indications of it. Usually I don’t care for it in books (there are some exceptions, like Strange the Dreamer) but in this it’s heart-warming and exciting
This lived up to the hype for me. It was so magical and beautifully written. The autumn backdrop just made the story so whimsical and nostalgic. All the descriptions of food, smell, the rain, the cosy clothes... it was all so exciting for my autumn loving heart.
Here's some scruffy notes I made while I was reading through the book:
‘You can smell caramel wafting through the evening breeze, beneath the crisp scent of the autumn leaves.’
Really inviting opening. So autumnal and atmospheric already
Prospero is an abusive ahole
‘why is it only girls that get swept away from their lives in stories?’
Love the café scene in the rain. She’s great at writing atmospheres. So believable, you can feel it all
I love the chapter, ‘the magicians umbrella’. So cosy and whimsical, I love all the rain
I love the scene where Bailey, Poppet, and Widget are walking round the circus in scarves and coats, drinking hot chocolate and eating cinnamon pastries. So cosy and atmospheric. Pg. 247
I’m really enjoying the romantic aspects of this. I’m not sure if there will be a romance but I’m loving the indications of it. Usually I don’t care for it in books (there are some exceptions, like Strange the Dreamer) but in this it’s heart-warming and exciting
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
5.0
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this.
I loved the character of Ichabod Crane, he felt so unique and wonderfully gothic. He is, for me, one of very few characters from classic literature that actually stands out as someone interesting. He is skilled and intelligent yet there is something slightly off about his entire character. He's peculiar and always balancing on a fine line of being likeable and too strange.
The setting was very well done. Eerie yet with the warmth of autumn. The language used to describe the scenery flowed well to create a beautiful rustic image that was at the same time chilling and ghostly. It was so easy to picture the little village and Sleepy Hollow. I particularly loved the image of the church and Crane's school house.
The Headless Horseman himself was again very well done. The idea of him is featured more than his physical appearance in the story, which makes the character even more sinister and memorable. He is mostly left for our imaginations to interpret yet still has his defining image of a gothic, looming spectre that chases with frightening speed. It is easy to see how he became such an iconic horror figure.
In all it was an excellent horror story. One of the better classic horrors I've come across so far.
I loved the character of Ichabod Crane, he felt so unique and wonderfully gothic. He is, for me, one of very few characters from classic literature that actually stands out as someone interesting. He is skilled and intelligent yet there is something slightly off about his entire character. He's peculiar and always balancing on a fine line of being likeable and too strange.
The setting was very well done. Eerie yet with the warmth of autumn. The language used to describe the scenery flowed well to create a beautiful rustic image that was at the same time chilling and ghostly. It was so easy to picture the little village and Sleepy Hollow. I particularly loved the image of the church and Crane's school house.
The Headless Horseman himself was again very well done. The idea of him is featured more than his physical appearance in the story, which makes the character even more sinister and memorable. He is mostly left for our imaginations to interpret yet still has his defining image of a gothic, looming spectre that chases with frightening speed. It is easy to see how he became such an iconic horror figure.
In all it was an excellent horror story. One of the better classic horrors I've come across so far.
You Only Live Once by Jess Vallance
4.0
This is such an important book! Not only does it address the very real current situation of the stress high school kids go through now, but the relationships are wonderfully portrayed, our main character is a lesbian, and it shows all the options young people can go through these days regarding their future. I really wish I had this book when I was 16!
First of all, this was a hilarious book. I was laughing out loud most of the time. I also got pretty teary. It’s very relatable, even as a university graduate. I’ve been through what Gracie is going through, I’ve had the same thoughts, so I know a lot of young people will really feel this story. What’s great is that this book also shows you that even adults don’t have their futures planned out. There’s a wonderful balance of life situations and options with little judgement for career paths; i.e. you don’t have to go to sixth form, you can just get a job and that is 100% ok (seriously young peeps, don’t listen to people who say otherwise, you do you).
In all, I’m glad I picked this up. Jess Vallance’s writing is witty, realistic, and highly engaging. It’s a coming of age story that everyone needs to read!
First of all, this was a hilarious book. I was laughing out loud most of the time. I also got pretty teary. It’s very relatable, even as a university graduate. I’ve been through what Gracie is going through, I’ve had the same thoughts, so I know a lot of young people will really feel this story. What’s great is that this book also shows you that even adults don’t have their futures planned out. There’s a wonderful balance of life situations and options with little judgement for career paths; i.e. you don’t have to go to sixth form, you can just get a job and that is 100% ok (seriously young peeps, don’t listen to people who say otherwise, you do you).
In all, I’m glad I picked this up. Jess Vallance’s writing is witty, realistic, and highly engaging. It’s a coming of age story that everyone needs to read!
Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
4.0
Everyone needs to pick up this series!
I'm so impressed with this sequel. Not only has the writing improved, but the story has expanded greatly from the first book.
One of the issues I had with Timekeeper (though I also loved that book) was that it felt limited and not completely solid in it's plot. Tara Sim has completely turned this around however with this book. We get to see a whole new world within this story, new explanations, and we realise that Timekeeper was just the wonderful tip of what was to become an intricate and exciting adventure.
This book also felt a lot more dark than the first. It surprised me, given the adorable nature of Timekeeper, but I loved it. I felt like it added so much more to the characters and the history of this world.
As always the representation was also on point. We are introduced to more LGBTQ+ characters, characters who struggle with their ethnic identity, characters that use sign language and more. We also learn so much about India during this time period, of vital events that took place and caused a great deal of unrest and loss. It was so refreshing to see all this in a YA novel, and I'm forever grateful to Tara Sim for writing this story.
Danny and Colton were as adorable as ever (Castor is also sunshine). I can't wait to read the final book when it comes out in January!
I'm so impressed with this sequel. Not only has the writing improved, but the story has expanded greatly from the first book.
One of the issues I had with Timekeeper (though I also loved that book) was that it felt limited and not completely solid in it's plot. Tara Sim has completely turned this around however with this book. We get to see a whole new world within this story, new explanations, and we realise that Timekeeper was just the wonderful tip of what was to become an intricate and exciting adventure.
This book also felt a lot more dark than the first. It surprised me, given the adorable nature of Timekeeper, but I loved it. I felt like it added so much more to the characters and the history of this world.
As always the representation was also on point. We are introduced to more LGBTQ+ characters, characters who struggle with their ethnic identity, characters that use sign language and more. We also learn so much about India during this time period, of vital events that took place and caused a great deal of unrest and loss. It was so refreshing to see all this in a YA novel, and I'm forever grateful to Tara Sim for writing this story.
Danny and Colton were as adorable as ever (Castor is also sunshine). I can't wait to read the final book when it comes out in January!
Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat
5.0
I don't want this series to be over. It's one of my favourites 100%.
The plot is so well put together in these books I can't even deal with it. You can tell how much research has gone into this story and it's just so captivating. I loved all of the relationships, Pacat has created some incredible characters and I love (most) of them to death. I would happily read another 5 books in this world. Y do they not exist?
The plot is so well put together in these books I can't even deal with it. You can tell how much research has gone into this story and it's just so captivating. I loved all of the relationships, Pacat has created some incredible characters and I love (most) of them to death. I would happily read another 5 books in this world. Y do they not exist?
Fox 8 by George Saunders
5.0
This was beautiful. Everyone, please go read this!
George Saunders tackles an upsetting and important topic, but has managed to make it light-hearted and approachable. I loved that the fox tried to see the beauty of life even after experiencing such terrible things. The writing is incredibly funny and I love the fox narrator. As someone with dyslexia, it was also amusing to see what it must be like for other people to read my messages (perhaps I'm really a fox in disguise)!
I feel that this is such an important story, especially for this current period. To see the effects of habitat destruction and of needless violence towards animals. Not everyone in the story has a happy ending but Fox 8 tells us what we can all do in order to see a happy ending for all.
The illustrations were also charming!
George Saunders tackles an upsetting and important topic, but has managed to make it light-hearted and approachable. I loved that the fox tried to see the beauty of life even after experiencing such terrible things. The writing is incredibly funny and I love the fox narrator. As someone with dyslexia, it was also amusing to see what it must be like for other people to read my messages (perhaps I'm really a fox in disguise)!
I feel that this is such an important story, especially for this current period. To see the effects of habitat destruction and of needless violence towards animals. Not everyone in the story has a happy ending but Fox 8 tells us what we can all do in order to see a happy ending for all.
The illustrations were also charming!
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
5.0
I considered dnf'ing this half way through, I'm so glad I didn't. This is a great fantasy book.
Initially I found the main character unbelievable and his quest uninteresting. However, all of my doubts were changed by the end and everything came together seamlessly.
There's a pretty big (yet incredibly subtle) plot twist in this (which I don't consider a spoiler mentioning here, since it's not something you would guess easily) which made the whole story even more exciting for me. It's not a twist for everyone's' taste, but for me it gave the world something extra that I haven't come across in my fantasy reading so far. It's a great example of the kind of story you can write with such a subject.
I ended up really loving the characters, I even began to enjoy the main character by the end - despite my doubts of him initially. They really grow on you and I ended up rooting for them all in the final act. Lawrence did an excellent job with writing such an interesting MC. Making an incredibly villainous fourteen year old, and having it work, is certainly an impressive feat. I can see why Lawrence is considered one of the good fantasy writers.
There are still some issues I had with the book. The females sucked but hopefully there will be some women with substance later on in the series. The world building was also a bit questionable for me, but that's something I can't go into without spoilers. To be honest, there's no reason the world couldn't be the way that it is portrayed, I'm just not sure it's what would realistically happen in it's entirety (for those that have read: Patents? Jousting and quills? It's all a little too perfectly in-line considering...) but it's fantasy, so.
Initially I found the main character unbelievable and his quest uninteresting. However, all of my doubts were changed by the end and everything came together seamlessly.
There's a pretty big (yet incredibly subtle) plot twist in this (which I don't consider a spoiler mentioning here, since it's not something you would guess easily) which made the whole story even more exciting for me. It's not a twist for everyone's' taste, but for me it gave the world something extra that I haven't come across in my fantasy reading so far. It's a great example of the kind of story you can write with such a subject.
I ended up really loving the characters, I even began to enjoy the main character by the end - despite my doubts of him initially. They really grow on you and I ended up rooting for them all in the final act. Lawrence did an excellent job with writing such an interesting MC. Making an incredibly villainous fourteen year old, and having it work, is certainly an impressive feat. I can see why Lawrence is considered one of the good fantasy writers.
There are still some issues I had with the book. The females sucked but hopefully there will be some women with substance later on in the series. The world building was also a bit questionable for me, but that's something I can't go into without spoilers. To be honest, there's no reason the world couldn't be the way that it is portrayed, I'm just not sure it's what would realistically happen in it's entirety (for those that have read: Patents? Jousting and quills? It's all a little too perfectly in-line considering...) but it's fantasy, so.