hannahleelovestoread's reviews
609 reviews

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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A Kind of Love: Love and Resilience in a Harsh Paradise by Ida Subaran

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is a melancholic novella set in an unnamed town rife with poverty. The various topics it covers are all related to an overarching theme of the ordinary — and dysfunctional — family. In the story, Doris and Alfred are a married couple who strive each day to make ends meet. Their children, teenager Sarah and her little brother Kanut, are sources of both great joy and extreme stress for their parents. Doris believes that, overall, her family is happy — but her husband has secrets. 
This book could be considered a vignette; it has no remarkable beginning or end, and there are no resolutions to the problems which arise during the story. Alfred, Doris, and their children seem to epitomize Tolstoy’s famous maxim from Anna Karenina which translates roughly to “Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” I was a little confused during this read, but overall, it was enjoyable. 
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Lost and Lonely by Alyssa Rose

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

3.5

This adventurous novella — which takes place in the interim between Alyssa Rose’s full-length novels, Beginning Fate and Enchanted Fate —  explores Princess Aironell’s first days in the DarkFlower Jungle. The princess recently used her magical powers to disappear from her homeland of Bachusa only to, much to her surprise, end up in the DarkFlower Jungle. She also gets more than she bargained for when she is tasked with training for service under the mysterious Dark Sovereign with the smug, arrogant Drefan. But then, she begins to develop feelings toward Drefan which are very different from her initial frustration — just as she is making discoveries about the DarkFlower Jungle that she isn’t sure she wants to know. 
This novella is action-packed and full of sharp and witty dialogue. I enjoyed meeting Aironell’s character again and learning more about her journey. While the premise of the story was exciting, I felt that it didn’t quite deliver; I wasn’t as captivated during my reading as I was with the full-length novels of the Fates Align duology. However, I would still recommend reading it if you’re an Alyssa Rose fan. I had the privilege of receiving an advanced reader copy, for which I am very grateful.

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Vincible by Jay Jameston

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adventurous funny hopeful reflective 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

This book opens with a beautiful woman named Gwen abruptly ending her years-long relationship with the main character, Jake. As Jake struggles to come to terms with the sudden loss of his partner, he simultaneously grapples with the ups and downs of modern dating, a budding career in the corporate world, and the careful balance required to maintain a successful online presence. He initially believes he has found Gwen’s ideal replacement in the fun and seductive Zoe, but something seems off.
After finishing this book, I may be in what the reading community calls a “slump” for a while. The story is both relatable and delightfully quirky, and I found its subtitular label of “new adult comedy” succinctly accurate. The characters — even the less likable of the cast — are richly developed, and the writing style is witty and unassuming. I wholeheartedly recommend this modern and comedic work of literature to all readers. 
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How to Be a Tudor: A Dawn-To-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life by Ruth Goodman

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adventurous informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

For me, a longtime Tudor history enthusiast, this book was absolutely enthralling. As much as the Tudor monarchs and their tumultuous political and personal lives fascinate me, the history of the era is typically very top-down — but not so in this book. I learned so much about the average person’s life in Tudor times; I drove those around me crazy by continuously sharing new tidbits of information I had learned. The narration was lively and brought this social history to life, and I’m so glad I chose the audiobook. 
A Rat's Tale: One Middle Schooler's Journey of Secrets, Struggles, and Fabulous Friends by Rylie Storm Donahoe

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

In this quirky, adventurous middle grade novel, sixth grader Marlene is devastated to be enrolled in a new school after her family’s unexpected move. She misses her old life, and she’s particularly put off by her school’s new mascot:  a rat featured on the school uniforms. Marlene is an intelligent child with an advanced vocabulary and a flair for the dramatic. Much to her surprise, Marlene eventually makes several friends. But when disaster strikes, she’ll have to find a way to prove herself. 
The author of this book captured a startlingly realistic portrait of a sixth-grade girl and her inner monologue. Whether she was fumbling in introducing herself to classmates who actually annoyed her, applying an overly dramatic analogy to an everyday situation, or repeating the same line over and over in her head, Marlene reminded me of myself at a similar age. I highly recommend this book to late elementary school students and preteens. 
The Conjurer's Wife by Sarah Penner

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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A Puddle of Words: Poems of the Human Condition by April Seymour

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
The Sublet by Greer Hendricks

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-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

5.0

This story hit very close to home for me, and I’m sure it did for many other readers as well. As for my overall thoughts, Abby Jimenez took the words from my mouth with this beautiful dedication:  “For all the women who choose the bear and all the men who do the work to understand why. May the forest be a little less scary one day.”
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