honeybeatslibrary's reviews
494 reviews

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Go to review page

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. I think you must experience this via the audiobook and let Matthew tell you his stories and share his discoveries. It was a fun read, but it was the "green light" moments that mean the most. He's just a dude that loves his family, smoking pot, and adventuring. All in all it was a good time. 
Luster by Raven Leilani

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I didn't hate this book, but it didn't like the lead character. It was literally like reading a train wreck. Edie--a young 20 something struggling with loneliness, some clear emotional trauma, and the trappings of being a confused young person makes poor life choice after poor life choice. I wanted to root for her, but she doesn't do anything that really merits that. It was a WILD....and interesting ride. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I LOVED this book! I am a big fan of Alyssa Cole in general but I think this one is my absolute favorite. I'm a Johann stan for real for real. I appreciate so much how inclusive this book was in terms of characters. It was just such a fun read! 
Majesty by Katharine McGee

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I'm giving this book a 3 star rating purely because it is billed as the second in the 2 book series and the way it ended--it is not a 2 book series it NEEDS to be three and I'm salty. This is the book I have been most looking forward to ALL YEAR and Katharine McGee threw away all the character development from American Royals out the window and changed the game all together. I spent a lot of time SCREAMING at all the characters (Sam is the only good one-- I will die on this hill) and some of them had LITERALLY NO GROWTH AT ALL. That said this book made me feel all the things, and I enjoyed being this mad at the book. I was totally engrossed in it even though I was FURIOUS for a good portion of it. BUT GIVE ME THE THIRD BOOK!  
Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I actually loved this book. It's the first time I've read a book with a Lesbian lead and I want to see more of that. It was really sweet and sappy and romantic and so enjoyable. It had some slow points in the book but otherwise it was perfect escapism and the best kind of romance novel :)
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Like A Princess in Theory this book is so so so cute! I love love love this kind of book. I love royal mess, and I really loved this book, It made me smile so much. 
The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks, Jessica Morgan

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I was anxiously awaiting this book, and then my start was delayed because my TBR was so so long and overrun. But I finally finished this book and I honestly loved it. Like it's predecessor it was probably about 50 pages too long and there was a twist in the story that was real soap operay but beyond that I really loved the book, and to some degree better than the first. I think the development of Bex and Nick and Freddy was much better in this story. I also appreciated the emphasis that even though the people are royal they still have regular people issues, but the fix for those issues is amplified due to their titles. If anything this book highlights the extreme toxicity of the royal family and the toll it takes on the people in it. That said, there is opportunity for change, and it seems at least in this fictional royal family perhaps that is coming. I hope there is a third book, just because I'm not ready to let go of this family just yet. I'm glad I read it. It was exactly what I needed :)
Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Go to review page

challenging emotional slow-paced

2.0

I wanted to read this book in large part because of Reese Witherspoon and because I had several friends that loved it. I did not love it and in fact I would dare say I hated it. This is a book written by a white woman that has had all the privilege in the world to figure herself out over and over and live her best life. I think this book is supposed to help women have the same realizations as she did, but it absolutely misses the mark. If this was just a memoir about Glennon's life then it's fine, but it is a bit self indulgent and it makes a point highlight all the work she did to get where she. If it is meant to be self help it does not acknowledge that Women of Color rarely get the chance to start over after mess ups, that they have the space to be "their true selves" because white people don't like that, and at its core it just comes off as Glennon bragging about all the cool stuff she gets to do because she's white and people gave her the grace to start over. The chapter that really sent me was her chapter about racism. I believe Glennon is trying her best to be a good person and advocate for everyone. But that chapter was truly garbage. Talking about her feelings and how hard it is to be a white woman trying to fight racism is literally the problem. I don't deny that it's probably a difficult position to be in when you're used to being yes'd all the time. HOWEVER imagine being a Black person that has to live with the systematic oppression everyday-- Frankly Glennon I don't care about your feelings, your failure to acknowledge the difficulty WOC experience in that chapter is egregious to me. I don't enjoy not liking a book especially when it's popular but this one really deeply bothered and angered me. If you garnered something good from the book I think that is phenomenal I'm glad it did some good for some people---but for me I'm mad I wasted the time reading it. 
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book feels like Black Panther, but without the super hero element. I love reading books about Afro-Futurism and seeing Africa as more than just a place with third world countries. This story took a minute to get into for me, but once I got into it I WAS HOOKED!!! I've already put the sequel on hold at the library. I'm amped. 
Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I loved this book so much! First off I knit so a book about knitting-- right up my ally. Toss in men that knit HECK YES! Reading about Cary and her connection to the Strong Brothers was truly a joy. This book made me smile so much and made me desperate to get back to my knitting. I love that the main characters are People of Color in a romance novel. It's meaningful to me to read romance novels with characters that look like me. It's just nice. This book is the perfect way to usher in fall feels even though it's 900 degrees where I am.