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iankarby's reviews
158 reviews
The Guest by Emma Cline
5.0
What a ride. You could definitely argue that this was a thriller based on the anxiety I just felt (over the course of reading this for 2 weeks). Lots of great notes about imposter syndrome/wealth gaps/not fitting into the upper class. Probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed this!
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
5.0
A Classic fantasy story, great adventure, fun characters, moments that made me lol and the audiobook was incredible!
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
5.0
I appreciated how Ferrante was able to describe the mundane moments of childhood and adolescence. The adjustment of perspective and understanding of how the world works were some of my favorite moments. I also loved the community intrigue throughout. Can’t wait for book 2!
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
5.0
A perfect rom com, exactly what I was looking for on vacation. Triple check that your headphones are connected if you’re listening in a public place lol
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
5.0
Nuanced characters, beautiful world building, an ever evolving magical system, engaging history and a bit of romance mixed in too. This is my favorite fantasy book I’ve read in a while - usually I wait to dive into book 2 in series but I think im going to start the next one asap
The Will of the Many by James Islington
5.0
I feel like everything I’m reading lately is a banger - but this was amazing. Lives up to the hype in every way possible.
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
5.0
I'm obsessed with this series. The empathy you feel for *almost* every character is something special. On top of that this is a beautiful world with characters you can't wait to spend more time with.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
5.0
I think this is my answer to, "if you could pick a book to live in, which book would you choose?" There are a lot of heavy topics and challenges, but it felt cozy and fun at the same time. One of my favorite aspects were the small POV segments from side characters that fully put you in those people's shoes for moments of the story.
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
4.0
I seem to have had a very different experience reading this from most of the people that I follow in the book world.
Overall I thought this was a good book, however there was something that just pulled me out being fully invested in the story. Everything I think of as a reason for this I end up feeling like I'm being too harsh, so it may simply be that the devastation was too much for me. I definitely found that the ratio of devastation to uplifting triumph wasn't at a level I enjoy, by the time the last devastating thing happened I was almost rolling my eyes (can't these people have anything good??) That being said, I've read other books that have heavy losses and it hasn't been an issue in the past so I'm not sure what was different here.
This definitely felt less like a stand alone and more like that start of a series and I saw that someone noted it was a prequel to another series - which may have come across better for me if I had read also. Either way, it was good and there was a lot that I enjoyed, I just didn't enjoy it as much as a lot of the other books I've read this year that others have been equally as excited about.
Overall I thought this was a good book, however there was something that just pulled me out being fully invested in the story. Everything I think of as a reason for this I end up feeling like I'm being too harsh, so it may simply be that the devastation was too much for me. I definitely found that the ratio of devastation to uplifting triumph wasn't at a level I enjoy, by the time the last devastating thing happened I was almost rolling my eyes (can't these people have anything good??) That being said, I've read other books that have heavy losses and it hasn't been an issue in the past so I'm not sure what was different here.
This definitely felt less like a stand alone and more like that start of a series and I saw that someone noted it was a prequel to another series - which may have come across better for me if I had read also. Either way, it was good and there was a lot that I enjoyed, I just didn't enjoy it as much as a lot of the other books I've read this year that others have been equally as excited about.