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icedpinecones's reviews
210 reviews
The Catch by T.M. Logan
3.0
3.5 ☀️
Thank you for giving me an advanced copy of the audiobook!
So I'm a nottingham local, which made it fun to read this and follow the narrative. The general vibes of this book was "wow this guy is weird" and the dad proceeds to go absolutely off the deep end investigating a guy. This book definitely pulls morality into question a lot, but I feel it lacks a lot of deeper or anything thought provoking. If you're down for just a general enjoyable mystery/thriller book you'll be all good with this! I wasn't blown away by any part of the ending, in fact it was quite predictable, but I still enjoyed listening to this book and would say if you're fine with a book just being a standard book doing what it says on the tin and nothing more than absolutely go for it!
Thank you for giving me an advanced copy of the audiobook!
So I'm a nottingham local, which made it fun to read this and follow the narrative. The general vibes of this book was "wow this guy is weird" and the dad proceeds to go absolutely off the deep end investigating a guy. This book definitely pulls morality into question a lot, but I feel it lacks a lot of deeper or anything thought provoking. If you're down for just a general enjoyable mystery/thriller book you'll be all good with this! I wasn't blown away by any part of the ending, in fact it was quite predictable, but I still enjoyed listening to this book and would say if you're fine with a book just being a standard book doing what it says on the tin and nothing more than absolutely go for it!
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
4.0
3.5☀️
This book is your decent, basic but enjoyable young adult fantasy novel! The plot was easy to understand, the world building good but nothing too interesting at the same time.
While I churned through the 300 pages or so of this novel, the main selling point was something I felt lacking. The 'forbidden romance' and 'an alliance that blossoms into trust and perhaps even love' transforms into that pretty much immediately. There is no slow burn, no hesitation, no will they won't they push and pull. Just a pretty flat romance that didn't have an awful lot of chemistry unfortunately!
If you're OK with a book being sort of low stakes low development (fans of elise kovas married to magic series or the folk of air trilogy) you'll enjoy this! If you're wanting a bit more depth maybe give it a miss!
This book is your decent, basic but enjoyable young adult fantasy novel! The plot was easy to understand, the world building good but nothing too interesting at the same time.
While I churned through the 300 pages or so of this novel, the main selling point was something I felt lacking. The 'forbidden romance' and 'an alliance that blossoms into trust and perhaps even love' transforms into that pretty much immediately. There is no slow burn, no hesitation, no will they won't they push and pull. Just a pretty flat romance that didn't have an awful lot of chemistry unfortunately!
If you're OK with a book being sort of low stakes low development (fans of elise kovas married to magic series or the folk of air trilogy) you'll enjoy this! If you're wanting a bit more depth maybe give it a miss!
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
1.0
DNF
Slow, bored and not here for the internalised mysoginistic vibes
Slow, bored and not here for the internalised mysoginistic vibes
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
5.0
Lord of the flies meets the handmaid's tale in the most beautiful, primal, brutal but inspiring tale of womanhood.
I absolutely adored this book, I went in with no expectations. I had no hype for it, just picked it up on a whim and went for it. It was the best choice I've made all year.
The book twists all your expectations, shoots a dark metaphor that is sadly a realistic depiction of the way not only men tear us apart but we as women tear eachother apart too.
I genuinely do not have enough words for this book, I only wished it could've been written in the adult genre so it could be more brutal. The pain and horror of it reads very much akin to the hunger games in that you know what's happening is deeply fucked but it never goes too depth-y on details as to be too much for a younger audience.
I just don't have the words, I loved this book. It was beautiful and mortifying and solemn at every point. I could talk about it for hours and probably will, a definitive favourite read of 2023 and I am so so glad I did pick this book up.
I absolutely adored this book, I went in with no expectations. I had no hype for it, just picked it up on a whim and went for it. It was the best choice I've made all year.
The book twists all your expectations, shoots a dark metaphor that is sadly a realistic depiction of the way not only men tear us apart but we as women tear eachother apart too.
I genuinely do not have enough words for this book, I only wished it could've been written in the adult genre so it could be more brutal. The pain and horror of it reads very much akin to the hunger games in that you know what's happening is deeply fucked but it never goes too depth-y on details as to be too much for a younger audience.
I just don't have the words, I loved this book. It was beautiful and mortifying and solemn at every point. I could talk about it for hours and probably will, a definitive favourite read of 2023 and I am so so glad I did pick this book up.
Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan
4.0
Clarissa Goenawan is such an amazing author, after reading one of her other novels I picked this one up after hearing it was her first. It is just as stunning and beautifully mundane as the first!
This book, much like the other I read, was an exploration of grief presented by a brother trying to understand his sisters life up until she was murdered and subsequently why she was murdered in the first place.
This book is slowly paced, and the first half is just introducing characters and backgrounds. It's the latter that focuses more on the mysterious circumstances of her murder, but it is never presented as a mystery or thriller and much rather just a display of greiving and going through the motions.
This book definitely isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of the slice of life translated fiction style of novels (think Meiko Kawakami and Kazuo Ishiguro) you'll love this book too
This book, much like the other I read, was an exploration of grief presented by a brother trying to understand his sisters life up until she was murdered and subsequently why she was murdered in the first place.
This book is slowly paced, and the first half is just introducing characters and backgrounds. It's the latter that focuses more on the mysterious circumstances of her murder, but it is never presented as a mystery or thriller and much rather just a display of greiving and going through the motions.
This book definitely isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of the slice of life translated fiction style of novels (think Meiko Kawakami and Kazuo Ishiguro) you'll love this book too
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
5.0
This book is dark. I read it when I was maybe 12, again at 14, but god I didn't remember how bleak it is. It's such a perfect juxtaposition of our own society, and such an apt and devastating portrait of the mental health struggles that arise from the torment we put ourselves through. I love this series, I love it's characters, I wish it didn't end. But it did, and it ended perfectly.
Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland
4.0
Thank you to Hodderscape for providing me with an Arc for this iconic campy vampy book! As a queer woman myself I APPROVE!
One thing to get out of the way IMMEDIATELY is that the press information for this book sells it as a lot darker than it is, the next Sarah J Maas, sexy and alluring as vampires tend to be. Let me be clear: this book has no smut. It has sexual overtones throughout but no smut, if you see SJM and think "woo smut" no! I firmly believe that advertising books in this way can really damage an author by framing them to be something else that's already established and popular when this book is AMAZING and should be allowed to exist without being tagged onto another authors works when all that'll do is bring fans of SJM to be disappointed
Publicity ramble aside, onto the book! At 380 pages this was a quick read, I haven't double checked if its categorised as adult or YA but I would've loved this when I was a young adult & found it really easy to follow! I've been in a reading slump for quite a while and this was the perfect stepping stone to get back into books!
The story follows Fin, headstrong in hating vampires who (surprise surprise) ends up being turned into one over the course of her attendance at the vampire court schools. The book actually has a murder mystery plot begin and fully unfurl around the halfway point, leading to some decent twists and interesting plot lines that'll definitely keep you on a binge!
The book was wonderfully queer with representations of all kinds of people & I really enjoyed that being so well written & respected!
This book is for anyone who's into vampires, doesn't want to be reading outright smut but doesn't mind some steam, wants a decent read without the brain melting intensity of understanding a high fantasy world or an all out 600 page intense murder mystery!
One thing to get out of the way IMMEDIATELY is that the press information for this book sells it as a lot darker than it is, the next Sarah J Maas, sexy and alluring as vampires tend to be. Let me be clear: this book has no smut. It has sexual overtones throughout but no smut, if you see SJM and think "woo smut" no! I firmly believe that advertising books in this way can really damage an author by framing them to be something else that's already established and popular when this book is AMAZING and should be allowed to exist without being tagged onto another authors works when all that'll do is bring fans of SJM to be disappointed
Publicity ramble aside, onto the book! At 380 pages this was a quick read, I haven't double checked if its categorised as adult or YA but I would've loved this when I was a young adult & found it really easy to follow! I've been in a reading slump for quite a while and this was the perfect stepping stone to get back into books!
The story follows Fin, headstrong in hating vampires who (surprise surprise) ends up being turned into one over the course of her attendance at the vampire court schools. The book actually has a murder mystery plot begin and fully unfurl around the halfway point, leading to some decent twists and interesting plot lines that'll definitely keep you on a binge!
The book was wonderfully queer with representations of all kinds of people & I really enjoyed that being so well written & respected!
This book is for anyone who's into vampires, doesn't want to be reading outright smut but doesn't mind some steam, wants a decent read without the brain melting intensity of understanding a high fantasy world or an all out 600 page intense murder mystery!
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
4.0
I really enjoyed this! I know nothing about the author or the book, just saw it on a free shelf and thought why not! I usually tandem read physical copies alongside an audiobook where possible so I used the audiobook which meant I didn't realise til about halfway through that the women featured were all related.
It's a collection of short stories in line with mothers and daughters experiences generationally and culturally. It was p good, not much commentary and I'll probably watch the film now!
It's a collection of short stories in line with mothers and daughters experiences generationally and culturally. It was p good, not much commentary and I'll probably watch the film now!
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
1.0
I was disgusted by this book and DNF by 50 pages. "in the perfect arc of a fifteen year old girls breast" was the most grim line I'd ever read and the prose is atrociously worded. Vulgar for the sake of it with an insufferable main character