izzie_27's reviews
421 reviews

Want by Gillian Anderson

adventurous challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

5.0

A beautiful collection of fantasies which opened my mind and made me think. Thank you all who contributed.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful blend of magic, adventure and humour, with just the right amount of foreshadowing, this book absolutely still slaps 26 years later.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

adventurous emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A stunning introduction to the series, the first book is still as engaging, funny and mysterious as ever. Stephen Fry's narration lives in my head rent free forever. Thank you! 

Narration: 5/5

Quotes

" It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
" It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
 “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
 “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.”
 “There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.”
 “I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed.”
 “So light a fire!" Harry choked. "Yes...of course...but there's no wood!" ...
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD!" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT!”
 “There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.”
 “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus [never tickle a sleeping dragon]”
“Don't play," said Hermione at once. "Say you're ill," said Ron. "Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested. "Really break your leg," said Ron.” 

Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a hard book to review. Myla was a complex character and I appreciated the nuances she had, however I felt her background history and the dialogue from her family was stilted and soap opera-like. Ryot was such a loyal bear, so keen to

love Myla and redeem himself in her eyes, yet I can't help wondering if the same thing would just happen all over again. It felt like he flicked a switch, either he's "I'm all work" or "I'm all loving Myla" - I don't know how he can truly change from that one track mind. I disliked that half of their resolution was because Myla realised he did the Jock Report for her, as I felt like even though it was good intentioned, his behaviour was still an issue.

 

I loved the timeline story telling, jumping between multiple timelines. Nichole was stellar. The cameos by the Cane family were cute. 

But at the end of the day I didn't really care whether

Myla and Ryot got back together

. The spice was a constant throb which was nice but not mind-blowing. 

I love Meghan Quinn but this book just wasn't for me in the end. 

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

A beautiful short story told in epistolary format. I enjoyed, but didn't pull at my heart strings like some Jenkins Reid books can. 

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another wild ride with Stuart Turton and I loved this one more than the others. I loved the characters, the scenario, the whodunnit- I never figure these things out because he's too clever but I look forward to re-reading in the future and seeing if my highlights are helpful second time around. 

I think this one was easier to sink into so would probably recommend for any first timers to his work.

The Lady and the Orc by Finley Fenn

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a hard book to review. For my first orc romance it certainly opened my eyes. I was intrigued and started reading for the smut, but you end up staying for the political intrigue and the angst for the main characters. Unlike many romances I truly didn't know

if the main characters would end up together and I loved that tension in the last third of the book

. It really helped bump up the rating for a book that was otherwise probably more a three.  

Pros

• World building - loved the world the Fenn created and I can see how this can expand. The peppering of other characters that are picked up in later books was a delight 
• The MMC was flawed. The FMC
  did not gloss over all his flaws and constantly reminded him of his lies and mistakes throughout the book. Even the ending, having his baby, she still mentioned that trust was still being built between them. I appreciated that after everything they had been through they were still working through it.

Cons

• At points the dialogue felt disjointed, with some characters using older style english and then others using young English such as bullshit. It felt jarring and I would have liked more consistency to help flow the story
• there is so much orc semen in this book. Like so much. I get it in the world she built but it got a bit much

The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

A stunning memoir of a woman who has lived what feels like nine lives like a cat! I am beyond amazed about everything she has experienced. Next time I'm in NZ I'm heading the wee cluster of bookshops! 

When She Purrs by Ruby Dixon

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

My least favourite couple on Risda unfortunately. I felt this story was too long, but this makes sense as it was written as a serial during covid. Naaskth was an interesting lead and I enjoyed his fast/slow wooing of Kim and recovery post Gladiator days. Kim felt surreal to me, her nativite at odds with her apparent years of slavery. The extended epilogue was quite cute though.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is the first Booker prize winner I've read and it didn't disappoint. Profound, emotional, yet concise with perfect prose, the story allowed us to float in space beside our protagonists, their stories washing over us. 

My only cons are that some characters got way more story time than others, and that as I listened to this via audiobook sometimes I zoned out and may have missed things. This is on me though but something to be aware of it picking between word vs audio. The narration itself was beautiful and I loved the subtle accents the narrator employed and added more layers to simple moments.

Narration: 4.5/5