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joymargot's reviews
100 reviews
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
2.0
I so wanted to love this book! The cover art was impeccable and the premise was great but the writing and the plot were just…meh.
A lot of the characters felt very one-dimensional and it was often hard to follow who we were reading about. There were a couple of whacking great plot holes that made me think I’d missed a page or 10, but no. I personally could’ve done with a lot less romance and a lot more heist too!
Disappointing, but I’ve heard better things about Faizal’s other books so I won’t write her off just yet!
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
5.0
This was super fun and cosy although I perhaps didn’t enjoy it *quite* as much as Legends & Lattes. It was wonderful to spend more time with Viv and the supporting characters are every bit as charming as those in the first book.
My one gripe was that the pacing was a bit funky and the ending felt a little rushed. Oh, and L&L has given me false expectations of having recipes at the end of every book. I want to bake Maylee’s lassy buns!
Long may this series continue!
Long may this series continue!
Marigold Mind Laundry by 윤정은, Jungeun Yun
4.0
A cosy, dream-like tale of self-reflection and found family. The story is a little meandering, there’s definitely some unanswered questions and it’s cheesy as hell, none of which are necessarily negatives in my humble opinion!
If you enjoyed The Kamogawa Food Detectives, you’ll love this and it’ll probably make you just as hungry!
Thank you to Doubleday for the ARC.
How to Be a Citizen: Learning to Rely Less on Rules and More on Each Other by C.L. Skach
3.0
This was an intriguing read and it was particularly interesting to hear arguments in favour of the abolishment of laws from a former writer of them, but it was in dire need of a sensitivity reader!
You would hope that an expert in law would know better than to use the phrase “committed suicide”. It doesn’t require a deep-dive into trans right to know that “transgendered” is offensive and grammatically incorrect. Finally, adding inverted commas around the phrase “ethnic food” to presumably use it ironically doesn’t make it ok 😬
You would hope that an expert in law would know better than to use the phrase “committed suicide”. It doesn’t require a deep-dive into trans right to know that “transgendered” is offensive and grammatically incorrect. Finally, adding inverted commas around the phrase “ethnic food” to presumably use it ironically doesn’t make it ok 😬
Thank you to Bloomsbury for the ARC.
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
3.0
I’m finally getting around to reading the rest of this series after reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold a while ago!
It was great to read a bit more backstory for Kazu and the woman in the dress, although the constant repetition of the rules is wearing very thin.
Much like the first one, it’s quick, it’s cosy, it’s heartwarming, but it’s not my favourite Japanese novel by a long shot.
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
4.0
I know this series is a bit Marmitey but I think it’s such good fun and a welcome breather after a couple of disappointing literary novels this month!
Perhaps slightly fewer twisty-turny reveals than the previous books or maybe I’m just getting better at predicting them 💁🏻♀️ The ending felt a smidge rushed but I had a grand old time and I just love spending time with these delightful and hilarious characters.
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
3.0
A great premise and an intriguing MC, but the writing style didn’t do a lot for me. I received a proof copy so I’m not certain this was the final version, but it felt under-edited and the free-flowing POV and unclear antecedents made it hard to follow.
Thank you to Bloomsbury for the ARC.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
5.0
I love cats, I love cosy Japanese novels and this did not disappoint. It was beautiful and heartfelt and the ending made me literally weep.
Maybe more of a 4.5 but I’ve done away with half stars and am sticking with 5!
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben
4.0
The writing style put me in mind of a very excitable tour guide. It’s a little repetitive and lacks structure, but I found Wohlleben’s enthusiasm and anthropomorphism endearing.
It’s a good entry-point to nature books and trees, but perhaps wouldn’t satisfy a more knowledgeable reader.
BRB, I must be surrounded by trees as a matter of urgency 🌲🌳
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
2.0
An intriguing premise but the magical realism elements felt very half-baked and portraying Harriet Tubman’s achievements as the work of magic was an absolutely baffling choice. I would have enjoyed it much more without Hiram’s “mysterious power”.