joysbookcase's reviews
119 reviews

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

5.0

This was one of my most-anticipated new releases of 2025 after loving Bellies, and it mostly certainly did not…Disappoint Me. Sorry not sorry, I couldn’t resist 🫣

The writing is gorgeous, sharp and witty but I think character development is where Nicola really shines. Everyone felt complex and flawed but so real and I know the question posed by the ending will stay with me for some time.

Would it be weird to re-read it immediately…?

Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani

4.0

This was actually my first ever audiobook and I’m pleased to report that I enjoyed it! It was a great choice to have the author narrate it as we really got to appreciate the tone and inflection of the dialogue, and I loved how she did her mother’s voice 😆 I found it quite slow and listened at 1.5x.

I think the title and the blurb make it sound a little more romcom-y than it actually is, and I enjoyed the darker tone of the second half.

The ending felt a little obvious and disappointing but maybe I would’ve been annoyed if that didn’t happen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audui for the audiobook ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

5.0

The River Has Roots is a beautiful and lyrical faerie tale novella. The language is incredibly poetic and coupled with the stunning illustrations, makes for a captivating and immersive read.

The story itself comes in at fewer than 100 pages and could easily be read in a single sitting. I appreciated the addition of the short story - John Hollowback and the Witch - although perhaps didn’t enjoy it quite as much as The River Has Roots.

I’m very tempted to listen to the audiobook version too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for the eARC.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

4.0

This was cute and charming but nothing groundbreaking as it followed much the same format as other Japanese books - Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Kamogawa Food Detectives, What You Are Looking For is in the Library, The Full Moon Coffee Shop etc.

I appreciated the slightly odd, darker undercurrent though.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

5.0

I don’t think I have anything to add that 49,000 reviews haven’t expressed already but I found this an uncomfortable and depressingly relatable but fantastic read.

Immediately adding the remainder of Kang’s novels to my TBR!

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

5.0

This was a slight step outside my usual comfort zone of lit fic and cosy translated fiction but the premise intrigued me.

Rice does an incredible job of quietly building unease and tension, and I was absolutely gripped from start to finish!

Delighted to discover there’s a sequel and will be adding it to my TBR immediately.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

3.0

Absolutely fantastic concept but WHY OH WHY was it written in second person 😩

That coupled with the extremely specific 80s political references made it hard to follow and engage with.

Moon and the Mars by Kia Corthron

4.0

It took me a while to get into this as the stream of consciousness style isn’t my favourite and the absence of formal dialogue tags made it hard to follow in parts, but I’m so glad I persevered.

I knew embarrassingly little about the American Civil War but Theo and her family provided such a fascinating lens through which to learn.

I agree with other reviews that sometimes historical accuracy seems to take precedent over storytelling, but that’s a minor gripe for such a richly immersive and moving tale.

Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel by Julian K. Jarboe

3.0

It’s always tricky to rate a short story collection! Some were five star reads and others really didn’t hit the mark for me. My favourites were:

• The Marks of Aegis
• Here You Are, Near Me
• The Heavy Things
• Estranged Children of Storybook Houses
• I Am a Beautiful Bug!

As other reviewers have said, some stories read more like Tumblr posts that perhaps could’ve benefited from a little more polishing but all in all, a really creative collection and the ones I enjoyed have really stayed with me.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

3.5

This was one of my most-anticipated reads of 2025 and unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype for me 😭

While I loved the premise, the world building and the beautiful writing, a lot of the plot (especially the

romance

) fell flat, and don’t get me started on that

slightly spicy scene

🫣 It came out of nowhere and felt as though the author couldn’t get out of there quick enough!

I definitely didn’t have a bad time, I just wish I hadn’t gone in with such high hopes.

I don’t usually do half stars but I keep yo-yoing between 3 and 4 stars!