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ktc8's reviews
172 reviews
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
theres a tiktoker who has a list of books with magical woods in them and this has to added on there. very intriguing gothic cinderella and tarot witch of the forest vibes with a heavy dosage of Venom.... right up my alley. loved! it went by so quick
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
first of all, i think its saur unfortunate that i have such high expectations for her bc nothing will ever make me feel like what i felt reading six of crows, but i did enjoy this book and her prose is stunning, everytime it felt like she was writing another paragraph in the lives of saints i was hooked. i think i felt confused w the pacing and drive of this book and it took a bit to get into. i enjoyed the development of the characters and luzia grew on me immensely. and while that was all good, there was something overall that didnt make me Love this book. but really ill read anything by her even if the past few books have been only four star-ers for me
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Updated Edition) by Anthony Bourdain
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
unflinching and wild, makes me miss this man and his style/ways of seeing the world through food. and also reconsider any romanticizations of the restaurant business i somehow still had after working in one.
Such great quotes though, here are like a dozen:
"I want the readers to get a glimpse of the true joys of making really good food at a professional level. I’d like them to understand what it feels like to attain the child’s dream of running one’s own pirate crew"
"Maybe I’m not wrong about everything. All cooks are sentimental fools. And in the end, maybe it is all about the food."
"Be amused by what you see and suspect."
"my purveyors know me as a dangerously unstable and profane rat-bastard"
"Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman–not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen–though not designed by them. Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable and satisfying. And I’ll generally take a stand-up mercenary who takes pride in his professionalism over an artist any day."
"People confuse me. Food doesn’t."
"The goads, curses, insults and taunts of my wildly profane crew are like poetry to me, beautiful at times, each tiny variation on a classic theme like some Beat era jazz riff: Coltrane doing ‘My Favorite Things’ over and over again, but making it new and different each time."
"Like I said before, your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride. Sure, it’s a ‘play you pay’ sort of an adventure, but you knew that already, every time you ever ordered a taco or a dirty-water hot dog."
Such great quotes though, here are like a dozen:
"I want the readers to get a glimpse of the true joys of making really good food at a professional level. I’d like them to understand what it feels like to attain the child’s dream of running one’s own pirate crew"
"Maybe I’m not wrong about everything. All cooks are sentimental fools. And in the end, maybe it is all about the food."
"Be amused by what you see and suspect."
"my purveyors know me as a dangerously unstable and profane rat-bastard"
"Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman–not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen–though not designed by them. Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable and satisfying. And I’ll generally take a stand-up mercenary who takes pride in his professionalism over an artist any day."
"People confuse me. Food doesn’t."
"The goads, curses, insults and taunts of my wildly profane crew are like poetry to me, beautiful at times, each tiny variation on a classic theme like some Beat era jazz riff: Coltrane doing ‘My Favorite Things’ over and over again, but making it new and different each time."
"Like I said before, your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride. Sure, it’s a ‘play you pay’ sort of an adventure, but you knew that already, every time you ever ordered a taco or a dirty-water hot dog."
The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
5.0
London: Immigrant City by Nazneen Khan-Østrem
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
i adored this book. written by an author who has a first hand knowledge of london, but who straddles the line between being a londoner and being an outsider, a sentiment consistently felt and explained throughout all of the accounts by members of cultural groups throughout the city in this book. the personal account and her style of writing adds a layer that both shows that awe and dazzlement of london and recognition of its racist, problematic, and difficult histories and current existence both do truely exist. she balances an equally opinionated and inside perspective of these groups with an objective contextual history of immigration and the social, political, and economic factors that influence movements to and between places of origin. it felt like a guide giving a personalized tour. i really appreciated that, even as a history lover. she balanced the historical context and modern perceptions so well. it was an engaging read i kept excitedly coming back to on daily tube rides around the city! absolutely a great basic insight into the many hearts of the city while i settle in and move here :)
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
while the magic and the world and magic were interesting and the cast of characters cute and enjoyable, the storyline was predictable and i really didn't vibe with the writing style - it lacked any depth! it was a speedy read because there was not enough substance to work through, and ultimately not sure why this would be considered adult besides the sex scenes. i did enjoy reading it for the most part and the gender and sexuality inclusivity was wonderful and i absolutely need to read more african-inspired fantasy, but since this was an anticipated read for me, i'm a little let down. the same reasons why i struggled to get into the final strife too, altho i may try again. i saw the author in glasgow and she seems really sweet tho
The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
very torn on my rating for this! i think its been too long since i read the first two to jump right in and expect the same sweeping off my feet that i felt with the others. the writing style before wowed me and i loved the circular motion in the way she wrote scenes, where it felt like we could be in the heads of the these characters. now i felt it was more tiring but that probably was my personal experience! i really dont understand why everyone hates on this one so much, even if i didn't have a riproaring time it wasn't bad and im not sure i realized how many people read this for a romantic plot?? wack.
unfortunately i was Hyper aware of the reviews before starting this and ugh that influenced it all. i saw her at a panel for the british museum's fantasy exhibition program and while it was great to meet her in person and clarified for me 'oh wow she really speaks and thinks exactly how she writes', a couple things she said threw me. she made a point to clarify she doesn't put her own thoughts or philosophies into her writing which just seemed patently untrue - maybe she is oblivious to it? this book constantly felt like she was hammering home philosophical reasoning and while i think it's really interesting to parse out morality through many different and warring characters, it struck me the wrong way to imagine she wasn't actually saying that directly to the audience... of course she was? i was hyper aware if her in the story most of the time. she also spoke about how she started out as a dramione ff writer which kudos to her but its clear that she has worked with writing personal interests in a way where she plays dolls with her blorbos and expositions their thoughts and actions which takes away from the free will and integrity of the characters? i think this was the only time i regretted seeing an author in person, just bc i couldn't divorce the story from their personality, but she was so sweet, well spoken, and funny so don't take this a bad way about her!
in other thoughts, the book felt a bit too long and im not sure after all of it what i was actually supposed to take away, but i really enjoyed the character developments and the exploration of what to do with power once you have it. would love to reread the whole series in the future im sure ill get a better sense of the series then
unfortunately i was Hyper aware of the reviews before starting this and ugh that influenced it all. i saw her at a panel for the british museum's fantasy exhibition program and while it was great to meet her in person and clarified for me 'oh wow she really speaks and thinks exactly how she writes', a couple things she said threw me. she made a point to clarify she doesn't put her own thoughts or philosophies into her writing which just seemed patently untrue - maybe she is oblivious to it? this book constantly felt like she was hammering home philosophical reasoning and while i think it's really interesting to parse out morality through many different and warring characters, it struck me the wrong way to imagine she wasn't actually saying that directly to the audience... of course she was? i was hyper aware if her in the story most of the time. she also spoke about how she started out as a dramione ff writer which kudos to her but its clear that she has worked with writing personal interests in a way where she plays dolls with her blorbos and expositions their thoughts and actions which takes away from the free will and integrity of the characters? i think this was the only time i regretted seeing an author in person, just bc i couldn't divorce the story from their personality, but she was so sweet, well spoken, and funny so don't take this a bad way about her!
in other thoughts, the book felt a bit too long and im not sure after all of it what i was actually supposed to take away, but i really enjoyed the character developments and the exploration of what to do with power once you have it. would love to reread the whole series in the future im sure ill get a better sense of the series then
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
whewwwwwww, im always exhausted after reading these books!
well for a cross over it was kind of lame - i did love nesta and bryce friendship but it wasn't what i think anyone was hoping for. 60% of this book was in CAVES OR BLACK HOLES!! there were some great scenes and really exciting parts, but overall i think sjm was a little too ambitious with what she wanted to create in this series and esp this book that the core of it is kind of......... boring? underwhelming to me? not really sure what word i want and really don't get me wrong, i love and will read anything she writes, but compared to tog or acotar, i'm just not as invested. i like my fantasy medieval what can i say. but everytime they mentioned the tog world even briefly i squealed, and it was also exciting to see the things i loved in aelin come out in her writing of bryce. i loved seeing everyone go full fae mode!!! so fun. again azriel plays NO ROLE god he's such a pawn for sjm lol. tharion is the az of this book series imo, he's pretty useless except for his connection when needed to the river queen. i always groan when i get to his chapters. hunt is also a pretty lacklustre character to me, which maybe is a hot take, but i dont hate him. i think we would get along, he's such a 'oh, and this is my bf hunt' side character. anyways. but i do adore ithan to be honest he's one of my favorites and lidia became an absolute favorite too, esp. when we see her come into her whole definitely-aelin's-bloodline powers. i guess i had my expectations too high, as most people i think did too, and it didn't totally meet it. but i still had fun!! and that's the most important part. no matter what, sjm delivers an enjoyable read.
and the ending being like tog's ending just pegasi instead of fire flower blooms.... i cry (i did genuinely think that someone aelin was the thing that 'just popped up', lmao)
well for a cross over it was kind of lame - i did love nesta and bryce friendship but it wasn't what i think anyone was hoping for. 60% of this book was in CAVES OR BLACK HOLES!! there were some great scenes and really exciting parts, but overall i think sjm was a little too ambitious with what she wanted to create in this series and esp this book that the core of it is kind of......... boring? underwhelming to me? not really sure what word i want and really don't get me wrong, i love and will read anything she writes, but compared to tog or acotar, i'm just not as invested. i like my fantasy medieval what can i say. but everytime they mentioned the tog world even briefly i squealed, and it was also exciting to see the things i loved in aelin come out in her writing of bryce. i loved seeing everyone go full fae mode!!! so fun. again azriel plays NO ROLE god he's such a pawn for sjm lol. tharion is the az of this book series imo, he's pretty useless except for his connection when needed to the river queen. i always groan when i get to his chapters. hunt is also a pretty lacklustre character to me, which maybe is a hot take, but i dont hate him. i think we would get along, he's such a 'oh, and this is my bf hunt' side character. anyways. but i do adore ithan to be honest he's one of my favorites and lidia became an absolute favorite too, esp. when we see her come into her whole definitely-aelin's-bloodline powers. i guess i had my expectations too high, as most people i think did too, and it didn't totally meet it. but i still had fun!! and that's the most important part. no matter what, sjm delivers an enjoyable read.
and the ending being like tog's ending just pegasi instead of fire flower blooms.... i cry (i did genuinely think that someone aelin was the thing that 'just popped up', lmao)
Bunny by Mona Awad
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25