landenemily's reviews
49 reviews

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely delightful. 

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

Wow! Gross! 
Spectacularly uncomfortable exploration of art and consent (or lack of) with an unreliable and unlikeable narrator.  

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

What a twist! Engaging story. 
Straight forward characters and simple writing style. Could have used more development. They were quite show don’t tell. 

The Dinner by Herman Koch

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Page turner! Kept me intrigued through the entire book. 

Tense and nasty. 

Despicable characters that you don’t want to succeed and kinda hate but needing to know what happened kept me invested

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

dark funny fast-paced

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

3.5

Well that was weird 

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

funny reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Enjoyed the book. The stuttered narration of Peter’s chapters was an interesting characterization. The characters are extremely flawed and I liked them anyways. 
Enjoyed the plot despite it being mostly a miscommunication trope heavily fuelled by grief and complicated family dynamics. 

It was too long, or maybe I prefer more plot based novels. I kept picking it back up but lacked what usually keep me captivated during dramatic/tense stories like these. 

Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

Beautiful, desolate, lonely, hopeful.
Had me contemplating human purpose and appreciating my contentment with life and my existence. 
Don’t read if you need everything wrapped up in a pretty bow, or definitive answers. That’s not what this book is. 

Bunny by Mona Awad

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

So weird. Mean girls if it were culty and on psychedelics. 
Read it, bunny. 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

Compelling and oh so awkward. Drama filled to the very last page. 

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Quick and fun read. 
Fun planetary twist at the end. 
Always a challenge to suspend my need for logical order and intricate world building. Always a wild read.