leighlikestoread's reviews
86 reviews

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

It took me a little while to get through this one and took a while for it to grip me but when it did it really did! I really enjoyed this book and really looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 
The world building that Philip Pullman is able to do is astounding and something that made the story even more enjoyable. 
The bond between Lyra and Pan is so lovely and I love how everyone believed in her and her abilities. 
The turn at the end though, oh my gosh!

The admiration you feel for her father the whole way through the book is completely flipped!

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell

inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

This book is honestly adorable and such a cute quick romance read. 

I really related to Clara on some of her insecurities and the journey of self development and confidence that she goes on is really inspiring. There is a lot of character development in such a small book which is think is fantastic and also quite impressive. There is also a lot of queer inclusion in this book which I love! 

I really liked and enjoyed the book as it was however I did find that it lacked quite a bit of depth. For example I feel like in some parts of this book I maybe should’ve cried? 

Filthy Rich Vampires: Second Rite by Geneva Lee Albin

emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

I did enjoy this book more than the first one and I did feel like the plot moved a lot more and was a lot more interesting. The spice was there and the sexual tension and emotion between Thea and Julian gave me what I wanted from the book. 

I definitely think I will continue this series but I would honestly say it would be more out of interest than investment to the plot or the characters. 

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

I definitely think listening to this as an audiobook rather than a physical book made this more enjoyable as you felt more immersed in the story with the different character actors. This was a really well written story about the flaws and psychotic behaviour of Josie Fair and a forced friendship that seems to lead to all of the undoing. I really enjoyed the tenseness that was built and it made me keep wanting to go back to listen and find out what was happening next. However, I did find some of it a bit confusing as “the killings” were referenced to and then left behind so it was like you were supposed to have known what had happened when you hadn’t got that far yet.. unless the book is trying to go on the narration as if it it was the documentary? 
I did find the ending a little confusing with the insight into Josie’s mind and her rendition of one of the murders.. even though I do think she was making up her version it puts a lot of questions in your head right at the end of the book. 

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.

I really started to enjoy the story, but I personally found the strength of the accent of the narrator a bit difficult to listen to for an extended period of time. I think I’ll try reading the physical book instead. 

Filthy Rich Vampire by Geneva Lee Albin, Geneva Lee

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

I found the idea behind this book interesting but it really felt like the first in the series.. I mean it’s a smut book and not that much in that nature takes place. There’s not that much I really feel like I can really say about it as I don’t really feel like this book really got much emotion from me. 
I am going to give the second book a try to see if it gets any better. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I will always love this book and it is a family favourite. To me, this is an amazing encapsulation of the fantasy genre and is a book in which it is a treat to go on the journey of this story. 
The writing of this book is exceptional and is such good evidence as to how good of a writer Neil Gaiman is. You can really see everything happening in your minds eye. 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

I did thoroughly enjoy this book, but I didn’t necessarily feel like it quite hit the spot I was expecting it to. This book was extremely clever with its critiques on society and the publishing industry. Kuang’s writing is phenomenal as usual and it was such a relatively easy read. The characters that she has developed feel very real and you really pity and hate them. It is also really interesting getting such an insight into the publishing industry and how it works. 
The subject matter is a tricky one to navigate and I did find quite challenging to digest at parts. As someone with panic disorder there is one scene that I did find quite triggering. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I love Lucy Foley’s writing. The tenseness she builds with the level of mystery within the plot is something that keeps me wanting to know more and keep listening to get another nugget that might point to what happened. The fact that you don’t find out who the victim even is until quite near the end is very interesting and very clever. You’re constantly guessing. 

The Maid by Nita Prose

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

1.75

If it wasn’t for the last third of this book, it would have been a 1 star. I found this book quite hard to read and that I had to push myself through. Molly quite clearly is supposed to be mentally challenged or autistic which is a refreshing addition to a protagonist however it is to such a level, especially in the first half of the book, that it makes it really difficult to read through. I really did not like Molly as a main character and found her quite annoying. For a ‘whodunnit’ book there is not that much suspense built for who did it, there’s some question yes but nothing that is making you want to turn every page to find out more. 
The last third of the book is a bit more interesting, with the last few chapters containing more interest than the rest of the book. The reveal at the end is very interesting however and something I did not expect. 
In summary, I didn’t set out with high hopes for this book and it didn’t even reach those. A bit of a disappointing read.