lilith_bookshelf's reviews
161 reviews

Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America: An Enthralling Introduction to the Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas by Enthralling History

informative fast-paced

3.0

Exactly what you need to know to get hooked up on a specific civilization and decide to investigate further. This book summarizes 5 of the most important ancient civilizations of Central and South America in a way that's easy to understand without getting overwhelmed with the information. It's a good book to get started and well-cited too. 

John and Dave and the Temple of X'al'naa'thuthuthu by David Wong

funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I'm enjoying these books way too much. This is sort of a cosmic horror story with some comedy flying around. The nonsense is massive and it makes it all make sense. And the pictures... Wow. I loved this.

Alice's Adventures in Underland: The Queen of Stilled Hearts by Deanna Knippling

emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Interesting enough. I enjoyed it a lot. A new perspective in a world where Lewis Caroll has Zombeism and all the different characters are also affected by it one way or another. Took so long to read because I'm an adult with responsabilities so, yeah. Give this a shot. 

Alice in Wanderlust by Anna Foxkirk

funny relaxing fast-paced

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

3.0

Cute little read. I enjoyed Alice's story and how she had to act as her twin. Her relationship with Guy doesn't really make sense, but for having 69 pages, it was good.

Emma by Jane Austen

informative lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

Basically, there's a lot of tea in this story. Emma gets involved in everyone else's business and ends up ruining her "friendship" with Harriet, a 17-year-old girl she "adopts" after her governess marries and leaves her and her father alone. Emma tries to help Harriet improve her situation but ends up meddling in her love life, which leads to Harriet marrying the very person Emma didn't like. Also, Emma sends Harriet away so she can be with the guy that Harriet also liked. Despite the initial struggle, I ended up loving the way Emma messes up. I found the book hard to read at the beginning and had to look for an audiobook, but it quickly becomes more engaging. I thought Mrs. Bates's monologues were unnecessary, but I understand they were included to develop her personality. The characters like Mr. Elton, Mrs. Elton, Jane, Frank, and Mr. Woodhouse made me feel like I was watching a reality show. This book is mainly about things happening in Emma's life. I highly recommend it for the tea.

Deathmaker by Lindsay Buroker

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Second book in the trilogy, enjoyable despite pacing issues. This one follows Cas Ahn, a pilot from Zirkander's Wolf Squadron captured by the enemy and rescued by the pirate Deathmaker against all odds. What could possibly go wrong? The chemistry wasn't as strong as with the couple from the first book, but I still found the story engaging.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

dark emotional lighthearted reflective tense 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? N/A

4.5

What a captivating thriller. It's quite different from what I'm used to because we know from the start that Ellie is gone and probably deceased. The story unfolds by switching between different characters' perspectives and alternating between past and present, which was truly engaging. I really enjoyed this book. The shifts in point of view were well done, making it easy to feel the change in perspective and believe we had transitioned from one character's viewpoint to another. However, there were a few things that didn't quite add up by the end of the book, particularly certain characters' choices that seemed inconsistent based on what we knew about them. For this reason, I wouldn't rate it 5 stars, but I'd still give it a 4.5 because it's so gripping that it pulled me out of a reading slump. I would definitely recommend it.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark emotional tense 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? No

5.0

I absolutely love this book and I give it 5 stars without any reservations. I have been a fan of the movie Coraline since I was a child and I finally got around to reading the book that inspired it. Gaiman's ability to immerse readers in the story and create a chilling atmosphere is truly remarkable. The character of the Other Mother gives me goosebumps.

Kowloon Bay by Ty Hutchinson

mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Pretty much the same. Abby is suddenly involved in a non-official investigation that has to do with his late husband's murder and she will need to learn how to delegate when the case is no longer hers. Fair read, not good but not bad either. 

Coit Tower by Ty Hutchinson

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was quite disappointed with the ending of the Chasing Chinatown trilogy. The villain's role didn't seem well-developed, and many things didn't make sense. The resolution felt too convenient and relied heavily on luck. Additionally, one of the teams we followed throughout the story didn't ultimately contribute much, which felt like a wasted opportunity. Furthermore, the titles' significance is important in previous books, and here the Coit Tower was barely mentioned. Overall, the book seemed rushed and lacked strong ties to the rest of the trilogy.