lora_hogan's reviews
257 reviews

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-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

4.0

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

Enjoyable, but very predictable and oh so short! Loved all the good and the coffee and just wished for more plot fleshed out with it. 

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano

4.0

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

The Dating Game by Sandy Barker

funny lighthearted slow-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? No

2.5

How to Plan Anything Gluten-Free: Recipes, Tips and Meal Plans to Expertly Guide You Through Your Gluten-Free Week by Becky Excell

2.75

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

adventurous hopeful informative mysterious 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

4.0

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-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

It seems to me the negative reviews are from King diehard horror fans. Confession: I’ve seen many Stephen King movies, but besides reading “The Body” (adapted into the movie Stand By Me), I have never read a King book. But I have read every Wizard of Oz book, the OG Grimm Fairy Tales in their gruesome details, grew up memorizing Ronald Dahl, the Chronicles of Narnia, read every GOT, Robin McKinley, Piers Anthony, Patricia Wrede, Ursula K LeGuin, every King Arthur variant, Diana Wynne Jones, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, you name it.

And this book does them all justice. I devoured it. The kind of book that you feel like crying when it’s done because you’re just sad to say goodbye to a new friend. It references EVERYTHING from fantasy and lore and dystopian books and even SKELETOR. And somehow does them all justice.

I laughed. I cried. I was mesmerized. I wished there was more.

Thank you. It has been a long time since I’ve read a fantasy book that has done that to me. (Or any book.) 

And it’s not horror. But there are horrifying things in it. But there’s also wonderful things.

Read ittttttttt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

How to Make Anything Gluten-Free: Over 100 Recipes for Everything from Home Comforts to Fakeaways, Cakes to Dessert, Brunch to Bread! by Becky Excell

3.5