maggies's reviews
678 reviews

A Steep and Savage Path by JJA Harwood

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

4.0

Written in five parts, without any chapters, this book could feel like a slog at times, but ultimately I loved it. Vampires + Hades/Persephone + a long journey and a heartbreaking quest. The development of Irina and Stefan's bargain-to-friendship-to-romance was so sweet and well-written. I would not consider this enemies-to-lovers, but there is a bit of some version of fake dating, as a treat! Happily, I can report that their behavior and interactions were suitable for their age and experiences. The ending was pitch perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Is She Really Going Out With Him by Sophie Cousens

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was such a different experience from my last read about the experience of divorce, in the best way. Anna's struggle to deal with her divorce, her ex's new girlfriend, and dating felt relatable. The many different dates for her column were fun and interesting, and of course Will was the best of all. Made me cry.
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Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

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

2.0

Maggie was too aggressively unlikeable for this book to be rated highly. On the other hand, the grief and trauma of a break-up was very well portrayed. Swings and roundabouts. 
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My Real Name Is Hanna by Tara Lynn Masih

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

3.0

WWII/Holocaust literature is saturated, but this one is different for me as I've never read anything about the experience of Jewish people in Ukraine. It was thoughtfully written, if a bit uneven.
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The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
*Read as part of my challenge to (attempt to) read all 100 of NYT's best books of the 21st century*

Pretentious slog or I’m too dumb to appreciate it, either way not how I want to spend my time
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

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challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

*Read as part of my challenge to (attempt to) read all 100 of NYT's best books of the 21st century*

With the distance of 15 years since it was first published, I found many of the ideas in The New Jim Crow to be fundamental to the understanding of race, systemic discrimination, and the prison-political complex in America.
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Home Stretch by Graham Norton

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

Despite the subject matter, I found this book quite light and heart-warming. Moments were a bit twee, but the overall effect was lovely and so Irish. I'll always complain about people and cultures that prefer to leave things unspoken though! Graham Norton's narration was wonderful, as expected.
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Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What I liked: learning about Armenia, the Armenian diaspora in America, and Armenian culture, topics about which I had no previous exposure; the audiobook narration—eminently listenable, and I loved the proverbs in Armenian at the start of each chapter; the sweet moments between Nareh and her family—Nareh's grandma is wonderful, and Diana and Nareh were great supports to each other

What I disliked: couldn't get over Nareh staying with Trevor for almost 5 years—that's too long to string yourself and someone else along and made me really dislike her; the almost-insta-love between Nareh and Erebuni—I need more development, more slow-burn; related to both points, I don't trust that the growth in Nareh is legitimate 
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Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A great follow up to book 1, lots of adventure and romance. Loved the Agon Games. Could do a bit without rehashing things, but that might just be because I'm reading the series back-to-back. Will keep reading!
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A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

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

5.0

Love! Tense, slow-burn, action-packed, mysterious, interesting magic. Just what a fantasy romance should be for me. Excited to keep reading!
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