mamareadstuff's reviews
320 reviews

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I would give this six stars if I could. It was lovely. And challenging. And moving. And silly. And caring. And not what I expected for this type of book, but I loved it so much. 
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She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

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

3.75

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this series, though the first was probably my favorite. I appreciated that the main character had to struggle and learn and make mistakes and wasn't immediately accepted or immediately all-powerful. Some fantasy book tropes can make the main character too all powerful and lose the compelling nature of the struggle. Understanding this is YA, I loved the complexity that Briana presented. The overlap between racism and evil and entrenched power was palpable. Definitely recommend this one for those that love YA/Fantasy and challenging the status quo. 
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.75

Oh I read this one too fast! 😭 It started off a little too YA for me, but by the end I was remembering, me as a teenager, feeling all the heartbreak and love and fear and confidence I felt then, even now as a 30something. The last chapters reminded me so much of my first San Francisco Pride, my determination to visit every major Pride celebration in California the following summer, and the never changing feeling of community among strangers.

"I'm screaming with joy. I'm screaming with pain. I'm screaming with the awe that I'm here, that we're all here, and that we're here because of the people before us, the people who couldn't be here, and I'm screaming for myself, too... The person beside me catches me with a smile, also wiping their eyes. I don't know this person, don't know their name, probably will never even see them again after this parade, but for thay one second, I feel like they're a friend, or a part of my family, and that's pretty f***ing amazing..." 

Thank you thank you Kacen Callender for bringing Felix to life. My queer heart is SO happy I finally read this one. 
The Power by Naomi Alderman

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challenging dark tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

First 5 star read of the year. I couldn't put it down. I had so many theories. I didn't know what I was getting into. I loved this. So much. I did hope for a slightly different ending, but we can't win them all. 
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The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

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challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

The emotional and plot twists and turns are delightful and challenging. Not giving anything away is tough with this one, but I'll just say the old man's memories are so well written, it's as if you are in the mind of a man who has felt his life slowly drift. And interspersed, the characters who he has loved, the friendships he wished he had, and the girl trying to uncover the mystery. 
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.5

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0