micareads123's reviews
275 reviews

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

4.0

really enjoyed this! It was a very fun fantasy with a lovely writing style and very unique, complex and lovable characters. 

It did feel as if this book was all setup and little plot, but the ending really has me needing to pick up the next book ASAP. Will definitely continue with this series. 

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This wasn’t as hard hitting for me as I expected it to be, but I think I have to chalk it up to right book, wrong time. 

I loved the themes of colonialism/colonization, oppression, gender roles, sexuality. I loved the moral grey area. And I annoyingly loved the weird, economics-obsessed traitor herself, Baru. 

But the execution left me feeling unmotivated and at times zoned out. Maybe there were too many battle scenes? Too much accounting? 

I have to hand it to Dickinson for really going for it: taking a topic as outwardly dull as accounting and basing an entire plot/character personality around it. Well done. I hate that I loved that.

I did enjoy this and plan to continue with the series, just not immediately. 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

emotional reflective 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

4.0

A beautiful and gut-wrenching story of complex family relationships and heartbreaking circumstances. 

I really enjoyed this read and found it reminded me a lot of the TV series Little Bird.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Addiction

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but what I got was a beautiful meditation on life, death, love and humanity filled with philosophical questions to unpack. 

The story follows an unnamed narrator who spends her childhood in a bunker with 39 strange women. There is no information on why they are there or why they are together. 

The reader then joins the narrator on her journey through life, feeling alien in a world stripped of all things that one would consider makes a human human. 

I ended up really enjoying this and expect I will be thinking about it quite often from now on. 

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This book delivers on the creeping, eerie feeling it promises but couples it with strong commentary on the impacts of colonialism on the Indigenous Peoples in Canada, especially those up north.

Taking place in northern Ontario, the story is set in a small, rural community that, one fall, experiences a widespread power outage and the loss of all communications with anyone outside the community. As fall turns into winter, the challenges faced by the community pile up with the mounting cold. 

I thought the way the author crafted parallels in this book with the real experience of Indigenous groups in our country was very clever, and I’m eager to reading the sequel. 

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

If he writes it, I’m going to read it. 

This whirlwind of a scifi story is a stunning debut, featuring excellent prose and beautiful character nuance while not skimping on plot development, world building and political intrigue. 

At its heart, this is a book about the complexities of the passage of time, of corruption, power and greed, and of love and relationships in a variety of forms.

And in this book like in The Spear Cuts Through Water, themes of connection to one’s homeland and ancestors/culture are strong in this book and handled with a lot of care. It is clear this is a topic close to the author’s heart.

I’m so sad I’ve run out of Simon Jimenez novels to look forward to. Crossing my fingers he has something new in the works! 

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

5.0

Even better the second time around. I love this complex, sweeping, diverse story. The way Jemisin portrays issues that mirror those in our society is wonderfully done. The plot is tight, and the author unfolds the information masterfully. I can’t wait to finally continue with the series.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was a fun and beautiful, complex story filled with political intrigue. I had a lot of fun getting lost in it and getting to know the characters intimately for nearly a month. 

I do admit, though, that I feel this book could have been shorter and remained just as impactful. 

I loved the characters and felt they were well developed, and I do think I will want to revisit this in the future.