noisydeadlines's reviews
622 reviews

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

3.0

Very interesting world building: alternate history Egypt with magic and djinn in 1912 Cairo.  It's a murder mystery but I enjoyed the world building more than the characters. The main character, Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is investigating the murder of an English Basha, who is the Member of a Secret Brotherhood. The world is super rich with the Djinn having become integrated into society and magic allowed Egypt to become a powerful prominent economy. I think I figured out the murderer at about 60% and that made the book drag for me in the rest 40%. So it was a bit annoying that Fatma was still going after false clues, getting lost in her search, while I already knew who the murderer was. Anyway, nice read but not one of my favorites.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

emotional relaxing slow-paced

3.0

Somehow the title of this book didn't really with the story for me. I don't know why that bothered me. The main character is dealing with grief, and she inherits her father's house by the water. It's meta in the sense that the two main characters are writers, and they struck a deal for each one to write a book out of their comfort zone. The woman is a romance writer who tries to write literary fiction, and the man writes literary fiction and attempts to write romance. I thought the pacing was very slow and the book didn't keep me interested at all times. 

Practical Meditation: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide by Giovanni Dienstmann

informative reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.0

I enjoyed most of this book, it gives an overview of meditation practices from different traditions. There are gorgeous graphics inside explaining key concepts. I loved the "Mindful Mind Flow" diagram! One thing that I missed was an audio companion to the book (I read the e-book version). There are instructions on different types of meditation, but it is best to have listen to these instructions while we are meditating. Good reference book as an introduction to meditation but I think it’s hard for a beginner to start without an audio guiding the meditations. 

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

I loved this book! It was a 5 stars read for me. I loved the idea of enchanted typewriters that can send letters! The two main characters are adorable, and it is such a lovely story about friendship, hardship and love. So beautifully written without being excessively flowery. I felt a whole range of emotions while reading this book: sadness, joy, grief, compassion, anger. I cried and I laughed. It just a sign of a really good book: when it can touch me so deeply without being depressing. I sympathized with the grief portrayed in this book, and it helped me deal with own feelings of grief that were buried deep inside. The love story is amazing! So adorable and so authentic! I loved the whole thing about exchanging letters, like unknown pen pals that somehow connect using words. I can't wait to read the second book! (it's a duology!)

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

The first time I heard about this book I thought it was going to have some fantasy elements, since it's supposed to be a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale.  It's more like a re-imagined version in Victorian England:  Piers Yelverton (Earl of Marchan) lives secluded in this castle, he has an injured leg, he is grumpy and works as a doctor (very much like  Dr. House from the TV show); and  Linnet Thrynne our heroine, is extremely beautiful but disgraced in the ton because there are rumors saying she is pregnant (outside of a married relationship). Long story short, Linnet  becomes betrothed to Piers (who actually doesn't want to marry) but Piers father thinks her "pregnancy" will solve the heir problem. And then it's all about banther between Linnet and Piers and how they fall for each other against all odds. Fun and lighthearted.

Artemis by Andy Weir

adventurous funny 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? No

5.0

I had fun with this book! The main character (Jazz) is very resourceful, and she is not afraid of taking risks. Sometimes I would think to myself "No, Jazz, that's too risky, don' t do that!" but she has a way of analytically thinking through a situation and concocts a plan that might work (with pros and cons). I loved the maps showing Artemis and how the bubbles were connected. Andy Weir has a way of skilfully explaining scientific ideas within the characters dialogues, it's super well done! 

Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

adventurous 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? No

3.0

This is the third of this series, and I wasn't too thrilled about it. I think it has the same formula as the previous books and it was the weakest of the series. I felt there was a lot of unnecessary info-dump, as I felt some world building elements were already explained in previous books. It's a fun series overall, with sci-fi and romance, but this ending in this one was kinda meh.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

funny lighthearted relaxing 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? No

3.0

This is a cozy-spooky book: a nice comfort read with witches. I liked the premise: witches trying to counteract a hex placed years ago with some hilarious consequences. I loved the cat "Sir Purrcival" and I wish there was more going on with it. The resolution felt too easy. The plot made me believe the curse had high stake consequences but by the end it was too easily solved, I think. A light, fun read with a second chance witchy romance.

I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt to Embrace the Hidden Value in Daily Life by Madeleine Dore

informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

3.0

This was a nice read to start off the year. There were some good things to think about, the main message being: it's okay to not be perfect, we don't have to do it all. It was a nice reminder, although I felt the ideas were quite repetitive throughout the book. It's full of the author's own ruminations about producvity and her discoveries. It doesn't have anything too groundbreaking if you've been reading the most recent productivity books (such as Four Thousand Weeks). Nice read focusing on not feeling productivity guilt.

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

Read to middle of chapter 2. I think I am tired of blood sucking vampires now. Maybe some other time