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orchids's reviews
120 reviews
Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the Advanced Reader Copy!
When I saw that a sequel to "Dungeons and Drama" was coming out. I dropped everything to request an ARC. I absolutely adored the first book in the series, so I was very much looking forward to this sequel. I'm happy to say that Kristy Boyce did not disappoint!
"Dating and Dragons" follows Quinn after her family moves closer to her grandmother, which works out in Quinn's favor since she had a falling out with her previous friend group at her old school. Thanks to her extroverted grandmother wanting a first-day-of-school picture, Quinn meets some fellow students (and a really cute boy!) who love D&D as much as her. When she stops by one afternoon to watch their game, she finds out they live stream their game to a sizable and loyal fanbase. She is welcomed into the group with open arms... as long as she follows their strict rules, which include no dating members of the group. However, she finds herself spending more and more time with the aforementioned cute boy, Logan, and she can't stop thinking about him! D&D means everything to her, so she can't just give it up for the sake of a boy, right?
Kristy Boyce's character and world-building are truly unmatched. Like in her first book, all the characters feel so fleshed out and realistic, from the awkward conversations while trying to make new friends to the unabashed enthusiasm teens have for their favorite things. "Dating and Dragons" continues the legacy of authentic nerdy teen narratives with so much humor and heart. I will say that I slightly enjoyed the first book more, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that this book is incredibly heartwarming and fun to read.
When I saw that a sequel to "Dungeons and Drama" was coming out. I dropped everything to request an ARC. I absolutely adored the first book in the series, so I was very much looking forward to this sequel. I'm happy to say that Kristy Boyce did not disappoint!
"Dating and Dragons" follows Quinn after her family moves closer to her grandmother, which works out in Quinn's favor since she had a falling out with her previous friend group at her old school. Thanks to her extroverted grandmother wanting a first-day-of-school picture, Quinn meets some fellow students (and a really cute boy!) who love D&D as much as her. When she stops by one afternoon to watch their game, she finds out they live stream their game to a sizable and loyal fanbase. She is welcomed into the group with open arms... as long as she follows their strict rules, which include no dating members of the group. However, she finds herself spending more and more time with the aforementioned cute boy, Logan, and she can't stop thinking about him! D&D means everything to her, so she can't just give it up for the sake of a boy, right?
Kristy Boyce's character and world-building are truly unmatched. Like in her first book, all the characters feel so fleshed out and realistic, from the awkward conversations while trying to make new friends to the unabashed enthusiasm teens have for their favorite things. "Dating and Dragons" continues the legacy of authentic nerdy teen narratives with so much humor and heart. I will say that I slightly enjoyed the first book more, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that this book is incredibly heartwarming and fun to read.
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
happy medium, funily enough, falls in the middle of the road for me. i do think the overall premise of the book is unique compared to other contemporary romances, and the book does have some charm and humor. however, i just didn't find the main character likable, nor did i really care about her or her conflicts at all... the pacing felt slow for the majority of the book and then suddenly sped up towards the end out of nowhere. reading this book was a nice way to pass the time, but i don't think i'll be rereading this book in the future
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
my first dive into paranormal romance...and surprisingly i really enjoyed it! it had good and cool worldbuilding that wasn't afraid of deviating from standard vampire and werewolf tropes (looking at you twilight). misery and lowe's chemistry just sort of appeared out of thin air, and those intimate scenes had me...sweating... once you let yourself go and lean into the campiness of the plot and dialogue, it's a pretty amusing and fun read.
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
perfectly fine romance novella. the premise is cute: two video game developers on enemy companies who are suddenly forced to get along in order to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a highly anticipated game. viola's one-sided beef with jesse was sort of annoying to hear every five minutes, but their flirty (...and steamy) interactions with each other in the second half of the novella had me giggling and kicking my feet.
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
what a fun book about unrequired and star-crossed love in 1910! when i picked up this book, i had just caught up with the tv show "gilded age" so the premise of this book drew me in! i enjoyed reading the drama-filled highs and lows of high society through the eyes of the four women protagonists. was this the most historically accurate narrative? no, but i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing! i'm excited to see that tv adaptation will be coming in the near future!!
The Song of Aglaia by Anne Simon
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
what a lovely and whimsical read! i picked up this graphic novel at my local comic book shop on a whim because i loved the art style! everything is beautifully illustrated, and i spent so much time just staring at all the backgrounds and details in each cell. i found the narrative and dialogue to be very humorous, but some of the deep 18th and 19th feminist philosophy references sometimes flew over my head! this is definitely a graphic novel that benefits from multiple passes. however, i enjoyed this first read nonetheless!
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
this was a cute and light read, but i don't think it was the perfect romance book for me. i didn't really find chani or gabe particularly likable or charming, nor did i feel any chemistry between the two other than lust and longing to be in different circumstances than they were in (both stuck in loveless relationships). i also felt like all the themes of the dangers of fame, ethical/moral work situations, and long-lost loves were very surface-level. yet again, it's just a romance book, so maybe i'm asking for too much ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it did have some cute moments, so i'll give it that.
Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for the Advanced Reader Copy!
"Ex Marks the Spot" follows recent high school graduate Gemma Sun just as her summer vacation before heading off to college starts. She has everything figured out; she is going to find a summer job to help her single mother pay her pricey college tuition when one day she opens the door and meets a lawyer who says that her grandfather passed away... but Gemma was always told that her grandfather died years ago! After taking the will and a mysterious clue to a supposed scavenger hunt for his inheritance, Gemma embarks on an adventure in Taiwan to not only find the treasure at the end but also learn more about the grandfather she never knew she had! The catch? She needs the help of her nemesis, her charming ex-boyfriend!
Admittedly, I thought this book would be full of corny "I hate my ex but I still love him" tropes and solely focus on trying to rekindle the romance. However, I was wrong! The book was more about Gemma's connection to her culture and her drive to learn more about her estranged family which I felt was the much stronger part of the narrative. While I am not of Asian descent, I resonated a lot with Gemma's longing to feel more connected to her family's cultural identity. Many of the realizations Gemma had about herself and her ties to her family and culture almost moved me to tears multiple times! I personally loved learning more about Taiwanese culture and places mainly because of how well Gloria Chao wrote them! I could really envision all the places Gemma visited and could feel how much heart Gloria put into describing them. Also, despite how hesitant I was about the romance portions, I did enjoy them. Nothing felt too forced or rushed; everything made sense to where Gemma was emotionally in the book. The multiple twists in the scavenger hunt and the grandfather's past really threw me for a loop, and I enjoyed it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
"Ex Marks the Spot" is truly a one-of-a-kind book. It has so much heart and soul, and the way Gloria Chao crafted this whirlwind story about a young girl trying to find her place in the world after everything she knows gets thrown out the window is spectacular. To see how far Gemma has grown in the epilogue of the book is so heartwarming!
"Ex Marks the Spot" follows recent high school graduate Gemma Sun just as her summer vacation before heading off to college starts. She has everything figured out; she is going to find a summer job to help her single mother pay her pricey college tuition when one day she opens the door and meets a lawyer who says that her grandfather passed away... but Gemma was always told that her grandfather died years ago! After taking the will and a mysterious clue to a supposed scavenger hunt for his inheritance, Gemma embarks on an adventure in Taiwan to not only find the treasure at the end but also learn more about the grandfather she never knew she had! The catch? She needs the help of her nemesis, her charming ex-boyfriend!
Admittedly, I thought this book would be full of corny "I hate my ex but I still love him" tropes and solely focus on trying to rekindle the romance. However, I was wrong! The book was more about Gemma's connection to her culture and her drive to learn more about her estranged family which I felt was the much stronger part of the narrative. While I am not of Asian descent, I resonated a lot with Gemma's longing to feel more connected to her family's cultural identity. Many of the realizations Gemma had about herself and her ties to her family and culture almost moved me to tears multiple times! I personally loved learning more about Taiwanese culture and places mainly because of how well Gloria Chao wrote them! I could really envision all the places Gemma visited and could feel how much heart Gloria put into describing them. Also, despite how hesitant I was about the romance portions, I did enjoy them. Nothing felt too forced or rushed; everything made sense to where Gemma was emotionally in the book. The multiple twists in the scavenger hunt and the grandfather's past really threw me for a loop, and I enjoyed it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
"Ex Marks the Spot" is truly a one-of-a-kind book. It has so much heart and soul, and the way Gloria Chao crafted this whirlwind story about a young girl trying to find her place in the world after everything she knows gets thrown out the window is spectacular. To see how far Gemma has grown in the epilogue of the book is so heartwarming!
Top Story by Kelly Yang
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
another incredible addition to the front desk series! i liked how this book took place away from mia's comfort place in the calivista and how we got to explore the stories and struggles of a community outside of the motel. i felt this book was more well-rounded than other recent installments in the series (which are also great!). it definitely encapsulates a similar spark that the first book had!
Until August by Gabriel García Márquez
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aside from the obvious (and rightfully deserved) ethical criticisms that surround this book’s publication, i thought it was a lovely read. of course, this book is not in its most polished state, but what's currently on the page is worthy of praise. i was mesmerized by this woman's annual journey and her inner monologue; it almost felt like i was intruding and reading a personal diary that i wasn't supposed to read. this is my first time reading gabriel garcía márquez's prose (i know, what a first choice), so i can't really compare this to his masterpieces. nevertheless, reading "until august" made me really excited to devour his other work.