pinup_and_pages's reviews
61 reviews

The Penny Lich: A Fantasy Sitcom by Tyler Clawson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

I may give this another go at some point but right now I have been bombarded with characters, half the time there is no dialogue tag so I have no idea who is taking and there are many spelling/grammar mistakes. I am keen to wait for other reviews to see if it is worth picking up again. Extremely cheap on Amazon for kindle though so not too bothered about the cost, just first impression is not that great. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.5

Once again, TJ Klune has created a marvellously, brilliant and beautiful story. It is a cosy, wholesome story with funny, cute and ridiculous characters and a fun, fast paced plot. It has a deep exploration of humanity, neurodiversity and sexuality with some brilliant quotes. 

'I promise. I know it seems hard, but we have to be brave. Your brain is telling you that you can't, but you don't always have to listen to it. Sometimes it tells you white lies' - Rambo

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense 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

5.0

This is a story about self discovery, self worth, woman empowement and Camaraderie - the best and the worst. 

A light-hearted, fun read with interesting characters, wonderful depicted settings and descriptions. On the surface level the book is a cosy, quick read whilst subtley exploring deep, thought provoking topics.

A new favourite! 

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is my least favourite of Grady Hendrix's books. I felt the pratgaonist lacked personality and came across as a very flat character. The plot was okay. However, I did have issues with how it all began and the finer details of the possession. This wad a missed opportunity as I found the whole idea of how it happened quite creepy, but it was not really explored or explained further. 

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This book was my favourite out of the series. But on a whole the series itself is now one of my top. The characters in this are complicated and realistic, they make mistakes and it's easy to see where they went wrong. I loved the premise of this series, the soft magic systems and the reveals were shocking as well as intricate. This is my first few books I have picked up by Robin Hobb and she is definitely now one of my favourite authors. I definitely plan on reading more and will even pick this beast of a series back up one day. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Rape, Torture, Violence, War, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Death, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Addiction

One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

The premise sounded so promising. The part that hooked me was modern day witches in new York. Well, the story could have been set literally anywhere. There was barely any mention of NY. I love for books that set the scene. And this was not for me. 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

5.0

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

I was pulled out of the story constantly when I realised the author does not describe setting at all. I had no idea what anything surrounding the characters looked like (even vaguely). I would expect at least a little descriptive writing on the protagonist's house or the market ect. Very limited with the world building. Other than flowy skirts and puffy sleeves I have no idea what the main character looked like. Sometimes this is standard for books as I understand that the reader could imagine themselves as the MC, but I also had no clue what anyone else looked like, apart from the love interest of course who was described in vivid detail. Not consistent!