podanotherjessi's reviews
810 reviews

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.

This was a bookclub book, and I was really excited for it. I read about half of it in one day and was having a great time. But then the next time I picked it up, I really didn't like. The romance had me excited initially, but then it started to feel creepy and inappropriate. I had no idea what the plan for the expats was supposed to be, and the intrigue of the ulterior motives of the Ministry just wasn't interesting to me. I found the narrator bland and kind of annoying, and whatever social commentary was supposed to be happening fell completely short for me. Really, the only things I liked were Peter and Charlotte, and they were barely around.

Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

adventurous lighthearted medium-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? No

3.25

This was a really sweet and fun middle grade mystery. I would have liked a little more stakes in the mystery, which in my opinion was the weakest part, but the characters and the story of Truly adapting to her new life were really good. There were occasional cringey moments in the writing - the "truly" puns got out of hand, and I never want to see the phrase "toot soup again" - but it wasn't distracting. I'm charmed enough by the Lovejoy family and Pumpkin Falls that I will pick up the next book if I see it around.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A really interesting concept that is executed fairly well. The book just felt a little unfinished to me, but I'm not entirely sure what I would have wanted to be done differently. Seeing all of Oona's life would have been impossible, but I was just longing for more. I think her growth was steady and well done for most of the book, and then it felt rather abrupt toward the end.
Still, a very good book. Oona is fascinating, and she's surrounded by such interesting characters. I find myself almost longing to go back and reread but chronologically to see Oona through their eyes. Really fun and well-done.

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor

dark slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a very good, very interesting book. It really goes hard on the difficulty of womanhood and the expectations for mothers. I love the way Agnes was shown to be both completely dedicated to her children and yet resentful of her role as their mother. My complaints are few. Mainly, that the pacing was inconsistent. There were times the story built very slowly, and other things that felt very rushed. It mostly worked well, but there were times I wish a moment had been slowed down or explored more, and times the book felt like it dragged. Overall, would recommend.

Season of Love by Helena Greer

inspiring 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

3.75

Finally, a good holiday romance! Although, this didn't have nearly as much holiday energy as I expected. I really liked that the main conflicts in this book weren't all centered on the couple and the relationship. Seeing them learning and growing due to things outside of just romance was really nice.
But the pacing was a little weird. This book spans a lot of time, and it makes the story feel almost more like a montage than a continuous tale. The characters have leaps in growth - both individually and in their relationships - as time skips. And it suffers from the same issue as many romances with characters fighting personal traumas; I just didn't believe they'd actually worked through their own issues enough to be healthy in a relationship yet.
Regardless, a cute romance and one I'd recommend for the holiday season.

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This is such a good book, and if you've read the first 4 books in the series, then I don't think a review is going to sway your decision to read one way or another. But I will say that I didn't enjoy reading this book. There was just so much happening, everything was moving so quickly, and I didn't really get to absorb anything. I liked most of the character work, the plot was fine, the book overall is good. But I like it more for it's role in the series than as a book that I've read. Plus, I think I'm growing out of Sanderson's writing style. I just found myself getting a lot more annoyed at the writing in this book than I have with previous installments.

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.

This book wasn't bad, and in fact I really enjoyed it at first. But it was just so long and it didn't feel like it was moving. I just found myself getting bored, and I just didn't feel like it would be worth finishing.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

After being severely disappointed in a different Hanukkah romance, I found this book recommended in the reviews as a better option. I'm happy to report that this is much better, even if it's still only just fine. It was cute and fun and had me giddy at times, which is really all I need from a romance. There was also good representation! I liked that there were many Jewish people throughout the book that all had different ways of practicing and different feelings. Rachel's chronic fatigue syndrome also seemed well done, but it's not something I have experience with myself so would defer to other reviewers on that point.
My real problem with this book was just the childishness of the two main characters. They both acted so immaturely both toward each other and in general. It was hard to root for them when they were so incapable of communicating or treating each other like adults. The book improve a lot in the second half.

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin, Marissa Stapley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.

I was already not sure about this from the characters. Anna stressed me out just reading her. And all the dialogue in both perspectives was so awkward. But then I realized this was taking place in December of 2000?? I guess that was just to make the three holidays aligning thing work, but then nothing about the setting felt like 2000. Except for a throw away line about someone not knowing what climate change is, this wasn't grounded in the setting. It's weird to say it, but 2000 is historical now, and it's a time that requires the care of that.

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.25

Allow me to start this review with a series of bold claims.

1. This is a book about Jewish people, but it isn't for Jewish people.
This book assumes the reader has no idea what Hanukkah is, and very possibly no idea what Jewish life is at all. There's an extended info dump about the Maccabees early in the book, and it's referred back to frequently as if to say "hey, remember what this is about!" And that's just one example of the overexplaining that goes on in the book.

2. These main characters aren't from NYC and have possibly never been there before.
I don't know if Elliot, the author, is from New York. But I don't believe Seth or Abby are. Abby feels like a Hallmark character just because she <i>takes a NYC cab</i>?? They call things the wrong names, and they just feel like they aren't familiar with the city.

3. This relationship isn't going to last.
I do see chemistry between Seth and Abby, which is obviously a plus. But what is their romance even based on? I swear Abby just falls for Seth because he's the first person that's ever been kind to her. So while I could root for them to kiss and want them to find happiness, I just didn't think this was a real HEA, and that just takes a lot of the steam out of a romance for me.

4. Abby isn't just grumpy, she's an absolute jerk.
Maybe this is subjective (or more subjective than any other part of this review). But I love a grumpy character in a romance now and then. But grumpy to me means someone that's a little curt and in a bad mood now and then. Not someone who lacks common courtesy or empathy. And Abby is the latter. She is outright mean to Seth when we see them interact, and it's not because of something he's done that makes her not like him. She's literally just a cruel person.