You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
readingal07's reviews
40 reviews
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
3.0
I am a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas. I am up to date on her ACOTAR series and honestly am way more in love with that series than this one but it's probably because I am way more invested in those characters.
I did read Assassin's Blade before reading this book if that makes a difference.
I am in love with both Dorian and Nehemia's characters. The charm and the silver-tongue of these two royals was so attractive to me. I shipped Celeana with both of them. As for Chaol, compared to Dorian and Nehemia, he seemed very boring and not as well fleshed out but I am expecting more from him in coming books.
As for Kaltain's characters, I could not stand her or her chapters. Her character is empty. I genuinely hope that if she returns in future books that she has more motivation than just "I want the man and the crown"
Excited for the next in the series though.
I did read Assassin's Blade before reading this book if that makes a difference.
I am in love with both Dorian and Nehemia's characters. The charm and the silver-tongue of these two royals was so attractive to me. I shipped Celeana with both of them. As for Chaol, compared to Dorian and Nehemia, he seemed very boring and not as well fleshed out but I am expecting more from him in coming books.
As for Kaltain's characters, I could not stand her or her chapters. Her character is empty. I genuinely hope that if she returns in future books that she has more motivation than just "I want the man and the crown"
Excited for the next in the series though.
The Border Keeper by Kerstin Hall
3.0
I jumped between giving this 3⭐ or 4⭐. Ultimately it really came down to having a bit of a disconnect for a majority of the book.
For me, I was left majorly confused for so much of the book and really only started getting into it at Chapter 16, which in my opinion is way too late.
I can tell there was tons of world-building and thought put into this world but without explanation, I was lost like I started watching a movie half-way through and had no idea what was happening. Names were difficult to follow and I wasn't entirely sure what was happening for a while.
The last part of the book intrigued me and had me pining for the next page but then it came to an end abruptly. Eager to read second book to get more story and hopefully more information but in general, until way over halfway in the book, I was super confused and disconnected.
For me, I was left majorly confused for so much of the book and really only started getting into it at Chapter 16, which in my opinion is way too late.
I can tell there was tons of world-building and thought put into this world but without explanation, I was lost like I started watching a movie half-way through and had no idea what was happening. Names were difficult to follow and I wasn't entirely sure what was happening for a while.
The last part of the book intrigued me and had me pining for the next page but then it came to an end abruptly. Eager to read second book to get more story and hopefully more information but in general, until way over halfway in the book, I was super confused and disconnected.
Dune by Frank Herbert
4.0
Phenomenal story. The world building in the story is incredibly strong and effective. I usually am not a fan of politics but Herbert's writing just drew me in and I was truly invested in these characters and the world as a whole.
I love the complexity of Herbert's characters as well as the complexity of their relationships with each other. It seems that no relationship between two people in this story is cut-and-paste; every relationship had depth and meaning and complications of it's own.
My favourite characters were Lady Jessica, Dr Kynes and Feyd-Rautha (but he lost me in the last chapter.)
One character that I don't think got her fair shot, was Chani. She starts off as this independent, strong-willed and capable woman, showing that she may be able to best Paul if she wanted to. But she soon turns into nothing but his woman. She loses all agency and her sole purpose becomes to love and essentially worship Paul.
While I did love this book; there were many parts of frustration and/or disgust. Within 20 pages of each other, there were two separate occasions of fully-grown adult women wanting to sleep with, marry and/or have babies with teenage boys! I think we all find the Baron's "tastes" to be disgusting. And the last chapter lost it for me. Feyd-Rautha's language towards the women in the room was off-putting. The language used to talk about Princess Irulan was also distasteful.
But over all, much of the book was intriguing and thrilling and had my attention through-out.
I love the complexity of Herbert's characters as well as the complexity of their relationships with each other. It seems that no relationship between two people in this story is cut-and-paste; every relationship had depth and meaning and complications of it's own.
My favourite characters were Lady Jessica, Dr Kynes and Feyd-Rautha (but he lost me in the last chapter.)
One character that I don't think got her fair shot, was Chani. She starts off as this independent, strong-willed and capable woman, showing that she may be able to best Paul if she wanted to. But she soon turns into nothing but his woman. She loses all agency and her sole purpose becomes to love and essentially worship Paul.
While I did love this book; there were many parts of frustration and/or disgust. Within 20 pages of each other, there were two separate occasions of fully-grown adult women wanting to sleep with, marry and/or have babies with teenage boys! I think we all find the Baron's "tastes" to be disgusting. And the last chapter lost it for me. Feyd-Rautha's language towards the women in the room was off-putting. The language used to talk about Princess Irulan was also distasteful.
But over all, much of the book was intriguing and thrilling and had my attention through-out.
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I love the progression of the story and the ending was satisfying and there was character development.
I haven't read a middle grade in a while and it took a short while for me to adjust to the writing style as there is a lot more "telling" than "showing" what a character is feeling or thinking.
There are a few parts that seemed unnecessary to me, some things that were solved a little too easily. However, a lot of the book is interesting and intriguing to read.
The main thing of the book, or at least what I assumed the main thing would be based on this being a "Princess and the Frog" retelling, seemed lackluster compared to all the other elements of the story. The reasoning and outcome fell short compared to the other subplots.
I was not a fan of how Morven was written. Her character, her purpose and her role were all pretty bleh. I did enjoy how her particular arc ended though.
Loved it. Will be writing it on my list of books to read to my kids one day, for sure. :)
I haven't read a middle grade in a while and it took a short while for me to adjust to the writing style as there is a lot more "telling" than "showing" what a character is feeling or thinking.
There are a few parts that seemed unnecessary to me, some things that were solved a little too easily. However, a lot of the book is interesting and intriguing to read.
The main thing of the book, or at least what I assumed the main thing would be based on this being a "Princess and the Frog" retelling, seemed lackluster compared to all the other elements of the story. The reasoning and outcome fell short compared to the other subplots.
I was not a fan of how Morven was written. Her character, her purpose and her role were all pretty bleh. I did enjoy how her particular arc ended though.
Loved it. Will be writing it on my list of books to read to my kids one day, for sure. :)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
4.0
I really appreciated how Chbosky represented trauma and mental health as well as Charlie's "episodes" and his journey through coming to terms with his trauma.
I love Charlie's character; I feel that he is genuine, innocent and just trying to find his place. I love that he is flawed and makes mistakes but the reader can empathize with those mistakes and Charlie's reasonings.
I preferred the movie over the book which doesn't generally happen for me. The movie was well paced and I found certain parts of the book to be drawn out unnecessarily. However, I do recognize to be realistic to the formatting of the book.
I love the relationships and the friendships in this book and the very real ups and downs of those relationships.
I love Charlie's character; I feel that he is genuine, innocent and just trying to find his place. I love that he is flawed and makes mistakes but the reader can empathize with those mistakes and Charlie's reasonings.
I preferred the movie over the book which doesn't generally happen for me. The movie was well paced and I found certain parts of the book to be drawn out unnecessarily. However, I do recognize to be realistic to the formatting of the book.
I love the relationships and the friendships in this book and the very real ups and downs of those relationships.
The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was SO CLOSE to getting a 5 star. For most of the beginning I was thinking 4 stars, then at the climax of the story I was convinced that I could forgive the things that would make it a 4 star but just as the climax ended and we were getting all the closing stuff, it dropped down to a 4.25.
It is very clear that Lewis put so much world building into this and we are only just getting a small bit of it. This book is FILLED to the absolute brim with BETRAYAL! Literally every single character is called a traitor at least once. The LGBTGIA + rep in this is chef's kiss. The romance in this is beyond chef's kiss.
However, because there is a lot of world building, there's quite a lot of exposition at the beginning and I struggled to wrap my head around the politics of the world for quite a long time. There are also several "mental health journeys" that take place; one of them I lived for, but the other made little sense to me. Perhaps that's just me not understanding properly.
Absolutely fantastic read!
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
TRIGGER WARNINGS: violence, death and graphic injury, implied torture, amputation, PTSD, denial of bodily autonomy in various ways (prostitution, plastic surgery, neural implants, experimentation), blackmail, execution, untreated mental illness, mentions of child abuse, dysphoria, gender expression denial
It is very clear that Lewis put so much world building into this and we are only just getting a small bit of it. This book is FILLED to the absolute brim with BETRAYAL! Literally every single character is called a traitor at least once. The LGBTGIA + rep in this is chef's kiss. The romance in this is beyond chef's kiss.
However, because there is a lot of world building, there's quite a lot of exposition at the beginning and I struggled to wrap my head around the politics of the world for quite a long time. There are also several "mental health journeys" that take place; one of them I lived for, but the other made little sense to me. Perhaps that's just me not understanding properly.
Absolutely fantastic read!
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
TRIGGER WARNINGS: violence, death and graphic injury, implied torture, amputation, PTSD, denial of bodily autonomy in various ways (prostitution, plastic surgery, neural implants, experimentation), blackmail, execution, untreated mental illness, mentions of child abuse, dysphoria, gender expression denial
Content Warnings
violence, death and graphic injury, implied torture, amputation, PTSD, denial of bodily autonomy in various ways (prostitution, plastic surgery, neural implants, experimentation), blackmail, execution, untreated mental illness, mentions of child abuse, dysphoria, gender expression denial
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
After much experimentation with genres, I have finally concluded that the romance genre is not for me. I enjoy a romance subplot amongst a greater and more meaningful main plot or even romance as the main plot when the subplots are intriguing and captivating but I have found that I do not enjoy stories that revolve around 2 people (sometimes more) falling in love and then having a falling out and then coming back together. It's not my thing.
THAT BEING SAID:
I did really enjoy this for what it was. I enjoyed the combination of mythology and contemporary realism. I enjoyed the cast of characters, however I don't remember too much diversity.
I really enjoyed that Persephone made other significant relationships along the way; such as with Hermes and Hecate.
One thing I was not a fan of was all the tiptoeing around "creating life" and what that actually meant. Let me start by saying: I DID NOT want Persephone to get pregnant; if that had to happen I would have given a lower rating because that isn't something I want to read. HOWEVER, I felt like it kept getting alluded to that that might happen.
At first: Persephone didn't even consider it as an option. This frustrated me because it was the first thing I thought of and I feel like she didn't think of it even as a last resort option.
Then: Hecate and Hades both mentioned that there are other ways to create life than to plant a garden. After Persephone and Hades did the deed, she felt life within her and I immediately cringed. Even Hecate said the words "Hades has created life within you." But still... she wasn't pregnant so what did that whole scene even mean.
Then: I started thinking, maybe this is a metaphor. "Creating life" could mean creating "life" as in not just "existence" but then that fell through as well because the contract only ended when Persephone actually made plants grow. I am highly confused and unsatisfied about the whole contract portion of this.
Also:
We know that Adonis is TOXIC AF.
We know that Demeter is TOXIC AF.
But can we PLEASE talk about Hades? I am not referring to the possessiveness and dominance. Lived for that; loved it. I am talking about the showing up in her room in the middle of the night. If we're going to judge Edward Cullen for it, then we have to judge him for it too, you know? Besides, he is constantly just APPEARING next to her, or making her appear next to him whenever he pleases. AND MULTIPLE TIMES, SHE WAKES UP WITH HIM ALREADY KISSING AND TOUCHING HER!
But once again, romance is not my thing. So after chapter 16-18 I lost interest. All the smut scenes were very out-of-the-blue and slap-dash. Very rushed and random. The story started slowing down significantly once the tension between Hades and Persephone was gone.
THAT BEING SAID:
I did really enjoy this for what it was. I enjoyed the combination of mythology and contemporary realism. I enjoyed the cast of characters, however I don't remember too much diversity.
I really enjoyed that Persephone made other significant relationships along the way; such as with Hermes and Hecate.
One thing I was not a fan of was all the tiptoeing around "creating life" and what that actually meant. Let me start by saying: I DID NOT want Persephone to get pregnant; if that had to happen I would have given a lower rating because that isn't something I want to read. HOWEVER, I felt like it kept getting alluded to that that might happen.
At first: Persephone didn't even consider it as an option. This frustrated me because it was the first thing I thought of and I feel like she didn't think of it even as a last resort option.
Then: Hecate and Hades both mentioned that there are other ways to create life than to plant a garden. After Persephone and Hades did the deed, she felt life within her and I immediately cringed. Even Hecate said the words "Hades has created life within you." But still... she wasn't pregnant so what did that whole scene even mean.
Then: I started thinking, maybe this is a metaphor. "Creating life" could mean creating "life" as in not just "existence" but then that fell through as well because the contract only ended when Persephone actually made plants grow. I am highly confused and unsatisfied about the whole contract portion of this.
Also:
We know that Adonis is TOXIC AF.
We know that Demeter is TOXIC AF.
But can we PLEASE talk about Hades? I am not referring to the possessiveness and dominance. Lived for that; loved it. I am talking about the showing up in her room in the middle of the night. If we're going to judge Edward Cullen for it, then we have to judge him for it too, you know? Besides, he is constantly just APPEARING next to her, or making her appear next to him whenever he pleases. AND MULTIPLE TIMES, SHE WAKES UP WITH HIM ALREADY KISSING AND TOUCHING HER!
But once again, romance is not my thing. So after chapter 16-18 I lost interest. All the smut scenes were very out-of-the-blue and slap-dash. Very rushed and random. The story started slowing down significantly once the tension between Hades and Persephone was gone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Sexual assault
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really appreciated how Chbosky represented trauma and mental health as well as Charlie's "episodes" and his journey through coming to terms with his trauma.
I love Charlie's character; I feel that he is genuine, innocent and just trying to find his place. I love that he is flawed and makes mistakes but the reader can empathize with those mistakes and Charlie's reasonings.
I preferred the movie over the book which doesn't generally happen for me. The movie was well paced and I found certain parts of the book to be drawn out unnecessarily. However, I do recognize to be realistic to the formatting of the book.
I love the relationships and the friendships in this book and the very real ups and downs of those relationships.
I love Charlie's character; I feel that he is genuine, innocent and just trying to find his place. I love that he is flawed and makes mistakes but the reader can empathize with those mistakes and Charlie's reasonings.
I preferred the movie over the book which doesn't generally happen for me. The movie was well paced and I found certain parts of the book to be drawn out unnecessarily. However, I do recognize to be realistic to the formatting of the book.
I love the relationships and the friendships in this book and the very real ups and downs of those relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Abortion
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Rereading this first book in the series has truly reignited my passion for these characters and this world! I also find myself spotting excellently placed foreshadowing and hints for what is to come in future books.
This is one of the go-to fantasy series and that's for a reason! I am so excited to dive back into this world and reread the whole series.
This is one of the go-to fantasy series and that's for a reason! I am so excited to dive back into this world and reread the whole series.
Dune by Frank Herbert
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Phenomenal story. The world building in the story is incredibly strong and effective. I usually am not a fan of politics but Herbert's writing just drew me in and I was truly invested in these characters and the world as a whole.
I love the complexity of Herbert's characters as well as the complexity of their relationships with each other. It seems that no relationship between two people in this story is cut-and-paste; every relationship had depth and meaning and complications of it's own.
My favourite characters were Lady Jessica, Dr Kynes and Feyd-Rautha (but he lost me in the last chapter.)
One character that I don't think got her fair shot, was Chani.She starts off as this independent, strong-willed and capable woman, showing that she may be able to best Paul if she wanted to. But she soon turns into nothing but his woman. She loses all agency and her sole purpose becomes to love and essentially worship Paul.
While I did love this book; there were many parts of frustration and/or disgust. Within 20 pages of each other, there were two separate occasions of fully-grown adult women wanting to sleep with, marry and/or have babies with teenage boys! I think we all find the Baron's "tastes" to be disgusting. And the last chapter lost it for me.Feyd-Rautha's language towards the women in the room was off-putting. The language used to talk about Princess Irulan was also distasteful.
But over all, much of the book was intriguing and thrilling and had my attention through-out.
I love the complexity of Herbert's characters as well as the complexity of their relationships with each other. It seems that no relationship between two people in this story is cut-and-paste; every relationship had depth and meaning and complications of it's own.
My favourite characters were Lady Jessica, Dr Kynes and Feyd-Rautha (but he lost me in the last chapter.)
One character that I don't think got her fair shot, was Chani.
While I did love this book; there were many parts of frustration and/or disgust. Within 20 pages of each other, there were two separate occasions of fully-grown adult women wanting to sleep with, marry and/or have babies with teenage boys! I think we all find the Baron's "tastes" to be disgusting. And the last chapter lost it for me.
But over all, much of the book was intriguing and thrilling and had my attention through-out.