readingwithtemperance's reviews
173 reviews

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
I can't focus on anything currently 

This book is incredible though 
Marriage and Masti by Nisha Sharma

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emotional funny 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

4.0

I honestly do t get why everyone hates this one? I thought it was delightful and so fun! 

I loved the chemistry between these two 💕. And finding out who Mrs. W.S. Gupta actually is!

I thought this book wrapped up the series nicely. And while I'll miss these characters dearly I'm excited for Nisha's future works!

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House of Elephants by Claribel A. Ortega

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

Another fun witchlings book! I cant wait for the rest of the series. 
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
It pains me but I'm giving up. I'm not invested in the story at all. 
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

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emotional funny 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

5.0

I'm so happy that this book is getting a sequel! I loved this world so so much. If you liked the Rise of the Guardians movie you'll absolutely love this.

It was so cool to see different holidays/the magic they each had. In this book we get to see magic from Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. The Halloween magic was definitely my fav especially the "curses".

The romance was so sweet and tender with just a splash of spice. These two Princes balanced eachother out so well. The mutual pining was EVERYTHING.
Especiallywith teasing eachother in public.


I thought it was interesting that we had an
evil Santa, which im glad he did better in the end because that tithe stuff was horrible.
Cole really came into his own with being the Heir of Christmas!

Something I definitely related to was the mother wound/abandonment. I liked that the author showed grief manifesting in different ways for Cole, his brother, and his father.

Also shout out to the staff! They were so caring and truly so loyal throughout this story. All the decorations were gorgeous and the food sounded incredible. 

I can't wait to see more in the sequel Go Luck Yourself ,which releases March 2025.



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Abuelita and Me by Leonarda Carranza

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emotional 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

4.0

A sweet story about a child and her grandma and their day to day lives. This book speaks about navigating the world through discrimination from others. And how this shouldn't stop you from living your life. And that you are allowed to take up space. 

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Jockstraps & Newspapers by Lizzie Strong

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Jockstraps & Newspapers was such a sweet fun read! I loved the idea of an actual sport called sports ball and all of the ridiculousness that came along with it.

The friendships and familial healing were definitely a highlight for me. And this book was also delightfully steamy as well.

Overall I truly had so much fun reading this book. But that ending... I don't know  it left a bit more to be desired for me?

Slight spoiler ahead! 
i mean the article around Elliot is a major plot point. And it really bothered me that we didnt get to see anything about the finished article, his reaction to it, or any praise for Cassie's hard work on it.


This book was a bit long imo, but at the same time I feel like it needed an epilogue? A couple years in the future would have been nice just to see where everyone ended up. 

I hope that the author makes a sequel to this. I'd really love to see more on the 2nd relationship that was introduced at the end of the book.

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A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

So, what if Sailor Moon was 29 and had real world problems? Well, she'd be in credit card debt like the rest of us obviously. 

A Magical Girl Retires was something so unexpected and different than what I had previously thought. It's rather charming in its mundaneness though. Our MC is very relatable and truly just a millennial trying to get through life day by day. 

Also
the big bad being climate change was just so on the nose. The magical girl of time was such an asshole of a villian too omg.


This was such a fun quick read. I think everyone should read it at least once. Especially if you grew up watching magical girls! 

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Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

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challenging emotional 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

5.0

This was unputdownable, if you have the opportunity to read this via audio PLEASE do so. 

Thirsty was absolutely incredible. My heart broke for Blake so many times. She really struggles with her self image and anxiety abd her past with bullying. The way she speaks to herself made me want to just wrap her up in my arms. I'm so glad she has Nettie through all of the ugly she experiences. 

The author gives us a first hand experience with alcoholism throughout this book. And how normalized it is by our society. Especially with how often Blake is told "you don't have a problem" by
her girlfriend Ella.
 

Thirsty also shows that there is life outside of addiction. And how things can become better through healing and having a community who cares for you. 

Also I just need to go on a mini rant brb
I HATE Ella oh my god. How dare she cheat on Blake. How dare she make Blake feel stupid for being angry THE NIGHT she cheated on her. How dare she be so toxic and gas light her and put her SAFETY in jeopardy. Ella is so incredibly awful and selfish. Blake deserved so much better and I'm so happy she's no longer in her life. That relationship was TERRIBLE.


Okay rant over! Read this book :)

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Mistletoe & Mishigas by M.A. Wardell

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh how I loved these two. Sheldon and Theo are such a perfect pair despite being vastly different.

Their mutual annoyance with eachother in the beginning was utterly hilarious. Especially with Theo constantly thinking about how Sheldon never shuts up. 

But they were both so sweet and tender with eachother. Sheldon with being there for Theo in his ptsd moments. And Theo always reassuring and encouraging Sheldon to be his truest self no matter what. The nail polish moments were some of my favorites. 

The ptsd representation meant so much to me. While I've never been in a war zone, Theo's experience with ptsd was very relatable. And it made me so happy how sound his support system is. 

Theo's parents are absolutely wonderful and truly a highlight of this book for me. They're so incredibly loving. I love how much they healed Sheldon. 

Another thing I loved was Sheldon's relationship with his twin sister and how they're always there for eachother. 

This series continues to delight me and capture my heart and i can't wait to read the third book. 

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