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rjsetserauthor's reviews
863 reviews
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
adventurous
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? No
5.0
A Random Tavern by Duncan Wilson
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A Random Tavern is a deeply narrative and somewhat bizarre short story.
Written with eloquence and from the perspective of the tavern owner (Theo), this story aims to transport you from your mundane life into a random tavern by the seaside. I adore short stories for their ability to pack so much into so few pages and leave you considering deeper meanings long after you've read the last page. A Random Tavern does just that.
We sympathize with Theo by surmising that Randolph might be crazy, but the story reflects the human desire to believe in the supernatural and unthinkable as we ponder if he's really endured such a fantastical tale. We're left wanting to believe his stories, but unsure if we can.
I think this is the type of short story that a book club would enjoy dissecting, as there are countless lines, phrases, and incredible illustrations that deserve a spotlighted discussion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this short story and recommend it to anyone who also has a soft spot for brief, yet complex short stories.
Content warnings below: A few spooks and mentions of monsters and mildly descriptive gore. No sexual content or romance at all. A couple of very mild curse words.
Written with eloquence and from the perspective of the tavern owner (Theo), this story aims to transport you from your mundane life into a random tavern by the seaside. I adore short stories for their ability to pack so much into so few pages and leave you considering deeper meanings long after you've read the last page. A Random Tavern does just that.
We sympathize with Theo by surmising that Randolph might be crazy, but the story reflects the human desire to believe in the supernatural and unthinkable as we ponder if he's really endured such a fantastical tale. We're left wanting to believe his stories, but unsure if we can.
I think this is the type of short story that a book club would enjoy dissecting, as there are countless lines, phrases, and incredible illustrations that deserve a spotlighted discussion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this short story and recommend it to anyone who also has a soft spot for brief, yet complex short stories.
Content warnings below: A few spooks and mentions of monsters and mildly descriptive gore. No sexual content or romance at all. A couple of very mild curse words.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Blood
The Roadtrip Of Life by A.Ikram
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
The Roadtrip of Life feels like having coffee with a friend.
This collection of poetry and thoughts takes the reader on a journey of self-reflection and encourages us to heal from past experiences and keep moving forward. The author is passionate about guiding their reader to find their true self and be happy with who they are.
The formatting of this collection is unique, as each chapter opens with a short poem, includes an expansive bit of prose to accompany the poem, and then closes with a question and a heartfelt letter to the reader. I really enjoyed this setup, as it felt incredibly different than other poetry collections, however, it did feel repetitive at times because the prose seemed to re-word exactly what the poem said. But I definitely enjoyed the poetry and look forward to watching A. Ikram grow as a poet in the future.
I didn't note any content warnings for this title.
This collection of poetry and thoughts takes the reader on a journey of self-reflection and encourages us to heal from past experiences and keep moving forward. The author is passionate about guiding their reader to find their true self and be happy with who they are.
The formatting of this collection is unique, as each chapter opens with a short poem, includes an expansive bit of prose to accompany the poem, and then closes with a question and a heartfelt letter to the reader. I really enjoyed this setup, as it felt incredibly different than other poetry collections, however, it did feel repetitive at times because the prose seemed to re-word exactly what the poem said. But I definitely enjoyed the poetry and look forward to watching A. Ikram grow as a poet in the future.
I didn't note any content warnings for this title.
Flounder, Flounder, In the Sea by Samuel DenHartog
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Review to come!
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Might come back to it later, but the main character reminded me of my recently deceased grandpa and it's just too emotional for me to read right now.
Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
In Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) recounts his acting career up to the point of this publication and gives special attention to his time at Hogwarts (filming the Harry Potter movies). Any fans of the Harry Potter series should consider this memoir a "must read" as it is both full of behind-the-scenes and nostalgic memories of the movies.
Tom's memoir is everything I hoped it would be. I laughed so much at his forward and no-nonsense way of telling stories. Listening to the audiobook (which he narrates himself) felt like listening to theatrical takes from the set of the Harry Potter movies. Many of his stories had me laughing out loud and I loved this rare glimpse into the life of a child actor. He was very good about explaining things that aren't common knowledge, so I feel that I learned a lot about the acting industry by reading this book, as well.
After the first half of the book, which is where spends his time describing his Harry Potter experience, the book takes a more personal turn and focuses on his life after the films and his journey through rehab and finding himself again. While there are a few chapters that made me incredibly sad and worried for him, I feel that with the conclusion of this book, he's doing much better now.
I will caution readers who haven't finished the Harry Potter series that there are many spoilers to the series mentioned throughout this book! Tom Felton assumes that his readers have watched all the movies and talks about the endings often, so don't read this if you're trying to avoid spoilers!
Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook so much and recommend it to anyone who loves Harry Potter or even just if you'd like to read about the behind-the-scenes of filmmaking!
Tom's memoir is everything I hoped it would be. I laughed so much at his forward and no-nonsense way of telling stories. Listening to the audiobook (which he narrates himself) felt like listening to theatrical takes from the set of the Harry Potter movies. Many of his stories had me laughing out loud and I loved this rare glimpse into the life of a child actor. He was very good about explaining things that aren't common knowledge, so I feel that I learned a lot about the acting industry by reading this book, as well.
After the first half of the book, which is where spends his time describing his Harry Potter experience, the book takes a more personal turn and focuses on his life after the films and his journey through rehab and finding himself again. While there are a few chapters that made me incredibly sad and worried for him, I feel that with the conclusion of this book, he's doing much better now.
I will caution readers who haven't finished the Harry Potter series that there are many spoilers to the series mentioned throughout this book! Tom Felton assumes that his readers have watched all the movies and talks about the endings often, so don't read this if you're trying to avoid spoilers!
Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook so much and recommend it to anyone who loves Harry Potter or even just if you'd like to read about the behind-the-scenes of filmmaking!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use
Minor: Bullying
Content warnings listed below:
Moderate themes of alcoholism and drug use. Nondescriptive bullying and common injuries. Commonplace cursing.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Cress by Marissa Meyer
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book is my favorite out of the series, so far. So many moments where I couldn't turn the audio off and even more where I gasped and had audible reactions to the scenes unfolding. I really wasn't sure where this series was going when I started Cinder, but I'm extremely happy I've stuck with it. I can't wait to read Winter.
I may write a more detailed review later, but for now, this is a 5 star read from me!
I may write a more detailed review later, but for now, this is a 5 star read from me!
Moon Soul by Nathaniel Luscombe
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Talent brings about opportunity, but it doesn't determine destiny."
Nothing I say here will properly give this book justice. Moon Soul is a beautiful, introspective novella with a heartbeat that many readers will feel as if it's their own. Having read several of Luscombe's books before, I went into this book prepared for unique perspectives on themes and story worlds, but I wasn't prepared for how personal August's journey of self-discovery would feel to me. There were so many times when I felt as if August were reading my own jumbled thoughts and writing them down in a language that allowed me to process them better. I don't think I've ever related to a character as much as I related to August.
The story is fairly fast-paced, but I think it suits the story well. I would've loved for this to be a full-length novel where we learned all the intricate details of the memory-holding sand on the purple moon, but that's just because I don't think I could get enough of this world—or August, Lekka, and Alix. As it is, it still felt complete and perfect.
"If you live your life based on other people's reactions, you'll never truly live."
I don't always feel the need to annotate or highlight lines in the books I read, but I can't wait for this book to be released so I can go through it again and annotate it in its physical form. It just adds such an artistic and unique perspective on this life, and I think anyone who feels overwhelmed by work, expectations, or family dysfunction will feel comforted within the calming pages of Moon Soul.
The easiest 5 stars I've given a book in a long time!
I received this book from the author/publisher via BookSirens. All comments are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.
Nothing I say here will properly give this book justice. Moon Soul is a beautiful, introspective novella with a heartbeat that many readers will feel as if it's their own. Having read several of Luscombe's books before, I went into this book prepared for unique perspectives on themes and story worlds, but I wasn't prepared for how personal August's journey of self-discovery would feel to me. There were so many times when I felt as if August were reading my own jumbled thoughts and writing them down in a language that allowed me to process them better. I don't think I've ever related to a character as much as I related to August.
The story is fairly fast-paced, but I think it suits the story well. I would've loved for this to be a full-length novel where we learned all the intricate details of the memory-holding sand on the purple moon, but that's just because I don't think I could get enough of this world—or August, Lekka, and Alix. As it is, it still felt complete and perfect.
"If you live your life based on other people's reactions, you'll never truly live."
I don't always feel the need to annotate or highlight lines in the books I read, but I can't wait for this book to be released so I can go through it again and annotate it in its physical form. It just adds such an artistic and unique perspective on this life, and I think anyone who feels overwhelmed by work, expectations, or family dysfunction will feel comforted within the calming pages of Moon Soul.
The easiest 5 stars I've given a book in a long time!
I received this book from the author/publisher via BookSirens. All comments are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment
Content warnings: Non-graphic themes of anxiety, abandonment, and strained parental relationships. No cursing. Very mild on-page romance; only mild kissing.