roniboi's reviews
546 reviews

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

mysterious fast-paced

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

2.0

I think it's about time to admit I don't like Christie novels as much as I would want to. More a failing on my part. I just never like the ending. It always frustrates me.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

adventurous funny 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

4.25

The Complete Language of Flowers - A Treasury of Verse and Prose by Sheila Pickles

informative

4.0

A good brief overview of English flowers, including some flowers brought over over the centuries. It was disappointing that it was only english flowers though.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

Look for Me by Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn

dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

dark fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

I was hating on this book when I first started reading it. Thankfully, I had character development and started appreciating the main character as well as the ick of the rest of the story. This is truly a true Gothic story. It has the nasty stuff, the haunted house, the trapped woman, etc. etc. It was a real solid book. My only qualm is

why does she end up with that guy? Don't get me wrong, I thought he was sweet and I liked him, but I'm kinda tired of POC women/men ending up with white people. Like they always do the BARE MINIMUM. Whatever.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

I primarily began reading this book to get in on the adult mystery thriller genre. Also the aspect of there being an isolated cast of characters somewhat like Christie's works really drew me in. It became apparent rather quick that I was not invested in the characters or the plot all that much. It took me awhile to realize why. The author was not good at convincing me that the people were who they were, the atmosphere was what it was, and that is because Foley spent all of their time telling me the way things should be instead of showing me that they just are. "Ben is charming. I am a mess. He is kind. He is cruel. The house is evil. Yeah yeah yeah..." That's basically how the novel read causing it to fall flat. Then there was the mystery. I generally read mystery not for the sake of figuring it out before the main character, but to enjoy the process.  The little reveals along the way were small bursts of hope that this was going to be more exciting than it was. They did their job well by stringing me along until the end. When I tell you I was genuinely irritated about how obvious the reveal was, I mean it.  I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never did.

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

dark medium-paced

4.75

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0