shelbisreading's reviews
46 reviews

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by Isthisselfcare

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems by Megan Fox

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Heartbreaking poems about loss and abuse. 

The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

dark sad tense slow-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

2.0

Time of Contempt disappointed me and is my least favorite Witcher novel. Unlike season 3 of The Witcher, which heavily featured

Yennefer

and added intrigue to the storyline, this book felt lacking in her presence. While I understand she's not as prominent in the books as she is in the show, her absence was noticeable and detracted from the overall experience. What really soured my opinion of the book was the disturbing

Cirie rape scene towards the end. It felt entirely unnecessary to the plot and made me uncomfortable. Cirie could have simply been portrayed as friends with the Rats without introducing such a creepy and unsettling element.

The fact that she's still depicted as a baby in this context only made it worse. Overall, this made me scrutinize the entire book more closely than I otherwise would have. Despite this, I'm curious to see how the next few novels unfold, especially since they extend beyond the events depicted in the Netflix show.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous 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? Yes

2.0

Having put off reading The Cruel Prince for quite some time, I finally picked it up this April. However, my experience with the book left much to be desired, leading me to give it a two-star rating. What didn't quite resonate with me was its reliance on tropes similar to those found in much fantasy works (particularly Sarah J Maas books), but somehow lacking the same magic. The introduction of various fairy types felt more like a checklist than a natural part of the story, disrupting its flow. Nonetheless, my love for Spiderwick motivated me to continue reading, but I don't think I'll be continuing the series. Holly Black is such a cool lady and author so absolutely no disrespect! Just not for me.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious slow-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

4.5

The Night Circus was everything I had hoped to gain from Something Wicked This Way Comes. It’s a magical package of adventure, mystery and whimsy-told in an epic over many, many years. I particularly enjoyed seeing the characters of Poppet and Widget grow from

babies to caretakers of the circus. Their character development was spectacular.

I would recommend this book to anyone craving an interesting magic system with characters to fall in love with. A great story. 

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Divine Rivals was a perfect read. I found it reminiscent of Narnia with it’s mysterious magic system and sweet, thoughtful characters. The overall setting was beautifully described, you will truly feel like you’ve been dropped inside this book. 

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Blood of Elves was the most magical installment of The Witcher series so far. It was my favorite only behind The Last Wish. I really enjoyed all of the Yennefer-Ciri content, and finally understand

why people complain that the show paints them in more of a sisterly vibe than a mother/daughter relationship. Ciri is definitely more of a child in the books.

 

Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

3.0

I didn’t enjoy this installment as much as The Last Wish just because the first few short stories I found to be a little odd and out of Sapkowski’s usual storytelling voice. I particularly didn’t get into the chapter about the gnomes at the bank, it felt a little off and it took me out of The Witcher’s usual high stakes fantasy vibe. Towards the middle the story picked right back up and held true until the end, with beautiful twists and adventures. Excited to move onto the first Novel outside of the short stories, The Blood of  Elves! 

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Braiding Sweetgrass was loaned to me by my cousin Erin, who shares an interest in plant life with me. I loved this book, it’s lessons on sharing and indigenous teachings came with a fresh perspective. I particularly enjoyed the “W” chapter and comparisons to capitalism, which made me inspired and excited to participate more frequently in meaningful protest, mostly anti capitalist gift giving. Taking just enough, and giving excesses. In addition, the strawberry field chapter was particularly meaningful to me. Its lessons on free vs cheap were fascinating and really made me think about how I view my own learned poverty mindset, a mindset that craves to hoard. Thank you for sharing, Erin! 

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

adventurous dark inspiring slow-paced

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

3.0

The first 25% of this book is very much like the movie, a spooky Halloween treat. The rest of The Halloween Tree lays a little too heavy of the philosophy of being a man for my personal taste, and also includes themes of death. I do think this book would be great for a different audience, and I loved the first few chapters.