staceen's reviews
96 reviews

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

I DNF at 75% but it felt like reading 100 books so I'm giving myself credit. I'm not a fantasy reader so I didn't think this was going to be for me but people rave about it so hard I had to check it out.

A 500-page first person novel about risking it all for a man (fae) who did nothing but lie to you and sent all his boys to get murdered to save himself? You can keep it.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

A plane full of passengers unwillingly get their causes and ages of death predicted by an old lady. These are their stories.

This was darling, a feel-good, mildly cheesy (in the best way) book with a touch of suspense.

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

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challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

A play-by-play of all the times white people have voted and acted against our own interests because of racism. Really great, accessible writing.

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A group of boarding school friends reunites at a remote inn 27 years later for the wedding of two high school sweethearts, who recently reunited just before the bride was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

This is not the type of fast-paced plot-driven novel that I typically enjoy, but I loved this. Don't get me wrong, it's dark as hell, but gorgeously written. Shreve beautifully captures the way time slows down during New England winter weekends.

I didn't find the characters unlikable like other reviewers, but definitely flawed. Agnes was loony AF and super tragic. Oh, and if the infidelity, unrequited love, estranged children, spousal abuse, climate change and terminal cancer themes weren't grim enough, the author adds a novel-within-a-novel about the tragic Halifax explosion during WWI. And they're never not talking about 9/11.

Content Warnings

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

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Loveable characters? No

2.5

Daphne gets notes (from the universe? God? We never find out) with the length of time of all her romantic relationships. The author spends more time name-dropping LA streets and businesses than anything else. At least 40% of the book was someone lecturing about what love *should* be. This obviously wasn't for me. I found premise to be weird and I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Content Warnings

Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad

3.5

I'm still working out how I feel about this book. I found the chapters in the hospital and the descriptions of mental illnesses very visceral and honest. I liked her writing a lot and found her to be vulnerable in places, but as other reviewers mention, the book lacks a well-thought-out thesis and the omission of her marriage while describing other romantic relationships in detail was glaring.

Content Warnings