stardust_heidi's reviews
437 reviews

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

emotional funny lighthearted sad tense medium-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

4.5

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense 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

Trails and Tribulations: The Running Adventures of Susie Chan by Susie Chan

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

Loved this so much! What an inspiration. 

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.

Just not feeling it. On holiday, and the mood is fickle. 

Palestine, Israel, and U.S. Empire by Richard Becker

challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This book is fantastic. It’s the third book I’ve read about Palestine this year, and it was by far the easiest to understand and read. I am not an academic, and some of the other books out there on Palestine and its history are a slog to get through. This felt far more approachable for me, and I so appreciate the short chapters. They keep me interested and engaged. 

The information is well laid out and presented. Some of the different perspectives in the appendices are interesting. 

Honestly, if you want to know more about the history of Palestine and Israeli/US Zionist imperialism, this is an excellent place to start. It’s firmly anti-Zionist.  

The Marriage Hex by Sarah Blue

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense 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

Love love love! Addicting. I devoured this one. 

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense 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

Honestly, 5 stars for vibes. THIS is what cozy fantasy should be about. Books, sentient plants, a jam shop, magical creatures, learning to live in community, learning to love. Add a touch of danger or tension at times, and it’s perfect. I found this book utterly charming. I was scared it was going to be too saccharine and over the top, but somehow the author balanced everything really well. If you need a feel-good, cozy fantasy with high stakes but low drama, a bit of whimsy and silly, with a bit of love and friendship on the side, this is for you!

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

This is definitely a middle book, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It’s always nice to see what happens after the initial introduction of characters and plot. 

Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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 love this duology so much. 

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

5 stars for the story. 4 stars for the audiobook. I felt some of the narrations to be quite flat or overly expressive. It didn’t detract from the story, but coming into this audiobook after finishing a book with an incredible narration is kind of rough.

I do love the story and set up for this series. The world building is phenomenal. 

I’m continuing the series in audiobook format, this time at least.