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stardust_heidi's reviews
505 reviews
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History by Sharon McMahon
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I was really hoping to finish this in 2024, but I found myself getting distracted and zoning out. Not wanting to miss anything, I decided to make it an early 2025 finish!
This was a great read (listen) and I really enjoyed the author’s natural inflections and the way she brought these real historical figures to life. I’ve been reading Sharon’s newsletter for a while and just joined her Governerd program, so I look forward to more of this!
As far as the book goes, I love how it truly was about ordinary Americans making an impact throughout history; the power of education was a central theme, as it should be. Knowledge is a powerful tool.
I think this would have been a good one to dual read in both text and audiobook, but I only owned the audiobook format.
This was a great read (listen) and I really enjoyed the author’s natural inflections and the way she brought these real historical figures to life. I’ve been reading Sharon’s newsletter for a while and just joined her Governerd program, so I look forward to more of this!
As far as the book goes, I love how it truly was about ordinary Americans making an impact throughout history; the power of education was a central theme, as it should be. Knowledge is a powerful tool.
I think this would have been a good one to dual read in both text and audiobook, but I only owned the audiobook format.
The Cadence of Crowns by R.V. Wilbur
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, I enjoyed this! I thought it set a great foundation for the rest of the series (5 books total, I think?), though I did read the epilogue and now have many regrets about my life choices. But alas, I can’t not read a book through to the finish when an epilogue is all that is left. But… Read the author’s note and warning before diving into the epilogue because there will be many years until there’s resolution to the full story. (Brb, gonna stare off into the distance for a while, because I could have had a happy ending and chose to ignore it.)
I do think I’m starting to burn out on the classic romantasy storytelling, and this is 100% a me thing. I think the author balanced the fantasy world/plot well with the romance elements, though at times I got a bit bored/tired of the rather saccharine declarations of love and, well, emphasis on love being the savior to all things. I don’t necessarily completely disagree, but at times it was rather heavy handed within the walls of this story and I found myself rushing through some of these scenes just to get past them.
Wren developed a lot as a character throughout the story, though there were several times she drove me a bit batty. However, these things as well as some other plot points were usually explained or resolved within a few chapters, which I did appreciate quite a bit. Obviously, I want a flawed character, but I do like it when growth happens and others step in to help temper impulsivity and so forth.
There were a few situations in which the classic “I dabbled in ‘xyz’ sport and am now an expert at it, even if I haven’t touched it for years” came into play, but whatever…. I’ll support the good guys winning while they can.
All in all, a great read. I think the author’s plan for the series is clever, and I look forward to learning about the rest of the thrones.
I do think I’m starting to burn out on the classic romantasy storytelling, and this is 100% a me thing. I think the author balanced the fantasy world/plot well with the romance elements, though at times I got a bit bored/tired of the rather saccharine declarations of love and, well, emphasis on love being the savior to all things. I don’t necessarily completely disagree, but at times it was rather heavy handed within the walls of this story and I found myself rushing through some of these scenes just to get past them.
Wren developed a lot as a character throughout the story, though there were several times she drove me a bit batty. However, these things as well as some other plot points were usually explained or resolved within a few chapters, which I did appreciate quite a bit. Obviously, I want a flawed character, but I do like it when growth happens and others step in to help temper impulsivity and so forth.
There were a few situations in which the classic “I dabbled in ‘xyz’ sport and am now an expert at it, even if I haven’t touched it for years” came into play, but whatever…. I’ll support the good guys winning while they can.
All in all, a great read. I think the author’s plan for the series is clever, and I look forward to learning about the rest of the thrones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.25
Okay I would like at least 200 more pages of this
Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
It’s a novella, a short one at that. Hard to rate. But it was cute. Marc was a bit too pushy and demanding, but meh. The past/present jumps worked surprisingly well for such a short story, but I think I’d rather just have everything in the present.
Snowed In by Catherine Walsh
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holiday romance perfection, honestly. Funny. Low drama. Good communication. Holiday antics. Good banter. Friends to lovers. I just loved it.
The Fall That Saved Us by Tamara Jerée
dark
emotional
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
4.0
This was a case of I definitely chose to read a book based on its cover, and I’m not sorry about it.
I’m admittedly not quite 100% sure in my star rating. (I am most unreliable in this.) But outside of that, I really liked this one. I didn’t really know what it was about other than what the cover indicated. It’s a tale of angels vs demons and what happens if a demon (succubus) and an angel (nephilim) fall in love?
I think the character study and growth was definitely the strongest part of this book. There were a few plot points/conflicts that were occasionally a little too easily resolved. Some bits felt somewhat disjointed. I think the way Avitue helped Cassian understand and accept her value and worth was really beautiful. The relationship was a bit insta-love, but…I like the way they are both able to be vulnerable and develop trust and intimacy (true intimacy, not just the lusty lust). I liked how Cassian was able to face the rigidity of her upbringing and find her true self on her own accord.
I’m admittedly not quite 100% sure in my star rating. (I am most unreliable in this.) But outside of that, I really liked this one. I didn’t really know what it was about other than what the cover indicated. It’s a tale of angels vs demons and what happens if a demon (succubus) and an angel (nephilim) fall in love?
I think the character study and growth was definitely the strongest part of this book. There were a few plot points/conflicts that were occasionally a little too easily resolved. Some bits felt somewhat disjointed. I think the way Avitue helped Cassian understand and accept her value and worth was really beautiful. The relationship was a bit insta-love, but…I like the way they are both able to be vulnerable and develop trust and intimacy (true intimacy, not just the lusty lust). I liked how Cassian was able to face the rigidity of her upbringing and find her true self on her own accord.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood
Minor: Self harm, Death of parent
The Girl in The Tower by Katherine Arden
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail