thatonelibrarygirl's reviews
332 reviews

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark tense fast-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

 So good. Little cliffhanger at the end- love to see it! Can’t wait to start the sequel! 

Educated by Tara Westover

challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Poignant and memorable. I’m disappointed that I listened to this right on the heels of The Glass Castle. The two stories are remarkably similar to the point that I sometimes struggled to keep the two separate in my thinking. Overall, this view into Tara Westover’s life is eye opening and intricate. Highly recommend.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

challenging emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Highly recommend this as an audiobook! It’s read by the author, and that makes every word more poignant. I’m amazed at the sheer turbulence in the Walls family lives and the successful effort it took to overcome the challenges. Often I lament the paycheck-to-paycheck living, penny-pinching, and low income house I grew up in and the opportunities I missed out on because of that. However, this puts everything into perspective and makes me grateful for the family love and memories that withstood that life.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

adventurous funny mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

 I'd give this a 3.5 if I could- intriguing plot and enchanting characters once again. I did note some plot holes and/or grammar spots that could use fixing, but that's the risk with an ARC!

The continued story of Emily and Wendell is fascinating to me- a faerie king and a mortal. I really enjoyed the adventure of the Otherlands and, of course, the fuchszwerge. I wish there was more conflict between

Emily and the wicked stepmother

because it felt a bit rushed. Like the author was moving through that sequence too fast. I'm hoping the next book provides more clarity to what happens next!

Big thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Random House, and Heather Fawcett for the opportunity to review this prior to printing. 

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

emotional funny hopeful 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

3.0

 I can see why this was popular in the 80s. This really nails what it’s like to feel 11-12 and coming into yourself. The pressures to fit in, say the right thing, do the right thing, wear the right thing, and all while navigating hormones and a new school year. Oof. Overall, I’m glad I read it. 

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

funny reflective fast-paced

3.0

I have no idea what I just listened to... the stream of consciousness style of writing was good background flow for me, but I also don't know that I remember what was discussed. I'm VERY glad I listened to the audio, read by the author, because there's a 0% chance I would have been able to follow the written text. There are some really funny nuggets here and there which made me laugh in the car- exactly what I was looking for. I'm imagining that Jenny Lawson would be very entertaining to meet in real life... 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

So good!! Even better because I listened to the audio- it’s a cast of three women narrating the three perspectives. Normally, I’m not a fan of historical fiction that jumps between the past and present day. But this one included an historical mystery and I couldn’t wait to discover the connections between the times. I’m giving it 4 stars because the beginning was slow enough that I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep going. But it grabbed me a quarter of the way in, and I couldn’t wait to keep listening.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional reflective 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

3.5

I really enjoyed the various characters so interwoven. I had a really hard time keeping characters separate because their names were similar, but the stories were sweet. I might pick up the next in the series. Either way it's a cute, quick read.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark funny 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 am not the same. Ohmigod. THIS BOOK. It has been YEARS since I've read a fantasy book this fantastic. And now I have to WAIT until NOVEMBER for the release of the sequel.

Happy Place by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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