thecasualbooknerd's reviews
118 reviews

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
There seemed to be an undercurrent of racism (as in, much of what was written could be used to justify racism) and there seemed to be an inherent attitude of superiority from the author.
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The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense slow-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

4.25

I adore Marie Lu and she does it once again! A beautiful story, carefully crafted, exploring what it means to love and be loved through fantastical realism <3
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Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

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adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Angst, so much angst. And again, such an engaging story and so frustratingly written. I hoped the writing would improve from the first to the second book, but there’s still too much tell and not enough show, not to mention the farther we read the more the characters sound exactly like Mare. And how much does our angsty protagonist know? Not much apparently since she says it so much it could be a drinking game:
Who ___, I don’t know.
What ___, I don’t know.
When ___, I don’t know. 
Where ___, I don’t know. 
Why ___, I don’t know. 
How I got through this book, I don’t know—but here we are. 
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The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

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adventurous mysterious 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

The Best Man's Ghostwriter by Matthew Starr

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-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

4.0

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

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adventurous 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

I Hate You More by Alexandra Moody

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

2.75

A Coup of Tea by Casey Blair

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adventurous relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.5

Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

4.75

Transformative and poignant, a continuing challenge to live up to
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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

3.0

I understand the hype, as it is an engaging story. However the themes, including forced sexual relations and confinement/isolation, not to mention the sheer violence and torture, were less engaging. If you want to read SJ Maas, go for Throne if Glass. 
Also it took me way too long to realise this was a Beauty & the Beast retelling, but it is by far my least favourite one 
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