thekuster's reviews
397 reviews

A Kiss, For Real, Vol. 2 by Fumie Akuta

4.0

A Kiss, For Real, Vol. 1 by Fumie Akuta

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Picked up this teen romance manga to fill up my 2023 reading challenge. I’m definitely not the target audience and the drama is very teen-focused, so I did catch myself rolling my eyes quite a few times. But you can’t deny how cute and heartwarming first loves can be! So equal parts childish and charming…which means I’ll probably finish it as an easy read.

A Pocketful of Happiness: A Memoir by Richard E. Grant

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

Audiobook, read by the author. Richard E. Grant has a great voice and is endlessly doing voice impressions in this book, perhaps as a tribute to his wife, Joan Washington who was a dialect coach.

In this memoir, it's immediately evident that Grant loved his wife, is incredibly genuine and has an obsession with Barbara Streisand that's a bit eyebrow-raising.

There were some very heartfelt moments and it's overall, a loving tribute, but also features jarring time jumps, disjointed story-telling and what felt like excessive name-dropping. 

Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes

adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Really great audiobook read by the author Natalie Haynes. 

I have always loved mythology and generally with my bad memory, forget them shortly after I've heard/read them (see Stephen Fry's Mythos or Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology). This allows me to hear them over and over again and still enjoy them every time. 

In Natalie Haynes' Pandora's Jar - not only are we told about the women in Greek Myth, which are lesser known, but we are given additional context in the form of multiple sources - plays, poems, paintings, artwork. Compared to other books I've read on mythology - this paints a fuller, richer picture and one that has windows into multiple alternative versions. 

Natalie Haynes is an incredible story-teller and now easily one of my favourite authors when it comes to mythology. 

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

A truly engaging short story told through a series of letters. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did since I've never been captivated by any stories told through an alternative "medium". I shouldn't have doubted TJR's ability to craft an engrossing story - you don't have like her characters, but they are gripping nonetheless. I found this surprisingly poignant and find myself continuing to think about the characters as if they were people I actually knew - wondering what has become of them. 

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.25

Super easy and fun read - I've forgotten quite a bit about it already unfortunately, but do remember that the story was easy to pick up/put down, the characters were likeable (especially the gravewitch and the fairy godmother) and overall, it felt like an enjoyable modern fairytale. The setting was also very vibrant, I could picture it all and it would make a great animated film! 

The Eleventh Metal by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Interesting, very short story providing some additional background into Kelsier motivations and training as a Mistborn. Some glimpses into those inner voices encountered in the main trilogy, so I'm not sure if it was better that I read this after finishing the trilogy or if this would have given me some clues prior to book 3. 

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? No

3.75

This last entry into Mistborn era one took me a long time to finish - I just wasn't as interested and the conflict felt slow and drawn out. Still, the conclusion was enjoyable and a great wrap-up to the narrative and it's clear that the magic system still has much to be discovered. My main complaint is that this entry was so full of religious allegory that it became distracting. Perhaps being aware of Sanderson's religious background made this feel more heavy-handed, but I think even if I didn't know, it would still feel like a bit much.  

Glad I finished this trilogy, but not sure if I'm ready to delve into era 2 just yet. I'll get around to it eventually. 

What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe

adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Another great "What If" entry from Randall Munroe - thoroughly enjoyable as an audiobook, read by Will Wheaton. Funnily enough, the question of a bird flying into a moving car came up in conversation recently and I was able to bring up the fact that Munroe has already answered this question - so go read the latest What If! As long as Munroe keeps publishing these, I will continue reading them. 

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous inspiring reflective 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? No

4.75

Easily my favourite so far of Sanderson's novels - although this one was much shorter, a mere 100 or so pages. The Forgery magic system here is one I've found most intriguing - change through rewriting history. The re-building of a soul presents as spiritual challenge without becoming overtly religious, which is an aspect I found distracting in Sanderson's other books. 

Really hoping there will be more stories based here with the Forgery magic system and reading about Shai again would be a bonus!