Scan barcode
ashli's reviews
584 reviews
It's Lonely At The Centre Of The Earth by Zoe Thorogood
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Every page seems disconnected or loosely tied to one another.
The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke
Did not finish book. Stopped at 66%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 66%.
I really loved this narrator, but I just couldn't get into the book. I think this was made worse by the book that I read prior to this, but I'm not sure. I did like some of the characters, but not enough to tell you anything about them. I also wasn't particularly intrigued by the concept of the mercies.
The Name-Bearer by Natalia Hernandez
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
If I had not listened to the audiobook, I probably would've given this a 3.75.
I don't normally listen to audiobooks outside of normal speed because I generally like hearing the story-rhythm, but I did increase the speed about halfway through.
Narrator's choices: the narrator's voice for the main character had a baby-voice quality to it. At first, I thought this made sense as the character was younger, but then they were up in their 20s an they still had it. The narrator also kept mispronouncing words, one of which was the word coax. They mispronounced it so many times I thought maybe I was wrong and had to look it up, but they were definitely wrong. Both of those things kept bumping out my focus.
Book as a whole: I never got behind the "flowers of prophecy" concept. I had been hoping it was a metaphor, but it is very literal. I was inclined to laugh every time they were mentioned. For what felt like a very large portion of the book they weren't mentioned at all so I completely forgot about them, but then they were mentioned again and it was back. The rest of the story was much more casual and almost cozy. Most of the rest of this first book is a slice of life until things really start to kick into gear. I liked the time spent with the order, but I ended up feeling as if the wrapping up point of the book was rushed. It didn't feel like it had a perfect cut-off point, but I could just feel that way because things only started happening towards what felt like the very end of the book. All in all, I won't read the second book unless someone I know or trust tells me the next book is better.
I don't normally listen to audiobooks outside of normal speed because I generally like hearing the story-rhythm, but I did increase the speed about halfway through.
Narrator's choices: the narrator's voice for the main character had a baby-voice quality to it. At first, I thought this made sense as the character was younger, but then they were up in their 20s an they still had it. The narrator also kept mispronouncing words, one of which was the word coax. They mispronounced it so many times I thought maybe I was wrong and had to look it up, but they were definitely wrong. Both of those things kept bumping out my focus.
Book as a whole: I never got behind the "flowers of prophecy" concept. I had been hoping it was a metaphor, but it is very literal. I was inclined to laugh every time they were mentioned. For what felt like a very large portion of the book they weren't mentioned at all so I completely forgot about them, but then they were mentioned again and it was back. The rest of the story was much more casual and almost cozy. Most of the rest of this first book is a slice of life until things really start to kick into gear. I liked the time spent with the order, but I ended up feeling as if the wrapping up point of the book was rushed. It didn't feel like it had a perfect cut-off point, but I could just feel that way because things only started happening towards what felt like the very end of the book. All in all, I won't read the second book unless someone I know or trust tells me the next book is better.
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
Too much like political intrigue so I tuned out for a lot of it.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
2.75
I didn’t like the beginning of the book, I found it difficult to get hooked in. Eventually I was invested in the wide cast of characters, but if you asked me what the plot was I wouldn’t be able to tell you.
Re: the audiobook, part of my confusion was with how the “next section” bits were handled. There was a brief pause and oftentimes the same voice would pick up and I wouldn’t realize until sentences in that the speaker had changed.
Re: the audiobook, part of my confusion was with how the “next section” bits were handled. There was a brief pause and oftentimes the same voice would pick up and I wouldn’t realize until sentences in that the speaker had changed.
Fix-It and Forget-It Plant-Based Comfort Food Cookbook: 127 Healthy Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Meals by Hope Comerford
4.0
I wish the book was split in half by instant pot versus slow cooker, and even then maybe additionally by time since that’ll affect your recipe choices if you have a slow cooker. But other than that I’ve pulled out several recipes to try.
Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) by Kathleen Gros
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
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
5.0
I had forgotten this was a remixed adaptation and discovering that was a delight. Even where the story closely matched the original I loved seeing this version of Anne. Every version of Anne is excellent so I can’t have favorites, but this one will definitely hold a sweet, tender, special place in my heart.