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bkreadsitall's reviews
230 reviews
In the Time of our History by Susanne Pari
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good multi-generational family drama with many side characters and stories that all stem somewhat from the death of Mitra’s sister, Anahita.
I was not blown away by the story, but there were tremendous character arcs, like Yusef, Shireen, and Mitra’s. Dark themes were heavily involved and I would recommend checking trigger warnings if you are interested in reading this well-written Iranian character-driven story.
I was not blown away by the story, but there were tremendous character arcs, like Yusef, Shireen, and Mitra’s. Dark themes were heavily involved and I would recommend checking trigger warnings if you are interested in reading this well-written Iranian character-driven story.
In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love when a book from a new-to-me author gets me super excited for more to come and that is what In Walked Trouble did to a tee!
Dana Hawkins is a master of FF romance. She writes very relatable and real characters who are imperfect and unfortunately human, but so lovable and charming.
Maya is a young student who has paved her path through college with hard work and plenty a bartending job. Remi has been working, quite successfully, as a bartender for years and is up for a big promotion. Both end up in an epic rivalry, competing for money they desperately need to support their stability.
The gloves come out and as the competition heats up, they recognize a spark… Will their budding interest flare or combust?
Thank you to the author for making me both laugh and tear up while connecting with her characters. I am looking forward to continuing the series!
Dana Hawkins is a master of FF romance. She writes very relatable and real characters who are imperfect and unfortunately human, but so lovable and charming.
Maya is a young student who has paved her path through college with hard work and plenty a bartending job. Remi has been working, quite successfully, as a bartender for years and is up for a big promotion. Both end up in an epic rivalry, competing for money they desperately need to support their stability.
The gloves come out and as the competition heats up, they recognize a spark… Will their budding interest flare or combust?
Thank you to the author for making me both laugh and tear up while connecting with her characters. I am looking forward to continuing the series!
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.5
Aristotle and Dante’s story of love and loss and denial and acceptance and ALL of the teenage angst once again leaves me breathless in book 2.
An important coming of age novel, book 2 allowed so much growth and development in Ari’s story. The writing is beautiful and the characters, every single one, were complicated and intriguing. I was so impressed by how the author shaped the beginnings of true young adulthood for Aristotle and what it meant to find oneself and evolve into a person you want to be around.
The kiss in the rain, the blossoming love in the phone calls, and the sweet interactions with the boys parents make Aristotle and Dante such a lovely couple to follow from page to page. The author did make every teenager in this book sound like philosophers (true to their name) which can be a bit unrealistic at most times (I blame the public school system for my lack of faith) and this book truly covers the gamut of traumatic experiences, but what I wouldn’t give for Ari and Dante to be together forever.
Highly recommend for the teenager in your life who’s still in their ‘Identity vs. Role Confusion’ era.
An important coming of age novel, book 2 allowed so much growth and development in Ari’s story. The writing is beautiful and the characters, every single one, were complicated and intriguing. I was so impressed by how the author shaped the beginnings of true young adulthood for Aristotle and what it meant to find oneself and evolve into a person you want to be around.
The kiss in the rain, the blossoming love in the phone calls, and the sweet interactions with the boys parents make Aristotle and Dante such a lovely couple to follow from page to page. The author did make every teenager in this book sound like philosophers (true to their name) which can be a bit unrealistic at most times (I blame the public school system for my lack of faith) and this book truly covers the gamut of traumatic experiences, but what I wouldn’t give for Ari and Dante to be together forever.
Highly recommend for the teenager in your life who’s still in their ‘Identity vs. Role Confusion’ era.
Life in November by Haley Warren
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book centers around November, a dentist who identifies the dental records of the deceased on the side to help solve forensic cases, and Ethan Barclay, a dishonored professional soccer player whom throws himself into self-imposed exile while he ruminates over the failures of his career.
November loses her best friend in a terrible accident and a box appears on her doorstep posthumously with letters and travel itineraries (think Thirteen Reasons Why-esque). During her journey of grief, she runs into Ethan and together they process their pains and learn about each other and themselves.
I enjoyed the characters. November and Ethan both had a lot going on in their lives and found each other in the right moment and the tumultuous relationships in this book were raw and beautiful.
The majority of the novel were the two main characters traveling about trauma dumping on each other and refusing to acknowledge their feelings. This got a bit repetitive and frustrating, but this was more of a pacing issue. TW: There is a lot of reference to EDs. It is done very tastefully, but not a great book to pick up if this puts someone in a bad headspace.
Overall, I’m glad I read it and I am shook I read another sports romance after the two I read last year put me off the genre seemingly for good. This was a loose sports romance done right!
November loses her best friend in a terrible accident and a box appears on her doorstep posthumously with letters and travel itineraries (think Thirteen Reasons Why-esque). During her journey of grief, she runs into Ethan and together they process their pains and learn about each other and themselves.
I enjoyed the characters. November and Ethan both had a lot going on in their lives and found each other in the right moment and the tumultuous relationships in this book were raw and beautiful.
The majority of the novel were the two main characters traveling about trauma dumping on each other and refusing to acknowledge their feelings. This got a bit repetitive and frustrating, but this was more of a pacing issue. TW: There is a lot of reference to EDs. It is done very tastefully, but not a great book to pick up if this puts someone in a bad headspace.
Overall, I’m glad I read it and I am shook I read another sports romance after the two I read last year put me off the genre seemingly for good. This was a loose sports romance done right!
Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)?: Adventures in Boyhood by Jay Ellis
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
This was a nice peek into Jay Ellis’ boyhood and teenage years. I love that he got his parents to assist in the audio narration and I can tell he’s done a lot of introspective work in either therapy or some psychological reading. He noted at the beginning of the book that he cannot define this as a memoir, because he has so much more life to live and wisdom to grow and I respect that. This is a look through the eyes of his perspective on growing up, especially with his imaginary friend, Mikey. It is very common for children that move around a lot, are only children, or have a lot of change in their lives to create an imaginary friend to cope and it is super normal as a kid to process this way. It shows a creative spirit and I am interested in seeing Jay Ellis’ growth as an actor and man over the coming years.
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
“Respectfully, I just want to know how you feel about your government lying to you.”
A 5 star, one of my new favorite books of all-time.
The Sword of Kaigen was an epic high fantasy with a full magic system, a diverse and well-fleshed out cast of characters, and a world worth getting lost in (that will be missed so dearly).
What M.L Wang did was made me feel everything, all at once, multiple times throughout the book. Amongst heavy themes of grief, regret, parenthood, and faith, The Sword of Kaigen’s story is shared through multiple POVs, so we learn about a family’s unique perspectives as a war looms on the horizon and plays out. Mamoru is the eldest son with the most discipline and loyalty to his family and empire, Misaki is a housewife of the Matsuda family but with a deeply rooted and violent past, and Takeru is the second eldest Matsuda patriarch with a chilling silence surrounding him and deadly skill in battle.
While we live briefly in this epic world, the heart of the story is within the character’s inner dialogues. I was talking to a friend about this and how the mountain imagery, on the surface is built strong and glorious, seemingly indestructible, but the ‘roots’ of the mountain; the fear, isolating thoughts, and immense shame are what cause cracks and tears in that foundation, hidden away until it’s too late.
I will probably go on blabbing about this book for a lifetime and update my thoughts after a reread, but all I can really say for now is that the family dynamics and sense of community moved me and I cannot wait to discover more of M.L. Wang’s work and revisit Kaigen someday.
A 5 star, one of my new favorite books of all-time.
The Sword of Kaigen was an epic high fantasy with a full magic system, a diverse and well-fleshed out cast of characters, and a world worth getting lost in (that will be missed so dearly).
What M.L Wang did was made me feel everything, all at once, multiple times throughout the book. Amongst heavy themes of grief, regret, parenthood, and faith, The Sword of Kaigen’s story is shared through multiple POVs, so we learn about a family’s unique perspectives as a war looms on the horizon and plays out. Mamoru is the eldest son with the most discipline and loyalty to his family and empire, Misaki is a housewife of the Matsuda family but with a deeply rooted and violent past, and Takeru is the second eldest Matsuda patriarch with a chilling silence surrounding him and deadly skill in battle.
While we live briefly in this epic world, the heart of the story is within the character’s inner dialogues. I was talking to a friend about this and how the mountain imagery, on the surface is built strong and glorious, seemingly indestructible, but the ‘roots’ of the mountain; the fear, isolating thoughts, and immense shame are what cause cracks and tears in that foundation, hidden away until it’s too late.
I will probably go on blabbing about this book for a lifetime and update my thoughts after a reread, but all I can really say for now is that the family dynamics and sense of community moved me and I cannot wait to discover more of M.L. Wang’s work and revisit Kaigen someday.
Reckless by Lauren Roberts
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book was my least favorite of the series so far. Even with the plot twist at the end and the multiple perspectives, which ai usually love, it overall fell very flat for me. I do not plan on continuing the series, but I can see why others would, as the first two books were much better and give hope for the next one.
Galatea by Madeline Miller
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved this! Short but not quite sweet, this was a wonderful reimagining of Pygmalion and ‘the woman’. I could read a full length novel from Galatea’s perspective. Very unique and Madeline Miller is forever an auto-buy author.
Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler
fast-paced
Memoir, so no rating. A good look into some of Anna Marie Tendler’s life. It did feel like quite a bit was missing and it did feel like the story wasn’t descriptive enough of the psychiatric stay, which is really what the main premise was about. It was fine, but needed more.
Raze by Greer Rivers
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Just a good quick time. Happy to see some of these characters again.