ellsmagicshop's reviews
138 reviews

Gay Girl Prayers by Emily Austin

fast-paced

4.0

"where you die, I will die,
there will I be buried,
and theologians will write that we were
friends,
travelling companions,
but I will have loved you
with the purest desires of my heart."

if emily austin has no fans I am dead.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

fast-paced

3.75

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

the yearning in this is top tier

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

fast-paced

3.0

flew through the audiobook but it’s alright for what it is. it was honestly pretty bland & forgettable overall

Rouge by Mona Awad

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Similar to Bunny, I love how Mona Awad uses animals for symbolism in her storytelling.

The way she writes about complex emotions such as grief, trauma, and loneliness is unlike anything else I have read. While it is still unclear what was real and what was not, I appreciate that it can be up to the reader to decide and the story can still have significant meaning regardless. Although this book goes into triggering topics, I appreciate how Awad was able to convey such traumas without being overly explicit -

Tom/Seth being a prime example.

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the commentary on the beauty industry, but I was taken by surprise. It was interesting how the author equated our memories with the condition of our skin and showed how people are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve "beauty."

Overall, very engaging and emotional read that's gonna sit with me for a while. Highly recommend the audiobook as well.

btw I'm never looking at Tom Cruise the same way ever again lol.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

slow-paced

2.75

I’m so sad this was such a disappointment 😭 In the Dream House is one of my favorite books so I was expecting to devour Her Body & Other Parties. every time I picked this up it felt like a chore to read. I didn’t retain any of the short stories & haven’t thought about them at all since finishing this book.

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, Sara Lautman

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

This was pretty disappointing. For a book that's over 600 pages, it felt as though not much happened at all. There was quite a lot of slow build up yet the actual action in this book did not land as it felt too rushed in order to move on to the next plot point. I had so many questions as I was nearing the end and was left disappointed in the explanations, or rather, half-explanations that were given. I can't tell if the reveals in the end were intentionally left for us to interpret, or if the author had so many grand ideas but just did not take the time to flesh them out properly. I will say the big reveals in the end were quite interesting and had potential, but I needed more context in order for it to all make sense and feel satisfying.

What kept me reading were the flashbacks. They were a lot more atmospheric and engaging than the scenes in present day. The characters were further developed and far more interesting than the characters in the present as well. Every chapter from Audrey, Merritt, or Harper's pov dragged on imo.

tldr Interesting ideas but disappointing execution.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.

super boring & drags on. reading 100 pgs somehow feels like reading over 300, yet nothing ever happens.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎; 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎.”

I just knew this was going to be absolute perfection after reading Erin Morgenstern's & Madeline Miller's blurbs.

to say that I am blown away is an understatement. this was such a compelling mix of fantastical and paradoxical. it felt as though the author's writing style emulated a labyrinth itself which made the setting more tangible.

I really love how it was written from the pov of Piranesi's journals -- especially towards the end when we learn the truth of his identity. after the truth behind his past was revealed, it was interesting how Piranesi considered Matthew a separate identity who merely remained a small part of who he ultimately became.

while I loved this book, my only complaint is that it did not feel long enough. the world building was so fascinating and I would have loved to learn more about it in depth.

it's books like these that remind me why I love storytelling so much. this is definitely going to stick with me for a long time ♡