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galsgotmoxie's reviews
263 reviews
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual content
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Young sisters Alyona and Sophia are abducted one August afternoon from the busy city center of Petropavlovsk-Komchatsky on the isolated Russian peninsula of Kamchatka.
With only one witness and differing opinions as to what happened to the girls, the police investigation grows cold fairly quickly. But the event itself sends far-reaching ripples into the lives of otherwise unconnected people, sparking actions and reactions large and small.
***
I am not always the biggest fan of mysteries, but I found myself drawn in almost immediately by this novel’s unconventional structure, its complex setting, and its richly textured characters.
Recommended for fans of cerebral thrillers and those who appreciate an interconnected narrative.
With only one witness and differing opinions as to what happened to the girls, the police investigation grows cold fairly quickly. But the event itself sends far-reaching ripples into the lives of otherwise unconnected people, sparking actions and reactions large and small.
***
I am not always the biggest fan of mysteries, but I found myself drawn in almost immediately by this novel’s unconventional structure, its complex setting, and its richly textured characters.
Recommended for fans of cerebral thrillers and those who appreciate an interconnected narrative.
Trust Fund Fiancé by Naima Simone
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Horns by Joe Hill
4.0
"Horns" is an insidious tale, and one that is hard to classify. It isn't out-and-out horror, although it contains imagery that revisited me, more chilling (of course) as I prepared for sleep. It isn't, oh it really isn't, a romance, although in a way it honestly is. And it isn't strictly a coming-of-age story, at least not in the traditional sense. The characters are presented as teenagers and as young adults, but their growth comes in bits and pieces, short spurts inspired by major and minor dramas -- much like actual growth then, and not at all like a YA story.
At its heart, "Horns" is a Luciferian fantasy, a twisting of the familiar tropes and imagery of western religion, a grand idea made intimate and personal in the lives of its compelling, all-too-human main characters. The fantastic touches the mundane in the lives of Ignatius Perrish, Merrin Williams and Lee Tourneau, and each of them cope in their own ways. Each of them has a journey to see through, a promise to fulfill, and Hill's art here is keeping from his readers the truth about these characters in such a way that it's impossible to stop turning pages.
A smart, witty, surprisingly emotional story, "Horns" may not be the terrifying pit-of-dread tale you're expecting, but it will linger with you afterward in unexpected ways.
At its heart, "Horns" is a Luciferian fantasy, a twisting of the familiar tropes and imagery of western religion, a grand idea made intimate and personal in the lives of its compelling, all-too-human main characters. The fantastic touches the mundane in the lives of Ignatius Perrish, Merrin Williams and Lee Tourneau, and each of them cope in their own ways. Each of them has a journey to see through, a promise to fulfill, and Hill's art here is keeping from his readers the truth about these characters in such a way that it's impossible to stop turning pages.
A smart, witty, surprisingly emotional story, "Horns" may not be the terrifying pit-of-dread tale you're expecting, but it will linger with you afterward in unexpected ways.
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
4.0
A fascinating look at the life and fate of explorer Percy Fawcett interspersed with the author's own Amazonian adventure and a series of stunning revelations, "The Lost City of Z" is a must-read for anyone who loves classic adventure tales but wants something a little more, well, real.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which was enjoyable, but I really think reading it in actual book form would be a better way to digest all the material as well as keep up with a spiraling cast of characters.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which was enjoyable, but I really think reading it in actual book form would be a better way to digest all the material as well as keep up with a spiraling cast of characters.
High Strung: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and the Untold Story of Tennis's Fiercest Rivalry by Stephen Tignor
4.0
This quick read is a fascinating look at the era of tennis I am slightly too young to have witnessed for myself. Sadly, I know John McEnroe more as a commentator and Bjorn Borg as that dashing man in the stands at Wimbledon. Reading "High Strung" cast their accomplishments -- as well as those of Jimmy Connors, Vitas Gerulaitis and others -- into a whole new light for me.
With "High Strung," author Stephen Tignor shows how the gap between the amateur era and the professional era was bridged with larger-than-life personalities in a time when the game was looser, the fans rowdier and the on-court scene something approaching anarchic -- at least when compared to what came before and what has come after. It's a must-read for any fan of the game.
With "High Strung," author Stephen Tignor shows how the gap between the amateur era and the professional era was bridged with larger-than-life personalities in a time when the game was looser, the fans rowdier and the on-court scene something approaching anarchic -- at least when compared to what came before and what has come after. It's a must-read for any fan of the game.
The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard
4.0
At first, I worried that "The Fates Will Find Their Way" was going to be too much of a retread of subjects already well covered in other books about teenage tragedy and how it affects the survivors. Instead, I found it to present a new angle, one I was pleasantly surprised by. The gentle twists and turns of the narrative were a welcome change from the breakneck surprises of similar plots, and the careful nuance Hannah Pittard employs -- as well as her unusual point of view -- constructs, in the end, a subtle but quite moving story.
There are a few missteps and one or two too many easy coincidences, perhaps, but when the sum of the parts is so elegant, one can forgive some imperfections along the way.
There are a few missteps and one or two too many easy coincidences, perhaps, but when the sum of the parts is so elegant, one can forgive some imperfections along the way.