grace_reads_sometimes's reviews
50 reviews

Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.

I found this book both ridiculous and boring. Psychological Ebola??? Absolutely not. 

System Collapse by Martha Wells

adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 feel like I say the same thing every time but I just love Murderbot so much 😭

Each book layers so well onto the last. Now Murderbot has more people and bots to care about, the stress is getting to them. 

I’m officially caught up and I may expire if another doesn’t come out soon. 

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of this book. It wasn’t a copy/paste of the original, which is how some of these retelling a can go. I was curious how the author would write a trans man in regency London and I think they did a good job. I also appreciate the author’s note at the end to give a bit of context to the author’s thoughts. 

One issue I do have is that this retelling seems to have missed the Pride part of Pride & Prejudice. Unless I’m missing something, Oliver lacked this personality trait that caused some of the miscommunication between Elizabeth and Darcy. And where it might have come up, it felt more of an internal battle of Oliver trying to decide how he wanted to live his life. I did enjoy reading this, but it is lacking the character flaw that makes it Pride & Prejudice.  

Overall, this was a cute, enjoyable story of an alternative world where Elizabeth is a trans man named Oliver. I’m giving it 2 1/2 stars because I did enjoy it but it didn’t wow me. It was good, and I definitely recommend it for anyone interested. 

As a note, I did listen to the audiobook and sometimes the voices the narrator used were comical more than realistic. That took me out a bit. But otherwise, it was a good audiobook.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I don’t really know how I can describe my feelings about this book. 

Going into it, I had no idea what was going on. I enjoyed learning more about the world alongside Gideon. There were so many twists and surprises but enough hints were dropped that I could follow along. All the characters are so dynamic and layered, Especially Gideon and Harrow. 

I love the was Muir writes, building this darkly poetic scene and then dropping Gideon’s blunt, crude dialogue. The dichotomy made reading really fun. 

The ending had me heartbroken. I know there’s two more books out but man, I was crying by the end. 

Network Effect by Martha Wells

adventurous funny reflective fast-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

5.0

I say this every time but I love Murderbot so much! Wells has created such a witty, exasperating, lovable character. With each book I enjoy they’re journey of understanding what it means to be a person, not a tool. In this one especially,

being reunited with ART, helping another Sect Unite gain freedom, supporting Mensah with her trauma healing

we see Murderbot grapple with they’re own sense of self. 

I’m almost caught up with all the books that are currently out and I don’t know what I’ll do when I have to wait who knows how long for the next. 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

I read this right after reading the prequel and I think for that reason, I like the prequel better. I wish there was a little more action but that’s more of a personal preference. 

Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I read it first but there are some small inconsistencies between the two that took me out of the story a little bit.

The biggest is that Viv doesn’t think of advertising but in B&B, she is the one that recommends to Fern that they do creative advertising to bring in customers. It also doesn’t feel like Viv had much character development in the 20 years between the books.

Overall, this was a good cozy fantasy. I like the interpersonal relationships, I love the concept of a coffee shop in a place where coffee doesn’t really exist, and I still love Viv. It just feels like something is missing that I got from Bookshops & Bonedust. 

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

adventurous funny hopeful reflective relaxing medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

I wasn't sure what to expect but this book far exceeded my expectations. If you've ever felt transient in your life, Bookshops & Bonedust will speak to you. 

Sometimes it's not the right time or we're not the right person, no matter how much we want to be. Viv'a short time in Murk was so impactful to her and the people she met and the author showed the growth of these relationships, even with the smaller characters. I left satisfied with the ending. 

Overall one of the better books a l've read this year. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great, I could clearly picture each character as he went through the story. 

I liked the mix of action and slice of life. It is the perfect example of a cozy read.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

This was my 2nd time reading the book but the 1st time reading the official translation and it’s been a few years so this impacts my review. 

I am impressed by how well MXTX brings her characters to life. While some of the dialogue seems over the top, I assume this is partly due to it being translated. Wei Wuxian is a complex and engaging protagonist that a lot of people can relate to. There’s a reason the book is so popular! But outside that, her ability to add in subtle hints while being very descriptive and straightforward with her writing makes this an easy read. 

I also like the back and forth time jobs in the book better than how they do it in the show. It seems to flow better and doesn’t exhaust the reader with one timeline. 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

What can I say? This book took a lot of YA tropes and twisted them on their head. Tomi Adeyami writes beautifully descriptive scenes, whether is the characters fighting for their lives, having a joyful moment together, or despair in their anguish. Zeile, Tzain, Amari, and Inan are all complex characters who we see struggle. Sometimes they make the right choices and sometimes they don’t but Adeyami makes you like (or at least sympathize) with them all. I was lucky enough to get her speak at a book festival and listen to her speak on heritage and story telling. You can really see it all come out in this story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Witch King by Martha Wells

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

This is the first book I’ve read of Wells after the Murderbot Diaries and while I still loved it, it didn’t hit the same. I loved the diversity and relationships between the characters but some of the plot points seemed to be unfinished or end abruptly. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to fans of the author.