jennshappyplace's reviews
184 reviews

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

3.5

I love the cast of characters in this Six of Crows duology. However, just as in the first book, I just don’t love Kaz. I understand why he is the way he is but I still don’t love him like I do the other characters. I think I liked this book better than Six of Crows because I felt like we got to see inside the different schemes and heists vs. the first book where it was all revealed at the end. However, because there were more heists I found myself often confused of how they got from A to B. I also had a hard time believing everything fell right into place for most of the book. What I loved about this book were the relationships and the deepening friendships+. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending and was left with questions and wanting more details and more time with different characters. However, I’m hopeful we’ll get a peak of what happens to some of the characters in the next GrishaVerse series, Kind of Scars. I also want to start watching the Shadow & Bone series on Netflix. Maybe I’ll end up feeling better about the ending? 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

4.0

I have such mixed feelings about this book. First, I wish people wouldn’t have kept saying it was a David Copperfield retelling because that kept me away from it for a long time. I think mainly because I’ve never read David Copperfield and am not usually a fan of “classic literature.” Overall I thought this was a great book and I’m so glad I read it. I had never read a book about the foster care system or Appalachia or addiction. I felt like I learned so much reading this book. I felt so much for Demon and the people who surrounded him. What stuck out to me most were the teachers and adults who tried to help him throughout his life. However, because of what he’d been through and all the bad people and disappointments he’d encountered he had a mistrust of anyone wanting to help him. I think he wanted a family so much but all his circumstances and tragedies in his past left him thinking he wasn’t worthy of a family or love. The book was heartbreaking almost throughout the entire book which was really hard to read. However, the last 10% finally brought some hope. But I hated the turn at the very end of the book.

I don’t think it made any sense for Demon and Angus to end up in a relationship. They were essentially brother and sister which Demon even said several times. Why couldn’t they end as brother and sister? It just tainted their past relationship to me. Were we supposed to believe they were attracted to each other the entire time they knew each other? I just didn’t think that twist was necessary. A brother/sister relationship or a friendship can be just as powerful and important as a romantic relationship. Why not lean into that?

But even with that disappointment I’m still so glad I finally read the book and I have a deeper understanding and empathy of the foster care system and addiction. 

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

4.0

This was a quick fun read. I really liked Kitty and Lord Radcliffe (can’t remember his name) but I wish there was more to the building of the relationship.

They went from hating and mistrusting each other (for good reason) to suddenly both having feelings for each other to marrying.

  I get that for the time period that’s that way it was but I was just left wanting more. The special thing about the book is that I bought it used at Powell’s in Portland during our 25th anniversary trip. I think that alone bumped it up a 1/2 a star rating. 

Network Effect by Martha Wells

3.5

I’m not sure why I didn’t like this Murderbot book as much as all the rest. I may have to do with the fact that I mistakenly read it out of order? Whatever it was, I just had a hard time keeping track of the story and the characters and what had happened before. I still love Murderbot and I especially love when they’re trying not to care about people yet their actions are showing that they do in fact care about others. This was especially true with the daughter. 

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

1.0

I just hated this book. I think I heard about it on a Reddit list of Fall spooky books. I don’t usually read scary books but I thought I’d give it a try. I wanted to abandon this but persevered because I knew it wasn’t too long. I hoped there’d be a good payoff at the end. There wasn’t. With less than 20 pages left the book suddenly changed and I was so frustrated and mad. I don’t understand why this book was recommended or was made into a movie. Wish I’d skipped it. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

4.0

Unfortunately I waited too long after I finished this book so I don’t feel like I can accurately review it. I do know I liked it way better than the Shadow and Bone trilogy. What I loved most about it was the found family elements. (This is always a favorite for me.) However, I really didn’t like the main character, Kaz. I’m hoping he is redeemed in later books. I also thought it was really unbelievable how everything almost always worked out perfectly. I know that’s the way heist books/movies are but I found it frustrating at times because of that. 

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

3.0

This book was ok, lots of cheating which I always have a hard time in books. It’s actually a show on Netflix with Nicole Kidman and that’s why I chose it. I think it’d make a better tv show than book. I’ll probably watch it. 

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

3.0

I read this for my IRL bookclub. It was ok. My problem was I just wasn’t ok with the way the one American mother left her vulnerable son pretty much the entire book. She kept saying “hang in there” and “I’ll be there soon. I promise.” That wasn’t enough for me. I feel like if I were in her situation I would’ve gone to the American embassy and tried to get a passport and get home as fast as possible. Working all those months she could’ve saved enough $ or borrowed $ from a friend. I didn’t love Sam (the British woman) either. Pretty much the only people I liked were the 2 friends and the daughters. 

The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

I don’t think reading a book of essays digitally works for me, especially this type. I may pick up the paper version. 

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

3.5

I hesitated picking up this book. I don’t know anything about opera and the hostage situation wasn’t a pull either. However, Ann Patchett has written some of my favorite books I’ve read in the last few years so because of that I picked this one up. I wasn’t immediately sucked in but over time I found I really wanted to know what happened to the characters. I listened to this one but I think because of all the different characters it made it hard to follow sometimes. However, overall I was amazed with how the author wove the story. I was sad when it was over. My biggest complaints either the ending is it’s too abrupt and that we don’t know what happens to more of the characters. This isn’t my favorite Ann Patchett but I’m really glad I read it.