librarian343's reviews
953 reviews
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
CAWPILE Rating 9/10
Characters: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Writing: 8
Plot: 10
Intrigue: 9
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Woah this book! I went into this read expecting a super fun Christmas read with all the holiday feels and I got so much more than that from this book! While there are 2 romance plots in this book that are a major focus for this book I would say that the friendships and found family relationships are the main focus and really the part of the story that is most captivating. I was routing for Hannah and Finn the whole time. They are true OG friends who have each other's backs. I am so impressed with how well crafted this book is!
Characters: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Writing: 8
Plot: 10
Intrigue: 9
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Woah this book! I went into this read expecting a super fun Christmas read with all the holiday feels and I got so much more than that from this book! While there are 2 romance plots in this book that are a major focus for this book I would say that the friendships and found family relationships are the main focus and really the part of the story that is most captivating. I was routing for Hannah and Finn the whole time. They are true OG friends who have each other's backs. I am so impressed with how well crafted this book is!
A Merry Montgomery Christmas by Samantha Chase
4.0
When I say that I loved this book, that is an understatement! The energy of the characters in this book is just untouchable. Immediately upon reading this book I compared it to the Rugrats Christmas special...the one where all the baby's families rent a cabin in the mountains for a weekend to celebrate Christmas and Santa. Something about this book just unlocked that nostalgia for me. The chaos of having a big family of different characters together for a short vacation is just so fun an electric. I also really like how each couple in this story is a little bit different which gives most readers an opportunity to find characters who they can relate to or have a bigger interest in.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
CAWPILE Rating: 6/10 3.5 Stars
Characters:8
Atmosphere:5
Writing:5
Plot:6
Intrigue:6
Logic:5
Enjoyment: 7
I wanted to love this book. I recently reread Fourth Wing in anticipation for this release. Going into the book I likened this reading experience to the one that I had when the Twilight books were initially being released. Objectively are the Twilight books good books? Absolutely not. But I had such a good time with not only reading the books, but also with the experience of reading them with a community of readers due to their popularity. The Empyrean series seemed to be the modern day series that is filling the void for a fun, fantasy read that can attract readers and nonreaders alike.
However, this installment in the series just seemed to fall flat for me. There was a lot of jumping around in the plot. I almost felt like we were rushed towards the battle scenes. There were a couple of characters who came into play who didn't really have much explanation or enough story around them being involved in the plot. There were quite a few big reveals in this book that should have felt exciting, but I just don't know if they were presented well enough in the story to make an impact.
I just wanted more out of this book. Something can be a "not good, but fun time" type of book while still making sense and having a plot that moves in a logical way.
Characters:8
Atmosphere:5
Writing:5
Plot:6
Intrigue:6
Logic:5
Enjoyment: 7
I wanted to love this book. I recently reread Fourth Wing in anticipation for this release. Going into the book I likened this reading experience to the one that I had when the Twilight books were initially being released. Objectively are the Twilight books good books? Absolutely not. But I had such a good time with not only reading the books, but also with the experience of reading them with a community of readers due to their popularity. The Empyrean series seemed to be the modern day series that is filling the void for a fun, fantasy read that can attract readers and nonreaders alike.
However, this installment in the series just seemed to fall flat for me. There was a lot of jumping around in the plot. I almost felt like we were rushed towards the battle scenes. There were a couple of characters who came into play who didn't really have much explanation or enough story around them being involved in the plot. There were quite a few big reveals in this book that should have felt exciting, but I just don't know if they were presented well enough in the story to make an impact.
I just wanted more out of this book. Something can be a "not good, but fun time" type of book while still making sense and having a plot that moves in a logical way.
Sedona by Kerry Fryar Freeman
4.0
Happy Book Birthday to Sedona by Kerry Fryar Freeman!
Thank you to the author and @katerockbooktours for a review copy of this book!
I honestly had no idea what to expect out of this book. I knew it was about a woman who moved to Sedona, Arizona to help with her aging grandmother. And I got the impression that it is Wizard of Oz inspired. Through moving there she experiences a magic that will change her life.
Ultimately my favorite part about this book was getting to experience Sedona through Cal. Contrary to the fact that I found a Sedona shirt in my closet, I’ve never been any where even close to Arizona. The author interspersed so much interesting lore about the area into her story. The fact that Cal gets a job as a tour guide really adds to the experience of being in Sedona through the book.
I also really enjoyed the quirky cast of characters who really rounded out the world.
4⭐️ from me. Go check this one out on Amazon for a funny, warm adventure for the up coming cold winter nights.
Thank you to the author and @katerockbooktours for a review copy of this book!
I honestly had no idea what to expect out of this book. I knew it was about a woman who moved to Sedona, Arizona to help with her aging grandmother. And I got the impression that it is Wizard of Oz inspired. Through moving there she experiences a magic that will change her life.
Ultimately my favorite part about this book was getting to experience Sedona through Cal. Contrary to the fact that I found a Sedona shirt in my closet, I’ve never been any where even close to Arizona. The author interspersed so much interesting lore about the area into her story. The fact that Cal gets a job as a tour guide really adds to the experience of being in Sedona through the book.
I also really enjoyed the quirky cast of characters who really rounded out the world.
4⭐️ from me. Go check this one out on Amazon for a funny, warm adventure for the up coming cold winter nights.
A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CAWPILE Rating: 4/5
Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Writing: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
I want an audiobook of this story so I can listen to it as a sleep story every night. This was seriously the coziest world I have ever had the opportunity to inhabit for a few hours. If you are looking for a book that IS the Great British Bake Off, but with a little bit of cute romance...this is your book. The plot wasn't really anything surprising, but much like an episode of Bake Off I was just happy to be enjoying the story. I will be reading more books by this author and continuing with the series.
Also there are recipes in the back of the book...so if you get hungry reading about the baking competition you can solve that quite nicely!
Thank you to Nerdfam for offering me an ebook copy of this book for review!
Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Writing: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
I want an audiobook of this story so I can listen to it as a sleep story every night. This was seriously the coziest world I have ever had the opportunity to inhabit for a few hours. If you are looking for a book that IS the Great British Bake Off, but with a little bit of cute romance...this is your book. The plot wasn't really anything surprising, but much like an episode of Bake Off I was just happy to be enjoying the story. I will be reading more books by this author and continuing with the series.
Also there are recipes in the back of the book...so if you get hungry reading about the baking competition you can solve that quite nicely!
Thank you to Nerdfam for offering me an ebook copy of this book for review!