lori_larsson's reviews
204 reviews

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

2.75

I see what the author was going for here, but 1) it was a little heavy handed and 2) you're never going to convince me that an "Empire" can be done ethically. 

A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

I enjoyed this. It was exactly what I wanted, something light, cozy, sweet, low stakes--especially as the other book I am reading is the exact opposite. Did I think the first book was better? Yes. Do I think there is a weird syntax/grammatical error in the title behind the colon? Also yes. Will I read the next one? 100% The world needs this kind of story too. 

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I read this book with my ears.
I am sitting with this one --am I supposed to LIKE Rin? She never seemed to be able to pick a morality and stand with it. She never seemed to grasp the consequences of her choices no matter how many people told her exactly what was going to happen. Is this just being a human tossed around by war? Possibly. Rin just a bad human? Maybe.  This book was a slog because it felt so heavy and sad all the way through and sometimes I just needed a break from that. I probably will not continue the series. 

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

I like Jane Austen and I did NOT like this one. 

All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

All of Our Demise by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody

dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin

challenging funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady by Susan Quinn
Did not finish book.

I was reading this book to fulfill an LGBTQ non-fiction for the Read Harder Challenge. This book might want to be that, but it isn't. It's really a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, pretty much. So I stopped reading in favor of a book more suited to the challenge. It was interesting, but I probably won't go back. 

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0