robdawgreads's reviews
719 reviews

North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

4.5

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

emotional informative slow-paced

2.0

⭐⭐ This wasn't what I was expecting but it was well written. I thought it would be an interesting nonfiction book about hawks but instead it is a memoir of a woman dealing with the death of her father, writing a book report, learning falconry, and identifying with a hawk held in captivity. The first portion and throughout the rest of the book, MacDonald dissects a book on Goshawks by T.H. White and provides a psychoanalysis of the author and the book's contents. This made the book feel like a rehashed academic paper set into the context of MacDonald's memoir. This was not my jam. I think one of the biggest issues I had with the book was that she kept on comparing her own behavior (after the death of her father experiencing depression and antisocial behavior) to the hawk and never once mentioned that the hawk is being held in captivity and is not in its natural setting. Maybe that's the point she was trying to make? If so, it did not come off like that. I love the cover but this one will not be staying on my forever shelf.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Beautifully written but I wanted more plot, world building, and character development and depth. If you like books with strong vibes and minimal plot, this does that exceptionally well.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

dark funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

dark mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez, PhD

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

Network Effect by Martha Wells

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-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? N/A

4.0

Farilane by Michael J. Sullivan

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? N/A

5.0

My husband after I finished this book, "I haven't seen you have a reaction like that to a book in a while." Me - crying like a snot-nosed baby - saying "it was so sad but SOOOO good!!!!" Then, having the realization that Michael Sullivan is my favorite author and my husband saying, "See! I introduced you to your favorite author!" I tease him all the time about not being able to read (he can totally read but chooses not to). He downloaded two free audiobooks called The Jester and Professional Integrity by Michael Sullivan back in 2016 while he was working for Texas Parks. He liked the books so much that he started listening to the audiobooks for Riyria and eventually recommended the series to me. I was hesitant at first, but the leap has been totally worth it! Farilane is the absolute best book I've ever read by Michael Sullivan. Especially having read Riyria Revelations, the ending hits so hard 😭❤️😭❤️😭❤️

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

adventurous lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5