#4.75 Stars

[justabooklovingmetalhead]

4.75 Stars

This was such a genuinely fun book! Yes there were a couple things that were a little clunky and a couple problems typical of debuts, but I enjoyed reading it so much that I didn’t care. The discussions of being aroace made me feel seen in a way that no book really has before- specifically, Jo’s feelings around her friends and losing them to relationships really resonated with me. I like that instead of being about self-discovery, this focused on two characters who already know that they’re aroace. In addition, the plot! The internet drama is so dumb but in a way that’s honestly fun to read about. It’s more lighthearted overall, but the emotional moments hit so hard too. Anyway yeah this was really good

#dear wendy #ann zhao #book review #4.75 stars #book recommendations #aromantic #asexual #aroace #contemporary #new adult #na #college

[wakingupnexttoyou]

I went into this book thinking it was the wrap up of several series. Now I find out they left it open for another six of crows book???? Why do I not have this book?? Why is it not finished?? I am unhappy lol.

Overall. 4.75⭐. So close to 5 stars but I can't give it a full star with that ending. Also I felt the ending overall was a little rushed. Wrapped up well but could have given way more detail. I understand this is a long book to begin with but I have no issues with long books. The longer the better. Give me more!!! I need to know more about what happened with Nina! I needed Leoni to meet Jesper. I needed more than a small teaser of Inej.

I did absolutely love the way they wrapped up the problem of the fjerdan prince. I loved how the druskelle ended up. And I loved Nikolai and Zoya and how all of that was dealt with.

I love these characters and I wish there was more cross over between these and six of crows. Maybe in the next crows book whenever it comes out we will have that 🤞🤞

#4.75 stars #4.75 star #4.75 star book #today's read #what i'm reading #rule of wolves #king of scars #leigh bardugo #the grisha series #grishaverse #grisha netflix #the grisha trilogy #six of crows #shadow and bone #fantasy #booktok #popular books #bookstagram #canada #canadian #book review

[somewherelostinbooks]

The Witch Queen of Halloween- Review

The Witch Queen of Halloween By Kresley Cole Genre: Paranormal Romance Series: Immortals After Dark #20 Publisher: Valkyrie Press Publication Date: March 26,2024 Source: Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review Rating: 4.75 Stars Amazon Description: Take a spooky Halloween tour of the mysterious Lore in this stand-alone installment of the Immortals After Dark series by #1 New…

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#4.75 Stars #ARC #books #Immortals After Dark #Kresley Cole #New Release #Paranormal Romance #Reviews #romance novel #romance novel reviews #Romance Novels #The Witch Queen of Halloween

[storyfabricbookreviews]

"Salt Magic" by Hope Larson and Rebecca Monk

“Salt Magic” by Hope Larson and Rebecca Monk

I loved the world-building and magic system in this graphic novel, but the plot and character development stole the show. I think this is one of only a few instances where a character that annoyed me at first grew convincingly enough as the story progressed that I ended up really liking the character by the end. Very, VERY good. Date Read: March 24, 2022Audience: Young AdultGenre: FantasyFormat:…

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#<300 pgs #4.75 stars #book review #fantasy #march 2022

[howlsmovinglibrary]

You mentioned in the tags of a recent post what you’d change about Funny Story to make it a different book. Would you mind elaborating on what you meant by that? I’m curious!

hey anon, thank you for being a massive enabler bc this has in fact been my special topic for the last 48hrs.

I want to state off the bat that I still gave this book 4.75 stars. I really, really enjoyed it. That being said, I'd literally rewrite the entire thing to get it to 5.

Answer under the cut to avoid spoilers! (also shout out to @eldritchcow bc these ideas are not formed alone but through a series of ranting voice notes lmfao)

The premise of Funny Story is that two exes move in with each other after their partners run away together - the main character, Daphne, has her wedding cancelled as a result, and Miles, the love interest, also gets a pretty crap deal bc his girlfriend literally breaks up with him via A NOTE ON THE KITCHEN COUNTERTOP, before running off on holiday with another man (after they hook up AT HIS BACHELOR PARTY. DAPHNE AND MILES DESERVED TO DO VIOLENCE). Miles and Daphne move in together, a series of circumstances means that Daphne tells her ex they are now dating, and that Miles will be her plus to the NEW WEDDING that they have been INVITED TO.

Personally, I think this - two exes move in, fake date, develop feelings - is such a juicy set up for a novel, that it could carry the whole plot. But at about the halfway mark, a bunch of other stuff - family drama, friendship drama - is bought in for the third act conflict. The exes and all their drama fades to the background, and its no longer about this Very Juicy Set Up, which I think is a shame. I think that the premise could've carried the entire plot and that there was no need to bring in additional conflict... except that Emily Henry is known for adding conflicts outside of romance to her novels (creating well-rounded, 'feminist' characters - I'm not being mean, that is just the perception of it and what she is known for) and that this is thus more brand appropriate. By the same logic, it is 'less feminist' of me to argue that the book should've been more about the romance.

But it should've been more about the romance.

If I rewrote/re-edited this book, I would do the following.

Make Daphne and Miles be messier people. These two characters behave like FUCKING SAINTS, while their exes are awfully and affably evil. I've had multiple friends say that Daphne should've hit Peter (her ex) with a car. I don't necessarily think that would've been the way, but I think she should've made much more spiteful decisions. I think Henry is very concerned in stressing that these are Two Very Goody and Utterly Blameless main characters, but I think they should've gotten a little spite as a treat, actually.

And the spite they should've gotten as a treat is - fucking each other.

As is the way with romance books, there are certain 'acceptable thresholds' for smut/romance scenes. So I get it, I really do. But Daphne and Miles only bang once it's a healthy decision... and I'll be honest, it would've been sexier if they had had sex in an unhealthy place. (for the people who've read the book: kiss at the drunk night out with Gil, sex at the truck or before the truck, then Sex With Real Feelings at the point where they actually have sex)

If they had had sex out of spite/petty revenge first, then the entire plot of the book could've been around 'catching feelings' and this would still have been a totally valid character arc. I would've liked to have seen more questionable decisions that are still somewhat about the exes - more of the 'are we doing this for them or for ourselves?' conflict which is microdosed at the midway point - and then feelings developing, and then making the 'no I actually really like you so we can't do this for the wrong reasons anymore' be the final sex scene before the third act conflict

Two things would be vastly improved by this change: 1. a weird scene where Miles sees Daphne in her former wedding dress, and they really should've fucked? but they don't? because that would be the tiniest bit weird??? (like, slightly weird and messy, in such the smallest way, but I think it was sanitised down for that reason) 2. the fact that their exes break up and call-off their wedding off screen. Have them break up at the rehearsal dinner that Miles/Daphne are attending, actually. Then you have your third act conflict.

The third act conflict of Funny Story is insane, convoluted, and unrelated to the story, IMO. Is it still well written? YES. Emily Henry, you will always be famous. But my favourite parts of it were 1. both Miles and Daphne get caught in their exes' orbit as they break up, and this causes them both to doubt their relationship (shout out to Miles having such low self esteem that he automatically thinks they're back together, I understand you king) 2. Daphne fucks up a promise she made to a friend (but bc she's not allowed to be a bad person - see the first point - it's for totally understandable reasons), leading her to wonder if she's just become part of another couple, where she's swapped one man and his house for another man, and his house. I personally think that these VERY MINOR FOOTNOTES in what is ACTUALLY the third act conflict... are a third act conflict in and of themselves. And... if we go back to what I said about Emily Henry being known for Feminism™, the second part of that is a totally valid trope/feminist critique to dig into in depth that would, if given time to breathe, be 'on brand'.

In this book, Miles drives 2hrs to try and get Daphne's shitty dad to come back to her. Where is this energy, for Peter? I think, Miles should've punched Peter, as a treat. And Petra should've had more scenes, so that she actually had a personality beyond 'being hot'.

I think we should've had a messy wedding scene. Daphne and Miles are each others plus ones, but they never get to attend bc the wedding is called off. But that wedding?!!! or that rehearsal dinner?!!! IS THAT NOT THE STUFF THAT THIRD AT CONFLICTS DREAM OF???

TLDR - I think Funny Story should've had more sex, and been more about the romance premise and the kind of fucked up, messy choices and weird feelings that premise engendered. I think the third act should've been connected to pre-existing conflicts, instead of creating new ones. I think Miles and Daphne could've had a little revenge, as a treat. They should've allowed to be sexy and weird about it.

#asks #anons #funny story #and again! I gave this book 4.75 stars!! a very well written book but the more distance i get from it the more i'm confused by the editing. #also let emily henry write more sex!! i know she's good at yearning but do you know what's she's also good at!! writing sex!!! #booklr #book review #(I guess????)

[steelycunt]

i luv 2 luv a book i love starting a book i am excited about…have nothing to do all day but read hopefully in the garden of the weather perks up i need to find some good books to put on my tbr..

#after i finish the way back i dont have anything else lined up to read i must rectify that…need to find some good fiction. i love to hate a #book but i also love to love a book that is just as important 2 me i swear im not a hater all the way down…in fact still thinking about all #quiet on the western front the more i think of it the more tempted i am to maybe change my rating from 4.75 to 5…only my fourth ever five #stars that would be kind of crazy..ugh! the wild trials and tribulations of my crazy exciting life that i share with you all.. #reading tag

[starlightparks]

i finished an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir the other day and i cannot stop thinking about it. im too busy with uni to read the next one today but Trust i will get around to it SOOON

#an ember in the ashes #aeita #bookblr #reading #realistically a 5 star book #but i gave it a 4.75 because if the next ones are BETTER i need room to appreciate that #as soon as i hand in my last assignment im reading it #istg

[karamazovanon]

i absolutely love storygraph's little questions it asks you. is there strong character growth? :) are the characters loveable? <3 like i appreciate the thought however my ideal characters are fucking assholes who get exponentially worse over time

#my reviews are so funny for this reason #NO character growth. the characters are UNLOVEABLE. 5 stars :D #like is it technically character growth if its in the wrong direction. theyre growing just..... growing worse instead of better #all my faves just look like straight NOs and ITS COMPLICATEDs all the way down and then 4.75 stars LMFAOO #<- not any by FD ofc but a good chunk of my other top favs #anontalks

[layla-carstairs]

lol

#the way it was really good... I gave it 4.75 stars #bella talks

[memento-morri-writes]

Guys, I just read Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson in less than 4 hours (I read fast) and it was SO GOOD. If you want to see my rambling, nonsensical review of it, it’s on my personal blog (which was supposed to be for book reviews, oops) which is @six-improbable-things (bonus points to anyone who can name both sources for that title.)

#morrigan.text #truly this book was SO GOOD. #very nearly a 5-star read. #it got a 4.75 in the end.

[clarislam]

Book Review: "King's Quest: Kingdom Of Sorrow" by Kenyon Morr

When a faery queen's kidnapping threatens the entire kingdom of Daventry, Graham will need to find her - or die trying. Find out more in "King's Quest: Kingdom Of Sorrow" by Kenyon Morr! #KingsQuest #KingdomOfSorrow #bookreview #KenyonMorr #fantasy #adventure

Cover of “King’s Quest: Kingdom Of Sorrow” by Kenyon Morr I’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “King’s Quest: Kingdom Of Sorrow” by Kenyon Morr! I was very lucky to find a copy thanks to someone uploading the entire book onto Reddit a while back. This gave me the opportunity to read and review this book. Otherwise, this book is already out of print and very hard to find…

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#4.75 out of 5 stars #adventure #book review #books #fantasy #fiction #King&039;s Quest #King&039;s Quest: Kingdom Of Sorrow #Kingdom Of Sorrow #reading #review

[justabooklovingmetalhead]

4.75 stars

This book felt like an action movie, in the best way possible. I loved the complexity of the characters, the way their motivations clashed, the magic system, the relationships (both romantic and platonic), the moral grey-need hybrids add, the foreshadowing where I saw the twist coming and then was completely fooled by the red herring. I have so many unanswered questions, too- I NEED to see more with Yiran and the kings. That cliffhanger was insane- honestly, my rating may change once the second book is out depending on how these storylines continue. Also, the writing style just draws you in so easily, it’s a hard book to put down. While there were times where tension was relieved, there wasn’t a boring moment and there were no characters that I thought should’ve been cut. This was such an engaging, fun read and I really love this universe.

Tl;dr: Would recommend to those who love action-packed books, works involving an underworld, revenge stories, magic systems involving souls, and fantasy stories full of adventure.

#darker by four #june cl tan #book recommendation #book review #4.75 stars #bisexual #revenge #underworlds #adventure #young adult #fantasy

[somewherelostinbooks]

Codename Charming-Review

Codename Charming By Lucy Parker Genre: Contemporary Romance Series: Palace Insiders #2 Publisher: Avon Source: Received a finalized copy in exchange for an honest review Rating: 4.75 Stars Amazon Indiebound Description: Following Battle Royal, beloved author Lucy Parker pens another delicious romantic comedy about a fake relationship between a grumpy royal bodyguard and the charming,…

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#4.75 Stars #books #Codename Charming #Contemporary Romance #Lucy Parker #New Release #Reviews #romance novel #romance novel reviews #Romance Novels #Royal Romance

[storyfabricbookreviews]

"Fangs" by Sarah Anderson

“Fangs” by Sarah Anderson

I love everything about this book! I laugh every time I read it, and the couple is so cute. If you are looking for something soft and fluffy to read, I would highly recommend picking this up! Date Read: March 22, 2022Audience: AdultGenre: Fantasy; Romance; Contemporary;Format: PhysicalRating: 4.75 stars

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#&lt;300 pgs #4.75 stars #book review #fantasy #march 2022 #romance

[the-sill-of-all-sills]

Finished it!

#sills random rants #reading howls moving castle #I knew shooting stars would be plot relevant later tho I sadly couldn't think of the details xD #but yey I was right about Howl looking horrible at the end #Didn't predict anything else tho so I guess Im getting out of practice haha #I gave it a 4.75 btw #of course my mind immediately went Xisang au as well

[toopunkrockforshul]

Finally finished the last book for full blackout for 2023 bingo!

All hard mode except the robots one because I wasn't sure going in what role the robot would play. I don't think I can in good conscious claim that he was a protagonist though.

5 star reads (in order of prompt number):

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink

Full details below the cut:

Title with a Title (Hard Mode: Not a title of royalty) A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark - 4 stars

Superheroes (Hard Mode: Not related to DC or Marvel) Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro - 4 stars

Bottom of the TBR (Hard Mode: None, its already hard enough) Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater - 4.75

tars

Magical Realism or Literary Fantasy (Hard Mode: Not one of the books in the Magic Realism recs thread) Uncommon Charm by Emily Bergslien and Kat Weaver - 4 stars

Young Adult (Hard Mode: Published in the last 5 years) The Way Back by Gavriel Savit - 4.75 stars

Mundane Jobs (Hard Mode: Does not take place on Earth) Mindtouch by M.C.A Hogarth - 4.75 stars

Published in the 00s (Hard Mode: Not in the top 30 of r/Fantasy best of 2023 list) Sunshine by Robin McKinley - 5 stars

Angels and Demons (Hard Mode: Protagonist is an angel or a demon) When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb - 5 stars

5 SFF Short Stories (Hard Mode: Read an entire SFF anthology or collection) Love After the End:An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction by Joshua Whitehead - 4 stars

Horror (Hard Mode: Not Stephen King or H.P. Lovecraft): The Voice of the Blood by Jemiah Jefferson - 4.75 stars

Self-published or Indie Publisher (Hard Mode: self pub and has fewer than 100 ratings) The Dying of the Golden Day by Carrie Gessner - 3.75 stars

Set in the Middle East/Middle Eastern SFF (Hard Mode: Author is of Middle Eastern heritage) The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia - 4.5 stars

Published in 2023 (Hard Mode: Debut novel) Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - 5 stars

Multiverse and Alternative Realities (Hard Mode: Characters do not walk through a literal door in order to get to another world) The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan - 5 stars

POC Author (Hard Mode: Takes place in a futuristic, sci-fi world) Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee - 4.25 stars

Bookclub or Readalong Book (Hard Mode: read as part of a bookclub and participate in the discussion) Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 2 stars

Novella (Hard Mode: Novella is not published by Tordotcom Publishing) The Seep by Chana Porter - 4.75 stars

Mythical Beasts (Hard Mode: No dragons or dragon-like creatures) Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst - 3.5 stars

Elemental Magic (Hard Mode: Not V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series or Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series) The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards - 4.75 stars

Myths and Retellings (Hard Mode: Not Greek or Roman mythology) The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie - 4.25 stars

Queernorm Setting (Hard Mode: Not a futuristic setting) The Door into Shadow by Diane Duane - 4.25 stars

Coastal or Island Setting (Hard Mode: The book also features sea-faring) The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty - 4 stars

Druids (Hard Mode: Not The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne) The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach - 4.5 stars

Featuring Robots (Hard Mode: Robot is the protagonist) He, She and It by Marge Piercy - 3.5 stars

Sequel (Hard Mode: Book 3 or on in the series) The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink - 5 stars

#r/fantasy bingo 2023 #rae reads #very glad that I did this challenge it got me to read a bunch of things that had been chilling on my tbr for a while now and #I read a lot of good things because of it #also liked doing this summary cause it helped me do some close ranks and adjust my reviews based on the larger context of the other books #highly reccomend any of the books that are 5 stars and tbh all of the 4.75 ones too #also happy to give more personalized/detailed reviews for specific things or provide trigger warnings as I can remember them #if you'd like! feel free to hmu