#mini book review

[franticvampirereads]

Two mini reviews for the price of one today! 😊

Sandry’s Book:

It’s been a very, very long time since I last reread this book and it did not disappoint. It was like coming home and snuggling under a warm blanket. There were so many things that I had forgotten! But getting to meet these characters again? It was so much fun! I loved getting reacquainted with all the kids, and somehow at 30-years-old I feel like I connected more with them than I did when I was 12 or 15. I can also see where my love of found family’s came from. I love the way the Pierce wrote the kids because they got to be actual kids and learn and make mistakes and grow into who they’re meant to be. Sandry’s book is getting a solid five stars, both for the nostalgia and for being a fantastic book that really stands the test of time.

Tris’s book:

Tris’s Book has always been one of my favorites in this series. It’s were these kids really get their start as actual mages and dig into their studies more. I love that they have these mentors that are with them every step of the way and are encouraging them in everything that they do. It’s really nice, especially in a YA book where most adults are usually absent. I just really loved being back in this universe and I could gush about it endlessly, but I won’t. This is getting a solid five stars!

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

PopSugar 2023: a book you read more than 10 years ago

PopSugar 2023: a book you wish you could read for the first time again

#circle of magic #tamora pierce #booklr #book review #reading #books #read #mini book review #book #bookish #bookworm #lgbtq+ books #queer books #middle grade books #fantasy books #high fantasy books

[leer-reading-lire]

Last read:

Title: Hallowe’en party

Author: Agatha Christie

Number of Pages: 260

Rating: ★★★★★

First published: November 1969

Read: 13 September 2023 – 24 November 2023

Thoughts: 

This book has become one of my favorite Agatha Christie’s novels, along with Murder on the Orient Express and The A.B.C. Murders.

I particularly enjoyed the friendship between Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot. 

I was surprised by all the action in the end. The escaping the town, the kidnapping and the fight was nerve-wrecking. 

I really liked this classical whodunit and following the clues that led me to the culprits. 

#tbrbusterchallenge2023 #bookbanditchallenge #mini book review #agatha christie #hallowe'en party #hercule poirot #detective fiction #murder mystery #leerreadinglire #books and reading #books and plants #last read #booklr

[thequeerlibrarian]

Just finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - 5/5... This book is so so special. It really touched me and I'll think about it for a very long time.

#my post #booklr #books #bookblr #donna tartt #the goldfinch #mini book review

[help-itrappedmyself]

Red, White, and Royal Blue

Excellent read, absolutely recommend. Funny and sarcastic and heartwarming. The USA and Britain you want to see in the world.

There is explicit sex, but It's not graphic. You know what they're doing, but it's more about the feels.

Gay coming out story, so do actually prepare for the feels. Read warnings if necessary.

Nora, I think, is me. I love her, and could only wish to be that smart, but Nora.

Top quotes! It's literally quotes so if you don't want spoilers don't read. That being said they are singular lines out of context so the spoilering of plot is nil because the whole book is romance so you already know that there is romance in it. But they are some of the actual best lines from the romance of the book, so up to you.

“I love you on purpose.” Hits hard, immediately. Don't we all want this?

“I want you-” “Then fucking have me” Again, we can dream

“The phrase ‘see attached bibliography’ is the single sexiest thing you have ever written to me.” This one might be more of a me thing, but yes absolutely

“I miss you I miss you I miss you I love you” Honorable mention for hitting me right in the feels

#red white and royal blue #mini book review #quotes #my blog

[unforgivablyshy]

Just finished Station Eleven and I really loved it. It feels like a fantasy novel even though it isn’t, if that makes sense. The setting is so vivid and human that it has that sense of wonder even though it’s all set after a rather devastating apocalypse and it’s no secret that people do horrible things to each other.

The pacing was really interesting to me. I love anything that weaves multiple storylines/timelines together (shoutout to a book I read closer to halloween, The Hollow Kind). This book did that really well, and the way the scenes were arranged was done in a way that had really satisfying payoff.

I personally rate it at 9.5/10!

#station eleven #mini book review #books #bookblr #fantasy #post apocalyptic #9/10 #10/10 #ill tag it as both

[nightnoxreads]

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

I devoured this in like two days. It was a great read and I love that it was more about the couple growing as people together and that the problems were mostly external. Like no stupid third act breakup just for the sake of it like I feel like too many romance books do.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun to get the little cameos from the OG generation too.

Also, Ryder was top tear! I’m obsessed with him. He’s just my type of book guy.

I had like one thong that annoyed me, which was the fight between Gigi and Ryder where she pushed him to talk about why he was upset and he didn’t want to and then she proceeded to not tell him why she was upset. Like he’d snapped at her which he apologised for, but she was still angry with him for not opening up and just expecting him to know that was the reason she was mad.

She should’ve just communicated that to him. Like dude, come on. She knows he’s not a talker. That he’s not used to sharing shit. Don’t expect him to be a mind reader.

The talk he had with his teammates girlfriend should have been had with Gigi.

But other than that I didn’t have any major annoyances or anything.

I just get frustrated when there’s poor communication😅

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

#the graham effect #elle kennedy #romance novels #book recommendations #mini book review

[appleinducedsleep]

The Letter Library was the absolute selling point of this book; and while some of the storylines were interesting/emotional, the writing style detracted from the experience.

It alternated between Rachel and Henry's point of view, and sometimes this added nothing. I just couldn't connect to the characters, and the romantic sub-plots seemed less interesting and developed than the overall-theme of grief.

Also, I just didn't care for Henry's flip-flopping one bit.

🩵 Anne’s storygraph reviews

#books #booklr #words in deep blue #cath crowley #anne’s storygraph reviews #bookblog #book review #mini book review

[baberbackbookstack]

ok yall i'm slowly making my way through gideon the ninth and oh my god i am obsessed

i can't believe it took me this long to get to this book like i didn't know it was going to be this funny??? and yet people see me losing it on public transportation on my way to uni EVERY SINGLE DAY. like how am i supposed to explain to them i'm not insane i'm just laughing because the emo kid with an unhealthy obsession with bones made a boob joke???

i love it so much it's unbelievable

#gideon the ninth #griddlehark #harrowhawk #harrow nonagesimus #gideon nav #tamsyn muir #lesbian #lgbtq #books #mini book review #book tumblr #wlw books #the locked tomb

[aimeereadsalot]

2023 Reads

#3- The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

Mini-Review:

There were many parts of this book that resonated with me: bonds of sisterhood, modern-day problems set in historical fantasy, and a message of magical feminine empowerment. But the book was too long by far and often lost the thread. Some plotlines felt a bit shoehorned in while others fell by the wayside. I struggled to get through chapter 15, but I did appreciate the high-stakes ending. My favorite part was the connection of fairytales throughout the novel, but even that got lost. A good enough read that could have benefitted from tighter editing

To start: I adore Novik's writing style and her talent for quickly getting at the heart of a character with minimal dialogue. I think that was showcased especially prominently in the conclusion of the Schoolmance Series to its benefit, though I did get lost in some of the long-winded explanations on mana, Enclave history, and other finicky details I have already forgotten.

Some spoilers ahead after this break.

I did find this to be a satisfactory conclusion. I loved Liesel's inclusion and simply wanted more of her at the end. I like the development of El's friendships outside of the school setting and again just wanted more Lui and Aadhya featured. Unlike some reviewers, I actually really liked that Liesel and El hooked up, even after Orion was found alive. Basically, a satisfactory ending to the series with a few critiques. I enjoyed it, but you might not if you're not a fan of Novik's style and morally grey protagonists.

Instagram | Goodreads | Twitter | Booktube

#booklr #mini review #mine #the schoolmance #the golden enclaves #naomi novik #finished series #reading #books #book review #mini book review

[totallynotreadingatwork]

More Mini Book Reviews

Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Selman - Not my usual thing, but I picked it up and read it anyway because why not and it was alright! I thought the ending was a bit naff, but the rest of it explored some pretty interesting ideas. It was about a girl whose mum was dating a serial killer (obviously they didn't know at the time) and how his arrest really impacted them.

Temeraire or His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik, book 1 of the Temeraire series - Not me out here almost crying at the connection between man and beast. Seriously I really loved this one, it's like Httyd but for adults, and I'm absolutely living for it. Also I really like books about ships - something about the idea of a crew really appeals to me I think - and this really hit that spot for me. Also, the dragons are cool.

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman, book 1 of the Scarlet Revolution Series - Basically just some good fun! It's not a vampire romance as many will be pleased to know, and the vampires do actually pose a threat, which is nice. It's set in an alternate-universe French revolution, and explores such ideas as 'hmm, maybe the beheadings were a bit too far but would it really be so bad to take down all the rich people?'. Idk, I enjoyed it.

The Witch's Warning by Joseph Delaney, book 2 (the final book) of the Aberrations series - Very good indeed, Delaney is brilliant at making dark spooky worlds full of horrors and monsters. Just really is a shame he died before he could finish the series as the only thing that lets this book down is that it spends a fair bit of time building up to a sequel that never gets to happen.

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewel, the sequel to The Family Upstairs - Really, really good follow-up book to the first one, using everything you learned about the characters there to build tension in this one. Lots of different things happening, multiple POVs, interconnecting storylines, and wrapping up some loose plot points from the last book. I recommend this pair a lot to people in the library and most seem to like it!

Spook's: Alice by Joseph Delaney, book 12 of the Wardstone Chronicles - God I love this character. As with all of this series, you can definitely tell they're books written for children, but that doesn't mean they're bad, nor do they shy away from some pretty gruesome stuff. We're winding up now for the final book as this is the second to last and things are looking exciting. I can't say too much about this one without spoiling it unfortunately but just know that it's as solid as the rest of the series.

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud, book 1 of the Scarlett and Browne series - I actually read this before a couple of years ago and decided to read it again before I read the sequel because I'd forgotten what happened. It's a really good book; Stroud really know what he's doing. If you liked Lockwood & Co. for the character interactions then you'll love this. The worldbuilding is on point, the characters feel full-dimensional, and the hijinks is everpresent. Just a really fun read.

Dracula by Bram Stoker - I went to Whitby on holiday for a few days so naturally took this with me. I don't read very many classics at all so it took a little while for me to tune into the language and get used to everyone taking two pages to say what could have been said in two sentences, but once I did I had a grand old time with it. I wouldn't say it's anywhere near scary by today's standards, but it was interesting to see where a lot of modern tropes got their origins. Also, I've read Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu before and it was cool to be able to mentally compare and contrast them and see where Bram Stoker was inspired by different things.

The Notorious Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud, book 2 of the Scarlett and Browne series - Just as good as the first if not better. Where the first book focused more on Albert and where he'd come from and his backstory, in this one we explore more of Scarlett's history and how she came to be the person she is today. Fast-paced, witty, and packed with actions, I really enjoyed it and strongly recommend it!

The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah - Read this one for my book club and it was... alright. Nothing special, but not bad enough to not finish. I didn't manage to solve the mystery unfortunately but that's no surprise, though I will say that it did feel pretty convoluted. Not too sure why the character of Hercule Poirot was used other than to cash in on the name of course, and Sophie Hannah is definitely no Agatha Christie, but, like I said, it was okay.

Girls With Razor Hearts by Suzanne Young, book 2 of the Girls With Sharp Sticks series - Sometimes, you just want to read a book about sisterhood and taking down the patriarchy. From some of the fics I've seen around, people who really enjoyed those parts of the Barbie movie might enjoy these books. They're by no means subtle in their messaging, but sometimes I like a book that just lays everything out on the table in front of you because it's borderline impossible to misinterpret them. Definitely feels like a teen-fic book, but that's okay because it is one.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, book 2 of the Heroes of Olympus series - Do I really need to say anything about this one? We all know Riordan is brilliant.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - Oh boy this one was A Lot TM. Kind of an eldritch horror story in Leah's bits, and then a story about mourning someone who's not really gone and learning to let go in Miri's chapters. Very much a 'came back wrong' sort of scenario, but less scary and more just deeply sad. I had to take a break and go look at trees for a while after I finished it. The ending was low-key heartbreaking.

Revival by Stephen King - Sort of promised myself I wouldn't read any more of his books but here I am. This one was actually pretty good for the most part though! Not very horror-y, I didn't think, but still a good story. The only bit I didn't like was when the 52 year old protagonist is sleeping with the 24 year old daughter of his co-worker, but I honestly should have expected that because this is a Stephen King book.

#books & reading #mini book review #truly darkly deeply #temeraire #scarlet #the witch's warning #the family remains #spooks alice #the outlaws scarlett and browne #dracula #the notorious scarlett and browne #the mystery of three quarters #girls with razor hearts #the son of neptune #our wives under the sea #revival

[empress-violetlight]

Mini-Review of “Thrawn” (2017) by Timothy Zahn by a Legends Fan

I caved, and started reading Timothy Zahn's new Star Wars: Thrawn books, set in the post-Disney canon. It was a hard sell for me, since I'm a big Old Expanded Universe fan, and while I understood at the time why Disney wanted to do their own thing when they bought the franchise, the garbage sequel trilogy did *not* make it worth it, IMO. At least the Disney + series and Rogue One are a *lot* better. Anyway, Thrawn is my all-time favourite character from the old EU/"Legends", and while I was happy he, at least, made the transition to the new canon (still waiting on Mara Jade), Rebels did him dirty, IMO. That dumb cartoon took Thrawn, the tactical genius, renowned for being the "villain" (more of an anti-villain at best) who ran the rebels ragged, who stood out in a universe filled with silly space wizards by using his mind as his weapon, and tried to make a Scooby Do villain out of him, chasing around a bunch of teenagers. So even though they got Thrawn's original creator, Timothy Zahn, to write him again in the novels, I didn't have any high hopes. Even less so when it came out how Disney's been treating Alan Dean Foster in particular, and any other old EU author who's name isn't Timothy Zahn (i.e. denying them royalties while still publishing their books). hollywoodreporter.com/business…alties-disney-1234951422/ Anyway, I'm happy to say that Zahn's writing exceeded my expectations! Of course, I shouldn't have doubted the one author who actually tried to insert some real science fiction ideas into Star Wars, like the mobile mining platform, Nomad City, on a slowly rotating, Mercury-like planet in "Heir to the Empire". The new novel rewrites Thrawn's early years in the Empire, and his rise to Grand Admiral, all the while giving him a new, human friend, an imperial named Eli Vanto, who is officially Thrawn's aide and "translator" (not that he really needs it), but actually his protégé, even if it takes Eli himself a while to realize it.  Thrawn, as a character inspired by Sherlock Holmes, always needs a “Watson” to interpret him.  In the original Thrawn trilogy, that role was played by Captain Pellaeon (who would eventually rise to the rank of Grand Admiral himself in the old EU).  In this novel, that’s Eli’s role.  Eli is quite different from Pellaeon, in that he’s much younger, and not in a command position himself.  He also doesn’t seem to have a lot of Pellaeon’s foresight (like Pellaeon’s distrust of the Noghri and Joruus C’baoth).  It’s still interesting to see the interaction between him and Thrawn.  I do wish the book had gone into a bit more detail about Eli’s own special interest -- mathematics.  I don’t get the impression as-is that his interest is anywhere near Thrawn’s level with art.  

Another difference from the old EU, however, is that we do get to see Thrawn’s point of view directly, however.  Again, he seems very Holmes-esque, with Thrawn opening every chapter with an excerpt from him POV, which, we later learn, are parts from his journals.  He also often mentally describes the body language and apparent feelings of the other characters.  As an Autistic person with body language “blindness”, I interpret this as Thrawn having actively taught himself to consciously read others’ body language -- this isn’t something that comes naturally to him, unlike an Neurotypical character.  It’s interesting, and is textual evidence to support reading him as an autistic character, which fits well with his already-suggested neurotype in Legends.  

The B plot involves a lot of Imperial politics, and one woman, Arihnda Pryce’s, quest for revenge on the Senator and Moff who screwed her family over. Hers and Thrawn's paths intersect every so often.   I’m not a big fan of other characters constantly thinking Thrawn just sucks at politics.  It seems more an attempt at “Gary Stu” busting than anything else.  Thrawn, while amazing, was never flawless in the old EU (his oversights regarding C’baoth and the Noghri being the most obvious reasons why), so the whole “he’s clueless at politics” angle seems unnecessary, IMO.  I prefer to interpret this plot point as being that Thrawn simply doesn’t care about politics, and others interpret his attitude as not knowing.  It wouldn’t be the first time someone underestimated him.  

The thing I'm loving most, though, is that Zahn doesn't have to even bother with the movie characters! Luke, Leia, Han? Who's that? Who cares! The only movie characters who have even made an appearance are Palpatine and Grand Moff Tarkin, and then, they were little more than "guest stars" for a single chapter each.  Palpatine in particular seems to have far less of a role in Thrawn’s career than in the old EU, and their working relationship isn’t as strong.  It’s unfortunate, but I don’t think the Empire of the Hand is ever getting off the ground in this universe -- that was a demonstration of Palpatine’s trust in Thrawn, and eventually it became something far more in the old EU, even with other authors besides Zahn not quite knowing what to do with it, and by the New Jedi Order series, pretty much ignoring its existence.  The point here is that Disney’s version of Palpatine would never trust Thrawn to set up his own shadow Empire.  Probably because the Yuuzhan Vong invasion isn’t a thing in this version -- another unfortunate change.  They would have made much more interesting villains in the sequel trilogy than the craptacular Empire wannabe First Order and Emo Ren.     

Thrawn himself is the same genius I remember. In one instance, rebels are holed up on an island on some backwater planet, with tough planetary shields Thrawn's Star Destroyer's turbolasers can't get through. The rebels, however, did not shield the surrounding ocean, so Thrawn targets a few spots on the surrounding ocean floor, and lets the tsunamis his turbolasers create take care of the rebels for him. It's just as brilliant a tactic as anything from the original Thrawn trilogy.  However, we also get far more of a sense of just what a great leader Thrawn is, and much more of a sense of how important everyone under his command is to him, which was a lot more subtle in the original Thrrawn trilogy, only really becoming obvious in the Hand of Thrawn duology.  Ultimately, his character is really what’s most important.  That’s what made him stand out in the old EU in the first place, after all.    

Like "The Mandalorian", and "Rogue One" “Star Wars: Thrawn” proves there's so much more to that Galaxy Far Far Away than just the Skywalker Soap Opera. It's a much needed reminder, especially since those types of stories tend to be the better ones in Star Wars.

#Star Wars #Thrawn novel (2017) #Grand Admiral Thrawn #mini book review #I still prefer Legends #but there are some things I like about the new canon #definitely a good book

[franticvampirereads]

Wow…. Just, wow. Holy crap did I love this book. I loved Dev and Charlie. I loved the blatant aspec rep, the queer rep, and the mental health rep. All of it was so good! Not to mention all the commentary on reality dating shows. I honestly don’t know what else to say about The Charm Offensive other than I really, really loved it. I want to dive back into it and start a reread. If it’s not already clear, this book is getting a solid five stars. And I’m just gonna go scream over this one in a corner.

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

Romance Readathon: lgbtq+ rep, pastel colors on the cover (sneaking one last one in 😊)

PopSugar: a book set in Hollywood

Shop Your Shelves: a new to you author

Read Queerly 2023: aspec main character

#the charm offensive #booklr #book review #mini book review #I loved this book so much!! #books #reading #rr2023 #read #book #bookish #bookworm #lgbtq+ books #aspec books #aroace books #queer books #queer lit #contemporary romance #contemporary romance book #mm romance books

[leer-reading-lire]

Last read:

Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

Number of Pages: 152

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First published: 21 September 1962

Read: 6 July 2022 - 31 July 2022

Thoughts:

This is definitely my favorite book by Shirley Jackson so far. Previously, I had read The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery and Other Stories. I prefer her novels to her short stories easily.

This is one of the novels that struck me because is different to all the other books I've read before (I felt the same when I read Wuthering Heights). It's not a nice story, but it's compelling as it’s very well written and I enjoyed it.

The mysterious atmosphere that Jackson creates is genius.

Merricat Blackwood is a captivating and uncanny character.

Since the story is narrated from Mary Katherine's point of view, I feel there were many things left unsaid and I don't know whether it's because she didn't care to mention them or she didn't noticed them. Obviously she is extremely clever, so maybe she was oblivious because she was only thinking about her world?

For example, to me Constance and Charles were lovers, but it was never directly adressed.

I still have to ponder about Merricat and Constance relationship.

The end left me befuddled, which is perfectly fine. I loved it. People acted as if the house was haunted. I'm partial to the idea that the whole novel is an urban legend about an old, abandoned, empty? house.

#tbrbusterchallenge2022 #bookbanditchallenge #reading challenge #we have always lived in the castle #shirley jackson #books and plants #book review #mini book review #booklr #leerreadinglire

[thequeerlibrarian]

I finished these two books today!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was cute, cozy, easy going and enjoyable - 4/5⭐

Yellowface was amazing, informative, hard to read and I recommend it to everyone - 5/5⭐

#booklr #books #book recs #book review #mini book review #my post #emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries #yellowface

[candlehearts]

CAMP DAMASCUS by Chuck Tingle (mini review, no spoilers)

TWs: Religious-based trauma, indoctrination, gore, general horror warnings Lots of tongue-in-cheek religious extremism, queer representation, and personality permeate this read. Let me preface this by saying I've never read any other Chuck Tingle book so I'm probably stating the obvious, but this is a mix of obvious satire and serious, disturbing scary telling. Relatable and unique characters are peppered throughout, none of them are boring or forgettable. Some of the twists I could see coming, some of them were nice surprises. Definitely recommend for anyone that loves the gays, horror, and a quick page-burner (finished in around 2 days).

#chuck tingle #camp damascus #mini book review #book review #book recommendation #horror book #horror blog #book blog #hi im back and im doing a book review instead of posting art #sorry #i will draw again just u wait

[unforgivablyshy]

I finished Piranesi yesterday and rated it 9/10! It was close between that and a full 10/10, but I’m not sure how I felt about some of the elements later on in the novel so I’m comfortable putting it at a 9.

Overall, the book really is incredible. The House is a dreamlike setting, and it’s so fun to read about through Piranesi’s eyes. He loves The House so much it feels reverent, and it’s so refreshing to read someone who sincerely believes in the goodness of people.

It’s not a very long read and I would highly recommend it to fans of anything grand and mythic!

#piranesi #9/10 #fantastic book i loved it #fantasy #mythology #mini book review #bookblr #books