amrabad's reviews
397 reviews

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I’ve been wanting to give Victoria Aveyard a try but wasn’t sure I wanted to read more YA. I’m so glad I gave it a shot. It’s multi POV with both adolescent and adult characters playing major parts. Really solid world building and a good mix of both journey and action. I heard she was inspired by LotR and I can see that and love that. I’m excited to continue the series.
The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.5

A cute Christmas romance. My book club read it advent style by reading the chapters on their actual days throughout the month and that made it a lot of fun. I definitely recommend reading it that way. 
The Elven Days of Christmas by A.K. Caggiano

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As a first born daughter and a Virgo, I felt this. This was an absolute delight to read. It’s self aware at points, which is hilarious. Overall it was a very sweet story that also made me laugh out loud and blush. Kol is my new blueprint for book boyfriends. 

AK Caggiano does not miss. You need to read this. I finished it in one day.
The Weary Traveler by A.K. Caggiano

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A human woman accidentally finds herself at an inn for mystical and magical beings and shenanigans ensues. This book manages to not take itself too seriously while also having a good magic system, a fun cast of characters, and engaging plot lines. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
Soft DNFing for now. Didn’t dislike it, just not feeling it right now. May come back to it eventually. 
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A beautiful and lyrical story of the lives and loves of Achilles and Patroclus. I sobbed at the end. I learned how to pronounce Patroclus. One thousand percent better than the movie Troy, which was my only other source of information about Achilles and Patroclus. 
The One by John Marrs

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

2.75

The story concept itself was interesting and I liked that it was five different stories being told. That said, I didn't care at all about two of the characters, two I found interesting but didn't actually like, and one I actually felt something for. 

The chapters were short so it made for an easy read. In general, it wasn't a bad book, but I wouldn't call it good either. 
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Such a weird story, but in exactly the way I needed something a bit weird and a bit sweet.
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan

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informative slow-paced

4.0

I wasn't raised religious so there were many stories and people I didn't know about. I enjoyed that it was a historical perspective of early Christianity, but also talked about some of the lore. Ultimately, my takeaway is 'people ignore history and facts and the biggest religion in the world is created.'
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I had a general idea about what this book would be about but I was not expecting to not know which way the story was heading. We’re told a story that is engaging, thrilling and more than a bit addicting while also picking apart the publishing industry. RF Kuang has yet to let me down. 

The audiobook narration was fantastic. She wasn’t just reading a book, she was acting.