berlinbibliophile's reviews
1164 reviews

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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? Yes

4.0

This was a lovely fun time. I think the main characters in the first book are perhaps a tiny bit more fleshed out, but I enjoyed the liminal setting of the ship very much. Very zany. 
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

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

5.0

I had a fun time reading more about Cardan's backstory, and about his life with Jude after the end of their trilogy. And the illustrations are stunning. A wonderful book.
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It was great to see Jude and Cardan and their court again, and to spend some more time with Oak in their company. And to see how they've changed and haven't changed, and how their protecting Oak has also messed him up in a way. 
But I was a bit disappointed in Wren's storyline. She's barely in this book. At the end of the last book I had been excited to see her claim her power and exert her own agency. That's already mostly gone again by the time this book starts. I wish we'd seen more of her POV, and I wish she had had the chance to be more active in her own story. 
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

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

3.0

I read this ages ago and had not remembered much. These teenagers are all pretty terrible, to themselves and to each other. But at the same time, they're also the best to each other, and they're really realistic. It was nice to get to know Gutshot and spend some time with them. 
A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett

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

4.0

All these stories are very short, and funny and charming. I really enjoyed them as fun little bites. Especially the Quest of the Keys, and the stories about Blackbury, and the story about holidaying in the Pre-Cambrian. 
The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

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

4.0

I had the best time hanging out with Percy, Annabeth and Grover again. I really enjoyed the stakes and the radius of this story being smaller. We get to see more of them hanging out, enjoying each other's company. Don't get me wrong, Percy very much still almost dies, but on the whole this is the "beach episode" the gang deserves after the last 10 books.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-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? Yes

5.0

This book is super fun. I enjoy Amina as a protagonist a great deal. She's seen something of the world and has different priorities than YA protagonists. And her friends are such a great time as well. I can't wait to read more of her adventures!
Half-Sick of Shadows by David Logan

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

1.0

Until I was about halfway through, this would have been my review: The prose is so whimsical and charming that I often forgot that there wasn't any plot or any character development. 
Now that I'm done, my review is this: why is there so much incest and murder and child abuse and transphobia, tossed in so casually and never examined or thought about, even by the children being molested? Why does this book never develop a plot? Why does the prose get more boring the older the characters get? Where is the time travel I was promised? Why does nothing have a single consequence? This book left me feeling sad, tired and annoyed.
Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

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funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

This is such a perfect Discworld novel. So many favourite characters are involved, and yet it never feels confusing. The mystery is so, so good as well. And it's amazing to get to know a new section of Ankh-Morpork society in the golems. And SO many good punes as well.
The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre

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adventurous mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

I had a really great time with this crime novel. It's very, very different from every other crime novel I've ever read, and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat for the last 200 pages. I especially enjoyed how the author switched styles and mixed and matched between Johnny Hawke and Penny Coyne's worlds. It's clear he loves the genre.