brittishliterature's reviews
212 reviews

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.5

This book. Wow, this was my first Fredrik Backman, and I’m in love. This story was incredibly kind, full of heart and wisdom, and filled with such relatable, human characters. 

The little plot twists here and there, the way that Backman left me guessing—at times I thought I knew what was going on and then it all continued to evolve into one big, beautifully crafted, interwoven tale. The ending had me sobbing.

And Marin Ireland was a superb narrator 🤌🏼 Listening along made for such a delightful experience and really added to the personality of the characters. Looking forward to checking out the Netflix adaptation as well!

I loved this book so much 🥺❤️
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A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

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dark emotional mysterious relaxing tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow, this book wasn't quite what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was hesitant to read it, but I'd seen good reviews and wanted to branch out a bit from my usual genres. This was an atmospheric, emotional, reflective, slow-paced thriller set in a rural/forest landscape. At first, I was worried it might get too creepy/disturbing for me, but it never did and I liked that (I'm not much for media that leaves me scared to be home alone at night in the dark or constantly thinking someone's gonna be in my house to murder me lol).

It was dark and twisty with a touch of magical realism and beautiful imagery. I thought some of the plot twists were more clarifying than shocking but still very good. I enjoyed the flow of the narrative and where the journey took me as a reader from beginning to end. I definitely would recommend this book.
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Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

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5.0

The only downside to this book is that it ended. 
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

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3.0

A bad case of wrong mood, wrong time. I probably should have just DNF’d early on. Having read this already once before, I was pretty bored and pushing through. I really liked this book the first time I read it, but I was ready to move on to other things so it felt like it dragged on. Sigh, guess I should have listened to that part of me that knew I was just wasting my time with a book I wasn’t enjoying. Not to mention I threw off my stats when I accidentally deleted all my reading history for the book when trying to switch the editions and had to fix it best I could manually 😅. This reread was just overall a disaster 😂
The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith

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5.0

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

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5.0

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This one is a new favorite for me! A middle grade mystery that felt like so much more and checked off so many boxes for me as a reader. I was excited to pick up the book and found myself getting lost in the pages as I followed Milo and Meddy on their adventure. And the plot twist! I love a good plot twist! I will definitely be picking up the next book at some point, because I very much would like to return for another visit to Greenglass House :)
Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm honestly a bit sad this book is over, because I would have liked to stay a little longer. Endearing characters, heartwarming stories of generosity and kindness, heartfelt emotions - I almost cried at a couple points in the book because of how deeply I felt for the characters in their grief and their joy. It left me feeling satisfied and grateful. An ode to the magic and power of books to connect us and carry us through hard times. I absolutely loved it.
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This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this one! It was just quirky and down-to-earth enough for me. Full of hilarious and endearing characters, with plenty of unlucky and laugh-out-loud moments. Not very steamy or spicy if that’s what you’re looking for in a romance novel, but personally I enjoyed that about this book. 

A rom-com set mostly around New Year’s (I finished it on New Year’s Day, perfect timing!) about luck, love, and friendship. Loved it :)
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The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m not sure how to describe this book, and I’m not sure if I could tell you exactly what happened, but somehow I really liked it? And listening to the audiobook along with it was wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed Nancy Wu’s narration. 
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