eggbeater's reviews
1209 reviews

The Ravens by Danielle Paige, Kass Morgan

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adventurous mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.5

I found it easy to guess the ending and it was a little too deliberately life lessony for me, but I still enjoyed most of it anyway. One thing I did like is that the way the authors physically describe and label white characters as much as characters of color, and you don't see that too often in books. I liked the characters and the overall vibe.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

I love a good book about books. This book had a librarian dueling a minotaur, so it did not disappoint. And of course if there existed a library of unwritten books that could come to life, they would be in hell. I appreciated the creativity, humorous existential angst, and the tenacity of the characters. This was well done.
The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

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

2.0

The ending of this book made me exclaim out loud "Really! OMG! Just, really?" You have to read it because the ending is just dumpster fire ridiculous. The first half of the book is like ho-hum and the last half is like YA meets Deliverance written by a middle schooler drinking too much Red Bull. I loved to hate it. 
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us by Tom Vanderbilt

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challenging informative medium-paced

4.0

This was a fun and interesting book club pick. It differed from our normal reads. I liked it because it seemed well researched and provoked thought. I'm not convinced of some of the conclusions, like that we don't need traffic signs, but I was intrigued. Perversely, this made me feel a little better about driving because I'm a real nervous driver, an issue the book doesn't really cover, but it said people are apt to drive worse the more confident and safe they believe themselves to be. I never feel safe, I never feel confident, sometimes just reading about traffic gave me a small anxiety attack.
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

My feelings on this book are complicated. It is a complicated and disturbing story and it deserves its due. I didn't find that it was always easy to follow, but it was worth the effort. It was a good book, to say I liked it would be using the wrong type of language. I would recommend it for people who are interested in anti-racism and empathy who like sci fi. Everyone else should probably read it, too.
Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews

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

4.0

This was an entertaining, twisty novel with characters you love to hate.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

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dark emotional 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

3.25

The writing style was beautiful and I really appreciated the feminist message. This book was just a little too long and moved at too slow a pace for my taste.
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-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 liked this horror story. It was spooky and creepy, but also sentimental and the main character had a great sense of humor.
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Victorian murder mystery that is light, cute, and made me chuckle.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

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

4.25

The characters were so well drawn in what is a satire of itself. Horror fans will appreciate this genius and all its twists and turns. The main character is exactly who I would be given that scenario.