gaylandtoo's reviews
115 reviews

Penance by Eliza Clark

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

5.0

and if i said my favorite read of 2025... what then
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

i <3 tessa & imogen
The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich

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slow-paced

1.5

if i were anne hathaway, i'd sue


i usually don't give 1.5 stars. however, this is a special case. allow me to list my grievances:

1. the characters have no chemistry. how do you write a book where the two main characters have no chemistry? the only thing these boys like about each other is that they're both hot. that's it.
2. how dare you compare yourself to the princess diaries? write a shitty book, sure, but leave anne hathaway and julie andrews out of it.
3. the use of "six-pack." say something else. anything else, really.
4. jamie johnson? that's the best name you could come up with?
5. "sexy" was used in an unironic context.

i truly wish to waste no more time on this book. i only finished it because i refused to be defeated by a book so atrociously written.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

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

3.5

what the hell, sure
The Official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book by Taylor Swift

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5.0

Acts of Service by Lillian Fishman

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

3.0

yall i have no clue what the thesis of this book is. i enjoyed my time, but what was the point? i can't figure it out. 
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

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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

3.5

i love ahb's writing as always, but something about this one felt slightly off. maybe i'm not the biggest fan of a christmas love story. 
something about the two leads felt like they didn't fit together as well as in her other novels. i'm not so sure.
The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

this is a new contender for my top 5 favorite books ever. fantastic.
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

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challenging dark 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

4.75

this could easily be 5 stars but for some reason i cannot take the word plasm seriously. one of the only recent novels i've read that captures the unreliable narrator tone of dark academia perfectly. huzzah, elisabeth thomas.