ishouldreadthat's reviews
1126 reviews

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

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

4.0

My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

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dark mysterious medium-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

4.0

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca

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

3.0

What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman

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

4.0

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

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

4.0

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

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emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

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

4.0

Looking Glass Sound is a very strange book. Catriona Ward is one of my favourite authors and a master storyteller and this book was ambitious. It wont work for some readers, but I think she really pulled it off. It's hard to talk about without spoilers! Part coming of age tale, part story of revenge and trauma, it's a book about obsession in many forms. This is one of those books that you'll either love or hate - I can't imagine there's much middle ground! I ended up absolely loving it, despite being tempted to DNF at about 30% (there's a massive shift in the story that I found quite dull). I'm a huge advocate for DNFing but this is a rare case where I'm SO glad I didn't.

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Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

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

4.5

I'm a huge fan of Moira Fowley-Doyle's YA books and was so excited to read her adult horror stories! The dreamy magical realism that I've come to know and love from her is absolutely astonishing in this book - her stories are gorgeous and impactful and sometimes downright creepy. I'd highly recommend this to fans of sapphic books, horror, and magical realism.
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

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adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.25

I loved Kalynn Bayron's ode to slasher flicks! This book is a love letter to the genre, but still twists the common tropes on their head and follows a final girl who knows all the rules. This book was an absolute delight to read - I'd love more YA horror books from her.
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional lighthearted sad 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

4.0

The second instalment of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold  series is just as magical as the first, with a new set of characters looking to revisit the past. I love that between the customers stories we get some development in the lives of the people who work in the cafe too.