natreadthat's reviews
383 reviews

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

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

3.5

I picked this up from the recommendations wall at my local library and loved the idea of being able to hop between parallel worlds. And, London? Might as well do a little traveling at the same time. 
 
As one of the last Antari, a rare blood-magic wielder, Kell can walk between worlds. Officially, Kell is part ambassador, part messenger tasked with passing communications from one London’s royalty to the next. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler. 
 
Kell’s smuggling hobby quickly turns dangerous when he unknowingly transports a forbidden piece of magic from Black London, a formerly powerful kingdom now shut off from the rest of the world. While fleeing, Kell runs into, quite literally, a pick pocketer who first robs him, then joins forces with him—in her world, and in his—to stop the deathly spread of black magic. 
 
A fast paced, fantasy-adjacent book. There’s magic, yes, but it’s vague and left me wishing for more from the magic system and relationships between the different Londons. For an inter-dimensional book, the story felt a little one-dimensional at times. Enjoyable, but finished wanting more. 
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The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

The sequel to The Serpent and The Wings of Night did not disappoint, though I didn’t love this one quite as much. 

Our beloved characters are forced to face the ramifications of the wish granted at the end of the deadly, magical Kejari tournament from book one. Lucky for us, we get both Oraya and Raihn’s POV as they find themselves in the middle of the three vampire houses viciously fighting for power.

Broadbent does such a great job of writing multifaceted characters, immersing them into an ever-evolving plot, and showcasing the experience of sifting through conflicting emotions all at once. How human of these vampires! The ending did feel like it dragged on for just a touch too long, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a great last read of 2024! ✨
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The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

Amidst my Fourth Wing hangover, I picked up this book based on rave reviews from friends and bookstagram, and luckily for me, it did not disappoint. 

Raised by an infamous vampire king, a measly human girl spends the first half of her life learning how to survive in a kingdom of blood-hungry vampires. Learning all she can from her father, she enters into a cutthroat Hunger Games-esque tournament hoping to have her wish granted by the powerful goddess/mother of vampires. All she has to do is survive. 

I picked this up with the intention of disappearing into a new fantasy world—aka ignoring anyone and anything around me. I loved the banter between the two main characters, the intricate world building, the ever-expanding plot, and even the unexpected twist at the end. Broadbent executed the tension and longing of the characters so, so well and that really made the story. I really enjoyed this; on to the second book!
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Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

 A short, quintessentially Irish novella. I am not a novella girly, but kept seeing this audiobook pop up on Libby and figured why not. 
 
Christmas is coming and Bill Furlong is making his rounds delivering coal. He’s also trying to understand why he feels stagnant in life and pondering the small things. Bill uncovers a disturbing secret at the local convent that forces him to question his morals. 
 
Wrapped up in 2.5 hours, this audiobook does what it sets out to do: educate the reader on the Irish Laundries for “fallen women” and inspire people to speak up when no one else does. 
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The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Ruby aspires to be the first in her family to attend college and climb out of poverty. She spends her days studying, taking care of her grandmother, and painting, until she meets a boy. Falling fast, Ruby must decide her fate quickly. 
 
Eleanor falls for William, an affluent, medical student, as they both attend Howard University. To Eleanor’s delight—and everyone else’s surprise—William falls for her too. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage, right? 
 
Historical fiction often brings to light some of the darkest parts of history and The House of Eve is no different. Laced within its pages, we glimpse the racism, hardships women faced (often on their own), societal expectations, and prejudice of the 1950s. Despite the struggles and sacrifices that are forced onto both women, the story hones in on the resilience both characters display. Class/poverty was a huge focus, especially when it comes to reproductive issues, slamming me with deja vu to the current political landscape (don’t get me started on repro rights being political). This was a beautiful albeit emotional read. 
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The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-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? No

4.0

Amidst the rising Iranian revolution, two kids find solace in one another as their love story blossoms. A chance encounter more than sixty years later leads Roya back to Bahman, the boy she was going to marry. Will she finally learn why he never met her in the square all those years ago? 
 
This story is not a happy one, it’s a tale of love, loss, and forgiveness. What would you do if the lost love of your life resurfaced decades later? How would your current partner handle it? The story follows Roya as she grows up, heals from heartbreak, leaves her country to attend college, marries, and crosses paths with Bahman once again. There are different kinds of love in the human experience, and this was a great reflection of that. 
 
I really, really loved The Lion Women of Tehran (read it!!) and was hoping The Stationary Shop would be just as excellent. It was good, but Lion Women is my favorite Kamali so far! And wowee, check out that beautiful cover! 🤩

bookstagram: @natreadthat
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Clay and Bones: My Life As an FBI Forensic Artist by Lisa Bailey

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dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
I’ve always found forensics interesting (CSI, Bones, Criminal Minds anyone?), and was drawn to this memoir to hear more about the author’s work as a forensic artist in the FBI. The forensic portions that shared glimpses into cases, facial approximation, and the body farm were very interesting. I was expecting more of that, but the memoir is truly about her fight against sexism and misogyny in the workplace. It came as no surprise that the FBI is a good ole boys club. 

Clay and Bones gave me a glimpse into an industry I’m not privy too, but unfortunately her negative experiences were no stranger to me. I’m always here for those who speak out against the patriarchy and hope that writing this memoir was cathartic for Bailey, but if you’re looking for more of the forensics stuff, this probably isn’t for you. 
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Songlight: Torch Trilogy #1 by Moira Buffini

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dark mysterious medium-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? No

3.5

 In a bleak, dystopian world, people who can communicate telepathically through songlight are referred to as “unhumans” by their communities. They are persecuted, their telepathic abilities are surgically destroyed rendering them soulless, and they’re sentenced to work as slaves to the nation. 
 
Sodden with grief, Elsa, a young girl in a coastal town sends her overwhelming feelings of sorrow into songlight and is met by Kaira, the daughter of songlight hunter far, far away. An unexpected friendship grows as they yearn for the end of war, fear, and patriarchy. 
 
I had trouble staying engaged in this story. The world building was both too fast and too slow, and I struggled switching between five different POVs. It really didn’t pick up until the last 50 pages or so where I was really drawn in. Even then, the ending produced too many loose ends. It felt like the original story wasn’t even completed. I liked the premise—I even requested my library buy it—but it unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations. 
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Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

Like my friends said, “y’all this book!!! 😍”
Quirky banter, falling into a $75,000 wedding cake and falling into love, drama…this story has it all! 
 
The heartthrob first son of the United States of America and the pompous Prince of Wales have been rivals for years. In light of a very public diplomatic scandal, the two are forced to fake a friendship that spans the Atlantic Ocean. What could possibly come out of that? 
 
I share the popular opinion of bookstagram that this book is a delight! Reading this was like being hugged in many ways—a female president who does what’s best for the country, a diverse set of characters, the comfort the characters offer to one another, strong sisters and best friends. Ahhh, it was all so sweet and, even better, laced with humor. Read this!!!
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The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

“Shir zan. A woman with the courage of a lion.” 
 
This gave me the FEEEEELS. I haven’t been touched by a book like this in a long time, what a gift! 
 
I knew next to nothing about the Iranian Revolution prior to reading this. Despite that, Kamali beautifully mixed fiction with historical facts to tell the tale of two young girls from different socio-economic classes become fierce friends. This is their story. The themes of girlhood, feminism, courage, political upheaval, resilience, and friendship—among others—portrayed in this story are relatable and incredibly timely. 
 
There were moments that had me laughing, crying, and rereading portions due to their profoundness. Sadly, it does not go unnoticed that the struggle for women’s rights seen in these pages is reminiscent of what many women around the world still face today, even here in America. And yet, this story sprinkles a bit of light into the darkness. 
 
What a truly fascinating, heartfelt read! One of the best I’ve read this year so far. 
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