natreadthat's reviews
391 reviews

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.5

If you can’t tell, I’m tearing through this series like it’s nobody’s business. And yes, Maas’ other series have moved higher up on my #TBR pile. 

It’s hard to write a spoiler-free review, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. ACOWAR is action-packed through and through, whether that’s on the battlefield, mind-to-mind, or in Rhys and Feyre’s bedroom (or wherever they may be).

I felt a rollercoaster of emotions as the story came full circle. There was everything from powerful female leads, almost-perfect yet emotionally-damaged men, incredible character development, surprises, and spice, plus I really enjoyed ignoring my adult responsibilities for a few days (oops). While I undoubtedly enjoyed #ACOMAF more, this was still a great read. 
On to the next one!
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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

Ah yes. The series that currently has me in an absolute chokehold. 

I don’t want to spoil anything… But Sarah J. Maas is a MASTER of her craft. The world building in ACOTAR that led to the slow, delicious burn in Mist & Fury is unmatched. The character development Feyre (and let’s be honest, everyone) goes through as the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand, upholds his end of their bargain is again, unmatched. 

I devoured this book, I simply wouldn’t put it down. And then I lingered a while to reread a chapter here and there because I wasn’t ready to let go. 

Maas has woven in action, suspense, romance, spice!!!, twists, turns, drama, and everything in between. This book might just be an all time favorite. I’m begging you to read this series. 
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What's Worth Keeping by Kaya McLaren

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Amy is recovering from breast cancer and the divorce papers from her husband she that found on the day she was diagnosed.

Paul is the shell of the man he once was after the Oklahoma City Bombing.

And Carly is grappling with almost losing her mother, knowing that she may also have the gene that causes breast cancer, and feeling like life has no meaning anymore. 

Amy, Paul, and Carly go off in different directions to knowingly and unknowingly figure out their lives. Will their paths lead back to one another? Or is the damage already done?

A quick, sweet read that portrays the struggles of real life. 
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The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

“My curiosity had always been greater than my fear - not a good trait to have in North Korea, where fear keeps your senses sharp and helps you stay alive.” 

What an incredible, eye-opening telling of the atrocities that happened and continue to happen in North Korea to this day. Hyeonseo Lee is just one brave person who, quite literally, risked it all as she defected from North Korea in search of a new life. 

Yet her story is not the norm — her family held a high status, known as songbun, and lived a relatively comfortable life. It was curiosity and rebellion that first sent her across the river to China and only the realization that she had been fed lies about North Korea being the best country in the world that kept her there.  

Hyeonseo does not shy away from how neighboring countries and the world view North Korea, North Korean defectors, and the challenges they face if and when they reach freedom. She was a young woman who fought for her freedom, her family’s freedom, and lived to tell the world their story. 

The Girl With Seven Names is a must read. 
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The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
I really wanted to enjoy this one, especially since I loooveeedd The Night Circus. Unfortunately it just didn’t do it for me. 

The Starless Sea reads like a love letter to storytelling, but it left me feeling like I had no idea what was going on. The writing was beautiful and whimsical but ultimately failed to capture me as the son of a fortune teller stumbles around a magical world. 
Perhaps I’ll try again someday. 
My Mother's Eyes: A Short Story by Jeremy Ray

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

3.5

The mom he knows and loves is trapped comatose in a hospital bed right in front of him, at least that’s what his brother thinks. What Jordie sees is machines keeping her barely alive, hospital gadgets, and the shell of his mother. So Jordie tries over and over again to draw his mother alive exactly how he remembers her, except that he can’t get her eyes right no matter how hard he tries. 

My Mother’s Eyes is an heart-rendering short story, portraying the differing love of two brothers for their mom after a suicide attempt. It is a nod at loving those in your life hard and telling them often. It is not what I would usually pick up, but it was well written and packed an emotional punch. 
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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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adventurous emotional 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

3.75

Set against the rich and famous backdrop of Malibu, the buildup to the legendary Rivas party is immersive and delicious. 

1980s: Mick Rivas sweeps June off her feet with his charm and the voice that’s going to take him places. His musical career takes off right as they get pregnant, but it’s not long until he leaves for another woman. 

Present day: Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit must fend for themselves. Nina is the responsible first child, Jay is the charismatic pro surfer, Hud is the quiet photographer, and Kit is still figuring out who she really is. 

Malibu Rising is a multi-layered tale of family dysfunction, heartbreak, finding success, and learning from the mistakes of the past. 
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White Hot Light: Twenty-Five Years in Emergency Medicine by Frank Huyler

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

In this unflinching memoir that is both brutal and beautiful, Dr. Frank Huyler puts twenty-five years worth of his career as an ER doctor out on the table. 

His collection of short stories tell the tales of those he could save and those he could not. It is honest and raw and focuses not only on the human body in stress, but the ethical dilemmas doctors must face in times of crisis. 

White Hot Light is timely with the on-going pandemic, yet it’s written so well that it almost felt fictitious and certainly wasn’t overwhelmingly heavy like some medical non-fiction books can be. A great read overall.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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

4.5

When I saw a map at the beginning of ACOTAR, I got flashbacks of staying up all night reading the Eragon series when I was younger (which I loved btw). 

Feyre is starving and cold when she arrows down a wolf deep in the forest to feed her family. That was a dangerous move, not only because the wolf could have killed her, but because the wolf wasn’t really a wolf… it was a faerie. Feyre is soon taken to live out her life in the mystical Prythian to pay for killing a faerie, where she learns about a whole new world and the dangers that come with it. Fantasy meets romance as Feyre must help her new immortal keeper stop his world from imminent doom. 

Magic, faeries, a little bit of Stockholm syndrome, lust, war, and love are the ingredients of this one. Enjoyable read with a faint sprinkle of ✨spice.✨
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Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

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

3.0

Finn and Ellen have put the past behind them—namely that Layla vanished without a trace ten years ago. Layla was Finn’s former girlfriend and he was madly in love with her. Layla was also Ellen’s sister. Through Layla’s disappearance, and ultimately her suspected death, Finn and Ellen found strength in one another. Now they’re engaged to be wed. 

All is well until Russian dolls, mysterious emails, and sightings of Layla start appearing. Is Layla still out there or is someone messing with them?

The book started out strong. It was suspenseful, it had me guessing, but then part two came along. The twist was a bit too obvious, too implausible. I was able to guess the ending, which is normally fun! But this one had me asking, “really?”
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