phoenix2's reviews
1249 reviews

'The Marigold Mind Laundry' is a fantasy novel with lots of short but heartwarming stories about people and life choices.

I appreciated that the author explored the story of the mind laundry's owner, though I would have liked a bit more background on the lore.

The short stories, in addition, were all interesting and examined many social subjects. 

Overall, it is a nice, sunshine book.

'Foster' is a novella about a child who goes to live with a 'foster' family for a while and there she finally receives attention and love.

The story is quite short and, at least for me, it needed just a few more pages to aid with the emotional connection. Still, the little things the girl and her new family were doing, even their everyday chores, were interesting to follow and it was nice to discover the dynamics of the society through them.

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!!

'Eleven Numbers' is a novella with a spy thriller story.

First of all, the book is well narrated and the narrator did a great job expressing the character and giving enough suspense when it was needed.

Also, the story was quite interesting and well-constructed even if it was quite short.

However, the main part was a bit rushed.

Still, it was an enjoyable story and the ending was satisfying.

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy!!

'Vanishing World' is a book by Sayaka Murata and it follows the same pattern as all of her stories, with the weird atmosphere, the disturbing plot, and the exploration of society's rules.

The book is divided into three parts, with the first two exploring the main character's early life and her sexual awakening, as well as what led her and her husband to join the experimental city. Those parts have some rather boring passages, with themes and dialogues often being repeated to the point that I thought I swiped back a few pages on my ebook and was rereading them. Alas, that pattern was used more often than not and it got tiring.

The third part was the more 'exciting' with more action moving the plot forward and a quite disturbing ending. I can only translate it into the plan backfiring and having people omit their animal instincts leads to them acting to the extreme. Still, it wasn't easy to read.

Finally, the book was quick paced and it was easy to finish it in a few days due to the simple narration, even if the story won't leave the reader for many days to come.

'Water Moon' is a fantasy book with cozy vibes.

The story is a blend of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and Ghibli movies, along with Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Moreover, it has a fast pace and is full of small cute details and fantastical adventures. However, and even though the characters were interesting and endearing, the romance was kind of rushed and it felt forced. Nevertheless, the book was enjoyable.

'We Do Not Part' is a fantasy book that blends historical facts with a cold, winter story.

The story is pretty intense and quite dark, and it gets more emotional as it moves towards the end. 

However, on the other hand, the narrative was not easy to get used to and more often than not screwed the tempo of the narrative.

'A Sea of Unspoken Things' is a story about closure and finding oneself. 

The book kind of feels like watching Twin Peaks, minus the whole paranormal frenzy. Thus, the small community vibes were there, the mystery was interesting, and there were owls!

It was also nice to see James find herself and her passion for life and to discover the reality behind the ones who were close to her.

'The Dubliners' is a collection of short stories, all taking place in Dublin, but featuring different characters from different walks of life. 

Some of the stories were quite interesting, and it was fantastic how the author managed the stories in so few pages. Others weren't that successful, but the message behind all was clear.

'Royal Heirs Academy' is a YA melodrama.

The book has an interesting premise, that brings to mind the Inheritance Games, as our main character is selected to become the new heir to the throne despite not being royal and has to compete with the real royal heirs.

Also, it has some Gossip Girl vibes, but not enough scandal and scheming to make it as delicious and keep things interesting. Therefore, the first part of the book was rather boring, especially since it focused more on the love triangle which was way too predictable, especially when it came to whom she'd choose (I rather liked the Irish boy cause I have a thing for Irish characters). 

Things got better in the final chapters, but it was also when the book ended, so it was a short-lived entertainment. Also, I loved the second female lead, as she was indeed a scheming Queen, but she didn't have enough page time. 

'Tam O' Shanter' is a short story by Donna Tartt and it is enjoyable enough, though it is too short for the story to unfold.