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theblacklodgebookshelf's reviews
540 reviews
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A down-on-her-luck girl stuck in a small town where she’s reminded of her ex constantly.
A down-on-his-luck guy who’s been left heartbroken by the love of his life.
Now make them roommates.
Funny Story gives you everything you expect from an Emily Henry book. Heartfelt romance, a bit of steamy tension and emotional baggage being unpacked to make way for that happy ending.
Plus, Miles is Nick Miller coded – so win.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
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
This has been highly recommended by pretty much everyone who has read it, so I wanted to check it out. A short, cosy dystopian/sci-fi story revolving around Sibling Dex (A Tea Monk) & Mosscap (A Robot). This is as low-stakes as it gets. This is a story about self-reflection, inner growth, our purpose in life (if there is such a thing) and the connections we form along the way.
I enjoyed this a lot and will definitely be reading the sequel.
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am a little annoyed by this book. I was extremely close to DNF’ing (it took me almost the whole month to read it) as I just found the story a bit boring and familiar. Then the last 60 pages happened.
BIG SPOILERS – I really wish that the ‘twist’ had been revealed to us much earlier. The whole time it was Kiva’s mother laying in that infirmary, and we didn’t get to understand any of her inner thoughts or feelings about that. The fact that Kiva is actually the lost rebel princess and had her evil ‘mwa ha-ha’ moment in the carriage at the end, felt like a bit of an afterthought. I don’t mind an unreliable narrator, but this didn’t feel like it was orchestrated very well.
I’m a bit on the fence about whether I’ll continue the series or not.
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
adventurous
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.5
A short, slightly disturbing novella about a deadly mermaid and a plague doctor accompanying each other across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Not for the squeamish.
I really enjoyed this. Yes it’s gory and a bit twisted in parts. But at it’s heart it’s about loneliness, companionship, friendship, loyalty and love.
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really excited to read my first CC book but this was honestly a big let down. This book is so long. You could literally cut the book in half and lose nothing of the plot.
The characters were okay, and the initial premise was interesting, but the execution was poor.
I zoned out repeatedly whilst listening to the audio and had to go back to check I hadn’t missed anything important. I hadn’t.
Not a series I’ll be continuing.
Knot a Chance by Sinclair Kelly
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I read and enjoyed book one, so I was already well prepared for the issues that Arden’s book would be dealing with.
Huge TW’s for grief, death of loved ones, death of a child and survivor’s guilt.
Despite the heavy hitting topics, this book was well balanced out with funny moments and sexual tension (this is an omegaverse after all). I do wish we had spent a bit more time developing the relationships with each guy as it did feel a little rushed.
A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
adventurous
lighthearted
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
3.0
Enjoyable, but a little underwhelming. I appreciated the magical elements with Niamh infusing gifts into fabric as she sews and the cost of using that magic. But there were a lot of character choices that didn’t feel right and ultimately let this story down.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
challenging
funny
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
4.0
For the most part enjoyable and fun, but for me it didn’t quite hit the heights that I thought it would? Still it was a great story and the audio narration was excellent. I particularly liked the dynamic between Amina and Raksh.