zoeelizabethk's reviews
610 reviews

The Wonderful World of James Herriot by James Herriot

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

I will forever love anything to do with James Herriot. The Wonderful World of James Herriot shares some of the best of the stories from the Dales and beyond, interspersed with insight into the life and inspiration of James Wight from his children Jim and Rosie. This was a delight to read, and, even if like me you've read all the Herriot books multiple times, this book is still worth checking out for a glimpse into our favorite vet's life.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Engines of Chaos by R.S. Ford

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

I"m not going to lie. I struggled with Engines of Empire. It felt a bit like Ford was trying to put too much into the book and I wished we would slow down a bit to spend more time with the characters. So I'm delighted to say that Engines of Chaos felt like a huge step up. The first half was much more character focused and I was so much more invested in the Hawkspurs and especially Ansell. Despite taking more time to focus on characters the plot kept going and kept me intrigued. The back half of the book felt more plot heavy, but I was so much more invested now that I liked the characters. The the reveals at the end - I'm super curious about what's going on with the magic and how R.S. Ford will wrap this up!

I mostly listened to the audiobook, and really liked our narrators and they told the story well!

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for an advance eARC and an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.
Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick

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emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Labyrinth's Heart was a great finale to The Rook and Rose trilogy. I'm very sad to be leaving these characters now. So... Labyrinth's Heart...
the good of it
- the character interactions and relationships as always were fabulous. This series seriously has some of my favorite found family! The characters made me feel things!
- the twist was well done and I'm impressed with how the authors made it make sense in context of the previous books and laid clues without giving it away
- everything coming together was very satisfying and as in the last point, speaks to the plotting of the series overall

the ill of it
- the first half was a bit draggy, but once the second half kicked it it didn't let up

and that which is neither:
- the ending was slightly convenient, but also just what I wanted out of it, so your mileage may vary
- some of our favorite side characters were slightly neglected, but I honestly didn't really notice cause I was immersed in the main story.

Overall I highly recommend Rook and Rose and can't wait for more people to read it!

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I also listened to the audio narrated by Nikki Massoud, who is fantastic at bringing the characters to life!
Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Griffin, Jason Reynolds

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dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It's very hard for me to rate a book like Ain't Burned All the Bright. It's very conceptual and also very visceral and in-the-moment-feelings. It's very dark while also reminding you to breathe. I think at its heart it captures an experience of a very particular moment in time and the feelings, confusions, struggles, and moments of beauty despite all the hard.
The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan

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dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow, what a beautiful story that tackles hard themes around immigration, belonging, place, womanhood, motherhood, sibling dynamics, and the cost of secrets. I loved all of our characters and Alyan really made me feel their unique struggles and concerns, and I loved the way each of the characters got the ending they needed in the book. I did feel like there was a chunk in the middle where the pace dragged just a little and I wasn't sure where we were going anymore, but Alyan brought it all together for a great ending. Be sure to check out trigger warnings - this was not a light book and ultimately had a bit more sex and secrets and betrayal than I prefer, but I do feel like these things were handled well. Highly recommended for those who love multigenerational sagas, multiple timelines, and immigrant stories.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

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

3.5

Surprisingly not super creepy, but a bit unsettling. While I found the plot fairly predictable, I did enjoy the story and atmosphere.
The First Date Prophecy by Danny Tamberelli, Kate Tamberelli

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

2.5

Unfortunately I dnf'd this at 50%. Initially I was really enjoying The First Date Prophecy, but it was such a slow setup and by the time we got fully into the relationship, the characters just weren't doing it for me. Additionally, the male narrator's audio was slightly fuzzy and he narrated at a different pace from the female narrator, so I struggled to connect with Rudy as a character and was left frustrated. I think this book will be more to other people's taste, but unfortunately it wasn't to mine. Good for romance readers who like a slow set up and slow burn of a couple who are "destined" to do great things together.

Thanks to Highbridge Audio and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick

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dark 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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed being back in this Nadezra with our cast of characters. I don't think I liked The Liar's Knot quite as much as The Mask of Mirrors, but it was still a fascinating book. I think I will love it even more on reread when I understand the magic better. For me the highlight of this entry was the character relationships and reveals and I'm so excited to see where these great authors are taking this series in The Labyrinth's Heart.
By Sea & Sky by Antoine Bandele

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

2.5

Sadly By Sea & Sky was a DNF for me. I had high hopes for this - I loved that we had an older protagonist who was already married, and the skyship was super intriguing. Unfortunately, I made it halfway through and just didn't care much about Zala or anything going on in the story. It was very action-oriented, but I didn't get the connection to the characters that I wanted. If you are a more action-oriented reader, want an established, older MC, or really like airships, this might well work better for you than it did for me. 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Bandele Books and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

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adventurous mysterious
  • 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

3.5

The Last Mapmaker is a heartwarming middle grade about Sai who comes from a difficult background, but through her apprenticeship with a mapmaker, ends up on the adventure of her life. I really enjoyed the writing and the character work. I really felt for Sai and what she'd gone through and overall I just really enjoyed all the characters. I'm not a huge fan of naval adventures, but I still enjoyed the plot for the most part and Soontornvat kept me intrigued. While it doesn't have a huge emotional punch for as an adult, I think many younger readers will really relate to Sai and enjoy her adventure. Highly recommended for middle graders and YA readers who like geography, sailing, and nautical adventures!

Thanks to OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.