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This was such a cozy mystery! The quirky, unique animal characters were a fun twist on a well known genre, and I can‘t really explain it, but it‘s just the perfect book to read in November.
I didn‘t guess the killer, so that was nice, too, to have a new world built & a strong mystery.
I think I‘ll definitely read more from this series.
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I wasn‘t sure if this would hold up for a 3rd read, but it really did. Very fun, spicy, and fast, it‘s a great time.
Rebecca Soler is a very enthusiastic audiobook reader which sometimes really adds to the story and sometimes it‘s a bit too much.
I‘m excited to be back in the world & will anxiously await book 3 coming out in a couple months.
pickAnother 1000+ pages - 48 hours on the audiobook - in to the Stormlight Archive, and I am loving every minute!
The fact that this world is so full, the characters so real, and the whole experience so accessible - it‘s just incredible.
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️I didn‘t have any issue with the message of this book - I almost fully agree with his premise that we can choose to be unoffendable, reacting to people‘s anger with love.The reason I didn‘t love this one is because it felt very repetitive, &there were moments that felt like Hansen didn‘t allow for healthy ways to deal with our anger, it should just be dismissed.So it was fine for what it was, but I wish it had been a bit less…or a bit more.
“Okay. So this may sound like the dumbest thing you‘ve ever read, but here goes: you can choose to be unoffendable.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
Jasnah Kholin pretended to enjoy the party, giving no indication that she intended to have one of the guests killed.
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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I think this is my favorite TJR book so far! I had been told multiple times it would be different than what I expected, and it really was in so many ways.
The three audiobook narrators were excellent & made the three different story parts distinct.
It felt so real, I caught myself almost Googling Evelyn Hugo & her movies multiple times and then had to remind myself it was all fiction.
Loved it!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I always enjoy a good sports story, and this chess-centric romance definitely scratches that itch! There were some things I didn‘t love, mostly to do with the character of Mallory and her family, but overall this is a fun, quick, heartfelt read.
Probably the most confusing thing about this book is that it‘s being called a young adult novel, and it absolutely is not.
So it‘s a good book, one I would recommend, but not to younger readers.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love Sharon McMahon!I love her commitment to the truth of history,her writing style,her desire to give voice to the stories that have mostly been untold.This book‘s content and the way it was written is excellent!The only reason it‘s down one star is because I‘m a bad reader of story collections, & that is more what this feels like than an overarching narrative.The audiobook is excellent,&I‘m so appreciative of what Sharon has given us!
“Alexander Hamilton was going to die. And he knew it.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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I truly do not know who Brandon Sanderson thinks he is. This book was massive - 45 hours on the audiobook! - and all I could think when I finished it was “I‘m so glad there‘s more!”
His pacing is some of the best I‘ve ever read and he builds these worlds, people groups, magic systems in ways that are so easy to read.
Very, very impressive.
“Kalak rounded a rocky stone ridge and stumbled to a stop before the body of a dying thunderclast.”
#FirstLineFridays
@TheAromaofBooks
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I can‘t pinpoint what exactly made it so different, but I thought this book was much better than Soto‘s first (Forget Me Not) in this loosely connected series. This one is still a quick, spicy read, but the characters here feel more grounded and cared for, and so I also cared for them. I thought the final conflict was realistic, and even if the end was a bit quick, it all came together well.
Definitely glad I gave Soto another chance!
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Keeping his signature writing style - short chapters, snappy dialogue, memorable characters, and laugh out loud moments - Osman somehow wrote a new murder mystery story that really does feel distinct.
I‘m looking forward to seeing the Thursday Murder Club characters again, but I‘ll be just as happy to return to body guard Amy, her retired cop father-in-law Steve, & spicy mystery novelist Rosie as They Solve Murders.
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I don‘t feel like I ever understood the main characters in this story but I did think their families, setting, and children (especially the children) were all written realistically. It was character driven, and Rowell did a great job compelling me forward.
I also loved it being set in 2006. The amount of times this woman put on a dress over her jeans - excellent. I think this was written specifically for us, elder millennials. Enjoy 💕
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This is such a strong showing from Emily Henry! I read it when it first came out in less than 48 hours, so it was nice to sit with it a little longer this time.
Reading through all Henry‘s books over the last few months with my friend was very fun, so I definitely recommend that, too.
**I still don‘t have my own copy cuz I‘m waiting for the paperback!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought I‘d love this low-stakes time traveling café book more than I did. I think it came down to how it‘s a short story collection and I‘m never a good reader of those. That said, I did like how all the stories were connected and how the time travel was so low-stakes. You weren‘t worried the world would be changed, just the people there.I don‘t think I‘ll read more, but there are some characters I am wondering about, so you never know!
“‘Oh gosh, is that the time? Sorry I have to go,‘ the man mumbled evasively, as he stood up and reached for his bag.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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Everett wrote this book with such honesty, respect, and agency. Taking a story so fully engrained in American Literature and flipping it to be something with a deeper understanding of every character must have been a massive undertaking, and there are so many impactful moments in this book. The audio is powerfully read, and I‘ll be buying my own copy and annotating all the moments that stilled my body & pushed into my heart.
A gift.
“Those little bastards were hiding out there in the tall grass.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
pickThis is going to be one of the best surprises of the year! Told entirely through letters, articles, etc., the pacing is not fast, but it was captivating. A unique world is created, and the characters all felt distinct & interesting. I think this was helped by the excellent audiobook narration provided by four different readers. Some romance, some academia, some laughs, some anxiety-overall excellent storytelling. And also - what a gorgeous cover!
“Dear Scholar Clel,
Instead of reading further, I hope you will return this letter to its envelope or, better yet, crumple it into an abstract shape that might look quite at home on a coral reef.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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Even though I gave this book 5 stars the first time I read it, I didn‘t really remember it with great fondness. But on this reread, I found myself absolutely loving it.
I think these MCs are the ones of Henry‘s that I relate to the most, for good and bad, and I find the heartache that drives this book really beautiful.
The audiobook is excellent, the friendships represented seem realistic - Emily Henry is a master at what she does.
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I feel like every review of Lewis nonfiction for me could be the same: it takes some work, but it's worth it.
You can trust Lewis to build (and build and build) an argument in a way that is logical, philosophical, and tongue-in-cheek and then bring you to a conclusion that has you more sure than ever of Christ and God's goodness.
This book was written 84 years ago, but its message is timeless.
“Not many years ago when I was an atheist, if anyone had asked me, ‘Why do you not believe in God?‘ my reply would have run something like this: ‘Look at the universe we live in.‘”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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This was so different from what I was expecting - in a good way!
The time bending apartment was such a fun idea, and I really liked both main characters and their exploration of grief, though I didn‘t connect with the story as emotionally as I thought I would.
I‘m definitely interested in reading more from this author.
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The fact that this is Miller‘s first novel is absolutely incredible. She has this amazing talent of taking mythic characters and stories that many of us have grown up reading and studying, and turning them into, if not ordinary people, then at least relatable ones.
It‘s shocking that she can have somebody like Achilles or Odysseus as a character and they feel fresh and new when I‘m reading her work.
Definitely recommend.
“My father was a king and the son of kings.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ I don‘t read thrillers or psychological fiction very often, so I expected to be very affected by this one, and while I found it a good story, I ended up a bit underwhelmed.
I know I‘m late to the party reading this, and some of my reaction to it I‘m sure is colored by how much this was talked about.
So, overall I thought it was good, but I‘m surprised it got all the hype that it got.
Excellent audio narrators!
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I think it‘s official - I have a new must-read author in Jimenez and a new favorite audiobook narrator in Zachary Webber.
Yours Truly is my favorite from this series, but this one is not far behind. I‘ll definitely be recommending this author/series!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️I found this book equal parts entertaining & annoying.
The concept was really intriguing - two coauthors who had a falling out but have to write one more book to fulfill their contract - but I did not like the infidelity storylines & wish the authors could have come up with a different way to add that tension. And I‘m not sure I ever really liked the main characters themselves?
Anyway - not mad I read it; probably wouldn‘t recommend it.
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It took a bit for this one to fully pull me in, but once it did, I really enjoyed the ride!
This has multiple branches of a unique nature-based magic and pirates, pirate hunters, and a Navy all competing for the seas.
This is a complete story, but the end is set up for more adventures, and I'll definitely be reading book two.
Very fun fantasy adventure!
“The first rain I called was misty and fine, billowing down the slate hills east of the Ghistwold.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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Definitely my favorite so far in the Disney-inspired Meant To Be series! Christina Lauren do a great job putting this well-known Disney story into its own, new context.
Tangled has so much character development for the two main characters, and the authors really capture that in this story. There are lots of little nods to the original movie, but it also felt uniquely its own, which is quite a feat!
“Fragile morning sun sent its thin, golden fingertips dancing across a fresh blanket of snow.”
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
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What we have here is a romance that starts over letter writing & turns into fake dating, so let me tell you there was no way I wasn‘t going to love this.
Add to that laugh out loud moments, literal clutch-my-heart romance, and excellent audiobook narrators, and this is coming close to topping the list of summer reads for me.
Highly recommend.
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This is my 5th time reading this book, so I don‘t think a full review is necessary. There are so many parts I still find very funny or highly emotional, even the fifth time through. And Julia Whelan‘s perfect narration just heightens all of that.
If you haven‘t read it, please do.
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Well, here comes Levenseller once again giving me exactly what I want!
She is the best at creating fun, fast, teen adventure-fantasy-romance, so if that is what you are looking for, you should read this one - and every other book of hers.
My only complaint is they kept the same audiobook narrator for this book in the series, and she is not one I enjoy listening to. So I‘d suggest reading over listening.
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I really enjoyed this standalone story in Sanderson‘s Cosmere!
The magic system is different from anything I‘ve ever read, and I‘m always so impressed how he can build such in-depth worlds, complicated magic, political intrigue, and make it incredibly easy to understand.
Excellent, as usual.
This was my July #bookspin book! @TheAromaofBooks
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This book was heavier than I expected but I really enjoyed it. You see the ending conflict coming from the beginning, but I still was invested to see how it would all play out.
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I always love Levenseller‘s books - they are nonstop action, romance, and fun.
In any other context, I would never like Alessandra or the Shadow King, but somehow, she wins me over to them both.
I partially listened to the audiobook & didn‘t care for the narrator at all, so I‘d recommend reading this one, not listening.
Great twists, amazing fashion, interesting characters - excited for book 2 that comes out tomorrow!
“They‘ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
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The first book in this series - Today Tonight Tomorrow - is my favorite teen romance, so I was very exited to see that Solomon was continuing their story.
This book follows Rowan and Neil to college, and it is a lot heavier & more emotional than the first book, which I appreciated, even if I missed the lightness of their first story.
I didn‘t love it as much as TTT, but it was a great look at what comes after the happily ever after.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I‘d heard mixed reviews of this book, but I loved it!
I do think there were some gaps that never got filled in, but I liked the build up, the (multiple) near misses, and seeing how the romance and characters developed.
I appreciate a strong duology, but I also wish there were more in the series!
