Christian Reader - Book lists, discussion, writing

Reign & Ruin - J.D. Evans, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
I loved the beginning, I loved the ending - the middle dragged a bit.

I thought the world-building well done, and the chemistry between Naime and Makram really worked and I loved the slow-burn romance. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters were non-descript enough that I more or less forgot their names 5 minutes after I heard them, and - with the exception of the Sultan and Kadir - had a hard time telling them apart.

It's very clearly the first in a series, so very little got resolved, but I have no real desire to continue on with the next book.


Jødedoktoren - Mette Schmidt, 4/5, 400 pages
(The Jewish Doctor)
Really interesting book about my great-great-great...(I forget how many)-grandfather, who was the first Jewish doctor in Copenhagen. This is a fictionalized account of a real person, and I am amazed by how MUCH research has gone into this book - including translating old letters and articles.

But though the topic might sound heavy, the book isn't at all. It's very easily read, and absolutely fascinating to read about the life of a Jew in Copenhagen in the late 18th century. Sure, I felt a personal interest, because these were my ancestors, but I've always been a fan of historical fiction, so would have been interested either way. It was amusing to read about them making their way around Copenhagen, and knowing exactly where this street or that building lies.


The Final Target - Nora Roberts, 4/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
It's Nora Roberts, so you know exactly what to expect - but it's always an enjoyable journey getting there. Her books follow the same formula, her characters are always either 100% good or 100% evil - there's no inbetween, but I know that going into the book, so I enjoy it all the same.

I wonder how realistic Dustin's mentality is. I know there are people who are deluded enough to think that any kind of polite kindness is a sign of romantic interest ... but to this degree? It seemed extreme.

I loved reading about Arden settling in in her new town, setting her house to rights (even if I was jealous at the ease with which she found handymen!), and making found family out of her new friends. Nora Roberts' suspense novels are always a weird mix of suspense, romance and comfort reads ... but oddly enough, they work.


Fatal Error: Confessions of a Trash Droid - Michael Cheney, 1.5/5, Audiobook ~4hrs
I had this recommended to me in one of those "If you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl, you might also like ..." posts, so figured I'd give it a shot. Even more so when the blurb said "Recommended for people who like Douglas Adams and Andy Weir" - how could I not?!

Unfortunately the reality fell very flat. There was zero worldbuilding, zero explanation for anything that happened, the science didn't make a lick of sense and the plot (... what plot? ...) was pretty much just an excuse to get T.E.D.D into one crazy fight after another.

The novella ended on a huge cliff-hanger - but I just don't care. This was a one-and-done for me.


Swan Song: Diana, My Sister - Charles Spencer, 3/5, 384 pages
Deeply subjective (obviously) and focuses almost as much on Charles Spencer as on Diana. However, it's easy to see that CS used to write for a living, because it's a lot better written than I had expected ... even if it is very one-sided.

CS jumps around in time a lot, which I actually think was a good choice, as it made the book less heavy than such biographies tend to be - there wasn't the same feeling of "getting the childhood descriptions out of the way before we get to the good stuff".

He had some crazy anecdotes about the royal family, where I wonder how factual they actually are. Some of them I'm inclined to believe (e.g. that he pretended to have forgotten his eulogy for the test run, in order not to end up being censored), others I'm a lot more sceptical about (e.g. that Diana finally decided to ask for divorce because she found out that Prince Charles was in love with his valet).

I'm currently watching "The Crown" and as luck would have it, I have just reached the episodes with Prince Charles' & Diana's courtship, engagement and wedding. There was a bit of a sense of whiplash at times, going from one to the other, but the events featured in both were all described the same way, so there have been no direct contradictions between the two accounts so far.


The BFG - Roald Dahl*, 3/5, 208 pages
An old favourite that (mostly) stands the test of time.


Everything Everything - Nicola Yoon*, 4/5, 311 pages
This book blew me away, yet I hardly know what to write about it. It hurt my heart to read, and I was totally emotionally exhausted after finishing it.

The book covers topics not often seen in YA, and thus gave an interesting take on the usual "girl meets boy" formula. However, while I loved most of it (even if it did break my heart), I thought the ending too abrupt, and leaving too many questions behind. I didn't feel like there was any proper closure - not for Maddy, and consequently, not for the reader either.

That's my only complaint about the book though. I loved the plot, loved the characters and I loved the illustrations throughout the book - they really added to its charms.


The Giver - Lois Lowry*, 4/5, 179 pages
So much worldbuilding in so few pages. I still wish there had been a better ending, but loved it up to that point.


Books Read: 105
Book of the Month: Jødedoktoren. Really interesting book.
Biggest Disappointment: Fatal Error. Just no.

Not as many books read this month as I had expected - I got sidetracked with other things during my vacation.

Not in My Book - Katie Holt, 3/5, 336 pages
I absolutely loved most of the book. The enemies-to-lovers trope worked, and having Aiden and Rosie write a book together, basing it on their own experiences really worked for me ... to a point. It was totally cute when things went well, but having them resolve fights through their characters seemed like a cop-out, and clearly didn't work for them either, once we got to the dreaded third act breakup.

That said - having them reveal their feelings for each other through the characters was squee-worthy, and I LOVED the Christmas scene! Just too cute for words!

So this was 80% delightful. Unfortunately the last 20% were annoying enough to make me subtract a full two stars from my rating.


A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire - Sarah Hawley, 4/5, 409 pages
PSA: Despite this saying it's the third in the series, it can easily be read on its own. They're companion novels more than an actual series, so though this makes references to things happening in the earlier books, it's with enough context for everything to still make sense. This was my first introduction to Glimmer Falls and I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

With that out of the way, on with the actual review.

I didn't have any real idea of what to expect from this book - I bought it solely because of the title :-P ... which is kinda ironic as there was no official guide and very little seducing going on. But fortunately, that didn't matter at all. It turned out to be a funny story set in a magical community about a 600-year-old vampire assassin trying to figure out how to live in the modern world where she doesn't have to kill everybody she sees, and the poor clueless werewolf who's stuck with suddenly being her master.

A delightful read, and very much made me want to read more about Glimmer Falls. Even the 3rd act breakup didn't bother me, because it MADE SENSE, wasn't due to miscommunication and was fixed as quickly and efficiently as at all possible.


Stay for a Spell - Amy Coombe, 4.5/5, 384 pages
Delightful cozy fantasy. Sweet and hilarious, with very low stakes, and definite vibes of "The Ordinary Princess" by M.M. Kaye.

Being unable to leave a bookshop doesn't seem like much of a curse to me - but having nothing to eat but turnips might :-P Regardless, I loved reading about Tandy coming into her own, setting the bookshop to rights and making friends with barn pirates and emo dragones. Sasha especially was such a fun character.

Highly recommend.


X's and O's Anthology - Elle Thorpe, 3/5, 1278 pages
I get why this trilogy was published as an anthology - it really is just one long book split up into 3 sections. Equal parts fun and ridiculous. I enjoyed it, but you definitely want to turn your inner reality check off while reading it.


Long Live Evil - Sarah Rees Brennan, 3/5, 431 pages
I had a really weird time reading this book.

I listened to the first ~40% as an audiobook, and kept losing focus. I'd get the characters mixed up, kept zoning out, and generally just considered giving up on it, as it couldn't keep my interest.

However, I was reading it for a book club, so in order to actually be able to finish on time, I switched to the ebook instead ... and finished it in two days!

It wasn't that the narrator was objectively bad - she didn't speak in a monotone, have weird inflections, use a sing-song voice or anything like that (all stuff I've DNF'ed an audiobook due to) - for some reason, she just couldn't hold my attention!

So in the end, I actually quite enjoyed the book - or at least the part of the book that I read for myself. I liked how the characters interacted, and how they slowly changed from being two-dimensional book figures, to being three-dimensional people that Rae actually cared about.

I'm not sure I got the idea of the book though. I mean ... why did Rae get send into the book in the first place? Sure, I know what was in it for her, but what was in it for the lady who visited her?

It did end on quite the cliff-hanger, and I'm not sure that I enjoyed it enough to read the rest of the trilogy.


Also read, but not listed here: The entire Heartstopper series in preparation for watching the final movie.

Books Read: 85
Book of the Month: Stay for a Spell. Loved the "The Ordinary Princess" vibes.
Biggest Disappointment: Probably Long Live Evil. I didn't dislike it, but it was a bit of a slog to get through.

The Faraway Inn - Sarah Beth Durst, 5/5, 370 pages
I was already a fan of Sarah Beth Durst thanks to "The Spellshop" and "The Enchanted Greenhouse", but this is by far her best work. Cozy fantasy of the absolutely best kind. I couldn't put it down, but never wanted to story to end.

It is just the right combination of domestic coziness, magical whimsey and fanciful characters mixed with enough of a plot to keep the story going, while still being (relatively) low stakes.


Min ven Thomas - Kirsten Holst*, 5/5, 272 pages

One of my favourite books as a teen. I hadn't read it in 20+ years, so was a bit hesitant to pick it up again, but fortunately it still holds up, and broke my heart just as much now as it did back then.

It is very much a product of its time though. I don't think teens reading it for the first time in 2026 would think very much of it. It's rife with stereotypes and shows an attitude to both women and homosexuals that's very far from what we would like it to be now.

Even so, I loved it. And it was a fun revisit to my teenage years.


Carl's Doomsday Scenario - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~11hrs
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~17hrs
The Gate of the Feral Gods - Matt Dinniman, 4/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
Slowly but surely working my way through the Dungeon Crawler Carl books. The narrator, Jeff Hayes, is amazing! They are LONG books though, so I haven't had time for much else.


Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder*, 5/5, 409 pages
Reread for my book club. Still love it!


Books Read: 63
Book of the Month: The Faraway Inn. One of the best cozy fantasy books I've read in a long time.
Biggest Disappointment: None - they've all been excellent reads.

Heartless Hunter - Kristen Ciccarelli, 4/5, Audiobook ~12hrs
Definitely one of the better fantasy books I've read recently. Good use of world-building, and the main characters were nicely fleshed out. However, it ends on a huge cliff-hanger, meaning it's more half of one book, than a book in its own right.

Fortunately I knew that going into it, so made sure to have the next book readily available as well.
I didn't always fully understand the friendship between Alex and Rune ... or rather, his motivations for helping her, but the relationship between Gideon and Rune totally worked for me. I'm very interested to see how that's explored further in the next book.

But that ending! Gah!


Bad Blood - Jennifer Lynn Barnes, 3/5, 509 pages
I mostly liked it, but man, it jumped the shark around the half-way point.

One thing I've enjoyed about this series is that it was believable within its own universe. Sure, IRL teenagers would never be allowed to play agents, but they were kept at a distance, and in the first few books at least, the crimes were realistic.

In this one? Not so much :-P So I definitely had to suspend my disbelief a lot more than I had had for the earlier books in the series.

It was still well-written and easily read, but I think I'm ready to leave the series behind by now.


Home - Penny Parkes, 4/5, 464 pages
Slow to start, and in the beginning I didn't care much for the flash backs, but once I got into it (and figured out what Penny Parkes was trying to do with the flashbacks), I fell completely in love. Sweet and poignant. I ended up absolutely adoring it.

I loved Kate and how her friendship with Anna was depicted - LOVED that the entire family took her in. I have a friend like that, and they are just amazing. I adored Callie, and was happy that she found somebody who could understand her.

I was somewhat annoyed that we didn't get a resolution regarding Andrew, but guess it was unfortunately all too realistic that we wouldn't.

The ending was perhaps a bit too tidy, and thus not quite as satisfying as I had hoped, but that's a minor nitpick. A bit too prickly to be called a comfort read, but all in all, a very heartwarming book.


The Name Game - Beth O'Leary, 2.5/5, 384 pages
This is definitely not one of Beth O'Leary's better books.

I liked the beginning - love reading about small communities, and Ormer was just perfect in that regard. I also loved the idea of Charlie and Jones having to compete for the role of manager ... even if they did accept the idea of co-managing a bit too quickly. I didn't even mind that there didn't seem to be much of a plot at all. Character-driven plots can be super cozy, and this one was shaping up to be just that.
But the hostility of the committee annoyed me, and the constant secrecy got to me ... especially when those secrets led to miscommunications. At that point I started recalling the ridiculous twist at the end of "Swept Away" and started to worry ...

And unfortunately I was right to do so. The twist here came very late and was a lot more unrealistic and contrived than could be handwaved away by suspension of disbelief. The only thing the ending really did have going for it, was that there was no third act breakup to complicate matters even further.


The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky*, 4/5, 228 pages
Had to downgrade my rating a bit. I still enjoyed it, but it took me much longer to get attached to the characters than I had expected.


The Physician - Noah Gordon*, 5/5, 720 pages
I still absolutely love this book and picked it up at every chance I got. I do think there are some parts of it that are unnecessary for the telling of the main storyline (the trek to India for one), but it never felt drawn out or dull, so I enjoyed it all the same.

This time around I did wonder if Cole could ever be content with his life in Scotland though. Must seem rather drab after the splendor and excitement of Persia.


Pope Joan - Donna W. Cross, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~19hrs
Still find the story fascinating, but it grated a bit how two-dimensional many of the characters were. If they were evil, there were absolutely no redeeming qualities about them. Joan's father is a perfect example.
A captivating book all the same, and I'm curious about how historically accurate it is - when push comes to shove.


Half Moon Investigations - Eoin Colfer, 4/5, 311 pages
A childrens' book that's fun for adults too :-D

Imagine "Bugsy Malone" as a book. The writing style is noir ... and the detective is a 12-year-old kid. Absolutely brilliant and really well executed.

The plot is pretty much what you'd expect from a childrens' whodunnit, but Eoin Colfer has a way with words and made this a very entertaining and enjoyable read.


The Consumption of Magic - T.J. Klune*, 4/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
A Wish Upon the Stars - TJ. Klune*, 5/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
Finishing off my re-read of this series once again. I love these books!!!!

Books Read: 44
Book of the Month: Heartless Hunter, will definitely pick up the next book ASAP.
Biggest Disappointment: The Name Game. A shame, since I know Beth O'Leary can do SO much better.

Stray - Andrea K. Höst*, 5/5, 278 pages
Lab Rat One - Andrea K. Höst*, 4/5, 272 pages
Caszandra - Andrea K. Höst*, 4.5/5, 306 pages
Gratuitous Epilogue - Andrea K. Höst*, 4.5/5, 126 pages
Would seem like I get the urge to reread this every second year or so :-P It keeps surprising me how little known this series is. I really wish the right people would discover this and turn it into a movie already. It would work perfectly on screen.


We are Legion - Dennis E. Taylor, 4/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ray Porter (who also narrated "Project Hail Mary"). As always, he did an exceptional job.

I mostly really loved this. It's the kind of sci-fi that's right up my aisle, and I listened to it at every chance I got.

But for probably the last 40% of the book I found myself thinking, "How is this going to end?" Though there were plotlines galore (or at least 4 major ones), they didn't seem to be leading towards any specific climax, so I started to suspect that the author would just chose a natural stopping point, end the book there, and then continue to plotlines in the next book.

And - without having read the next book - it seems like that's exactly what he did. There was no real resolution to any of the plot lines. No major cliff-hangers either, so it didn't bother me as much as it could have, but it made me a tad confused, what Dennis E. Taylor was actually trying to achieve with this book.

From the sound of it (having read reviews), the rest of the series follows pretty much the same structure, so as much as I enjoyed this first book in the series, I think I'll leave it at just the one.

My favourite plotlines were definitely the ones with the Deltans and the ones back at Sol.


Whiteout - Ken Follett, 4/5, 473 pages
Not high literature, but good entertainment all the same. I was hooked from the start, and found myself greatly invested in the story. Ken Follett uses very vivid imagery - to the point that I found myself thinking "What was that movie I watched last night ... oh wait! It's my book!"

My main beef with the story is that pretty much all the characters were very two-dimensional. Toni's ex was a bastard for no real reason, her sister entitled, her mother an enabler, the journalists stereotypically obnoxious etc. Especially the ex annoyed me, as he just seemed needlessly antagonistic. Also, the main romance seemed ... unnecessary, for want of better word. Not unrealistic as such, but gratuitous.

Anyways, despite what it might sound like, these really were minor nitpicks, and I really enjoyed the book as a whole. This is the first non-historical-fiction book I've read by Ken Follett, but it's every bit as captivating as I've come to expect from him. Also, bioterror is fascinating - and horrifying!


The Pumpkin Spice Café - Laurie Gilmore, 2.5/5, 354 pages
I'm glad this wasn't the first Laurie Gilmore book I read, or I'm not sure I would have continued on with the series. It's definitely been the weakest so far - both in terms of plot and romance. I liked Jeanie and Logan well enough separately, but oh my goodness, they need to learn how to communicate! It made for a deeply frustrating couple of chapters.

I'd seen the solution to the "mystery" a mile off, and found the motivation extremely weak. I'm glad Laurie Gilmore gave up on the cozy mystery aspect in the other novels (at least the ones I've read so far) and focused on fleshing the characters out more instead.


Treasure Witch - Tess Lake, 3/5, Audiobook ~7hrs
Hidden Witch - Tess Lake, 3/5, Audiobook ~7hrs
Cozy fantasy/mystery. Very formulaeric, but enjoyable enough.


The Long Game - Rachel Reid, 4/5, Audiobook ~13hrs
Not quite as good as "Heated Rivalry", but still very enjoyable, and I liked reading about "what came next" for both Shane and Ilya. I liked the focus on mental health, and appreciated that though Shane and Ilya occasionally had difficulties communicating, they never questioned their love for each other. It was never their relationship on the line - just the issue at hand. SUCH a refreshing change!


Books Read: 20
Book of the Month: We Are Legion - despite my issues with the ending, I still loved it. And Ray Porter is an amazing narrator.
Biggest Disappointment: The Pumpkin Spice Café - fortunately I know she gets better!

Last reviews of 2025!

The Baby-Dragon Café - A.T. Qureshi, 2.5/5, 270 pages
This was 100% a book I wanted because of the cover and the title. "The Baby-Dragon Café" just sounded like the perfect cozy fantasy read. I'd also read another of A.T. Qureshi's books earlier this year (written as Aamna Qureshi) and really enjoyed it, so I figured I'd give it a chance despite the lack-luster reviews on goodreads.

Unfortunately, those reviews were mostly well deserved.

Granted, I read this in translation, and regardless of the original writing, the translation was CLUNKY as. Idioms were translated literally instead of trying to find a suitable Danish phrase instead. So since the other book I've read by Ms. Qureshi (A Witch's Guide to Love and Poison) was quite well written, I'm willing to blame the quality of the writing on the translator, rather than on Ms. Qureshi. I did cringe at some of the baby talk used to adress the dragons, but I don't know how much of that was due to poor word-choices by the translator, and how much I would have cringed at the original English as well.

The plot itself was cute, and good enough to keep me reading despite the clunky language. I loved reading about Saphira's café and wish we had gotten to read more about how she actually trained Sparky, rather than just about how much she doted on him and baby-talked to him.

The romance was a bit more tell than show, but ultimately worked for me. I really wish Ms. Qureshi had thought up a different ending though. It seemed like a cop-out to me, and an unnecessary way of bending to society's norms. (Trying to keep it vague to avoid spoilers).

All in all, it ended up being a fairly average read, and I don't think I'll bother with any more of the books in the series ... even if one of them DOES take place in a bookshop!


All Our Hidden Gifts - Caroline O'Donoghue, 2.5/5, 400 pages
This ended up being an "It was good, but ..." read for me.

It was well written - I read the first few pages at the library to figure out if I wanted to bring it home with me, and was instantly intrigued. I definitely enjoyed the writing style and wanted to know more about Maeve, Roe, Lily and Fiona.

Unfortunately it was very, very, VERY heavy on the supernatural / occult aspect of things. I know I should have seen that coming from the back blurb mentioning tarot readings, but I'd somehow assumed that it would be more sub- than main plot. It did stay true to its own universe, so I didn't have to suspend my disbelief too much, but that kind of witchy business is not really something I care to read about, so even though I did get the sequel out of the library as well, I think I will just leave the series here.


The Christmas Tree Farm - Laurie Gilmore, 4/5, 369 pages
Christmas rom-com that's a lot heavier on the romance than the Christmas part. Still a sweet story though, and completely lived up to the expectations set by the previous book. In fact, I think I might like this one a tad more, as I thought the way the relationship evolved seemed more believable.


Magic, Maps and Mischeif: A Cozy Neurodivergent Adventure - David Green, 3.5/5, 389 pages
It took me awhile to get properly into this, but once I did, I ended up really enjoying it. I loved reading about Greton's life in Barrow Hill, his map-making business and his growing friendships with Aria, Petra and the pub owning elf (whose name escapes me right now). This toes the line between cozy fantasy and just plain fantasy, and I definitely enjoyed the "cozy fantasy" sections the most.

I'd guessed both outcomes of the ink-making business ahead of time, and was very pleased to be proven right :-D

As the sub-title states, there's a lot of representation in this novel, both with regards to neurodiversity and sexuality. Greton is autistic, asexual and (I think) aromantic. Aria is (probably) ADHD and (definitely) gay ... I think I'll leave it at that, not to risk spoiling anything.

A cozy read, and I'll definitely check out more of David Green's writing.


A Copenhagen Snowmance - Pernille Hughes, 3/5, 385 pages
Aggressively Danish. As a person living in Copenhagen myself, it was quite funny to read how many references to Danish foods, drinks, traditions and places Pernille Hughes could shove into one book. It seemed slightly over the top at times, but looking at the other reviews on Goodreads, it seems to work for other readers, which made me wonder ... are the books I love that are set in Paris / Edinburgh / Prague / etc. as heavy-handed as this one was, and I just don't notice, because it's not my home town?

That aside, I did quite enjoy the book. It was very predictable, but I expect that in a Christmas romance, and I liked both Anna and Jamie and enjoyed seeing them get to know each other. "Fake dating" and "Forced proximity" are obvious tropes for a Christmas romance, but it still worked, and was a lot less cringe-worthy than it could have been.

Even the third-act breakup worked for once, and wasn't due to a miscommunication, but a conflict that needed to be handled.

So a sweet read, even if highly unrealistic. It stayed true to its own universe, so it worked for me.


Nobody's Girl - Virginia Roberts Guiffre, 4.5/5, 400 pages
Fascinating and harrowing story. It is absolutely heartbreaking to hear all that Virginia went through, and how she was let down and abandoned again and again and again by everybody - including the ones who ought to love her the best and protect her the most.

I really appreciated that so much page time was spent on Virginia's (all too short) life after she got away from Epstein. Reading about all the different court cases were equal parts interesting and depressing. If you ever need evidence that "money talks", the fact that it took SO LONG to bring Epstein to justice - and that some of the people Virginia was trafficked to still walk free - should speak its own plain language.

Very well written and extremely interesting memoir.


Books Read: 92
Pages Read: 17,446
Hours Listened To: 371
Book of the Month: Nobody's Girl - can't wait for the sequel!
Biggest Disappointment: The Baby-Dragon Café - although I am kinda curious how much of the unwieldy language was due to the translation and how much was in the original writing also.

Going Overboard - Portia MacIntosh, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~7hrs
Rounded up on goodreads because THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!

*ahrem*

Really, really sweet novel. Portia MacIntosh is a bit hit-and-miss, depending on whether or not she remembers that communication is key, and how much second-hand embarassment she subjects the reader to, but as neither issue was a problem here, it ended up being the best book I have read by her so far.

Lots of things to love about the book - from one of my favourite settings (a cruise ship!!! That in itself would have been enough to make me pick it up) through the fake dating trope (one of my favourites when done right) to the ride-or-die friendships (people who actually care about each other!).

I do think that Nikki's hostility lacked an explanation - especially as Jessa herself questioned it, but I loved Brody, and it was so refreshing to see a relationship - even a fake one - where people actually TALKED about things!

Predictable as - but really sweet all the same :-)


The Survivor Wants to Die at the End - Adam Silvera, 3/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
First and foremost - heed the trigger warnings! Neither suicide nor self-harm is a trigger to me, but if it is to you - stay away from this book! It's not just a brief sentence here or there, but a HUGE part of the plot!

Unfortunately the weakest of the lot. I liked "They Both Die at the End" and loved "The First to Die at the End", so had high hopes for this one - but it just couldn't deliver.
It's a hard book to review without small spoilers, so fair warning. I'll try to be as vague as possible.
Getting my complaints out of the way first ...

First of all - the book was too long. Not so much that I got bored listening to it, but there was a lot of repetition that could easily have been cut down.

Secondly, the vilification of Paz didn't make sense. The kid was 9 at the time of the shooting - how could people take it as anything other than the desperate acts of a desperate child? The fact that it was still ruining his life 10 years later seemed contrived to me.

Thirdly, there was a tad too much insta-love. I know this was the case in the other two books as well, but there it made SENSE, as they were working on a deadline. That wasn't the case here. Also, the relationship was unhealthy as. The very definition of a codependent relationship.

Finally, the end - a completely cop-out! Extremely annoying foreshadowing that made me subtract a star all by itself.

Right! That aside ...

I really liked the friendship between Paz and Alano. I liked that they spent time getting to know each other, and that they actually managed to communicate and understand each others' blind spots.
Paz' disorder seemed well described as well. Both the way his thoughts would spiral, and how he tried to stop himself, once he became aware of what was happening.

So all in all a book that could have been awesome, but which fell flat because of the end. A shame.


Alchemised - SenLinYu, 4/5, 1030 pages
This is a retelling of a Harry Potter fanfic - turning it into original fiction. I have read the fanfic as well, and while I do think the fanfic is better, SenLinYu did an amazing job of turning it into a piece of original fiction.

Getting the main issue out of the way first - the fanfic is better, because the backstory is more complete. It could hardly be any different, when one is based on a long series with character development and worldbuilding and the other has to stand on its own. In "Alchemised" we have to take the authors word for the friendship between Helena and Luc, and the animosity between Helena and Ferron ... in "Manacled", those things are implicitly understood, because we know Hermino, Harry and Draco. Having read "Manacled" I could extrapolate the relationships - I'm not sure how it would work, coming into it blind.

That said, I still found "Alchemised" incredibly well written, and was impressed by how SenLinYu twisted the magic around to turn it into original fiction. It's very dark fantasy, and any reader would do well to take the trigger warnings seriously.

I couldn't put it down, and read it at any chance I got, finishing 1030 pages in less than two weeks.


Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm & Simone Lindquist, 4.5/5, 398 pages
I've always been a fan of Claus Holm's books, and this is not only one of the best I've read by him, it could easily become one of the best books I read this year!

It's a wonderful mix of "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death", and I could easily have read it in one sitting, if work and sleep hadn't gotten in the way.


Eight Cousins - L.M. Alcott*, 4/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
Rose In Bloom - L.M. Alcott*, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
The Rose series still makes for an adorable story. It doesn't suffer from the same moral anecdotes as "Jack and Jill" and deserves to be quite as well known as "Little Women" because IMHO it's just as charming. It clearly describes the love and friendship between Rose, her seven cousins and her many aunts and uncles. One of those wonderfully old-fashioned "feel good" novels.


Books Read: 84

Due to my summer vacation, I never got around to posting my books for August, so instead you get two months for the price of one!!

Plus an additional read from July, as I couldn't post the review back then ;-) I had the pleasure of being offered the chance to do an alpha read of a book written by a friend of mine, and absolutely LOVED it! It was published last month, so I can finally write about it!!!


A Home in Percival - Paula K. Berman, 4/5, 285 pages
A really sweet and charming story about finding friends and getting settled in a new place :) I love love love descriptions of setting a house to rights and making it your own, so this was right up my aisle.

This is cozy fantasy at its best. No real conflicts, no real crises - just people being people. It is definitely character-driven rather than plot-driven, but as long as I like the characters, that's never bothered me :-D

And at the end of the day I picked up the book at every opportunity I got, and feel almost book hungover now that I've finished. I will definitely need a physical copy of it at some point.


( 6 Books for August )

( 4 Books for September )

Books Read: 64
Book of the Month: The Enchanted Greenhouse - such a delightful read!

Only 43 books for the year! I'm going to have a hard time making my Goodreads goal! But I've been listening to a LOT of audiobooks, and they take lots longer than reading myself.


Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
I'd read a couple of lukewarm reviews about this book, so wasn't really sure what to expect, but honestly? It was really, really cute! Had all the hallmarks of a great romcom and very few of my pet peeves.

Friends in unlikely places? Check.
A cute / precocious kid? Check.
An antagonist who turned out to be more three-dimensional than the main character gave them credit for? Check.

And while I loved seeing the romance develop, what really made me squee was seeing Delilah actually make friends! I loved her chemistry with Iris and Ruby.

Best of all, while the book did have a third-act conflict (because of course it did), I wouldn't actually go so far as to call it a third-act breakup. It wasn't a contrived plot-twist, and was actually resolved in a believable manner.


Hidden Nature - Nora Roberts, 4/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
You always know what you're gonna get with Nora Roberts' books. She really excells at describing "little town coziness", and I always enjoy reading her "romantic suspense" novels - even if they are incredibly formulaeric :-P

This one perhaps less so than most, as it covers a much shorter period of time (less than a year, rather than the 10-20 years most of her books cover), but it still has the lovely descriptions of family - both found and real - in a really cozy setting.

The ending was somewhat less satisfying than usual - which is why I've rated this 4 stars rather than 5 - and a lot more sudden as well. It neither had the same build-up, nor the same aftermath.

Worth reading - but not her best work.


Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty, 2.5/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Very, VERY slow-moving. Not enough to make me consider giving up on it, but far more so than I had expected.
As many other reviews stated - one's enjoyment of this book is 100% dependent on whether or not you care for Cherry. I didn't dislike her - as some did - but I by far preferred the chapters that didn't revolve around her. Which is a shame, as she was ultimately the main character, and I turned out to just not care either way.

I wasn't disappointed by the ending - it couldn't really have gone any other way - but I'm not sure the book as a whole worked for me. And it definitely didn't need to be as long as it was! (SIXTEEN HOURS!!!)

(I still want to know what happened with Ethan though! Did feel like we were left hanging there!)


Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card*, 5/5, 324 pages
Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card*, 4/5, 469 pages
"Ender's Game" is one of my all-time favourite books, but I never really cared for the later books in the Ender saga. I did really enjoy "Ender's Shadow" though - basically a companion novel, telling the events of Ender's Game from Bean's POV

And now I once again want to read more about this universe and am contemplating whether I should continue with Bean and the Shadow series.

Without a Light - Jordan Miland, 4/5, 431 pages
Stating my bias right away - Jordan's my nephew :-P That said, while I was reading I kept forgetting that he was the author, and disappeared into the book like I would any other. "Without a Light" reads like Mira Grant writing for the Alien-universe (in a completely different way than she did in "Alien: Echo"), and as I absolutely adore Mira Grant's way of writing this was right up my aisle as well.

I'm a huge fan of epistolary novels, and loved how part of the story was told through chat records, interview sessions and articles.

Definitely Jordan's best book so far!


Books Read: 43
Book of the Month: "Delilah Green Doesn't Care"
Biggest Disappointment: "Here One Moment".

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir*, 5/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Such an amazing book! I was hooked from the very start, and listened to it at every chance I got. The audiobook was narrated by Ray Porter who did an amazing job.
It's best not to know too much about the story going into it, so I'll just leave it at that I loved Grace, I loved Rocky and I wish the book had been much, much longer than it was. I couldn't put it down, but didn't want to see it end.
Awesome book!


Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan, 3.5/5, 308 pages
A 3.5 star review. Rounded up on goodreads, because most of the book was awesome, but the ending ... sigh ... the ending caused a huge eyeroll and definitely subtracted from my general enjoyment of the book.

That said, I'm glad that I knew going into the book that every second chapter was written from one Will Grayson's POV and every other second chapter was written from the other Will Grayson's POV, because I'm not gonna lie - that second POV took some getting used to. No caps, weird punctuation, short and jumping sentences. I get why it was written that way though, and it actually served a purpose, so after a few chapters I'd gotten so used to it that it stopped bothering me.

And unlike many other books that jump from viewpoint to viewpoint, I actually didn't prefer one over the other, once I got used to the writing style. The characters seemed realistic, and their issues believable. I'd love to see Tiny's musical!

Just a shame with the ending.


Nightwork - Nora Roberts, 4/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Stereotypical Nora Roberts. You know what you're gonna get going into it, but it's always an enjoyable ride. This isn't the best of her works - mostly because the initial conflict with Miranda annoyed me (trying to stay as spoiler-free as possible), but I do get why it was necessary, and their way of making up again was a LOT more satisfying than I had expected it to be.

Also, I kinda love that the fact that she writes such formulaeric books meant that I knew the final confrontation would go well, and there wouldn't suddenly be yet another wrench thrown into the machine in the 11th hour. I get so impatient with that stuff, and would much rather have a long lead-in to the confrontation, and then have everything work out as planned.


Discount Armageddon - Seanan McGuire*, 3.5/4, 368 pages
Midnight Blue-Light Special - Seanan McGuire, 3.5/5, 338 pages
It took a bit to get going, but once it did, I really enjoyed it. I found the struggles against the covenant a lot more interesting than the hunt for the dragon in the first book, and appreciated Dominic's struggles between his upbringing and his new-found beliefs. I also really enjoyed that we got a few chapters from Sarah's POV :-D She's probably my favourite character next to Verity.

The books are fairly self-contained, so I don't know that I'll run out to get the next one, but I'll definitely read it if I come across it.


Drinking at the Movies - Julia Wertz*, 4/5, 220 pages
Julia's experiences moving from San Francisco to NYC, trying to "make it there" with all the shitty jobs and apartments that comes along with such a move. Obviously dark at times, but Julia manages to write it with humour and charm so that it never comes across as bleak or depressing. I laughed out loud more than once, and definitely want to check out more of her work now.


Sleeping Giants - Sylvain Neuvel*, 5/5, 322 pages
This hits all of my insta-loves. An epistolary sci-fi novel with a semi-unreliable narrator (mostly because you KNOW he's not telling you everything) and a totally fascinating concept.

I spent most of the book in a constant state of "What on earth is going on? And what on earth is going to happen next?" Those questions were only half-way answered, which for once didn't frustrate me, as it fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the book. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to read the sequel.


Nothing Lasts Forever - Sidney Sheldon*, 4/5, 298 pages
Sidney Sheldon writes ridiculously readable books, and I finished this in just a few hours - but I had forgotten how incredibly unrealistic it is in places. You definitely have to make huge allowances for it, or you'll read it with a permanent eye-roll - from the insta-love romances (from nothing to proposal in less than a month), through the doctor sleeping her way to an education to the extremely questionable medical and legal practices.

Fortunately I was prepared for all of these, and I love reading about life at a hospital (realistic or not), so greatly enjoyed the book regardless. Oh, and I love Dr. Barker on the witness stand!


Books Read: 32