Kiwiria's March Madness
Mar. 31st, 2026 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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christianreaderThe Wedding People - Alison Espach, 3.5/5, 367 pages
Took me much longer than I had expected to finish this book. The writing style took some getting used to, but after the first few chapters I stopped noticing it. But even as I turned the last page, I really can't figure out what I think of it.
I never considered giving up on it, so it had that going for it, but I never really connected to it either. It was definitely character-driven rather than plot-driven and more a "slice of life" / "life is messy" story than anything else. No real ending, no neatly tied up bow ... which made it feel real.
I liked Phoebe and loved Juice, but never got much of a feel for the other people. But I can easily see how somebody like Lila could sweep Phoebe up in her tailwind - just expecting her to follow, so of course she did.
At the end of the day, I'm glad to have read it, but don't really see myself ever rereading it.
Sorcery and Small Magics - Maiga Doocy, 4/5, Audiobook ~11 hours
Not exactly cozy fantasy, but definitely not high stakes either. VERY slow burn, but done believably and without the usual amount of angst I'd expect from such a slow burn.
A very enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the way they interacted. I would love to have stayed longer with the Sorcerer and talked more to Jane, but I am also very interested to hear what happens back at the Fount.
It's the first book in a trilogy, but the main story line is nicely wrapped up, so there aren't any cliff-hangers left for the sequel ... which is a good thing, as apparently that one isn't even rumoured yet. A fact that saddens me, as I am impatient!
Dear Debbie - Freida McFadden, 4/5, 336 pages
Possibly even more twisted than "The Housemaid"! And I think I actually preferred this one. Apparently I'd rather read about twisted people than about abusive ones :-P
I hadn't seen any of the twists ahead of time, but Freida McFadden stayed on the right side of "jumping the shark" to make it work. It perhaps wasn't terribly believable, but it stayed true to its own universe, so it worked for me. '
Ridiculously readable - I breezed through it in a day.
Once Upon a Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber, 3/5, 300 pages
VERY slow to start. I think I was more than half-way through before I really got caught up in the plot. It wasn't bad, just too heavy on the fairytale aspects for me really to be interested.
I got there in the end though, and will probably continue on with the second book in the series, as it had an extremely open ending. Seems more like one long story split up into 3 books than three individual books in the same series.
The Lightning-Struck Heart - T.J. Klune*, 5/5, Audiobook ~1 hrs
A Destiny of Dragons - T.J. Klune*, 4/5, Audiobook ~1 hrs
Felt like re-listening to this series. I love them as much as always. Michael Lesley does an amazing job at narrating them.
Call Me Maybe - Cara Bastone*. 5/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
Absolutely adorable, and good enough that I finished listening to it in just 3 days! I think it took me all of 2 minutes to be completely sold, and I pretty much listened to it at every chance I got - laughing out loud more than once, which got slightly embarrassing on the train. I loved Vera and Kal, and their phone conversations were pretty much the cutest thing ever.
Singularity - William Sleator*, 4/5, 176 pages
This was one of my favourite books as a child, and the first "scary" book I ever read. It's still every bit as magical to me now as it was back then, and I was just as reluctant to put it down before finishing.
The odd thing about rereading this book as I get older is that I start thinking about the impracticabilities of it... even within its own universe. But at the end of the day, I still love it, and it is still the same thing that appeals to me now as when I first read the book - the mental and physical routine Harry makes for himself during his year of solitude.
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days - Jessie Sylvia 3.5/5, 352 pages
Really sweet book - definitely cozy fantasy, and I loved seeing how Pansy and Ren grew to know and appreciate each other.
The ending was more than a little twee though, and had me rolling my eyes a bit. The villain was just ridiculously two-dimensional and the final confrontation could have been handled better.
Still enjoyed it though.
Books Read: 31
Book of the Month: Sorcery and Small Magics. Really charming story. I can't wait for the next book!
Took me much longer than I had expected to finish this book. The writing style took some getting used to, but after the first few chapters I stopped noticing it. But even as I turned the last page, I really can't figure out what I think of it.
I never considered giving up on it, so it had that going for it, but I never really connected to it either. It was definitely character-driven rather than plot-driven and more a "slice of life" / "life is messy" story than anything else. No real ending, no neatly tied up bow ... which made it feel real.
I liked Phoebe and loved Juice, but never got much of a feel for the other people. But I can easily see how somebody like Lila could sweep Phoebe up in her tailwind - just expecting her to follow, so of course she did.
At the end of the day, I'm glad to have read it, but don't really see myself ever rereading it.
Sorcery and Small Magics - Maiga Doocy, 4/5, Audiobook ~11 hours
Not exactly cozy fantasy, but definitely not high stakes either. VERY slow burn, but done believably and without the usual amount of angst I'd expect from such a slow burn.
A very enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the way they interacted. I would love to have stayed longer with the Sorcerer and talked more to Jane, but I am also very interested to hear what happens back at the Fount.
It's the first book in a trilogy, but the main story line is nicely wrapped up, so there aren't any cliff-hangers left for the sequel ... which is a good thing, as apparently that one isn't even rumoured yet. A fact that saddens me, as I am impatient!
Dear Debbie - Freida McFadden, 4/5, 336 pages
Possibly even more twisted than "The Housemaid"! And I think I actually preferred this one. Apparently I'd rather read about twisted people than about abusive ones :-P
I hadn't seen any of the twists ahead of time, but Freida McFadden stayed on the right side of "jumping the shark" to make it work. It perhaps wasn't terribly believable, but it stayed true to its own universe, so it worked for me. '
Ridiculously readable - I breezed through it in a day.
Once Upon a Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber, 3/5, 300 pages
VERY slow to start. I think I was more than half-way through before I really got caught up in the plot. It wasn't bad, just too heavy on the fairytale aspects for me really to be interested.
I got there in the end though, and will probably continue on with the second book in the series, as it had an extremely open ending. Seems more like one long story split up into 3 books than three individual books in the same series.
The Lightning-Struck Heart - T.J. Klune*, 5/5, Audiobook ~1 hrs
A Destiny of Dragons - T.J. Klune*, 4/5, Audiobook ~1 hrs
Felt like re-listening to this series. I love them as much as always. Michael Lesley does an amazing job at narrating them.
Call Me Maybe - Cara Bastone*. 5/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
Absolutely adorable, and good enough that I finished listening to it in just 3 days! I think it took me all of 2 minutes to be completely sold, and I pretty much listened to it at every chance I got - laughing out loud more than once, which got slightly embarrassing on the train. I loved Vera and Kal, and their phone conversations were pretty much the cutest thing ever.
Singularity - William Sleator*, 4/5, 176 pages
This was one of my favourite books as a child, and the first "scary" book I ever read. It's still every bit as magical to me now as it was back then, and I was just as reluctant to put it down before finishing.
The odd thing about rereading this book as I get older is that I start thinking about the impracticabilities of it... even within its own universe. But at the end of the day, I still love it, and it is still the same thing that appeals to me now as when I first read the book - the mental and physical routine Harry makes for himself during his year of solitude.
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days - Jessie Sylvia 3.5/5, 352 pages
Really sweet book - definitely cozy fantasy, and I loved seeing how Pansy and Ren grew to know and appreciate each other.
The ending was more than a little twee though, and had me rolling my eyes a bit. The villain was just ridiculously two-dimensional and the final confrontation could have been handled better.
Still enjoyed it though.
Books Read: 31
Book of the Month: Sorcery and Small Magics. Really charming story. I can't wait for the next book!
