bookswithlydscl's reviews
505 reviews

Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll

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adventurous dark informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

RTF - sitting at a 3 at the moment whilst i collect my thoughts
General notes: couldn't get on with the writing style. Love the story and the concept but the characters didn't click and the narrative voice didn't capture my attention as i hoped
Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A genuin  surprise that I liked this one as the Brontes tend to be more miss than hit.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

Powerful and horrific, this is historical fiction that is very timely for how society is developing today. This is horror from Grady Hendrix but not as you know it. It's not fun and campy like you would expect. The horror in this story comes from the stories and experiences of the girls so don't go into it expecting the normal GH reading experience.
I loved this one, it's very different and incredibly well handled. So surprising how a male writer has told the story of female experience. It's written with care and sensitivity and feels truly empathetic of what these girls are going through. The characters feel fully realised and human and without any kind of trite clichés that can normally be found.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5* Really enjoyed this and Russell Tovey's narration brought it to life. A classic that I'll come back to!
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Glad I've finally read this. Mccarthy's writing style is definitely acquired taste but works well for me especially in audiobook format and I feel like I flew through this one in 3 reading sessions over a week or so.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

2.0

Dragons, Dark Academia, War Fantasy, great magic system, social constructs, history etc all make this a 4 /5 star story but it was RUINED by the romance. It's a cringy teen lust affair written in an adult book and whilst I know a lot of readers kicked their heels in the air and squealed in delight I just got annoyed that they kept ruining the rest of the story with that. 

Overall = Hated it, but loved the dragons! I think one book was enough, I won't continue as I just can't handle the 'romance' element. Can someone recommend a version of this story without that?
Long Island by Colm Tóibín

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.25

Maybe 3.25* - Preferred the coming of age nature of Brooklyn. This felt like a pretty thin domestic drama, not a fan of cheating storylines either and Nancy didn't deserve to be treated like that.
Book ends very abruptly - seems to be setting up for book 3 so let's see where Eilis's story takes us next.
Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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 just found this to be a bit dull. I think, aside of Poirot, that golden age crime isn't for me.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

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adventurous challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.75 rounded up - I love mixed media and the inclusion of the podcast really pushed this one up. Overall this was such an additive read and I absolutely inhaled it. Fun, a bit trashy, definitely a bit on the nose at times but highly readable and would have been perfect as a poolside holiday read. 

Recommend the audiobook.
Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society by Phil Hickes

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adventurous challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

This series is great fun, perfect mix of mystery, friendship and spooky goings on.

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