libreva's reviews
725 reviews

Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day by Philip Matyszak

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

I loved this! I was hooked from the first to the last page. I could read so much more of this world and these characters. I do hope we get a sequel at some point, it needs its happy ending. It does cover some dark themes, personally I think they are well done. But I can see how one thing at the end of the book might not be for everybody

the kind  of redemption of the father

. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Homophobia

The Book of Japanese Folklore: An Encyclopedia of the Spirits, Monsters, and Yokai of Japanese Myth: The Stories of the Mischievous Kappa, Trickster Kitsune, Horrendous Oni, and More by Thersa Matsuura

adventurous informative fast-paced

4.5

ARC received through NetGalley.

This really gave a great introduction to Japanese folklore. The focus was more on the background information of a creature or tale then on the story itself that might be something to keep in mind when picking this up. I do wish we would've had more illustrations lots of the chapters do not have illustrations.

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

Edward II: His Sexuality and Relationships by Kathryn Warner

informative medium-paced

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this.

I enjoyed this very much, I loved how it debunked many of the myths or was at the very least honest as what we do and do not know about these people and their lives. 
I think the order in which events and people were discussed could have been better as I would have preferred it if it had been chronological instead of kind of by topic. It made it a bit jumbled. 

Lady of Steel and Straw by Erica Ivy Rogers

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

This is a nice book, I liked the found family. But my gosh are most of the characters idiots. The magic system is interesting and I had hoped we could delve into it deeper.

Sisters of Richard III: The Plantagenet Daughters of York by Sarah J Hodder

informative fast-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It never got boring and even though it sometimes had to go beyond the three sisters they were always still relevant. There is large amounts of speculation as not a lot is known for sure about these women but the speculation kept itself within the realm of possibility so it didn't bother me at all. If your looking for a good summary of the period through the eyes of the sisters of Edward and Richard this is a great book to pick up.

The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful: Curious and Incredible Facts that Will Blow Your Mind by Milo Rossi

funny hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII's Sixth Queen by Laura Adkins

informative medium-paced

3.5

While this was a good overview of Katherine Parr's life it never got me excited to continue reading. There are many letters included in their original text which could've used a better explanation. There's also quit a bit of repeat in the information provided.

Arc provided by NetGalley