spinstah's reviews
1254 reviews

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

5.0

This was so immersive, with great characters. I do think that if you're not typically into historical fiction you may not enjoy this, but if you do enjoy it, and you also like fantasy, this is worth your time. I particularly enjoyed the ending, which

has endless montage vibes and I thought tied things up just enough.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz

4.0

This was really compelling, but really hard to read at times. Especially when I remembered that the protagonist, Ana, was only 15, and she was married to a man in his 30s. This was essentially a business relationship for their families - a daughter to marry in exchange for land - and you can feel it throughout the novel. Ana manages to persevere, and there's a lot to like about this story, including the writing. But it's a tough one because I knew that, while it's fiction, it's based in a reality that many women endure.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

4.5

I really enjoyed this. It’s a family saga told in three parts, but not in generational order, which I liked. The third section wasn’t quite as compulsively readable as the first two, but it was still really good and answers some questions from earlier sections. 

Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

3.75

This is a weird concept that I really liked. The writing, in particular some of the text layout, was interesting and the tone alert of had the rhythm of poetry at times, but without the lyricism. Definitely not for everyone. 

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole

dark fast-paced

3.5

This book has a really interesting concept: the POV character has dissociative identity disorder. I do think the plot was a little convoluted with two mysteries (one internal, one external), and there are a couple of loose ends that I wish had been tied up, but overall this was enjoyable. 

Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home by Kate Mangino

I read about 20% of this and then just...forgot I was reading it. That's on me though, not the author. Nonfiction feels like homework right now. Anyway what I had read was good.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

This was really fun! The world-building is woven throughout in a very natural way, and I liked how you get a fairly clear sense of what the past of each of the characters was probably like, but without any flashbacks. It did end a little abruptly, but I can understand not wanting to make the book any longer, especially as it’s the start of a series. 

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

5.0

This was really great. I enjoyed the stories and the illustrations supported them wonderfully.  

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

funny lighthearted

4.0

This was charming. It took me a while to get into it, but once I was hooked I did not want to put it down. The narrators did a wonderful job. 

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

adventurous fast-paced

4.5

This was great. The main character goes on an incredible journey of personal development and

de-programming

, going from almost comically unlikeable at the start to a much more nuanced POV at the end. I also appreciated that the reader goes along with her on this journey, so my opinion of her changed over time as I learned about her world alongside her. That said this book takes on a lot of big topics and can't really explore all of them, for better or worse. If you can deal with some threads that aren't pulled, you'll be fine.