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ginalucia's reviews
494 reviews
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Spellshop is a cute, fun, and harmless cosy fantasy that hits all the marks.
It's got that magic Stardew Valley formula. Get an old abandoned house and land, fix it, do it up, and gradually sort out your life with meagre supplies after living a cushy life in the city. You also have to meet the locals and get their help. Who doesn't want that?!
The romance in the book is pretty refreshing due to their personality types but it can be a little cheesy at times.
The Spellshop didn't get me in the feels as much as I'd like for a cosy fantasy but was fun regardless.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
4.0
Not for the Faint of Heart is a witty, banter-filled romance with found family, heists, and adventure.
Basically, it’s good fun.
If you’re looking for a kind of fantasy that’s inclusive and upbeat, this is it. The book does tackle some pretty deep topics you wouldn’t expect within all the banter, but it does work well. It’s balanced.
The only thing that let this one down were some of the character choices and plot points. They were only minor things, but they threw me a little. It’s a slow build with a quick wrap-up which could have done with being drawn out a little longer.
If you’re going to give this one a go, check the content warnings. When I said some of the topics are deep, I meant it.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
DallerGut Dream Department Store is a sweet, thoughtful, and very strange book. Think goblin market meets YA Ghibli, and you’ve got it.
It's incredibly low-stakes and message-filled. As long as you don't expect anything more, you'll enjoy it.
The only thing I’d like to see is more depth to the characters. More of what makes them tick, their real feelings and motivations. But other than that, it was a very chill and fun read.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking perhaps was just not made for me.
The story is cute, the characters perhaps even cuter (and also weird), but I just couldn’t get into it.
The main character is a 14-year-old girl, and this, I think, is where I struggled. I listened to this one as an audiobook and the narrator was so adult, imaginging a child instead of a grown (and very posh) woman, was difficult.
Aside from that, the MC’s inner voice was so adult-like and mature, it threw me.
I do think the audiobook contributed to all of this. Id I’d have read the physical book, I may well have felt differently.
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Gwen and Art are Not In Love is a sweet, thoughtful hug of a book that delivers the perfect balance of relationship-building with a seemingly low-stakes plot.
In essence, it’s one of those slightly addictive stories that’s more about the characters than anything else, and that made it brilliant.
It’s filled with banter, amazing dialogue, characters that feel real, and while you know where the story is going, it’s not clear how you’ll get there. Which made it comforting but still entertaining.
Gwen and Art has an almost Disney-like quality. It’s fun, lighthearted, but with a message you know you're going to get to, and when you do, it’s going to hit hard.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and War
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
I didn't vibe with this at all. It felt like it was book 2 and we missed all the character build up and romance from book one. So when something happened to them (the premise of the book), I just didn't care.
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I just wasn't vibing with the dynamics or the story. Didn't pull me in as well as the first book did.
Now Go: On Grief and Studio Ghibli by Karl Thomas Smith
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
On Grief and Studio Ghibli is a mindful and essay-like exploration into the idea of grief and how it manifests in some of the most well-known Studio Ghibli films.
It's one of those books that, if you struggle with grief and death, then you'll find some use in the themes it explores. Especially if you just so happen to also like Studio Ghibli, of course.
It explores grief in the sense of loss of a loved one, small everyday losses, collective loss, and even worldly losses such as climate change.
It's a book that whole short, gives you time to think and reflect. It starts the ball rolling in your mind. Due to its length though, a lot of the themes feel as though they need to be more detailed, deeper. Essentially, I wanted more.
It's one of those books that, if you struggle with grief and death, then you'll find some use in the themes it explores. Especially if you just so happen to also like Studio Ghibli, of course.
It explores grief in the sense of loss of a loved one, small everyday losses, collective loss, and even worldly losses such as climate change.
It's a book that whole short, gives you time to think and reflect. It starts the ball rolling in your mind. Due to its length though, a lot of the themes feel as though they need to be more detailed, deeper. Essentially, I wanted more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Maidens was absolutely brilliant, until it wasn’t.
In general, I had a lot of fun listening to The Maidens as an audiobook. I was immediately hooked and enjoyed the dark academia vibes immensely. It made you feel on edge right from the get-go. Like you’re unsure who the threat actually is.
The writing is beautiful, with a very thoughtful inner monologue that draws you in. You really feel like you know the character, almost as if you are her.
It's sad, deep, unsettling, and slightly scary. Crime fiction but for the dark academia lover. Plus, with a whole host of Greek Myth references, you know I had fun.
I just didn’t vibe with the end, like at all.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-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
5.0
Empire of a Vampire is gothic, gritty, and filled with atmosphere and humour. I read it as an audiobook, which only added to this.
If you enjoyed The Witcher series, but particularly the TV series version, you’ll love this. It’s got those same vibes. Immaculate world-building, gritty characters that feel real, twists and turns, and slow reveals.
To make it even better than The Witcher (in my opinion), although it’s written by a man, the women within the book are empowering, real, and not abused for the sake of plot.
The storytelling model in this book is a mix between 3rd person and 1st person POV. It works well and lends itself to time jumps and the slow drip of information.
It has everything: vampires, battles, some spice, swearing, gritty morbid horror, a fun and complicated magic system, and great world-building that isn't a rambling lesson, but gradually handed to you through the plot.
Can’t wait to read the next book.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt