heyshannonhall's reviews
614 reviews

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

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dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This kept me just interested enough to keep going, but in the first half it was a little bit of a task and in the second I think some of the character development didn't get quite where I wanted it. But this was a pretty interesting and unique read! I've seen it compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and it definitely does give Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes, though it reminds me more of Daisy Jones and The Six due to all the different perspectives and how the characters' actions influence the overall chain of events. I loved the way it felt like a story within a story within a story and how they all interconnected. The ending was a little bit too neat in my opinion, but overall I enjoyed reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved reading this which was a pleasant surprise after I wasn’t a huge fan of The Unmaking of June Farrow earlier this year. But this one was so suspenseful and interesting and the setting made it spooky and atmospheric the whole way through. The supernatural elements really worked in this book and the characters were all very mysterious and layered. I liked the ending too but my only complaint is that I wish we got a few more clues to lead us there as the readers. Definitely recommend this one though, it had me hooked from start to finish. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

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adventurous inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Loved this so much. Didn’t know much about Ina going into it but I loved her approach to life and her love story with Jeffrey. Could have listened to another 10 hours.
Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

“Found family” type romances are usually some of my favorites, and that aspect of this story was very heartwarming and cute. It definitely took center stage and pushed the romance to the side, which was a little disappointing. Overall I enjoyed reading this and the Christmas vibes were high so I can’t complain there. It was overly sweet for my personal tastes but I’ll excuse it just because it’s a holiday romance. Main character was a little questionable. Wearing more than one cardigan at a time is crazy work. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Sadly this was not for me. I thought it was okay in the first half and was having a good time but ultimately neither the romance or the mystery got there. I was more frustrated by the mystery aspect because I felt like it was giving me as the reader nothing to go on. Clues came out of nowhere instead of being kind of a scavenger hunt vibe like I thought it was going to be (like The Inheritance Games! I was so excited). And okay I know it was supposed to be fun but it was weird that this was like a life or death situation and the MCs were like you know what could be cool in the middle of this extremely serious moment? A little making out. Rubbed me the wrong way in many scenarios and I never really got any chemistry between them and also the part where the author sexualized a literal baby was gross and unnecessary. There were a few aspects I liked such as the backstory between the two MCs and the structure of that but overall, not my favorite. 
Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy by Beth Kempton

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hopeful informative relaxing medium-paced

4.0

Every winter it seems like I read a book about how it’s natural and healthy to slow down in the winter and yet every time I’m like oh yeah, I should do that. This is a great little book about having an intentional holiday season. I’m looking forward to putting quite a few things into practice, but especially the new year’s reflection exercises in the last few chapters (my phone is full of many screenshots). 
We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin

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dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

I need to read every book Emily R. Austin writes. This was so moving, so heartbreaking, so relatable, and so unexpected. Austin really knows how to write about a modern journey with depression and self-discovery in a way I haven't seen from many authors. I loved the structure of this book and the way it unfolded in ways I didn't see coming without making me lose trust in the narrators. We could be rats!! and maybe someday we will be.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the eARC!
James by Percival Everett

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is exactly as good as everyone says it is. The audiobook is incredible. The subject matter is, of course, hard to read, but so important. I was frozen in my kitchen listening to the last few chapters. 
Pilgrim Bell: Poems by Kaveh Akbar

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

Breathtaking. I love the way Akbar sees and feels, even if I can’t always wrap my mind around every poem. 

“Consider our whole galaxy
staked in place by a single star. I fear
we haven’t said nearly enough about that.”
Real Americans by Rachel Khong

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adventurous reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I don’t know how I feel about this one. As with most novels with multiple POVs, I liked some and didn’t love others. There was a lot that was left unresolved and a lot of cutting off of family members left and right without a ton of explanation. The magical realism element added nothing. At the same time it was an interesting concept, wove a lot of themes together and was definitely beautifully written. 

A little too much eugenics sympathizing though and I think Lily was 100% justified in cutting everyone off and getting out of there. Though she obviously should have told Nick everything so he wouldn’t just go work on the exact same thing?