Scan barcode
incognitoexisting's reviews
79 reviews
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
First things first, I've been missing Fleetfoot and was squeaking with happiness when she appeared again, I've been missing her and I'm so happy to have her back in the story!
Reading "Queen of Shadows" I started to like Manon better than I did in "Heir of Fire". It was great to see another side of her— not just brutal and ruthless but also capable of kindness, like when she helped Elide. The introduction between Manon and Aelin was so epic, I absolutely loved it.
There were so many plot twists and reveals about certain characters that left my jaw on the floor. I was surprised by how selfless Kaltain turned out to be. In the first book she was pretty annoying but here I felt for her character. And I was surprised by the reveal of the King of Adarlen. I would've never suspected that he was a victim too, although I still don't get it why he would ever start messing with something that dark in the first place.
I'm kind of glad how things ended for Arobynn. He was an annoying prick, in my opinion – what he had done to Sam and Aelin and how he betrayed her, and how he was selfish during their final meeting.
On a lighter note, Rowan vs. Aedion in the beginning was hilarious (iykyk😅). Lysandra seems like a lovely character, quite liked her. I'm really glad there was a semi-happy ending to this book – after after all the challenges our characters faced in these for books, they deserve a little break. There is still a lot to uncover and a lot of evil to fight and challenges to face, and I'm very much looking forward to joining the characters on their journey in the next book!
I really loved "Queen of Shadows"! Despite reading 20 books last year and enjoying most of them, by the end of the year, I quite struggled to get into a new book and care about characters and stories I was trying to read. I took my time with "Queen of Shadows", though, and this book helped me reignite my love for books and reading. As I read, I realised this series is becoming one of my favourite series. I'm sure I will want to reread it many times — though I’m not looking forward to finishing it too soon because nothing will compare to experiencing it for the first time.
I'm absolutely enjoying this series🥹❤️🩹
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
“My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius,” she said. “And I am the Queen of Terrasen.”
First things first, I've been missing Fleetfoot and was squeaking with happiness when she appeared again, I've been missing her and I'm so happy to have her back in the story!
Reading "Queen of Shadows" I started to like Manon better than I did in "Heir of Fire". It was great to see another side of her— not just brutal and ruthless but also capable of kindness, like when she helped Elide. The introduction between Manon and Aelin was so epic, I absolutely loved it.
There were so many plot twists and reveals about certain characters that left my jaw on the floor. I was surprised by how selfless Kaltain turned out to be. In the first book she was pretty annoying but here I felt for her character. And I was surprised by the reveal of the King of Adarlen. I would've never suspected that he was a victim too, although I still don't get it why he would ever start messing with something that dark in the first place.
I'm kind of glad how things ended for Arobynn. He was an annoying prick, in my opinion – what he had done to Sam and Aelin and how he betrayed her, and how he was selfish during their final meeting.
On a lighter note, Rowan vs. Aedion in the beginning was hilarious (iykyk😅). Lysandra seems like a lovely character, quite liked her. I'm really glad there was a semi-happy ending to this book – after after all the challenges our characters faced in these for books, they deserve a little break. There is still a lot to uncover and a lot of evil to fight and challenges to face, and I'm very much looking forward to joining the characters on their journey in the next book!
I really loved "Queen of Shadows"! Despite reading 20 books last year and enjoying most of them, by the end of the year, I quite struggled to get into a new book and care about characters and stories I was trying to read. I took my time with "Queen of Shadows", though, and this book helped me reignite my love for books and reading. As I read, I realised this series is becoming one of my favourite series. I'm sure I will want to reread it many times — though I’m not looking forward to finishing it too soon because nothing will compare to experiencing it for the first time.
I'm absolutely enjoying this series🥹❤️🩹
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the story of a bank robbery. But it’s also about so much more than that. It’s about people and human nature, how we’re all connected in some way, and we can’t predict how our actions or words might affect others and what the consequences will be.
I find it fascinating how Fredrick Backman makes these connections between the characters and human psychology.
I find it fascinating how Fredrick Backman makes these connections between the characters and human psychology.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's a funny, emotional, cosy, moving story a grumpy old man living in Swedish suburbs. This book got me out of a reading slump and was a discovery of the year. This book will always be in my heart and I hope to reread it one day. It even made me cry in the end (from chapter 39)❤️🩹
Once Cold by Blake Pierce
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
It was a quick read. I remember liking this series more a few years ago. It wasn't bad, but it definitely could have been better. The writing at times felt plain and as though it was written for the sake of being written. I can't say that the mystery in this one was that intriguing. Maybe cold cases just aren't my cuppa tea.
A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
It's a very clever mystery, a very clever thing to name characters Letitia (Letty) and Charlotte (Lotty) -when Dora Bunner called Letty LOtty for the first time in the book, I thought that it was a typo, but as it turns out Bunny knew that it was Charlotte and not Letitia, but because she called them by abbreviations, she easily confused the two. It was a clever thing to do, indeed! I could not predict the end. Also, the atmosphere is very cosy, as usual. There weren't descriptions of the atmosphere, but there is just something about the way Agatha Christie writes that makes it cosy.
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Somebody publishes an announcement in the local Chipping-Cleghorn Gazette about a murder taking place at Little Paddocks at 6.30 pm on Friday and everyone is invited. The place belongs to Letitia Blacklock and everybody thinks she’s out of her mind posting such announcements. Nonetheless, everybody in the village comes to her place at a set time. Letitia herself did not publish this announcement and knows nothing about it, but hosts this party anyway. Then the lights go out, the front door opens, and a man with a bright torch shines it at everybody, blinding them, nobody can see his face. Then two shots are fired at Letitia, but miss, and a third shot and a man drops dead. When the police arrive the first version is that it was burglary and a man tangled in his coat and accidentally shot himself. But Letitia’s best friend Dora Bunner claims that somebody wanted to kill Letitia. Miss Marple comes to help and helps to untangle this case.
“It’s what in yourself that makes you happy or unhappy.” — Miss Marple
It's a very clever mystery, a very clever thing to name characters Letitia (Letty) and Charlotte (Lotty) -
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
It's a very gentle and cosy book, I enjoyed every bit of it, from the atmosphere to characters to descriptions of nature and pleasure of reading, to wisdom it teaches the reader. I can definitely say that Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a discovery of the year, I never thought I would be interested in Japanese literature, but here I am loving this book! I enjoyed the writing, and I found the translator's note in the end very sentimental. Absolutely loved it!
Some quotes:
Some quotes:
"But, I don’t know, maybe it takes a long time to figure out what you’re truly searching for. Maybe you spend your whole life just to figure out a small part of it."
“So, when you were traveling around and reading all those books, you must have learned a lot, right?”
“It’s funny. No matter where you go, or how many books you read, you still know nothing, you haven’t seen anything. And that’s life. We live our lives trying to find our way."
"I had Until the Death of the Girl in my hand. “This book was good,” I told him.
How did he react? All of a sudden, my uncle’s face lit up—just like a kid who had gotten a wonderful birthday present."
"It’s only in secondhand books that you can savor encounters like this, connections that transcend time. And that’s how I learned to love the secondhand bookstore that handled these books, our Morisaki Bookshop. I realized how precious a chance I’d been given, to be a part of that little place, where you can feel the quiet flow of time."
The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I quite enjoyed the book. First things first, I’d like to give Darcy credit for writing the atmosphere so vividly. Like in the other 3 books by her that I read (The Haunting of Ashburn House, Craven Manor, The Haunting of Blackwood House), I felt like I was there with the characters. I liked the fact that in this book she tells us that there are spectres, ghosts, spirits, and poltergeists - I didn’t know there was such a variety of paranormal entities, and have never thought to look up on the Internet and have discovered only reading this book. I found the ending quite surprising, as well as it was quite a sentimental happy ending.
Smart Phone Dumb Phone: Free Yourself from Digital Addiction by John Dicey, Allen Carr
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
It's the first nonfiction book that I started and actually finished. It is a helpful book. Maybe I'm being delusional, but it helped me to change my mindset, at least a little bit. Can recommend.
Some of the memorable/inspiring chapters are 16 and 19.
Some of the memorable/inspiring chapters are 16 and 19.
The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
mysterious
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
3.5
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
It was a quick read. I liked how hooked and addicted I was to this book – the writing style in combination with short chapters did the job, I had “one more chapter” syndrome, and I really appreciated that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Mental illness, Blood, and Murder