stardust_heidi's reviews
473 reviews

Palestine, Israel, and U.S. Empire by Richard Becker

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challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This book is fantastic. It’s the third book I’ve read about Palestine this year, and it was by far the easiest to understand and read. I am not an academic, and some of the other books out there on Palestine and its history are a slog to get through. This felt far more approachable for me, and I so appreciate the short chapters. They keep me interested and engaged. 

The information is well laid out and presented. Some of the different perspectives in the appendices are interesting. 

Honestly, if you want to know more about the history of Palestine and Israeli/US Zionist imperialism, this is an excellent place to start. It’s firmly anti-Zionist.  
The Marriage Hex by Sarah Blue

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense 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? Yes

5.0

Love love love! Addicting. I devoured this one. 
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

Honestly, 5 stars for vibes. THIS is what cozy fantasy should be about. Books, sentient plants, a jam shop, magical creatures, learning to live in community, learning to love. Add a touch of danger or tension at times, and it’s perfect. I found this book utterly charming. I was scared it was going to be too saccharine and over the top, but somehow the author balanced everything really well. If you need a feel-good, cozy fantasy with high stakes but low drama, a bit of whimsy and silly, with a bit of love and friendship on the side, this is for you!
Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

This is definitely a middle book, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It’s always nice to see what happens after the initial introduction of characters and plot. 
Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

I love this duology so much. 
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

5 stars for the story. 4 stars for the audiobook. I felt some of the narrations to be quite flat or overly expressive. It didn’t detract from the story, but coming into this audiobook after finishing a book with an incredible narration is kind of rough.

I do love the story and set up for this series. The world building is phenomenal. 

I’m continuing the series in audiobook format, this time at least. 
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

I am obsessed with this book. I think it’s easily my favorite of the series, which is wild, because I truly loved the first two. But this one is impeccable! The hate/hate “I despise you” vibes are immaculate. I was on a walk and couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. GOD.
Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 1%.
I made it about 1% into the book (I’m talking the first few paragraphs into chapter one) and got so confused, MULTIPLE TIMES, about the use of pronouns connected to specific characters. Basically, the sentence structure is terrible, and I couldn’t even get through the first few paragraphs without my brain staggering over basic grammar. 

I’m really sad about this, as this book has been on my tbr for a while. 
The Ravaged Dark by Allison Carr Waechter

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
There’s a chance I’ll come back to this. But right now I’m honestly bored. I should be super into the story and the romance, but I’m losing interest. And I want to know what happens, dammit. The pacing is so slow, and while important relationship things are happening, part of me is like, okay let’s get this plot moving. I feel like a plot thing will happen but then we spend the next ten pages working on relationship shit. There’s an uneven balance, and it’s not enough to keep me interested. I hate leaving a series this far in, so maybe I’ll return later. I want to know what happens, but I’m also 🥱🥱🥱
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

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5.0