story_goblin's reviews
360 reviews

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

Probably the most intense book I’ve ever read- Backman just never lets up. Every single word is the heart of humanity. 
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Neuromancer by William Gibson

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I can see why this book was so important to the sci-fi genre and how it effectively created cyberpunk, but a lot of its structure is just not my cup of tea. I don’t love how the female characters are written, I don’t understand why drug use is featured so heavily, and the pacing felt odd to me.
I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

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

5.0

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

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

3.75

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

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adventurous funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

This book is exactly what it claims to be! I really needed something cozy and this book sure delivered. I’m definitely looking forward to the next one. 
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No

4.5

The book was way scarier than I expected out of a middle grades book, but that’s just a testament to how well it’s written. I do know The Yellow Wallpaper, but find this version much more intense. My experiences aren’t the same (undiagnosed adhd and a weird heart thing instead of chronic fatigue), but are apparently similar enough that I related very strongly to a lot of the main character’s emotional journey. Maybe that’s why it felt so intense for me. 
Analog Science Fiction & Fact, May/June 2024 by Robert Silverberg, Pamela Yve Simon, Joey Huston, Kelly Lagor, Frank Wu, Martin L. Shoemaker, Tim Stevens, Aimee Ogden, Michael Capobianco, Emily Hockaday, Lance Robinson, Leonard Richardson, Howard V. Hendrix, John G. Cramer, Roderick Leeuwenhart, Chana Kohl, Sean Monaghan, Amanda Dier, Edward M. Lerner, Zohar Jacobs, Charles Velasquez-Witosky, Tom Jolly, Trevor Quachri, Markus Tiedemann, Richard A. Lovett, Sean CW Korsgaard

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adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

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