takarakeireads's reviews
541 reviews

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

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adventurous mysterious 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

I really loved the magic system and the heist/action overall. Sancia was a great MC and I also like that there’s a mix of POVs included. I was really having a great time, then I feel like it lost a bit of oomph? at the end. I just found myself a little less engaged than with the first half-ish? of the book. I think how things are set up with END:
the new merchant house has potential for the rest of the series and if that means revolution at all I’m here for it. Burn it down!
Interested to see where this goes...
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Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

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dark emotional sad 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

4.0

phew... this is a rough book to read because Octavia is a genius and she basically predicted the world we live in now 30 years ago

The book starts in 2024... a dystopian society, told from the perspective of a teenage girl's journal, who is trying to create her own new religion. Even though some really horrible things happen in the book, the overall tone is rather matter-of-fact and for that reason the storytelling arc fell a tad flat (it's just very different from typical plot pacing that I've read, so maybe that's why). I have to see how it ends so... yeah I'll read the sequel :')
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Exhalation by Ted Chiang

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adventurous emotional reflective 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

4.5

This is one of the best short story collections I've read so far! I really love sci-fi that makes you contemplate humanity, and a lot of these stories really did that well. I initially picked this up in order to read the short story 'The Great Silence' and I actually reread that one multiple times since it's short (and fantastic!). Generally the stories are on the longer side (The Lifecycle of Software Objects in particular is almost novella length itself). I personally didn't mind this because those longer stories just allowed for a more dynamic story that really built into something beautiful. If you're newer to sci-fi I think you'll still enjoy this because nothing was too dense. A very thoughtful collection of stories.
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Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

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funny lighthearted 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

4.0

THIS WAS SO CUTE AND MADE ME BELIEVE THERE'S YA ROMANCE OUT THERE I CAN STILL ADORE!
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Beneath the Alabaster Spire by Allison Carr Waechter

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

3.0

I'm trying to decide if I care enough to finish the series :')
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The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

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dark mysterious 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

4.5

Been a minute since I read a Samantha Shannon book! Forgot how intense the world-building is (I mean any book that has a glossary and character list...there's levels). This is the only place I have to deduct half a point because there was something I was confused about which seemed fundamental to how this, in reality, alternate timeline of our world functions. I thought I'd missed something, but I think it just wasn't explained until towards the end of the book? Since this is supposed to be a long series maybe that's intentional for the long haul as it were, but it wasn't like a big reveal.

Anyway that aside I really loved this and I am super excited to continue the series!! I really enjoyed Paige as a main character, she's feisty, tough and inquisitive. Can't wait to see where the story takes us...
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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

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Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

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

3.5

I'm such a big fan of this author but I think ya romance is just really not my jam (which is fine! it's not for me!)
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Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon

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funny fast-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

3.5

I liked this as much as the first book, possibly more. Def better than the second book. 
Great banter cause Aehako is just so funny!
I loved that we got more w-o-r-l-d-b-u-i-l-d-i-n-g !!! and intrigue for the history of the planet. 
The one downside was there was great conversation around infertility and I found that refreshing... only for at the end it seems like she got pregnant anyway cause 'mates' 'love' whatever
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A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

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emotional medium-paced

3.25

Personally this was a bit too insta-attraction for my taste. I just don't like when romances are all immediately lust-driven without much time to build up any actual relationship/knowledge of who their 'love' is as a person. It kinda gets there eventually in the end, it's just not at all a slow burn.
I do like the setup of this town where 'spinster' women go to live their private lives basically away from any societal constraints. Susanna being protective of this town is so real. I hear this series continues to improve, and the glimpse of book 2 couple we get makes me interested to continue
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