xandra_lyn's reviews
528 reviews

Anne Bonny by History Nerds

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
This didnt have the historical weight that I wanted. Iy was very poetic - like musing on what makes a person turn their back on societal expectations - instead of focusing on what it would actually be like to grow up in Charleston in the early 1700s.
Hera Takes Charge by Kate Healey

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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

4.5

This was a really good book! I picked this one up first, not realizing it was third in the series, but I do hope to go and read the others. There are some plot spoilers about those books (beyond the obvious one of the couple gets together and stays together). 

I did hit a wall with it around the 60% mark. I saw the signs of everything falling apart and I just didn't want to read it. BUT
instead of the trope of everything falls apart and the female MC realizes the male MC is her true love and they start over from scratch, they actually were able to come out on top and NOTHING fell apart.
It ended up being truly epic and wonderful.
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Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #1 by Tirso Cons, Tom Taylor, Jay Kristoff

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

5.0

Such a great beginning! I'm really intrigued, and the bonus "heir to the sea" was a wonderful, unexpected surprise!
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Dead Tired: A Mystery by Kat Ailes

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
This one didn't grab me like the first book. First, Alice annoyed me this time around. What seemed like quirks in the first one just came off as sloppy in this one. But what really made me stop was that after the murder happened, I sensed that Hen would not be part of the group. I did some sleuthing on story graph, and sure enough Hen is not part of the investigation. That ruined some of the fun for me, as I liked all the mums coming together in all their different ways. It's no fun if someone is left out.

I was also concerned about Alice lying to Joe about investigating. I didn't read far enough to know if she did lie, but the likelihood seemed high.
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The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-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

Such a good book!! It was super funny and relatable. The mystery kept me guessing, although I felt the big reveal was a tad rushed and I struggled to fully believe the motive.
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From Italy With Love by Jules Wake

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I got a hunch that Laurie would end up cheating on her bf. I did some sleuthing on here and was correct. She was unhappy since chapter 2; she should have called it off then or asked for a break. I just can't enjoy a romance if there's cheating 
Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper

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informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

I have complicated feelings about this book. I don't like Piper's theology, and I think he's a surprisingly poor writer for such a famous one. He definitely has a theological bent, which I think is dangerous when examining the faiths of historical people. It's certainly not a good biography, but being a study of Wilburforce's faith, it was good. He used a lot of primary sources which was nice.

He also made some interesting points about how Christians should approach politics - namely, it is better to fight for/agaisnt something not for the common good, but because a policy offends God. Although at first glance this seems to imply right-wing politics, left-wing christians could just as easily use this logic on what they fight for (like better health care, etc.).
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The Iliad by Homer

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

3.0

This was the translation I read in college, and I wanted to reread it before reading Emily Wilson's translation. It's an ok, but rather difficult to understand at times. 
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Percy Jackson Demigod Collection by Rick Riordan

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

This is the first book of each of the three greek-based series Rick Riordan wrote. I would not suggest reading a compilation like this, as to finish it you have to read 8 other books in addition to this one. The reviews for each book are as follows:

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief: 5 stars, amazing book!! It got me hooked on Rick Riordan's books. His world building is amazing and I loved every moment!

The lost heroes of Olympus: 5 stars amazing book!! Same as before with the added bonus having having Roman lore!

The trials of Apollo: 2 stars, absolutely horrendous. It had very little plot and was just a set up for the series. Also, Apollo was INSUFFERABLE. I know that was the point but OMG it was so bad.
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The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

5.0

This was SUCH a.greta book!! It was about finding yourself and believing in yourself - and making unlikely friends.

There was a brief part in the middle where I wasn't sure where it was going and it began to drag, but before long it picked back up again.