caseythereader's reviews
1745 reviews

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.
Every time the action gets going, it gets ground to a halt by interminable info dump conversations. Might pick it up later again because I can’t tell how it’s all going to shake out and I do want to know. 
This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

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adventurous dark funny sad tense fast-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

3.75

Thanks to Fierce Reads for the free copy of this book.

 - THIS DARK DESCENT is quite a - pun intended - ride. Magic based on Jewish folklore, enchanted horse races, backstabbing elites, murder and romance.
- The race scenes had me on the edge of my seat. It took me a little flipping pages back and forth to follow the machinations of the lords, but once I figured it out I was all in.
- I haven't seen much talk about the queerness of this book, but it is! The characters describe their feelings rather than label them, given the sort of ancient fantasy setting of the world. But Mikira reads as bisexual and Arielle as somewhere on the demi-aroace spectrum. 

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Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? No

4.0


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Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan

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emotional funny hopeful reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 - Kennedy Ryan is a master of writing layered, complex relationships with superhot chemistry, and QUEEN MOVE is no exception.
- I loved watching Ezra and Kimba find each other again, and sorting out what that means when they’ve lived whole lives since their last meeting.
- A great thing about this book is that there isn’t just one roadblock and each character has more than just one personality trait. The world of this book and the people in it feel real, not just a flimsy way to make plot happen. 

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Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For by Natalie C. Parker, Zoraida Córdova

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Nothing against any of these writers or even the stories. It just turns out there isn’t really a ton of mermaid/siren lore to draw on and this is already feeling repetitive a few stories in. 
Drowning by T.J. Newman

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thanks to Dutton Books for the free copy of this book.

 - AND THEN SHE FELL is what I might categorize as literary horror. Elliott blends a variety of types of horror - of motherhood, of racism, of literal monsters and voices in your head - into an incredible tapestry of a book.
- Much of this book is built on the tension of Alice (and the reader) trying to sort out if the things she's experiencing are real, or if she's losing her mind. But something happens in the last few chapters that takes everything to a whole new level. I was reading with my mouth open, not wanting it to end.
- The more I think on this book, the more layers I find in it. I hope you'll seek it out, even if you aren't typically a horror reader. 

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Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 69%.
I'm sad to say this book is a mess. Everything takes a long time to get started, and then what seems to be the climax of the curse plotline happens at the 50% mark and then the book continues to drag on after that with a bunch of repetitive conversations. The external fairy narrator, while funny, means we never get the MCs' own thoughts and therefore there's no discernible reasons why they like each other. I'm quitting at 8 hours into the audiobook because they've finally gotten together and there's still somehow 3.5 hours of book left. I did enjoy Miss Bickle, though, she was great.
The Book of (More) Delights: Essays by Ross Gay

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.25


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No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

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challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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