10000bees's reviews
326 reviews

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

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

5.0

This is one of those books where I saw the cover and couldn't not buy it. It's a classic dragon fantasy featuring a lady knight with a nice helping of Good For Her. I'm living my truth by giving this five stars. I do think it would have been stronger by being longer, and I would have LOVED to see more character growth and exploration. But for what it was, I still loved it! The historical text chapters were a great choice for worldbuilding and giving life to dragons. But this was Maddileh's show and I loved it. I'm a sucker for a lady knight and she didn't disappoint. And I did not expect the twist at the end and that's what really bumped my enjoyment up. I will absolutely pick up the sequel!
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

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dark mysterious 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

5.0

In a word: compelling. By far one of the most unique books I've ever read. I couldn't guess a single thing that was going to happen, and I didn't want to either. It was a wild, gruesome ride that I couldn't get enough of, like an accident I couldn't look away from. It was also so funny? The darkly humorous tone perfectly fit the story and made the horrifying details easier to swallow. Highly recommend giving this one a read if the TWs don't bother you.
Funny Story by Emily Henry

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Cute and quick read! I'm generally not a romance girly because I prefer a little more intrigue, but the characters were very well developed and the writing was great. It felt like a quick snack of a novel and I appreciated that, but I didn't find it particularly memorable in the end. Also, I hate third act breakups. 
Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Thoughtfully and carefully written work of nonfiction. Heyam does a fantastic job of covering a wide breadth of gender throughout history while explaining why trans history is so hard to define. I came away MUCH more informed about a wealth of topics. The intersex chapter was especially enlightening due to recent events and it really made me want to chuck this book at everyone's face.

While it was carefully written, at times it did feel a bit exhausting with how careful it was (not that it's a bad thing). I also wish some topics could have gone a little deeper, but overall this was a fantastic read that I highly recommend.
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

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

3.0

This was such an interesting concept that unfortunately underdelivered what I wanted out of the story. The writing was lovely and had a wonderful fairytale feel to it. But that same aspect made it a struggle to completely connect with the characters because it all felt like it was taking place in a snow globe. It's a very pretty snow globe! But I wanted to be down in there with them rather than on the outside.

The book is less than 350 pages and spans over a decade of time and I think that's the real downfall. We don't get to experience a lot of what the characters go through and end up seeing little snippets as Violet tries to find her mother. The scale of the story is too big for the scope we're seeing it through, and Violet isn't a strong enough character to try to carry all of it. Aleksander's story and experience seemed much more interesting to me, but he got the Romantic Interest treatment. There was so much potential with the world that just ended up being... nothing.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I tried to go into this with an open mind, but after hearing so much about this book/series for so many years, I had a feeling it wouldn't be for me. And I was right. I didn't like the characters or the writing and the plot was super predictable and not really that exciting. And why was the antagonist so boring? She did nothing but sit there and give off bad vibes. The best part of reading this was the fact that I buddy read it with my friend and we could bond over it.

That being said, literally everyone says the sequel is better and I now have four coworkers begging me to keep reading and give it a chance so.... if it's not better everyone owes me money.
Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.
Library hold ran out before I could finish the book and I wasn't compelled enough to extend it. I liked the idea, but the writing wasn't my cup of tea and the main character annoyed me a little bit.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

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adventurous 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 one took me a little while to really get into. The world was super interesting, but I didn't always completely grasp some of the subtler details so it felt a bit like I was just nodding along to a conversation I couldn't completely understand. And then the major twist and main conflict was revealed and my mind was blown. Conceptually, the idea for the conflict is S tier and I love it (if it's been done before, I've never read it). I still struggled to connect emotionally by the end, but the world and plot was highly engaging for me. I definitely plan on continuing the series, and hopefully there will be some more character growth that'll really hook me.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

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

5.0

I think about this book all the time since I finished it. It starts bleak but halfway through becomes one of the heaviest, most melancholic stories I've ever read. But it's a beautiful devastation. I immediately want to read it again.
Undercover by Tamsyn Muir

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dark mysterious 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

4.0

No one does fucked up lesbians like Tamsyn Muir does. A neat little short story with a neat little world with an ending that took me by surprise. The vibes are perfectly gritty post-apocalyptic sci-fi noir. This one is for the ghoulies.