sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews

emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? Yes

3.5

I was so psyched to get my hands on a copy of Book Lovers from my library on pub day. I was probably more excited to snag a copy than I was to actually read the book. After not liking Beach Read, but loving People We Meet on Vacation (PWMOV), I was cautiously excited for Book Lovers. It has a fun premise revolving around a ruthless literary agent who travels to a small town with her sister for a few weeks, but I didn’t feel attached to the plot and was waiting for a “wow this is great” moment that never arrived.

That said, I enjoyed the banter, the quick pacing, and the book world references. It’s a great novel to read on a sunny day, but it didn’t bring anything new to the table. I think this will be another Emily Henry hit for most, but I am disappointed to say that it wasn’t for me. Some reviewers have mentioned that those who loved Beach Read and felt meh about PWMOV will enjoy Book Lovers while those who loved PWMOV but felt meh about Beach Read will have similar meh thoughts about Book Lovers. I am curious to see if this trend continues to hold true as more people read it.

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Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book! While the book was published in 2007, the copy I am holding is a new re-print coming May 3rd. Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians is a middle grade novel that has something for everyone: amazing humor, talking dinosaurs, and magical swords. Brandon Sanderson is incredible for his ability to write books for any age group and this middle grade novel is no exception. The main character, Alcatraz, a foster child, is given a bag of special sand on his 13th birthday. Unfortunately, the evil librarians in the Hushlands 🤫 manage to steal it from him and Alcatraz is tasked with getting the sand back.

Along the way, Alcatraz meets his grandfather for the first time and other characters that have magical powers. Alcatraz discovers that his talent of literally destroying things comes in handy when battling the evil librarians who ultimately control all of the information in the Hushlands *gasp* If you’re a library lover, I definitely recommend picking this one up. It also has some great art by Hayley Lazo.

Content Warnings

Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg

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emotional lighthearted 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this fun novel about all things weddings and bridesmaids. The main character, Zoey Marks, has built up a repertoire of bad luck. For every wedding that Zoey has been a bridesmaid, the bride has in some way or another not made it down the aisle. Zoey has convinced herself that she is the bad luck and resolves that maybe love just isn’t on her side. But when Zoey receives word that her best friend is getting married and wants Zoey to be her bridesmaid, Zoey is hesitant.

While I don’t possess Zoey’s perspective on life or her decision to give up on love, I still liked Badluck Bridesmaid for its quick pacing and realistic ending. I also appreciated the fact that Zoey isn’t quick to hide her flaws and that the author doesn’t attempt to wrap Zoey’s story up in a cute little bow at the end. If you’re looking for something fun and quick, I recommend this one!

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

Whew, what a book. And what a book to read during a pandemic. I could have maybe skipped reading this book entirely but I was really curious to know what all of the hype was about…and also because I love dystopian novels. The story goes back and forth between pre-pandemic days and the present. The majority of the novel surrounds around the Traveling Symphony who performs Shakesphere and music for the scarce communities of survivors.

Station Eleven is eerie and at some points terrifying as one would expect from a novel like this one. What resonated with me most was a moment in the book in which they speak about alternative universes and question whether there is another reality out there that also experienced a pandemic, but not as destructive as this one…which must mean that Emily St. John Mandel is able to predict the future. It was also super interesting to read reviews written prior to 2020 and note what reviewers thought of this book with no insight into what would happen in just a few years time. Overall, an excellent novel that doesn’t appear as captivating as it may have been perceived prior to our pandemic.

Content Warnings

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

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emotional informative reflective slow-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

4.0

This character-driven novel is incredibly powerful and insightful although I do have to warn you that it is a heavy read. Torrey Peters’s story explores gender, motherhood, and the trans community and offers readers a complicated story centering around Reese, a trans woman who is in love with her girlfriend, Amy. But then, Amy decides to detransition and becomes Ames, and everything Reese envisioned for them to one day become a family of three unravels.

When Ames discovers that his new cis girlfriend, Katrina, is pregnant, Ames wonders if he can still make create a family with Reese in which Ames, Reese, and Katrina raise the baby together. The plot mostly consists of Ames, Reese, and Katrina attempting to navigate this messy relationship prior to the birth of the baby. Peters beautifully depicts the specificity of the trans community while also illustrating a universal feeling of sympathy. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was that I found some of the plot to ramble on a bit, but overall I really enjoyed this one.

Content Warnings

Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After loving Check Please: Book 1, I immediately dived into Book 2! I enjoyed reading about the crazy, wholesome dynamic that the hockey players on Samwell’s team possess and their open-mindedness. I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil Book 1, but Book 2 is equally as fun to read. Bitty’s tweets at the end are also quite the hoot. I love how Ukazu continued with the vlogger style format with Bitty and amped up his pie-making passion…the guy even wrote his senior thesis about pies. 🥧😆 All and all, Check, Please is a fantastic series if you are looking for something fun and heartwarming.

Content Warnings

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

While working on my master’s project (I am happy to say it’s almost done!), I read my way through a few graphic novels as my mind was incapable of focusing on just text on a page. I started with Check, Please after seeing so many lovely reviews. I enjoyed reading about main character Bitty and his baking habits, starting freshman year of college on a hockey team, and making a few friends along the way.

I found Check, Please to be an absolute delight and was the perfect story to immerse myself in while I was drowning in deadlines. I know little to none about hockey but that did not deter me from reading this fantastic graphic novel - I even learned a thing or two about the sport! I also really enjoyed the illustrations - Ngozi Ukazu is a talented writer and artist!

Content Warnings

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

4.0

These Silent Woods is a moving read that consists of both heartbreaking drama and the occasional spooky vibes. Cooper and his young daughter Finch live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but readers don’t find out why they are living out there until much later in the story. The father-daughter duo receives supplies from Cooper’s friend Jake once a year, but when Jake doesn’t arrive, Cooper and Finch find themselves in trouble.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and the slow unraveling of the truth about Cooper and Finch. This isn’t your typical thriller as it focuses more on the relationship between Cooper and Finch and less emphasis on thriller-y vibes, but I think lovers of thriller books will still enjoy it. While I liked These Silent Woods, it didn’t pack the same punch that I have experienced with other thrillers. The ending wraps up nicely, but I found myself wondering about a secondary character that gets the short end of the stick. Overall, this book gets raving reviews and I would recommend checking it out.

Content Warnings

The Maid by Nita Prose

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emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

I absolutely LOVED The Maid! Occurring over the course of five days, we learn that main character Molly Gray, a lovely maid for the Regency Grand Hotel, has been accused of murdering a famous guest - Charles Black. Even though she clearly has nothing to do with Mr. Black’s death, Molly finds herself wound up in a web of deception in which multiple characters attempt to use her mental disability to their advantage. I fell in love with Molly’s authentic character and her relationship with her grandmother.

The Maid has the perfect amount of sweet character development and murder mystery vibes. I rarely read cozy mysteries but I think The Maid has pushed me to pick up more from this genre. Reviews for The Maid vary are across the board, but this one is a winner in my book. This debut novel is easy to read in a couple of days and curled up on the couch with a glass of wine.

Content Warnings

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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

I read Wish You Were Here about two months ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. I absolutely LOVED this book! It does take place during the COVID-19 pandemic so it may not be for some and I understand that the content in Jodi Picoult’s newest novel may be too soon. If you do feel comfortable reading about the pandemic, I highly suggest picking it up. The storyline will pleasantly surprise you in the best way.

Wish You Were Here is centered around main character Diana O’Toole. Diana’s life is right on track and she and her boyfriend Finn are excited to go on a romantic getaway to the Galapagos where Finn could possibly propose. But then COVID-19 hits and the chances of her going with Finn to the Galapagos are slowly decreasing as Finn is needed to treat patients at the hospital as a surgical resident. Diana and Finn decide that Diana should still go anyway so what begins is an adventure in the Galapagos where Diana makes strong connections with a family in isolation. It is here that Diana revaluates her relationships back home and her life choices.

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sfbookgirl's reviews 412 reviews

sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews