catlion27's reviews
253 reviews

Hellboy, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction by John Byrne, Mike Mignola

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4.0

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

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

4.75

Delightfully creepy and really good. Gave me chills many times. The main character and especially the side characters were endearing, too.
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

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

4.5

This was lots of fun. The worldbuilding is deft and interesting, the magic is not overexplained (it falls on the poetic side), the gods of the world and how it works are fascinating, and the characters are fun to watch. Also, Max Gladstone knows how to write a well-crafted sentence. 
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

A cute, steamy romance. Some of the situations the characters found themselves in were ridiculous, but to me that added to the charm. The premise was very fun and I liked watching the characters inch closer.

I enjoyed the first 60-70% more than the rest (Idk if this is just a thing for me with emotional genres? I've encountered this with horror, too) as you're in the thick of it, cuteness-wise. I wasn't as sold on the turn the characters took in their relationship at the 70%ish mark, and some of the end didn't land as well, but overall I had fun. 
She Deserves Better: Raising Girls to Resist Toxic Teachings on Sex, Self, and Speaking Up by Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, Joanna Sawatsky

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challenging hopeful informative

5.0

So much incredible, excellent work here from the team. Even though it's dealing with heavy topics, it manages to be hopeful and provide great resources for approaching these topics in a healthier way moving forward. 
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Absolutely loved this, maybe even slightly more than Swordheart, though there are similarities. The meet-cute had me in stitches, and the main characters are too adorable for words. I grinned the whole time reading. 
The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book was...okay. There are a lot of things going on plot-wise, and some genuinely interesting reveals towards the end. But my main problem is that I did not love any of the characters. I didn't dislike any of them, really, but this was because there wasn't enough there to form an opinion on. The characters felt more like "people who have interesting facts about them" and less like people with distinguishable personalities. 
In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

Well-written and tragic, as always. The more I understood about the Goblin Market, the more I liked it, so the author did a good job taking me on a similar journey to Lundy (though I chafed at the idea more than she did to begin with). There were parts I feel she could have expanded on more, but overall solid entry.
Emotions & the Gospel: Created for Connections by Heidi Goehmann

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hopeful inspiring slow-paced

4.0

This book wasn't bad, it just felt very basic. Maybe it is meant for people who are just starting to think about the idea that God gave us emotions, but the beginning in particular felt decidedly non-revelatory. The second half was better, and the parts where she brought in specifics from the field of psychology and counseling I was more interested because I know less about that.
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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

4.25

So after Harrow, I went into this book with low expectations. But the writing here is just so good. I fell even more in love with Camilla and Palamedes, and I loved Pyrrha, and Nona has some great lines just expressing complex feelings about embodiedness, which is something that catches my attention. Not understanding the background plot did not feel as crucial to enjoying the book, and it was only in the last bit where I really had a "what the heck is going on" moment that detracted from my enjoyment. So overall it surprised me in a good way.