graywild's reviews
575 reviews

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

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

2.0

just ok for me.  I struggle with mysteries.  I was hoping more dystopian and less mystery.  There is an interesting side story of the end of the world and the struggle for humans to survive.  However, most of the story is in fact a murder mystery that just happens to be at the end of the world.  Not recommended for me.
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun

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medium-paced

1.0

I got this as an ARC.  It is a short book but I felt the story was rambling and finding a hard place to land.  Not recommended for me.
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

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

2.5

 I wasn't sure what to make of this book.  Basically a retelling of a low budget movie shoot between friends.  Only one person is left from the original shoot, the actor who played Thin Man.  It takes a while for the story to get going and to be honest most of the action takes place in the last 10-20 pages.  Just an okay story for me. 
The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

2.5

The concept is interesting.  The bee population around the world is dying due to overuse of pesticides. Sasha's father is trying to save the bees through his research.  The book takes place in 2 timelines, Sasha at age 11 when the bees are dying and Sasha at age 23 when the world has no bees.  The story just stalls out for me.  Takes too long to get into the overall story and toward the end I find the general story moving into a space of unbelievability.  Not recommended from me.
Breath of the Dragon: Breathmarked by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Received this as an ARC.  Story centers on Jun.  He lives with his father in the West.  His mother and twin brother live in the East but he has not seen either or heard from them in 10 years.  Jun has a chance to compete in a martial arts tournament (his father doesn't want him to compete) but has to find a way there and raise money to enter.  He convinces a traveling flutist and his daughter to get him there and earns money helping them. The tournament turns out to be political in nature and a General wants to use the winner, called the Guardian, to gain more power in the West.  Clearly a series. It was jut ok for me and I debated DNF.
Best Actress: The History of Oscar(r)-Winning Women by Stephen Tapert

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

The book covers all the best actress Oscar winners up to 2016.  There are 3-4 pages on each actress.  Discussion includes information about the movies they won the Oscar for, some short information about where they are from (birth, some family background), maybe a slight discussion about other films if there was a long career or famous movies, what happened after they won, late in life information for older actresses.  If you are fan of movies this is a good book to give just enough information about each actress to get a feel about them.
James by Percival Everett

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Retelling of Huck Finn but from the perspective of Jim.  Sometimes Huck and Jim are traveling together and sometimes they are not.  Jim is running from Miss Watson who wants to sell him to another slave owner.  He wants to earn money to buy his family and escape North.  Huck is escaping his abusive father and wants to go on an adventure.  Along the way Huck and the reader are exposed to the horrors of slavery and how white people just treat all Black peoples as monetary items.
Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

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

2.75

Initial part of story definitely was a good haunted woods story.  Faye and Felix spend time at her family's cabin and there seems to be some evil entity in the woods.  When they go home it might have followed them home.  The story tries to take off but starts to fall off and then ending is just to flat for me.  Slight recommend to no recommend
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

I did struggle in the beginning of the book because I have read alot of WWII historical fiction.  This one is slightly different as it focuses on 2 sisters.  One is actively resisting the Nazi invasion of France.  The other is just trying to keep her kids safe and survive the war.  At the end I did find myself emotional so the characters were brought to life for me.  Well written.  Recommend.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

There is a newly established Ministry in the UK government that is experimenting with time travel.  They have brought to present time a few people from the past.  Each "expat" is assigned a bridge to help them understand the new world they have been thrown into.  Interesting twist on the time travel genre.  I like how the education of each expat to their new world is handled.  Of course there is a conspiracy because it involves a government agency.  I actually read this book in a day so it was captivating for me.  Recommend.