thecasualbooknerd's reviews
108 reviews

The Upside Down Christmas by Kate Forster

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funny lighthearted fast-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

A cute, friends to lovers Christmas read <3

Content Warnings

The Best Worst Christmas by Kate Foster

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Content Warnings

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.5

Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

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adventurous emotional slow-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

4.75

It was lovely to be back in the world of Tor’s Watch. Sequels seldom surpass the first one, but Vow of Thieves certainly rose to the challenge!

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

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adventurous funny 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

4.75

I really enjoyed the little breaks from the regular narration, a little fun to mix it up. It made the pacing of the general story really good 👌🏽👌🏽

Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton

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adventurous medium-paced

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

4.75

An excellent conclusion to a great trilogy. Some of the omniscient narration was a bit overdone, but the ending made it all worth it 👌🏽👌🏽

Content Warnings

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

As a fan of the Inheritance Cycle, I was so excited to read this book! The fiction part of the science-fiction was so grounded in real science it felt like the American “Three-Body Problem”. You can truly appreciate the thought and mind-gymnastics that went into this world building when you read the Appendices 🧠

However, I think Paolini got so excited about the science of it all that he forgot to put some heart into the story until two-thirds of the way through. That last third of the book though, was ✨chef’s kiss✨

The Gap Decade: When You're Technically an Adult But Really Don't Feel Like It Yet by Katie Schnack, Katie Schnack

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funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.25

As someone who is technically an adult but don’t feel like it, I found this book very encouraging.

It’s humor makes it a fun read and the sad parts of life a bit more bearable. However, I find the jokes similar to a Guardians of the Galaxy movie: there’s a lot of them and not all of them land.

I will be recommending this to friends in similar seasons of life! Plus, it seems to be a good book for a buddy read or reading club:)

Content Warnings

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

Hades/Persephone retelling: basically The Selection but both protagonists are Slitherins with a taste for murder

Entertaining, and though not particularly stellar, would read again.

The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell

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informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

Content Warnings