Scan barcode
woodsybookworm's reviews
117 reviews
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
This book is pure insanity in the best way. The blurb describes it as similar to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and that is 1000% accurate.
Space Opera follows Decibel Jones, Dess, the washed up head of the once one hit wonder band Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeros. When Earth is "invaded" by an alien species that asks every resident simultaneously to choose from a curated list of musical artists and pick one representative for the human race to participate in the most unhinged musical competition in the galaxy - whose name happens to be on the list but Decibel Jones. Win and join the pantheon of the galaxy's finest sentient resident planets. Lose and face immediate and total annihilation of Earth.
This book should really belong in my "wtf did I just read" category because it's absolutely off the wall but while it won't be for everyone it was definitely for me. It has a ton of aliens, musical references up the wazoo, and it was just fun! It's been so long since I read a book that had me just grinning and laughing the whole time
Space Opera follows Decibel Jones, Dess, the washed up head of the once one hit wonder band Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeros. When Earth is "invaded" by an alien species that asks every resident simultaneously to choose from a curated list of musical artists and pick one representative for the human race to participate in the most unhinged musical competition in the galaxy - whose name happens to be on the list but Decibel Jones. Win and join the pantheon of the galaxy's finest sentient resident planets. Lose and face immediate and total annihilation of Earth.
This book should really belong in my "wtf did I just read" category because it's absolutely off the wall but while it won't be for everyone it was definitely for me. It has a ton of aliens, musical references up the wazoo, and it was just fun! It's been so long since I read a book that had me just grinning and laughing the whole time
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This might be my favorite T. Kingfisher book yet!
Toadling is a fairie, kind of, once she was a human who was taken from her crib and raised by a clan of watery fae (think swamp sirens and less Tinkerbell) which over time changed her into something of a half-fae half-human creature with magical powers, able to turn into a toad at will.
Given the task of watching over a changeling child, her mission goes from bad to worse and before she knows it Toadling has witnessed 200 years flow by...until a young knight happens upon her on his mission to find the truth in a story about a young maiden in a tower.
This was just such a beautiful written twist on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. It was dark and gritty but it also had some heart wrenchingly tender moments as well.
I read this from the library but now I'm thinking I might want a personal copy.
Toadling is a fairie, kind of, once she was a human who was taken from her crib and raised by a clan of watery fae (think swamp sirens and less Tinkerbell) which over time changed her into something of a half-fae half-human creature with magical powers, able to turn into a toad at will.
Given the task of watching over a changeling child, her mission goes from bad to worse and before she knows it Toadling has witnessed 200 years flow by...until a young knight happens upon her on his mission to find the truth in a story about a young maiden in a tower.
This was just such a beautiful written twist on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. It was dark and gritty but it also had some heart wrenchingly tender moments as well.
I read this from the library but now I'm thinking I might want a personal copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Suicide
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.5
I Want You More by Swan Huntley
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rating: π₯π₯π₯π₯ 4 Capricious Cucumbers (this will make more sense if you read the book π
)
I Want You More follows Zara, a ghostwriter who is down on her luck after the passing of her father and in desperate need of a new job - when along comes Jane Bailey.
Jane is a Food Network TV sensation and she just so happens to be in need of a ghostwriter for her memoir, but she has some rules: Zara has to stay at Jane's Hampton home for the interview and book writing process. No one can visit and no one can take any photos. Finally, most importantly, Zara must fall in love with her.
What Zara brushes off as a joke turns into reality and twisted horror as admiration shifts into infatuation and the lines between the two women blur into madness.
I was kind of surprised by how quickly I ate this book up once I started reading, usually I'm not a fan of relationship thrillers, but this ended up being a quick read! I hadn't read anything by Swan Huntley before but I'm definitely going to be looking out for more!
I Want You More follows Zara, a ghostwriter who is down on her luck after the passing of her father and in desperate need of a new job - when along comes Jane Bailey.
Jane is a Food Network TV sensation and she just so happens to be in need of a ghostwriter for her memoir, but she has some rules: Zara has to stay at Jane's Hampton home for the interview and book writing process. No one can visit and no one can take any photos. Finally, most importantly, Zara must fall in love with her.
What Zara brushes off as a joke turns into reality and twisted horror as admiration shifts into infatuation and the lines between the two women blur into madness.
I was kind of surprised by how quickly I ate this book up once I started reading, usually I'm not a fan of relationship thrillers, but this ended up being a quick read! I hadn't read anything by Swan Huntley before but I'm definitely going to be looking out for more!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Death of parent
Jaws by Peter Benchley
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
What was that!? Maybe it'd be rated higher for me if I hadn't grown up with the movie and fallen in love with that first but still!!!!
Things I liked:
- the detail of the shark attacks
- the few moments we actually see the shark (this book was more about Hooper and Ellen's affair than the freaking shark)
Things I didn't like:
- the affair subplot (main plot?)
- the shark being described as "the fish" Even other characters in the book say that it's odd when the shark is described that way but that's how it's described for the ENTIRE book π
Other thoughts:
- Vaughn should have been eaten by "the fish". Why did he get to skip off into the sunset? He was a terrible person.
Maybe my nostalgia for the movie is blinding me, but I was not a fan of this book at all.
Things I liked:
- the detail of the shark attacks
- the few moments we actually see the shark (this book was more about Hooper and Ellen's affair than the freaking shark)
Things I didn't like:
- the affair subplot (main plot?)
- the shark being described as "the fish" Even other characters in the book say that it's odd when the shark is described that way but that's how it's described for the ENTIRE book π
Other thoughts:
- Vaughn should have been eaten by "the fish". Why did he get to skip off into the sunset? He was a terrible person.
Maybe my nostalgia for the movie is blinding me, but I was not a fan of this book at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, and Blood
When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
This book was a tome, massive, at over 500 small print pages but I still ate it up!
When The World Tips Over is an epic family drama spanning generations jumping back and forth through time from the current perspectives of the Falls children, letters from various family members, and a variety of flashbacks. All of these perspectives combine into a sweeping story of love, loss, and family ties.
The main story follows Dizzy (12), Miles (17), and Wynton Falls (19) as they encounter a mysterious girl named Cassidy and from their meeting all their lives implode, secrets are revealed, and grand mysteries are laid out to be solved.
There's so much going on in this book and there were moments I had to go back to try and keep up with everything that was going on, like who was who as the family tree branched out - but if you're a fan of disfunctional family dynamics and lengthy stories where all the pieces eventually fall into place, this will be a solid book for you.
I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons is a wild blend of cozy and high stakes fantasy with a band of unlikely allies fighting for their kingdom and for love.
Dragon exterminator Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, otherwise known as Robert, is visited by the King in the dead of night with the demand that he rid the castle of dragons. But that daunting task turns out to be just the beginning of a fiery adventure.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book and its focus on the castle, dragon market, and the different kinds of dragons but then the book took a huge turn and kind of became another story entirely.
I wish, for a book with all these dragons, there was more of a focus on them rather than the romance subplot. I'd definitely read a side story just about the dragon market, the variety of dragons, and all the market vendors. I'd read a whole encyclopedia about the dragons of this world!
Overall, it was a fun read but I just wanted more!
Dragon exterminator Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, otherwise known as Robert, is visited by the King in the dead of night with the demand that he rid the castle of dragons. But that daunting task turns out to be just the beginning of a fiery adventure.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book and its focus on the castle, dragon market, and the different kinds of dragons but then the book took a huge turn and kind of became another story entirely.
I wish, for a book with all these dragons, there was more of a focus on them rather than the romance subplot. I'd definitely read a side story just about the dragon market, the variety of dragons, and all the market vendors. I'd read a whole encyclopedia about the dragons of this world!
Overall, it was a fun read but I just wanted more!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Release the Wolves by Stefan Bachmann
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.0
The Promised Neverland meets The Witcher in this middle grade horror fantasy where children hunt monsters known as vestiges, creatures ruled by the mysterious Elduari - subjects of a powerful kingdom across the sea.
This was an amazing blend of horror and young adult fantasy. If you can't tell by all my little annotating tabs, I really enjoyed this one! Argo, the young blacksmith, was such a relatable character and I really wished this book was longer to stay with him and remain in this incredibly dark magical world.
This was an amazing blend of horror and young adult fantasy. If you can't tell by all my little annotating tabs, I really enjoyed this one! Argo, the young blacksmith, was such a relatable character and I really wished this book was longer to stay with him and remain in this incredibly dark magical world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Gore
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee μ΄λ―Έμ
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Rating: π€π€π€.5 Deep Sleeps
"Everything is possible in a dream"
The book was like a deep dive into the subconscious dream world - calming, cozy, and captivating all at once. The Dallergut Dream Department Store follows Penny as she interviews and becomes an employee of the infamous dream store, with each chapter detailing the people she meets during her time there and the little journeys that customers go on in their dreams.
This book was different in the fact that there wasn't really a grand overarching plot. The stream of consciousness writing style with each chapter following a different character, dream scenario, or deep conversation about dreams was unique but sometimes confusing - much like dreams themselves.
It was a little rough to start as I tried to figure out the dream world dynamics but once I got reading I couldn't stop. I think this is going to be one of those love it or hate it books but I definitely enjoyed the journey.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Grief