courtneyjx's reviews
238 reviews

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

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

5.0

You know what? Fuck it. 5 stars. I had a great time reading this. 
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I went into it expecting something a little different, but this ended up being an extremely touching book that I’m a glad I read. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel. 
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

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

5.0

I have a rule that if a book makes me cry it gets 5 stars. I cried three times. I am not afraid 😭 to admit it. Iykyk. 
Anyway
Not gonna lie, I did bitch to my partner about how long it was but it didn’t necessarily feel long. I did skip over some of the world building. Figured the politics would be reexplained when it mattered.
If you’ve tried this book and couldn’t get into the start, I recommend to try again and skim the intense explanations. They matter, but if you can’t push past them just skim and push through because it’s so worth it  
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

I have a rule that if a book makes me cry it gets 5 stars. This didn’t make me cry, but it did make me want to punch Hank Green which is not a feeling I’m familiar with. I mean that in the best way possible. I didn’t see some of the plot twists coming. There are some absolute bangers of lines. The overall messaging is a 10/10. My only criticisms are it was sometimes a little dense to read because of how self aware it was (still very enjoyable, but sometimes it felt a little like work) and that I sometimes had trouble switching perspectives because I read a lot of it in Hank’s voice. I want everyone to read both books immediately so I have someone to talk to about this
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

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funny mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Solid four stars. It was a bit hard to read it in April’s voice as I kept hearing Hank talking instead, but I still reallly enjoyed it and have immediately picked up the sequel. Also Hank if you read this, how dare you end this book like that. I’m so glad I’m reading it years after publication because I otherwise may have thrown across the room
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

It was fine
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I listened to this on a whim on Spotify, and am I glad I did! I’m going to go buy a physical copy and read it again. I really loved it. 
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

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

2.5

The writing flowed well but my god did I hate Nate. Toxic, red flag of a man masquerading as a golden retriever. I’ll probably pick up the sequels because he won’t be the focus. But so many things about this relationship really rubbed me the wrong way - like the lack of consent, the “you just need a boyfriend and your eating disorder will be fixed!”, and the whole ending. 
The Cat of Yule Cottage: A Magical Tale of Romance, Christmas and Cats by Lili Hayward

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

2.0

Read more like a script than a novel - I feel it would have been a better hallmark movie than it is a book
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe

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funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0