ladyzbyrd's reviews
235 reviews

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

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

5.0

This was a fun read! For someone who is admittedly bored when reading Jane Austen, this Jane Austen-adjacent addition was a fresh breeze of adventure in historical mystery! It kept me guessing the whole way through! 
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

When no one can communicate properly - ever - and every grownup (mostly in their late twenties and and a few quite a bit older to know so much better, even in a gossipy small town) is acting like high schoolers (including communication and emotional level), it reads like a cheesy trashy lite romance, and it still leaves much to be desired. 
Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

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

3.0

This is one of those guilty pleasure books where I have so many issues with the characters, plot, and the timeline, character flaws and stereotypes, yet I can’t help but enjoy the story and enjoy the dozens of eye rolls. This was a book gifted to me by a friend who adores Jane Austen, and let me be honest, this was far more enjoyable than Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 
This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman

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adventurous dark emotional funny tense 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

5.0

Man. While I felt this book read slow, it was still severely packed with - everything. Planning (a lot of it), action (not as much as planning), heartache (up and down), and deep love (a little, but it packs some good punches).

And now I play the waiting game for the next book. I can be patient while I hang in the DCC social media circles. 
The Night Before Christmas at Dunder Mifflin by Brian Baumgartner, Ben Silverman

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

This was an adorable and sweet reimagined mashup of The Office and Twas the Night Before Christmas. It could totally be an episode. 
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

I enjoy yelling at character interactions the most in this book. But that also makes them relatable, if naive. 
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

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

3.0

Engaging enough storytelling. Dark enough that this isn’t for kids. Cheesy and usually predictable enough that it takes the fun out of it, though there were a few unexpected (albeit incredibly drawn out) twists. It was okay. 
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The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

I ask again, for something so funny, do I have to be fed feels, too? Okay, fine. Much as I laughed, I also cried. And screeched in horror.  And gasped. And cheered. Another fully rounded level of adventuring with aliens and the best and worst of humanity. Book 7 is burning in my kindle app. I see it. I’m coming. 
Harry Potter: The Complete Collection by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense 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

4.0

To read this over the course of 6 years as bedtime stories and road trip readings to my son (as he aged from 7 to 13), as a first reading for him, and a second reading for me, was a wild ride. Through that time, the story still held our attention, and still had plenty of flaws. Through that time, the news of the TERF views of the author were coming out and spreading. And it’s between a rock and a hard place to be. We want to enjoy a fandom, but we don’t want to support such a horrible person. And yet, here we are, and even the fandom is wildly split.

Even as a second reading, I was reminded of things through the story I missed before. Still captivating. A bit cheesy. Definitely some dark notes that only got darker. Sometimes, you just have to hold on to that last shred of hope that good will conquer evil. 
The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman

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adventurous dark emotional funny sad 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

5.0

I did not have “emotional support needed” on my bingo card for this book, but here we are.