#reading review

[readerwithsalt]

I think some of the problem in tsats (other than a bunch of canon things being thrown out the window) is that the age range is for 10 to 14 year olds and focus is on building a romantic relationship…

Like it’s kinda missing the fun adventurous side of pjo and feels more like a lecture on how to date someone who’s (apparently) you’re complete opposite.

For like 12 year olds. (The core readers)

Kids read fantasy to live in the story with the characters for a while. Not to listen to a ton of romantic advice. I’m only two years out of the age range and I still felt like the story was talking to the audience the entire time in a way the pjo books don’t. Hoo and ton didn’t even really do that.

I think that’s part of what made it not fun to read.

There was a lot of things readers wanted to see: Like how the campers react to Nico now. What friends Nico has made outside his boyfriends cabin. What Nico thinks about Reyna joining the hunters. Nico thinking about Hazel and that if he dies in Tartarus he’ll never be able to see her again. Also nico just never finds out where Jason’s soul went??

It feels like the focus of the book is to see how much lgbt rep they can shove in instead of actual plot. Like, they literally made a list of it before the book was out 😭😭 I mean I understand having the representation and romantic stuff obviously but not when it’s detrimental to plot lines and almost THE COMPLETE FOCUS the entire time.

Like, it’s called ‘A Nico di Angelo adventure’ and all his other important relationships are tossed out for a slightly one-dimensional boyfriend….

There were too many loose ends just to focus on a underdeveloped romance.

#nico di angelo #tsats #tsats spoilers #solangelo #tsats review #will solace #reading review #book review #pjo fandom #pjo hoo toa #percy jackson #thoughts #ooc #dumbplot #where’s hazel? #and Reyna?

[redgoldsparks]

August Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb read by Paul Boehmer 

This was my third re-read of this book, and when looking back over my book list I realized that my first read was 20 years ago!! I believe I picked it up in a used bookstore based solely on the cover art, which is a bit funny in retrospect when looking at it, because it is very beautiful but not very accurate to the character descriptions in the book. Regardless, I'm glad it caught my eye because this remains one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. It's a coming of age story interwoven with court intrigue, magic, politics, and a deep compassion for common folk, the kind of people who fish, farm, care for horses and dogs, who cook and clean around the edges of the lives of royals and nobles. This story follows Fitz, a bastard son of the royal family, from age 6 to about 14, as he learns and grows into what he might eventually become: a catalyst of immense change. The writing in this series is so good, so grounded in real lived details, neither fast nor slow paced but unrolling at a natural speed that draws the reader along and into this rich and complicated world.

Grace Needs Space by Benjamin A Wilgus and Rii Abrego

Grace lives on a space station with one of her moms, while the other is gone for long stretches of time working on a cargo ship. Grace longs to travel, to visit planets, to see trees and lakes. Finally she gets the chance to go with her space fairing mom on a trip to the inhabited moon Titan, but her mom barely has time for her, constantly delaying her requests for games, attention, or adventure. So Grace sets out on her own for the day on Titan with a group of kids she met the day before. This gentle family drama is resolved when engineering mom swoops in to remind Grace and cargo ship mom that working together and being honest is the best way to move forward. I loved the artwork; all of the characters had a cuddly quality and the space ship and station interiors were simple but very effect, especially with the lovely colors.

Witching Hour by Beth Fuller 

A short, beautifully drawn comic about a teen's journey into fairyland and what can be found there.

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson 

The first book in this series was devastating, with enough content warnings and upsetting aspects that I was genuinely unsure if I'd go back for more. But my book club decided to continue with the series, so here we are. This installment is challenging in a different way. Originally, this book was just the first part of a 360,000 word manuscript that had to get chopped into two volumes. It suffers from middle-book problems; no distinct beginning and no conclusive ending. The majority of the story is a long drawn out chase scene, which is a story structure that works for some but not so well for me. I remain deeply impressed by the breadth of Seth Dickinson's world building. I enjoyed the new POV characters, especially the nonbinary Tau-Indi, who lives in a society that recognizes a third gender. Dickinson can craft a devastating turn of phrase, designed with precision to emotionally injure the reader. But overall I struggled with the pacing of this book, and the constant violence and confusion.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose 

A wonderful new alternate-history series with dragons! Anequs lives with her family on the island of Masquapaug; her people have lived through the colonization and invasion of settlers from a white, Norse culture who now have cities, trains, universities, and industry on the mainland of the north-eastern part of America, though countries have different names in this story. Also, every region has its own dragons, though Anequs' people haven't seen one of their native dragons in 200 years, since the Great Dying. When Anequs finds a dragon's egg she initially plans to raise it at home, with all of the songs, dances, and stories of her community. But the Anglish have laws about dragons and one of them is that all future dragoneers must train at an academy; if they don't learn to control their dragon's breath, which can break things down to their elemental parts, the dragon will be killed. This is a very smart and thoughtful alternate history. I loved the indigenous lens, and the fact that Anequs sees through the bullshit rules of her school and doesn't let her self worth be judged by an outside culture. If I have one complain it's that the book had too many made up words; I'm fine with the fact nearly every place had two or three different names, but I didn't need made up names for the periodic table of elements. But I'm still very interested in reading the sequel and to see where this story goes!

Liberated: The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun by Kaz Rowe

Claude Cahun lived at the crossroads of masculine and feminine, of artist and activist, of blessed and cursed by the circumstances and time period they were born into. Rowe weaves together historical photos, direct quotes, and lyrical imagery to tell the tale of this brave queer icon to great effect. It's short but very informative, and really filled out my understanding of someone I previously only knew from a few fandom photos that circulate on tumblr. I had the opportunity to blurb this book; look forward to it's release in September 2023!

The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu 

A beautifully drawn soft romance set in a utopian Mars colony, a community full of parks, public transit, and cute helpful robots. Clem booked a one way ticket from Earth to work under her intellectual idol, Dr Lin, who works on AI. Clem is initially wowed by her scientist boss, and intregued by her humanoid AI assistant, Kye. But soon the cracks begin to show in Clem's new life- PTSD from an abusive person in her past has followed Clem to Mars; Dr Lin has an ugly temper and doesn't treat Kye as a being with thoughts and feelings; and Kye himself starts to glitch. The color palette of soft reds and blues and the CLAMP manga aesthetic charmed me, as did the hopeful vision of biological and synthetic beings living in harmony.

The Last Session Vol 1: Roll for Initiative by Jasmine Walls, Dozerdraws, and Micah Myers 

When a group of five teens met in their high school's GSA and formed an impromptu D&D group, none of them suspected the game would last for more than four years! Now in college, balancing jobs, internships, partners, and moves, they have gathered again to play the very end of their oldest campaign. With a hitch: the DM wants to add a new person to the party. The art in this volume is excellent, strong character designs, clean page layouts, and beautiful coloring all support a story of friendship and fantasy.

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb read by Paul Boehmer 

This is my second or third read of this book, but my first since high school. It's not as well paced as book one- sections in the middle definitely drag, and a few of the dynamics of central relationships feel repetitive especially after the wonderful unfolding of the first book. It also only covers about two years of FitzChivalry's life, as opposed to the eight years in book one. But it's still exciting, and the last third has more twists and turns that many books fit into their entire narrative. I'm so invested in this world and these characters, and immediately started book three because I want to know what happens!

#book reviews #books #comics #reading #reading review

[franticvampirereads]

I’ve struggled on and off for years with reading high fantasy books because they’re all so similar and get bogged down in all the high stakes drama. But Legends & Lattes really changed the game for me. This was the coziest and sweetest thing I’ve read in a while and I loved that it revolves around a little coffee shop in a fantasy/dnd-like setting. It was so much fun to see a fantasy world from this perspective! It was so different and cozy and unique. I wish there were more books like this one.

I loved Viv and the found family that she made for herself. Tandri and Cal were amazing and helpful and grounding for Viv. And Thimble! I just wanted to eat all the pastries that he made. This book made me so hungry, it’s not even funny! Another thing that I loved about this book was the quiet queerness of it. It was so soft and gentle. I also really liked that this story was about Viv finding a new place for herself after she decided to retire from adventuring. It was so nice to see her build a business from the ground up and finally be able to settle down to enjoy it.

If it’s not obvious yet, this was a really great read and I’m looking forward to whatever comes next for this series. I’m giving Legends & Lattes a solid five stars!

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

PopSugar 2023: written as part of NaNoWiMo

Read Queerly 2023: Fantasy

Shop Your Shelves: new to me author, bestseller

#booklr #legends & lattes #book review #reading review #reading #books #read #book #bookish #bookworm #lgbtq+ books #fantasy books #cozy fantasy books #queer books #queer and cozy books #books and mugs

[simonbreeze]

Some Saturday morning comic reading. Batman was.... interesting? 😂

#comic #reading comics #dc #dc comics #marvelcomics #marvel #reading review #reading #comics #80s comics #retro comics #batman #battlestargalactica #gijoe

[nocturnalchaos]

Just finished bingeing this fanfic. A good 15 chapters of smut, action, and HEA.  Personal Rating: 4.5 of 5

Metaphorical Aftertaste: It was like I just finished a good cup of soothing tea.  Worth A Reread: Hmm, maybe?

My Gripe: I am a little confused as to how they exactly got stuck in space. I would have liked it if that had been explored more.

Why Read It: Good and hot smut. Also, the ending was very satisfying and believable for Damian Wayne and Raven. It was an interesting premise (being stuck together in outer space). 

#fanfic #reading recommendations #reading review #damian x raven #damirae #damian wayne #damian al ghul #demonbirds #HEA #smut #fanfiction #easy read #ao3 fanfic #archive of our own

[astrosky33]

My Reading Reviews

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12

Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up because there has been some confusion. The “submission date” refers to the date the person submitted the review not the date they purchased their readings

#birth chart readings #birth chart analysis #birth chart reading #birth chart #astrology reading #astrology readings #astro reading #astro community #astrology #zodiac #astro placements #astrology tumblr #astro chart #reading review

[infinitydivine]

A feedback from Uyu ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

I asked @infinitydivine for a quick Future Spouse reading (10$), and I got it faster than I thought! The reading was super long compared to what I thought it would be, and It was super well explained! Some of you know me and know I also do Tarot and Astrology much. Her readings literally completed all my knowledge, and it was extremely accurate compared from what I channeled for myself before, and moreover what I saw with astrology. It confirmed my theories. I'm so glad I asked her for a reading.

If you are wondering if you should do too, stop wondering and go ask her! She has a true talent for tarot, you can trust her.

Infinity, all my love for you <3 May your business shine and find even more success in now

- uyu

Thank you so much dear, I had fun doing the reading for you and your person. You're so gonna love them.

Again,I appreciate your feedback, means a lot to me always.

Thank you 🙂

#reading review #celebrity asks #celebrity tarot #kpop tarot #bts tarot #kpop asks #kpop tarot reading #tarot reading #free tarot reading #tarot cards #tarot #paid tarot #paid tarot reading #paid tarot readings #paid readings #future spouse pick a card #future spouse tarot #future spouse reading #future spouse #tarotblr #tarotcommunity

[bitchy-craft2]

Reading Reviews

#reading review #reading reviews #tarot #tarot reading #tarot reviews #paid readings #paid reading review #paid reading reviews #paid reading

[beenovel]

Ok I never do book reviews because I normally can't get my thoughts in a straight enough line do be more coherent than "book" *hollow thunk as I knock said book against my head*

HOWEVER. This book. Is so so incredibly awful. That I may end up writing a book review. I don't know how to convey how bad this book is to read for me. I have never ever given up on a book, no matter how bad I have always read to the end (wait actually there was one book with a scene that traumatized me for years that I didn't finish but that's it) but this book? This fucking abomination??? I'm only 45 pages in and I'm not sure I can keep going. I have never met a main character I wanted to slap quite so badly.

I'd put it on Storygraph if I end up writing it, but would anyone here like to read it?

Tagging my bookish moots: @thatwasntlikeridingabikeuasshole @rowandorsblog @erosofthepen @bananzer @splintered-emotions (why can't I think of anyone else????)

#booklr #booklbr #books #book review #book #reading #reading review

[fusillisarah]

2023 Reading Roundup (44 books, Predominately Romantasy)

I graduated from university and started my big girl job this year, take a look at what I was reading as I passed these milestones! I read FOURTY FOUR books this year and I’m so proud :)

Vampire Academy Series: Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy, Frost Bite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice

10/10. Comfort books. Love the arc, love the direction. Slow burn mentor/student. Set in modern day. Romantasy.

Dune & Dune: Messiah: Frank Herbert

Dune is a 10/10. Incredibly worldbuilding. Anyone with any interest in sci-fi should read. Messiah went a lot quicker, less complicated and fleshed. 5/10 I didn’t really enjoy it. Maybe I’ll push through one day…

King of Scars Duology: Leigh Bardugo

King of Scars, Rule of Wolves

I love love love Six of Crows, and I didn’t feel like reading Shadow and Bone just yet, so read King of Scars. 7/10 I probably should have read Shadow and Bone but now I probably never will, basically got the gist of it. Didn’t have a lot of background but the story is rly good. Love love love Zoya!!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series: Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses, a Court of Mist and Fury, a Court of Wrath and Ruin, a Court of Frost and Starlight, a Court of Silver Flames

12/10. Perfect down to the last minute detail. Epic fantasy, worldbuilding that had my jaw on the floor. Must read.

Fourth Wing: Rebecca Yarros

9/10 quick and easy read. Loved the dragons in this one. I’m a sucker for Enemies to Lovers so I basically exactly what i signed up for. Little scared for series though… ahh!

From Blood and Ash Series: Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Blood and Ash, Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, Crown of Gilded Bones, a War of Two Queens, a Soul of Ash and Blood

4/10. First 2 books were really interesting, third one actually totally lost me and in the middle of the fourth I ended up reading all of the Cruel Prince books in the middle of it lol. Determined to not have a DNF this year so I came back, finished it, and read the god-forsaken Soul of Ash and Blood. 0/10 I hated every second of that book. It’s a complete retelling with maybe 2 or 3 chapters that are actually interesting. Yes, I know I read all 5. No, I have no technical regrets. Take that as you will.

The Cruel Prince: Holly Black

The Cruel Prince, the Wicked King, the Queen of Nothing

Good, no spice obvi and super popular but I loved Jude’s character and was obsessed with the politics. Super intriguing I blew through these. 8/10

Verity: Colleen Hoover

6/10, read it in like a day and a half but I don’t rly like thrillers, they scare me lol. It was good tho and my first Colleen Hoover book, not sure if I would read another one but I did really like this one and the ending was super crazy. read it as a palate cleanser after Cruel Prince. I’ve realized if I don’t have a non-high fantasy palate cleanser I fall into a reading slump lol.

Once Upon a Broken Heart Series: Stephanie Garber

Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, A Curse for True Love

OUABH is 9/10, honestly such a wonderful book, perfectly captures the hopeless romantic of Eva and allure of Jacks, but TBONA is SHOWSTOPPING!!! 12/10. So amazing, love the storyline, never bored, such good romance it’s the most well written romance I’ve read in a while- screeching halt for ACFTL- I’ve put my thoughts on this blog but it felt so empty compared to the lifeblood in the first 2 books in the series. Definitely worth the read though.

Throne of Glass Series: Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash

Nothing to be said that’s not already been said. Amazing. I love sprawling epics. Not a ton of romance and tbh I’m not a Rowan girly. Defending Chaol til I die tho. 10/10

Twilight: Stephanie Meyer

6/10. I’ve written about this one but I just felt like it was super juvenile for my tastes, I was expecting to like it more and it was just kinda eh. Needed a little more something something but that is of course a me problem. I just think I am not a big fan of YA anymore.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: V. E. Schwab

Wonderful story, totally lust for life after reading, made me so excited about the ending. I felt like there was so much more to be told which is like exactly how I wanna feel reading a book. 8/10

Divine Rivals: Rebecca Ross

At first I was not rocking with the pacing, I feel like this book could have been a lot longer. But when I finished it I actually was more on board with the speed and it was super sweet. Good found family aspect. 7/10 will for sure be reading the next one.

Plated Prisoner Series: Raven Kennedy

Gild, Glint, Gleam, Glow, Gold

I love love love LOVE these books! Pacing is amazing, you can see exactly how Auren’s trauma affects her character, Malina has gained a fan, just huge fantastic series here. Cannot wait until the last one is out. 10/10

Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop me a book review for 2024! Happy new year everyone!

#divine rivals #rebecca ross #stephanie meyer #throneofglass #twilight #dorian #acotar #roundup #reading review #year in review #throne of glass #aelin ashryver galathynius #gild #the plated prisoner #raven kennedy #invisible life of addie larue #dune #vampire academy #king of scars #fourth wing #from blood and ash #verity #icebreaker #the cruel prince #once upon a broken heart #auren #aelin #feyre archeron

[tomesandtravels]

🍪 'A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking' by T. Kingfisher is pure literary magic & made me an eternal fan of their writing.

🔍 The mystery was steeped in emotion and kept me continuously hooked. The characters and story are rooted in humanity, where heroes rise out of compulsion, not glory.

🗣️ I found the story powerfully addressed discrimination with sensitivity and compelling social commentary. It’s an important read, and I’d recommend it endlessly to everyone.

📌 Some of my favorite quotes:

• “Saying I have a homicidal sourdough starter sounded much too bizarre.”

• “It is nearly impossible to be sad when eating a blueberry muffin. I’m pretty sure that’s a scientific fact.”

• “When you’re different, even just a little different, even in a way that people can’t see, you like to know that people in power won’t judge you for it.”

• “You expect heroes to survive terrible things. If you give them a medal, then you don’t ever have to ask why the terrible thing happened in the first place. Or try to fix it.”

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 stars!!

Read my review on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxDcdeou9rE/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#book review #bookstagram #bookworm #booklr #reading review #t kingfisher #a wizards guide to defensive baking #my post

[franticvampirereads]

I am deep in all of the feels over this book. At different turns this book has had me crying over a single line of dialogue and at others it’s made me want to fling it across the room for an entire chapter. I’m still trying to process everything that I read, so I hope this review comes out okay.

I really liked Wallace as a main character, but he was a total asshole at the start of this book. I loved that by the time we get to the end of the story he had learned from his past to make a better future. Hugo was such a sweetheart and he really deserves all of the hugs and warm tea. And I can’t forget Mei, Nelson, and Apollo! They got up to the best shenanigans. I also really loved that this book didn’t shy away from hard topics. And that it dealt with them in a genuinely kind way, especially Cameron’s storyline. I think the only draw back to this book is that it was really slow paced. But I think it also worked for this type of storytelling.

This is one of those books that will stick with me long after I’ve finished it. This book deals with grief in a different way then any other that I’ve read and it hit home in ways that I wasn’t really ready for. But it was also something that I think I really needed and for that I have to thank TJ Klune. Under The Whispering Door is getting a four and half out of five stars.

Edit: I forgot my reading challenge prompts again! 🤦‍♀️

Reading challenge prompt fills:

PopSugar 2022: a book about the afterlife

#under the whispering door #book review #reading review #booklr #books #reading #I literally cried over two lines of dialogue for longer then I would like to admit #bookblr #book #read #goodreads #bookish #goodbook #bookworm #bookish adventures #reading addict #cozy urban fantasy books #urban fantasy books #lgbtq+ books

[simonbreeze]

Todays comic reading. The comic adaptation of the 80s Batman was better than I thought it was going to be. Love Blade Runner, the art and writing are bang on brilliant and Battlestar Galactica is always class.

#comic #comic reading #reading comics #dc #dc comics #marvel #marvel comics #blade runner #battlestargalactica #batman #reading review

[nocturnalchaos]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Teen Titans - All Media Types, DCAMU - Fandom Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Raven/Damian Wayne, DamiRae - Relationship, John Constantine/Zatanna Zatara, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Raven & Damian Wayne Characters: Robin (DCU), Raven (DCU), Damian Wayne, Rachel Roth, Jonathan Kent, Superboy (DCU), Donna Troy, Wonder Girl (DCU), Jaime Reyes, Blue Beetle (DCU), Garfield Logan, Beast Boy (DCU), Dick Grayson, Nightwing (DCU), Koriand'r (DCU), Starfire, Jon Constantine, Zatanna Zatara, Lucifer (DCU) Additional Tags: Mentions of Sex, 'cheating', Violence, AU Summary:

[AU] They lied, betrayed her trust, so she did the only logical thing she could think of; Raven fled. Where to? Oh, you know, just a little dimension called hell. And she may or may not be in charge...

Damian never understood why his brother or any of his previous teammates refused to talk about the "Fifth Titan"

They fully never expected to see her again, so they erased every trace of her possible. Their expectations had become false when she came to save them and the New Titans from a group of demons.

---

I find this fanfic to be very original and still have the characters still acting "in-character". It is a great exploration into a "what if?" universe that centers around the Teen Titans. While, I do have a bit of a gripe about the number of chapters posted and the "eww" factor about the age difference between Damian and Raven. It still does not detract from how well done this concept is done. Plus, this one is worth a quick read by anyone who wants a little bit of bashing on Dick Grayson for being a "lady's man".

Personal Rating: 4.5 of 5

Metaphorical Aftertaste: It's like I just ate a small ginger snap cookie. Sweet and flavorful but with a bite.

Worth Rereading: Definitely

My Gripe: First, it needs more chapters! Second, there is a bit of an "ewww" factor in that Raven is supposed to be near the age of Nightwing/Dick Grayson and still be a love interest for Damian. ... It's better not to think about it and just enjoy the story.

Why Read It: Very original DamiRae fanfiction. While short, with only 3 chapters, it does pack a punch in terms of reading goodness.

#review #fanfic review #reading review #fanfiction #raven fanfic #raven fanfiction #damian wayne #damian x raven #damirae #demonbirds #raven teen titans #teen titans #teen titans fanfiction #teen titans au fanfiction #damirae fanfic #damirae fanfiction #demonbirds fanfic #demonbirds fanfiction #teen titans au

[a-d-nox]

I purchased the ode to chaos reading and it helped me to understand myself a lot better, even though it's supposed to be one aspect, I felt like I got a lot of bonus info as well, I'm grateful :) i fully intend on buying more readings in the future

i'm happy to hear you enjoyed it - i couldn't just pick one when i saw your grand trine (they are my weakness lol)! thank you for the kind review!

-a.d. <3

want a personal astrology reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!

want a personal tarot reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!

#astrology #astro community #astro placements #astro chart #asteroid astrology #natal chart #greek mythology #astrology tumblr #astronotes #natal astrology #astrology readings #astro notes #ode to chaos #reading review

[infinitydivine]

Happy to read you for as well:) @chaoticwitchgrimoire 🙏💫

Thank you for your cooperation and buying a reading from me 💗🌌

#tarot reading #free tarot reading #tarot #kpop asks #paid tarot reading #paid tarot #paid readings #reading review #future spouse reading #future spouse tarot #future spouse pick a card #career reading #tarot cards #tarotblr #tarot blog #oracle cards #oracle reading #paid request