tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14699902194205526352024-03-06T18:21:56.856+11:00Beware of the book dragon!Hi! I'm Louise. Pharmaceutical scientist who's gone back to do more! I have a passion for reading books, roller skating and eating sushi. :)Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.comBlogger341125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-31556652800570111832022-11-28T22:07:00.002+11:002022-11-28T22:07:12.285+11:00Review: The Voidstalker Extraction
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62622984" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Voidstalker Extraction" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663473995l/62622984._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62622984">The Voidstalker Extraction</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20308838">Liv Evans</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5101295494">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />An excellent sci-fi, full of adventure!<br /><br />I enjoyed the universe, and felt that it was definitely something had me hooked into this one whilst flying in a big metal bird (that's right - I read this one in a single sitting, between Sydney and Auckland!)<br /><br />I cannot wait for book 2 in the series!<br /><br /><br />NOTE: I was given a copy by one of the authors for review, and this has not by any way influenced my review.<br />
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Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-28306772505042651142022-11-02T22:14:00.003+11:002022-11-02T22:14:28.307+11:00Review: The Deep
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201962" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Deep" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549411869l/42201962._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201962">The Deep</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16488815">Rivers Solomon</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5076611577">3 of 5 stars</a>
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I'm not sure how to put this one.<br /><br />It's unique. And I liked it.<br /><br />But I only really retained the vibe from it, given it has such a slow pace.<br /><br /><br />Rating: 3.25/5<br />
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Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-22267960835102143682022-10-31T21:21:00.003+11:002022-10-31T21:21:55.400+11:00Review: Enclave
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60656993" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Enclave" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648869667l/60656993._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60656993">Enclave</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17007382">Claire G. Coleman</a><br />
My rating: 4.7<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5029469475">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br /><div>TWs: racism, alcoholism, homophobia, xenophobia, death, mental illness</div><div><br /></div><div>This is an excellent dystopian novel - slow to start, but a kick in the teeth by the time you're halfway through!</div><div><br /></div><div>It has foci of homophobia, segregation, and slavery, and Coleman really does highlight these well in contrast to those who are white (privileged) in so called Safetown.</div><div><br /></div><div>A must read.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rating: 4.75/5</div>
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Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-65899507307353417272022-10-29T22:16:00.002+11:002022-10-29T22:16:09.073+11:00Review: The First Thing About You
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55587996" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The First Thing About You" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650847513l/55587996._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55587996">The First Thing About You</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20785524">Chaz Hayden</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5061826847">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />TWs: death (off-page), hospitalisation, alcohol use, drug use (off and on page), bullying<br /><br />I can definitely see A LOT of people reading this book!<br /><br />I really liked how the characters were flawed, even though I did find it hard to breeze through this read because of it.<br /><br />I did like the gritty-ness of teenage life through the lense of a disabled teen, a perspective not seen in a lot of books.<br /><br />Thanks to Walker Books Australia for a copy of this book as part of their bookclub.<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5061826847">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-9035316144072331772022-10-29T22:15:00.002+11:002022-10-29T22:15:46.680+11:00Review: Heart of Silver Flame
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53419682" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Heart of Silver Flame" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589589026l/53419682._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53419682">Heart of Silver Flame</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8194592">S.D. Simper</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5034669447">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />A very punchy sequel to Sea and Stars!<br /><br />I'm very mad about the cliffhanger ending, but surely it means that the next one is going to have that HEA we're all after!<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5034669447">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-53352524333608942822022-10-23T21:53:00.002+11:002022-10-23T21:53:27.763+11:00Review: The Heartstopper Yearbook
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59694078" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Heartstopper Yearbook" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654708213l/59694078._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59694078">The Heartstopper Yearbook</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789423">Alice Oseman</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5061827534">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />Ah yes, I needed more Heartstopper content in my life!<br /><br />I really liked this 'yearbook'!!<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5061827534">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-34572098883044950622022-10-09T13:16:00.000+11:002022-10-09T13:16:59.747+11:00Review: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30045683" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463433373l/30045683._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30045683">The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15217208">Meik Wiking</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5025509569">3 of 5 stars</a>
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TW: one disability slur<br /><br />I think that this is an insightful readm albeit a small one.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5025509569">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-66604887900964652962022-10-06T22:02:00.003+11:002022-10-06T22:02:55.224+11:00Review: Dusty in the Outwilds
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62611937" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Dusty in the Outwilds" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663376197l/62611937._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62611937">Dusty in the Outwilds</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6663302">Rhiannon Williams</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4993587103">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />TW: Death<br /><br />This is definitely a twisty book, suited for those who are fans of middle grade (and those also young at heart)!<br /><br />I like how there was secrets and mystery, but in a fantasy setting. It made it all the more fun!<br /><br />Rating: 3.75/5<br /><br />Thank you to Hardie Grant for a copy of this title for review!<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4993587103">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-71282881697486704312022-10-05T19:00:00.001+11:002022-10-05T19:00:20.294+11:00Review: Night Lights
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61740223" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660017926l/61740223._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Night Lights" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61740223">Night Lights</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17161470">Sarah Epstein</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5007218688">5 of 5 stars</a>
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TW: mentions of drugs, domestic abuse/violence, homophobia, death<br /><br />There's just SOMETHING about small Australian town thrillers that Sarah does well, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint! <br /><br />A dual timeline - alternating between events and the aftermath kept me intrigued even at its twistiest point.<br /> <br />There was also drama and tension, there was atmosphere, a dysfunctional family, and there was character development. All these things just really hit the spot for me.<br /><br />Also Nika. I'd hate for something to happen to that little bb. Such a precious character.<br /><br />Note: I received a paperback copy from Sarah herself, and I'm reviewing voluntarily because I really love her writing!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5007218688">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-91874007346552226602022-10-04T21:27:00.002+11:002022-10-04T21:30:12.544+11:00Review: The Killing Code
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60021194" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Killing Code" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643568178l/60021194._SX98_.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60021194">The Killing Code</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7135920">Ellie Marney</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5007214470">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />TW: Murder, racism, blood/gore, sexual assault mentions, assault, serial killer, war themes, misogyny<br /><br />This was a brilliant read. Gripping, and I just really was simply keen for this one ever since the project was called Arlington Hall.<br /><br />It didn't disappoint at all - it has espionage, it has adventure, and it has that Ellie Marney vibe.<br /><br />The research that has gone into this book also shows, and I also loved the quotes from the real world codegirls at the start of each chapter - it made the book feel all that more real!!!<br /><br />Read this one on audio and I definitely recommend it wholeheartedly!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5007214470">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-23271397445400522752022-09-27T22:20:00.001+10:002022-09-27T22:20:17.017+10:00Review: Nona the Ninth
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58662507" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643298298l/58662507._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Nona the Ninth" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58662507">Nona the Ninth</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876324">Tamsyn Muir</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4986305649">5 of 5 stars</a>
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This book. <br /><br />BRB crying over this one.<br /><br />Nona is everything.<br /><br />That is all.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4986305649">View all my reviews</a>
Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-69099477135697591552022-05-12T09:00:00.002+10:002022-05-12T09:00:00.198+10:00Review: Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings<p> What an epic space opera cross time-travel book!</p><p>It has twists, it has drama, and plenty of action. This is one of my favourite scifi reads of the year so far! Having to piece together everything? An absolute delight. I loved each twist as it came, and I am rather fond of the interactions with Leeg.</p><p>The writing was fast-paced, and I flew through this one pretty quickly — to nobody's surprise. The plot really worked for this aspect. I also enjoyed the multitude of characters, even though I was sometimes forgetting who was who in the book (this was probably a me thing). </p><p>Overall, this is just as smart as it is fun. I definitely recommend this one to those who like a bit of scifi!</p><p>Rating: 4/5</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the arc digitally for review!</p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-17296925865030927732022-04-06T09:21:00.001+10:002022-04-06T09:21:19.717+10:00Review: Dreams Bigger than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane AndersWithout being spoilery, what a sequel! <div><br></div><div>Picking up straight after the events of book 1, There are still the themes of racism and classism, but we see a lot of character growth within battling these topics. </div><div><br></div><div>I enjoyed seeing more development, and I also appreciated the use of pronouns in the book. I also really loved the wit and humour used.</div><div><br></div><div>The writing felt mid-paced, so it did feel slower to read than what I expected, but that's okay.</div><div><br></div><div>Overall, I do think that this sequel stands out just as well as the first one!</div><div><br></div><div>Rating: 4/5</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this title for review!</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-17821227349205202282022-03-29T14:37:00.001+11:002022-03-29T14:37:58.776+11:00Review: Songs by Honeybird by Peter McDadeSongs by Honeybird is a book that not only focuses on songs and music, but also other themes such as racism. It is rather historical, but the themes are still somewhat relevant. I found the characters did have some interesting perspectives.<div><br></div><div>This book was certainly medium paced, and I found that this matched the story well. Even though I didn't connect with the characters myself, I did appreciate each one's section and they all contributed well to the story.</div><div><br></div><div>Overall this book is one for those music history buffs. Music is universal. </div><div><br></div><div>Rating: 3.75/5</div><div>Thank you to Mindbuck Media/Wampus for a copy of this title to review!</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-20080992380288904712022-02-14T20:23:00.001+11:002022-02-14T20:23:22.024+11:00Review: Crushing by Sophie Burrows<div>Book TWs: Loneliness, mental health, sexualised content (including jokes)</div><div><br></div><div>This graphic novel tells the story in pictures, without words. It is certainly a unique take on the graphic novel scene, and it's genuinely refreshing. </div><div><br></div><div>I also really enjoyed how this book used a colour palette that was super limited! It highlighted the important theme of the story, loneliness - even though with the lack of words, I do feel that the meaning of the palette and main theme is subjective.</div><div><br></div><div>I also loved seeing the bustle of the fictional city and how it plays on the yearning for a connection, as played out by the main two characters in this story. I do feel like this was also tied into how I perceived the story.</div><div><br></div><div>I recommend this for those who want something different to read - where a picture tells a thousand words.</div><div><br></div><div>Rating: 4/5</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to Algonquin for a copy to review and spotlight this V-Day - you can see my spotlight on my instagram, instagram.com/chemicalbookdragon</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-64996010433478521142021-12-07T21:41:00.000+11:002021-12-07T21:41:25.066+11:00Review: The Last She by HJ Nelson<p> This one is advertised as a The Hunger Games meets The 100, and I was hooked by that! I did think that The Last She ticked the boxes for action.</p><p>Whilst I enjoyed the action, the writing felt a bit choppy, and at some points, confusing. That being said, this one was certainly quick paced, and I liked the apocalyptic parts of the story. I just wished there was more character growth and world building.</p><p>The writing definitely made it fast paced, and wild. I just wished it was refined a bit more, honestly. I did enjoy the perspectives and how they kind of alternated every chapter between Ara and Kaden. Whilst I did enjoy this, it felt a little too reliant on the instalove trope, something I just simply don't understand.</p><p>I'd recommend this one for those looking for a fun action dystopian fiction!</p><p>Rating: 3.5/5</p><p>Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title for review.</p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-59104476096894921382021-12-07T20:29:00.001+11:002021-12-07T20:29:15.561+11:00Review: If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales<div>Book TW: drugs, drinking, homophobia</div><div><br></div>It's been a while since I read a boy band book. This one tackles a lot of the more uglier side of being famous, and it's definitely eye-opening. <div><br></div><div>The writing was fast paced, and I definitely ate this one up quickly! It was hard to read at times though, with the homophobia of the band manager and the management in general.</div><div><br></div><div>I do appreciate how it this book was not all about the glitz and glammer, and more about the issues surrounding each of the band members, with the homophobia experienced, or alcoholism and partying, not having a voice in songwriting, or just trying to keep the band together.</div><div><br></div><div>This is definitely a book that takes the concept of boy bands that little bit deeper.</div><div><br></div><div>Rating: 4/5 </div><div>Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title for review!</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-36449589983431315912021-12-07T20:17:00.001+11:002021-12-07T20:17:26.935+11:00Review: Midnight Girls by Alicia JasinskaThis was such an interesting YA fantasy read, with a Polish touch.<div><br></div><div>The premise for this one was interesting - two enchantresses vying for a prince's heart. I was intrigued. I also was there for the enemy x enemy love. </div><div><br></div><div>Whilst this one took me a while to yet into (like most fantasy), I really enjoyed it, and I was here for it also being sapphic as heck. The writing just made it super immersive, and I really did enjoy the cultural aspects.</div><div><br></div><div>Rating: 4/5</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title for review!</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-43485888731395347582021-12-01T19:54:00.000+11:002021-12-01T19:54:56.206+11:00Review: Sienna by JF Johns<p>TWs: slavery, sexual abuse.</p><p><br /></p><p>This was certainly an interesting plot, and I found the execution to be interesting. It involves a couple of mentions of cyborgs (I wish there was more!), and a kind of two-tier society. The premise of keeping girls as captive by a monster also seems reminscent of the beauty and the beast tale, be wary of the slavery and abuse within the writing though.</p><p>Whilst the world building isn't quite there, I do understand that there is a connected universe in the author's other books, but I did appreciate the way the plot was done, especially with Sienna wishing to escape the Master. </p><p>Overall, this was a quick read, and I do recommend it for those looking for a quick scifi read.</p><p>Rating: 3/5 </p><p>Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title!</p><p><br /></p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-72331832747030740212021-11-30T17:00:00.001+11:002021-11-30T17:00:00.181+11:00Review: King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair<p>First, I really like the cover, it's mostly why I got drawn into checking the book. </p><p>I do get that this title will appeal to those who adore From Blood and Ash, and those who like a bit of steam/spice and vampires. I thought the writing was okay for a fantasy, but unfortunately I felt the plot execution fell flat for me.</p><p>Yes there was a fair bit of smut in there, but I wasn't getting the vibes from it unfortunately as I felt like it was there to distract away from the plot (and that was really slow for me to get into). It did pick up pace in the last 30%, but I felt like the first half at least could've been halved - but I do get that this is the trend with fantasy books of late too.</p><p>Overall, it wasn't for me (sadly) but do check it out if you like vampires and smut.</p><p>Rating: 2.5/5</p><p>Thanks to Sourcebooks for a copy of this title for review via NetGalley!</p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-74807371489649255822021-11-30T09:00:00.022+11:002021-11-30T09:00:00.187+11:00Review: Becstar by Joe Corallo<p> The premise of this graphic and text mixed book was interesting, but is was also fun. I did enjoy the character and art style.</p><p>I did feel like I was more encaptured by the graphic art more than the story, but that's probably stemming from my preferences. However in parts, the story was a little patchy in execution. I did enjoy that the plot was simple, as I do appreciate that incorporating a thicker/more advanced plot in with a graphic novel might be hard to execute.</p><p>I do think this is a great light scifi read, for those that don't want too thick of a plot.</p><p><br /></p><p>Rating: 3/5</p><p>Thanks to Mad Cave Studios for a copy of this book via NetGalley to review.</p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-18761433300257380272021-11-16T19:34:00.000+11:002021-11-16T19:34:09.360+11:00Review: Even Greater Mistakes by Charlie Jane Anders<p> This is an interesting collection of short fiction. There is creativity and abstract concepts galore in this anthology of science fiction shorts. The length of these shorts do tend to be on the longer side of the concept of "short fiction", but I genuinely didn't mind; they were well written!</p><p>The split bookstore was one of my absolute favourites from this collection, and I reread it several times, just because I enjoyed it a lot! </p><p>There's a lot of LGBTQIA+ representation in this anthology, and I love it. I also liked that there was commentary from Anders prefacing each story.</p><p>Rating: 3/5</p><p>Thanks to Macmillian/Tor for an eARC for this title!</p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-23012678181463131792021-10-18T22:34:00.001+11:002021-10-18T22:34:36.306+11:00Review: City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn<p dir="ltr">The City of Shattered Light is hands-down on the list for favourite books of 2021 for me. It had morally grey characters, it had adventure, and it had mad scientist vibes. In my eyes, I'm already sold on that summary alone. The writing was absolutely crisp, and the pacing was absolutely perfect!<br>
The characters and world were written so well, and it left me wanting more. I liked how there was a TON of action, but also there is a bit of romance (Oh! Did I mention that this book is LGBTQIA+?!). It was also really interesting to see the big bad thing in the book just keep evolving last my own expectations.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A solid 5/5 read from me!</p><p dir="ltr">Thanks to Flux for an e-ARC for this title.</p>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-40420393384505947302021-09-21T22:21:00.001+10:002021-09-21T22:21:45.076+10:00Review: Absence by Melanie TemI found this one to be a short but important story, with a time travel twist.<div><br></div><div>I enjoyed how the author indicates to the reader to think about the inequalities that were faced with, such as with slavery. It was a little confusing to join the dots at times, but it was an interesting read for what it was worth. </div><div><br></div><div>Rating: 3.5/5</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to Crossroad Press for a copy of this title!</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469990219420552635.post-43280659378825554472021-09-01T20:56:00.001+10:002021-09-01T20:56:24.022+10:00First thoughts: Empire Of The Vampire by Jay Kristoff<div>Let's preface this to say that I'm not the biggest vampire fan, but here we go anyways.</div><div><br></div><div>When I started the excerpt, I found it really slow to start, and it took me a long time to power through this one. Yes there was things I thought were worthy of the hype everyone's going on about, however I just felt flat over most parts; maybe the pacing is what threw me off. I'll give it another try when I get my mitts on a full copy - I'll still finish this one wholly though!</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to HarperCollins for the excerpt of this title!</div>Louise Isabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07710502603791966024noreply@blogger.com0