shane_the_reading_rat's reviews
847 reviews

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

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2.0

decided to finish this up before going to bed and. wow. i did not like it
the characters didn’t feel real at all, they felt like they were just there to Do Things
also while reading this i saw one review that said something like “why do the mc and Giang get together she calls Giang her li’l sis” and i was like “well ive read one instance of that happening but yknow maybe its a more general form of endearment and/or this fantasy world doesn’t have wording for queer relationships” no. she and Giang call each other big sis and lil sis so many times. once right before kissing. and queer relationships are accepted in this book. so its not even wording differences it’s just pure ick
Finna by Nino Cipri

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3.25

idk man i thought this was fine

Gay People Explore Their Break-Up In The Multiverse
might pick up the sequel just cause i like the concept of this evil ikea and its evil little wormholes but unfortunately i despise the sequel cover. so we’ll see what wins, my interest in the world of Finna or my love of good cover design

(bro how did they not know where annapolis was, they are american they have zero excuse. im american and have never lived in or near maryland yet i absolutely know ANNAPOLIS IS THE CAPITAL OF MARYLAND)
The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
thank you to Netgalley and Levine Querido for this ARC!
it makes me so sad to have to DNF this, but i think it just isn’t for me (at least not right now). it leans much more into mystery than what it seemed (and im not a mystery fan, so this is not good). along with this, the writing style is just not flowing for me. i want to try it again once the audiobook releases, but for now i just have to leave this one behind.
Paper Planes by Jennie Wood

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4.0

for some reason listening to this cozy fantasy instrumental playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/61ePVjb032Ztvd8qOnN2tt?si=bjlInjNTSD-hW5XGTpNbJQ&pi=u-3tsb7h6AR_GX really enhanced this reading experience even though this isn’t fantasy. huh.
anyway i loved this one a Lot

Dylan and Leighton were both super interesting characters, and i love their different motifs of rocket ships and roller skates (its also hilarious to me that Dylan is a dead ringer for how i looked at their age, hairstyle and all)
while i do prefer Dylan out of the two, imo Leighton kinda got left in the dust plot-wise. her part of the story just ended so suddenly i had to flip back a few pages to check that i hadn’t missed anything.
otherwise this would’ve been five stars easily. but either way i loved it!! (art style was wonderful, warmer colors for flashback scenes + a rounded style for Leighton/angular style for Dylan were such nice touches and attention to detail)
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
sorry not sorry. litfic is consistently so fucking boring i commend anyone who likes it. youre stronger than me
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

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3.5

pretty much the most i can say about this book is that it was Fine

i liked the fast pace and how short many chapters were, i thought that was nice and that it was paced well and was suspenseful enough to keep my interest (i finished this in about three sittings, so at least there’s that!)
but this was much more situated in the sad-girl subgenre of literature than advertised, and personally that’s just not a vibe i like very often (i have been a sad girl many times, and then a sad boy, and it’s just not something i find interesting to read about)

also this needed such a trigger warning for violence against animals, granted ive read worse in horror but still it’s something i would’ve liked to emotionally prepare for beforehand.
anyway what is awesome about this is that it’s translated from icelandic!!! never read a book from iceland before so that was pretty cool :]
My Body Unspooling by Leo Fox

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4.5

another leo fox banger!!!!!
Practical Rules for Cursed Witches by Kayla Cottingham

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
realistically i should like this, ive loved one of this author’s books before and ive been super into fantasy and romance (especially witches) lately — but this feels like such a slog for my poor little eyeballs. im going to put a hold on the audiobook and try it again that way !!
Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye

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5.0

I won't be their weapon, but I will be yours."

"I never wanted a weapon" Shaw murmured. "I wanted a partner."

goddd not me sobbing over the final chapter of this book
this is so good ik ya fantasy can get an awful rep sometimes + magic schools are done so often in fantasy but this is so good please read it
protagonist is an anti-war horse girl i dont think you need anything else to convince you to read this
Grand Slam Romance by Ollie Hicks, Emma Oosterhous

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5.0

well i still don’t understand softball but what i DO know is that this is one of the funniest books i have ever read
already have the second volume on hold :)))