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amelianotthepilot's Reviews (835)
not gonna lie i was really excited to read this one and it didn't wholly meet my expectations.
the story is set in Edinburgh following various people in various times throughout the 1900s around WWII. it was sort of like a series of short stories where each chapter was a different person but they were all connected through living in Luckenbooth which a tenement building that used to exist in the middle of the Royal Mile next to St Giles. The outline of this building still exists today in gold bricks marking the foundation. While that is a fascinating origin for a historical fiction and I found the characters and writing style interesting the book was a bit slow for me. Because each chapter is almost a completely random person in this building, in different flats and occasionally different times, I found it hard to keep track of who was where, when. In the end they all tie together sort of but overall it just seemed like each chapter was a new person and nothing really mattered. I honestly could not tell you any of the character's names or recall how many there are or what each one did.
In general, the story was very queer which was fun and it felt like it was really showing a microcosm of different Edinburgh cultures using slang and different speech patterns but overall I felt lost. It also didn't help that the author is one of those writers who doesn't use quotation or speech signifiers to tell you who is speaking. (I could mostly understand who was talking but there were many times I just knew two people were talking and that's it) I think the lack of standard quotations really affected my ability to connect with the characters and follow the story since I couldn't tell the characters apart.
It also had a magical/demon plot line and a 'Edinburgh's effects from WWII' plot line throughout but it just sorta seemed like too much was going on. I think maybe this would make a good tv show.
The concept is really interesting but overall it was eh and I wouldn't really recommend it.
the story is set in Edinburgh following various people in various times throughout the 1900s around WWII. it was sort of like a series of short stories where each chapter was a different person but they were all connected through living in Luckenbooth which a tenement building that used to exist in the middle of the Royal Mile next to St Giles. The outline of this building still exists today in gold bricks marking the foundation. While that is a fascinating origin for a historical fiction and I found the characters and writing style interesting the book was a bit slow for me. Because each chapter is almost a completely random person in this building, in different flats and occasionally different times, I found it hard to keep track of who was where, when. In the end they all tie together sort of but overall it just seemed like each chapter was a new person and nothing really mattered. I honestly could not tell you any of the character's names or recall how many there are or what each one did.
In general, the story was very queer which was fun and it felt like it was really showing a microcosm of different Edinburgh cultures using slang and different speech patterns but overall I felt lost. It also didn't help that the author is one of those writers who doesn't use quotation or speech signifiers to tell you who is speaking. (I could mostly understand who was talking but there were many times I just knew two people were talking and that's it) I think the lack of standard quotations really affected my ability to connect with the characters and follow the story since I couldn't tell the characters apart.
It also had a magical/demon plot line and a 'Edinburgh's effects from WWII' plot line throughout but it just sorta seemed like too much was going on. I think maybe this would make a good tv show.
The concept is really interesting but overall it was eh and I wouldn't really recommend it.
this short story was fascinating.
it has everything: gothic horror spooky house, ✨ mushrooms✨ , spooky woods, a remote location, perhaps witches.
all set in the English countryside with discussion of WWII and gender politics. The main character is a nonbinary soldier who comes from a fantasy country/culture where the language uses more pronouns than English does. This was such an interesting and fascinating way to introduce pronoun discussion and show how it is perceived by people. Utilizing these fantasy pronouns throughout the book was such an interesting use of language that really made me think. Meanwhile, the solider utilizes these nonbinary fantasy pronouns because all soldiers are referred to in an ungendered way in this culture. This is only a minor plot point that is happening under the main plot of a spooky derelict house in the middle of the woods with sickly siblings.
i will indeed now be reading everything T Kingfisher has written
it has everything: gothic horror spooky house, ✨ mushrooms✨ , spooky woods, a remote location, perhaps witches.
all set in the English countryside with discussion of WWII and gender politics. The main character is a nonbinary soldier who comes from a fantasy country/culture where the language uses more pronouns than English does. This was such an interesting and fascinating way to introduce pronoun discussion and show how it is perceived by people. Utilizing these fantasy pronouns throughout the book was such an interesting use of language that really made me think. Meanwhile, the solider utilizes these nonbinary fantasy pronouns because all soldiers are referred to in an ungendered way in this culture. This is only a minor plot point that is happening under the main plot of a spooky derelict house in the middle of the woods with sickly siblings.
i will indeed now be reading everything T Kingfisher has written
this is a cute little winter short story (with illustrations) for the Caraval series following Donatella in her search for the perfect gift for her boyfriend, Legend . She is worried about her new relationship and whether or not he is truly in love with her or if any daily choices she might make could end her relationship.
full of winter whimsy in that fun Caraval style
Overall the story is fun but I do think he (Legend ) is a red flag now. kidnapping your girlfriend and keeping her captive was sorta hot but also weird
full of winter whimsy in that fun Caraval style
Overall the story is fun but I do think he (
i only read this because it was in the percy jackson podcast, The Newest Olympian, and boy was this book a waste. It's not even written by Rick Riordan and includes a bunch of random Greek myth facts but also some random out of character facts for various characters.
Not worth the 5 minute read.
Not worth the 5 minute read.
this was cute. i've loved both her other romcoms but was disappointed this one was a classic Christmas hallmark romcom instead of her usual Halloween romcom. however it won me over with a ton of very fun tropes and an interesting plot.
this romcom follows the third Penhallow brother, Bowen, who is a recluse who lives in the Welsh mountains and is absorbed by his research. He partners up with Tamsyn, a human who finds magical artifacts for a living. They meet on Christmas eve to begin their business partnership and are both immediately attracted to each other. Through a series of events, Bowen ends up attending a witchy Yule wedding in a mansion that Tamsyn also attends under disguise while she is attempting to steal something. Together they end up thrown back in time and are forced to work together to solve the problem, the heist, and their relationship to end up in their time again.
It was cute and fun 10/10
this romcom follows the third Penhallow brother, Bowen, who is a recluse who lives in the Welsh mountains and is absorbed by his research. He partners up with Tamsyn, a human who finds magical artifacts for a living. They meet on Christmas eve to begin their business partnership and are both immediately attracted to each other. Through a series of events, Bowen ends up attending a witchy Yule wedding in a mansion that Tamsyn also attends under disguise while she is attempting to steal something. Together they end up thrown back in time and are forced to work together to solve the problem, the heist, and their relationship to end up in their time again.
It was cute and fun 10/10
this book is not it.
idk why this is touted as the bible for young women in my generation but it really fell flat for me.
a posh rich white girl describes her struggles of dating and partying with her friends. all in all she knows in fact nothing seemingly about love and has no good advice ?besides i guess that no one knows what they're doing and to love your friends? i was honestly repetitively disgusted by her life and choices and think she's a shitty friend.
idk why this is touted as the bible for young women in my generation but it really fell flat for me.
a posh rich white girl describes her struggles of dating and partying with her friends. all in all she knows in fact nothing seemingly about love and has no good advice ?besides i guess that no one knows what they're doing and to love your friends? i was honestly repetitively disgusted by her life and choices and think she's a shitty friend.
Anne is now an adult and finally marrying Gilbert!!! They move to their dream house in Four Winds Harbor and they meet their new cast of character neighbors.
a great sequel to a book i loveeeeedd
yet again had me punchin walls and kicking blankets it was so cute
Iris's brother stole her from the front to keep her safe but she had to leave her rival turned lover Roman behind. She hasn't heard from him but Iris and Attie continue their work as wartime journalists, reporting on Dacre's frontline movements and heading near the danger but the war is coming to the city.
Meanwhile, Roman hasbeen kidnapped and brainwashed by Dacre. He becomes Dacre's right-hand man writing propaganda pieces for the newspapers until he starts receiving strange letters from his closet door. Roman and Irish reignite their penpal letters although this time Roman's in the dark and slowly remembering his love.
yet again had me punchin walls and kicking blankets it was so cute
Iris's brother stole her from the front to keep her safe but she had to leave her rival turned lover Roman behind. She hasn't heard from him but Iris and Attie continue their work as wartime journalists, reporting on Dacre's frontline movements and heading near the danger but the war is coming to the city.
Meanwhile, Roman has
i dunno how to rate this one man. i cant believe omegaverse stuff is mainstream popular literature now this is truly a cursed and wild timeline we live in.
overall the story and romance was fun and spicy. i do love an ali hazelwood she could honestly write any romance and i'd love it. I loved the vampire x werewolf romance it creates an interesting dynamic.
this was fullll of tropes and i was here for it: arranged wedding, forced proximity, scenting, imprinting, spicy feeding, hurt/comfort, caring for ill loved one, not admitting feelings, loss of control, knotting 💀 , he falls first/harder, enemies to lovers, miscommunication, forbidden love, shut up kiss, bodyguard.
overall the story and romance was fun and spicy. i do love an ali hazelwood she could honestly write any romance and i'd love it. I loved the vampire x werewolf romance it creates an interesting dynamic.
this was fullll of tropes and i was here for it: arranged wedding, forced proximity, scenting, imprinting, spicy feeding, hurt/comfort, caring for ill loved one, not admitting feelings, loss of control, knotting 💀 , he falls first/harder, enemies to lovers, miscommunication, forbidden love, shut up kiss, bodyguard.