dlrosebyh's Reviews (773)

Elsa is unique and seven years old. Her grandma is crazy—as in, standing on the balcony and shooing strangers with paintball guns—at the age of 77. Additionally, she is Elsa's one and only friend. In the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everyone is unique and nobody needs to fit in, Elsa seeks solace in her grandmother's tales at night. 

Elsa's biggest journey starts when her grandma passes away and leaves behind a collection of letters in which she expresses her regret to those she has mistreated. The directions given by her grandmother take her to an apartment complex filled with monsters, drunks, attack dogs, and elderly ladies, but they also reveal the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and introduce her to a grandma unlike any other.

I adore Fredrik Backman's writing style. I adore how he brings the intricacy of his characters to life in his writings. I really like the plot and the characters in this book, but one thing really got on my nerves: how frequently Harry Potter references were made. I understand that Elsa is young and that she should enjoy Harry Potter; she is free to act anyway she pleases. However, I don't want to read about Elsa being so enraged when someone hasn't read the books or seen the movies. I also don't want to read every two pages about the Gryffindor scarf. But aside from that, I think the book is both interesting and informative.

A captivating tale, The Phantom of the Opera centers on the young Swedish Christine Daaé. She is reared at the Paris Opera House with her famed musician father's dying vow of a guardian angel to watch over her. She finally learns how to sing wonderfully from the voice she starts hearing after spending some time at the opera. All is good until Raoul, Christine's childhood friend who attends the opera, arrives to see his opera-going parents and spots her as she starts singing effectively on stage. Erik, the deadly, malformed "ghost" of the opera theater, is the voice, but as his awful jealously builds, he becomes more aggressive until Christine vanishes without a trace. The ghost is madly in love and it is a terrible disaster.

Although it appears intriguing, comprehending it was quite difficult. Throughout the first half of the book, I thought the two major characters to be obnoxious and didn't give a damn about them. I was highly entertained by the book's second half, but the ending was awful.

This is the tale of a rich Indian Brahmin who gives up his privileged lifestyle in search of enlightenment. Hesse combines several philosophical perspectives—including Eastern faiths, Jungian archetypes, and Western individualism—into a singular interpretation of life as it is revealed through the pursuit of genuine meaning by one man. 

 

This is such a fantastic tale of a man learning the true meaning of serenity after passing through several stages, in my opinion. I wasn't sure whether I would like it because I don't read philosophy books very often, and they tend to be hit or miss for most people, but this one is certainly a hit because Siddharta is somewhat similar to me. 

The current US Juvenile figure skating champion, 12-year-old Ana-Marie Jin, is not a fan of flowery dresses. As a result, Ana quickly begins to distrust the program's princess-themed concept when she hears about it. Ana makes an effort to remain focused on her training and creating a fantastic routine deserving of national triumph.

Ana's ideas about the princess program and gender identity begin to take center stage until she meets Hayden, a transgender boy who is new to the rink. Additionally, Ana doesn't confront Hayden when he misinterprets her for a boy and instead takes solace in her boyish persona while he is there. Ana learns that it might be challenging to balance two distinct identities on one slick sheet of ice as their friendship grows. And when a significant tournament draws near, Ana must choose if jeopardizing years of effort and sacrifice by disclosing the truth is worth it.

I have spent a long time looking for a novel with a protagonist that struggles with dysphoria, and I must say that this one did not dissapoint. This book would be the epitome of comfort, if comfort were a genre. I'm so glad this was written by a non-binary author and not simply someone who has a fetish for the lgbtqia+ community. Unfortunately, my eyes were too weary from reading to finish in one sitting, but despite having to put this down, I couldn't quit thinking about Ana's predicament and what I would do if I were Ana.

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free e-arc of 24 Hours in Paris in exchange of an honest review.

Mira and Jake are forced to miss their trip from Paris to New York because of an unplanned event less than two hours before takeoff. These two unknowingly end up stranded together with the next flight being 24 hours away.

They begin to discover they may have more in common than they initially imagined as the day progresses and they continue their excursions of lovely Paris. But would the "love city" be sufficient to turn their "hatred" into something lovable? To discover out, keep reading since each chapter will transport you to one hour of their 24-Hour Paris experience.

I found the characters to be annoying, and the chapters to be quite repetitive. I was only waiting for the book to conclude. Hated this a lot.

Lila Macapagal's life appears to be following all the cliches of rom-coms when she returns home to heal after a terrible breakup. She has to cope with a gang of matchmaking aunts who adore and criticize her while trying to save her Tita Rosie's faltering restaurant. Her life swiftly transitions from a Nora Ephron frolic to an Agatha Christie mystery when a famously harsh food reviewer (who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend) passes away shortly after a dispute with Lila.

Lila is forced to carry out her own investigation since the police are treating her like the lone suspect and the sleazy landlord wants to finally evict the Macapagal family and resell the shop. Lila tackles this delectable, twisted case with the help of her faithful Dachshund, Longanisa, her barista best friend, and the nosy auntie network, but she eventually discovers that her own neck is about to be chopped off.

This book is what you should read if you like a cozy mystery. However, avoid reading it if you are hungry. When I did it, it did not go well. The cuisine was described in great detail and made me drool. I would have adored this if the plot's execution hadn't been so drab. When it's meant to be a mystery book, it often concentrates too much on the romantic aspect. Moreover, the idea that someone died without anyone expressing condolences disturbed me since it seemed so ludicrous.

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free e-arc copy of The Lady Loves Danger in exchange of an honest review.

A kid who went missing while under Lady Delilah Ashbrook's care is being relentlessly sought after on the streets of London. Delilah hopes the Maidens can assist in locating the youngster before it's too late since she believes he was kidnapped to be sold. However, Delilah's quest puts her in the sights of an enigmatic guy who is also hunting for the youngster. Without a doubt, Sebastian St. Allen has a dashing image. But does he intend to hurt or save the child?

Sebastian's motivations for guarding the less fortunate are his own. He has the ability to move effortlessly between London's most affluent and seediest neighborhoods. Delilah's delicate beauty hides her independence and sensuality, which he finds attractive. However, nothing could have prepared him for this. If she will only let her guard down, Sebastian is confident they can assist one another. They also become aware of how close their relationships have gotten and how much they depend on one another as they are drawn deeper into danger.

Recent historical fiction releases have a tendency to contain uninspiring conflicts that are based on ridiculous events. It's expected that this book will be really fascinating. Who wouldn't want to read a book with the provided premise of "saving London against Child Abuse"? This novel is marketed as a mystery, but how did it become a romance? In terms of historical fiction, I prefer reading mysteries than romances. So I wasn’t a huge fan of this book.

Eddie is an elderly, injured war veteran who believes he has had a life devoid of inspiration. In a theme park beside the shore, he fixes rides. On his 83rd birthday, while attempting to save a young girl from a falling wagon, he tragically perishes in an accident. He discovers that paradise is not a place when he awakens in the afterlife. There, five individuals—some of whom you knew and others who may have been strangers—explain your life to you. Eddie's five companions each reflect on their relationships to him throughout a different stage of his life, from youth to soldier to senior citizen, shedding light on his life's riddles and revealing the answer to the question "Why am I here?"

The synopsis is about the only thing you need to know before starting this book, in my opinion. I'd be dishonest if I said it didn't address some of the questions about life, even though it didn't address all of them. It was incredibly lovely; possibly one of the nicest books I've ever read.

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free e-arc of Someone Else’s Dream.

Jackie Johnson, a pub landlord and businesswoman, wants to turn a vacant travel agency into an amusement arcade, but Harbour Street store owners are split. While flower shop owner Eva is coming to grips with her new position, grumpy local gallery owner Ben Taylor tries to control his fury and harbors old grudges. Amber has to make the café profitable so she can sell it in the face of prejudice and financial difficulties.

She must use her inner energy and ingenuity in the meantime to settle disputes and promote harmony. She forms some unanticipated connections and alliances during her fight, ones that would alter her life forever. High-flying London attorney Amber Hendrix has invested in a café in a little hamlet on the Kent coast as part of her commitment to her partnership. Amber is compelled to reconsider her entire strategy when circumstances between her and her girlfriend alter. A tale about courage, ethics, and friendship that makes you feel wonderful.

i’ve read very few books set during COVID-19, so reading this was a shocker for me. there were mentions of face masks, alcohol, safety protocols— and as much as i hate living back in 2020, it felt like i was actually in the book; there’s nothing better than that. 

Amber, as a character, is so relatable in some ways. I don’t think I’ve ever read a queer identity as similar to Amber to mine.

Looking For Alaska follows Miles, an innocent child attending boarding school. No smoking, no alcohol, no sex- at least that's what his parents said. Well, he has been obedient until he met Alaska Young.

Alaska Young is a sixteen-year-old obsessed with sex, and she holds a reputation to be the only girl who hasn't cheated on her boyfriend. She loves him dearly. They're the perfect couple, at least that's what everyone thought.

One night, Alaska went missing. But Miles, or known as Purge, was determined to look for Alaska, to confess his love for her.

This book doesn't necessarily have lovable characters. If you love a character in this book and you don't kin the character, that's pretty questionable. Listen, I love pretentious characters, characters with questionable morals, and sad books. But, this didn't really do this for me.

As said earlier, Alaska is a sex addict- but the thought of a grown man writing sex scenes by teenagers is creepy, don't lie. Alaska was also oversexualized. I know it was supposed to be realistic, but it's just a no for me.