Sci-Fi, Fantasy,
Mystery and Romance
Book Reviews
October 2024
Just for the Summer
by
Abby Jimenez
Rating: 4.25 ★
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Mini Review: I absolutely flew through this and it was definitely my favourite out of the Part of Your World series. It flowed seamlessly, the characters were fantastic and it captured my attention from the get-go.
But that being said, it’s really difficult to put my finger on what it is about this entire series that feels slightly lacking. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi that other romance authors have captured that doesn’t seem to translate in Abby Jimenez’s books for me. It’s something about how the male characters are written.
And yes, the book is a work of fiction so, of course, it’s all made up. But when I’m reading the books, I’m just too aware of the fact that the character is made up. If you don’t mind trinket flaws instead of true messy grit, then this is perfect.
For romance books that do have that intangible quality that makes them special (at least in my opinion), I’d recommend anything from Emily Henry (Books Lovers is my favourite) or Hannah Bonam-Young (check out the Next to You review here).
Mystery Man
by
Colin Bateman
Rating: 4.0 ★
Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Crime
Mini Review: This was a bit outside my comfort zone since I’m not usually a crime or mystery reader but Mystery Man was such a fun time! The Irish accents in the audiobook are so wholesome but it’s really the humour in this book that hooked me.
While the plot and the mystery didn’t particularly grab me, I absolutely fell in love with this character. His bizarre idiosyncrasies, his never-ending flaws and his not-so-borderline offensive thoughts (and comments) are just *chef’s kiss*. When I say I like reading about flawed characters, this is what I mean! I don’t mean a nice guy who struggles with anxiety once in a blue moon, I mean a guy who has a “morbid fear of the unemployed” and is “with the Eskimos putting their useless grandparents on ice floes and waving goodbye”.
This book genuinely had me cackling out loud multiple times.
Ready Player One
by
Ernest Cline
Rating: 4.0 ★
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction
Mini Review: This entire sci-fi landscape was awesome. I loved the premise of the virtual reality quest that was tangled in puzzles and riddles and there was a great balance of plot and character focus.
I do think that some of the references to video games and other pop culture may have been lost on me but regardless, I genuinely appreciated the depth of the history and the lore of that fictional universe.
Also, there were aspects of the characters and the dialogue that felt a bit too juvenile for me to be fully invested. But all in all, the plot and the details of the universe made this such an immersive read. Great stuff.
The Ministry of Time
by
Kaliane Bradley
Rating: 3.25 ★
Genre: Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction, Romance
Mini Review: The Ministry of Time is such a breath of fresh air in terms of its concept. I was so excited to dive into this world where time travel has been accomplished, people from the past have been brought into the present and a ministry employee now helps them assimilate to the new era (with a little side of romance).
Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. I so badly wanted to love this and while I did love parts of it, it just didn’t grip me from a plot or a character standpoint. Maybe my short attention span is the problem here, but I do feel like you need at least one or the other driving the pace of the book.
I do think it’s worth the read and I think that the twist at the end was well executed but personally, it didn’t quite hit the mark.