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Ex-Libris Stark

@starkexlibris

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𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟 📚
🦋 ᴍᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ
Fantasy • Sci-fi • Horror • Romance • Historical
ᴘᴛ | ᴇɴɢ
by @thestarkb 🌜

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Finished 📚

The Things Gods Break ⭐⭐
Aquilo Que Os Deuses Destroem

Oh Gods, I was so disappointed with this one.
I LOVED the first one. Read it in a blink of an eye, I was super interested in the challenges and was really into it. So much that I ignored all the red flags. It was just fun.

Now this one... Terrible. The quality of the writing was never amazing but since the story was good I didn't care. But now it was impossible to ignore.

The red flags I mentioned? The biggest one was that the story felt like a badly written fanfic where the author just wrote herself/the MC to liaison with Greek Gods. I couldn't ignore it here. Nothing made narrative sense, things just happened because the author wanted them to happen.

The cataclysm for that is that the story revolves around time travel.

For me, time travel needs to be explained in DETAIL. I need it to make sense. I don't accept plot holes with this subject. Only a very skilled writer can do that. And this was not the case. Badly explained, hard to follow. I just didn't care.

I started this book in April. I was hating it so much I stopped reading and only returned to finish it in September. Just to finish it while I had the energy.

I felt very sad with this. Played, even.

What made the first book great did not exist in the second. And nothing in the second had me.

The characters? Plain.
The love story? Bubblegum and the street floor have better chemistry.
I just couldn't take it seriously.
This didn't need to be this long.
Less drama, more properly explaining things.

I just don't give a lower rating because I did give the first book 4 stars.

I will still give the next one a chance and I hope I don't regret it. by @starkexlibris

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9

20 hours ago

Finished 📚

The East Wind ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Started Autumn with a story about the wind associated with that season. 🍂

The last one from this series! (That is a guilty pleasure of mine.)
I can't lie, these books are nothing special and are very predictable, but they feel a lot like what romantasy used to be before it was named that. Feels like I'm reading 10 years in the past, it gave me very nostalgic feelings.

We follow the struggles of a captured God wishing for vengeance and the abused girl that helped him get free.

I was a bit afraid of not enjoying this one because the previous was super boring, but I was happy to discover this was more similar to the first, which is my favourite.

I enjoyed the characters and the overall story. And I loved that everyone from the other books could get back together.

The author usually brings some trauma to the table and can work it with a satisfying healing process. That's my favorite part about this.

What I've never liked in this series is how the "Greek Pantheon" is used. It's obvious the Gods are them, but with other random names, or no name but obvious characteristics. Especially if the East Wind is Eurus...
I understand it's weird since we have other characters fae like but I mean... Just own it! 😂

It was a nice conclusion to the series and I'm kinda sad there won't be anything more from this world.

🍁 by @starkexlibris

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6 days ago

Finished 📚

Flawless ⭐⭐⭐

And with this one, I finish the reviews for my summer vacation reads.

Some time ago I discovered I like cowboy romances, after devouring the Rebel Blue. But I haven't read anything similar ever since. Lots of people recommend trying Elsie Silver... And eventually I decided it was time.

It wasn't as magic BUT I still enjoyed it. A quick easy read, kept me interested and had a satisfactory ending.
I found the plot very simple but I enjoyed the writing.
A good book for summer relaxation, I could go with the flow without thinking too much.

I will definitely try the other books of this collection in due time.

🐂 by @starkexlibris

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13 days ago

September was a very long month, but at least it was good in terms of books!
And I was already in the Autumn mood.

I haven't done anything special that month. Mostly work and other responsibilities. Very low energy mode, but at least I still got the chance to spend time with friends.

Of course, as a PSL addicted, September is the first month of that marvelous drink and I had to get some! Too bad it's still too hot outside to fully appreciate it 🥲 Iced PSL for now, I guess.
But I decided to make a recipe if a PSL homemade syrup and it was a success! 😁

After probably a decade I went to MOTELX again, in the company of my dear friend @leituras_em_flor 🥰
We watched The Fox and frankly, I had a very fun time with it!

Later we also decided to read Victorian Psycho together, and it was a fun read! I also discovered that Bubble Tea with tapioca is pretty good. 😂

And out of nowhere I discovered two documentary series on National Geographic about the Tudors and pirates. I can't recall the last time I actually followed a series on TV and it feels kinda nostalgic looking at the clock on mondays to see if it's already ON. Streaming had us spoiled.

Now I just want to have colder weather as we entered my favourite season. 🎃 by @starkexlibris

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14 days ago

Finished 📚

The Baby Dragon Cafe ⭐⭐⭐
O Café Baby Dragon

2nd one from my summer vacations!

First of all, cozy fantasy/romance is not my thing, I usually feel bored reading these sort of things, but since this one had dragons I decided to try.

It was exactly what I was expecting. Simple plot and characters. Focused on the romance. The existence of dragons didn't change much of my usual experience with cozy books. It was overall enjoyable but nothing special.

I don't feel curious about the rest of the series, I'll leave them be.

🐉 by @starkexlibris

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17 days ago

Finished 📚

Verity ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one was the first book I've read during my summer vacations. It was recommended (down my throat 😂) by my work colleagues that spoke wonders about it. It's not really my type and I was not very interested in trying something from Coleen Hoover, but I decided to give it a try.

It ended up being a super quick and interesting read, I read it all in a day. The story leaves you very curious about what the hell is happening.

I can't say I've found the story or the characters to be groundbreaking, it is all glued together because of the irrational decisions of a horny woman that I found very hard to believe would be something a normal person would do. But I get it, without it there wouldn't be a story to tell. I personally would have gone straight to the police. 😂

In the end what matters the most for me is that it did grab my interest very quickly, almost immediately and I really wanted to know how it would all end.

I was advised that there would be some graphic descriptions, and indeed, I thought they were very sick and raw, the shocking factor worked wonders.

I did like the ending, I like when we can make our own conclusions on what really happened, in what we believe. Because I was not convinced about any version of the story and I prefer my own. 🤭

I'm ready for the movie now! by @starkexlibris

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17

21 days ago

Finished 📚

Tress of the Emerald Sea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tress do Mar Esmeralda

This read was highly influenced by @leituras_em_flor 😂 but I'm glad for it - I loved this book.
It was my first try with Brandon Sanderson and now I understand the hype around him. He's a marvelous story teller.

This whole story is so sweet and magical, I really loved it. I adored Tress and how she just keeps going, even when unsure and afraid; she's so very courageous but in a way rarely shown nowadays. She doesn't need to be a badass, her loving heart is her strength.

I also liked all the other characters, even the bad ones!
I was expecting the plotwist but I loved the ending.

I was not expecting the sea to be what it was, but it was so creative! The way it all worked was super well done and explained.

The writing is amazing and so funny, felt like a friend, a warm hug.

I'm very curious about all the points that lead to the Cosmere universe.

And I loved Tress love for mugs. As a fellow mug lover myself I found it adorable ❤️ by @starkexlibris

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35

a month ago

Um post um bocado aleatório ✨

Com a quantidade de hype por aí sobre os próximos livros de ACOTAR e com tanta gente a re-ler tudo do Maasverse para estar pronto para as novas leituras, comecei a pensar se devia fazer o mesmo.
Porque verdade seja dito, li os livros há anos. Há tantos que não me lembrava quando ao certo, só tinha uma ideia por alto porque sei que os lia no barco, quando ia e voltava de um antigo trabalho.

Como antes de ter esta conta apenas para livros eu usava a minha pessoal para também partilhar as minhas leituras, lembrei-me de lá ir ver.

Li os quatro primeiros livros de ACOTAR em 2018. 😵
E foi nesse ano que tive a minha melhor fase de ACOTAR girly. Que, honestamente, está mais calma mas ainda existe - ainda uso quase assiduamente no dia a dia um fio da série, o meu escritório tem almofadas no sofá e quotes em molduras na parede.

Em retrospectiva, senti que o tempo voou (e que estou a ficar velha). Mas o meu carinho por esta série de livros não diminuiu. Continuo a adorar! ACOTAR será sempre uma parte importante de mim, porque sem o segundo livro nunca teria identificado os sintomas de PTSD e procurado ajuda. Hoje sou quem sou porque consegui tratar e continuar a tratar de mim. Tudo por causa de um livrinho de "fadinhas fodilhonas". 🧚🏻‍♀️

E depois de pensar nisso decidi que não quero re-ler nenhum dos livros. Vou confiar naquilo que me lembro deles, porque não quero substituir a experiência que tive com eles.
Não obstante, estou em pulgas para saber o que vai acontecer a seguir!

✨

A título de curiosidade, depois li os restantes livros do Maasverse em:
- TOG 2020
- ACOSF 2021
- CC 2024

✨ by @starkexlibris

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a month ago

Finished 📚

Never Whistle at Night ⭐⭐⭐

Well, I always say I'm not a fan of anthologies, but sometimes I'm in the mood for short stories so... Yeah.

As I've previously mentioned in other posts, I'm a sucker for creepypastas, especially if they're about wendigos and skinwalkers. (For those who don't know: they're creatures from indigenous folklore.)
And I've been trying to find a good creepy book about it, but I haven't had any success.

So when I first saw this recommendation I knew I had to get it.
I was hoping for so much indigenous folklore! The title is literally one of their rules related to the cryptids I love. But alas, that was not the case.

There were indeed a few stories featuring what I wanted, but most of them were spooky stories inserted in the indigenous world and views. Many stories were focused on the discrimination they suffer, and I think that is also something very important to be aware of.

I enjoyed most of them, some were really creepy. Others I thought were way too short because I got invested and wanted more 😂.

It's an overall fun and interesting read because I'm very curious about indigenous cultures. It's just not what I was hoping for.

🍃🍃

P.S.: The dreamcatcher in the photo was made by someone from the Huron-Wendat Anishinaabe tribe, located near the Ontario Lake 🤭 by @starkexlibris

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19

a month ago

Finished 📚

Pirate Latitudes ⭐

Well, this was a disappointment.

It started good, felt like the author has a good history research, but then out of no where... It lost me.

The book lost the plot, the characters were... I don't even know. They were badly written, the plot felt unfinished, rough, many things didn't made sense.
It was a pain, and I just wanted it to end.
I'm afraid I don't have anything good to say about this one.

I couldn't believe this, so I searched the book and surprise surprise. This one was published after the author's death.
I want to believe this book was still some sort of draft, still to be reviewed. Or maybe the story the author gave up on? But the publishing industry didn't care about the legacy, they just wanted money and published it as it was.
That would be a very good explanation on why this feels so unfinished and unpolished.
Which to be honest, it's sad, and I feel bad about sharing how much I didn't like it.
So, disclaimer: this is not a good book to evaluate the author work. If you're curious about him, just try any other of his books! by @starkexlibris

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19

a month ago

Finished 📚

The Frenchman's Creek ⭐⭐⭐

I had the stupid idea of googling for pirate books suggestions. Apart from the ones I've already read, this was one of the books on every list. And so, I decided to give it a try.

The book was good, well written, I must give it that. But I didn't like it.

I was looking for pirate adventures, a little bit romance, sure, but I wanted sea, superstitions, mutinies, deaths... Instead: I got a romance.
Not any romance. A type of romance I like to call "lady in her 40s sad with her marriage life" romance. It felt like escapism from a dull life, wanting to feel something different. Like those old Harlequin romance books, remember? Nothing against that at all, but that is not a pirate book 😭. She's a bored married woman with kids and falls for a pirate, spends a few hours on the ship and that's it. Not at all what I wanted.

And I did not like the FMC. She was so annoying and ungrateful. She could yearn for more and all of that, but she was kinda mean and felt she was better than everyone else. She took her husband's kindness as weakness and I thought that was sad (he was just a boring man, not a bad one).

The MMC was just... Too perfect. A perfect french gentleman that decided to be a pirate in a Robin Hood kind of way.

The villain was dumb and uninteresting.

The only character I liked was the server LOL. He was the only interesting one. Wish the book was about him. 😂

I did like the ending tho! It was very realistic and down to earth, and I admit that it was the ending I wanted but I was not expecting for it to actually happen.

🏴‍☠️ by @starkexlibris

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9

a month ago

Finished 📚

A Princesa Que Acreditava Em Contos de Fadas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Foi um livro que descobri aleatoriamente porque gostei do título. Adoro contos de fadas. 🧚🏻‍♀️

Pareceu-me bastante interessante, pensei que ia ler um conto de fadas para adultos, mas acabei por acidentalmente ler um livro de auto-ajuda!

É a história de uma Princesa que gosta de sonhar, dançar, brincar com os animais... Gosta de ser uma criança. E tem a sua melhor amiga que só ela vê. E sonham ambas com a Princesa a encontrar Príncipe Encantado e a ser feliz para sempre.
Mas como acontece, é forçada a crescer. Os pais começam a cortar-lhe as asas, a educa-la para ser uma Princesa Adulta. Ensinam o melhor que sabem, querem o melhor para ela, mas isso não significa que não magoem.
A Princesa é obrigada a esconder a sua amiga durante muitos anos e torna-se Perfeita, tal como os pais queriam.
Ela conhece o seu Príncipe Encantado e pensa que finalmente vai ter o seu final feliz, porque ele acaba por conhecer a sua amiga e gosta dela! A Princesa sente-se feliz por poder ser um pouco mais ela própria, depois de anos a tentar esconder.
Mas nem tudo corre bem. O Príncipe é amaldiçoado e torna-se num homem estranho, mau, cruel para a Princesa. É aí que ela e a sua amiga embarcam numa aventura para salvar o seu amor.

Temos aqui uma parábola, escrita de maneira muito simples, exatamente como se fosse escrita para crianças. O que torna tudo muito fácil de entender.

Temos aqui um livro que consegue explicar a qualquer pessoa o que é o trauma, como ele nos afeta e molda, de criança a adultos. Como nos anulamos para podermos ser aceites. Como entramos em relações abusivas e como somos controlados e nos tornamos dependentes delas. Mas também ensina como começarmos a identificar o trauma e a começar a processa-lo da melhor maneira. Como nos focar em nós e no que está no nosso controlo. Como devemos escolher amar quem somos. É um processo longo e difícil, mas é o caminho certo.

Adorei o livro. É ótimo. Parecia que estava numa das minhas sessões de terapia. Foi tudo que já aprendi com a minha psicóloga, mas de uma maneira muito geral e apropriada para todos. Recomendo MUITO! 💜 by @starkexlibris

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2 months ago