heystef
Hey all! My name's Stef. I read, write, play video games, and go on walks with my dogs. When I'm not turning pages, I work in tech and as an accredited dog trainer here in the Philippines.
318 points
heystef commented on a post
First book for 2026! This is my first time reading Agatha Christie’s works, even after owning Murder in the Orient Express years ago, so I’m hoping this would be a good intro to the Hercule Poirot series. 🤞 has anyone else read this novel? What did you think?
4Post from the Dumb Witness (Hercule Poirot, #17) forum
First book for 2026! This is my first time reading Agatha Christie’s works, even after owning Murder in the Orient Express years ago, so I’m hoping this would be a good intro to the Hercule Poirot series. 🤞 has anyone else read this novel? What did you think?
4heystef started reading...
Dumb Witness (Hercule Poirot, #17)
Agatha Christie
0heystef finished reading and wrote a review...
The first half of the book did match what others were saying about it–a retelling of Walt Disney’s Mulan. I did come in with awareness that the actual story of Mulan is tragic, and I guess I looked for it hoping it’d exceed my expectations. The Night Ends with Fire was unfortunately not as enriching a fantasy novel as I hoped. The characters didn’t develop well as time passed, and there was a lot of self-reflection in the narration that I would’ve wanted to see more in the MC’s actions or dialogue.
I usually look for character growth, language, imagery, and well-written dialogue when I pick up a novel. Honestly, the only time I sat up and turned pages back and forth was when there were steamy scenes, and that’s due to me NOT being a romance reader.
The ending was when I felt a bit better about the novel. It’s the first time a book ended in tragedy, but it felt obvious that she will find her release in the sequel.
0heystef made progress on...
The Night Ends with Fire (The Night Ends with Fire, #1)
K.X. Song
0heystef commented on a post
The Night Ends with Fire is seriously one of the prettiest books I own and with the sequel out I desperately want to love it. 🙂↕️ The short chapters are nice, but the writing style isn't quite clicking for me yet. Hoping it grows on me! 🤞
4Post from the The Night Ends with Fire (The Night Ends with Fire, #1) forum
heystef commented on a post from the Founder Announcements forum
We're very excited to announce our next Special Event Readalong, Mardi Gras + Carnival! This will run from January 15 - February 15.
This round's selections center stories from Afro-Caribbean + Black New Orleans culture. Check out the Special Events page (in the More tab on the app, or click the purple banner on the Discuss page on web).
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings: An imaginative New Orleans Urban Fantasy exploring the music and magic of NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana).
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson: A touching Caribbean-American contemporary fiction exploring family secrets and the weight of the past. Series adaptation on Hulu!
You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi: An funny + tender upmarket romance (warning: explicit 🌶️) exploring Afro-Carribean culture and healing trauma though love.
The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom: A lyrical + politically sharp memoir chronicling 100 years of love, resilience, and class in NOLA. A clear-eyed account of Black New Orleans, up through the devastating events of Hurricane Katrina.
What's a Special Event? Each quarter, we run a short 1 month readalong showcasing diverse voices in literature. Read one of the selections and comment or post in the forum during the Readalong to earn a special badge. Unlike the Seasonal Readalongs, you do not earn a special badge for reading all the selections.
Excited to see the discussions for this event!
Happy Reading, Jennifer & Lucy
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heystef commented on a post
I am STRUGGLING with this book. Considering DNFing….should I?
14heystef made progress on...
The Night Ends with Fire (The Night Ends with Fire, #1)
K.X. Song
0heystef made progress on...
The Night Ends with Fire (The Night Ends with Fire, #1)
K.X. Song
0Post from the The Night Ends with Fire (The Night Ends with Fire, #1) forum
