ali1311's reviews
191 reviews

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I caved and read Book Lovers!! I'm not a big Emily Henry fan honestly, but this one is def her best that I've read. Sometimes the humor is a little too cringe for me, but Nora and Charlie had good banter that was often cringe but became kind of cute once I got used to it. Can't get behind Libby calling her sister "Sissy" because no one with a sister has ever called their sister that past the age of 5 but the story holds up despite this glaring detail. I think this book worked for me because the love interest thing goes on consistently throughout the book--they don't deny themselves as is very common in romance novels, and I thought that was interesting and unique. Nora is a pretty solid character and a really quality portrait of an eldest daughter. Overall, this book was better than I expected (but I do still think there are better romances out there)
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6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book was not really what I expected but I loved it! It was very emotional and deeply about mother-daughter relationships as much as it was about romance. It was a really interesting story of womanhood and woman relationships (in truly all aspects). My biggest note is that the ending felt a bit unfinished, mostly between the friends! I want to know what happened with them in the end and a little more of a wrap up for Anna would've been nice too. But overall I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and it tugged on my heartstrings a LOT. Also there should def be trigger warnings at the beginning of this book so I will add them to this review
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Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was very endearing as all of Talia Hibbert's books are! These characters were so cute and lovable and it was a very low-stakes romance, which is perhaps my favorite kind of romance because I do not get stressed. It was great to get to see all the characters from the other books come together and be featured in their own sweet and unique ways. Gonna need another series like this from Hibbert asap!!
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

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dark emotional hopeful informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I feel the fool because I didn't realize this book was connected to The Kiss Quotient until like halfway through (and also it seems I read this out of order oops). Nonetheless, I devoured this book! It seems I'm a Helen Hoang fan because I tend to read her books really quickly and they keep me super engaged. I loved the honesty of this book and the way Anna was so understandable despite her mistakes was really well-done writing. 
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New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

officially my favorite Tim book!!
That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The writing of this book wasn't really my favorite, I found it kind of boring and monotone. The themes were pretty obvious and it wasn't anything special, but I think it's high time we get nothing special queer romances! It was cute enough and a quick easy read. I probably won't remember it much in the future but it was entertaining if a bit on the nose 
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by Myeongseok Kang, BTS

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hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

I love BTS! This is such an interesting look into their career and the hardships they've faced since they were young. I think the structure of the book is a little strange,  but I appreciated getting to hear the snippets of quotes from the members themselves. It definitely felt like a palatable way of telling their story, but it makes sense that they wouldn't want to cause controversy or dredge up past dramas. But overall it was nice to be able to go through their history with them in this way! 
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was such a fun read! It was steamy and cute and the perfect beach read! A bit heavy on some of the themes of personal growth, but that's not really a bad theme to have too much of. Props to Bailey for making this main male character lovable despite by immediate stance that he wouldn't be. The whole thing was cute and sweet and was a fun take on romance and mental health tied together.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Considering I didn't really enjoy reading this book, I liked this book? I found it more fun to consider it after reading it than to actually read it which is interesting. Collins seems to be wanting to think about philosophy and the purpose of humanity and what can happen when we don't agree/some people choose a negative view. It's also a study in human complacency and conformity, which has my inner sociology/English major brain titillating. So yeah it took me awhile to get through and I didn't entirely love it, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it so that counts for something. 
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

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adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.75

This book is so clever and insightful. I'd seen the musical years ago and I'm familiar with the songs but this book really makes you think about parents and the way we interpret them. 
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