ali1311's reviews
191 reviews

Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Very sweet story with nice themes. Would've been nice to read it closer to when the first book came out so I could remember more, but that's on me. Loved how independent and stubborn Bobbi was, though as an events coordinator, this whole book was triggering. Hard to watch so many things go wrong--I knew just how much it pained her. 
Bloom Into You, Vol. 2 by Nakatani Nio

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

It's only getting worse! I can't get over the weird way this relationship is going, and I'm not sure I can stick it out for Yuu to fall in love with Nanami (if she even will!).
Bloom Into You, Vol. 1 by Nakatani Nio

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

2.0

This started off super cute, but now I'm all confused because I feel like this relationship isn't fully consensual? Idk I feel like Yuu is definitely uncomfortable with some of the stuff Nanami is up to, but I expect that's what the next book is for.
Fangirl Down 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

4.75

Everything these characters did in the book was pretty much a red flag, but I still ate it up! My apologies. I do not like golf, but this was somehow fun anyways.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

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

4.0

This one started off somewhat slow but once it got going, it got GOING! The stakes are certainly raised, and Ms Maas always manages to surprise me with a twist (or three)!!!
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The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Never a good sign when you roll your eyes when listening to the audiobook...
I think this writing style is not for me. The jokes were cringe and the writing was cheesy. The pacing felt off too, like we barely got to watch the characters fall in love. Too many characters and the whole thing felt very corny.
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Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective
  • 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

I am usually more a fan of a romcom than anything, but this really exceeded my expectations for a dramatic romance. I don't know how you can write a book where every word seems exactly in its right place and intense topics are handled with such grace, but Kennedy Ryan nailed it. I devoured this book, and I loved all the characters. I think this may be the first romance book I've read where the characters have children and have such high stakes with their love--and it was so good. The chemistry and the passion was so well done. It was such an insightful book that really interrogated love in its many forms (self, friendship, parent, romance), and did all of it masterfully.
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The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book was very slow for me. loved the new characters, did not love how long i waited for something to happen or any of the mystery to be revealed. I know it's a series, but I needed more info!
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I would have given this book five stars if the research afterward didn't leave me to find out that this book is alarmingly based off the true story of Ana Mendieta and that the author never reached out to the family...

What really stands out in this book is the audiobook narration. I've never listened to such a good audiobook before! I think it leveled the story up and made it never feel boring. The concept is really fascinating, and the way the past and present are intertwined was really interesting to watch. I found myself gasping and tearing up through much of this book. Sometimes it felt heavy handed with its own morals, but I didn't even mind that much. A really good read, but also very important to learn about the origin of the story and Ana Mendieta. I'm still shocked at just how much of this story is based off the real story. It felt like very little was fictionalized, and I'm grappling with how I feel about all of that. 
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Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

This book was good, but boy was it long. It definitely feels like a better book to read than listen to because there was so much science that sometimes it was hard to keep up. Otherwise, I think this book was informative and interesting, but it was sort of bland. Kind of just stating facts and studies, many of which were really interesting, and I think the way the info was organized was good, but it didn't leave much of an impact. I think the book lacked some conviction, which made it somewhat boring to read despite the fascinating nature of the science presented. Either way, it was informative and compelling, it just needed a little more oomph for me.