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alomie's reviews
259 reviews
Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
emotional
funny
informative
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
5.0
This is a great book, fast, funny, educational and Joyus.
Suffragette Mattie is in a bit of a rut and when confronted with an old pal who is staring a national front type youth group decides to start her own more socialist opposition group to encourage young girls to be active in the world and be better ready for voting.
Loveable characters and super cosy!
Suffragette Mattie is in a bit of a rut and when confronted with an old pal who is staring a national front type youth group decides to start her own more socialist opposition group to encourage young girls to be active in the world and be better ready for voting.
Loveable characters and super cosy!
We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-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
4.0
I found this book in the beginning very frustrating, I struggled to understand Sam and his decisions, I also felt like I wanted him to be a better person, and it wasn't until he finally makes a trip to Uganda and he opened up and started falling in love that I really warmed to him.
This book taught me a little about the history of Uganda, which prior to picking this book up, I knew nothing about and I am interested to read further on the topic.
I also found the letters his grandfather wrote to be extremely heartbreaking, they really described the feeling of not belonging even though you are working hard to be part of the community and to "intergrate".
The writing was very beautiful too, a great book.
This book taught me a little about the history of Uganda, which prior to picking this book up, I knew nothing about and I am interested to read further on the topic.
I also found the letters his grandfather wrote to be extremely heartbreaking, they really described the feeling of not belonging even though you are working hard to be part of the community and to "intergrate".
The writing was very beautiful too, a great book.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
This was devestating and beautiful, my heart was filled and I was also constantly hungry whilst reading this.
A love letter to her lovely mum and the food that ultimately tied them together.
I found this to be overwhelming in parts, the loss of her mother to cancer was especially painful to read.
Her experiences with Korean food, that had always been part of her relationship with her mother and how she starts to learn to cook the cuisine her mother never taught her how to make were particularly good, as I really got a feel of her healing.
Overall an easy 5 stars for me.
A love letter to her lovely mum and the food that ultimately tied them together.
I found this to be overwhelming in parts, the loss of her mother to cancer was especially painful to read.
Her experiences with Korean food, that had always been part of her relationship with her mother and how she starts to learn to cook the cuisine her mother never taught her how to make were particularly good, as I really got a feel of her healing.
Overall an easy 5 stars for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was extremely predictable and very easy to read, however I found the main character very hard to get behind she was so useless and I found myself being very frustrated with her.
There is also a regency fan fic every other chapter about the characters in this book and I found myself skipping over these as they were kind of terrible and annoying.
Cheesy rom-com comes to mind, if you want something lighthearted then this will definitely work for you.
This is enemies to lovers but, honestly didn't feel like the one to me, it was all a bit overblown and also it was too obvious for me, I literally knew how the book would end after chapter one, which for me was a bit disappointing.
There is also a regency fan fic every other chapter about the characters in this book and I found myself skipping over these as they were kind of terrible and annoying.
Cheesy rom-com comes to mind, if you want something lighthearted then this will definitely work for you.
This is enemies to lovers but, honestly didn't feel like the one to me, it was all a bit overblown and also it was too obvious for me, I literally knew how the book would end after chapter one, which for me was a bit disappointing.
Killing For Company by Brian Masters
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Hard to rate this one, and I feel very torn about its existence.
Although the case if of public interest I do wonder about the morality of giving such air time to a serial killer.
Brian Masters seems to have done his outside research in addition to the many letters and visits and "personal" relationship he had built with Dennis.
I definitely think that it is interesting how much information and explanation Dennis gave to the police and the author but ultimately never really explains the main question you might have, which is why?
Ultimately I would have liked more focus on the victims and less on that of a broken mind, but I understand the public at large are mostly interested in what drives a serial killer, and how we can avoid creating more.
It's hard to tell where fantasy and reality are in the confessions and how much of it is cleaned up to save face, but I do think Dennis was being in the most part truthful.
It's a bit dated in its language of the lbgtqia community and also I found some of the mental health aspect lacking, however at the time it was deemed that medically there was nothing wrong with Dennis' mind.
Hard to rate and hard to stomach, the descriptions of the murders I found to be very mentally draining and I found myself needing to take breaks from this one.
Although the case if of public interest I do wonder about the morality of giving such air time to a serial killer.
Brian Masters seems to have done his outside research in addition to the many letters and visits and "personal" relationship he had built with Dennis.
I definitely think that it is interesting how much information and explanation Dennis gave to the police and the author but ultimately never really explains the main question you might have, which is why?
Ultimately I would have liked more focus on the victims and less on that of a broken mind, but I understand the public at large are mostly interested in what drives a serial killer, and how we can avoid creating more.
It's hard to tell where fantasy and reality are in the confessions and how much of it is cleaned up to save face, but I do think Dennis was being in the most part truthful.
It's a bit dated in its language of the lbgtqia community and also I found some of the mental health aspect lacking, however at the time it was deemed that medically there was nothing wrong with Dennis' mind.
Hard to rate and hard to stomach, the descriptions of the murders I found to be very mentally draining and I found myself needing to take breaks from this one.
The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.
Found this a bit of a incoherent mess, I wasn't going back to it and it was lots of run on sentences and half told anecdotes.
I just didn't "get" it.
I just didn't "get" it.
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book overall as part of a duology, an almost apocalyptic world bought on by climate change, flowing into a world that is recovering and building on the first book, but this book was a major change in pace, and a change to multiple POV's.
I found the start of the book slow, and the middle glacial and uncomfortable the end was good, this is where it really picked up for me but I think this was only because at least something vaguely positive was happening.
It was bleak, and it was slow, and for me it was quite hard to wade through the book. It was pretty harsh to read and I was finding it hard to pick up.
I am glad the characters got a happier ending.
I found the start of the book slow, and the middle glacial and uncomfortable the end was good, this is where it really picked up for me but I think this was only because at least something vaguely positive was happening.
It was bleak, and it was slow, and for me it was quite hard to wade through the book. It was pretty harsh to read and I was finding it hard to pick up.
I am glad the characters got a happier ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu Collector's Edition by Junji Ito
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
This is quite a weird little book about Junji Ito's cats Yon and Mu. They are cats, weird, funny and most importantly family.
Its cute, a nice way to spend half an hour.
Its cute, a nice way to spend half an hour.
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
Listened to this as an audio book and it was a very quick and easy read, I enjoyed the premise a lot, about how one choice leading to one event could so quickly split how the main character's life turns out.
It was good that neither universe was portrayed as the bad one just a different path and both had their negatives and positives and both left room for more choices that could have led to different things.
I do have critisims of this book which would be considered mild spoilers so I have given this a 3.5 I just didnt find all of Hannah's choices believable and I think that might be a difference in UK and US culture surrounding the issues contained in this book.
I also found her a bit flighty and frustrating at times.
I enjoyed this book enough, but i dont think it's one to write home about, I can't see me returning to this one but I do enjoy the writing.
It was good that neither universe was portrayed as the bad one just a different path and both had their negatives and positives and both left room for more choices that could have led to different things.
I do have critisims of this book which would be considered mild spoilers so I have given this a 3.5 I just didnt find all of Hannah's choices believable and I think that might be a difference in UK and US culture surrounding the issues contained in this book.
I also found her a bit flighty and frustrating at times.
I enjoyed this book enough, but i dont think it's one to write home about, I can't see me returning to this one but I do enjoy the writing.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this dystopian novel, and I don't usually but as I enjoyed it so much I am reading the 2nd book to know how the story ends.
I really like diary entry first person books and I also enjoy dystopian novels, it seems like it really should be a great hit for me overall.
I am finding the relationship with the main character Lauren and a man who is as old as her dad a bit gross, but i suppose when you're lonely surrounded by couples anything is better than nothing but it feels a little bit off to me. I'm not sure I'm good with it.
The way she is leading a group of people to be peaceful and establish a community that helps each other but also where necessary she is strong and will protect against outsiders and threats is pretty interesting and I wonder how this will continue in the 2nd book where they have settled on the land.
Lots of walking and lots of rough moments in this book not for the feint of heart.
I really like diary entry first person books and I also enjoy dystopian novels, it seems like it really should be a great hit for me overall.
I am finding the relationship with the main character Lauren and a man who is as old as her dad a bit gross, but i suppose when you're lonely surrounded by couples anything is better than nothing but it feels a little bit off to me. I'm not sure I'm good with it.
The way she is leading a group of people to be peaceful and establish a community that helps each other but also where necessary she is strong and will protect against outsiders and threats is pretty interesting and I wonder how this will continue in the 2nd book where they have settled on the land.
Lots of walking and lots of rough moments in this book not for the feint of heart.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and War