ryliereadss's reviews
247 reviews

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

I didn’t connect with this book as much as his others. This one felt much more focused on the band than things happening around the band and their music. You can really tell how much he loves A Tribe Called Quest because of that. He did talk about rap music as a whole, police shootings, and the 2016 election towards the last few chapters which I enjoyed. I would recommend this to someone who likes the band or who likes rap music or music in general.

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This man made me care about basketball when I didn't care at all. It's not just about basketball though, its about community and the place we call home, poverty and racism and getting back on your feet. It's about small town celebrities and the athletes that didn't make it to the big leagues. Abdurraqib is an amazingly talented writer and I will read anything he writes.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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? No

4.5

Such a great read. I really liked the narration by Meryl Streep, sometimes I got confused which daughter was speaking but that was probably my fault. I think this story reflected a lot of conversations adult children might have been having with their parents during the pandemic, just getting to know their parents better. It also shows that we (kids) probably don't know everything about our parents. I really liked Lara, just a young girl trying to find her place. Duke seemed sweet at first and I liked his brother, who was sweeter. I really enjoyed the ending. Lara's daughters were very nice and I liked all their different personalities.

I thought Emily gave middle sister energy but maybe that's just my personal experience.

I'm so glad I picked this up.

Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain by Jonathan Graziano

funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Noodle the pug will always get 5 stars from me. Noodle shows us that its okay to ask for help.

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed reading this!! I loved the social commentary we got from hearing what all these different people are saying, like the conversation between Jolene and Damani’s friends and the news being on. Loved Damani being an unreliable narrator and how she wants to look strong and intimidating. I thought that was an interesting part of her character. I also liked that Damani was an example of someone who is affected by oppression and racism but doesn’t have time to protest because they’re just trying to survive. But we see a different side of her when she falls for Jolene. Such a great character to follow. I liked the ending too. I will definitely be on the lookout for this authors next book!!

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

My heart hurts.

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

What a great resource! There is so much information in this book about being LGBTQ+. There are personal stories, sound advice, and humor along the way. I thought the chapter about queer sex was informative and I loved the paragraph in the very beginning warning readers that if they weren't comfortable they should skip the chapter. I also really liked the chapter after about LGBTQ+ families. This would have been great for me to read when I was a teenager! I was a little surprised by how often "male and female" were used instead of more gender inclusive language for people who are nonbinary. Nonbinary wasn't really talked about at all. Polyamory wasn't really mentioned either, instead "open relationships" were discussed. Asexuality and aromantic identities weren't discussed much either. Besides those things I mentioned it was a pretty inclusive, informative book!

Singapour Millionnaire by Kevin Kwan

funny hopeful informative 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

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this book! There were so many different characters with different personalities. I really liked the third person omniscient perspective we got in the book, it actually made it less confusing for me. Sometimes I would still get a little confused about how all the characters were related but I think that's just a me thing. Rachel and Nick were so cute and so in love, it was really sweet to read. I loved the balance of humor and drama in the book, that was done really well. When I got to the last page I was like, wait that's it?? So I will definitely be picking up the next one! I really want to know what happens!

Nothing Is Okay by Rachel Wiley

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

Big fan of Wiley’s videos on Youtube and so glad I was able to pick up this book! She has poems about being a queer, mixed fat girl, online dating, and queer joy. I could relate to some of the poems, particularly the ones about being alone. I definitely will be returning to this book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming and Eating disorder

Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

I found the writing kind of sloppy and confusing. I hated the way Alice described Celine the morning after, so creepy, couldn’t get over that. I don’t understand how Sadie can view the world the way she does after being raised by Celine.