ryraeriv's reviews
23 reviews

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

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challenging hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Sarah Bargiela

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

Camoflauge uses research and anecdotal stories to paint a broad picture of how autism affects women, how it differs in men and women, and gives insight into reasons behind the diagnosis gap that exists between genders. While not incredibly in-depth or elaborate, this graphic novel can help to make autistic women feel seen and understood, maybe for the first time ever.  
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous funny reflective slow-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

4.0

A fantasy book with a well-developed world that takes a slow, meandering path through incredibly lush description and an ever-increasing sense of urgency. If you really like reading about trees and people traveling through different landscapes without huge segments of action or dialogue this book is for you. 
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The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White

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

2.0

This book might be called The Sword in the Stone but don't let that fool, the first mention of such a thing occurs on page 272. Make no mistake, the plot isn't bad because there is no plot. The whole novel is just a clueless child traipsing around almost dying only to be saved by his magic teacher. No character is intelligent or has any agency, with the worst characters being completely incomprehensible. In general, the descriptive paragraphs were good, with vivid imagery and nice flow. This however, contrasted sharply with the rest of the story which was lackluster and absurd. And not even in a way that was that entertaining. 
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Sleepwalking by Meg Wolitzer

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challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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? N/A

4.0

This is a heartbreaking, and at times heartwarming, story of a woman who tries to find meaning in a world she can't understand. Keiko Furukura has worked her whole life at Smile Mart, a convenience store that brings her peace and joy. She is torn between doing the work that gives her meaning and conforming to her family and society's expectations of her. As an autistic person the feeling of otherness that Keiko must navigate resonated with me, and I cried within the first five pages of this book. 
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Two Moons: Stories by Krystal A. Smith

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

3.0

A wonderful collection of speculative fiction stories that focus on love, healing, divinity, femininity, among a multitude of other things. Simple prose and narrative structure help the stories to be easily understood but at times can be too basic. My personal favorites include Anyone Out There, Two Moons, Life Cycle, and Cosmic. 
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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

This book is an immersive experience. Moody and atmospheric, the setting is one of the most important aspects, taking on a life of its own and becoming a character in its own right. With some of the richest descriptions I have ever read, this books travels through the creation of Le Cirque Des Reves, the lives of the people that make it possible, and the magic that binds them all together.  It took me awhile to get through it, because while this book is rich and vividly detailed, it is not driven forward by plot, instead lazily meandering its way to its final conclusion. While interesting, it does not demand attention, and often times, wasn't compelling enough for me to want to continue reading. There was no urgency to The Night Circus. 
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Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes

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

3.75

Chilling Effect is a fun romp through space that follows Captain Eva Innocente and her crew as they try to make money, survive, and kinda, save the universe.  All in all, this is a fun, light-hearted book with a very interesting concept that doesn't take itself too seriously. The main character verges on unlikable, swinging wildly from self-pitying to brazenly reckless, but she also has some wonderfully funny and honest moments. The plot is fast paced and keeps you engaged but some aspects of it seem unnecessary and add little to the development of the story. A large chunk of this book relies on a version of the miscommunication trope, which I personally detest, but it definitely made me feel things. The side characters can come off as a little one dimensional in scenes but they serve their purpose and the diverse array of representation (race, gender, sexual orientation, alien species) is a definite bonus. Valdes manages to build up a sci-fi world that is well thought out and easy to understand without spoon-feeding every aspect of it to the reader. This book was worth the read and makes me want to continue on with the series. 
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The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? N/A

5.0

This graphic novel was a beautiful exploration of one family's interactions told through both their lives and fairytales that parallel their experiences. It talks about sexuality, immigration, loss, love, and the intersection of different identities that can occur within one family and within one person. The Magic Fish is hopeful, sorrowful, and emotional as it dances and weaves its way to its ultimate conclusion. 
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