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sas_lk's reviews
275 reviews
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
A breath of fresh air inbetween difficult books, so cute & wholesome.
Just a little tired of these characters who have no social skills and "never talk to anyone" and "oh no, ew, a human that I need to talk to." I get that, I sometimes have phases like that, but also, you can't be in your 30s with that mindset, it's just a little annoying and I am tired of reading about immature female characters when the male characters are mature. Can't we have both?
Just a little tired of these characters who have no social skills and "never talk to anyone" and "oh no, ew, a human that I need to talk to." I get that, I sometimes have phases like that, but also, you can't be in your 30s with that mindset, it's just a little annoying and I am tired of reading about immature female characters when the male characters are mature. Can't we have both?
Foster by Claire Keegan
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
I feel like you need to be in a very emotional state to feel like this has a huge impact. It's cute but not specifically groundbreaking.
Vanished by Tim Weaver
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
One of those series I can trust to give me a good time, but I'm gonna have to read the next book soon because that ending...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
This book swallowed. me. up. whole.
Loved it so much more than I thought I would. One of those books that literally make no sense but you just need to trust the process and go with the flow. Loved it.
Loved it so much more than I thought I would. One of those books that literally make no sense but you just need to trust the process and go with the flow. Loved it.
Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics by Marc Lamont Hill, Mitchell Plitnick
3.0
Wanted to have a better understanding of the conflict, and my biggest learning: USA is a coloniser and loves destroying everything in its path (mind you, I know it's not normal citizens).
Reading this right after reading Babel by RF Kuang is quite funny, all I need to do is switch Great Britain to USA and it works perfectly for today's world.
Reading this right after reading Babel by RF Kuang is quite funny, all I need to do is switch Great Britain to USA and it works perfectly for today's world.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Woah, this was not what I expected it to be… I feel empty, that’s all I can really say. Damn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Kidnapping, and Murder
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this less than I thought I would have, but I still enjoyed it. I think there are 3 main reasons why this wasn't a 5 star for me.
1- The pacing was a bit off, I felt that we spent too much time with some scenes, and not enough with others.
2- The friendship of the characters never felt truly real to me; it felt more like telling than showing, so I never felt like I could truly "feel" the depth of their relationship. And that only worsened throughout the book to the point where in the 2nd half of the book, it felt like nothing anymore.
3- I was expecting it to be more mind-blowing in terms of the discussion of colonialism. Don't get me wrong, I think the writing was brilliant in terms of making you feel that constant dread that colonialism makes you feel when you slowly start understanding the reality of how things were. However, if you already have quite a good understanding of colonialism and its depth, then this book isn't so mind-blowing which is unfortunate.
I feel bad for saying this, but I think once more books like these (that discuss colonialism in fiction like this) get published, I think this book will go under a little bit.
Either way, I think my expectations were simply too high. However, I still enjoyed it.
Although now I want to study more languages in depth.
1- The pacing was a bit off, I felt that we spent too much time with some scenes, and not enough with others.
2- The friendship of the characters never felt truly real to me; it felt more like telling than showing, so I never felt like I could truly "feel" the depth of their relationship. And that only worsened throughout the book to the point where in the 2nd half of the book, it felt like nothing anymore.
3- I was expecting it to be more mind-blowing in terms of the discussion of colonialism. Don't get me wrong, I think the writing was brilliant in terms of making you feel that constant dread that colonialism makes you feel when you slowly start understanding the reality of how things were. However, if you already have quite a good understanding of colonialism and its depth, then this book isn't so mind-blowing which is unfortunate.
I feel bad for saying this, but I think once more books like these (that discuss colonialism in fiction like this) get published, I think this book will go under a little bit.
Either way, I think my expectations were simply too high. However, I still enjoyed it.
Although now I want to study more languages in depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic friendship and War
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Woah, where to even start. This is such an important novel.
I am so so proud of being a woman, but wow do we have to fight for ourselves daily. In every corner, patriarchy tries to control women, set them back, label them as unreliable; as insane.
In this novel, Knoll discusses the "true crime craze" and how it's low-key so messed up, and that instead of remembering the victims names, it's the murderer, the evil monster that killed them. How many of us know Ted Bundy's name but not his victims names?
Knoll discusses how the media portrays this man, this serial killer as brilliant, handsome, a genius, when all he was, was a sick human being. Why is he admired?
This was a I love women, women are amazing book, and screw inferior men that kill those who shine brighter than them.
I am so so proud of being a woman, but wow do we have to fight for ourselves daily. In every corner, patriarchy tries to control women, set them back, label them as unreliable; as insane.
In this novel, Knoll discusses the "true crime craze" and how it's low-key so messed up, and that instead of remembering the victims names, it's the murderer, the evil monster that killed them. How many of us know Ted Bundy's name but not his victims names?
Knoll discusses how the media portrays this man, this serial killer as brilliant, handsome, a genius, when all he was, was a sick human being. Why is he admired?
This was a I love women, women are amazing book, and screw inferior men that kill those who shine brighter than them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis
2.75
If you have never heard of the anti-prison activism, this might be a good start for you.
This wasn't a bad book, I just wasn't the right audience. This is more for someone who is only just discovering the concept of prison obsolescence. It's more of an introduction and did not discuss any topics deeper.
Also, do not recommend the audiobook, was not a good experience.
This wasn't a bad book, I just wasn't the right audience. This is more for someone who is only just discovering the concept of prison obsolescence. It's more of an introduction and did not discuss any topics deeper.
Also, do not recommend the audiobook, was not a good experience.