This was a cute picture book about Chinese Lunar New Year customs (although the end of the book also offers additional information about dishes eaten This was a cute picture book about Chinese Lunar New Year customs (although the end of the book also offers additional information about dishes eaten by other Asian cultures during Lunar New Year celebrations in Tibet, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Korea). Personally, I would've been interested in learning more about how Lunar New Year customs differ across Asia, but overall, this was still an informative picture book.
This slice-of-life novel started pretty interesting, with Takako quitting her job and moving into her uncle's second-hand bookshop after she find2.5/5
This slice-of-life novel started pretty interesting, with Takako quitting her job and moving into her uncle's second-hand bookshop after she finds out that her boyfriend (whom she works with) will be marrying someone else (who also works in the same office). I started losing interest halfway through the book when the story focused on the uncle and his wife who had left him and then returned several years later.
Audiobook Comments: As with the first book, this is one of the rare fantasy books that I don't mind listening to via audiobook (which I listened to at Audiobook Comments: As with the first book, this is one of the rare fantasy books that I don't mind listening to via audiobook (which I listened to at x1.4 speed). The more I think about it, the more I realize it must be because the writing style for this book is very easy to digest (unlike a lot of high-fantasy novels that have dense prose and detailed worldbuilding, which require that I take my time to read the physical novel to fully absorb the content). It also helps that the audiobook narrators were great. One of the downsides to the audiobook is that I did find it hard to keep track of all the characters (thankfully, most of the non-memorable ones were killed off, but still. Too many characters to follow, which also means a lot of side characters were left undeveloped).
What I didn't like: As for the story itself, I didn't like this book nearly as much as the first book. I felt like the pacing was all over the place - certain parts dragged to the point where I was starting to feel bored, and other parts flew by so quickly, that I wasn't sure how we even got there in the first place.
Overall, though, the first half of the book was slow and repetitive with Violet constantly pining for Xaden while also trying to stay mad at him. I was also a tad disappointed that Xaden and Violet's relationship didn't seem to develop much in this novel - probably because Xaden wasn't present for the most part as they only saw each other once a week or so. It also bothered me that Xaden didn't seem to do much to win back Violet's trust aside from waiting for her to talk to him and ask him questions - he really should have just offered up information to her rather than wait for her to ask the right questions... For a couple who can read each other's minds, they sure don't know how to communicate and foster a healthy relationship.
What I did like: Varrish was a great villain, Dain redeemed himself, the battle during the second half of the novel was intense, and the twist at the end has left me curious as to where this series is heading.
What I'm hoping for in the next book: - Finding out if Violet will get a second signet and what it would be now that Andarna is grown. - I'd love for Dain, Brennan, and Mira's characters to be more developed. - I would also like for Violet's relationships with Andarna and Tairn to be more developed as well. - I can't wait to see what will happen to Xaden and his relationship with Violet - I'd also love for more of Xaden's POV....more
I nearly gave up about 40% in, but I decided to keep going with the misguided hope that the book would get Did I read the same book as everyone else?
I nearly gave up about 40% in, but I decided to keep going with the misguided hope that the book would get better. After all, the people have spoken and over 157k Goodreads users have voted for this book in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Romance - so the story has to get better right?
The more I listened to this audiobook (which I listened to at x1.25 speed), the more annoyed I felt about the characters and their relationships.
The story follows Harriet, who goes on her annual cottage getaway with her best friends. The only issue is that her ex-fiancé is there too and none of their friends know that they've broken up and haven't spoken to each other in months. So as not to ruin the mood, Harriet and Wyn decide to pretend that they're still together.
First of all, this book jumped back and forth between "the real world", "the happy place" and "the dark place." The "real world" being present day, the "happy place" being approximately 8 years ago when Harriet and Wyn first met, and the "dark place" being approximately 6 months ago (I think) when they broke up. I hated this format of storytelling and thought it was poorly executed. Perhaps it's because I read the book in audiobook format, but I found it rather hard to follow and figure out the timeline (years and dates were never mentioned so I took a guess as to the approximate timeframe). I also didn't feel any chemistry between Harriet and Wyn when they were in their "happy place" and was surprised that their relationship lasted this long. The "dark place" was frustrating to read because Harriet and Wyn put zero efforts into their relationship.
Secondly, this book made me question whether or not the author has ever been in an 8+ year relationship (or friendship) because for a couple who have supposedly been together for 8 years, Harriet and Wyn act and communicate with one another like they've only been together for a year or two and called it quits after their honeymoon period was over and things started to get real (likewise, Harriet and her friends don't seem to communicate to each other very effectively either). There was zero communication between any of the characters. How do you spend 8 years with someone without ever talking about your feelings? (view spoiler)[How is it that Harriet has never noticed that Wyn was struggling with his mental health? Also, she cheated on him and they don't even need to work through that because all is forgiven? Just like that? (hide spoiler)] Their relationship was destined to fail.
Finally, I didn't like any of the characters. Harriet was annoying and complains about hating being a neurosurgeon resident without really explaining why (aside from it being tiring) and her entire personality is just being obsessed with Wyn while occasionally dabbling in Wyn-inspired pottery. I don't know why the author decided to make Harriet a neurosurgeon (to make her seem smart so that we don't question her stupid decisions?) and why this career choice wasn't explored further (ex. why hasn't Harriet contemplated switching to another medical field that doesn't require doing brain surgery?). Wyn also doesn't have a personality, is incredibly dull, and the only interesting thing about him is that he has a secret skill that he's kept hidden from Harriet (view spoiler)[(furniture making...) (hide spoiler)]. Then there's Harriet's friends, who are immature and terrible. I have no idea how any of these relationships and friendships have survived this long.
This was not a rom-com. It was barely even a romance novel. If you want to read a book centered entirely around miscommunication, then this would be it. ...more
I can't stand the male narrator's voice. The writing style also seems very middle-grade (or maybe it's just theDNF 2% or 12 minutes into the audiobook
I can't stand the male narrator's voice. The writing style also seems very middle-grade (or maybe it's just the narrator, narrating it as if it was a mg novel). ...more
A more accurate title of this book would be: The Rise and Fall of the KKK Leader, Grand Dragon D.C. Stephenson
The current title of the book is pr2.5/5
A more accurate title of this book would be: The Rise and Fall of the KKK Leader, Grand Dragon D.C. Stephenson
The current title of the book is pretty inaccurate - no, the Ku Klux Klan weren't stopped (rather, it was just the Grand Dragon that was stopped, while the rest of the Klan hid in the shadows, probably waiting for the bad publicity to die down) and no, this isn't a story about a heroic feminist activist who had set out on a mission to stop the KKK (instead, it is the story of an abused white woman who literally made a deathbed testimony that was later used in court to convict Stephenson).
Don't get me wrong - this wasn't a bad book. But the title and synopsis was a bit misleading.
The book did a great job highlighting the history of the KKK, their racist and discriminatory views and practices, and their terrifying rise in popularity during the 1920s. What this book struggled to do was focus on the central story about "the Woman Who Stopped Them" (she wasn't introduced until much later in the book and even then, readers don't know much about her except for the detailed abuse that she had to endure). The book also failed to tie the downfall of D.C. Stephenson (and the resulting decrease in popularity of Klan membership) to their racist and discriminatory practices that the book focused on for the better half of the book. The reality appears to be that Stephenson's downfall only came when he brutally raped, tortured, and essentially murdered a white woman. While this was an extremely tragic event that successfully stopped Stephenson and stalled the KKK, it certainly did not stop the KKK - it just forced them into hiding.
The flowery purple prose was too much for me. Case in point:
"I wished I could show her my daydreams and spread them out on a table like so many c
2.5/5
The flowery purple prose was too much for me. Case in point:
"I wished I could show her my daydreams and spread them out on a table like so many cards. Here, there's me wandering through a marketplace where people speak in a language that smells of rosewater and spices. Look, there's us, picking apple blossoms while we talk about our adventure. And again, we are holding hands. Now our teacups tremble and Time nips at our heels. Turn the card - Us. We are two blues, the neat seam of dusk and dawn. We share a sky, if not a soul, and yet we are cut of the same shades."
This was a very slow-moving, gothic, fairytale-like story that is told in two POVs - the Bridegroom and Azure, both of whom tell the story of how they met and were captivated by the mysterious and ethereal Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. Life with Indigo was like stepping into an enchanting and dreamlike world because she was obsessed with myths and fantasies and always spoke and acted as if she were living in a fairytale.
This was such a strange story that features numerous toxic relationships... but I guess toxic relationships are the norm in myths and fairytales.
The 'magical' elements felt like they came straight out of a fever dream, making you question if the House of Dreams (where Indigo grew up) is actually magical (or haunted), or if everyone is just constantly high out of their minds.
tl;dr - a really weird book. I can't say that I liked it, but there were certain parts of the story and writing that stood out to me.
___________________________ If you like the following books, then you might enjoy The Last Tale of the Flower Bride or vice-versa:
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A psychological thriller about a mother with a history of sleepwalking who is trying to find her missing son while questioning whether or not she3.5/5
A psychological thriller about a mother with a history of sleepwalking who is trying to find her missing son while questioning whether or not she had anything to do with her son’s disappearance.
This was a very interesting take on the unreliable narrator POV, with a very intriguing premise and a few unexpected twists.
The pacing was a bit on the slow side though, and it took awhile before I started becoming more invested in the story. There were also a lot of missed opportunities (particularly when listening in audiobook format) for the story to play up the podcast angle and I was a bit disappointed that there were no podcast excerpts included in the book.
The audiobook narration was great. I listened to the audiobook at x1.35 speed....more
I really wanted to love this book because Becky Albertalli is so great at writing cute and heartwarming YA lgbt novels.
This story is about Imogen, whI really wanted to love this book because Becky Albertalli is so great at writing cute and heartwarming YA lgbt novels.
This story is about Imogen, who is the greatest LGBTQ+ ally ever - her sister and all her friends are queer, she speaks the language and is completely immersed in the culture. But she's also straight and all her friends and family knows it. Except when she visits her best friend Lilli in college, Lilli reveals that she's been telling all her queer college friends that they used to date (in order to appear more interesting I guess, and to be "more queer"). So, being the good friend that Imogen is, she plays into the role. But the more she hangs out with Lilli and her friends, the more she starts developing feelings for one of Lilli's friends, Tessa. Are Imogen's feelings real or did she play too hard into her pretend role? How is it possible that she's never had these types of feelings until now? Is she not actually as straight as she thought she was?
I liked the message that Albertalli was trying to convey but this book lacked Albertalli's usual heartwarming romance and awkwardly cute characters (ok, Imogen and Tessa were kind of cute, but their friends were all pretty annoying). Instead, it's very evident that this story came from a place of frustration and annoyance towards people who like to compare gay sizes by competing over who is gayer than the other. Because that's what Imogen and Lilli's group of friends were like - a group of queer students whose entire identity and personality centers around their queerness to the point where they make others question whether or not they're queer enough or have enough queer experiences to belong in that community or 'safe' space.
It's honestly a book that made me feel frustrated and angry at times, which I guess is the point. But it should have been better balanced out with more likeable characters and fun/sweet moments.
(view spoiler)[Instead, we're provided with a story about Imogen, who is questioning her sexual identity while her incredibly toxic demon of a friend, Gretchen (who is queer and therefore is an expert on all things queer-related (hide spoiler)]...more
DNF 41% or 6 hours and 9 minutes into the audiobook
Perhaps Greek mythology is a hit or miss for me but this book should not be compared to Circe -DNF 41% or 6 hours and 9 minutes into the audiobook
Perhaps Greek mythology is a hit or miss for me but this book should not be compared to Circe - this was a boring retelling with dull characterizations.
I listened to the audiobook at x1.25 speed....more
DNF 20% or 1 hour and 38 minutes into the audiobook
I just couldn't get into this audiobook. The narration felt disjointed and I couldn't connect with DNF 20% or 1 hour and 38 minutes into the audiobook
I just couldn't get into this audiobook. The narration felt disjointed and I couldn't connect with the character/narrator (first person POV). I also had a hard time focusing and maintaining interest in what was happening. ...more
This was a beautifully written story that follows three generations of Weyward women - Altha, in 1619, who stands trial for using witchcraft to m3.5/5
This was a beautifully written story that follows three generations of Weyward women - Altha, in 1619, who stands trial for using witchcraft to murder a man; Violet, in 1949, who is mistreated by her father for being 'different' and too much like her mother; and Kate, who is on the run from her abusive partner and goes into hiding at her great-aunt Violet's cottage.
This was a very slow-moving novel and it was a bit difficult for me to get into the story at first but by the halfway mark, I became more and more invested in the lives of the three Weyward women and the struggles that they faced, particularly when it came to their encounters and experiences with abusive men and abusive relationships.
Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook at x1.35 speed. All three narrators were great and easily distinguishable from one another.
The story follows Connor Prince, a documentarian who wasIf you love watching dating shows, then you're really going to enjoy The True Love Experiment!
The story follows Connor Prince, a documentarian who was tasked by his boss to create a dating show, or else. So, he decided to create a show based on the famous romance novelist, Felicity "Fizzy" Chen since she has a really big personality and a huge fan base - both of which would make her the ideal candidate for a dating show.
The dating show aspect of the book was actually a lot of fun and quite different from any dating show I've seen as the dating candidates all follow romance novel character archetypes (like a tattooed bad boy, hot nerd, the one who got away, cinnamon roll, and vampire - yes, a vampire!) and Fizzy's fans would actually vote on who gets to advance to the next round. Given Fizzy's personality and some of the candidates, this seems like a reality show that I would actually want to watch. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, sparks fly between Fizzy and Connor as they struggle to keep their emotions in check in order to make the show a success.
Although this is the second book of the DNADuo series, you can probably get away with not reading the first book, The Soulmate Equation. With that being said though, fans of the first book will probably still enjoy this one as Jess and River do make several appearances as side characters and the GeneticAlly matchmaking technology is also used as part of the dating show.
Audiobook Comments The audiobook narration, in dual POVs (Fizzy and Connor), was great. I listened at x1.3 speed....more
Fans of Hallmark movies will probably like this book.
It has all the makings of a Hallmark movie (minus the holiday setting) - a cozy PG-rated romanceFans of Hallmark movies will probably like this book.
It has all the makings of a Hallmark movie (minus the holiday setting) - a cozy PG-rated romance set in a small town, cheesy and predictable plot, cartoonish characters with stereotypical personalities who spout unrealistic dialogue, and forced chemistry.
Overall, it was a really easy, quick, and unmemorable read as the story was quite formulaic and the characters lacked depth and development.
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
This memoir primarily focused on two things: 1) Kerry Washington's experience as an actress, and 2) her grappling with the secret that her parents had kThis memoir primarily focused on two things: 1) Kerry Washington's experience as an actress, and 2) her grappling with the secret that her parents had kept from her for most of her life.
I thought the best parts of the memoir were the parts about Washington's foray into acting, and little behind-the-scenes tidbits about the various roles that she's played (although even more details would have been appreciated!)
The parts of the memoir where she dives into more personal stories and experiences lacked a certain level of introspection to really make the memoir stand out. The stories about Washington's personal life felt disjointed from the rest of the memoir and seems to have been included mainly as a 'shock factor' to make the book even more marketable than other celebrity memoirs. Given the lack of meaningful and vulnerable self-reflection, I think this memoir should have focused primarily on Washington's career instead (for example, like Bryan Cranston's memoir, Life in Parts).
Overall, reading this memoir felt like I skimmed through Washington's major life events without getting to know her better on a more personal and intimate level.
I listened to the audiobook at x1.4 speed.
_______________________ If you liked the following books, then you might enjoy Thicker Than Water or vice-versa:
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I'm not familiar with actress Minka Kelly but I'm a sucker for any kind of celebrity audiobook memoir so I decided to listen to this book.
This wa3.5/5
I'm not familiar with actress Minka Kelly but I'm a sucker for any kind of celebrity audiobook memoir so I decided to listen to this book.
This was a very introspective memoir that mainly focused on unpacking Kelly's childhood trauma and dysfunctional relationship with her mother who worked as a stripper, struggled with addiction, and bounced around from place to place as she tried to make ends meet. Because of this, Kelly went through a lot growing up but was somehow still able to pull herself out of her trauma-filled past to become a surgical nurse, and then a fairly successful actress. Her journey of healing and forgiving her mother was tough but it seems like she came through stronger than ever. Kudos to her.
I listened to the audiobook at x1.45 speed.
_____________________ If you liked the following books, then you might also like Tell Me Everything or vice-versa:
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This must be a world record for me. Not even a minute into the audiobook and I have to call it quits because IDNF at 45 seconds into the audiobook....
This must be a world record for me. Not even a minute into the audiobook and I have to call it quits because I can't stand the narrator's strange inflection and tone....more
This was a slice-of-life story about a gay black veteran from Afghanistan who gets a secondhand camera only to find that it's haunted by the ghost of This was a slice-of-life story about a gay black veteran from Afghanistan who gets a secondhand camera only to find that it's haunted by the ghost of a gay rockstar from the 70s. It's kind of a sweet story as they both get to know each other, but I also found the story to be rather aimless and lacking in depth.
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