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aldoregan's reviews
389 reviews
Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World by Kelly Jensen
4.0
“Your voice, your stories, your experiences—you deserve them, and you deserve to share them as loudly or quietly as you wish.”
Empowering as well as educational.
As I live my life as an eighteen year old girl living in a still developing society, I want to be able to learn about feminism as much as I can. I’ve claimed to be one since I was sixteen, but there are still so much about it that I don’t know about or have yet to understand. I still have my shortcomings as a feminist. And sometimes my actions may contradict with my beliefs. But this is why I want to learn about feminism. I don’t want to blindly pin the label on myself, but not understanding what it truly stands for.
“Go ahead. Go your own way with feminism. What you bring to the party and what inspires you are as important as the party itself.”
Feminism is merely believing that men and women should have equal rights and should be treated equally. It is not man-hating. It is not inclusive to privileged women only. It is not the belief that women are stronger and better. It is the belief of equality. Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World is a very important book because it doesn’t only explain what feminism is all about, it shows all sides of it. It is diverse and inclusive. Just like what true feminism is all about. The essays on this book are written by people of color, by people of the lgbtq+ community, by transmen and women, and even by men. It also gives importance to those who choose to be vocal about feminism and to those who choose to be lowkey about it. This book is an inspiration for all the different types of true feminists around the world.
Read this book. Learn from it.
“The girl you’ll live with cries when she is sad and laughs when she is happy and is brave most of the time but not always and burns fiercely with the light of her own dreams.”
Empowering as well as educational.
As I live my life as an eighteen year old girl living in a still developing society, I want to be able to learn about feminism as much as I can. I’ve claimed to be one since I was sixteen, but there are still so much about it that I don’t know about or have yet to understand. I still have my shortcomings as a feminist. And sometimes my actions may contradict with my beliefs. But this is why I want to learn about feminism. I don’t want to blindly pin the label on myself, but not understanding what it truly stands for.
“Go ahead. Go your own way with feminism. What you bring to the party and what inspires you are as important as the party itself.”
Feminism is merely believing that men and women should have equal rights and should be treated equally. It is not man-hating. It is not inclusive to privileged women only. It is not the belief that women are stronger and better. It is the belief of equality. Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World is a very important book because it doesn’t only explain what feminism is all about, it shows all sides of it. It is diverse and inclusive. Just like what true feminism is all about. The essays on this book are written by people of color, by people of the lgbtq+ community, by transmen and women, and even by men. It also gives importance to those who choose to be vocal about feminism and to those who choose to be lowkey about it. This book is an inspiration for all the different types of true feminists around the world.
Read this book. Learn from it.
“The girl you’ll live with cries when she is sad and laughs when she is happy and is brave most of the time but not always and burns fiercely with the light of her own dreams.”
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
4.0
I bought this solely because it was written by Suzanne Collins, and I haven’t read other books from her apart from the Hunger Games trilogy. Also, it was on sale. I didn’t have any expectations regarding this book, especially since its target audience is children, so I can’t really expect it to have complex concepts. But I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised and I ended up enjoying this book in a way that I never thought I would. I’m actually kinda bummed that I didn’t buy the other books from this series, because now I actually want to continue on with Gregor’s story.
Obsidio by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
5.0
Live a life worth dying for.
this review is long overdue but i just wanna say that reading the finales of the shades of magic trilogy and the illuminae files in the same month (august), was a bad idea. i’m not only dead, i am Super dead.
They look at one another again. And this time, they smile. These seven little pebbles who started an avalanche heard all the way around the universe.
i didn’t wanna go into this with super high expectations because there have been series finales that disappointed me (big time), as well as because finales have a huge effect on how i feel about the entire series as a whole. and since i didn’t want to end up feeling all meh about the illuminae files, i tried to not expect that much from obsidio. my mistake i ever doubted jay kristoff and amie kaufman, they certainly didn’t kill me for two books just to disappoint me on the last book.
The die is cast. But today we will shake the table upon which it lands.
obsidio was a wild ride. i cried, i died, i laughed, i screamed— my emotions were all over the place! the moment i got to the last page, i was just a complete mess. i was sobbing and i had snot coming out of my nose, and i was trying so hard not to get tear stains on the pages. the fact that i was bawling by the time i finished this already says enough. this was an excellent finale and im so satisfied with how things ended.
And outside my skin, an infinity illuminated by a billion stars.
The beauty of the universe in the grandest and smallest things.
im gonna miss my babies so much. this will be one of those books that i can go back to and cry about over and over again. that’s how much my heart loves this series 😭
May we meet again on distant shores.
this review is long overdue but i just wanna say that reading the finales of the shades of magic trilogy and the illuminae files in the same month (august), was a bad idea. i’m not only dead, i am Super dead.
They look at one another again. And this time, they smile. These seven little pebbles who started an avalanche heard all the way around the universe.
i didn’t wanna go into this with super high expectations because there have been series finales that disappointed me (big time), as well as because finales have a huge effect on how i feel about the entire series as a whole. and since i didn’t want to end up feeling all meh about the illuminae files, i tried to not expect that much from obsidio. my mistake i ever doubted jay kristoff and amie kaufman, they certainly didn’t kill me for two books just to disappoint me on the last book.
The die is cast. But today we will shake the table upon which it lands.
obsidio was a wild ride. i cried, i died, i laughed, i screamed— my emotions were all over the place! the moment i got to the last page, i was just a complete mess. i was sobbing and i had snot coming out of my nose, and i was trying so hard not to get tear stains on the pages. the fact that i was bawling by the time i finished this already says enough. this was an excellent finale and im so satisfied with how things ended.
And outside my skin, an infinity illuminated by a billion stars.
The beauty of the universe in the grandest and smallest things.
im gonna miss my babies so much. this will be one of those books that i can go back to and cry about over and over again. that’s how much my heart loves this series 😭
May we meet again on distant shores.
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
5.0
Warning: review is nowhere near as good as the book so i suggest you pick this book up and read it even if my writing makes you want to shove an ice pick in your eye.
ours is a perfect world— but perfection does not linger in one place. it is a firefly, by its very nature elusive and unpredictable.
I read Scythe a year ago and really enjoyed it. It was way better than what I was expecting. After that, I knew that I definitely wanted to continue on with the series. So I picked up Thunderhead and was completely ! mind ! blown ! I wasn’t expecting that to happen. I was so shook wtf. It was such an intense and emotional ride. This trilogy just keeps on surprising me!
Thunderhead just took the whole dystopian genre to a whole new level. This book is insanely brilliant and I’m so happy because it’s been so long since I’ve read a masterful story set in a futuristic, utopian world. It’s safe to say that this book has definitely made it to my top favorites list.
while freedom gives rise to growth and enlightenment, permission allows evil to flourish in a light of day that would otherwise destroy it.
I’ve said before that Scythe is such a philosophical book and I still stand by that. It’s such a thought provoking novel and it really discusses society, life, death, human nature, etc. in such a brilliant way. The fact that Neal Shusterman added the religion parallels makes this even better! I never saw it coming, but I know that it will make a huge turn for the rest of the story.
That last part killed me ! I was literally screaming because I couldn’t believe that ! that ! was ! happening ! I was shaking, you guys! Shaking! And I was also crying! I’m still not over it 😫. I’ve read somewhere that the third book is gonna have a time jump. Probably a year? 10 years? A hundred? Idk but this just makes me so scared for what’s to come.
if we were judged by the things we most regret, no human being would be worthy to sweep the floor.
I can’t believe it took me so long to pick this book up! I won’t be making the same mistake twice. Catch me running to the nearest bookstore when January comes /im just assuming that the book comes out in january, i really dont know when it comes out/
death must exist for life to have meaning.
ours is a perfect world— but perfection does not linger in one place. it is a firefly, by its very nature elusive and unpredictable.
I read Scythe a year ago and really enjoyed it. It was way better than what I was expecting. After that, I knew that I definitely wanted to continue on with the series. So I picked up Thunderhead and was completely ! mind ! blown ! I wasn’t expecting that to happen. I was so shook wtf. It was such an intense and emotional ride. This trilogy just keeps on surprising me!
Thunderhead just took the whole dystopian genre to a whole new level. This book is insanely brilliant and I’m so happy because it’s been so long since I’ve read a masterful story set in a futuristic, utopian world. It’s safe to say that this book has definitely made it to my top favorites list.
while freedom gives rise to growth and enlightenment, permission allows evil to flourish in a light of day that would otherwise destroy it.
I’ve said before that Scythe is such a philosophical book and I still stand by that. It’s such a thought provoking novel and it really discusses society, life, death, human nature, etc. in such a brilliant way. The fact that Neal Shusterman added the religion parallels makes this even better! I never saw it coming, but I know that it will make a huge turn for the rest of the story.
That last part killed me ! I was literally screaming because I couldn’t believe that ! that ! was ! happening ! I was shaking, you guys! Shaking! And I was also crying! I’m still not over it 😫. I’ve read somewhere that the third book is gonna have a time jump. Probably a year? 10 years? A hundred? Idk but this just makes me so scared for what’s to come.
if we were judged by the things we most regret, no human being would be worthy to sweep the floor.
I can’t believe it took me so long to pick this book up! I won’t be making the same mistake twice. Catch me running to the nearest bookstore when January comes /im just assuming that the book comes out in january, i really dont know when it comes out/
death must exist for life to have meaning.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
4.0
I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. […] And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.
IF YOURE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT READ SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA AND CLAP YOUR HANDS
Warning: This review is not much of a review because, really, it’s just me gushing about how adorable this book is.
This book is a huge breath of fresh air. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever read a YA contemporary romance book that isn’t set in a stereotypical high school with teachers who turn a blind eye to every shit that happens, and doesn’t have walking cliche for characters with parents who don’t give a shit about them. While I was reading this, I could not stop smiling. This was everything I’ve wanted from a contemporary romance. The story might be cliche but it was beautiful. A heartwarming coming of age story is what the lgbtq+ community needed. This book makes me so genuinely happy !!! I love Simon!!! I love his relationship with his parents, his sisters, his friends!!! I love the adorable storyline!!!! I love how homey this book felt!!!
I love the fact that Simon is so close with his family. They have their own little traditions, they play games with each other, they watch the bachelor together. Their interactions were just so nice and it was just so refreshing to read about a normal family. I love how supportive and understanding his parents are and how they were always there for him. AJSJSJSJ I just love the family aspect in this book!!! It’s not everyday that we get a YA contempo with a character who has a good relationship with their family.
Being secure in your masculinity isn’t the same as being straight.
I love the adorable friendship Simon has with his friends. The fact that they didn’t even turn Simon’s coming out as a huge deal was so nice. It was like it was just a normal thing for them. They’re so funny and cute and their hang outs are always fun and they just make me so happy. I literally cried when they fought because it hurt so much.
The emails storyline was so adorable!!!! I love Blue and I love their emails and I love how they have those little inside jokes. Ajsjsjsj It was so cute I couldn’t stop myself from smiling ear to ear whenever I’d read their emails. Anyway, I totally knew who Blue was the moment Bram made an appearance. I had a gut feeling that it was him and I was right! There are so many cute scenes I wanna discuss like when Blue left a band t-shirt on Simon’s locker!!!!! And that scene when Simon, on the verge of losing hope, finally meets Blue!!!!! That note on the shirt with Blue’s phone number!!!!! That last scene in Simon’s house!!!!! AAAAHHHHH THIS IS THE CUTEST BOOK I’VE READ IN A LONG TIME AND IM SORRY FOR GUSHING BUT THIS IS JUST SO ADORABLE AND IT’S SUCH A HEARTWARMING BOOK IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!
The only reason I couldn’t get myself to give this book a 5/5 was because I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. However, it didn’t really ruin the book for me and I still really loved it despite of that.
In conclusion, I was so happy by the end of the story that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I immediately watched the film right after I closed the book and it was as adorable as the novel. It didn’t actually stay true to the book but the feel of it was still there, the characters were portrayed perfectly, and the the whole message of the book was delivered. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to go and read more Becky Albertalli books.
sometimes it seems like everyone knows who I am except me.
IF YOURE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT READ SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA AND CLAP YOUR HANDS
Warning: This review is not much of a review because, really, it’s just me gushing about how adorable this book is.
This book is a huge breath of fresh air. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever read a YA contemporary romance book that isn’t set in a stereotypical high school with teachers who turn a blind eye to every shit that happens, and doesn’t have walking cliche for characters with parents who don’t give a shit about them. While I was reading this, I could not stop smiling. This was everything I’ve wanted from a contemporary romance. The story might be cliche but it was beautiful. A heartwarming coming of age story is what the lgbtq+ community needed. This book makes me so genuinely happy !!! I love Simon!!! I love his relationship with his parents, his sisters, his friends!!! I love the adorable storyline!!!! I love how homey this book felt!!!
I love the fact that Simon is so close with his family. They have their own little traditions, they play games with each other, they watch the bachelor together. Their interactions were just so nice and it was just so refreshing to read about a normal family. I love how supportive and understanding his parents are and how they were always there for him. AJSJSJSJ I just love the family aspect in this book!!! It’s not everyday that we get a YA contempo with a character who has a good relationship with their family.
Being secure in your masculinity isn’t the same as being straight.
I love the adorable friendship Simon has with his friends. The fact that they didn’t even turn Simon’s coming out as a huge deal was so nice. It was like it was just a normal thing for them. They’re so funny and cute and their hang outs are always fun and they just make me so happy. I literally cried when they fought because it hurt so much.
The emails storyline was so adorable!!!! I love Blue and I love their emails and I love how they have those little inside jokes. Ajsjsjsj It was so cute I couldn’t stop myself from smiling ear to ear whenever I’d read their emails. Anyway, I totally knew who Blue was the moment Bram made an appearance. I had a gut feeling that it was him and I was right! There are so many cute scenes I wanna discuss like when Blue left a band t-shirt on Simon’s locker!!!!! And that scene when Simon, on the verge of losing hope, finally meets Blue!!!!! That note on the shirt with Blue’s phone number!!!!! That last scene in Simon’s house!!!!! AAAAHHHHH THIS IS THE CUTEST BOOK I’VE READ IN A LONG TIME AND IM SORRY FOR GUSHING BUT THIS IS JUST SO ADORABLE AND IT’S SUCH A HEARTWARMING BOOK IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!
The only reason I couldn’t get myself to give this book a 5/5 was because I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. However, it didn’t really ruin the book for me and I still really loved it despite of that.
In conclusion, I was so happy by the end of the story that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I immediately watched the film right after I closed the book and it was as adorable as the novel. It didn’t actually stay true to the book but the feel of it was still there, the characters were portrayed perfectly, and the the whole message of the book was delivered. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to go and read more Becky Albertalli books.
sometimes it seems like everyone knows who I am except me.
Sleep Deprived by thepurplerose
2.0
I'm not even going to bother writing a long and detailed review for this one. Ending this book feels underwhelming because I expected so much and literally didn't get a single thing from my expectations. The beginning was good but this dragged out, and it became a pain in the ass for me to read it because there were too many unnecessary parts. Also, I had a difficult time trying to like the characters. They felt a bit too superficial to me. Also, I understand that this is a character-driven story but the way it was executed was so bland. Too bad.
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
5.0
second read: April 08, 2018
still hurts goddammit
RTC
first read: March 31, 2015
SO GOOD. SOOOOO GOOD.
still hurts goddammit
RTC
first read: March 31, 2015
SO GOOD. SOOOOO GOOD.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
5.0
“plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”
How dare you VE Schwab???? How dare you play with my emotions through your books— your magnificent writing, and your wonderful characters, and your out of this world stories???? HOW DARE YOUUU???
honestly, i may be dead after all that. but *someone* better resurrect me when the long awaited sequel comes out.
“be lost. give up. give in. in the end it would be better to surrender before you begin. be lost. be lost and then you will not care if you are ever found.”
im so headass for Schwab’s stories but i! cant! help! it! they’re! so! good! this is the kind of book that you should read without knowing anything so i wont say much. just know that this has immediately become one of my all time favorites and it may be one of the best anti hero stories out there. everything that happens is so unexpected. the writing is captivating (as usual). the characters are so well written and have so much depth and complexity. they’re awfully flawed but despite that they’re still likable??? idk how to explain it, but i loved literally all of the characters in this book— the heroes and the villains alike. the storyline is intensifying and fascinating. the whole exploration of what really is good and bad so brilliantly well done. i live for stories with morally grey characters and this was everything i wanted and needed it to be! everything was wonderful !!!!
it’s one of the best books i’ve ever read and my words may never be able to justify how outstanding and brilliant this book is! i would honestly yell about how much i love it for the whole world to hear if i could, that’s how crazy i am for it! lol
“the moments that define lives aren’t always obvious. they don’t scream LEDGE, and nine times out of ten there’s no rope to duck under, no line to cross, no blood pact, no official letter on fancy paper. they aren’t always protracted, heavy with meaning.”
How dare you VE Schwab???? How dare you play with my emotions through your books— your magnificent writing, and your wonderful characters, and your out of this world stories???? HOW DARE YOUUU???
honestly, i may be dead after all that. but *someone* better resurrect me when the long awaited sequel comes out.
“be lost. give up. give in. in the end it would be better to surrender before you begin. be lost. be lost and then you will not care if you are ever found.”
im so headass for Schwab’s stories but i! cant! help! it! they’re! so! good! this is the kind of book that you should read without knowing anything so i wont say much. just know that this has immediately become one of my all time favorites and it may be one of the best anti hero stories out there. everything that happens is so unexpected. the writing is captivating (as usual). the characters are so well written and have so much depth and complexity. they’re awfully flawed but despite that they’re still likable??? idk how to explain it, but i loved literally all of the characters in this book— the heroes and the villains alike. the storyline is intensifying and fascinating. the whole exploration of what really is good and bad so brilliantly well done. i live for stories with morally grey characters and this was everything i wanted and needed it to be! everything was wonderful !!!!
it’s one of the best books i’ve ever read and my words may never be able to justify how outstanding and brilliant this book is! i would honestly yell about how much i love it for the whole world to hear if i could, that’s how crazy i am for it! lol
“the moments that define lives aren’t always obvious. they don’t scream LEDGE, and nine times out of ten there’s no rope to duck under, no line to cross, no blood pact, no official letter on fancy paper. they aren’t always protracted, heavy with meaning.”