alexiasophii's reviews
416 reviews

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore

funny lighthearted 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? N/A

4.0

This was a sweet and cute book. I thought it was better than the first, the characters seemed more fleshed out and I really enjoyed reading about Hazel. I loved the bookstore and honestly, I would not mind having a bookstore like that (either to own or visit!) haha Overall, it's a fast, cutesy read and perfect for summer or end of summer! 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic. 

This was a beautiful and tragic read that makes us reflect on many things, from life, to sin, to human nature... Lord Henry's musings, especially, are interesting to reflect on. He's what nowadays we would call a "shit-stirrer" who does not know (or doesn't care) about the impact of his words. And Dorian Gray is an interesting character in how he changes. He believes that his life and sins has no impact on him, and all impact is on the painting, but it's that same impact that leads to his demise. It's a very interesting read and I highly recommend it!  

Mocha Latte by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

Remember when I said I would try another book in the series because hopefully, the pacing would be better? Yeah, this one is worse. I'm sorry, but it goes from "we don't know each other" to "we actually work together" to "you're mine and I love you" and "you're moving in" in less than a month or so. 
Taking into consideration that the FMC has ZERO experience in kink, and ZERO experience in relationships (not counting the conservative college boyfriend) it makes no sense, even in the fiction world, to have it move that fast. 

Additionally, even though the MMC starts the conversation with her saying it's Safe, Sane and Consensual he then proceeds to

spank her without talking about it beforehand

. He also proceeds to

HOLD HER TO THE TABLE AND INSERT SOMETHING IN HER BOTTOM WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT BOUNDARIES AND SAFEWORDS! AND WITH HER EXPRESSING HER DESIRE TO STOP! You don't get to dictate if "someone is liking it or not" if they say stop, you stop!!

. I'm sorry, but this scene alone was awful. This is NOT how it's done. I know it's fiction, and I know the author assumes that people reading this type of niche book have an understanding of kink and an understanding of a BDSM dynamic but this is NOT how it should be portrayed even to kink-aware people. 

I genuinely disliked this and it has put me off reading more books in the series, unfortunately.  

Rainbow Sprinkles by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

The pace is too fast. It goes from "Hi, my name is X" to "You're moving in" in less than two weeks and I'm not exaggerating. Additionally, there is no talk about the dynamic, safewording, etc.  The man literally spanks her without even knowing her safeword!!! Like... NO. 
I'm hoping this is because this is the first book in the series and I'm going to try and pick up one later on, but I did not enjoy the pace or the way this relationship was portrayed. I know it's only 190 pages, but there's more you can do with that (or you could have more pages).  

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is a cute lighthearted book and great choice to read during the autumn months. I enjoyed the scenery and the setting where the book happens and related a bit to the MFC regarding self-worth and outlook on life. However, I have two details in the book that made me rate it a 3.75:

The grumpy character isn't really grumpy, he's just annoyed by people trying to pry into his personal life. I mean the man names his chickens as music artists! Additionally, I feel like the book's pace was a bit weird. I enjoyed the pacing in the first half, until the miscommunication conflict, but after that, I feel like it was resolved WAY too quickly and they jumped to "I love you" so fast, it almost gave me whiplash. I  think that could have been a bit more paced.

 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

dark reflective tense medium-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

4.5

I think this is the best book out of the Hunger Games saga, namely because of how much it makes you think and reflect. Suzanne was able to create a character so cruel and so wicked and then write a book making us feel empathy for him. The entire book, in my opinion, is a struggle between feeling empathy for Snow and, at the same time, recognizing where his wickedness began. Additionally, this book is a prime example of a way of teaching us and making us reflect on human nature and mankind. It's like an introduction to Philosophy, in a way. 
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, learning more about this world and how it has made me reflect on the human nature overall.  

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This series was a ride and I finished it completely in love with Peeta, wanting to hug Katniss, missing Prim, and a bit disappointed at Gale. Overall, I think that Suzanne did a great job with the character development of Katniss and I grew to love her. This book is fantastic and it really makes you reflect on human nature, government, and other important topics.  

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

I just want to hug them all, honestly. It's amazing, I am loving this series and this one was my favorite book so far. SO MUCH PAIN! 

Introdução à História do Nosso Tempo: Do Antigo Regime aos Nossos Dias by René Rémond

challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

Mandatory reading for "Contemporary History" class at my uni course.

This is a very good book regarding the study of Contemporary History. It covers much of the history of this period in detail and goes into depth about various historical events. It was one of my mandatory readings and helped a lot in my study and understanding of the topic.

The Hunger Games: Special Edition by Suzanne Collins

adventurous emotional sad tense 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? No

4.25

I don't know why it took me so long to finally pick up this series but I watched the movie last month and decided to pick up the books at least. Regarding the first book, I loved it. I found it to be very detailed and I enjoyed knowing the inside of Katniss's mind and funnily enough, it actually changed my opinion on some characters (that I had from the movies) like Peeta. Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot and can't wait to start the rest of the series.