ameronie's reviews
291 reviews

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

beautifully written and crafted. i just couldn't connect with this at all.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

4.0

keiko has been a convenience store worker for 18 years and reflects on what it means to truly be a worker, the store as the space that shapes and dictates her entire life and the social ramification she and others like her  face when they do not meet the expectations japan's society places upon them. there's also an annoying incel involved. skillfully written, a page turner of a character study and my personal hell of a life portrayed. 
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

this is the first memoir i ever managed to finish. the challenging themes were brilliantly intertwined with humorous remarks that never lessened the impact of the events the author shared. (also dan schneider is scum)
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Milk Fed by Melissa Broder

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

intriguing and often times challenging read about the way we see, shape, desire and hide bodies and how that's intertwined with the celebration and restriction of food. the graphic descriptions of eating disorders, sex and mommy issues induced fantasies surely aren't for everyone but they worked for me. by the end i grew somewhat attached to the main character and wished i could go to one of her stand up gigs. instead i'll make sure to pick up more of melissa broder's work!
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Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt by Olga Grjasnowa

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the magic of this is that it's full of inner and external conflicts and not a single one ever gets resolved. 
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

4.5 stars for enjoyment but I don't like to pretend that a book is amazing just because of that. Loved the setting as I am a grad student working in academia/humanities. The tension between Olive and Adam actually got to me which doesn't happen often. But I will say that most of the romance aspects of this felt either trope-y or forced. It didn't help that the author uses a side character to basically entangle the protagonist and her fake boyfriend into all sorts of romance genre cliches. Yes, I did internally scream in happiness at them all yet technically, it didn't feel cleverly executed.  
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Loveless by Alice Oseman

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

another one of alice oseman's 'i wish i could've read this as a teenager' books. wonderful and relatable exploration of queer love and sexuality. the theatre sub plot sadly felt like a filler and the uni setting could've been utilized in a much more vivid way. i appreciated everything about the protagnost's inner journey, though. you can definitely tell that this is own voices!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Die Physiker by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

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dark funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Writers & Lovers by Lily King

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

it doesn't happen often that there is nothing I would change about a book but everything about this one worked for me. alternative title: trauma, relationships and passion under capitalism and patriarchy - a cautionary love letter to writing and the commodification of art.