annalenawrites's reviews
340 reviews

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was intense. I'd been wanting to read it for years and I'm glad I finally did. It's very well written and it made me think a lot... It was both more than I expected and a bit underwhelming as I would have expected more development or a more wrapped up ending. At the same time, I appreciate how real and authentic this felt 

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This was so beautiful and it felt so real!! 

Vem ska trösta Knyttet? by Tove Jansson

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was really cute

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

This was cute with an unusual storyline and I enjoyed it but it felt quite rushed and I didn't connect with the storyline and characters very much 

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

This was so beautitul and heartfelt and funny and emotional! It really made me fall in love with the characters and the ending made me tear up on the bus! 

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This was soooo cute!! Loved it! Imogen was so relatable and the whole story felt so cute and wholesome and realistic!! Falling for someone quickly, having your first kiss, all these questions and doubts about who you are and what your sexuality is and how to label it and what it all means, going to college... I loved the friend group and siblings in this and how supportive everyone was!! I also really enjoyed how the antagonist created conflict but was still understandable. I would love to reread this sometime and would definitely recommend!!

The Torrents of Spring by Ernest Hemingway

2.5

Probably a strange choice for my first Hemingway. The parody made it hard to tell which parts (if any) were Hemingway's voice and narration and which parts were satire. A sort of fun and surreal story, a quick read, but not great. The author's notes were amusing but took me out of the story and surprised me and I didn't connect with any of the characters or particularly care about or enjoy their story. 

The Golden Raven by Nora Sakavic

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

4.75

Jean!!! My heart!! This was so good. I just love all of Nora's books and I don't care about writing style or anything like that when it comes to these stories, she just writes such strong characters that I can't help but care for. I am obsessed with Jean and Jeremy and the whole team and their friendships and relationships. The comments about brothers and fathers, about identity... some of these lines really hit hard! There's so much trauma and self-loathing but also healing and joy and development and it's so beautiful to see. Nora really creates clear images and settings. And there's so much depth to these characters that I feel like I know them but at the same time I can never fully know them because they have backstories and inner worlds and there's more to them than what's on the page and not every writer can do that. I wish I could have read some of these scenes/ chapters from the Foxes perspective but it was fun to see them through different eyes as well and to root for the Trojans. So much happened in this book and I can't wait for the next one!

Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

An interesting book about hope and humanity and pleasure and pain and suffering and the future... some interesting ideas and insights but not that much that was actually new to me. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first one.

The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power by Katherine Morgan Schafler

inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

So so so good. So much of this resonated and I underlined so many good quotes! Really important and much deeper than I expected, it talks about way more than just perfectionism and reframes perfectionism as a gift, making perfectionists feel less wrong/ bad/ broken. It made me think a lot about my identity and behavior, my mental health, and how to be more connected to myself and others, more compassionate and forgiving, and less judgmental. It also helped me reconsider and reframe some negative core beliefs. The book is very inclusive although the focus is on women and I'm so glad I read this and will be recommending it to friends.