annalenawrites's reviews
341 reviews

My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this. I love how it talks about mothers and daughters, marriage, friendship, New York City, the aids pandemic... it's a beautiful, thoughtful, wonderful book and I adore Elizabeth Strout's writing style. I always wonder how much of this is based on her own life because I just can't imagine anyone being able to come up with a fictional story like this, with so many details. I'm amazed. I devoured this in a day and I'd love to read more of her books.

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

This was really fun and cute and helped me get into the mood for Christmas. I do think the conflict at the end could have been resolved easier and the main character could have taken charge of her life more but I also really enjoyed the representation of someone with generalized anxiety disorder, with trauma, someone who got stuck in her 20s because her plan didn't work out. I like how the book discusses failure and the fear of failure becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. I really enjoyed the friendships in the story and of course the love story. I'd also love to read more sapphic holiday romcoms, this was great!

Homo Sacer: Sovereign Power and Bare Life by Giorgio Agamben
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

Read for uni, didn't have time to finish

Society Must Be Defended: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1975-1976 by Michel Foucault
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.

Read for uni, didn't have time to read the whole book

Jävla karlar by Andrev Walden

reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

This was honestly really good, it just took me forever to read because Swedish is my third language. I read it for a course and don't necessarily think it's appropriate to read in an academic setting but it was a very enjoyable read, I really liked the narrator's voice throughout the book and the idea of following the author throughout his own childhood.

The Beginning of Everything by Jackie Fraser

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

This was really lovely and hopeful. It felt like such a calm and peaceful read and I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style as well as the setting and the characters and their development. No complaints! Would absolutely recommend! Gethin is amazing and Jess is really relatable and a great main character. I also liked how mature the characters were, it's nice to read about people who aren't in their 20s.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This was SO GOOD. Easily one of the best books I've ever read. I absolutely devoured it and simultaneously never wanted it to end. I read the author's note and acknowledgements eagerly because I didn't want it to be over. 

Elsie is such a great main character, so relatable and funny and I love her development. I think a lot of women with anxiety and/ or autism would relate to her a lot and that's really valuable. Her roommate and family are unique side characters that add a lot to the story's charm. 

The plot was amazing. I loved the academic setting and the story starting with a professorship job interview. I love that main characters aren't academic rivals but he was still standing in the way of her career, I think that was a really interesting plotline that I haven't read before. 

I LOVE Jack as a character. Would marry him in a heartbeat. He's so considerate, attentive, caring, gentle, loving, smart, and multi-faceted. The characters' initial dislike of each other feels very real and understandable but later it's also very clear how they misunderstood each other. 

The plot twist was predictable in a way that made me excited to have guessed it because there were hints throughout the book, not shockingly out of nowhere but also not predictable in a boring way. 

I'll read this again in the future and I definitely want to read more by the author, I'm really positively surprised by how mucj I loved this!!

The Situationship by Abby Jimenez

lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

This was way too short in my opinion and I didn't really vibe with the narrator and the humor. It was still a fun, quick read and I would have enjoyed it as a bonus chapter of Just for the Summer but in my opinion it's too short to count as a novella on its own.

Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings

emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was SO GOOD. The drama, the rich young elite in London, the cheating and drugs and the toxic lovers that can't let go of each other... so good!! I absolutely devoured this in a few days and now I want to read the whole series. I loved the writing style (especially how realistic the texting felt!) and Magnolia's thing for fashion and the friendships!! 

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a really lovely slow children's story about the power of friendship, nature and magic/ spirituality.