avasbookmark's reviews
242 reviews

You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney

adventurous funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying and Infidelity

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Infidelity and Miscarriage

Maria Chapdelaine, récit du Canada français by Hemon-L

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Terminal illness and Grief

Minor: Racism

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

emotional funny hopeful informative sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

A masterpiece!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

funny sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I thought this was a great commentary on the corrupt nature of Hollywood today, especially when it comes to tokenism and the appropriation of stories/ideas.
I know it’s all part of the dark satire angle but I had a hard time getting past the unlike-ability of almost every character in the book. I wanted to root for Jane but it was difficult.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Beautiful prose. I enjoyed how nicely everything ties together in the end. St. John Mandel is definitely one of the great writers of our time.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was so sweet- I teared up at the end! As always, Fredrik Backman is a masterful storyteller who makes all of the characters in his stories, however minor they may seem, sympathetic and three-dimensional. This story didn’t hit me as hard as his other books but I’m still glad I got to read it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The show was so much better! The book lacked the diversity, yearning, and subplots that were in the show and no other characters besides Antony and Kate felt three-dimensional. I also preferred the heightened stakes in the show and the lack of a forced marriage between Kate and Antony. That being said, I enjoyed this much more than The Duke and I.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Ocean Vuong uses the English language in such a unique way- almost giving the words new meanings. Even though I didn’t always understand what the poems were trying to say, they still made me feel something- often a sense of loss or mourning. 
I have to admit, though, I did prefer/better connect with the poems I’ve read from “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” and of course the masterful “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War