bargainandbooks's reviews
849 reviews

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious

4.5

This novella was packed with romance and heartache. For such a small book it felt so full. I LOVE Elena and Edith so much. They fit this two sides to the coin sort of relationship and even though you get a sense that they are bathed in light and shadow they both GLOW with love. It’s beautiful. The writing was great. The story was great. Now we need more. We got time.
The Giver by Lois Lowry

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

My favourite book of all time. Re read it every couple of years since I was a kid. It still holds up. Every time I read it I notice more based on my own experiences and learning journey in life which I think is really cool. The book never changes but my views and opinions do. 
The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This was a really hard book to read. The events were traumatic and the lives affected were completely turned upside down. The victims of the bombing as well as the victims of a society who perpetrated the bombings. Religion, class, gender, etc are all brought into how the players of this story are affected. How they  are impacted and whether they’re radicalized or not by grief, loss, anger towards the government, themselves, or others. There were parts I didn’t love, but overall it was a gr. 
Imminent Domains: Reckoning with the Anthropocene by Alessandra Naccarato

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I read Braiding Sweetgrass in 2020 and it became my favourite comfort book. I think about it and my heart is happy. This is now its companion. I appreciated this book so much. It felt like i was seen. No longer that weird socially and Environmentally aware child that was anxious and nervous about everything and not understanding why I am now an adult who is trying to figure it all out. This book felt like a “here you are… you aren’t alone”. Everyone. Read. This. Book. 
Why Are You Like This?: An ArtbyMoga Comic Collection by Meg Adams

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funny medium-paced

3.75

This was a cute and relatable set of comics about adulting as a millennial. There were many comics I totally related to, but there were also many I didn’t at all. I thought it was cute, fun and is definitely one of those comics that I am sure many people will find themselves in. 
Human Acts by Han Kang

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I went blindly into this book based solely on the beautiful cover and my goal to read more translated books. This book shook me to my core. How can a book about such a horrific historical happening be written in such a beautiful way. I devoured the book and was left utterly crushed by each characters chapter. I loved the way everyone was connected, and still showed different aspects of the time and how it affected the people and the community that was left grieving. Brilliant. 
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How Y'All Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived by Leslie Jordan

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

I wanted to read this book a while back. I never got to it. But I feel reading it after Leslie’s passing was really beautiful. This man was hilarious. He was kind. He was self depreciating while admiring others for the same pieces of himself he couldn’t love. My goodness. I feel like no matter where you know Leslie form or how you found him you truly were an impact on him and he on us. What a great memoir for a great man. 
Lore Olympus: Volume Three by Rachel Smythe

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challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

I don’t think I’ll stop being overjoyed reading this series. This one was even better than the first two. Although I definitely felt like the ending was abrupt and I needed more immediately. I liked how the SA was addressed. I felt that leaving it be would have been harmful. I also love how the two of them are so annoyingly “does he like me, does she like me”. Seriously. Just say I want you so we can all move on to the next chapter. 🤣😍🫣
We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Acts of Resistance During World War II by Tamiko Nimura, Frank Abe

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dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

4.5

The last year I found a few graphic novels  that focus on Japanese peoples treatment by American (and Canadian) people during WWII. This was one I have been waiting on my Library to acquire hut has been on order for a long long time. Finally, I found this one and I am glad to add it to the roster. Graphic novels are a great way to learn history for kids and adults alike and this one is definitely one that I will be recommending with the rest! 
Global by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin

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adventurous challenging emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

As far as climate change stories go this was a great one to add to the list. It was relatively short with quite a lot of information on the potential outcomes of climate change in hot and costal (Bengal)  regions as well as cold Arctic regions. The book takes a quick look at the impact on wildlife as well as humans and what a future could look like without change. It was well written and had great illustrations. I liked that there wasn’t a “conclusion” per se… when dealing with climate change.