bookobsessedmommy's reviews
1074 reviews

The Quince Project by Jessica Parra

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-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

3.0

Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-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

I love Jadon and Reiss so much. Their relationship is raw and felt realistic in ways that I didn't expect. This coming of age story speaks to racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and more in such an approachable way. I love all the side characters, and the way the author beautifully describes the atmosphere. There is a bit of miscommunication, but it wasn't the main conflict of the story, and a lot of impeccabl fashion. Seeing as I cannot stop smiling after finishing this, I will definitely be reading more from Winters.

My Curvy Rival by Leigh Carron

emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.5

This is a cute little rivals to lovers romance. Very much insta-love with a ton of spice. Some of the sex scenes made me cringe (draining my womb? 🤢) and felt a bit rushed, but this is a novella after all. I liked the acknowledgement that there are different paths to health and we each have to find what works for us. 

James by Percival Everett

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Whew. This one kind of took my breath away. I read to escape, so I usually stay away from slave narratives, but I'm glad I read this one even though parts of it were incredibly painful. The twists and turns, the violence, the fear, all of it kept me fixated and desperate to know what would happen next. While the source material is considered a classic by many, this is absolutely a modern classic. 

Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

emotional lighthearted medium-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

3.5

Sweet new adult romance to keep that olympic spirit going a bit longer. I like the descriptions about ambition and compromise, and how self aware they both become. Zeke's turn around with his friend felt a little too fast, but I liked the wrap up. I would try more from this author.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

I love books about middle aged people falling in love. There is so much hope when you see world worn people finding relationships worth risking pain for. The ending made me smile, and I love all the different types relationship resolutions we get. There are some heavy hitting quotes in here, but I was racing the clock on my library loan and couldn't stop to write them down. I may need to read this again and take my time.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Whew. This was both depressing and validating.  This reads like narrative non-fiction, where we see and every woman's journey alongside the statistical realities of life for women in South Korea in that time. Jiyoung's decent into madness isn't preempted by anything particularly extraordinary or traumatic, but instead by incessant misogyny and the cumulative effects of recurring demoralization. There is a lot that is culturally unique (from my American perspective) but so much of this book has a broader appeal to the plight and experiences of women everywhere. It is short, but it packs one hell of a punch.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Gaslighting

Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I have no clue how to talk about or rate this book. Rot is truly insidious. You make small concessions here and there, and then one day you look up and those inches have turned into a mile. This mix of thriller and horror elements with tenderness is disconcerting, but I just couldn't look away. The story starts pretty slow, but as things get rolling the momentum builds. The writing is striking but not overly flowery, and every charcter is complicated. I do wish we followed a smaller number of characters cause I sometimes struggled to keep them straight. I imagined a different ending, but the one Akwaeke Emezi chose is fitting.

All the Black Girls Are Activists: A Fourth Wave Womanist Pursuit of Dreams as Radical Resistance by EbonyJanice Moore

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I read this book at the perfect time. So much of this resonates with me so deeply that it felt like EbonyJanice was peeking through my window. Discussions on reclaiming our names, anger, sensuality, and ancestry all made me feel seen and gave me continuous 'ah ha' moments. It made me ask myself questions and gave me assignments and I need to get my own copy and reread it. She put her whole foot and both her granny's in this book and I am so grateful. 

Like You've Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

Eli and Alex five me Heartstopper vibes. They are so sweet and honest and real. This is making me realize I might enjoy fanfic, because the set up of this with kind of self contained but interconnected chapters and conflict spaced throughout instead of a big blow out in the 3rd act really appeals to me. I love this hockey team so much, especially Kuzy. That dude is the absolute best! I would love a little novella about Cody too. I will definitely read the next book in this series and anything else Massey writes.