booksnbarristers's reviews
69 reviews

Naturally Tan by Tan France

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Racism

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Minor: Transphobia

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia

The Survivors by Jane Harper

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

This BOOK. Wow. Just wow. Read it. 

Act Like a Lady: Questionable Advice, Ridiculous Opinions, and Humiliating Tales from Three Undignified Women by Becca Tobin, Jac Vanek, Keltie Knight

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, and Suicide

Everyone's Happy by Rufi Thorpe, Lauren Fortgang

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

I wanted a true controversy. Two friends who reminded me of moms that would have been parents to my friends that I grew up with. The relationships are vaguely toxic, but there is no main conflict other than the two main characters getting annoyed with each other.

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD. AS WELL AS COMMENTARY ON THE TELEVISION SERIES.
FAIR WARNING.

A Feast for Crows follows some of the least likable characters in the entire series, i.e. Cersei and the Greyjoys. Jamie continues his character development, and we get a good round backstory on Brienne. But Feast of Crows does feel at points like a filler for the series, rounding out some of the finer points of GRRM's world building, especially in places we rarely saw but heard of in the first 3 books: Dorne and Oldtown, of note.

Speaking of Dorne, this was the best part of the book. In the TV show, Dorne's involvement in the politics of the Seven Kingdoms is pretty much eliminated. Adding the Martell family and the true power they wielded as one of the Seven Kingdoms and putting the Martell family on equal footing as the other liege lord families (Lannister, Stark, Tully, Arryn, Baratheon, Tyrell) adds another chess piece to the board that is the Game of Thrones.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence