capyval's reviews
390 reviews

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.

This one felt too childish for me. I don't think the fat rep of this book is the type I enjoy reading about.

There's Been a Little Incident by Alice Ryan

funny slow-paced

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

4.0

This book made me laugh a lot, so I can't really dislike it, but also, I think it could have been much better. When I started to read it I was truly loving everything, the characters, the writing style, the ideas behind the book. But in the second half of the book, I started to feel the story was too stretched, and that things I don't totally like about Irish society were also very present in the book (I'm an immigrant living in Dublin for the past 8 years, now).
I disliked Annabelle as a character, and so I found her letters impossible to read, I skipped them all after trying to read the first. She was the manic pixie dream of the family, and the book is pretty much an ode to the Irish individualism, where individuals are centred in their family and childhood friends. You may think, well, what's wrong with that? The issue is: it's very difficult to connect with them. The Irish are friendly, but they are rarely your friends, and this happens to the Irish themselves. Say your life changes, you lose your loved ones, you move to a different city, you're an immigrant, you decide to take distance from your whole family and friends you made at school, then, you will struggle a lot to make new friends, you will feel quite lonely. Sure, people will be nice with you, but that doesn't mean they will let you in, and make a connection with you.
Of course, this doesn't apply to everybody in this country, and I can hardly illustrate all this with things that happen in this book (although, it is possible), but I do think that as a reflection of the Irish society, this book keeps reproducing those individualistic values, which are not the best.

Still, I'm rating this book high for all the laugh.

You Are More Than What You Eat: Science, Nutrition, and a Perfectly Imperfect Approach to Eating by Emma Beckett

I consider it finished, although I stopped at 92% While the book has interesting ideas, it's also too long and repetitive. Recomendable nevertheless, but also don't expect to be very entertained by it. The best for me it's the message of: stop feeling guilty about what you eat, and accept your body as it is. That doesn't mean you don't care about health and nutrition, though.

Pulp by Robin Talley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.

I had it paused for two weeks since I had more interesting audiobooks to listen to. In all this time I didn't feel like going back to it, I kept forgetting that I even had it there, paused. It seemed more like a chore to go back to it, so... time to dnf it.

Nothing particularly wrong with the book, just boring for me.

The Companion by E.E. Ottoman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.

I was trying to push through and finish this one for a reading challenge, after all it was very short but uhm... It's not my style at all... Seems very rushed and highly centred in smut.

Too bad, because the idea sounded good. Also, I love the cover art.

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.75

I really liked this book. Both main characters are sweet yet realistic, and their interactions are very well written.

I almost give it 5 stars, but details bothered me, like the use of "objectively attractive" instead of saying "conventionally attractive", and small things like that. But it's a great romance book ❤️🏳️‍🌈

More Than a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.

I wanted to like this book, but I found it so boring... It would seem a bit interesting sometimes, but it was just brief moments. It's the second time I dnf a book with the parent trap (or alike) trope, so I guess that one is not for me.

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

It stars so good, and becomes a bit boring and unoriginal towards the end. Also, too many characters... Some of which I didn't understand why they had any importance, but it seems they are important characters in other book from the series? It's still a great book, but I was hoping to give it 5 stars, I just don't think I liked it that much.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

slow-paced

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

2.5

Interesting as a piece of literature history, but not so great as a book by today's standards, to be honest.

I might read P&P one day, but I'm definitely not a fan of Jane Austen. The adaptations of her books to movie /series are more interesting than her books per se, I reckon.

Teach Me by Olivia Dade

emotional funny relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

The story is a bit cheesy at moments, and I personally don't buy Rose's pretexts to always wear expensive looking clothes, nor her love for heels, but as a romcom book this is a nice one. Martin is great as a main male character, I wish romance books had more characters as sensitive and vulnerable as him.