chainingbooks's reviews
332 reviews

hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.5

Full review to come later

I think this book is perfect for fans of Ghibli's whimsy and fantastical forms of story telling but something about the characters themselves and their relationship felt flat to me

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Full review to come later

Things I loved about this book:

Truly captures the feelings of isolation and what it means to not only distrust others but mainly yourself
The desensitization of a population, thanks to quick access to violence and deplorable world news, really sets the landscape of both feeling too much and not feeling enough
The moments of gore were visceral and had me feeling nauseous at times (which I don't have in many horror books!)

Things that didn't work for me:

I'm not sure it has any moments that will necessarily stick with me any more than other stories set around a pandemic/apocalypse
I go back and forth on how I feel about the vagueness of some significant plot points, while it lead to great discussions within book club, I'm not sure I feel satisfied as an individual reader

Single Player by Tara Tai

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funny lighthearted medium-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

4.5

Full review to come later

I had heard great things about this romance before going into it and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. At times I found that the story moved a bit slow and the characters said things that were a bit too on the nose, but overall I really was sucked into the slow burn between the two main love interests. I also love a contemporary romance that doesn't hinge on a third act breakup.

While I don't really like to describe myself as a "gamer", I definitely play a lot of video games and I'm all too aware of how toxic of an industry the video game one can be. So I found the references to be very fun and I was happily surprised that they didn't feel forced, also the discussions around the white cis male dominated community to be something great to see brought up.

Only 25% in I was recommending this to others in my book club and I'm glad that the full story is still something I'd stand behind.

Sordidez by E.G. Condé

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challenging emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

Full review to come later

A wonderful novella that builds together an ecological dystopian that is just as much anti-colonialist as it is hopeful for the future of Puerto Rico

I would most definitely read more from this author and it has me curious to read up on the historical events and indigenous mythology they shared throughout this story

The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi

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adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

4.5

Full review to come later

Overall I'm not as obsessed over this one as much as I was the first one. I'm glad I didn't wait too long between book 1 and book 2 but I did really appreciate the recap told in a way that fit in within the context of the story.

There were some moments in the middle of this book that felt like they dragged and at times seemed to work out conveniently in ways that I didn't feel in the first book. And while I was working to figure out the mystery elements, I don't know that they really added much to the story told in 2

BUT THE LAST THIRD DID HAVE ME ABSOLUTELY HOOKED AND THE REVEALS, CHEFS KISS ONCE AGAIN, EVEN WITH THE CLIFFHANGER

While I didn't necessarily dislike the additional narratives introduced in this one, Jond's didn't really give me much to look forward to other than seeing out how Sylah would make it through. Like, I detested his actions in the first one and I don't have any kind of change of heart for him

What I think I can always appreciate about this series is how nothing is held back in terms of violence, destruction, and unbridled rage

But I can say for sure that I don't support ALL women's wrongs. I'm ever so curious how the final book in the trilogy goes

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Full review to come later.

This memoir is a truly vulnerable reflection on the author's hardships as a queer indigenous woman growing up in Canada through major historical and societal changes.

What I found so impressive was how raw the accounts were and the honesty regarding the resources the author reached out to in order to find sobriety and get assistance with their PTSD and visual impairment. Even in all of the moments of hardship, the author was able to find ways to become active in social change and sought to share moments of joy within marginalized communities, surviving many attacks brought on through racism and homophobia.

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