faithemmalie's reviews
158 reviews

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

emotional hopeful informative sad fast-paced

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

5.0

So well written. It really opened my eyes to the history surrounding native Americans and the deep trauma and addiction cycles that are passed down generationally. Really brought a lot of empathy. 

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

Jesus Christ 

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

emotional hopeful relaxing sad slow-paced

3.75

I really enjoyed her descriptions— she made the settings all very vivid. it’s interesting thinking about grief from the perspective of someone who has a lot of money and is well known. it’s less warm in a lot of ways but also very privileged in many other ways.

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

informative slow-paced

3.0

this took me forever but I listened to it while walking to class for an entire semester and it was very interesting 

Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Kevin J. Anderson, Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

i need sparknotes i don’t really know what’s going on but woohoo sandworms

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Fucking genius oh my god how do u even come up with this stuff 

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

funny hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.0

i always find myself wishing her books were longer i needed more time with them. as someone who fights and struggles against having a very pessimistic view of love and marriage this book was a lovely glimpse of hope. katherine center is such a ray of positive energy and i love that she confidently and proudly promotes optimism and believing in happy endings and love and deserving happiness. 

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-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? Yes

3.5

a little bit cliche but I really liked the concept and it def inspired me to be more honest and authentic in my life 

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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? Yes

5.0

oh god. this hurt. i cried so many times but i have no complaints about it. it depicted trauma so accurately and gave so me so much hope for the ability to heal and be able to love the people in your life properly. i just feel so much love for books like these that make you feel as though these situations and characters are real. what a gift to be able to make fiction come to life and make you feel so deeply. 

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? N/A

4.5

NO BULLSHIT AND NO SECRETS!!!! 

there’s a special gift about a book that can make you laugh and cry and think more deeply about life and death and love and grief. These characters and their lives felt so rich and vibrant I had to remind myself it was fictional. books like these make me grateful to be alive and able to read.