finallyfinnian's reviews
72 reviews

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

5.0

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

5.0

A truly deep and mesmerizing book - the tone/voice was so low-key. The narrator didn't have histrionics, there were no immediately clear dangerous action scenes... but the writing was so simply beautiful that I couldn't stop reading.

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

4.0

This classic feminist book about a women-only utopia gets some forgiveness because it was written in the 1800s. It was thoroughly enjoyable and much the way I imagine women raised without the confines of patriarchy would create a society. The ending was so abrupt and unsatisfying that I actually messaged some friends to ask if maybe my kindle had cut off a few pages. Still, worth a read, if only to celebrate the idea of women being able to thrive.

On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by DeRay Mckesson

5.0

This is an excellent book that should be required reading for anyone who wants to be an ally - or accomplice - in the bringing down of the whole white supremacy foundation that keeps black and brown people in violent oppression. His descriptions of the brutality he has faced are harrowing, and the book reads as both factual and personal.

Severance by Ling Ma

5.0

I devoured this book in a day - there is so much to love here, the indictment of the work-to-death culture, Candace's relationship with her mother, the backstory of the MC's parents as Chinese immigrants to the US, Candace's addiction to routine and work. For some reason, the different parts of this book just fit alongside the apocalyptic end of days plot. The deadpan tone and the bleak, tired voice set a perfect tone for overall feeling of resignation that permeates the entire work. I enjoyed this book so much, I messaged a friend and demanded she start reading is ASAP so we could talk about it. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a well-written story.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

4.0

I just finished this adorable YA book and I loved it. There were moments of pure delight, moments of tears, and even an "I didn't see that coming" moment. It seemed pretty true to the drama of middle school and the mean girls I remember from my own time way way back when. It's a cute, fast read with a delightfully quirky main character and an interesting, if not completely developed supporting cast.

Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes

3.0

I'd maybe give this 3.5 stars. It was enjoyable and parts of it were funny and cute. The characters weren't super developed, but they were enjoyable.. There was some character arc development and I liked Ashling and her BFFs - but some of the characters were a little too flat to care about. The parts about depression were skated through and would have been better to have been omitted than to be treated as an afterthought. The one thing that kept taking me out of the story were the fragment sentences. Maybe that's a thing now. Still, I found it generally enjoyable, fun to read, and cute.

The Velvet Anthology by Elizabeth Andersen, Lee Lynch, Ann McMan, Annette Mori, Erica Abbott, Cheyne Curry, Donna K. Ford, Karin Kallmaker, Stefani Deoul, Fay Jacobs, Cheryl Head, M.J. Williamz

4.0

This collection of delightful stories is based on Velvet Lounger, the person, but this book is not just for insiders. You don’t have to know the subject to appreciate the incredible works in this anthology. One of my favorites was about an actual guardian angel with the usual blend of humor and sweetness I’ve come to expect from Annette Mori. The other was the seductive wedding story by Karin Kallmaker, who manages to make something as simple as a glance radiate with heat and desire. (She just has such a knack for making words sizzle - and *I* want to dance with Maxim) All the stories in this collection are excellent though, with the classic Lee Lynch who never fails to create memorable characters and Erica Abbott’s tale of an anniversary celebration gone horribly wrong – or perhaps perfectly right. (Who could resist a "seize her salad" and a sexy server?) I would like to say I savored this book, reading one story a night, but I didn't. I sped through them all, not wanting to miss anything. It was also nice to find a couple of new-to-me authors - that's another great joy of a good anthology -- reading old favorites and discovering new ones. This book has a good blend of that.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

4.0

4.5 - this is an adorable, funny, charming, hard-to-stop-reading book. The MC, Samantha, is beautifully developed. Even though she does the most ridiculous things, the way the character processes the decisions to do the ridiculous things make them all so believable. The side characters are hilarious, the love interest is sexy, and the plot, though a bit contrived, is entertaining. Kinsella doesn't let up with the action - this is how books should be written. There is rarely a moment in this book when I didn't have that reader dread over what was going to happen to the MC next.

My favorite SK book is Can You Keep A Secret - this is a close second.

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

2.0

I wanted to love this book - it has everything I adore in a light read. A NON-skinny/perfect heroine, a cute cover that implies I'm going to be entertained and amused, and a first-person narrative which tends to draw me into a story... at least, it draws me in if the main character is funny, quirky, and intelligent, if not slightly neurotic. This book just didn't deliver for me. I found the narrator irritating at best and much of the narrative felt like way too much telling instead of letting me feel what was happening. I can see what some people get out of it, but having just come off a Sophie Kinsella binge, this was not smart or adorable enough to engage me at all.