francienolans's reviews
330 reviews

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

while I knew what I was getting into via the synopsis it was still very hard to ear at times & I became very anxious at points prior to what had happened & trying to prepare myself to when it will happen (which I was still unprepared & it wasn’t graphic but the implication was there & it was rough). this is a short book but it’s a very heavy book. the writing is excellent & idk the ending is not what expected but also expected & it’s really gotten to me that I know I’ll be sitting with it for the next few days.

The Heart of the Race: Black Women's Lives in Britain by Suzanne Scafe, Stella Dadzie, Beverley Bryan

informative medium-paced

3.0

Very informative book, learned a lot about black women in Britain. I did think that this book would have more information on different historical black female figures but at the end they spoke about the book being more of a collective rather than individuals so it made sense. 

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.0

i rly love my agnostic shrimp of choas fullmetal & his tall literal angel suit of armor brother.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

a very quick read. idk it did read like a play at times but that made it enjoyable. it was very cute & even though at times it had sad moments, i had found a joy in it & i just really enjoyed it.

The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde

inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

going back & forth on a 3.5-4 for my rating. i enjoyed the books. it was a quick easy read. i thought it would have more journal entries. one part that rly stuck with me was her going to her doctor's office not wearing a prosthetic breast & how the nurse told her off because it brought down the "morale" for other breast cancer patients & it just rly struck me because it's like it's her decision not to wear one & i truly don't think the other women in the waiting room noticed because let's be real when you're going thru something sometimes the world around you isn't there so it's very demoralizing to tell someone off for something that stupid. the book was very insightful.

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

4.0

A must read book for everyone. It's an important book in understanding what is happening in Congo and has been happening in Congo for years now. I plan on looking for more books on this topic. The book delves into not only what is the current situation Congo, but also the history of Congo, the continued treatment of Congolese people by Western entities (and other countries like China currently), the vast richness of the land and the minerals that are there. I have seen several reviews stating that this was too "redundant" and too "long" and should have been edited shorter or an article and my question to those reviewers would you still have cared? Because from the sounds of it, it doesn't seem like you would. The story the author is telling helps us (those with empathy and understanding) know that the Congolese people are not statistics. The men, women, and children who mine those minerals that keep the rest of the world satisfied and comfortable do not get the reap any of those benefits. While maybe some of the stories may seem the same, they're still people, they still deserve to have their voice heard. All I could think while reading this was how do these companies can price gouge these things and yet Congolese people don't even get to see these things and are paid in pennies. How do you justify saying a phone can cost $1000+ when the men, women, and children digging the minerals important to this are being paid pennies. And I know the answer capitalism and corporate greed are to be blamed, but I can't stop thinking about it and thinking about how my phone, laptop, whatever electronic device cost me however much, which I can afford, while the people who helped get the minerals to make it barely can afford food, don't have electricity, don't even have the chance to own a phone. This book has definitely helped me be more mindful in that when I need anything electronic I'm going refurbished all the way, because not only is it good for the planet, it's good for the people of Congo because maybe it may stop some acceleration of the destruction of Congo and it's people. It's not much but it's better than nothing and I will put pressure on these companies to make greater changes that to allow corporate greed and capitalism to ruin people's lives.

Winter Recipes from the Collective: Poems by Louise Glück

fast-paced

3.0

enjoyed several of the poems especially when they rly hit on winter time

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

sad fast-paced

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

3.0

idk if at any point i will stop reading books in relation to grief, tire of reading these type of books, or stop looking for books about it. i wish that i had a crow to pass through the hopelessness of it all but i made it through without one. a short quick read, & i rly liked the flow of it. 

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

challenging emotional fast-paced

I struggle with rating a memoir or biography bc how am I to rate someone’s life story? You rly can’t. A reviewer on good reads stated that this book felt like a personal diary (derogatory) but while yes one could agree that it did read like that I would like to say that positively instead. I enjoyed this book. Idk if she had a ghost writer or whatever, it still felt like it was written in her voice. It may not have gone into full detail of certain aspects of her life bc I know certain parts are painful and it would be hard to relive that. I will say this while I may not like the decisions she’s made or be mad at the decisions she made bc she’s been through hell and trying to grow and learn takes time. Yes her family is awful but I get that it’s hard to let go of the,m, so even if one minute she’s fine and happy with them but then hates them later I can’t be upset bc we’ve all been there with our families at times. I hope the best for her. And fuck all the ppl who allowed this to happen, those who benefited from it, the judicial system, and the healthcare system that was complete fine with this.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

slow-paced

2.0

Yeah I know I know the ending bc I was spoiled but if you actually paid attention to the book you would realize how this was gonna go. I only finished it bc I wanted to go to my books cub meeting and tell them to get their shit together bc what the fuck pick better books. I didn’t care for the plot, the characters or the writing style. Like nothing about this book hooked me in I was just trying to finish it to finish it not bec I was interested which is never good.