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frannook's reviews
39 reviews
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
More thoughts to come soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Aaaaaand THE AUNTIES ARE BACK!
My goodness, this was so so much fun to listen to.
After the series had taken a bit of a fall with Four aunties and a wedding (a bit too over the top, a bit too unrealistic), this new installment in the series swerved back into its right lane and took off with its humor, action packed twists and the messiest, most hilarious situations you can possibly think of in which only our Chinese Indonesian aunties could find themselves into!
After spending their honeymoon travelling across Europe, Meddy and Nathan are now heading to the last stop of their trip, Jakarta, where the aunties and the rest of their family is waiting for them to celebrate the Chinese New Year together.
That's when Abraham Lincoln, madly in love with Second Aunt since they were teens and rumored to possibly involved with the Chinese mafia, shows up at the family house with gifts and countless red packets to win over Evangeline's heart. Tradition dictates that red packets, red envelopes that contain money, are supposed to be given on big occasions (weddings, births, new years...) by married people to children and elders. And since Meddy and Nathan are the newlyweds, the honor to give out Abraham's red packets is bestowed upon them.
What they didn't know is that one of the red packets contained the deed to a land that Abraham had promised to a business rival, Julia Child, to form an alliance against another business rival. Yes, it was an honest mistake, but Julia Child is not happy and it's up to Meddy and the aunties to find who received that special red packet and get the deed back or... else!
It was so good to be back with the gang, I had missed them more than I can say. Sure, there might be some sequences that are sliightly too much to exist in the realm of plausibility but it is a comedy of errors and it is so much fun and such a comfort read that you can easily get swept into the story, set off for the adventure and forget all about logic and probably!
I love the family dynamics, I love how all the aunties have such strong and distinguishable personalities and contribute to the story and how far they'd go to protect and help each other.
I love how the author shows the contrast between theirs' and Meddy's generation, highlights and shows respect and appreciation for their culture; and I particularly appreciated how, in this book specifically, Jesse Q. Sutanto highlights how the US is just one country (no matter how big and vast) and the rest of the world is different and does things differently and their way of doing things is not better but it surely isn't worse. Instead of "invading" and/or having an attitude of superiority and disposition to impose your ideas and customs, you should have an open mind and embrace the culture and your surroundings when you go visit or find yourself in another country, instead of expecting it to change to suit your own needs.*
Not a stand that I was in any way expecting but was pleasantly surprised to find in such a lighthearted contemporary book - even though that is probably on me and I should have expected it, considering it is written by a bipoc author and that does talk a lot about culture, immigration and adapting to a new language and new customs.
As always, I bow to Risa Mei for such an incredible performance. She gives a unique voice to Meddy and each aunty, gives so much heart and personality, and it was lovely to listen to her speak more Chinese due to the setting of the story. Truly an incredible performance!
I couldn't find anything anew news or rumors online about a potential 4th book, but Jesse Q. Sutanto left an open door right at the end with one of her typical finale revelations.
What can I say is: if there is going to be a 4th book, I'll be there waiting for it!
Yes, it's the same format over and over again, but what about Fast and Furious? James Bond? Bad Boys? Any other franchise that could have stopped at the second movie? And yet, they keep on making sequels because they work, because they're fun, because they offer comfort and action and a good time to their viewers and fans of the series and The Aunties is precisely the same! The author can keep finding new ways to keep it fresh and interesting while giving us something we know, a family that we want to be a part of, unbelievable situations that we can't wait to see how our aunties will get out of! And I'll be there, among the fans, hoping and waiting to see more of our gang.
Until next time!
*A view that I wholeheartedly share and support, as long as human rights are granted, your morals and integrity stay intact and you don't encounter/experience racism, homophobia, discrimination, etc...
My goodness, this was so so much fun to listen to.
After the series had taken a bit of a fall with Four aunties and a wedding (a bit too over the top, a bit too unrealistic), this new installment in the series swerved back into its right lane and took off with its humor, action packed twists and the messiest, most hilarious situations you can possibly think of in which only our Chinese Indonesian aunties could find themselves into!
After spending their honeymoon travelling across Europe, Meddy and Nathan are now heading to the last stop of their trip, Jakarta, where the aunties and the rest of their family is waiting for them to celebrate the Chinese New Year together.
That's when Abraham Lincoln, madly in love with Second Aunt since they were teens and rumored to possibly involved with the Chinese mafia, shows up at the family house with gifts and countless red packets to win over Evangeline's heart. Tradition dictates that red packets, red envelopes that contain money, are supposed to be given on big occasions (weddings, births, new years...) by married people to children and elders. And since Meddy and Nathan are the newlyweds, the honor to give out Abraham's red packets is bestowed upon them.
What they didn't know is that one of the red packets contained the deed to a land that Abraham had promised to a business rival, Julia Child, to form an alliance against another business rival. Yes, it was an honest mistake, but Julia Child is not happy and it's up to Meddy and the aunties to find who received that special red packet and get the deed back or... else!
It was so good to be back with the gang, I had missed them more than I can say. Sure, there might be some sequences that are sliightly too much to exist in the realm of plausibility but it is a comedy of errors and it is so much fun and such a comfort read that you can easily get swept into the story, set off for the adventure and forget all about logic and probably!
I love the family dynamics, I love how all the aunties have such strong and distinguishable personalities and contribute to the story and how far they'd go to protect and help each other.
I love how the author shows the contrast between theirs' and Meddy's generation, highlights and shows respect and appreciation for their culture; and I particularly appreciated how, in this book specifically, Jesse Q. Sutanto highlights how the US is just one country (no matter how big and vast) and the rest of the world is different and does things differently and their way of doing things is not better but it surely isn't worse. Instead of "invading" and/or having an attitude of superiority and disposition to impose your ideas and customs, you should have an open mind and embrace the culture and your surroundings when you go visit or find yourself in another country, instead of expecting it to change to suit your own needs.*
Not a stand that I was in any way expecting but was pleasantly surprised to find in such a lighthearted contemporary book - even though that is probably on me and I should have expected it, considering it is written by a bipoc author and that does talk a lot about culture, immigration and adapting to a new language and new customs.
As always, I bow to Risa Mei for such an incredible performance. She gives a unique voice to Meddy and each aunty, gives so much heart and personality, and it was lovely to listen to her speak more Chinese due to the setting of the story. Truly an incredible performance!
I couldn't find anything anew news or rumors online about a potential 4th book, but Jesse Q. Sutanto left an open door right at the end with one of her typical finale revelations.
What can I say is: if there is going to be a 4th book, I'll be there waiting for it!
Yes, it's the same format over and over again, but what about Fast and Furious? James Bond? Bad Boys? Any other franchise that could have stopped at the second movie? And yet, they keep on making sequels because they work, because they're fun, because they offer comfort and action and a good time to their viewers and fans of the series and The Aunties is precisely the same! The author can keep finding new ways to keep it fresh and interesting while giving us something we know, a family that we want to be a part of, unbelievable situations that we can't wait to see how our aunties will get out of! And I'll be there, among the fans, hoping and waiting to see more of our gang.
Until next time!
*A view that I wholeheartedly share and support, as long as human rights are granted, your morals and integrity stay intact and you don't encounter/experience racism, homophobia, discrimination, etc...
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
Her Own Happiness by Eden Appiah-Kubi
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
TW: Covid 19 (moderate)
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Not at all what I was expecting and fell extremely flat.
More thoughts to come soon.
More thoughts to come soon.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Self harm, Religious bigotry, and Alcoholism
Minor: Car accident, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Murder Crossed Her Mind by Stephen Spotswood
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
HOLY SMOKES!
I can survive this cliff-hanger only because it gave me the certainty we're totally getting a book 5!
More thoughts to come soon!
I can survive this cliff-hanger only because it gave me the certainty we're totally getting a book 5!
More thoughts to come soon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Antisemitism, Murder, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Blood and Cursing
A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Well, I'll be damned. This was a weird book and a wild ride.
With a Kiss We Die by L.R. Dorn
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
You know when they give you a book that is just begging to become a full cast audiobook because that is its true nature, that's what it was meant to be all along? (Well yes, it is not a super common scenario but) Dear readers, this is absolutely it!
With a kiss we die is a story told in a true-crime podcast format by the podcast host and investigative journalist Ryanna Raines. It all begins with a voice recording left on The Raines Report tip line: a 22 yo guy named Jordan and his 18 yo girlfriend (Victoria) who are the prime suspect in Jordan's parents murder investigation and Jordan is reaching out because he wants to tell his story before the police sends out an arrest mandate for them and it's too late.
What we get is literally the episodes of the sixth season of this podcast in written form, the script (or the podcast itself, if you listen to it on audiobook), from its inception when Ryanna receives the voice recording to the very end of the trial and final sentence and conviction: we listen to interviews, conversations, confessions, testimonies and contradicting versions of the truth, wondering the whole time what we can believe and what is, in fact, a lie.
It was just as addicting as true crime podcast is, as you can imagine. I wanted to listen to the whole thing over a weekend I dedicated to cleaning every nook and crook of my new house and that is exactly what happened - and let me tell you, time flew and I barely (well, almost barely!) noticed any fatigue!
If you have to dust drawers and cupboards and scrub tiles and windows outside and out and you're all alone, this is the audiobook you'll want to be listening to!
The finale was a bit of a let down, though... It could have been an explosive twist, a revelation that would have capsized the whole thing and shaken the readers/listeners to their core!
I had a few crazy theories - quite effed up, if I can say so myself - that would have been mindblowing and so satisfying to see and I wanted to be right but... nope. The suspense built up till that point fell quite flat and turned out to be just... okay. To me it felt like a missed opportunity, like running a marathon being in the lead only to slow down when your 1km away from the finish line and finishing up 4th.
I gotta say though, even if my theory wasn't there, I could still be right. As with all true crime cases... can you ever really know the actual truth, what really happened, even if the defended is found guilty? There is the tiniest of possibilities left open in the story, which I appreciated - just like I appreciated how well the whole book was planned out and very well paced and the obvious fascination and admiration the authors have for true crime podcasts and their respect for investigative journalists.
Even with the disappointing ending, I loved it and had such a good time listening to this story and I can't wait to read other books by this married duo!
Ps. I mean, if the main narrators of your book are January LaVoy and Thérèse Plummer, you know it's not a joke, you're playing in the Premier League on a whole other level!
With a kiss we die is a story told in a true-crime podcast format by the podcast host and investigative journalist Ryanna Raines. It all begins with a voice recording left on The Raines Report tip line: a 22 yo guy named Jordan and his 18 yo girlfriend (Victoria) who are the prime suspect in Jordan's parents murder investigation and Jordan is reaching out because he wants to tell his story before the police sends out an arrest mandate for them and it's too late.
What we get is literally the episodes of the sixth season of this podcast in written form, the script (or the podcast itself, if you listen to it on audiobook), from its inception when Ryanna receives the voice recording to the very end of the trial and final sentence and conviction: we listen to interviews, conversations, confessions, testimonies and contradicting versions of the truth, wondering the whole time what we can believe and what is, in fact, a lie.
It was just as addicting as true crime podcast is, as you can imagine. I wanted to listen to the whole thing over a weekend I dedicated to cleaning every nook and crook of my new house and that is exactly what happened - and let me tell you, time flew and I barely (well, almost barely!) noticed any fatigue!
If you have to dust drawers and cupboards and scrub tiles and windows outside and out and you're all alone, this is the audiobook you'll want to be listening to!
The finale was a bit of a let down, though... It could have been an explosive twist, a revelation that would have capsized the whole thing and shaken the readers/listeners to their core!
I had a few crazy theories - quite effed up, if I can say so myself - that would have been mindblowing and so satisfying to see and I wanted to be right but... nope. The suspense built up till that point fell quite flat and turned out to be just... okay. To me it felt like a missed opportunity, like running a marathon being in the lead only to slow down when your 1km away from the finish line and finishing up 4th.
I gotta say though, even if my theory wasn't there, I could still be right. As with all true crime cases... can you ever really know the actual truth, what really happened, even if the defended is found guilty? There is the tiniest of possibilities left open in the story, which I appreciated - just like I appreciated how well the whole book was planned out and very well paced and the obvious fascination and admiration the authors have for true crime podcasts and their respect for investigative journalists.
Even with the disappointing ending, I loved it and had such a good time listening to this story and I can't wait to read other books by this married duo!
Ps. I mean, if the main narrators of your book are January LaVoy and Thérèse Plummer, you know it's not a joke, you're playing in the Premier League on a whole other level!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Was it a bit too rushed in places? Yes.
Would it have benefitted from exploring certain themes and traumas more deeply and thoroughly? Yes.
Did I cry like a baby and wished I had my wife next to me when I reached the end? YES.
Give wo lesbians who were separated by bigotry who never forget each other and find each other again after 50 years and finally get their happily ever after and I'm yours.
Would it have benefitted from exploring certain themes and traumas more deeply and thoroughly? Yes.
Did I cry like a baby and wished I had my wife next to me when I reached the end? YES.
Give wo lesbians who were separated by bigotry who never forget each other and find each other again after 50 years and finally get their happily ever after and I'm yours.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Religious bigotry
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I'm a bit perplexed.
I feel like calling this a retelling is a bit of a stretch.
Yes, you have to take inspiration from the source material, but should that go as far as using the exact same sentences and quotes and featuring the exact same scenes in the exact same order?
As if a voice was captioning the 2005 movie?
Mmm.
More thoughts to come soon.
I feel like calling this a retelling is a bit of a stretch.
Yes, you have to take inspiration from the source material, but should that go as far as using the exact same sentences and quotes and featuring the exact same scenes in the exact same order?
As if a voice was captioning the 2005 movie?
Mmm.
More thoughts to come soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming
Moderate: Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Homophobia