goatsrsexy's reviews
592 reviews

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

3.25

For me this was just ok. It was pretty interesting and entertaining but a lot more surface level than I was expecting 

Dead Happy by Josh Silver

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

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

4.25

If you thought things couldn't get any crazier and more traumatic and out of hand after reading Happy Head, you're really gonna be in for it with Happy Head.

The top 10 from the Happy Head program get to move on to the next phase which is some Lord Of The Flies island adventure with super insane challenges and eugenics.

While the stuff happening to the characters was completely absurd, the scary part was that it didn't seem that unrealistic that it could really happen. Seeing the psychological effects of abuse, manipulation, and cult-like behaviour on these poor teenagers was really scary!!

I kinda wish there had been a third book because the conclusion felt a bit rushed to me, but all in all this was a good conclusion to the story and a duology that is very much worth reading.

Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy prior to the North American publication date.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging funny reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

This was a very ambitious read for me! It took me almost 10 months to read it. I've always struggled to read classics but I've been trying to read at least one per year (this was my 2024 pick obviously). 

I find it very challenging to read such large novels where there is a lot of rambling and side tangents, but those things definitely added to the richness of th book and didn't feel superfluous. 

I'll probably have to sit with this for a while before writing a proper review on instagram, but this book is definitely worth your time.

Leonard Cohen: On a wire by Philippe Girard

4.0

While it's quite simplistic and very condensed, this is a lovely overview of Leonard's life with some interesting facts, thoughtful insights, and funny moments. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, but if you're a big Leonard Cohen fan like I am, it's worth the read for sure

These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi

4.0

I really enjoyed this one! Not a ton happened but I was into the drama

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

fast-paced

4.25

Good start to the series. It was a bit slow to start but then got fast paced and interesting 

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

A beautiful and unexpected story about two sisters and the different ways they reacted to their childhood and grew into adulthood. This is a quick but very emotional read. Beware if you are sensitive to the subject of suicide, but if you're okay with it, it's very worth the read.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

medium-paced

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

4.5

I buddy read this book with one of my favorite people and I'm so glad that they put it on my radar because I'm not sure I would have read it otherwise and I really liked it... 

The Ministry If Time has a really imaginative and interesting premise that I think works super well, "refugees" from the past learning how to acclimatize to the present and it's done in a very interesting way. This is very soft. Sci-fi definitely accessible to people who think they don't like sci-fi. 

It had some interesting things to say about identity, culture, and morality, but the plot is what really interested me and kept me reading on the edge of my seat. The romance was sweet as well, I love a little romance with my sci-fi and don't see it that often for some reason. 

Flux by Jinwoo Chong

fast-paced

5.0

This is my favourite kind of book, it's hard to really say anything critical about a book like this but it's also difficult to really review it at all.

It was confusing in the best way and incredibly touching. The kind of book that stays with you. Definitely a strong contender for my favourite read of 2024.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.25

I'm a big fan of retellings and Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite books, but I was still a bit skeptical about a modern retelling centered around figure skaters... The Favorites was actually really good though! Kat and Heath are childhood friends who grew up together (the backstory is pretty similar to the original story) and Kat dreams about being an Olympic ice dancer while Heath dreams about doing anything that will make Kat happy. The book follows a few decades of their life, centering on the highs of their athletic careers and the relationships they have with other skaters as well. There is documentary style bits between chapters in a similar style to the movie I Tonya, which I honestly could've done without but it wasn't awful and it did allow for some interesting foreshadowing. 

If you're a fan of Wuthering Heights or figure skating or dramatic on again off again toxic relationships, this book is for you!!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.