honeybeatslibrary's reviews
494 reviews

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Go to review page

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I loved this book so much! A sweet story about found family, figuring out self worth, with a side of romance. It is the perfect cozy read and I can't wait to revisit Mika and Family and annotate on the second round :) 
How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense 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? It's complicated
I was super late to this book but I'm so glad I read it. I loved the concept of a young lady deciding she was going to be a literal queen and making it happen, and while there were cheesy predictable moments in the story it was really a story that outlined how family pressure, grief and trauma not only impacts an individual but an entire nation. I'm a royal watcher outside of books and I can't help but notice the ties to how a monarch's personal trauma informs the way he governs his people (*stares in Prince Charles and William gotta deal with a whole lotta personal trauma before they have any opportunity to be any kind of decent monarchs and also must address the harm colonization has on countries especially countries that have large POC populations...but I digress). this was a really fun read and I can't wait for the next one :)
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated
I haven't been so touched by a book in a really long time truly. Grace is a young woman that has always followed a plan, go to school, get good grades, graduate, get a job, but she makes a choice that is quite outside the plan and on the way to "fixing" it she goes on one of the most beautiful and relatable journey's of self discovery I have ever read. This book gave me language for my struggles as a young Black female academic that had a plan only to have the plan go off the rails, the struggles of being told you weren't enough based simply on your appearance, the pressure of family expectations, just whew child I loved this book so much. Honey Girl is really special to me and I'm grateful another Morgan helped me understand parts of myself I had long given up on. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Take Care of Your Type: An Enneagram Guide to Self-Care by Christina S. Wilcox

Go to review page

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced
I'm what I would call an enneagram for fun fan-- it doesn't define me, but I do like to look at information on my type and see what hits and what misses (I'm type 9). I really enjoyed this book, it took an approach to enneagram that I actually think is healthier than a lot of other things I've seen. using it to create self care practices I think is great. I enjoyed reading about all the types, and honestly at some points questioned if my type 9 status was correct (it definitely is). It was an easy read and I really enjoyed the book. 
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I believe this book is supposed to be satire, but I think that was slapped on the book to make white people more comfortable. This book really exposes white people in the work place--not just corporate but literally everywhere some version of the nonsense featured in the book is absolutely real. I think this book is really one for people that have never had these experiences, so me a Black woman that is the only Black/Person of Color in my direct work place.....nothing in this book was new....it was just 400 pages of reliving my own trauma. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi

Go to review page

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced
I have admittedly been sucked into white women self help books and in wake of the disaster that is Rachel Hollis I was hesitant about this book. I did enjoy it though. I think it offered a much healthier and sustainable take making life easier and more enjoyable. I think it was a really nice take on how social media has kind of created this idea of realness that is aligned with mess and chaos, instead of what is actually real. I would recommend this book, take what you need from it, and move on. I learned a lot and I definitely am glad I read it. 
The Measure of Our Lives: A Gathering of Wisdom by Toni Morrison

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
This is a book of quotations from Toni Morrison. As one who really struggles reading Toni Morrison's novels but recognizes her brilliance this was perfect. It was the perfect way to appreciate the genius that is Toni Morrison. I loved reading the quotes, I loved making meaning of those quotes for me. I just loved this so much. I would like to purchase a copy of this just to read through every so often. 
The Little Book of Big Feelings: An Illustrated Exploration of Life's Many Emotions by Maureen Marzi Wilson

Go to review page

emotional funny informative lighthearted medium-paced
A graphic novel (I think this would count as a graphic novel) maybe picture book is a better word-- about emotions. SIGN ME UP! I learned a lot and it was really cute. not mad at all at this one :) 
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated
I read this book as part of a book club and I'm so glad I did. I did the audio version and I loved having the author read it to me. This book really nicely touches on the complicated relationships that happen in Black families, especially Black/ African families. The complicated ways parents (of all ethnicities) can be demanding of children to the point that the kids lose themselves. Just a lot of complications. This book was a beautifully written and a quick read--I read it in one day. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I don't know why it took me a literal month to read this book but it did. I liked this book. I like what this book is supposed to be (I think). I think this is a beautiful and long way to present a story of how important person is in the world. It is a beautiful way to say....you matter. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings