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honeycupreads's reviews
58 reviews
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Will be returning to this book. I originally started reading a copy from the library and didn't finish before the due date.
The Grim Reaper's Lawyer by Mea Monique
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I really enjoyed the first 40% of this book but the rest was absolutely ridiculous.
Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book is wonderful! From the very beginning I was hooked and I found myself having to force myself to put it down. Gabi Burton has blessed us with such amazing characters, flawed and complex, yet you root for them fully. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this series has in store!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Minor: Genocide
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
There is a lot that I want to say about this masterpiece that I unfortunately cannot find the words to articulate. This book was so beautiful and crushing, I’m still reeling over it months later as I finally write this review. I’ve put off writing this in the hopes that the words would come to me and I could write a review worthy of sharing but even now I’m not able.
This book is such a great display of how colonialism has harmed, and continues to harm people of color. The way that white society has believed for a long time that people of color are only valuable if they have something that can benefit the white and wealthy. The quote “It would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Letty, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comfort,” is such a good representation of how often, white people will hear you and somehow still not really hear you. They will take an issue, which they continue to perpetuate, and turn it back on you in the form of guilt. Instead of learning and changing their beliefs and actions, they will often seek forgiveness just to do the same harmful things again.
The love I have for these characters is indescribable, I truly love them with all my heart and I’m so grateful to have spent a little while with them. The relationships between the main four characters are complex and heartbreaking. The painful history that connects Ramy, Robin, and Victoire, being taken from their homes and forced to use their native languages as a tool to facilitate the growth of the British Empire is so excellently portrayed. Victoire being unable to do her translations in Haitian Kreyol because it isn’t deemed as valuable as French is another example of how something must benefit the wealthy and white for it to be “important” to not only society but to prestigious academic institutions. The tender relationship that unfolds between Robin and Ramy in their time together is so beautifully crafted. The immediate bond that forms between them as they finally find someone who simply understands what their life is like is incredibly sad to witness.
The relationship, or lack thereof some might say, between Professor Lovell and Robin honestly tore me apart. Professor Lovell is a wonderful example of how often, white men will take anything and everything from someone for their benefit and not even spare a second thought. The lack of respect he has for both Robin and his mother is sickening. The line “For God’s sake, she was only just a woman,” broke me in ways I can’t even begin to adequately describe. Professor Lovell, and men like him, view people of color as things, a means to an end, it doesn’t matter what happens to them as long as they can provide a service that is beneficial to them and the institutions they uphold. From the beginning when Robin finds out that Professor Lovell had been in Macau for two weeks, long enough for him to make it to Canton and save Robin’s mother, you can tell this won’t be the first time that Lovell is going to show his horrible true nature.
The discussion of languages and the way they transform the world is breathtaking. I wouldn’t consider myself someone highly interested in languages but I thoroughly enjoyed that side of this book, it was presented in such a way that made it very entertaining and easy to follow in my opinion. The paths that a word must take to transform itself from one language to another is quite interesting and I’m glad that language was such a big part of this novel. The connection of the silver working system and translation is skillfully done and I think it is such a creative idea and paid off well. A lot of the critique I’ve seen on this book is the “lack of fantasy components” and while I can understand that view I believe that in this particular book, the balance is not only justified but executed in a way that it wouldn’t make sense to have an overpowering “fantasy component”.
I truly don’t believe I’ll ever fully move on from this book. There is so much more I could say about it but like I said at the beginning of this review, I simply cannot find the words. In the future, I would like to do an extended reread and take months to fully read this book again in the hopes I might be able to commit at least a little bit of it to my memory.
challenging
emotional
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? No
5.0
There is a lot that I want to say about this masterpiece that I unfortunately cannot find the words to articulate. This book was so beautiful and crushing, I’m still reeling over it months later as I finally write this review. I’ve put off writing this in the hopes that the words would come to me and I could write a review worthy of sharing but even now I’m not able.
This book is such a great display of how colonialism has harmed, and continues to harm people of color. The way that white society has believed for a long time that people of color are only valuable if they have something that can benefit the white and wealthy. The quote “It would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Letty, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comfort,” is such a good representation of how often, white people will hear you and somehow still not really hear you. They will take an issue, which they continue to perpetuate, and turn it back on you in the form of guilt. Instead of learning and changing their beliefs and actions, they will often seek forgiveness just to do the same harmful things again.
The love I have for these characters is indescribable, I truly love them with all my heart and I’m so grateful to have spent a little while with them. The relationships between the main four characters are complex and heartbreaking. The painful history that connects Ramy, Robin, and Victoire, being taken from their homes and forced to use their native languages as a tool to facilitate the growth of the British Empire is so excellently portrayed. Victoire being unable to do her translations in Haitian Kreyol because it isn’t deemed as valuable as French is another example of how something must benefit the wealthy and white for it to be “important” to not only society but to prestigious academic institutions. The tender relationship that unfolds between Robin and Ramy in their time together is so beautifully crafted. The immediate bond that forms between them as they finally find someone who simply understands what their life is like is incredibly sad to witness.
The relationship, or lack thereof some might say, between Professor Lovell and Robin honestly tore me apart. Professor Lovell is a wonderful example of how often, white men will take anything and everything from someone for their benefit and not even spare a second thought. The lack of respect he has for both Robin and his mother is sickening. The line “For God’s sake, she was only just a woman,” broke me in ways I can’t even begin to adequately describe. Professor Lovell, and men like him, view people of color as things, a means to an end, it doesn’t matter what happens to them as long as they can provide a service that is beneficial to them and the institutions they uphold. From the beginning when Robin finds out that Professor Lovell had been in Macau for two weeks, long enough for him to make it to Canton and save Robin’s mother, you can tell this won’t be the first time that Lovell is going to show his horrible true nature.
The discussion of languages and the way they transform the world is breathtaking. I wouldn’t consider myself someone highly interested in languages but I thoroughly enjoyed that side of this book, it was presented in such a way that made it very entertaining and easy to follow in my opinion. The paths that a word must take to transform itself from one language to another is quite interesting and I’m glad that language was such a big part of this novel. The connection of the silver working system and translation is skillfully done and I think it is such a creative idea and paid off well. A lot of the critique I’ve seen on this book is the “lack of fantasy components” and while I can understand that view I believe that in this particular book, the balance is not only justified but executed in a way that it wouldn’t make sense to have an overpowering “fantasy component”.
I truly don’t believe I’ll ever fully move on from this book. There is so much more I could say about it but like I said at the beginning of this review, I simply cannot find the words. In the future, I would like to do an extended reread and take months to fully read this book again in the hopes I might be able to commit at least a little bit of it to my memory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexism, Slavery, and War
Tempted By The Devil by Michelle Heard
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
0.25
This book is so unbelievably bad. There is no way y'all actually find this shitty man attractive. He doesn’t have a single redeeming quality and he’s a freak!
Rules Of Our Own by J. Wilder
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I actually went into this with very low expectations because I’m personally not normally a fan of hockey romances but wow. I really loved the dynamics between there 3 main characters and actually enjoyed seeing the progression of their relationship. All I have left to say is #RIVERFANSTEXAS.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
challenging
emotional
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
This book is incredibly powerful. The struggle Xiomara goes through to figure out who she is along with so many other parts of her life is a very hard thing to witness. The strained relationship she has with her parents and God, the tender relationship that forms between her and Aman, the raw understanding that she shares with her twin brother of being afraid to share who they really are with their parents. Throughout the entirety of this book you go through so many emotions along with Xiomara as she figures out this chapter of her life. I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook, the way Elizabeth Acevedo narrates this story is absolutely beautiful and really elevates the experience of reading this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying and Misogyny
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 80%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 80%.
I think it’s time to cut my losses.