julianameiyan's reviews
140 reviews

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

4.5

yeah i love christina lauren and i’m unashamed of it now. the best mix of crazy rich asians and succession. i wanted it to last forever. the loophole in the trust felt a little bit underwhelming but i’m not very interested in money stuff so idk maybe that’s just me. it was cliche and crass in the best ways and it was an excellent poolside read

Funny Story by Emily Henry

4.5

like most emily henry books i just wanna live in it forever. i love these characters and the world so much. it hit a little less hard than some of her other books like happy place so i don’t think it’s perfect but i loved it. the perfect beach/pool read.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

3.5

satisfied my craving for a trashy romance novel. much better than fix her up. i feel like the characters and romance made sense and the twist on marriage of convenience was really good. and there wasn’t really a third act break up which i appreciate. very solid pre beach read

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.

i think the alternating format was just so hard to get through and i was reading it at a snails pace. i found it hard to get attached to the characters enough and keep track of perspectives and things. but there was a quote about death being the apocalypse on a personal level and i still think about that.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

4.0

thoughts unclear but all these english books just might make me either religious or a full communist

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

2.5

underdeveloped and poorly executed. was genuinely so confused at every single turn

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.

actually really liked it…but not enough to pirate it after my loan was up 😬

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

5.0

i loved this so much and i'm actually surprised that i did. i read it for my english class and i think that improved my experience of it a lot. i wasn't expecting to read two ishiguro books in my life but i'm very glad i did. i definitely did not have the appreciation for these themes in high school freshman year that i do now. i feel the need to go back to never let me go and reread it. still, this book got me unexpectedly emotional and i completely understand how it was originally conceived as a children's book.

i think that knowing it was originally a children's book helps to lean into the story more. in actuality, the story and the moral are simple and ishiguro is definitely preaching a little bit. but, i think the moral of the story that society should accept humanity more rather than continually chasing after rationality was conveyed in a really interesting way. especially in a time of AI, it was a really unique way of looking at it.

Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman

3.5

books like these make me want to be an editor. i wholeheartedly believe i could help you elissa!!! on the positive side i loved kathleen and cal they were very cute and had solid chemistry. the flashbacks to camp were adorable for setting up all three characters and their relationship history with each other. the resolution itself was sweet and appropriate for the book. 

ryan as a character was much too evil to an almost comedic level. he has very little substance other than being kathleen's evil boyfriend. he had no redeeming qualities that made him and kathleen staying together believable. one could argue that kathleen only stayed with him because their teams and fans were pressuring them to but she also defends him and his character. he's just so bad that it's implausible she would stay with him.

i'm never one to notice pacing in a book but i noticed it with this one which is not a good sign. like most of this book's audience (probably), i am not well versed in how theater works and the step that are taken to get a show on broadway. so it was very unclear when they kept talking about previews and opening nights over and over. it felt like the show plot stagnated and it was very difficult to tell they were progressing. clear landmarks and milestones would have helped me care more about the success of the show. also the time between the big third act conflict and the resolution was terribly short. harriet and kathleen had a very serious fight with some very real issues raised and it was resolved in the blink of an eye. same thing with kathleen and cal. especially with cal saying he's not giving kathleen another chance and then he just folds the second she says she loves him. there were some very real reasons that they shouldn't be together that went very unaddressed.

overall i actually really liked the book, i just think it could be a lot better.

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

4.25

possibly my favorite fictional bf ever. definitely a risky listen at work but quite entertaining. i really liked the characters and was invested in their relationship. i think the sister relationship was a bit rushed but it was still overall good