katecookk4's reviews
60 reviews

The Night House by Jo Nesbø
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.

I got too scared and then had to return the library book 

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 4.0/5 

 

UGH I LOVE EDWARD CULLEN!!!! (I also love imagining Robert Pattison as Edward Cullen) Book was fabulous, so many more fun details than in the movie. Not really much to say other than it was grand, as expected. I should also point out that I watched the movie while I was 30% into the book and have to admit that the acting was PAINFUL to watch when you know what is “SUPPOSED” to happen based on the book. Ugh LOVE YOU EDWARD! YOU NEED THERAPY! ON TO NEW MOON! (Dreading it) 

Victim by Andrew Boryga

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow. I am speechless. This was SUCH an interesting read. It touched on such  important topics like racism, gentrification, victim complexes, etc. but in such a new perspective, that I never could have imagined. It’s not easy to write a book about these topics without sounding preachy or overly political let alone make it Satirical. But having Javi’s perspective as a semi-unreliable narrator really brought this novel to life and kept it interesting. It’s a work of fiction that really embodies reality. Where do you draw the line between taking advantage of opportunities and manipulation of those around you? I think there are several examples of this that readers can really resonate with. Fabricating events to sound interesting, stretching your college applications to tug at the heart strings of a committee of strangers, little half-truth-stories that you tell over and over just to add a bit of dramatics, until you realize that you can’t recall what details were true or not. This novel was like something I’ve never read before and I really do recommend it. 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.

This sucked, and I only got 6% through. I was so scared that it was going to turn into smut/ a crazy strong romance book, which I never enjoy. I am pretty sure I can tell you the entire plot that will happen after only the 6% that I have read. 

**I just searched up the plot, and I was right...***

The Dragon is an asshole for no reason, and the main character doesn't have a backbone. Everything was so painfully obvious. And for the 30000th time, I don't care that there is a stain on her dress!!! 

I couldnt get through it. Wow, was that painful. DNF!!

Funny Story by Emily Henry

funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

ugh, I'm giddy! I've been needing a light read, and this was a perfect mood booster! The novel is so cute. I was confused when I started the first page and felt like the main issue had already happened. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't seem like there really was a MAJOR problem. That's not to say there wasn't a turning point in the story, but it seemed like a bunch of little things, different from what I was expecting. It was honestly super predictable, down to certain lines of the book that i could anticipate coming, but this didnt bother me much honestly. Overall, It made me giggle, and I finished it in a single day. Woop! 

Circe by Madeline Miller

adventurous reflective 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

3.0

I think that maybe my expectations were high due to the books’s soaring popularity, but I was honestly quite disappointed by the novel. Somehow, nothing happened but a lot of words were used. When i put the book down, nothing drew me to want to pick it back up. There was no excitement, no eagerness to find out what would happen next. I don’t think I disliked it, but I definitely only felt excited once I reached 75%. I think the descriptions of nature and divinity  are quite beautiful and I give credit to Miller for these depictions. However, it really did just feel like she tried to cram all the popular myths into a single novel through story telling, not a story. It was fine, but definitely nothing spectacular or truly even worth recommending in my opinion. 

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

FUNNY!!! I was laughing the whole time while reading this. I remember reading it for the first time in high school and am so glad I decided to read it once more. Hilarity truly. 

Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous emotional 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? No

4.5

Wowowow!! What a read. I ate this novel UP! Which is so surprising for how long it is compared to my usually shorter picks. This was so amazing to read as someone who is bilingual and now spends 90% of my days in my native language as an English Teacher  back in my home country. I cannot imagine the research that was done to make this book a reality. WOW it was just so interesting and academic but also fantastical at the same time. I have so many thoughts that they’re all jumbled into having no thoughts. This was a blast to read and it pulled on every single emotion I had. UGH I LOVED IT! 

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby

emotional funny lighthearted reflective

3.0

I've never gone through a nonfiction book this quickly before! Irby is FUNNY. She's has all these messed up parts of her that I don't agree with or relate to, but she presents them in a way that you cannot help but just really like her as a person.  These essays were real and raw, and I really appreciated the honesty but loved the dramatics even more. I was hooked from the beginning but did lose steam towards the end. There's not much else to say, tbh. Im happy i read this book. Samantha Irby, ur funny asf! 

Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

This was interesting to read. I'm not usually someone who can get through such a slow-paced novel without some action or thrill in at least each chapter. However, this book had to be good enough if I decided to finish it! I thought it was a good novel, even though not much seemed to be happening, which is a big hats off to the writing and narration style. Majella isn't a disliked character by any means but doesn't fit into the stereotypically loved character. She is just kind of there, and I think this was a really nice part of the book. I resonated with some of Majellas traits, mindsets, and actions and could understand the sense of feeling trapped in an uncomfortable cycle of agitation and dislike yet still being within your comfort zone because even though you may feel stagnant and tense, at least you know what to expect.