lewisalex10's reviews
168 reviews

Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story by Joe Coscarelli

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.25

So much of my music taste has been shaped by Atlanta, so it was fascinating learning more about its influences and inner workings from an author who genuinely cares about his subjects.

We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets

dark sad fast-paced

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

3.5

Content moderation sounds like hell

Eat a Peach by David Chang, Gabe Ulla

funny informative reflective slow-paced

3.25

Gotta be real, it was uncomfortable reading a book from the perspective of a boss who admittedly hasn’t been good to his employees and directs people who are interested in being chefs to give themselves fully to their jobs. More than other books I’ve read this year, this one especially felt like a practice in eating the fish and leaving the bones.

Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Very thankful to Brian Broome for telling his story, and that other Black men will get to stumble upon it like I did & be reminded we have the capacity for love and to be loved without meeting “the masculine requirements of the body.”

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book feels honest. Gut-wrenching a lot of the time. And I’m thankful for Jennette McCurdy’s generosity in sharing part of her ongoing journey towards discovering, “What I want and what I need deserves to be listened to.”

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

An honest account of grief/mourning. I appreciate Didion’s use of repetition and how loosely she allowed herself to write throughout the book.

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

fast-paced

1.0

I will burn the Cousins house to the ground. What the fuck was that?

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

emotional sad fast-paced

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

3.25

This book goes from 0 to 100 real quick. I guess Joan Didion did say, “Life changes in the instant.” But bro… what lmao???

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

3.0

A silly, silly book.

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

I’ll be thinking about, when Ocean Vuong said, “You are something made, then made to survive—which means you are somebody's son,” for a while.