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lisacanteven's reviews
457 reviews
D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
I really loved this book until the church scene. I am healed from my religious trauma, but that doesn't mean I want to read a book with an unrealistic scene inside a church. It almost felt like the author is trying to redeem the church, redeem christianity altogether. I didn't like it. I thought if I could get past that scene the rest would be okay. But then in the next chapter, the other POV is recapping the church scene and is even more Christian-coded. I just didn't want to wait around while low-key being preached to and shown that Christians can be good people. Please, I don't need a Christian redemption arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Homophobia
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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 series is now my favorite series of all time. I'm having a hard time choosing if I liked the first book or this book better, but I think I liked the first book a little better. The reason is that I did think the ending was a little bit rushed. I don't think it was too rushed, but if I was forced to choose which book I liked more and why that would be my reason.
I was afraid that this book would end on a huge cliffhanger considering there was supposed to be a third that was never finished before Octavia Butler's death. I'm happy to say that this book could have easily finished the series, and no one would be disappointed. I was so relieved about that, and I thought the way everything wrapped up (except for being a tad bit rushed) was done brilliantly.
I was afraid that this book would end on a huge cliffhanger considering there was supposed to be a third that was never finished before Octavia Butler's death. I'm happy to say that this book could have easily finished the series, and no one would be disappointed. I was so relieved about that, and I thought the way everything wrapped up (except for being a tad bit rushed) was done brilliantly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Classism, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Body horror, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Violence, and War
Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
My good friend, Katie, made me realize I haven’t enjoyed this whole series and wasn’t enjoying this one so why am I still going?
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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 is my first Octavia Butler book to read, and I wish I had done so sooner. This book is brilliant. I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe Octavia's prose to be a bit less accessible. But I just clicked with it right away, and I think that is very important when writing a book that is such a powerful glimpse into our country and the faults that it has. Sure, we aren't there yet but we could be in the future. Lauren was such an intriguing character. Dare I say that I loved her? I think I did. Her strength and tenacity had me cheering for her the whole time. Does that mean I would be a great cult member? I won't look too deeply into that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Gun violence, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Slavery, Abandonment, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, and Trafficking
Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Incest, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don't give books quarter points, but I really feel like this one deserves a 2.75. I can't explain it, but I can explain what really bothered me.
Colin Bridgerton for 2/3 of the book is what bothered me. That was not my Colin Bridgerton. If it was simply a difference between the Colin of the book and the Colin of the show I would be fine with it. But Colin Bridgerton's internal dialogue for 2/3 of that book was off-putting at best and abusive at worst. Listen, I know I don't particularly like straight white men but even he was written kind of repulsively. I mean at one time Penelope has a thought that he might leave a bruise from the tightness at which she held her arm when he was angry. Shortly after that moment it switches to Colin's POV and the thoughts he is having confirm that he was aware he was hurting her. That's not my Colin Bridgerton.
By the final third of the book, he suddenly does a 180 and goes right back to the considerate man we thought he was. It was like a body snatch trope. Is that a thing? For the rest of the book he has normal, non-threatening thoughts and does nice things for Penelope instead of bruising her arm. I could not reconcile the two, and I am very anxious to see how the show interprets the Colin in this book.
My final thoughts about Colin are that I just think it came down to poor character development. I think it was lazy writing in order to create drama where it did not need to exist. In the end the story would have been just fine without it.
Other than the Colin issue, I really loved the rest of the book. I would read a story with just the Bridgerton women and rate it 5 stars I'm sure. My favorite parts of this book were the interactions between any number of Bridgerton women. Those moments almost made Colin bearable. If he had been Last Chapter Colin the whole time I would have enjoyed his presence in the book.
And I end this discussion with this: Has anyone else noticed how the descriptions of the Bridgerton family become less and less humble as the series progresses? I think I could also write a dissertation on this.
Colin Bridgerton for 2/3 of the book is what bothered me. That was not my Colin Bridgerton. If it was simply a difference between the Colin of the book and the Colin of the show I would be fine with it. But Colin Bridgerton's internal dialogue for 2/3 of that book was off-putting at best and abusive at worst. Listen, I know I don't particularly like straight white men but even he was written kind of repulsively. I mean at one time Penelope has a thought that he might leave a bruise from the tightness at which she held her arm when he was angry. Shortly after that moment it switches to Colin's POV and the thoughts he is having confirm that he was aware he was hurting her. That's not my Colin Bridgerton.
By the final third of the book, he suddenly does a 180 and goes right back to the considerate man we thought he was. It was like a body snatch trope. Is that a thing? For the rest of the book he has normal, non-threatening thoughts and does nice things for Penelope instead of bruising her arm. I could not reconcile the two, and I am very anxious to see how the show interprets the Colin in this book.
My final thoughts about Colin are that I just think it came down to poor character development. I think it was lazy writing in order to create drama where it did not need to exist. In the end the story would have been just fine without it.
Other than the Colin issue, I really loved the rest of the book. I would read a story with just the Bridgerton women and rate it 5 stars I'm sure. My favorite parts of this book were the interactions between any number of Bridgerton women. Those moments almost made Colin bearable. If he had been Last Chapter Colin the whole time I would have enjoyed his presence in the book.
And I end this discussion with this: Has anyone else noticed how the descriptions of the Bridgerton family become less and less humble as the series progresses? I think I could also write a dissertation on this.
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves by Glory Edim
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
My fuzzy brain caused by certain conditions in my life right now will not allow me to focus on an anthology, and it's due back at the library.
“You Just Need to Lose Weight”: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon
informative
reflective
4.5
Aubrey Gordon does it again. I loved this book because of the amount of research that Aubrey put into this book. She has grown a lot as an author since her last book and the podcast episodes in between then. I really appreciated that Aubrey put a lot of other people's own stories and experiences into this book.
-1/2 star because it did get repetitive at times, but that is also just what happens with this kind of non-fiction book.
-1/2 star because it did get repetitive at times, but that is also just what happens with this kind of non-fiction book.
Before the Next Bomb Drops: Rising Up from Brooklyn to Palestine by Remi Kanazi
dark
emotional
tense
5.0
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
I loved this. No notes.
The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love an urban fantasy, especially one that resembles our present day. I was intrigued by the politics, the use of Witchers instead of racial divides. I thought this was a great way to present the hard divides in this fictional world. This story is quite a page turner. I found myself pulled in quickly and at times I could not stop reading.
The writing could use some polishing. The author went a little too hard and tried to throw so many things at the reader. It could have been simplified and even shorter. The paragraph count in this book was a little too high. The longest paragraph was probably only 3-4 sentences. Comprehension was a bit disjointed at parts because of the writing.
If you like soft magic (i.e. magic that easily explains everything that happens after it happens), this book is for you. I prefer the magic system to be explained more before things just happen if that makes sense. Instead everything that occurred was just explained away by the magic.
If there is a sequel, I would love to see where this author improves. The bones were good, but there needs to be some polishing in future books.
The writing could use some polishing. The author went a little too hard and tried to throw so many things at the reader. It could have been simplified and even shorter. The paragraph count in this book was a little too high. The longest paragraph was probably only 3-4 sentences. Comprehension was a bit disjointed at parts because of the writing.
If you like soft magic (i.e. magic that easily explains everything that happens after it happens), this book is for you. I prefer the magic system to be explained more before things just happen if that makes sense. Instead everything that occurred was just explained away by the magic.
If there is a sequel, I would love to see where this author improves. The bones were good, but there needs to be some polishing in future books.