lklitup's reviews
268 reviews

From the Corner of the Oval: A Memoir by Beck Dorey-Stein

1.0

I can’t comprehend how, in a book about working for President Obama, working in the Obama Administration could take a backseat to anything, let alone a man-obsessed hot mess express, but this book made it happen. This story could have happened anywhere (some details aside) in any often-unfulfilling job. Author herself aside, the writing was a hodge podge of random anecdotes mixed with forgettable characters — even though these were her “best friends” and recurring individuals throughout the book. Couldn’t have told you the difference from one person to the next if my life depended on it. I came to this book hoping for an inspiring women-in-politics/-government story, and in all honesty, I’m just thrilled how my trajectory is going compared to this story. 

Man o' War by Cory McCarthy

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Piglet by Lottie Hazell

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

This book did not work for me. I do think others can/will enjoy it. I felt very removed from Piglet and her struggles, perhaps because the readers were never told what THE betrayal was— although every other character found out, sometimes in spectacular fashion. I saw other reviews wondering whether keeping this information from the reader allowed us to accept Piglet’s reactions without judgment about what the reader would do. If so intended, it had the opposite effect for me. I wanted to root for Piglet, support her and empathize with her, but couldn’t. It felt like her spiral was for her, and her alone. And, to boot, I felt like there weren’t very many food descriptions?? This book seemed much more centered on Piglet’s complicated relationships with her family, her fiancé’s family, and her sense of obligation (or not) to them all.  And even that was underdeveloped, especially with her sister’s food struggles. I kept reading because *something* kept me intrigued but by the end, I wasn’t sure what it was. 

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

emotional funny reflective sad 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 absolutely loved How to End a Love Story. Like, I almost can’t believe it. The premise is undoubtedly a unique and extremely complicated situation, but I do think it ends up making sense. The characters, both Helen and Grant, are developed enough that I mostly understand why they’re at the point they’re at with themselves and each other. There are frequent (and believable!) mentions of therapy; Helen and Grant don’t try to hide their messy, traumatic past or, quite frankly, screw it away. They’re honest and dealt with it head-on. I was extremely skeptical about how this story could work, especially after their first meeting and one-on-one lunch, but I fell for Helen and Grant HARRRD. How to End a Love Story is also one of the hottest contemporary romances I’ve read in a while. A contemporary literature reader could enjoy this book as easily and as much as an avid romance reader. Yulin Kuang will be an auto-read author for me.

Paradais by Fernanda Melchor

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Disturbing and unsettling plot paired with immersive, visceral writing. The style of writing was such that the reader was rushed and carried through the frenzy of what was unfolding word-by-word, almost like the author COULDN’T give a break because the train was off its tracks. I’d absolutely read another book by this author. 

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline by Courtney Preiss

emotional funny fast-paced

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

5.0

This one is for the Jersey girls; the live music lovers; the well-meaning soul searcher; the suburb-grown millennial. Welcome Come, Caroline Kline was a honest coming-to-self tale still filled with hilarity and antics. At one point my boyfriend turned to my cackling and said, “You’re really enjoying this one, aren’t you?!” I love this book— please read it. Welcome it to your bookshelves.

In the Garden of Echo by H.S. Wolfe

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

Love me some body horror x romance x fantasy crossover work 🤌🏼

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-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

4.0

Now THIS is a contemporary romance from Emily Henry! My faith has been renewed in her; Happy Place nearly made me give up on her works! But Funny Story had it all for me: likable and loveable characters— main and side, individually and as a unit. The character development and growth was grounded and realistic (no magic wand of “oh my god my decades of trauma are solved!”). The storyline was, in fact, funny, but also sweet and hot and comforting. 

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

My first Leigh Bardugo but not my last! I loved the layers and power dynamics. The story was intriguing and historically informative without being too in-the-weeds. Luzia could have been unlikeable for her brashness, but she was ambitious and powerful— she knew her worth, asked for it, and protected herself. I LOVED her character. 

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

I LOVED this book! Devoured it! The characters, the world building, the plot, the adventure, the emotions!!! No notes and all the exclamation points!!! Dragonfruit has something for everyone and executes it well. I seriously am so thrilled I picked Dragonfruit as my book of the month for April, otherwise I don’t know where else I’d see this book or author. I’m hoping it gets read and shared by many more readers!