maddilino_'s reviews
106 reviews

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous slow-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

4.5

Really good book

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

funny fast-paced

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

5.0

The main character is a psycho, I love her! 

Tout le monde savait by Valérie Bacot

dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.5

L’état français a échoué Valérie, il est tout aussi coupable que Daniel. 

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

I enjoyed reading this book especially the parts about domestic policy and all that it takes to pass a bill through Congress. However, I found numerous passages on international relations preachy and others downright hypocritical. Obama mentions that its his responsibility to hold other countries accountable and that they play "fair" which is very ironic given the meddling the CIA has done in the affairs of other countries. For a man who lived in Jakarta, he sure doesn't know what the Jakarta method is or the role the US government played in it. Furthermore, I found myself rolling my eyes every time Obama commented on world leaders english. Id like to hear his mandarin, can he speak french or Russian? How's his arabic? No-one who can only speak one language should ever comment on the proficiency of someone's second or third language. 

All and all, its a decent read and I will read the second part when its published for I want to know how Obama thinks his second mandate as president went.  

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

reflective slow-paced

1.0

Nothing groundbreaking, Ive read or heard all of her critiques/thoughts before only iterated using other words.
There was one thing that made me mad and not want to finish the book. In one of her essays, Tolentino discusses how women are viewed first as wives, mothers before complexes people with their own lives. She laments this yet in the essay titled ecstasy, she mentions a few researchers who did work on MDMA and for one of them she reveals her marital status, something she did not do for any of the other scientists, who not surprisingly are all men. In conclusion, I view  Tolentino as hypocritical and in need of a new editor to spot her future careless and misogynistic mistakes. 

21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph

challenging informative slow-paced

3.0

A good and important read but I don’t think the article should have been turned into a book. 

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75

This was one of the best books I have read. I truly enjoyed it and will recommend it to everyone I know, might even email my MP and pressure them to read it. 

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

medium-paced

2.0

Meh...

The Inconvenient Indian Illustrated: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

challenging funny informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

Great book, its really made me question many things. 

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I would sell both of my kidneys if it meant that I could read this trilogy for the first time again.