maddness22's reviews
715 reviews

Beach Read by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful relaxing 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

Beach houses don't have basements. BUT other than that little detail, I loved this book. Gosh Emily Henry does such a great job blending the ugly of life with the beauty of it so the joy is never overshadowed and is, in fact, highlighted by the troubled parts. It always makes for a comforting and relatable read that makes me feel DEEP emotions. I thought the cult aspect was maybe a little bit too dark for the rest of the novel and Gus's whole life story seemed a bit all over the place but all of these inconveniences are very much overshadowed by the one, the only, dancing in the rain scene trope which always adds an additional star to my reviews because I love it so gosh dang much. 

Very good start to my summer reading! I'm very motivated to make this a rom-com summer now! 

Are You the One for Me? by Barbara De Angelis
Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.

Holy cow - the ace-phobia got me. Which, granted it's a dating book from the 90's so I'm not sure what else I expected, but the tone was already incredibly harsh with ridiculous limits and expectations for sex even for allos that the section that casually drops that "asexuality mostly sources from trauma and a fear of intimacy" with absolutely no scientific evidence to back that statement really threw me. Which is a shame because I was enjoying making fun of the shitty 90's dating advice with my friends. 

Pageboy by Elliot Page

challenging dark slow-paced

3.25

The non-linear storyline really removed a lot of the significance of his experiences for me, tbh. There's also some incredibly heavy content I wasn't expecting with no real resolution or insight which, absolutely you do you boo no need to go deeper into your trauma for the audience, but it just felt like "here's some trauma, now let's move on". Still an important perspective as Elliot Page is one of the first major public mainstream figures to outwardly transition in the public eye and I think the story will be significant for other readers. 

I also enjoyed when he randomly went on tangents about Canadian history. That was fun. 

Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire by Alice Wong

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

A beautiful and incredible collection of essays! There is so much depth and education within this collection. A handful seem to lose focus of the topic, but for the most part every single contribution to this collection is a substantial addition that provides compelling insights into what it means to be disabled and the different intimacies offered through a life as a disabled person. I appreciate the education and fresh perspectives offered through these pieces and really enjoyed this work as a whole! 

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

If you're an artist looking for additional inspiration or perspective on how to live a creative life and enjoy your work, this is definitely a great read. I struggled immensely to connect with the voice, but I really resonated with the sections about ignorance fueling innovation and working with the limitations of the universe/expected structure for art and life. I also enjoyed the sections about dealing with failure and rejection and wish there was further expansion on leading a creative life when you are required to work in another field or career in order to sustain your life or the balance between business and art. 

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.

I can't believe I'm DNF-ing a Claudia Gray, but I literally can't keep up with the large cast over the audiobook. I have no idea who anyone is (aside from the Pride & Prejudice characters) which makes the mystery less fun when I can't even keep track of the suspects.

Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.

While I agree with the general message, the writing style aggravated me and was a bit too woo-woo spiritual heavy for my tastes. It really only served as an inspiration for me to delete my Instagram app for about 12 hours before I re-downloaded it again. 

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-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

4.5

Like any good insecure 16 year old protagonist, Willowdean is insufferable at times and makes selfish decisions that are tough to read as an adult. But I loved how much heart was in this story! I did, in fact, cry a lot by the end. It's a very endearing story and the ongoing positive body image message was both realistic and uplifting. I was more inspired by the people around Willowdean than Willowdean herself, but her voice and insecurities were incredibly relatable. 

Also love all of the Dolly. Dolly is the best!

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

3.25

The true delight of this book is the food descriptions and various meals enjoyed by the customers. Other than that, I really struggled to connect with the stories or the characters. I understand the repetitive nature of these serialized novels is a necessary prose, but I felt like these stories truly just swapped out characters as needed to "refresh" the tale without actually adding any additional heart or depth to it. Also there wasn't much of a mystery here - the customer presented an impossible problem and it would be resolved for the reader through dialogue without much time or chance for the reader to figure anything out.

A cozy and delicious and quick read if you're ever in the mood for something light though. 

Inseparable by Simone de Beauvoir

emotional reflective relaxing slow-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

4.5

Phenomenal reflection of connection and personal values vs. spiritual values for the time. It is surprisingly highly modern in its exploration of spiritual beliefs impacting personal happiness. What a beautiful adoration of a deep and personal friendship. While short, it still absolutely packs an emotional punch and holds its own quiet space in this busy world.