makiya's reviews
173 reviews

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing 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

5.0

I can’t believe how much I loved this book. It reminded me of Klara and the Sun both through the writing and the themes of the book. I liked how the author highlighted that although many people experience the same thing, each person can be impacted differently. I also liked that each person had their own motives for going to the cafe and learned something from their experience. This is definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read and I can’t wait to reread it

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-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

The epitome of chef’s kiss. I went into this book with no knowledge of what it was about and I am so glad I chose it. This book is easily one of my favorites that I’ve read this year. The second chance romance and the plot go together really well and the plot twist was not what I expected at all. I also loved the mystery aspects of the book and the ending ties everything together really nicely

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

This book did not live up to the hype in my point of view. There were some elements that had me extremely interested in the book, only for them to fall flat when I actually got to them. I enjoyed the book enough to finish it but it leaves me with questioning whether or not I’ll be reading the next book(s) in the series

While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

This book felt so relaxing to listen to. The plot advances at a good pace and the characters are so lovable. I definitely can’t wait to read the other books in the series

If the Fates Allow by Rainbow Rowell

hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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

4.75

This short story was a really easy read. I liked the pacing and found it enjoyable. As always with Rainbow Rowell, I loved the writing style

The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 2: Dallas by Gerard Way

adventurous dark 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

4.5

I enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first one. I like how the show and graphic novels are similar but not identical so both are entertaining without being repetitive

The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins by Clint McElroy, Carey Pietsch

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a really fun graphic novel to read. The concept was interesting and the book kept me entertained. I’m excited to listen to the corresponding podcasts and read the next books

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. A lot of people recommended the book, but I did not find enjoyment in reading it the way others have. The “problem” brought up in the book seemed superficial and wasn’t enough to write a whole book around. I like that the ending is wrapped up nicely, but I just didn’t enjoy my time reading this book

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

I feel like I’ve been reading this book for so long. Parts of the book were so interesting that I couldn’t put it down, but others weren’t and left me feeling unwilling to pick up the book to keep reading. The premise of the book is very interesting but the book did not hold my attention, which was kind of disappointing.