Take a photo of a barcode or cover
meirinasoe's reviews
167 reviews
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
emotional
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
4.25
As someone who almost strictly reads only queer, book has renewed my faith in cishetero romance!
I love that Rowan breaks away from the typical possessive, domineering 'alphahole', a trope billionaire MMC often fall into.
He is a socially awkward loser, which makes him a relatable and endearing character. He’s a little bit clumsy, polite, values his love interest for her intellect, and isn’t admit to admit his mistakes and apologize.
I also love the diversity of this book, especially the disability rep. Cishet contemporary romances has rarely ever been this diverse
I'm excited to continue the series and highly recommend this book for its refreshing narrative.
I love that Rowan breaks away from the typical possessive, domineering 'alphahole', a trope billionaire MMC often fall into.
He is a socially awkward loser, which makes him a relatable and endearing character. He’s a little bit clumsy, polite, values his love interest for her intellect, and isn’t admit to admit his mistakes and apologize.
I also love the diversity of this book, especially the disability rep. Cishet contemporary romances has rarely ever been this diverse
I'm excited to continue the series and highly recommend this book for its refreshing narrative.
Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, Archmaester Gyldayn
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Well, what can I say?
I love the Targaryens!
My Top 3 Targaryens:
Visenya Targaryen
Aemond Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen
Honorable mention:
Jaehaerys & Alysanne Targaryen, Corlys Velaryon, (Princess) Rhaenys Targaryen, Lucerys Velaryon, Helaena Targaryen, Mysaria, Viserys I Targaryen, Aegon III Targaryen, Viserys II Targaryen
Eat shit 💩:
Otto Hightower, Alicent Hightower, Criston Cole, Sheperd, Septon Moon, Maegor Targaryen, Tyanna of Tyros, Unwin Peake, Larys Strong, Borros Baratheon, & the rest of House Hightower
I love the Targaryens!
My Top 3 Targaryens:
Visenya Targaryen
Aemond Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen
Honorable mention:
Jaehaerys & Alysanne Targaryen, Corlys Velaryon, (Princess) Rhaenys Targaryen, Lucerys Velaryon, Helaena Targaryen, Mysaria, Viserys I Targaryen, Aegon III Targaryen, Viserys II Targaryen
Eat shit 💩:
Otto Hightower, Alicent Hightower, Criston Cole, Sheperd, Septon Moon, Maegor Targaryen, Tyanna of Tyros, Unwin Peake, Larys Strong, Borros Baratheon, & the rest of House Hightower
Dirt-Stained Hands, Thorn-Pierced Skin by Tabitha O’Connell
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Tristan Jimerson, Archie Bongiovanni
informative
medium-paced
3.0
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
The Nepo-Babies Trial!
Reading this book for the Trans Rights Readathon,"The Sunbearer Trials" took me on an unexpectedly incredible journey!
Despite thinking I might be too old for the typical YA Action Adventure, this book proved me wrong and delivered a thrilling ride.
Teo is kindest lesser-ranked nepo babies I've seen in fiction, and I'm immediately rooting for him. My only wish was that he wasn't so altruistic and could allow himself to relish on his own victory, as it proves to be his undoing.
Aiden Thomas deserves praise for skillfully incorporating fantasy metaphors of trans issues into the story, like Wing Dysphoria and people asking inappropriate questions about Teo's unique identity as a cross-bird demigod species.
The chemistry and tension Teo and Aurelio is sizzling, these boys really really need to get a room and the slowburn is killing me.
I wouldn’t have thought that there would be any MM YA couple who are thirstier than Pacat boys (Will and James from Dark Rise) (unironically, another slowburn author), but WOW. These boys are THIRSTY. I can confirm by the amount of paragraphs they spent eye-f*cking each other.
Sadly, I found the constant references to modern pop culture somewhat jarring and disruptive to the book's overall vibe.
The use of textbook definitions of transitioning such as “…getting hormone replacement therapy and got top surgery to feel more at home in his own body”.
It would be like as showing a character being bi by saying “…he feels romantic or sexual attraction to more than one gender”.
Awkward and out of place, in a story where teenagers are being sacrificed to gods. These were my only qualms with the story, that had me deduct 0.5 stars from my rating.
I understand the concern that cis readers might need 101 for trans experiences, but perhaps footnotes, like those in "Babel," would have been a smoother integration.
I guessed the plot twist, and I was right in referencing Squid Game.
All in all, "The Sunbearer Trials" is a fantastic book that masterfully blends fantasy, action, and romance, with trans representations and offers a thrilling journey.
I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Reading this book for the Trans Rights Readathon,"The Sunbearer Trials" took me on an unexpectedly incredible journey!
Despite thinking I might be too old for the typical YA Action Adventure, this book proved me wrong and delivered a thrilling ride.
Teo is kindest lesser-ranked nepo babies I've seen in fiction, and I'm immediately rooting for him. My only wish was that he wasn't so altruistic and could allow himself to relish on his own victory, as it proves to be his undoing.
Aiden Thomas deserves praise for skillfully incorporating fantasy metaphors of trans issues into the story, like Wing Dysphoria and people asking inappropriate questions about Teo's unique identity as a cross-bird demigod species.
The chemistry and tension Teo and Aurelio is sizzling, these boys really really need to get a room and the slowburn is killing me.
I wouldn’t have thought that there would be any MM YA couple who are thirstier than Pacat boys (Will and James from Dark Rise) (unironically, another slowburn author), but WOW. These boys are THIRSTY. I can confirm by the amount of paragraphs they spent eye-f*cking each other.
Sadly, I found the constant references to modern pop culture somewhat jarring and disruptive to the book's overall vibe.
The use of textbook definitions of transitioning such as “…getting hormone replacement therapy and got top surgery to feel more at home in his own body”.
It would be like as showing a character being bi by saying “…he feels romantic or sexual attraction to more than one gender”.
Awkward and out of place, in a story where teenagers are being sacrificed to gods. These were my only qualms with the story, that had me deduct 0.5 stars from my rating.
I understand the concern that cis readers might need 101 for trans experiences, but perhaps footnotes, like those in "Babel," would have been a smoother integration.
I guessed the plot twist, and I was right in referencing Squid Game.
All in all, "The Sunbearer Trials" is a fantastic book that masterfully blends fantasy, action, and romance, with trans representations and offers a thrilling journey.
I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady G., J.R. Zuckerberg
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Babel by R.F. Kuang
"Babel" is a book that resonates deeply, especially for someone like me who comes from a country that has experienced colonization. Despite being a 'speculative fiction', it holds more truth than others might like to admit.
From the moment I delved into this book, it shook me to the core.
Some may call the blatant depiction of racism as R.F. Kuang's "divisive political propaganda," but for me, it felt painfully close to the truth I've found in my own history books, when Indonesia was known as "East Indies" under Dutch occupation.
Even around the early 2010s I still have a Belieber told me that one of my favourite kpop singer has “eyes that look like lines” (yes, I will NEVER forget that).
This is why I am against woke race-bending of real historical figures except when it’s explicitly stated that it’s fantasy fiction (like Bridgerton). Hollywood, this isn’t how you cope with the west imperialistic past.
The book cleverly uses dark humor in naming the colonizer teachers, like "Professor PLAYFAIR" (who plays in any way but fair) and "Professor LEBLANC” (meaning professor White).
It's both humorous and unsettling to see them unironically believing they're doing a favor to the occupied nations, while they are literally kidnapping kids and making them puppets so they could harvest their motherland's resources much easier. A lot like when our country was occupied by the Japanese, who claimed to be our "old brethren".
So this imperialistic mindset isn’t exclusive to white people.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that Professor Play-not-fair’s lectures are interesting and thought-provoking. I would love to attend one of his classes.
The silver magic system in the book is brilliant and unique, although I did have some initial confusion about how it worked. The silver itself isn't the currency, translation magic and foreign languages are.
I understood why Karens got offended over Letty.
Her character speaks cold hard truth! Though I wonder why people on the west always get real defensive when confronted with real issues that they really need to work on, such as racism. Though I think some aspects of her character felt forced, such as shooting Ramy.
Letty is shallow, racist and insensitive, yet I still don’t think she’s capable of shooting a man over a heartbreak.
I ended up having the hots for Griffin,
but I loathe the unnecessary cis-hetero love triangle backstory. I think he’d do fine as Robin’s long-lost half brother. R.F. Kuang could really do without that one detail.
I guessed the plot twist, but still it was an epic conclusion. I considered giving it a 4 stars, but while I would typically be washed off the adrenaline after finishing a book, this book haunted my thoughts even months after finishing.
Ultimately, "Babel" deserves all five shining stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"Let them hate, so long as they fear".
"Nice, comes from the latin word for 'stupid’. We don’t want to be nice."
"Babel" is a book that resonates deeply, especially for someone like me who comes from a country that has experienced colonization. Despite being a 'speculative fiction', it holds more truth than others might like to admit.
From the moment I delved into this book, it shook me to the core.
Some may call the blatant depiction of racism as R.F. Kuang's "divisive political propaganda," but for me, it felt painfully close to the truth I've found in my own history books, when Indonesia was known as "East Indies" under Dutch occupation.
Even around the early 2010s I still have a Belieber told me that one of my favourite kpop singer has “eyes that look like lines” (yes, I will NEVER forget that).
This is why I am against woke race-bending of real historical figures except when it’s explicitly stated that it’s fantasy fiction (like Bridgerton). Hollywood, this isn’t how you cope with the west imperialistic past.
The book cleverly uses dark humor in naming the colonizer teachers, like "Professor PLAYFAIR" (who plays in any way but fair) and "Professor LEBLANC” (meaning professor White).
It's both humorous and unsettling to see them unironically believing they're doing a favor to the occupied nations, while they are literally kidnapping kids and making them puppets so they could harvest their motherland's resources much easier. A lot like when our country was occupied by the Japanese, who claimed to be our "old brethren".
So this imperialistic mindset isn’t exclusive to white people.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that Professor Play-not-fair’s lectures are interesting and thought-provoking. I would love to attend one of his classes.
The silver magic system in the book is brilliant and unique, although I did have some initial confusion about how it worked. The silver itself isn't the currency, translation magic and foreign languages are.
I understood why Karens got offended over Letty.
Her character speaks cold hard truth! Though I wonder why people on the west always get real defensive when confronted with real issues that they really need to work on, such as racism. Though I think some aspects of her character felt forced, such as shooting Ramy.
Letty is shallow, racist and insensitive, yet I still don’t think she’s capable of shooting a man over a heartbreak.
I ended up having the hots for Griffin,
but I loathe the unnecessary cis-hetero love triangle backstory. I think he’d do fine as Robin’s long-lost half brother. R.F. Kuang could really do without that one detail.
I guessed the plot twist, but still it was an epic conclusion. I considered giving it a 4 stars, but while I would typically be washed off the adrenaline after finishing a book, this book haunted my thoughts even months after finishing.
Ultimately, "Babel" deserves all five shining stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE FIRST REAL 5 STARS OF 2023!!
I've been a fan of several cooking-themed stories in the past, this is one of them.
This is a genuine storytelling! It is very sweet and cute, but also grounded and relatable. It's not meant to be a vessel of some political messaging, and also goes beyond the basic "LGBT 101" that is usual "coming out" or "figuring out yourself" material. It's just queer people being functional members of society. I love that.
Our MC Ben is likable and relatable, so you're rooting for them till the end. I'm sure as young people, so many of us have experienced (or will experience) being in his position.
And I have to say the parents are very realistic. *sigh*
The romance is nicely build and gives you a great payoff (though I had hoped it would be longer 😂😂). Liam is a sweetheart too.
The dishes are so mouth-watering, I looked up for them on google, hoping to be able to taste them someday haha.
5/5
I've been a fan of several cooking-themed stories in the past, this is one of them.
This is a genuine storytelling! It is very sweet and cute, but also grounded and relatable. It's not meant to be a vessel of some political messaging, and also goes beyond the basic "LGBT 101" that is usual "coming out" or "figuring out yourself" material. It's just queer people being functional members of society. I love that.
Our MC Ben is likable and relatable, so you're rooting for them till the end. I'm sure as young people, so many of us have experienced (or will experience) being in his position.
And I have to say the parents are very realistic. *sigh*
The romance is nicely build and gives you a great payoff (though I had hoped it would be longer 😂😂). Liam is a sweetheart too.
The dishes are so mouth-watering, I looked up for them on google, hoping to be able to taste them someday haha.
5/5
A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
adventurous
challenging
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
James Cameron, I'm so sorry about all complaints that I've made about your movie.
I’ll tell you this as a sapphic person:
James Cameron’s cishet movie is 10000% better.
It is sad to say because this is one of my most anticipated reads! I thought I’d be able to give it at least 3 stars… but the ending sealed it all for me.
1. Sh!tty moral lessons
Two of the girls who did all the heavy lifting died, and the other two who also happened to be nepo babies and kept messing up their goals for their own selfishness survived and enjoyed the money.
So it’s okay to lie and betray your friends,
it’s fine to mess up your shared goal for shared goals for your own personal gain…
Because in the end, you will still win.
Such a terrible lesson to teach!
2. It also feels very disengaged with the “TITANIC” setting.
I mean, come on!! It’s TITANIC! You needn’t craft a story from scratch! All you had to do is harvest every single detail out of history and let the hype do the work!
But it seems this author never even bothered to do any research. Like… how the Carpathia arrived at 4 AM!!! NOT 2:10 AM as in the book! Which is 10 mins before the final plunge, that is ridiculous!
Because (sarcastic laugh), Carpathia arriving 4 hours after Titanic hit the iceberg was what sealed the fate of Titanic’s victims. There weren’t enough boats, the water’s freezing and help couldn’t come soon enough.
I expected the characters to interact with the historical people from the Titanic. There were plenty! Even POCs! But of course, we only got a brief mention of Andrews’ name and have the characters engage with some rando fictional matron named Wallis instead! Utterly meaningless!
And when I thought this book couldn’t be more disrespectful toward the real historical figures….
All the Titanic Officers had risked their lives to save as many passengers as possible, some even lost it. And yet how were they portrayed? Some rando anonymous officers not allowing little boys in the lifeboats! Why can’t you even say their name?? Just say their names! Captain Smith! Mr. Murdoch! Mr. Lightoller! Mr. Wilde! Mr. Moody!
You know what “women AND children” means, right? Minor boys are allowed on board! Even Murdoch allowed male passengers into the boats!
3. I don’t know if the author tried to emulate Rose in Josefa but in fact, Rose in the film was never shown to be drowning (ha ha) in poverty. She worked as an actress and lived a happy, adventurous life. And the pseudo-portrayal of Emilie as Jack was also as ridiculous, since Jack was dirt poor and Emilie was a nepo baby who lived off her dad’s wealth.
4. The romance is underdeveloped, 100% insta-romance and emotionally bland. The two characters involved in said romance are also the two least appealing, unsympathetic characters in the book. Privileged little rich girl who sees “freedom” in poverty?? Nah, not rooting for her.
5. For a heist book, a lot of things happened out of “luck” instead of thorough and careful planning. Like how this crew member didn’t see, or how this clerk changed his mind… what if he doesn’t?? How do the girls make an exact replica of the jewel-encrusted Rubaiyat if they’d never seen it? The author referenced Ocean 8 as an inspiration, but the women in Ocean 8 used a high-tech scanner to print a replica of the jewels. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
6. Highly unrealistic details. I’m not going to believe anyone clad in 1910s dresses is gonna be able to climb over a robe, cabins or single-handedly take on two men. We saw Rose slip when she climbed the railings and her coat hindered her when she moved in water. Again, MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
And since I’ve started wondering why the author doesn't give a sh!t about accurate portrayals at this point… She wrote so proudly in her bio that she enjoys “ranting about the ills of colonialism”.
Is that it? Is it because they’re white that she thinks she could just disregard all historical facts about the tragedy??
Hey, I’m a queer POC. My country suffered from colonialism for 350+ years.
Still, I have the decency to respect history!!
I wonder why I didn’t give it a 1 star after all!
Oh right, 1 star goes to the pretty cover art which is good enough to con me into reading;
and the other 1 star goes to my girls Violet and Hinnah who’d worked their asses off to salvage the og plan while ended up being screwed in the end while the treacherous nepo babies ran away with the money.
I’ll tell you this as a sapphic person:
James Cameron’s cishet movie is 10000% better.
It is sad to say because this is one of my most anticipated reads! I thought I’d be able to give it at least 3 stars… but the ending sealed it all for me.
1. Sh!tty moral lessons
Two of the girls who did all the heavy lifting died, and the other two who also happened to be nepo babies and kept messing up their goals for their own selfishness survived and enjoyed the money.
So it’s okay to lie and betray your friends,
it’s fine to mess up your shared goal for shared goals for your own personal gain…
Because in the end, you will still win.
Such a terrible lesson to teach!
2. It also feels very disengaged with the “TITANIC” setting.
I mean, come on!! It’s TITANIC! You needn’t craft a story from scratch! All you had to do is harvest every single detail out of history and let the hype do the work!
But it seems this author never even bothered to do any research. Like… how the Carpathia arrived at 4 AM!!! NOT 2:10 AM as in the book! Which is 10 mins before the final plunge, that is ridiculous!
Because (sarcastic laugh), Carpathia arriving 4 hours after Titanic hit the iceberg was what sealed the fate of Titanic’s victims. There weren’t enough boats, the water’s freezing and help couldn’t come soon enough.
I expected the characters to interact with the historical people from the Titanic. There were plenty! Even POCs! But of course, we only got a brief mention of Andrews’ name and have the characters engage with some rando fictional matron named Wallis instead! Utterly meaningless!
And when I thought this book couldn’t be more disrespectful toward the real historical figures….
All the Titanic Officers had risked their lives to save as many passengers as possible, some even lost it. And yet how were they portrayed? Some rando anonymous officers not allowing little boys in the lifeboats! Why can’t you even say their name?? Just say their names! Captain Smith! Mr. Murdoch! Mr. Lightoller! Mr. Wilde! Mr. Moody!
You know what “women AND children” means, right? Minor boys are allowed on board! Even Murdoch allowed male passengers into the boats!
3. I don’t know if the author tried to emulate Rose in Josefa but in fact, Rose in the film was never shown to be drowning (ha ha) in poverty. She worked as an actress and lived a happy, adventurous life. And the pseudo-portrayal of Emilie as Jack was also as ridiculous, since Jack was dirt poor and Emilie was a nepo baby who lived off her dad’s wealth.
4. The romance is underdeveloped, 100% insta-romance and emotionally bland. The two characters involved in said romance are also the two least appealing, unsympathetic characters in the book. Privileged little rich girl who sees “freedom” in poverty?? Nah, not rooting for her.
5. For a heist book, a lot of things happened out of “luck” instead of thorough and careful planning. Like how this crew member didn’t see, or how this clerk changed his mind… what if he doesn’t?? How do the girls make an exact replica of the jewel-encrusted Rubaiyat if they’d never seen it? The author referenced Ocean 8 as an inspiration, but the women in Ocean 8 used a high-tech scanner to print a replica of the jewels. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
6. Highly unrealistic details. I’m not going to believe anyone clad in 1910s dresses is gonna be able to climb over a robe, cabins or single-handedly take on two men. We saw Rose slip when she climbed the railings and her coat hindered her when she moved in water. Again, MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
And since I’ve started wondering why the author doesn't give a sh!t about accurate portrayals at this point… She wrote so proudly in her bio that she enjoys “ranting about the ills of colonialism”.
Is that it? Is it because they’re white that she thinks she could just disregard all historical facts about the tragedy??
Hey, I’m a queer POC. My country suffered from colonialism for 350+ years.
Still, I have the decency to respect history!!
I wonder why I didn’t give it a 1 star after all!
Oh right, 1 star goes to the pretty cover art which is good enough to con me into reading;
and the other 1 star goes to my girls Violet and Hinnah who’d worked their asses off to salvage the og plan while ended up being screwed in the end while the treacherous nepo babies ran away with the money.