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michaelapr's reviews
78 reviews
Santa's Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Preacher, Volume 1: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis
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? It's complicated
4.0
I don't know what it is about mature, violent late 90s comics but they seem to grab me and finds a place in my heart almost immediately. Preacher is one of those comics that most people would assume I wouldn't like - it's violent, it has some body horror, and it has foul language, among other things. But I honestly didn't care about any of that - the story had me hooked almost immediately. I loved Jesse, I was invested in his relationship with Tulip (what a ridiculous name), and Cassidy made me crack up. Then there's the art, which really added to the story and I can't wait to draw some of it.
I can't recommend this one to most people. But man, I sure enjoyed the ride.
I can't recommend this one to most people. But man, I sure enjoyed the ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
An emotional graphic novel with a rich text and moving artwork. This story is at, its heart, a hopeful one that still feels emotionally true as it grapples with grief and depression in a world of wishes that demand to be thought over. I really enjoyed this one!
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Night Before Christmas by
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
It's getting a 4 star rating from me because of the lovely art.
The Stocking Stuffer by Holley Merriweather
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.25
A cute Christmas book!
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A secluded island. A wedding with a bunch of drunk 30-somethings pretending to be in their 20s. A bride, a groom, a wedding planner, a bridesmaid, a best man, and a plus one, all with a lot of secrets. And a storm brewing both figuratively and literally in the distance.
This book has an interesting premise, as anyone can see. I believe it's been compared to an Agatha Christie novel - and with all its twists and the way Foley connects the characters together while leaving hints along the way I can see why. Unlike Christie, however, this book is incredibly slow at the beginning. You go back and forth between the Wedding Night for a couple of pages and then to hours earlier through the perspectives of different characters. This should work pretty well, however it instead makes the book drag until around 60% of the way through. Once you hit that 60% - that's when the book speeds up, things start to really click together in quick succession, and it gets really good. This is why there are so many high ratings and hype for this book - you finish with that fast pace when it's really good and that's what you remember. Unfortunately I still remember how slow that first part was and that's why this book doesn't quite make that 4 star mark.
This book has an interesting premise, as anyone can see. I believe it's been compared to an Agatha Christie novel - and with all its twists and the way Foley connects the characters together while leaving hints along the way I can see why. Unlike Christie, however, this book is incredibly slow at the beginning. You go back and forth between the Wedding Night for a couple of pages and then to hours earlier through the perspectives of different characters. This should work pretty well, however it instead makes the book drag until around 60% of the way through. Once you hit that 60% - that's when the book speeds up, things start to really click together in quick succession, and it gets really good. This is why there are so many high ratings and hype for this book - you finish with that fast pace when it's really good and that's what you remember. Unfortunately I still remember how slow that first part was and that's why this book doesn't quite make that 4 star mark.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Crying in H Mart did not disappoint. I have heard how good this book was since it came out and I for once (as I am insufferable about not liking over hyped books) agree with the majority. Michelle Zauner writes about her mother's death yes, but also about the complexity of a mother-daughter relationship, how love is shown in many ways, and what happens when losing a parent also means possibly losing a part of her heritage.
Zauner's mother showed her love through food, specifically by making her daughter's favorite Korean food. This was also Zauner's main connection to her Korean side of the family and this important aspect of her life is a thread that weaves throughout the book. Through the memories and the sickness and the heartache and the musings there is Korean food. I've never heard of or had any of this cuisine but the way this book describes it made me want to.
Zauner shows her journey and her therapy of forging new ways to connect with her mother's heritage, mostly by learning how to make the dishes that her mother always made. By going through this process, Zauner begins to recapture parts of herself and to find success in other parts of her life.
Overall a well written book that's sad and reflective on the Korean-American experience, the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the loss of a parent.
Zauner's mother showed her love through food, specifically by making her daughter's favorite Korean food. This was also Zauner's main connection to her Korean side of the family and this important aspect of her life is a thread that weaves throughout the book. Through the memories and the sickness and the heartache and the musings there is Korean food. I've never heard of or had any of this cuisine but the way this book describes it made me want to.
Zauner shows her journey and her therapy of forging new ways to connect with her mother's heritage, mostly by learning how to make the dishes that her mother always made. By going through this process, Zauner begins to recapture parts of herself and to find success in other parts of her life.
Overall a well written book that's sad and reflective on the Korean-American experience, the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the loss of a parent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a beautifully written book that was heartbreaking in some moments, hard to read in others, and poignant throughout.
I was under the impression that this was nonfiction but it's actually fiction. I read it as more of a lyric essay with some parts prose, other parts poetry, and parts that still feel very true even after knowing some parts are fictional. All of these parts were connected through a process that seemed to appear on paper even when I know that the words only sound the way they do through a lot of editing.
This is essentially an exploration of identity, of an intense parent-child relationship, of the opioid epidemic through the eyes of someone who's friends keep dying, and of an ever present grief caused by trauma from wars of multiple varieties. Ocean Vuong does these explorations well by reflecting in a way that feels true.
The reason why this book falls just short of a 4 for me is hard to explain except it's probably mostly because of the end. The very end started to feel... looser to me than the rest of the book. The connections not as clear to me, the meaning of the table metaphor (was it a metaphor?) just out of reach, and the ending lines not clicking with me. This might've just been me - maybe if I read this again down the line I'd understand that part better. There were also parts of this that were hard to read. This isn't necessarily what made it not a 4 stars or above because these parts felt necessary, no matter how painful or cringe worthy. It's just worth noting to check triggers if you need to.
Overall this was a well written book that wants to make you think about important aspects of the American experience that many hate to acknowledge exists and Vuong succeeds in this mission.
I was under the impression that this was nonfiction but it's actually fiction. I read it as more of a lyric essay with some parts prose, other parts poetry, and parts that still feel very true even after knowing some parts are fictional. All of these parts were connected through a process that seemed to appear on paper even when I know that the words only sound the way they do through a lot of editing.
This is essentially an exploration of identity, of an intense parent-child relationship, of the opioid epidemic through the eyes of someone who's friends keep dying, and of an ever present grief caused by trauma from wars of multiple varieties. Ocean Vuong does these explorations well by reflecting in a way that feels true.
The reason why this book falls just short of a 4 for me is hard to explain except it's probably mostly because of the end. The very end started to feel... looser to me than the rest of the book. The connections not as clear to me, the meaning of the table metaphor (was it a metaphor?) just out of reach, and the ending lines not clicking with me. This might've just been me - maybe if I read this again down the line I'd understand that part better. There were also parts of this that were hard to read. This isn't necessarily what made it not a 4 stars or above because these parts felt necessary, no matter how painful or cringe worthy. It's just worth noting to check triggers if you need to.
Overall this was a well written book that wants to make you think about important aspects of the American experience that many hate to acknowledge exists and Vuong succeeds in this mission.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Body shaming and Emotional abuse
The Snow Queen by
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
1. The description for this book is incorrect.
2. It was super quick and super lame.
2. It was super quick and super lame.