nadia's reviews
573 reviews

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

This is a very good book. I love the writing and the way the story was told via different perspectives and POVs. It covers difficult and challenging subject matter and it definitely tugged at my heartstrings at points but there was a lil' something missing for me which prevented the book from having maximum emotional impact.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Go to review page

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

3.5

I was so intrigued by this book, but it also confused me to no end! I couldn't work out where it was going, what I was meant to believe/think, whose side I was meant to be on...while there were hints at some messages, nothing fully landed and I'm left wondering what Yuzuki wants the reader to take away from Butter.

Still, despite these feelings, there was something about the book that kept me intrigued, so I guess I found the characters fascinating to an extent, and some of the passages got me craving some proper butter, which I did go out to buy and have been enjoying putting on everything since (butter is one of my favourite foodstuffs, it's a key fact my uni friends know of me).
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo

Go to review page

adventurous informative medium-paced

4.5

What an incredible historical work! I'd once heard this story years ago in an episode of the Criminal podcast, but I couldn't remember the details. The first part of this book read so much like a novel: I was gripped, tense, scared, on the edge of the seat...then we lost that narrative pull at some point. Still, I remained super engaged and the level of detail was amazing, without getting too bogged down, though there were a lot of people to keep track of! Anyway, I've learnt so much and it's wild that this story isn't more widely known in the US. Hopefully more people read this book.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday

Go to review page

informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

I was really looking forward to this book having a massive transformational impact on me, but, that wasn't the case! I think it was too simplistic for me! I wanted more nuanced or actionable insights rather than a bunch which said the same thing in different ways. I also didn't enjoy Holiday's tone at points — again, I just don't think I was the target audience!
Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Bradley Hope, Tom Wright

Go to review page

informative medium-paced

4.0

When this book started, it was firmly in 5-star territory! However, it got a little bogged down in details and a large cast of characters and I found myself getting a little distracted and bored. It picked up again towards the end though and I was ultimately intrigued and wanted to know what happened the whole way through. 
New Nigeria County by Clare Brown

Go to review page

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

3.25

This was a super-well produced audiobook, down to the full cast, music, and sound effects. When it started, I was excited by the concept, but it ended up being way too repetitive and thus I kinda got tired of it and felt it started to stray a little too far to the silly side. I know that's what satire can be going for but I was hoping for something that ultimately had a little more depth or nuance in the plot and takeaways. Maybe I'm not the audience for it!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Paper Girls: The Complete Story by Brian K. Vaughan

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

This was fun and I was intrigued and engaged the whole way. But I felt like a lot of things weren't properly explained or fleshed out to be believable. And it also just didn't have the emotional impact I hoped it would! The artwork was brilliant and there was a real fun storytelling structure in the final volume!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Go to review page

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

3.75

I wish I'd reread Children of Blood and Bone, which I'd read back in 2019, before reading this instalment. I thought the summaries I'd read online were good enough, but there were key details I couldn't remember, which impacted my understanding and emotional connection to the book when I started. Still, I managed to get into it after not too long!

This instalment wasn't as strong as the first. The characters' behaviour and decisions didn't always line up or seemed too naïve, some plot lines seemed rushed, and certain things needed a bit more explanation and elaboration. It definitely felt a little repetitive at times too.

Still, it wins point for ultimately being a page turner! Won't leave the final instalment so long. Plan to read it next month!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

What an absolutely brilliant memoir. I really appreciated the unique perspective of a queer Muslim woman navigating life as an immigrant. I especially liked how stories from the Quran were intertwined with Lamya's recollections. The writing was also great!
World Without End by Ken Follett

Go to review page

adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

A super solid Kingsbridge instalment. I loved the political intrigue of this. So gripping. It took me a really long time to read the first part of the book so I really came to appreciate Follett's way of reminding you who everyone is in a relatively smooth fashion. Some of the narration and dialogue is a little clunky or cringe-y but you get used to it!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings