naimar's reviews
174 reviews

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous emotional reflective slow-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

5.0

Amazing book. It was so good. Just read it I cannot explain it in any way that would do it justice 

Battles in the Desert (40th Anniversary Edition) by José Emilio Pacheco

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was a really interesting read and one of the humanities readings i’ve enjoyed the most thus far 

Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam by Fred M. Donner

informative slow-paced

3.5

Admittedly I did not read this cover to cover (it was for class and I was told to skip chapter 4 because my professor didn’t feel that it adequately represented the Sunni-Shi’i split). It was informative and served its purpose well enough except for that deficiency

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This was really haunting and well written and unsettling, I really enjoyed it 

Inconvenient Daughter by Lauren J. Sharkey

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Pretty good, but not perfect. A lot of description of domestic violence so mind the content warnings. I think it could’ve been longer or more fleshed out

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Troubling the Water: The Urgent Work of Radical Belonging by Ben McBride

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

I think there was a lot that was well done in this book. I just felt that it dodged the question of how to deal with people who genuinely hate and act in violence towards minorities (the Persecuted and Prevented, to use the book’s terms). How am I meant to reconcile the idea of bridging with the horrific sexual abuses and violence committed by Oakland police officers? There was a lot that was good about this book. It’s just that is something I can’t overlook or not question. 

The Wide Sargasso sea by Jean Rhys

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

I finished this and don’t have many thoughts. I feel like I need to digest it a bit and/or read some analysis of it

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

Prose was really good, I liked the book… but can we please please stop ending books on massive cliffhangers like this. what happened to self-contained stories within a series 

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

slow-paced

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

1.75

This book was painful to get through. Like there were definitely scenes I enjoyed, but they were sprinkled in amongst a bunch of filler stuff that was excruciatingly boring to read. I was heavily skimming from around 50% - 75% way through the book. The ending was entertaining and enthralling - but it was an unnecessary slog to get there. Not to mention I feel like Xaden as a character, who I enjoyed in book one, was an entirely different man this time around. He became like a caricature of a booktok edgy boyfriend instead of having depth for like 90% of the book. I will read Onyx Storm but only because my besties would want me to do so and because it’s shorter than this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Handsome Girl and Sheltered Girl: The Complete Manga Collection by Mocchi-Au-Lait

funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Silly cute romance manga that I read in one sitting… I love gay people