orangewitchling's reviews
100 reviews

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Great book, very insightful and informative. I listened to the audiobooks and the narrator was great, he was able to give the right tones to Demon's voice as he grew from childhood to adulthood, which added to the story's ambiance. The story is hard to go through, but worth reading, through it all, i just wanted to give Demon a hug because he was delightful character that struggle with situation outside of his control for the most part, but at the end, I had no beef with his choices, all things considered.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Loved it! Definitely, one of my favorite reads in a long while! I wouldn't recommend to every reader, but whoever enjoys literature, historical, philosophical and sociological read will probably enjoy it. All that might sound snobbish, but it's a book about the most delightful aristocrat ever and his social circle through the decades of being in house-arrest  after the Russian revolution. 

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

It seemed interesting and I intended to finish it, maybe I will if I'm ever in the mood to retry. 
It was slow paced and very descriptive, I was not curious enough.

Miss Marple and Mystery: Over 50 Stories by Agatha Christie

lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

As an immigrant from Cuba and a Latine woman, I found this book relatable and triggering. I truly enjoyed reading this book and finding the true story of Ana Mendieta behind it (who i didn't know, much like Anita) so I'm very grateful to the author for showing light to her and her work.
In the first half of the book, i truly disliked Raquel not for anything other than i saw my younger self in her and it made me realize that I have some internal healing to work on, but i was delighte  with her character growth. Anita was timelessly angry for every woman and Latine out there, her character broke my heart as much as it infuriated me.
This book was much more for me, it meant representation in more ways than just being a woman and Latine. It showed me the parts of me that need healing and reconciliation. 

Different Seasons by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I've become a huge fan of short stories, they have become easier to digest and more engaging specially when the theme is horror. Some of the stories were uncomfortable when it came to unnecessar racial slurs and the exploration of certain events like the holocaust, but they also felt on brand with the characters and the time of the story so I'm on the fence about it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pregnancy, War

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-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

3.5

It's a cozy murder mystery and it was fun to read. It was lighthearted and satirical, I think it accomplished the purpose of the genre.

Stories I Told My Dead Lover by Jo Paquette

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This was a dark read about abuse and trauma. The writing was a bit metaphorical at times, but i still enjoyed reading it, it was realistically unnerving. It was like reading true crime in poetic prose.

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.5

It's an easy to read book, I picked it up because I needed something that easygoing and mindless. It was a refreshing story, nothing complicated or dramatic, just a cozy read.