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penguinna's reviews
319 reviews
All the Young Dudes: Bootleg Tapes by MsKingBean89
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
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All The Young Dudes - Volume Three: ‘Til the End by MsKingBean89
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
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All The Young Dudes - Volume Two: Years 5 - 7 by MsKingBean89
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
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All the Young Dudes: Christmas Compilation by MsKingBean89
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
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The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
On the train to Italy for my winter holidays, I decided to read a short classic Christmas story. The Gift of the Magi was so touching that I even had misty eyes by the end.
Della and Jim are a young married couple, as poor as church mice. Della has been saving for months to buy a Christmas present for her beloved husband, but all she could save was $1.87. Determined to find money for the perfect present, she sacrifices her greatest treasure: her beautiful, shiny waterfall of hair, so long it reaches below her knees...
The plot twist in this story is quite predictable, yet it still made me smile and feel the warmth of its funny and bittersweet ending. The Gift of the Magi is a wonderfully cozy novella about the healing power of love.
This touching story felt even more special thanks to the stunning illustrations by P.J. Lynch. By the way, the Kindle edition of this book is free on Amazon. Read it this Christmas to experience a little bit of magic :)
More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books
Della and Jim are a young married couple, as poor as church mice. Della has been saving for months to buy a Christmas present for her beloved husband, but all she could save was $1.87. Determined to find money for the perfect present, she sacrifices her greatest treasure: her beautiful, shiny waterfall of hair, so long it reaches below her knees...
The plot twist in this story is quite predictable, yet it still made me smile and feel the warmth of its funny and bittersweet ending. The Gift of the Magi is a wonderfully cozy novella about the healing power of love.
This touching story felt even more special thanks to the stunning illustrations by P.J. Lynch. By the way, the Kindle edition of this book is free on Amazon. Read it this Christmas to experience a little bit of magic :)
More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books
If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
In this book, the main character is you. You buy this very book in a store and realize it only contains the first chapter, repeated over and over. Frustrated, you go back to exchange it, only to receive a completely different book. And the worst part? After the first chapter, all the pages are blank. Furious, you set out to uncover the truth. And this is where your story begins…
This book features the first chapters of 10 different stories, intertwined with a main storyline about you trying to find the rest of these books.
Objectively, it’s a very good book. The author masterfully creates intrigue, introducing characters so vividly in just the first few paragraphs of each short story that you can’t help but become attached to them. You’re immediately hooked, eager to know what happens next. The variety of writing styles and genres show that Calvino is a truly professional writer.
Subjectively, I didn’t enjoy the main storyline about myself and my journey. I couldn’t follow what was happening – too many characters, too fast-paced, and too chaotic. It was hard to understand who was who or why events were unfolding as they were.
As for the short stories, they end right at the climax. While I understand the reason for this choice, it left me feeling sad and disappointed. By the time I reached the later stories, I barely cared what was happening, simply to avoid becoming attached to temporary characters who would vanish without explanation.
A separate issue is how women are portrayed – a sore spot for me in many books. The male gaze is clearly present here, and it’s difficult to ignore.
In any case, I highly recommend this book to writers – you’ll definitely find many relatable moments in terms of the craft of creating literature. For other readers, be prepared for a totally melancholic whirlwind of confusing action.
More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books
This book features the first chapters of 10 different stories, intertwined with a main storyline about you trying to find the rest of these books.
Objectively, it’s a very good book. The author masterfully creates intrigue, introducing characters so vividly in just the first few paragraphs of each short story that you can’t help but become attached to them. You’re immediately hooked, eager to know what happens next. The variety of writing styles and genres show that Calvino is a truly professional writer.
Subjectively, I didn’t enjoy the main storyline about myself and my journey. I couldn’t follow what was happening – too many characters, too fast-paced, and too chaotic. It was hard to understand who was who or why events were unfolding as they were.
As for the short stories, they end right at the climax. While I understand the reason for this choice, it left me feeling sad and disappointed. By the time I reached the later stories, I barely cared what was happening, simply to avoid becoming attached to temporary characters who would vanish without explanation.
A separate issue is how women are portrayed – a sore spot for me in many books. The male gaze is clearly present here, and it’s difficult to ignore.
In any case, I highly recommend this book to writers – you’ll definitely find many relatable moments in terms of the craft of creating literature. For other readers, be prepared for a totally melancholic whirlwind of confusing action.
More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books
The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd by Allan Dib
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
Lucy’s life has always been simple – until she realizes she’s in a burning, overwhelming, and all-consuming love with her very best friend, Susannah.
Torn between two worlds, Lucy must choose: will she remain the beloved daughter, accepted by her small-town society, and stay with the perfect boy who loves her? Or will she risk everything to be with the love of her life, Susannah, knowing she’ll face hatred and rejection from everyone else?
Paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice – of always being unhappy or losing everything she’s ever known or could ever have – Lucy finds herself unable to decide. Trapped within the confines of the expectations she’s built for herself, she causes pain to everyone around her, including herself.
Sunburn is an incredibly poignant and bittersweet tale of coming of age as a queer girl in the conservative society of a small Irish town. It explores themes of self-acceptance, complex parent-child relationships, repressed sexuality, and the struggle to fit in.
I loved Sunburn. This book feels like the peak of a scorching summer, where every page intensifies the oppressive heat. Reading it, you’ll find yourself longing for a thunderstorm to release all that’s been suppressed. But instead, the heat builds and builds, and the suffocating pressure on Lucy’s chest becomes almost unbearable.
“Susannah, Save this letter: it marks the moment that my life finally started. I have never felt closer to Heaven than I felt today on the road with you. I can only hope that it was real, and that you will not change your mind. Now I am away from you, I have never felt further from home, further from myself. Susannah, since the day I met you, I have wanted to let you know that you are a spill of gleaming gold on my otherwise dull and pointless world. Yours always, Lucy”
Torn between two worlds, Lucy must choose: will she remain the beloved daughter, accepted by her small-town society, and stay with the perfect boy who loves her? Or will she risk everything to be with the love of her life, Susannah, knowing she’ll face hatred and rejection from everyone else?
Paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice – of always being unhappy or losing everything she’s ever known or could ever have – Lucy finds herself unable to decide. Trapped within the confines of the expectations she’s built for herself, she causes pain to everyone around her, including herself.
Sunburn is an incredibly poignant and bittersweet tale of coming of age as a queer girl in the conservative society of a small Irish town. It explores themes of self-acceptance, complex parent-child relationships, repressed sexuality, and the struggle to fit in.
I loved Sunburn. This book feels like the peak of a scorching summer, where every page intensifies the oppressive heat. Reading it, you’ll find yourself longing for a thunderstorm to release all that’s been suppressed. But instead, the heat builds and builds, and the suffocating pressure on Lucy’s chest becomes almost unbearable.
“Susannah, Save this letter: it marks the moment that my life finally started. I have never felt closer to Heaven than I felt today on the road with you. I can only hope that it was real, and that you will not change your mind. Now I am away from you, I have never felt further from home, further from myself. Susannah, since the day I met you, I have wanted to let you know that you are a spill of gleaming gold on my otherwise dull and pointless world. Yours always, Lucy”
All The Young Dudes - Volume One: Years 1 - 4 by MsKingBean89
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.