philipeos's reviews
61 reviews

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

4.75

Animal Farm by George Orwell

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

this book was genuinely so much better than I anticipated, very easy and fast read would definitely recommend 

Parfumjer. Das Parfum. by Patrick Süskind

dark tense 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

Vom Zauber des Untergangs: Was Pompeji über uns erzählt | Vom Direktor des weltberühmten Archäologieparks Pompeji by Gabriel Zuchtriegel

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious

4.0

Ich bin wirklich dankbar dieses Buch gelesen zu haben. Als jemand der, wie Zuchtriegel es selbst getan hat, Kunstgeschichte und klassische Archäologie studiert, war dieses Buch ein wirklich interessanter Einblick in die Arbeit eines Archäologen und Kunsthistoriker. Ich frag mich oft wie mein Leben nach meinem Studium aussehen könnte und was ich am Liebsten mit meinem Wissen anstellen möchte, wo ich meine Energie und Passion reinstecken könnte, und jemanden zu sehen der ebenfalls durch Liebe und Leidenschaft für seine Fachgebiete angetrieben ist, bringt mir so viel Freude! 

Vor allem Gabriel Zuchtriegels  Fokus auf die Erhaltung und Beziehung der antiken Geschichte im Auge der Öffentlichkeit, vor allem der Jugend, scheint mir ein s hr gutes Vorbild für Historiker weltweit zu sein. 

Dazu ist das Buch leicht verständlich und angenehm zu lesen! 

Sehr empfehlenswert 

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I don't know how White does it but his books a ways grip me by the throat and don't let go until I've finished it. I loved reading this book so much, though I do have to say that I started feeling faint multiple times so do watch out for yourself when you read it!! 

Overall a wonderful experience, I can't wait to read Andrew Joseph White's next masterpiece!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Abortion, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Sexual harassment

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? No

3.5

Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

For me this book falls into the category of "Wait, do people not know this?" but this time it's not the horrible kind of not knowing that made me go absolutely mad, this time I do understand why I am not relating to this book like i thought i would (looking at the relationship anarchy and queerness and transness). 

But even though it didn't teach me much I did mostly enjoy reading it. Seeing someone grow up always makes them seem so real and makes me create very affectionate feelings for them, so I was very excited to see Dolly learn from her mistakes and grow! 

Would only recommend to the cishet monogamous people in my circle.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I absolutely love how Suri structures this book, it never gets boring at any point because of all the perspectives we get on the very many things that happen in this book. My favorite of those being the very minor character that only get one or two chapters in this (as of now) duology, because they round out the world in such a wonderful manner. 
And the tension oh my love. She writes love in a way that I find so deeply real, messy and torturous but so unmistakably beautiful at is it's core. 
I love the world I am getting to know and I love that every time I think I fully grasped how this universe functions and I know what to expect, it switches on me and gives me just enough new information to put me back at the edge of my seat. 

I am thoroughly invested and absolutely cannot wait for the last book to come out! 

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Kink by R.O. Kwon, Garth Greenwell

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Violence and Vomit

I've decided to rate each short story by itself, so minor spoilers ahead! But I'd like to say a few words about this book in general. While I love the idea of a collection of short stories about Kink or BDSM in general, I feel like this book didn't satisfy the curiosity that idea sparked at all. A lot of these stories are very loosly baised on BDSM, and sometimes BDSM isn't even an important part within the story. Sometimes I couldn't even find the kinky parts of the story and was forced to think to myself "Is the queerness of the characters the kinky part?" which I truly hope isn't the case because that idea made me violently uncomfortable. I think the best comparison I could come up with is: This book is about kink the way that the Netflix show "Love, Death and Robots" is about love, death and robots. It's not NOT about those things but they aren't the focus of the stories every time. But even though I disliked quite a few aspects and stories in this book I'm still glad a read it and felt like my horizon was widened a bit. Plus it's always a wonderful thing to feel understood by other queer people no matter the circumstances. So here are the reviews of the stories itself, rated on a scale of 1-10 (because I forgot that I can only rate books in a scale of 1-5 on this app): The Cure 7/10 Best Friendster Date Ever 8,5/10 - lighthearted hot fun liked it Trust 5/10 Canada 8/10 - that's literally just a queer slice of life what about that was kinky, am I being sexualized? Oh, youth 7/10 Impact Play 7/10 Mirror, Mirror 9/10 Reach 8,75/10 Gospodar 6/10 Scissors 9/10 The Temple of Horror 8/10 - rollercoaster of a story, beautifully written, it felt both foreign and horrifying and comforting and familiar, it's truly giving the horror of your first queer situationship The Voyeurs 8/10 - it was good but for the second time reading this book i find myself thinking "Where is the kink?" and having to come to the conclusion that it's only in here bc the story is about trans people which is absolutely confusing to me. We aren't a kink?? bro come on. Good story tho, painful and raw and true i can very much relate Emotional Technologies 7/10 - nice read