quasinaut's reviews
199 reviews

The Lady and the Tiger by Sam Starbuck

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

5.0

A delightful return to the Shivadhverse with a dash of international political/royal intrigue alongside a rapid but satisfying friends-to-lovers.
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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

Sometimes heart wrenching, often funny, occasionally profound with such quotes as "He is too young to like so little" and "In the end, we are collected works."

It mostly worked for me that most of the time it was A.J.'s POV, but sometimes we saw from Ismay or Lambiase or Amelia - but honestly, these moments with other characters just made me want more from them (and perhaps less from A.J. especially when he was at his prickliest). And yet the book also underscored that even the prickliest amongst us needs to find their people, their friends and chosen family. 

I briefly started this book a few years ago and bounced off of it, but I'm glad to have read and finished it now.
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Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

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

3.75

My first Jane Austen! I enjoyed reading about these characters that I'd only known about through media and cultural osmosis. Austen's ability to lovingly draw out her characters' faults and idiosyncrasies was quite fun. There were parts that felt too glossed over - like why some actions were forgiven or age differences allowed - but all in all, a solid introduction to her writing.
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Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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

3.75

I have such mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I liked Ari and Russell's interactions but hated the central concept that they're trying to reunite their divorced bosses. There was such a lack of personal boundaries, and I strongly disliked that Ari and Russell would spend any of their time and money on their bosses' lives instead of finding better jobs and/or going on dates with each other (none of the weird double dates count). 

Seth and Torrance, the bosses, had their own odd dynamic. They would have moments of self-reflection, even times when they would call out their toxic behavior, but then they would undercut any progress by a) continuing to make the workplace terrible, b) sharing too many personal details, or c) interfering in their employees' personal lives. 

I don't know. I think even the sweet moments and positive representation were overshadowed for me by not being on board with the Set It Up/Parent Trap storyline.
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Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

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

4.5

Cute, cute, cute. I adore how Kate Clayborn builds the world and writes her characters, with main characters and side characters alike having their own dynamics and interactions and lives.

At times, things felt too unrealistic, with moments written just so, with things falling into place to seamlessly help the plot or explain a character quirk. Like, why would the high school music teacher remember her students over a decade later - and why would Georgie care so much about her opinion? 

And another thing, slightly spoiler-y: 
Why wouldn't Georgie just tell Levi that Evan is in the notebook?
Clearly, by not mentioning it, that's going to become the big point of contention - though truly I'm grateful that it was resolved by them both figuring out how to navigate their hurt in a way that didn't feel overblown and dramatic.

An enjoyable read, though I'm curious how memorable I'll find it in a few months to be honest!
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You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

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

3.0

This book had its moments but overall I found the characters (particularly Josh and his sister, Briar) to be unlikable. It was actually really lovely to see Josh and Ari become friends while they were at their worst, when they needed someone they could be sad with. Other than that, a lot of their dynamic was frustrating and weirdly antagonistic, especially when that antagonism came from brief interactions with large time jumps in between.
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The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
Not the book for me, which I thought might be the case going in. I simply find meaning and make decisions from a different (non-religious) place than the author.
How to Write a Letter: Find the Words for Every Occasion by Jamie Grobecker, Chelsea Shukov

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informative fast-paced

3.0

A short little book that endeavors to inspire readers to send more mail. Since I'm already completely sold on the magic of snail mail, I didn't take much away from the book except for a handful of etiquette suggestions. I also just have a different approach to letter writing than the authors - for example, I love color and stickers in my silly little cards, while they state: 
While glitter pens and bright colors are fun, black is our go-to. It’s the traditional choice and we’re traditionalists at heart.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-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? Yes

4.5

A cute, witchy, autumnal read that surprised me with how beautiful and heartfelt it was. Sometimes the pacing felt a bit off, like certain scenes were rushed so we could get to the reveal or payoff, but overall I quite enjoyed everything. The magic, and how Mika uses it, is purely a delight. 

Biggest small complaint: The title doesn't match the story at all for me (even if it's referenced in a way that tries to make it make sense)!
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What We Don't Talk about When We Talk about Fat by Aubrey Gordon

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challenging emotional informative medium-paced

4.25

An important book combining statistics and research with stories from Aubrey Gordon's and other fat folks' actual experiences living in a fatphobic world. At times, it was repetitive - I suspected that some examples or stories were intentionally reused knowing that some people might only encounter one chapter or section. But having read the whole book, I found that there were individual passages that were devastatingly, beautifully written but sometimes the larger structure or flow didn't quite work.

All in all, an eye-opening introduction to systemic fat oppression for anyone who still thinks fat people, not fatphobia, are the problem. 
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