readingrainbill's reviews
477 reviews

Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

lighthearted slow-paced

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

1.5

Ciguatera, Volume 1 by Minoru Furuya

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

This is not very good. It seems like a slightly darker slice of life then it will suddenly have a scene that's way darker for no apparent reason. Why do we see a random characters boobs? No idea. Why do we learn another side character is selling her body? No idea, it doesn't seem to matter at all. It seems like a slice of life that loses its focus. 

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for letting read an eArc. 

Age of Cage: Four Decades of Hollywood Through One Singular Career by Keith Phipps

informative lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

I'm a huge Nicolas Cage fan so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Thankfully Net Galley and the publisher decided to give me a free ALC to enjoy. 

The good in this is that I learned quite a bit about Nicolas Cage and have come to appreciate him even more. This book doesn't go too in depth but it does touch a little on each part of his career. 

The downside is that the author seems to get distracted by talking about other people. I don't need the history of Michael Bay and it did nothing to advance Cage's story. This happens quite a bit and gets distracting. Also I would much rather the author give each movie its own time in the spotlight but he barely mentions some films and it feels like its because he didn't like them. Well maybe some of us DID like Gone is 60 Seconds thank you. 

That being said this was still a good read that made me want to revisit some older Cage movies and look upon his lesser films in a nicer light. This is a good book for Cage fans.

Getting Closer to You, Vol. 1 by Ruri Kamino

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

So this isn't the weirdest romance manga I've ever read. Though it's still refreshing to see a woman be the perv as opposed to a pervy guy, but still.

Hibi is a "muscle maniac" and her love of muscles has landed her the position of manager of the basketball team because that's how stuff like that works.

This is a basic romance that straddles the line between cute and weird.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kodansha comics for this eArc. 

Island in a Puddle, Volume 1 by Kei Sanbe

dark 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

1.5

I hate to say it but it's just not interesting. Not once did I care for any of the characters. This isn't awful, just super mediocre. The art felt sloppy and looked like a low quality doujin at times. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me read this arc. 

Nighttime for Just Us Two, Volume 1 by Maki Miyoshi

funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

It's cute but it just didn't grab me enough to want to finish it. It's a quick read in the form of a quirky romance with a very soft sci-fi spin that has promise but didn't get off the ground in the first volume. 

The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.

You'd think that Susan Orlean had a page count to make because she loves tangents more than a geometry teacher. 

It's also boring. 

Billy Summers by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, and Gun violence

Minor: Fatphobia and Pedophilia

Bloom by Kevin Panetta

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

To be blunt Ari was quite annoying without enough redemption to make me really care for him. 

Hector is where it's at though. He's relatable, cute, and an overall enjoyable character.

The story of Ari's parents was lackluster too because they were trying to hold him back because the family business needed him and that never gets a good resolution. It sends the wrong message. Yes, your parents can stop your dreams if their small business is in trouble enough. 

But despite the negative things I've said, this is a short and sweet story. Worth a borrow from the library. 

Also Cameron needs a butt kicking. And that's me using PG language. 

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

reflective sad fast-paced

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

2.25

This had so much promise but the ending killed what was a fun story. How everything came together felt disingenuous.