rieriereads's reviews
133 reviews

What You Need to Be Warm by Neil Gaiman

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

3.0

Simple words and simple illustrations make a perfect little poetry book. A fabulous read during a cold night. It had warmed my heart as it has promised. I will definitely reread this again.
 
•••
 
My rating system
 
5 🌟 - Life-changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it. There were parts, though, that I didn't like.
3 ⭐ - I liked it the most common star rating I give.
2 ⭐ - It was okay, but I wouldn't reread it again.
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided not to DNF.
Note: I don't rate memoirs or autobiographies.

How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

I never went back to my grandparents’ house or to school. One day, they were my world. The next day, they weren’t. The door to that world was forever shut, and a new reality opened. I was ten years old.

Since 2019, I’ve invariably been asked by interviewers why I choose to come back to the Philippines, and my response is simple: there is no other choice.

My voice broke then, so I repeated the sentence. “I want to make sure that I have done all I can. We will not duck. We will not hide. We will hold the line.”

Whether we are cancer survivors, patients, or totally healthy individuals, we actually die a little every day, they told her. Each day lived is also another day never to be repeated. Now all we ask is to spend our remaining days with significance.

Over the coming years, as I stood up to the most powerful officials attacking us, people asked me how I found the courage. “It’s easy,” I would often reply. “I have the facts.”

A very important read that made me furious, emotional, frustrated, and hopeful.
 
I highly recommend this for everyone to read.

•••
 
My rating system
 
5 🌟 - Life-changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it. There were parts, though, that I didn't like.
3 ⭐ - I liked it the most common star rating I give.
2 ⭐ - It was okay, but I wouldn't reread it again.
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided not to DNF.

Note: I don't rate memoirs or autobiographies.

Seventeen Prayers to the Many-Eyed Mother by Eliza Victoria

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

"If she were beautiful, if she has white wings, you would have helped her without a second thought."

My favorites are the following:

(Note: I gave them all 5 stars but are arranged but how much I loved them)

1. Fairy Tales
2. The Ghosts of Sinagtala
3. After the Crash
4. Blessed are those who Suffer
5. Where You are Now is Better than Where you were Before
6. The Seventh

•••

My Rating System

5 🌟 - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it
3 ⭐ - I liked it 
2 ⭐ - It was okay
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided to  not dnf

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing 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

3.5

Mr Salary by Sally Rooney

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

They hated each other and I mediated their mutual hatred in a way that made me feel successfully feminine.

I definitely liked this more than Normal People, haha.
 
•••

My Rating System

5 🌟 - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it
3 ⭐ - I liked it 
2 ⭐ - It was okay
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided to  not dnf

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

3.75

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

3.75

Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman

fast-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

4.0

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

4.0

Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.25