rmperezpadilla's reviews
413 reviews

Floaters: Poems by Martín Espada

emotional reflective

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Racism, and Xenophobia

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong

adventurous hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0

This was an absolute joy to read, and I’m especially glad to have listened to the audiobook. Yong’s explanations are clear throughout and his amazement at how animals experience the world is contagious. Would give 6 stars if I could!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

Descriptions throughout of testing done on animals — skip the chapter on pain to avoid the vast majority of descriptions of animal suffering, and perhaps the final chapter as well.

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Sexism, and Slavery

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Police brutality, Self harm, War, and Kidnapping

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

dark emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Slavery

Minor: Racism

I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett

adventurous funny slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

This was an absolute trip. It wasn't until maybe a quarter to a third of the way through that something clicked for me -- before that, I was amused if not quite following and beginning to wonder what the point was, and I think it was the philosophy of nonsense that turned it around for me. The whole last half really sang for me. (I finished it in a day.) I haven't read any of Everett's other novels, but they'll absolutely be on my list. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Slavery

The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun

challenging dark tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Death, Sexual harassment, Classism, Murder, and Car accident

Aura by Carlos Fuentes

dark mysterious tense

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, and Slavery

Body horror/nastiness when Georgie

willingly receives a parasite for plot reasons

but it is brief (a couple sentences) and not graphic.

Even Greater Mistakes: Stories by Charlie Jane Anders

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

Eight Billion Genies Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 by Charles Soule

adventurous hopeful fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, and War