ryliereadss's reviews
284 reviews

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

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

5.0

I can completely see why this book has lasted so long, it’s fantastic and the characters have qualities that are relatable to many women. I loved Jo, loved the relationships between the sisters, and the parents. It was so cool to see the different paths their lives take. A must read classic!! 

I had no idea Beth dies in this book, that was very surprising to me. I also didn’t like that Teddy went for Amy after being rejected by Jo, that felt creepy to me.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

Very well written and well narrated by Perry. It was so insightful to here him talk about what having an addiction feels like, he uses multiple metaphors throughout the book to describe it. He talks about the friends who tried to help him and his time on Friends. He talks about his other acting jobs as well. I liked the way he talked about the women he dated, very respectful and complimentary. Sometimes it was difficult to follow the timeline bc he would jump forward and backward within the chapters but other than that it was good. The book ended on a hopeful note which just makes his passing more sad. Highly recommend especially if you have someone in your life struggling with addiction.
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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adventurous funny hopeful relaxing tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Such a comforting read. I’ve only ever watched movie adaptations of A Christmas Carol so I wanted to read the actual book. All the movies seem pretty close to the source material but I still got the little nuggets of extra content that the movies just can’t capture.
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

Such a well written book on love and also racism and false imprisonment. Not only romantic love but familial love too. I felt so awful for Fonny and the book did a good job showing how messed up the justice system is. I liked examining how strained the relationships are in Fonny’s family. Tish was a hardworking woman and I liked how her family was there to support her, her mom especially. I wish it was longer!!
Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders

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emotional reflective fast-paced

2.5

Maybe I’m just not used to reading short stories but they all seemed to end kind of abruptly. There was also one story that was told through diary entries from a man and I couldn’t tell if he was supposed to be an immigrant who didn’t know English that well or a guy who was like Kevin from The Office: Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick? Either way, I didn’t like that story and none of them really stood out to me except the last one.
When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Díaz

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

These poems are relatable to anyone who loves someone with an addiction. Raw and honest. A wonderful collection.
Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel by Stephen Gilpin, Andrew Donkin, James Howe

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dark funny fast-paced

3.0

A fun graphic novel of a classic kids book. Probably would have liked it more if I was a kid. The art style fit the tone of the book.
Yr Dead by Sam Sax

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challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

I love it when poets write novels.
Not Here by Hieu Minh Nguyen

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emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Hieu is a fantastic poet and I highly recommend this collection. The final poem is amazing!
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

I liked Inti and her abilities and how she navigates the world because of them. I liked the wolves and the small town setting with small town drama. I loved the slow reveal of what happened with Aggie and Gus and Inti and the idea of Inti being an unreliable narrator being planted into the readers head. I thought hooking up with Duncan was kind of sudden and then she didn’t seem to like him very much the rest of the book. I liked Inti was a character too, just her rage and protectiveness of her sister and the wolves.
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