ryliereadss's reviews
284 reviews

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman

hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Such a wonderful, powerful message about making a difference by the incredibly talented Amanda Gorman. She shows kids that if you see something wrong in the world, you have the power to change it and make it better and there are people who will help you! The illustrations were wonderful and gave me a nostalgic feeling.

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

Absolutely fantastic! Hanif is an expert storyteller and critic. He talks about a lot of well known artists, like Carly Rae Jepsen and Macklemore, but also some I didn’t know but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the essays. The personal stories he included were very impactful and had us look at music through his eyes based on his experience as a man of color. I really liked a lot of the essays at the end and the way he narrates the book. Definitely gonna need a physical copy!

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.

Not the vibe rn. I like that he does write like Lemony Snicket but nothing is sticking for me. Might try it again later.

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

challenging dark emotional 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? No

3.0

Another book with heavy topics! This is a historical verse novel that talks about the r*pe of Artemisia. Some poems are also told by her mother, who has passed away, when she told Artemisia stories about Judith and Savanna. Artemisia feels used by the men in her life and ignored by her brothers. The poems were good, they were formatted so you know who’s talking based on where the text is on the page and it’s italicized, and I liked the stories of Judith and Savanna. I thought the book ended super abruptly.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder

A Fortune for Your Disaster: Poems by Hanif Abdurraqib

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.0

I loved the poems in this collection! He talks about heartbreak, social justice, and Nikola Tesla. I liked the repetition of titles and the themes of the poems. There are poems about grief that are really meaningful too. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook because it was like a spoken word performance, with little asides and everything! I highly recommend listening to it!

Modern Poetry: Poems by Diane Seuss

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

3.5

I didn’t like the first part of the book as much as I liked the middle and last part. Idk if it was my mindset or what but I enjoyed the longer poems in the middle and last part. There were some funny lines that I really enjoyed. I liked her poems where she talked about love and there were a lot of poems about Keats. Definitely want to check out her other collections 

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.75

I really liked the character development from all the characters that we get to see. We know their flaws and what they’re working on. Alice and Eileen are complex and I loved reading their emails to each other and the tension that is shown through them. Felix was sassy but pretty honest about his past. Simon was infuriatingly chill, but also very sweet. Eileen is the queen of self sabotage, I felt bad for her but she was also frustrating. And Alice was mysterious and distant. I like the third person limited omniscient perspective we get in the book. There were still some questions at the end but it was mostly satisfying. Highly recommend this one!

The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O'Neill

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This final book in the Tea Dragon series talks about the importance of passing on knowledge to keep traditions alive, finding who we are, and being there for someone who is grieving. The adult characters are so sweet and patient and help the girls talk through their thoughts. I cannot get over how much I love the art style of these books!!

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-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? No

5.0

I love O’Farrell!! Lucretia is such a lovable character, sometimes I forgot how young she was, but she had to grow up quick because of the situation she was thrown in to. She does still have that teenage rebellion in her which makes for some interesting situations in the book. I loved her relationship with Emilia and how meaningful it was. Absolutely hate the Duke, what a horrible man. 

If God Is a Virus by Seema Yasmin

challenging dark informative fast-paced

4.5

Dr. Seema Yasmin documents the Ebola outbreak through poetry. Even though Covid isn’t mentioned, some of these poems are very applicable. Not only does this collection reflect on epidemics, it also has poems about Dr. Yasmin’s experience as a female doctor, the patriarchy and woman’s roles, and queerness in the medical community. I really enjoyed the poems that were formatted differently, like as a graphs and such. A fantastic collection, highly recommend!