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shivani_n's reviews
397 reviews
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Hi I need to move to Sweden immediately and find myself a Lukas Blomqvist because he is the most PERFECT boyfriend ever. He's literally the definition of a man written by a woman (Ali Hazelwood I LOVE YOU). He was so so attentive to Scarlett's needs the whole book, and was the most lovely, adorable supportive anchor in her life like holy crap I need a man like that!!!!! I really liked reading this because it was just so romantic to me, and not even in the grand gesture type of way - it was the small, intimate acts of kindness Lukas and Scarlett gave each other throughout the book that made it so cute.
Also I will say, usually I prefer a slow burn romance, but with this one I actually didn't mind that they got together pretty fast, because I liked the way their romance evolved from just hooking up to actually falling in love. They got to know each other gradually, which made the sex scenes better, and it was so obvious how gone for each other they were from the beginning.
However, I do have one problem: the entire premise of the MCs getting together was the fact that they're both into kinky sex stuff, BUT THEN THERE WAS NOTHING KINKY AT ALL IN THE BOOK?????
EVER?? I was so confused just waiting for something to happen but it never did. They mentioned the kinks so often but then never actually followed through with it. Don't get me wrong the smut was still good, but it was completely regular sex, there was nothing kinky about it whatsoever. So basically it was false marketing and I was DUPED!!!
Overall though, I enjoyed this a lot :)
Also I will say, usually I prefer a slow burn romance, but with this one I actually didn't mind that they got together pretty fast, because I liked the way their romance evolved from just hooking up to actually falling in love. They got to know each other gradually, which made the sex scenes better, and it was so obvious how gone for each other they were from the beginning.
However, I do have one problem: the entire premise of the MCs getting together was the fact that they're both into kinky sex stuff, BUT THEN THERE WAS NOTHING KINKY AT ALL IN THE BOOK?????
EVER?? I was so confused just waiting for something to happen but it never did. They mentioned the kinks so often but then never actually followed through with it. Don't get me wrong the smut was still good, but it was completely regular sex, there was nothing kinky about it whatsoever. So basically it was false marketing and I was DUPED!!!
Overall though, I enjoyed this a lot :)
Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Girl this book should be getting bad publicity.
It’s clear that the author was trying to write enemies to lovers but unfortunately did not understand the assignment at all and it was so disappointing.
First of all, it would be a crime to even call this “enemies to lovers” BECAUSE THERE’S NO CONTENT OF THEM BEING ENEMIES??? Basically, Andie was holding a grudge for something (albeit very shitty) Jack did to her in university, and when they are forced to work together they immediately call a truce and decide to act civil with each other rather than dredging up the past. This resulted in them having short, small talk-y conversations which lacked substance the whole book. Moreover, even when the author tried to write them having a “deep” conversation, it felt so half assed cringe. Where was the ANGST? THE PINING? THE YEARNINGGGG??
If I’m being completely honest, Bad Publicity did not even feel like a romance book. It’s mostly about this woman having a mid-life crisis about her grief from losing her father and the fact that she hasn’t really been able to confront her feelings for a long time. As a result, Jack, her supposed love interest, was an extremely underdeveloped character. I genuinely could not tell you one thing I learnt about that man except that he’s an author with daddy issues. All of this combined means their romance fell so flat for me. I didn’t care about either of them individually or together. Their chemistry and love for each other were so unconvincing I just wanted the book to end.
Also I feel that it’s important to note that the cover says it’s “perfect for fans of Emily Henry” which lowkey is an insult to Emily Henry and her fans. How one could ever compare her masterpieces to THIS is beyond me… don’t waste your time reading it!
It’s clear that the author was trying to write enemies to lovers but unfortunately did not understand the assignment at all and it was so disappointing.
First of all, it would be a crime to even call this “enemies to lovers” BECAUSE THERE’S NO CONTENT OF THEM BEING ENEMIES??? Basically, Andie was holding a grudge for something (albeit very shitty) Jack did to her in university, and when they are forced to work together they immediately call a truce and decide to act civil with each other rather than dredging up the past. This resulted in them having short, small talk-y conversations which lacked substance the whole book. Moreover, even when the author tried to write them having a “deep” conversation, it felt so half assed cringe. Where was the ANGST? THE PINING? THE YEARNINGGGG??
If I’m being completely honest, Bad Publicity did not even feel like a romance book. It’s mostly about this woman having a mid-life crisis about her grief from losing her father and the fact that she hasn’t really been able to confront her feelings for a long time. As a result, Jack, her supposed love interest, was an extremely underdeveloped character. I genuinely could not tell you one thing I learnt about that man except that he’s an author with daddy issues. All of this combined means their romance fell so flat for me. I didn’t care about either of them individually or together. Their chemistry and love for each other were so unconvincing I just wanted the book to end.
Also I feel that it’s important to note that the cover says it’s “perfect for fans of Emily Henry” which lowkey is an insult to Emily Henry and her fans. How one could ever compare her masterpieces to THIS is beyond me… don’t waste your time reading it!
God of Fury by Rina Kent
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“You're the purest, most passionate soul I've ever met. You loved me when I didn't even like myself. You held me together when I was falling apart and helped me put myself back together one piece at a time until I became the man I am today. I love you more than words can describe and I'll be honored if you choose to spend the rest of your life with me so I can give you back a fraction of what you’ve given me.”
if you ignore a lot of things this is pretty good!
if you ignore a lot of things this is pretty good!
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
My two favourite teachers at school both love to read, and one of them told me Orbital was one of the best books they've ever read, and the other said it sucked ass. I was curious to see which one I would agree with, and after about 20 pages I already knew it was the latter.
Literally nothing happened in this book. Nothing. This was 130 pages of waffling and I was OVER IT. Also, I'm sorry but man I just don't care about space. Of course, space and being an astronaut is interesting in theory; however, reading about it was SO depressing. No contact with friends or family, no sunlight, no real food, I could go on. They don't have lives they just float and float and float some more and then contemplate about said floating.
I guess I can see why some people might like this, because the writing is really philosophical and whatnot, but I honestly cannot think of ANY reason why this won the 2024 Booker Prize.. someone please explain 💀
Even if you like space, I would not recommend wasting your time on this book.
Literally nothing happened in this book. Nothing. This was 130 pages of waffling and I was OVER IT. Also, I'm sorry but man I just don't care about space. Of course, space and being an astronaut is interesting in theory; however, reading about it was SO depressing. No contact with friends or family, no sunlight, no real food, I could go on. They don't have lives they just float and float and float some more and then contemplate about said floating.
I guess I can see why some people might like this, because the writing is really philosophical and whatnot, but I honestly cannot think of ANY reason why this won the 2024 Booker Prize.. someone please explain 💀
Even if you like space, I would not recommend wasting your time on this book.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
"We were together. You must know that. When I'm honest with myself, the most important parts of me were yours."
There aren't many novels that are truly about friendship in all its joy and complication, and there especially aren't many novels where the two best friends don't become lovers. However, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an exception!! Sam and Sadie's story is truly so powerful, and the author brilliantly unveils how their friendship changes over the course of three decades.
Zevin manages to cover several important themes - identity, disability, trauma, gender inequality, fear, art, love, success to name a few - without it being too much or too messy. Her prose reads so smoothly, and lets the reader connects the dots so she doesn't have to over-explain. My favourite thing about the book, though, was the characters. They were so well fleshed out, and they felt like real people to me. I felt so connected to them throughout the story and it felt like they were taking me on their journey as well (RIP Marx, you were my favourite and I love you 😭). I was angry at them all at different points, but then I felt bad for them, and sometimes I really related to them.
I also think I gained a new perspective on gaming from this book! I'm not a gamer by any means, and I kind of had a negative view of it in general due to its negative effects on the human brain and the role it plays in desensitization to violence. However, after I read this I feel I have a bit more insight into why people enjoy playing games so much. In some ways, if you think about it, it's like reading, except you're kind of controlling the book lol. There's a narrative that you're following, different characters which impact that narrative, different worlds you can escape to, dialogue, music (sometimes), etc. It's an immersive experience which can also be a way to socialise. The way that Sam, Sadie and Marx cared so much about their games and how they translated their life experience into their games was really interesting to read about, because I had never thought about game designers or video games as an avenue to do that. The gaming industry can still be problematic, but it's not all bad.
I think the only reason this wasn't 5 stars is because I didn't love the ending. It didn't give me THE 5 star feel, and it felt a tad rushed. Also, the part where the writing becomes super abstract because it switches from the real world to inside the game kind of took me out of the story, and I was just wishing I could go back to reading about Sam and Sadie. I wish they had talked more towards the end, or at least been a bit more honest with each other. I know that it did wrap up nicely because they told each other they loved each other and all, but I don't know. Lots of their fights over the years were not ever really resolved, just forgotten. I felt like something was missing, though I don't know exactly what.
Also, this was kind of a small thing in the grand scheme of the novel, but I thought that Dov's characterisation was very strange. He's a creep professor who dates his student, Sadie, and abuses her throughout their relationship, but after the relationship ends, it was all just kind of forgotten. Dov and Sadie are still friends, and they treat the fact that he sleeps with younger girls and was a shit boyfriend as a little oopsie haha funny, when it's actually just awful and wrong. Maybe this is because the book is set in the early 2000s, but I still didn't like it.
This book was quite the emotional rollercoaster, but I would definitely recommend it!
There aren't many novels that are truly about friendship in all its joy and complication, and there especially aren't many novels where the two best friends don't become lovers. However, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an exception!! Sam and Sadie's story is truly so powerful, and the author brilliantly unveils how their friendship changes over the course of three decades.
Zevin manages to cover several important themes - identity, disability, trauma, gender inequality, fear, art, love, success to name a few - without it being too much or too messy. Her prose reads so smoothly, and lets the reader connects the dots so she doesn't have to over-explain. My favourite thing about the book, though, was the characters. They were so well fleshed out, and they felt like real people to me. I felt so connected to them throughout the story and it felt like they were taking me on their journey as well (RIP Marx, you were my favourite and I love you 😭). I was angry at them all at different points, but then I felt bad for them, and sometimes I really related to them.
I also think I gained a new perspective on gaming from this book! I'm not a gamer by any means, and I kind of had a negative view of it in general due to its negative effects on the human brain and the role it plays in desensitization to violence. However, after I read this I feel I have a bit more insight into why people enjoy playing games so much. In some ways, if you think about it, it's like reading, except you're kind of controlling the book lol. There's a narrative that you're following, different characters which impact that narrative, different worlds you can escape to, dialogue, music (sometimes), etc. It's an immersive experience which can also be a way to socialise. The way that Sam, Sadie and Marx cared so much about their games and how they translated their life experience into their games was really interesting to read about, because I had never thought about game designers or video games as an avenue to do that. The gaming industry can still be problematic, but it's not all bad.
I think the only reason this wasn't 5 stars is because I didn't love the ending. It didn't give me THE 5 star feel, and it felt a tad rushed. Also, the part where the writing becomes super abstract because it switches from the real world to inside the game kind of took me out of the story, and I was just wishing I could go back to reading about Sam and Sadie. I wish they had talked more towards the end, or at least been a bit more honest with each other. I know that it did wrap up nicely because they told each other they loved each other and all, but I don't know. Lots of their fights over the years were not ever really resolved, just forgotten. I felt like something was missing, though I don't know exactly what.
Also, this was kind of a small thing in the grand scheme of the novel, but I thought that Dov's characterisation was very strange. He's a creep professor who dates his student, Sadie, and abuses her throughout their relationship, but after the relationship ends, it was all just kind of forgotten. Dov and Sadie are still friends, and they treat the fact that he sleeps with younger girls and was a shit boyfriend as a little oopsie haha funny, when it's actually just awful and wrong. Maybe this is because the book is set in the early 2000s, but I still didn't like it.
This book was quite the emotional rollercoaster, but I would definitely recommend it!
100 World's Greatest Love Letters by Various
emotional
fast-paced
5.0
i am convinced this book was made for me because there’s nothing i love more than romance and letters!!!!! the love letters in here spanned so many different time periods and it was so cool to read about figures in history who are known as very great and powerful or even tyrannical, be so deeply in love. overall this is a gorgeous portrayal of the depth of human emotions and i LOOOOOOOOOVED it.
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I REALLY enjoyed reading this! So so suspenseful and well written.
I honestly think this is such a masterfully crafted novel, the way Picoult and Boylan seamlessly integrate societal issues with a super interesting plot-line and great characters really makes the book top notch. The plot twist was clever and there is useful discussion about gender and identity that I didn't expect at all.
I like how the authors revealed pieces of the story timeline bit by bit so the readers kind of have to put together the puzzle pieces chapter by chapter, but it's not confusing in any way. It just makes the story build and build. I'd say the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because of the ending. I waited for so long to find out the truth behind Lily's death, but when I did I felt kind of underwhelmed. I know that the cause of Lily's death isn't really the main point of the book but I still felt like I badly wanted to know and then was kind of left hanging with a boring conclusion.
The metaphors in this book about honey are super super cool. Olivia, a beekeeper, is a unique protagonist and my favourite chapters to read were in her perspective. I don't think I've ever read a book written in the perspective of a mother. It felt like the authors did a lot of research and really knew the characters well in order to make them well rounded and dynamic. Olivia's story demonstrates how your past informs your current opinions and makes a huge impact on who you are and how you'll react in a dire situation. If this was real life, we would have all had different reactions to Asher's trial; I bet that most of us would probably believe the prosecution at first because they make it look so easy to believe. It made me reflect on the legal system in America (and in general tbh) too.
Overall this is a very thought-provoking book that I would recommend to everyone!
I honestly think this is such a masterfully crafted novel, the way Picoult and Boylan seamlessly integrate societal issues with a super interesting plot-line and great characters really makes the book top notch. The plot twist was clever and there is useful discussion about gender and identity that I didn't expect at all.
I like how the authors revealed pieces of the story timeline bit by bit so the readers kind of have to put together the puzzle pieces chapter by chapter, but it's not confusing in any way. It just makes the story build and build. I'd say the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because of the ending. I waited for so long to find out the truth behind Lily's death, but when I did I felt kind of underwhelmed. I know that the cause of Lily's death isn't really the main point of the book but I still felt like I badly wanted to know and then was kind of left hanging with a boring conclusion.
The metaphors in this book about honey are super super cool. Olivia, a beekeeper, is a unique protagonist and my favourite chapters to read were in her perspective. I don't think I've ever read a book written in the perspective of a mother. It felt like the authors did a lot of research and really knew the characters well in order to make them well rounded and dynamic. Olivia's story demonstrates how your past informs your current opinions and makes a huge impact on who you are and how you'll react in a dire situation. If this was real life, we would have all had different reactions to Asher's trial; I bet that most of us would probably believe the prosecution at first because they make it look so easy to believe. It made me reflect on the legal system in America (and in general tbh) too.
Overall this is a very thought-provoking book that I would recommend to everyone!
Winging It by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
2.0
i didn't like this book because i feel like it was all way too uncomplicated and simple. there was hardly any conflict between the main characters and the few times there was, it was resolved within 3 pages. at the same time, it was too realistic if that makes sense? they communicated so easily and so healthily that i was like.. WHERE is the ANGST?? WHERE IS THE YEARNING???? this book did NOT do justice to the friends to lovers trope at all. it was so boring to read like i'm sorry but to me it seems like this author has no clue how to write romance.
The Houseguest: And Other Stories by Amparo Dávila
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
read this for school.. it was just so so strange
Neon Gods by Katee Robert
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
awful. really just completely awful. there was not one thing i liked about this book.