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shivani_n's reviews
390 reviews
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"When they smile, it's gold in the sky, unfolding green hills, a country of endless possibilities, the relief of the last turn before home."
this was a very sweet romance book!! here's what i liked and didn't like about the pairing:
1) casey mcquiston's writing is gorgeous. personally, i really enjoy their writing style, and i have said this many a time. not only are the words and the sentence craft beautiful, but i really admire how much research you can tell goes into their novels. the descriptions of every place in europe as well as the food and drink imagery were so rich and precise in detail. also, some of my favourite parts were in kit's POV when he quoted rainer maria rilke (an austrian poet). all the lines pulled were accurately describing kit's feelings, or whatever moment/mental state he was in, and i think that's a really beautiful lense to see things through, because at the end of the day that is what art does. it serves as a reminder you are never alone, that someone out there has once felt what you are feeling now.
2) the book has a large focus on the general human condition of wanting to love and be loved, eat good food, dream big, fuck, and make art. very heavy european vibes, fitting since the entire book was set in various countries in europe. if i were to rename it in the literal sense, it would be "chaotic, horny bisexuals gallivant around europe". i feel like the vibe of the book in general is giving "follow your dreams/heart" and general sentiments similar to that, and though it was cliché at times, it was mostly cute.
3) the "veux-tu m'épouser" ending was SOOOO CUTE i giggled. what can i say i am a sucker for french!
now onto what i didn't like...
1) the stereotypical european characters. obviously, almost nothing about this book is realistic-casey mcquiston's books rarely are-and there's nothing wrong with that, i mean i love a bit of escapism just as much as the next girl, but this was just TOO much. they made all the italians so "mamma mia pasta pizza" and the frenchies so "oooh voulez vous coucher avec moi". because okay, yes, there are a TON of hot people in europe, but there are also just a ton of regular looking people!!!! not every person you meet is gonna be outrageously attractive and under the age of 35 wanting to hook up any chance they get!!!! but all the characters in this book were like that, and they were essentially used as sex pawns rather than having any real personality, or furthering the plot in any way. basically, it was TOO horny (wow, never thought i would be typing that for a book review).
2) the sex scenes made me really uncomfortable lol. usually, when i read a book i know is going to contain spice, i am prepared. the vibes are there, i know what i'm getting into, and it makes sense in the context of the story. spicy scenes can be great in books, but in my opinion, NOT this book. something about the way the dialogues were written just turned me off and it was sooooo awkward to read. it's weird because in red white & royal blue, mcquiston's debut novel, the spicy scenes were written really well and they were actually very important to the story. they were purposeful, sexy, they meant something. unfortunately i just did not feel that way with similar scenes in the pairing.
3) whenever theo would talk about the wines he was drinking. i know he's literally a sommelier so it makes sense but it just gave me the ick for some reason. that's not really a valid criticism of the book, more just a me thing lol.
all in all, i enjoyed reading this and it's great queer representation, but i do see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea!
this was a very sweet romance book!! here's what i liked and didn't like about the pairing:
1) casey mcquiston's writing is gorgeous. personally, i really enjoy their writing style, and i have said this many a time. not only are the words and the sentence craft beautiful, but i really admire how much research you can tell goes into their novels. the descriptions of every place in europe as well as the food and drink imagery were so rich and precise in detail. also, some of my favourite parts were in kit's POV when he quoted rainer maria rilke (an austrian poet). all the lines pulled were accurately describing kit's feelings, or whatever moment/mental state he was in, and i think that's a really beautiful lense to see things through, because at the end of the day that is what art does. it serves as a reminder you are never alone, that someone out there has once felt what you are feeling now.
2) the book has a large focus on the general human condition of wanting to love and be loved, eat good food, dream big, fuck, and make art. very heavy european vibes, fitting since the entire book was set in various countries in europe. if i were to rename it in the literal sense, it would be "chaotic, horny bisexuals gallivant around europe". i feel like the vibe of the book in general is giving "follow your dreams/heart" and general sentiments similar to that, and though it was cliché at times, it was mostly cute.
3) the "veux-tu m'épouser" ending was SOOOO CUTE i giggled. what can i say i am a sucker for french!
now onto what i didn't like...
1) the stereotypical european characters. obviously, almost nothing about this book is realistic-casey mcquiston's books rarely are-and there's nothing wrong with that, i mean i love a bit of escapism just as much as the next girl, but this was just TOO much. they made all the italians so "mamma mia pasta pizza" and the frenchies so "oooh voulez vous coucher avec moi". because okay, yes, there are a TON of hot people in europe, but there are also just a ton of regular looking people!!!! not every person you meet is gonna be outrageously attractive and under the age of 35 wanting to hook up any chance they get!!!! but all the characters in this book were like that, and they were essentially used as sex pawns rather than having any real personality, or furthering the plot in any way. basically, it was TOO horny (wow, never thought i would be typing that for a book review).
2) the sex scenes made me really uncomfortable lol. usually, when i read a book i know is going to contain spice, i am prepared. the vibes are there, i know what i'm getting into, and it makes sense in the context of the story. spicy scenes can be great in books, but in my opinion, NOT this book. something about the way the dialogues were written just turned me off and it was sooooo awkward to read. it's weird because in red white & royal blue, mcquiston's debut novel, the spicy scenes were written really well and they were actually very important to the story. they were purposeful, sexy, they meant something. unfortunately i just did not feel that way with similar scenes in the pairing.
3) whenever theo would talk about the wines he was drinking. i know he's literally a sommelier so it makes sense but it just gave me the ick for some reason. that's not really a valid criticism of the book, more just a me thing lol.
all in all, i enjoyed reading this and it's great queer representation, but i do see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea!
The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
fast-paced
4.0
another short story for school, i really liked this one though. powerful representation of women's struggles in a patriarchal society.
A Worn Path by Eudora Welty
3.0
"i could tell him apart from all the others in creation"
yet another one for school
yet another one for school
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
my jaw was on the floor, butt was on the edge of my seat, eyes were GLUED to the page omfg i am obsessed with this book!!!! can’t believe it took me SO long to read it, but i am really glad i finally did (madhavi if you’re reading this, thanks for keeping on pestering me to read it HAHAHA).
gosh, where do i even start?? the plot was so insane, and the twists and turns that reveal themselves as the story go on just keep on getting more interesting. i honestly don’t think i’ve ever read a murder mystery like this one, so it was such a cool new experience for me, i wasn’t expecting to be so into it!! it was also super fun to read because i’m shit at putting the clues together and thinking of actual theories—i never thought the killer was who they were LOL but that’s the best part cause it was so unexpected! but at the same time so obvious! holly jackson is just a genius omg.
i LOVED pip and ravi, literally such an iconic duo. the “real men where floral when trespassing” line will live in my head forever lmao. even though the book was not focused on their romance, i liked it as a side plot and you could still tell how well they go together as a couple but also as a team!! rip sal and barney you did not deserve that 🥲🥲
the book also just makes you reflect on crime in society and how easily some cases are glossed over, and even the most obvious suspect for a crime can be innocent, even if the evidence points to them. sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper and it honestly makes me wonder how many cases like sal’s exist in the world—completely innocent people wrongly deemed the as criminals.
overall, absolutely fantastic, mind blowing book… it might make me 2024 top 10 books i fear
gosh, where do i even start?? the plot was so insane, and the twists and turns that reveal themselves as the story go on just keep on getting more interesting. i honestly don’t think i’ve ever read a murder mystery like this one, so it was such a cool new experience for me, i wasn’t expecting to be so into it!! it was also super fun to read because i’m shit at putting the clues together and thinking of actual theories—i never thought the killer was who they were LOL but that’s the best part cause it was so unexpected! but at the same time so obvious! holly jackson is just a genius omg.
i LOVED pip and ravi, literally such an iconic duo. the “real men where floral when trespassing” line will live in my head forever lmao. even though the book was not focused on their romance, i liked it as a side plot and you could still tell how well they go together as a couple but also as a team!! rip sal and barney you did not deserve that 🥲🥲
the book also just makes you reflect on crime in society and how easily some cases are glossed over, and even the most obvious suspect for a crime can be innocent, even if the evidence points to them. sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper and it honestly makes me wonder how many cases like sal’s exist in the world—completely innocent people wrongly deemed the as criminals.
overall, absolutely fantastic, mind blowing book… it might make me 2024 top 10 books i fear
Only Goodness: Family Snapshots by Jhumpa Lahiri
sad
fast-paced
4.0
read this for AP lit summer homework.. really good but so depressing. interesting insights about human behaviour and relationships, especially familial and marital relationships.
Reckless by Lauren Roberts
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"call us even. call me crazy. i don't care. just... just call me yours."
to be honest this book didn't have much plot considering it's mostly just kai and paedyn walking through the kingdom to get back to the palace, while various people make attempts to attack, kidnap, and/or kill them along the way. that being said, I DON'T CARE BECAUSE I ATE IT TF UP. i liked the first book better but i still loved the sequel and i love kai and pae sooooo much. the banter was bantering the yearning was YEARNING the "i hate you but not really" vibes were GIVING and i was smiling the whole time. this series has been so enjoyable to read and i literally need book 3 right now bc wtf that ending??? are you kidding me???? i need to know what happens!!
to be honest this book didn't have much plot considering it's mostly just kai and paedyn walking through the kingdom to get back to the palace, while various people make attempts to attack, kidnap, and/or kill them along the way. that being said, I DON'T CARE BECAUSE I ATE IT TF UP. i liked the first book better but i still loved the sequel and i love kai and pae sooooo much. the banter was bantering the yearning was YEARNING the "i hate you but not really" vibes were GIVING and i was smiling the whole time. this series has been so enjoyable to read and i literally need book 3 right now bc wtf that ending??? are you kidding me???? i need to know what happens!!
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
1.0
i truly couldn’t not tell you a single thing i liked about this book, it was that terrible. not only was it creepy and disturbing, but also profoundly boring.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
first read (2021): holy GOD this book was so good. i love oscar wilde's writing style, the line "the world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. the curves of your lips rewrite history" is going to LITERALLY HAUNT ME FOREVER. poor basil was so in love with dorian and was just trying to confess his love but then got stabbed to death.. i love the conversations this book has about art and the purpose of art. why we create it, why we consume it, and how valuable our youth and being young really is. this book is a literal masterpiece!! i want to read more classics in 2022 and i'm glad i started with this one.
reread (2024): i adored the picture of dorian gray when i first read it and gave it 5 stars, but after a reread i’m going to rate it 4 stars. i still think it’s an incredible book but i just didn’t enjoy reading it as much as i did three years ago. it’s funny because it’s usually the opposite like usually you like something more after you read it when you’re older lol. anyway it was still enjoyable to read this edition with all the footnotes with extra information and lines that were cut and added etc. it added more meaning to the book and gave really cool insights about wilde’s inner monologue when he was writing; it made me understand it more thoroughly. i think it’s hilarious that in my first review of this book (see above) i wrote about how the book shows “how valuable our youth is”, when the book is quite literally about how the prospect of youth and beauty morally destroys people 💀💀💀 idk what 14 year old me was on about LMAO.
reread (2024): i adored the picture of dorian gray when i first read it and gave it 5 stars, but after a reread i’m going to rate it 4 stars. i still think it’s an incredible book but i just didn’t enjoy reading it as much as i did three years ago. it’s funny because it’s usually the opposite like usually you like something more after you read it when you’re older lol. anyway it was still enjoyable to read this edition with all the footnotes with extra information and lines that were cut and added etc. it added more meaning to the book and gave really cool insights about wilde’s inner monologue when he was writing; it made me understand it more thoroughly. i think it’s hilarious that in my first review of this book (see above) i wrote about how the book shows “how valuable our youth is”, when the book is quite literally about how the prospect of youth and beauty morally destroys people 💀💀💀 idk what 14 year old me was on about LMAO.