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shooper's reviews
113 reviews
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
I loved this book for all the reasons I loved the first book. The author has a very unique writing style that makes me feel nostalgic in a way. It has been a really long time since I read the first one though and at times it felt like this book was conveying little too much at a time. There were moments where it felt too repetitive or preachy. I still appreciate the messages the author was trying to convey and love the characters and this story dearly.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book, considering that this is my first time reading an essay collection. It is essentially an amalgamation of quotes and anecdotes that urge you to reflect about the anthropocene. The writing style felt chaotic yet organised at the same time- kind of like how thoughts flow in our minds- and I greatly appreciated how John Green conveyed his thoughts in this manner. Getting a glimpse into his journey through life gave this book a really intimate feeling. I wont say every essay was perfect but it felt perfect to me at this point in my life. I found myself highlighting passages and passages on my kindle. Sometimes I felt this deep emotional connection to what he was saying, I felt seen. Other times I just found his little factoids interesting. This is one of those books I'll refer to repeatedly.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer
medium-paced
3.75
Initially, didn't really like the epistolary format but it's done well.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
It's really a pity. It's especially hard for me to dnf this right now because I just dnf'd another book. The writing in this book was exquisite- it would've got 4 stars. However, the author degrades women at almost every step of the way. I later learned that in the latter half of this book there are instances of homophobia and even ableism. I honestly can't get myself to read something like that and then give it any stars. I'm so upset because I had such high expectations. Oh well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia and Ableism
天涯客（下册） by priest
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
After watching the show, I had a lot of expectations from this book but it was so jarringly different. Initially, it took some time to adjust but I did eventually get used to it. What made me dnf it is mainly the subpar writing and the fact that I have to read the latter half of the story on Google docs which is very annoying, especially in the night when I barely remembered where I stopped. Honestly, if I continued reading i would've given it around 3 stars because the writing wasn't great either. I still enjoyed to some extent because I could relive moments from the show lol :) Definitely looking forward to reading Priest's other works because I've heard this was one of her earlier works, hence the writing style.
1984 by George Orwell
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
I can definitely see why this book is a classic. The dystopian world of 1984 is a genuine fear of people in today's day and age as well. The only reason I gave it t4 and not 5 stars is because there were some sections where Orwell kept going on and on about one thing and that really interrupted the pace of the plot. Nevertheless, I found this book to be very thought-provoking and the plot was engaging. It makes you realise how powerful the human mind is but at the same time how powerful the 'collective mind' is.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
My former failed fanfic writer self is quaaking at this book XD
I wish this wasn't a professor-student relationship though. There were a few moments where you could definitely see the power imbalance but since Adam wasn't Olive's professor, it never got out of hand. Sometimes it was predictable but I guess that's just what you get with romance books lol. It also took a while for me to get into this book but after a while I genuinely couldn't put it down.
It was cuter than I expected (especially considering how I had to keep reminding myself not to think of the main guy as Adam Driver). The humour of this book + the STEM references/setting was just perfect for my taste! I liked how self-aware it was at times. All in all, the perfect lighthearted read.
I wish this wasn't a professor-student relationship though. There were a few moments where you could definitely see the power imbalance but since Adam wasn't Olive's professor, it never got out of hand. Sometimes it was predictable but I guess that's just what you get with romance books lol. It also took a while for me to get into this book but after a while I genuinely couldn't put it down.
It was cuter than I expected (especially considering how I had to keep reminding myself not to think of the main guy as Adam Driver). The humour of this book + the STEM references/setting was just perfect for my taste! I liked how self-aware it was at times. All in all, the perfect lighthearted read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment