sphynxreads's reviews
789 reviews

Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection by Haemin Sunim

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.5

Haemin Sunim's words drip with so much compassion and comfort that I understand why so many people find refuge and solace in his words. There's nothing particularly new or remarkable about the advice given here, but it still helps to be reminded of letting go of things we cannot control and allowing ourseves to feel our feelings. While I have mixed feelings on some of the sentiments here, I can't deny that I became quite introspective and refreshed while reading this book.

Balik Tanaw by Ardie Aquino

funny fast-paced

3.0

A hilarious comic collection almost reminiscent of Sarah's Scribbles in terms of humor and art style.

Nightwing, Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge by Taylor Tom, Michael Conrad

adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-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

4.5

Another solid installment to the Nightwing series! I just love how much heart there is in these stories and how beautiful Nightwing is inside and out. I kind of miss Bruno Redondo's art though.

Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

For a short book, this dragged quite a bit and lacked the wonder and whimsy of Pixie Hollow as depicted in the Tinker Bell movies which I have adored for years. Sure there were a few beautiful descriptions of sceneries here and there, but I felt that the writing could have gone further. Secret of the Wings is probably my favorite Tinker Bell movie so I was excited to read this to learn more of Clarion and Milori's backstory, but it ended up being underwhelming and the romance felt underdeveloped. I don't know how else to describe it, but the yearning didn't feel fully earned. I'm glad I just borrowed this on Libby because I would have been disappointed if I had actually spent money on this.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

emotional hopeful 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

2.5

Oh, Fredrik Backman. I fear you may have bitten off more than you could chew with this one. I spent so much of this book thinking this could have been rewritten or at the very least edited down to about three hundred pages because so many characters did not need to be added and several plotlines did not need to be explored as deeply as they were in order to drive home the emotion and what I thought were the main points of the trilogy at the end. While I liked how this book and this series concluded, this final installment was a slog to get through. The tone felt so completely foreign to its predecessors that I feel that we could have done with just a duology or even have Beartown as a standalone. An unfortunate downgrade.

Godhark: The Sanguine Storm by Sean Kyle Manaloto

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What a fresh story unlike anything I've ever read! This is epic fantasy presented in a beautiful video-game-like art style. I found the characters and the worldbuilding interesting, but I did feel there was a lack of proper exposition. We are just thrust immediately into the world with very little context. I feel like this would have benefited from being longer. If the author had taken his time to really build the world and the characters' backgrounds from the ground up it would have stuck the landing more in terms of emotional impact.

Libing-Isa by Malayo Pa Ang Umaga

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This books represents the best that short illustrated fiction has to offer! It's haunting, thoughtful, and incredibly efficacious. Every word was chosen carefully, every illustration was strategically crafted and positioned. I can't believe I ever doubted this title whenever I saw it on shelves. This deserves more hype than it gets and I am eager for MPAU's future releases.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

An incredible essay collection! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned from this and how much my worldview was challenged. I loved how diverse the stories were and how intersectionality was frequently highlighted. Very informative, thoughtful, and triumphant.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.0

This is my first Marie Lu book and I have to say, what an introduction to her work! This story was so whimsical, somber, hopeful, and with just the right touch of darkness that I was captivated right from the start. The pacing felt slow at times but never unsteady. The worldbuilding had such a dreamlike quality to it that reminded me of V.E. Schwab's Addie LaRue. Lu's writing is straightforward but gorgeous, and I am eager to read more from her. Historical low fantasy at its finest.

Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory: Stories by Raphael Bob-Waksberg

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Huh? More misses than hits.