sphynxreads's reviews
739 reviews

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Gorgeous writing but the story itself is simply not my cup of tea.

Serpentine by Philip Pullman

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A delightful short story that reminded me of just how much I love this world and this series. I'm excited to read the next trilogy!

The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss

relaxing medium-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

3.5

A beautiful improvement upon the original Lightning Tree story. Bast remains one of the most delightful characters to read about from Temerant. Nate Taylor's illustrations were also quite sexy—I mean, beautiful. Now...is there any remaining hope for Doors of Stone?

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Biting in its honesty and compassion, The Fire Next Time despite being my first nonfiction from James Baldwin certainly isn't the last. Baldwin's voice is one that speaks plainly and undeniably and one that will remain relevant for as long as humanity refuses to learn from its past.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

4.0

I don't know if this is a book I wish I'd read when I was fifteen, because the fifteen year old me would not have been ready for this book, but something about this book healed the fifteen year old in me. As much as I love Dante as a character, I was more so deeply in love with Ari. He reflected so much of who I was as a young closeted teenager with the abundance of intense inner turmoil and the uncomfortable quietness that many queer boys are burdened to carry. Sáenz is deliberately straightforward and simple in his writing, and I felt that underneath the seemingly juvenile approach was a profound and intimate understanding of youth and boyhood. I don't think this is necessarily an incredible masterpiece of literature, but it moved me. And damn how it moved me so.

Kilig by Cris Santos, Paolo Herras, Alexandra Sevilla, Marianie, Bunny Luz, marmastry, Carla de Guzman, Hench Dulin, Sumikiyo, Suzette de Borja, Cee, Mina V. Esguerra, Chapy Fadullon, Fay Sebastian, Yuugen, Celestine Trinidad, Danice Mae P. Sison

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

An adorable collection of Filipino romance comics. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy most of them but the ones I did like were so beautiful. I also loved how diverse this collection was in depicting different kinds of love and relationships. My favorites are: Tuesday Mornings, Unang Lakad, Against the Current, Ikaw Pa Rin, and Last Minute Love You.

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

After having read the masterpiece that was Queen of the Tiles, I was so ready to dig into more of Hanna Alkaf's work. This book sounded the most up my alley and I was so excited to get to it. I mean what's not to love about a Little Red Riding Hood retelling set in Malaysia and depicts grandparent-grandchild relationships? But alas, this unfortunately bored me to death because everything felt too rushed both in terms of plot and character development. There were a few strong moments in the story, but I reckon I'd forget them as soon as in a few hours.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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 is my third Backman read, and by all counts, I have to say that this has to be my favorite. This is Backman at his finest, from the immaculate writing to the exceptional character work. I have to admit that I struggled a bit at the beginning to keep track of the cast of characters as the POVs switch quite often, but as the characters grew more distinct as I got to know them, I soon got the hang of things.

Beartown is a tale that is probably more harrowing than it is hopeful. And yet it drips with so much empathy for the lot of humanity that as you read, you begin to understand that the best and the vilest of people you will ever know have so much depth to them. You may hate them or love them deeply and deservedly so, but underneath all of what you are able to see is so much more nuance than you will ever come to learn. The fact that Backman so masterfully accomplishes pointing this out while being firm in what he deems right and wrong within the span of a single novel is no small feat.

I could write pages of endless praise for this book, especially given how effectively Backman uses various literary devices to drive home his layered messages, but to do so feels almost irreverent given how simple and somber of a read this is. But I will say this, while reading in general helps many people develop empathy, it is stories like this that strike a chord in their readers' hearts that enables it.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A beautiful modern fable about friendship and parent-child relationships that is deceptively calming and relaxed in the first three quarters but is intense and rather dark towards the end. While the film adaptation is definitely more emotional and less slice-of-life, this one was still such a delight to read—a perfect read to soothe one's nerves.

Twinkle, Twinkle by Tori Tadiar

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

While the storytelling left a lot to be desired, the artwork was gorgeous and the story itself so full of heart.