tanzreads's reviews
138 reviews

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I loved this. I'm a hater of how true crime woobifies and glorifies angry, entitled, disgusting men. Makes their trauma reason enough for killing and hurting women. Loved this book!

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I read this book and thought "That was fine! The elk woman was not scary to me though :) "
Then I think the universe decided to smack me around for designing to believe that. I woke up in cold sweat after a night terror about the elk woman murdering my loved ones. 5/5

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

A fun read! But honestly, I was never kicking my feet and giggling over how much I loved these two together. The sex scenes were great, and well-written, and the dynamic between the leads was fun! But nothing that took my breath away. And listen, I knew I signed up for a MILF romance, but the MC being in university just icked me. Their dynamic was fine! But anytime I remembered their ages, I just got icked out. I wish the MC had been a grad student.

Keya Das's Second Act by Sopan Deb

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

The first half was SO good. So so so good. The introduction to the way a family can love each other so much, have so much joy and care inside of it, and still fuck up. Fuck up terribly. The first half was like peeling back layers of grief and homophobia and a desperation to pick at scabs. The second half...ugh. We stopped seeing 2 POVs, Chaitali's and Mitali's (Keya's mom and sister), favoring instead to see the POV of others who were involved in staging the play, and orbited the Das family. Which was fine. Just. fine. The only POV I'm so glad we got more into in the 2nd half was Pamela, Keya's high school girlfriend.
Worth reading for the first half alone. The second half...ugh.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

adventurous funny inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was better than I could have ever imagined.  An exploration of the way oppression by gender and caste has its hands in everything, and the righteous fury against it. Every character had a distinct voice, and I ADORE Geeta. I would do anything to take tea with her. This book deals with these heavy & complex topics, but manages to be an incredibly funny dark comedy to boot. Don't think I've ever stopped and straight up laughed this much before when reading. Adored this, and Shroff has immediately become an author that I would read ANYTHING from.

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

slow-paced

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

1.0

I hated this book. It was empty, and really only written for a white person. The POC background characters were all exactly the same, and felt like the author giving himself brownie points. The horror was repetitive and purple and boring. I fucking get I, their flesh is rotting! I got it the first 500000 times you said it. The characters were so uninteresting, and caricatures. There was no payoff at the end, because the stakes literally never felt high. The only interesting character with a distinct voice was Theo.

Homie: Poems by Danez Smith

5.0

Books that make you cry & cry & cry

Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli

emotional funny reflective medium-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

5.0

 I am not sure I'd recommend this book to someone else, but it was perfect. I think this book has an extremely niche audience and that audience is me. There were certain moments where I wanted to climb inside the book and take Serena for a coffee and commiserate with her over all the life we shared and also grab her face and shake her and tell her she needs to change. I loved this book so much 
 a very keen reminder that if you want the rewards of being loved, you must submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known 

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

emotional funny reflective 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

So Happy for You by Celia Laskey

emotional funny lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Funny and weird and speculative-fiction-but-not. I adored this. I wanna read everything this author writes. Also - saw my past self a little too strongly in Robin, endless opinions and all. Recovering opinion-haver also.