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tanzreads's reviews
138 reviews
Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
Dava Shashtri is an icon. I want to be her. I want her. I've formed a parasocial relationship with her. I could fix her.
She is the first billionaire I would write an op-ed full of excuses justifying her wealth. If she accepted my hand in marriage, I would disown Arvie in defense of her (which would, unfortunately, break down our passionate but tumultuous marriage). Her kids are boring wet blankets. I do not care for them and feel nothing towards them. But Dava? She is everything to me <3
She is the first billionaire I would write an op-ed full of excuses justifying her wealth. If she accepted my hand in marriage, I would disown Arvie in defense of her (which would, unfortunately, break down our passionate but tumultuous marriage). Her kids are boring wet blankets. I do not care for them and feel nothing towards them. But Dava? She is everything to me <3
101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
slow-paced
0.0
This book aspires to be a collection of brilliant substack pieces that alter the way I see and interact with the world, but instead it is a 2016 buzzfeed listicle. Most of the essays are not essays at all, but a series of questions with no valuable thought between it. Individual essays are full of contradictions, and tangential sentences that sound nice but mean nothing. The book as a whole contradicts itself like it will turn to dust if it tries to have a fully formed thought. It fails like most self help does: clamoring together buzzwords and fun catch phrases that are altogether meaningless.
The author's privilege shines through this book. One essay in and you're immediately transported into a different world where white people say "my family isn't rich, but we're comfortable 😌". If you're anything but a rich white able bodied person, this book has absolutely nothing for you.
At best, some of the essays were vapid and empty, and relatable to maybe the 5% of the population who came from a privileged enough set of circumstances that this book is relevant to them. But at worst, the advice in it was harmful, dangerous, and made me go "WHAT?!". She continually tells the reader to replace one anxiety with another, to trade in fixations from one harmful spiral to another, different harmful spiral.
I want to say that this book should have been given a thorough edit. But honestly, it shouldn't exist. You can get all this by reading a haphazardly thrown together Instagram carousel.
The author's privilege shines through this book. One essay in and you're immediately transported into a different world where white people say "my family isn't rich, but we're comfortable 😌". If you're anything but a rich white able bodied person, this book has absolutely nothing for you.
At best, some of the essays were vapid and empty, and relatable to maybe the 5% of the population who came from a privileged enough set of circumstances that this book is relevant to them. But at worst, the advice in it was harmful, dangerous, and made me go "WHAT?!". She continually tells the reader to replace one anxiety with another, to trade in fixations from one harmful spiral to another, different harmful spiral.
I want to say that this book should have been given a thorough edit. But honestly, it shouldn't exist. You can get all this by reading a haphazardly thrown together Instagram carousel.
Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
tense
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
A COMEDY????? I cannot believe people are reading this book and laughing. I was scared TO THE CORE and I am still reeling from this. Like the intimacy and the surrealism all with the terrifying premise of being in Slack?!? AND THE HOWLING?!?!? I am never using Slack again <3
Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib
slow-paced
I'm glad this book exists. But that said, this blog-style memoir that just recounts facts is not for me.
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
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
cried and cried and CRIED. after this and On a Sunbeam? I'll read anything Tillie Walden writes. anything.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
I really loved this one. Food as a love language SEEPED through this book. Also reminded me to cherish my mom.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
this book was awful. it's like if you take an adam sandler movie and turn it into a tragicomedy about depression
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this! the first 70% was really interesting to me, but I thought the ending was a bit too much for me. but the beginning where we were figuring out the entire history of this fucked up family? loooved it