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teeclecticreads's reviews
280 reviews
Group Living and Other Recipes: A Memoir by Lola Milholland
informative
reflective
5.0
I’m so grateful I was able to receive an eARC of this book. It’s such an interesting structure of life stories and the recipes for meals that are associated with those memories. I got to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of communal living arrangements while also getting insight into Lola and having new recipes to try. Super interesting.
Sunshine by Michaela Jean Taylor
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Another book boyfriend added to the records! I really loved how Michaela handles the topic of grief in the book and how complicated and messy it can be when we’re grieving but also angry. Layla is a strong, ambitious FMC but also had her moments of weakness, insecurity and self-doubt, and Wells is this sweet yet brooding guy who obviously cares about the people closest to him. I just hated the ending 😂 but I am excited to see how things progress in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide
Moderate: War
Minor: Racism
Shatila Stories by Samih Mahmoud, Nashwa Gowanlock, Fatima Omar Ghazawi, Hiba Mareb, Omar Abdellatif Alndaf, Nibal Alalo, Safiya Badran, Omar Khaled Ahmad, Rayan Mohamad Sukkar, Safa Khaled Algharbawi
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
- 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
5.0
What a beautiful collection of stories depicting human suffering and triumph. This is my first time a reading a translated book and I think the audiobook added to the impact of the stories. Even though these people are fictional, the stories are based on real people and real experiences, and I’m grateful to have gotten this mere glimpse into the lives of the Syrian refugees.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Trafficking, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
Die Hot with a Vengeance: Essays on Vanity by Sable Yong
funny
informative
reflective
5.0
It’s such a skill for an author to balance information and entertainment and Sable did just that. She’s funny, but she also makes you ponder on sentiments you may have shared or never even considered when it comes to beauty and its many facets. I’ve highlighted so much and that’s a tell-tale sign that this is a book I’m going to want to come back to and pull quotes from.
Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire by Alice Wong
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
I’m always a sucker for audiobooks that are read by those who wrote the book and I especially appreciate getting to hear diverse experiences from disabled authors. It was interesting and touching. The only qualm was I personally had to skip the sex discussions because I’m asexual.
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
fast-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
2.75
I wanted to like this so badly but I just couldn’t. It was decent in the beginning until things started getting complicated because for some reason she didn’t feel like she could trust Theo with the reason why she went along with their rebound arrangement. I found the miscommunication to be unreasonable and a little petty. Also it bothered me that they seemed to solve their issues with sex. Just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Abandonment
Sounds Like A Plan by Pamela Samuels-Young, Dwayne Alexander Smith
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader’s copy. I was enjoying the first half of the book and the way the plot was unfolding, but I honestly got confused and lost interest towards the second half. I hated the sexist and misogynistic comments that Jackson kept making about Mackenzie. Also, as the story began to climax things got chaotic and unrealistic for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Ableism, Eating disorder, Gore, Torture, and Medical content