thebookssmuggler's reviews
107 reviews

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

These Violent Delights is everything I love in a book: historical fiction with a touch of fantasy, forbidden romance, political intrigue, and a brutal mystery that has the entire city unraveling Chloe Gong’s debut is captivating from the start, but it's those final 15-ish chapters where the tension really ramps up, and you just can’t stop reading. I read this when it first came out, and even rereading it now, years later, I still found myself surprised by so many plot twists. It really holds up! 🙏

Chloe Gong's writing shines in her characters and plot development. The way she slowly builds tension and reveals just enough to keep you on edge? Masterful. I also love how real the characters feel—flawed, layered, and emotionally compelling. You root for them, even when they make reckless decisions. The glimpses into the political unrest in China during that era were fascinating, and I do wish there had been even more world-building in that regard.

All in all, I’m a big fan of this book and of Chloe Gong’s writing in general. These Violent Delights is a compelling, addictive read that blends history, fantasy, and romance beautifully. 🥀✨️

The Communist Manifesto: (penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

A short yet powerful text that lays the foundations of communism and class struggle. While not an easy read, it provides a strong critique of capitalism and the bourgeoisie while highlighting the oppression of the proletariat. More than a detailed action plan, it is a call to revolution and an analysis of the economic and social conditions of its time.

I found it interesting how Marx and Engels explain the dynamics between classes and the need to abolish private property to achieve a classless society. However, the manifesto doesn’t go into much detail on how communism would be practically implemented, leaving many questions open. Still, it remains a key text for understanding the history of political and economic thought. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the roots of Marxist thought and its impact on the modern world.

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Un texto breve pero poderoso que expone las bases del comunismo y la lucha de clases. Aunque no es una lectura fácil, ofrece una crítica contundente al capitalismo y a la burguesía, además de resaltar la opresión del proletariado. Más que un plan detallado de acción, es un llamado a la revolución y un análisis de las condiciones económicas y sociales de su época.

Me pareció interesante cómo Marx y Engels explican la dinámica entre clases y la necesidad de abolir la propiedad privada para alcanzar una sociedad sin clases. Sin embargo, el manifiesto no profundiza demasiado en cómo se aplicaría el comunismo en la práctica, dejando muchas cuestiones abiertas. Aun así, es un texto clave para entender la historia de las ideas políticas y económicas. Recomiendo este libro a quienes quieran conocer las raíces del pensamiento marxista y su impacto en el mundo moderno.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

challenging dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Wow. This book was crazy—and by that, I mean brilliant, devastating, and frustrating all at once. Orwell masterfully portrays how power corrupts, how history is rewritten to serve those in control, and how the oppressed can become the oppressors. At first, the revolution at Animal Farm seems hopeful: the animals overthrow their human oppressors, seeking equality and justice. But as the story unfolds, we see how Napoleon, the power-hungry pig, manipulates information, enforces brutal control, and turns the farm into something eerily similar to (if not worse than) the oppressive system they fought against. 

The changing commandments, the forced confessions, the executions—it’s all a chilling reflection of real-world authoritarian regimes. The symbolism in this book is brilliant. From the windmill to the pigs becoming indistinguishable from humans, every element hits hard. It was fascinating (and horrifying) to see how history repeats itself, how leaders manipulate narratives, and how oppression continues under different disguises. This book is a must-read, a timeless warning about power, propaganda, and the dangers of blind loyalty :0 .

1984 by George Orwell

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Wow. Just wow. I just finished 1984, and I don’t think I’ll ever recover. This book is devastating, chilling, and incredibly powerful. For a moment, I had hope- but Orwell quickly crushed that. This novel has officially given me trust issues.

1984 perfectly portrays what an authoritarian government can do—how it controls not just people’s actions but their thoughts, their very perception of reality. And yet, for most of the book, there’s this idea that the mind is the one thing they can’t control… until. That’s what makes it so terrifying. This isn’t just a story; it’s a warning. And what’s scarier is that Orwell’s dystopia doesn’t feel far-fetched—it feels uncomfortably close to reality. 
It’s ironic that 1984 is banned in some places (including the U.S.), considering how much it criticizes censorship and state control. This is a book that everyone should read—not as inspiration, and definitely not as an instruction manual, but as a dire warning of what could happen if we let it.

The Death Cure by James Dashner

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

4.5

James Dashner- you are a genius. You have written the most perfect dystopian, science fiction trilogy, I have read. A true masterpiece. I adored these books. I have fallen in love with every one of these characters (Thomas, Newt, Minho, Brenda, Teresa, Jorge, etc.), their stories, and their desire to save each other and their world, since book 1, The Maze Runner <33. And he couldn't have written a better finale for them all, WOW. I have experienced it all, I have lost hope and hope once again, cried and laughed, worried, and finally felt peace after the long-awaited epilogue. This was truly the only way to end it all. 10/10, please do yourself a favor and read these books someday! I promise you they are worth it. 

PS: Reading this after the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic... it doesn't sound too dystopian anymore though, you guys :/ ...

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-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

4.25

WOW!! I can't believe the Pandava series finally comes to an end 🥹... I've had so much fun reading these books during the past couple of years - laughing out loud, crying, worrying, and rejoicing over everything these characters go through, experience, and accomplish! My absolute favorite thing about this book were the different trials the three girls had to go through to get their godly powers back (each one tailored for each Pandava). 
Mini's trial and character hold a special place in my heart 🫶😭. 
Roshani Chokshi, you've done it again. Thanks for building this world and telling stories about friendship, girlhood, love, and family - all with a dash of Hindu mythology 🙌😉📚. 10/10, would recommend!!

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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 has become my new favorite romance book <33. Alexis Hall, your writing is astonishing. The way it captures the reader and keeps you hanging for more, the emotions each of the characters feel being felt by us too, through the pages and chapters- I adored it. I love the dual POV too, it makes everything much more exciting- THE YEARNING, OMG. Every time Justin opened his mouth, I swooned. Everything about this book, I loved it. Every interaction between these lovely characters. And that epilogue- that IS what an epilogue should be. I am going to cry now :D. Thanks for writing this, it made my heart happy.
 
PS: Make men like Gracewood come to life, I want one too.

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

this book gave me more questions than answers. I can't with James Dashner's cliffhangers 😭. I need to read book 3 ASAP. 
(I am loving these books).

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.25

new favorite book. I could see myself in both of these girls, maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much haha, 10/10 <33