tiombaby's reviews
355 reviews

An Autobiography of Skin by Lakiesha Carr

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

3.5

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

challenging informative reflective sad 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

4.0

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For by Natalie C. Parker, Zoraida Córdova

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

The Spy and I by Tiana Smith

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.0

Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation by Jen Gunter

funny informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

Alphahole by DD Prince

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

The Gems by M. C. Jeter

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious sad 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. Hands down. 5⭐️🤩. 

The Gems follows Ruby, a high school girl orphaned and raised by her horrible step mother. Ruby discovers she has magical powers by wearing a ruby necklace. Soon after she discovers she comes from a family of people named after gems, who all have powers when they wear their perspective stones. That starts that race to find the rest of her siblings, scattered around the states by their parents in an effort to protect them from their evil uncle. Ruby must find all of her siblings and train so they can stop their evil uncle from his plot to destroy the world and free their parents. 

The premise of this story is so unique! A group of black people with the power of gems??? Sign me up. 

We really grow with Ruby, following her as she is forced out of her comfort zone and into new experiences so that she can help her family. 

And the characters are all so unique. There were a lot of siblings, so not all were explored in this story, but the ones we did get to know, I fell in love with. I hope in the other novellas we get to know more about them all!🥰

The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams

challenging mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

First and foremost, I like the stylist choice of having all of the prose and dialogue to be together without the separation of commas and quotation marks. To me, it added the layer of their closeness their intimacy of one another even if they do not all get along. 

Also, the story being told in three parts really helped give me perspective of each character, and their relationship with the others. 

The choice for the wife and the husband to remain nameless symbolizing their unity despite their circumstances and Temi who stands on her own, I loved it. 

But last, and certainly not least, I would’ve never let Temi come as far as she did between the relationship with my husband. And the sole fact that the wife couldn’t let Temi go or correct her speech towards her husband was telling enough.🤷🏾‍♀️

Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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