vasingca's reviews
124 reviews

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny hopeful fast-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

3.0

This was a really enjoyable sequel to “It Happened One Summer.” I didn’t necessarily feel that the romance scenes were quite as enjoyable, but I really appreciated the author’s focus on toxic masculinity and it’s role in developing Fox’s character. I actually thought this aspect of the book was very meaningful. The story itself was otherwise happy and delightful and a fun read overall. 

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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

This book started off really slow but was well worth the wait to get into the story. The plot is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. There are so many unanswered questions by the end, I’m really hoping for a sequel. The characters are so realistic and I like that none of them, even the main character, are without flaws. 

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This is the most important book I will ever read. So much of it is viscerally painful to learn, especially when I reflect on the fact that I’m learning so much about Black history as an adult that I should’ve been taught as a child in school. It is truly paradigm shifting. I really think that this book has the power to change hearts and minds if people give it a chance. I have nothing negative to say. I feel confident that this book will be mandatory classroom reading within my lifetime. 

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I have to be honest, I was disappointed in this book. It was okay, but I had higher hopes given how much I loved The Guest List and The Hunting Party. I liked the main character, Jess, more than I’ve liked Foley’s other main characters. However, I just wasn’t in love with the setting and I thought the plot twists were largely predictable. I think I set my expectations too high, but it was otherwise a perfectly passable and engaging thriller. 

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

dark emotional funny hopeful 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

2.0

I quite honestly didn’t enjoy this book at all. The characters didn’t even feel real because they were all caricatures, and I didn’t think the book was funny, even though the author tried to force humor in every page. The romance here seems to be a trauma bond and I thought the backstory was really heavy handed. I just wasn’t sold on this book.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

dark funny informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.0

This book gives life to an eccentric wealth of characters and to the town of Savannah itself. It took me a long time to finish the book, and I found the author’s voice and the pacing of the story grating and unnecessary. Many of the views expressed in this piece have not aged particularly well. However, it remains a brilliant piece of creative nonfiction, and rarely has a piece of writing encapsulated a town and it’s way of life so vividly.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

3.0

There were many parts of the novel that I felt were cliche or a little too unrealistic in terms of plot twists and loose ends. However, I think that Hannah did a really remarkable job depicting domestic violence and the toxic but nuanced family dynamics it creates.

As much as I hated Ernt and wanted the whole family to leave him many times over, Cora’s character was sadly very true to reality.

Lastly, the setting of Alaska during the 70s was very unique and interesting, and I found myself very engaged with the picture it painted.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious slow-paced

5.0

It took me a long time to finish this book, but it is a mark on how well researched and dense the story is rather than a judgment on the engaging nature of the story. Not only does this book seamlessly blend fact and prose, the references to Gothic literature, detective stories, and life in Victorian England taught me so much about other related subjects. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I could learn about this story. Lastly, the true crime elements themselves are very well done, with the story of the killer being well fleshed out while also not justified. My only criticism would be that I think the message of the afterword is important enough that it should’ve come earlier in the story. I worry that readers might skip past the afterword and miss it.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

There’s something about the love and angst shared by a mother and daughter that is universal despite the undeniable impact the author’s Korean ethnicity had on the relationship. More than anything, this book gets to the core of what love really is, in such a visceral way that I genuinely felt the emotions in the story as if they were my own. Tremendously moving and important. I wish her mother was alive to bask in the glow of such a loving and deserved tribute. 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I was equally frustrated and enthralled by this book. The ambiguity is necessary thematically, but leaves the reader with so many questions. The characters were dealt interesting, and I appreciated that the author focused more on symbolism and theme than world building, which is tough to achieve in science fiction.