Take a photo of a barcode or cover
watermelleon's reviews
252 reviews
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Did not finish book. Stopped at 91%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 91%.
This book wins the record for the highest percentage read before I put it to rest. Woo.
91 percent in, I gave up the ghost. This has been an up and down read, the positive parts being excellent. I have learned so much about sleep science, which has reconsolidated and improved lessons learned during my psychology degree. This book has convinced me fully of the importance of sleep and has convinced me it is something I really need to work on within my own life. How to do that however, is still a question that needs answering elsewhere.
Why I dnf'd - two things
1) How do we have better sleep?
The author talks of cutting age techniques, but in describing who lack of sleep affects most (people in short who are heaviest affected by the plight of capitalism) he touches on societal causes but not the importance of dismantling of capitalism as a solution. In fact, many solutions are probably not accessible to the groups he is describing as most in need of them.
2) Neurodiversity and sleep
There was a section mid way where the author talked about how Neurodiversity was impacted by sleep. He took care to not outright say lack of sleep caused adhd and autism, but pointed out that some studies suggested as such.
91% in, I hear him refer to adhd as a rising epidemic. I honestly don't care for what is next, what devil's advocate reasonings he may have for this not actually being the case. Others likely could read this and add further fuel to the difficulties neurodiverse people are having to be heard right now. He is clearly not an expert on Neurodiversity and it showed.
Oh I'll add a third:
Weird use of accents when talking as people from other countries left a weird taste in my mouth as well.
Tldr:; I feel a teetering around topics of things he wishes to say but others would find too controversial (adhd probably caused by sleep deprivation), or doesn't want to (capitalism is the problem). Learned a lot but have very few answers due to the issue being so systemic (which he refuses to acknowledge)
If I met this author in life, I feel we would not get along, despite his clear passion in the subject and some very intriguing information that he presents.
91 percent in, I gave up the ghost. This has been an up and down read, the positive parts being excellent. I have learned so much about sleep science, which has reconsolidated and improved lessons learned during my psychology degree. This book has convinced me fully of the importance of sleep and has convinced me it is something I really need to work on within my own life. How to do that however, is still a question that needs answering elsewhere.
Why I dnf'd - two things
1) How do we have better sleep?
The author talks of cutting age techniques, but in describing who lack of sleep affects most (people in short who are heaviest affected by the plight of capitalism) he touches on societal causes but not the importance of dismantling of capitalism as a solution. In fact, many solutions are probably not accessible to the groups he is describing as most in need of them.
2) Neurodiversity and sleep
There was a section mid way where the author talked about how Neurodiversity was impacted by sleep. He took care to not outright say lack of sleep caused adhd and autism, but pointed out that some studies suggested as such.
91% in, I hear him refer to adhd as a rising epidemic. I honestly don't care for what is next, what devil's advocate reasonings he may have for this not actually being the case. Others likely could read this and add further fuel to the difficulties neurodiverse people are having to be heard right now. He is clearly not an expert on Neurodiversity and it showed.
Oh I'll add a third:
Weird use of accents when talking as people from other countries left a weird taste in my mouth as well.
Tldr:; I feel a teetering around topics of things he wishes to say but others would find too controversial (adhd probably caused by sleep deprivation), or doesn't want to (capitalism is the problem). Learned a lot but have very few answers due to the issue being so systemic (which he refuses to acknowledge)
If I met this author in life, I feel we would not get along, despite his clear passion in the subject and some very intriguing information that he presents.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
5.0
It is official: Elif Shafak has made it onto my prestigious favourite authors list!
I expected this to be a short read, but it was packed densely with beautiful prose, that forced me to pause and reflect on every other page. This book is EXTREMELY well written on all fronts.
This book is a beautiful journey, with an adventurous structure that I welcomed with open arms. Firstly, you start at the end: the death of tequila leila, reliving her life as it flashes before her eyes. Then, the book explores everyone (yes everyone!) who is affected by her untimely passing. You hear about her dearest friends in her own words and why she values them, and then you experience their own perspectives, emotions and lives without her.
Leila's friends (referred to as the five) are each living on the fringes of society in their own ways, all individuals with differing opinions and life experiences. They come together through the one certainty that they all have in common - their one mutual friend who unites them all in grief. It is a strong group of characters, who together are able to highlight the city they reside in through a perspective most important. Not the wealthy, but the refugees, the disabled, sex workers, trans women who make the city what it is.
Island of missing trees definitely had more of a direct personal link for me- but reading something so far away from my own experiences was fascinating, and this was informative in the most beautiful and creative way. This is a wonderful fictional tale with a sprinkling of truth- exploring grief, friendship, and chosen family, embedded in the background buzz of Istanbul.
I expected this to be a short read, but it was packed densely with beautiful prose, that forced me to pause and reflect on every other page. This book is EXTREMELY well written on all fronts.
This book is a beautiful journey, with an adventurous structure that I welcomed with open arms. Firstly, you start at the end: the death of tequila leila, reliving her life as it flashes before her eyes. Then, the book explores everyone (yes everyone!) who is affected by her untimely passing. You hear about her dearest friends in her own words and why she values them, and then you experience their own perspectives, emotions and lives without her.
Leila's friends (referred to as the five) are each living on the fringes of society in their own ways, all individuals with differing opinions and life experiences. They come together through the one certainty that they all have in common - their one mutual friend who unites them all in grief. It is a strong group of characters, who together are able to highlight the city they reside in through a perspective most important. Not the wealthy, but the refugees, the disabled, sex workers, trans women who make the city what it is.
Island of missing trees definitely had more of a direct personal link for me- but reading something so far away from my own experiences was fascinating, and this was informative in the most beautiful and creative way. This is a wonderful fictional tale with a sprinkling of truth- exploring grief, friendship, and chosen family, embedded in the background buzz of Istanbul.
Whore Stories by Sexquisite
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
book contains nsfw content throughout, highlighting experiences of sex workers through art, written passages, poetry.
Just Sayin': My Life In Words by Malorie Blackman
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I threw myself in the deep end with this one! I had no idea what to anticipate in the life of malorie blackman, but this woman has so much resilience.
I did not expect for this to be the memoir that hit home the most for me so far, many of our life experiences unexpectedly interconnected. There were times when I would start the audio book and immediately begin crying.
One experience I'm willing to share. When I was 17, I met writer Juno Dawson for the first time. She talked about her own books, but also the importance of ones with queer characters in them. I'm only 25 and it may seem bizarre to hear, but hearing her talk about it was the first time I had even thought of that as a possibility. She had printed out paper lists of books with queer characters written by queer writers for us to take home, and she knew why that was needed. As I began to devour the entire list, I reconciled with the reason why books like twilight and the hunger games made me feel such an emptiness.
The second time I met Juno, I was able to thank her at a book signing. And the funny thing was, she barely remembered the list!
the ways that malorie searched for so many years for her representation absolutely broke me. Her resilience and drive filled me with so much admiration that I have seen before. Writers and books truly can, and do save lives!
Mix that with her tales of poverty, homelessness, medical negligence, sexism and racism in every corner and industry, her love of learning, her analysis of the uk school system and it's funding cuts, her struggle to get a publishing contract, her reflections on her lost cultural connections, the impact of growing up with parents from the Windrush generation, the most horrifying miscarriage, and the societal perception shift she started receiving after marrying a white man. I'm only scratching the surface.
So much love to malorie: an incredible, stubborn, fire-fuelled inspiration.
I did not expect for this to be the memoir that hit home the most for me so far, many of our life experiences unexpectedly interconnected. There were times when I would start the audio book and immediately begin crying.
One experience I'm willing to share. When I was 17, I met writer Juno Dawson for the first time. She talked about her own books, but also the importance of ones with queer characters in them. I'm only 25 and it may seem bizarre to hear, but hearing her talk about it was the first time I had even thought of that as a possibility. She had printed out paper lists of books with queer characters written by queer writers for us to take home, and she knew why that was needed. As I began to devour the entire list, I reconciled with the reason why books like twilight and the hunger games made me feel such an emptiness.
The second time I met Juno, I was able to thank her at a book signing. And the funny thing was, she barely remembered the list!
the ways that malorie searched for so many years for her representation absolutely broke me. Her resilience and drive filled me with so much admiration that I have seen before. Writers and books truly can, and do save lives!
Mix that with her tales of poverty, homelessness, medical negligence, sexism and racism in every corner and industry, her love of learning, her analysis of the uk school system and it's funding cuts, her struggle to get a publishing contract, her reflections on her lost cultural connections, the impact of growing up with parents from the Windrush generation, the most horrifying miscarriage, and the societal perception shift she started receiving after marrying a white man. I'm only scratching the surface.
So much love to malorie: an incredible, stubborn, fire-fuelled inspiration.
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
"how not to write an unreliable narrator: a guide"
I initially was enjoying the world building and the dark academia setting, however the rest did not live up to expectations. The mystery fell quite flat and was overstretched, I didn't feel very attached to the characters and at times found them somewhat frustrating! The plot felt a bit scattered and too fast at times. Whatever was going on with the narrator had potential, but became unclear in the least smart way and unreliable became unlikeable very quickly. Lots of potential and very little payoff. Ultimately I was left reading through the rest very quickly to hope that any interesting twists or answers were picked up, which is probably a bad sign that your mystery isn't very good.
Lesson learned: a good mystery is about the journey as much as the payoff.
Probably a 2 but the beginning DID give me some inspiration in writing my own book, but it's the first dark academia thing I've really read and there is probably definitely a better version out there. So I don't think I can fully credit it for that.
I initially was enjoying the world building and the dark academia setting, however the rest did not live up to expectations. The mystery fell quite flat and was overstretched, I didn't feel very attached to the characters and at times found them somewhat frustrating! The plot felt a bit scattered and too fast at times. Whatever was going on with the narrator had potential, but became unclear in the least smart way and unreliable became unlikeable very quickly. Lots of potential and very little payoff. Ultimately I was left reading through the rest very quickly to hope that any interesting twists or answers were picked up, which is probably a bad sign that your mystery isn't very good.
Lesson learned: a good mystery is about the journey as much as the payoff.
Probably a 2 but the beginning DID give me some inspiration in writing my own book, but it's the first dark academia thing I've really read and there is probably definitely a better version out there. So I don't think I can fully credit it for that.
Life as a Unicorn: A Journey from Shame to Pride and Everything in Between by Amrou Al-Kadhi
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Whizzed through this one!!
An excellent memoir, with a surprising amount of nuance. I was somewhat cautious it would be told in a more spiteful way (which would be completely valid!), but it was fascinating to hear about the queerer aspects of the quran and the endless struggle of religion vs culture, and amrou's relationship with and journey within Islam. I have had so many conversations with Muslim people about this exact topic, and it was wonderful to have such a detailed account.
I felt a lot of interpretations closely mirror actions of other religious family groups which receive far less stigma in britain, which amrou was able to address delicately with a lot of thought. This was very intelligently written!
It has been a great experience reflecting on my own queerness and whiteness, and the in depth experience of queer Muslims which I so often look for but rarely find!
Definitely recommend this, marked as a 4 as the writing style at times felt perhaps a little too overwhelmed with metaphors and overblown artistic style that wasn't quite to my personal liking (but seems very in line with the writers character!)
Also absolutely loved the absolutely bizzare likening of Allah to some sort of sadistic DM at the beginning, and how religious trauma can be processed through the queer and kink scene.
An excellent memoir, with a surprising amount of nuance. I was somewhat cautious it would be told in a more spiteful way (which would be completely valid!), but it was fascinating to hear about the queerer aspects of the quran and the endless struggle of religion vs culture, and amrou's relationship with and journey within Islam. I have had so many conversations with Muslim people about this exact topic, and it was wonderful to have such a detailed account.
I felt a lot of interpretations closely mirror actions of other religious family groups which receive far less stigma in britain, which amrou was able to address delicately with a lot of thought. This was very intelligently written!
It has been a great experience reflecting on my own queerness and whiteness, and the in depth experience of queer Muslims which I so often look for but rarely find!
Definitely recommend this, marked as a 4 as the writing style at times felt perhaps a little too overwhelmed with metaphors and overblown artistic style that wasn't quite to my personal liking (but seems very in line with the writers character!)
Also absolutely loved the absolutely bizzare likening of Allah to some sort of sadistic DM at the beginning, and how religious trauma can be processed through the queer and kink scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation
Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book has taken me a loooong time to finish. Nothing that the book did, it was very easy to dabble in and out of and then the covid years hit.
A fantastic memoir that left me double checking it wasn't ghostwritten - Mara has such a tallent for storytelling! So many things resonated with me on a deep level, and I feel like I learned so much more than just some gossip from her childhood acting days. Some parts were extremely intelligent and funny, others so dark and sad that I was in tears and had to put the book down because it was so intense.
All in all, a very honest and refreshing memoir and I loved it!
A fantastic memoir that left me double checking it wasn't ghostwritten - Mara has such a tallent for storytelling! So many things resonated with me on a deep level, and I feel like I learned so much more than just some gossip from her childhood acting days. Some parts were extremely intelligent and funny, others so dark and sad that I was in tears and had to put the book down because it was so intense.
All in all, a very honest and refreshing memoir and I loved it!
I'm the Grim Reaper, Season 3 by GRAVEWEAVER
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
It's everything I need in a pretty package!
Enemies to lovers
Stunning drawings
An incredible unfolding mystery
Intense moments that made me struggle to sleep
Dark difficult grit about human nature
A bit of philosophy for good measure
And the power of friendship
This upset me in the best way. I couldn't put it down and I'm craving the next season!
Enemies to lovers
Stunning drawings
An incredible unfolding mystery
Intense moments that made me struggle to sleep
Dark difficult grit about human nature
A bit of philosophy for good measure
And the power of friendship
This upset me in the best way. I couldn't put it down and I'm craving the next season!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
I'm the Grim Reaper, Season 2 by GRAVEWEAVER
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a high 4 until I read chapter 61. Nightmare fuel that I was not expecting.
The art is just incredible! Some great philosophical moments and great character development and relationship building at the heart. Impossible to put down, can't wait to see where this continues!
The art is just incredible! Some great philosophical moments and great character development and relationship building at the heart. Impossible to put down, can't wait to see where this continues!
I'm the Grim Reaper, Season 1 by GRAVEWEAVER
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Didn't realise I had already moved onto season 2! Hard to rate this accurately as a result but the art and story have been so incredible so far 😊