xandriaisreading's reviews
124 reviews

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

As a communications major, anything involving language is right up my alley. From the infamous and tragic cults we all know to the girl bosses and internet gurus of today, this book covers how language is used to entice and seduce people and prey upon their need for community and belonging.

Overall it's a pretty good book. I like the way that it's structured and many of the examples that it uses, especially the more modern ones. You wouldn't automatically think of them as cults, but as you gain knowledge of previous examples and build upon what makes a cult a cult, you can see the argument for how newer groups could be classified as cults and how they are evolving for the new mediums and channels of communications such as social media.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

Damn, Emily.

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

As a BIPOC woman, much of what Mikki Kendall said wasn't new. Recognizing the way that issues BIPOC women face are often left out of the feminist movement and conversation is something I see and experience daily.

What this book taught me, however, is that the "hot" issues today (gun violence, housing) aren't disected or investigated at a microlevel. That many issues, while they are issues for all, are disproportionately affecting BIPOC women but we don't have the evidence or statistics to accurately portray what is happening.

That we not only need to call for a closer examination of these issues for BIPOC women, but we need to rethink the ways in which we are measuring and collecting data to help rectify and create equitable livelihoods.

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

4.75

This was a fun read! I got to meet Etta Easton at an author chat and it made me excited to read this book.

It's a classic rom-com with fake dating. The characters are so obviously into escort from the beginning and they just get along so well.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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challenging emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.25

I was waiting for this one! I fell in love with Yours Truly and had high hopes for this book. While it doesn't outshine YT for me, it was still a sweet romance with complicated, messy characters.

It starts off as a cute story; guy posts to reddit, girl responds, plot to break a curse through dating and breaking up. Then it gets real.

You learn more about Emma's (mfc) past and it's pretty traumatic. You learn that Justin (mmc) also has some things going on that he's dealing with. And what started as a fun experiment for the summer, turns into a story of trauma, grief, healing, community, and real love.

There's a colorful cast of characters

(but if Amber was real, it would be on site!)

. The story balances the heavy serious stuff with fun lighthearted moments. You get a messy, more real love story that."happens in the folds of everyday life."

One Last Word by Suzanne Park

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funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

Sara is stuck in middle management and is clearly under appreciated at her majority tech bro job. After a contemptuous pitch meeting, Sara decides that she’s had enough and takes her app, One Last Word, with her. Determined to get her app and new company off the ground, Sara applies for a mentorship program with the hope to secure funding. After celebrating hitting submit on her application, she and her sister drunkenly write letters to some of the most important people in her life in the app. How does the app work? Say what you need to get off your chest to get the last word and the app will send out the letters once you die. But of course, the app glitches and sends the letters over night. Now she has to clean up the mess her letters created while completing the mentoring program.

The premise of this book hooked me immediately, I mean, who doesn’t have a couple of people they’d like to get the last word with? Watching Sara, a reserved, heads down, corporate grinder, navigate not only her new career but reconcile the relationships she let get away was pretty entertaining. Sara comes to realize she may be a bit more at fault for the way her relationships have turned out. From her ex-best friend, to her unrequited crush she puts on a pedestal, and her complicated relationship with her parents she gets a much needed wake up call.

I enjoyed that Sara’s faults were not only acknowledged but lovingly confronted with the help of her closes support system; her sister and best friend Casey. There were times where the pacing moved a bit slower and it seemed like it was stuck in a never ending lecture about the patriarchy and rampant sexism in the tech industry.

Overall, it was a good quick read about self-discovery, confidence, and a hint of romance.

Thank you NetGalley & Avon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.25

Chloe Sampson is struggling. She left college to become the primary guardian of her three younger siblings after her mother abandoned them. Straight up just dipped! Working at the local library to try and make ends meet, she finds a priceless book that could help put a little money in her pocket and name-brand cereals in the pantry. After her curmudgeon of a neighbor offers to buy the book for an insane price, Chloe examines the book and after closer examination, she finds a love story from the '60s in the margins. Determined to discover what happened to the lovers and why her neighbor desperately wants the book, she embarks on a literary scavenger hunt to assemble the pieces.

I'm a sucker for love notes and questionable pasts so this book was right up my alley! Chloe works so hard to stay afloat and her love for her siblings guides her. Having this literary scavenger hunt is something she can have for herself and is an escape she didn't know she needed. I enjoyed following her on this quest and was genuinely surprised by every twist and turn the story takes. Everyone has secrets and there's so much left unsaid in the margins that you can't predict the ending.

I loved all the characters, from Chloe and her siblings to her grumpy neighbor and even the charming outdoorsman who's crushing on Chloe. There's so much going on and you get POVs from several characters that slowly uncover the story of the lovers and Sampson's familial drama.

Get your copy on April 30, 2024!

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Guy For Me by Marzy Opal

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced