zarelaeda's reviews
241 reviews

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

adventurous dark funny lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It's just American Dorian Gray meets Masque of the Red Death. 4 stars because

only one millionaire dies

and the use of "ejaculated an unrestrained "Huh!"'

Unlike most Americans, I did not read this in high school. I probably would have hated it if I had. My fellow classmates had given me a view of this book that was completely shattered when I started and I can see why it's hailed as The Great American Novel.

How to Keep an Author (Alive) by A.J. Sherwood

funny lighthearted relaxing 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? No

4.0

I received this as a free eBook and had zero idea what it was about. Silly gay vampires was not on my radar, but damn I loved it. Guess I need to read all the rest of Sherwood's books. 

Snow Fall by Liz Bullard

3.0

The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi

3.0

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I'd also go crazy if I married a man (who locked me in a room with ugly wallpaper.) 

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

4.0

If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura

hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-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

4.0

Strike the Zither by Joan He

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Imagine my surprise when my April book club 'chose your own music novel' turned out to be a retelling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in all the best ways. And on top of that, we have beautifully diverse female characters and queer characters? My only complaint is that I wanted this to be double the length. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, and War

Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, and Alcoholism