3littlewordz's reviews
177 reviews

Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Another fun one from Jasmine Guillory! This is definitely an airplane/vacation/beach read. The characters are pretty predictable but enjoyable overall. Some of the 'conflicts' are pretty thin and some could have been fleshed out more thoroughly, but I don't expect in-depth analysis from my romance reads.  If you want something light and entertaining, check this out. 
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

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dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

4.25

Far more riveting than I had expected! I purchased a digital copy years ago after hearing an NPR interview with the author, David Grann. The book deeply demonstrates the pure audacity and unchecked depravity of colonizers. Whenever I read about early Americans and their treatment of either the enslaved or Native Americans I'm not surprised but I'm definitely exhausted. Grann is a writer and journalist, and his skills for detailed research only enhanced his superb delivery of this terrible period of American history. My jaw dropped more than a few times at the brazenness of the crimes, and the confidence that no one would face any consequences (and many of the perpetrators did not).  This is a fantastic choice if you are looking for an American true crime story.

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God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the final standalone novel (really a novella) from the beloved Toni Morrison, and I'm so glad I listened to this in Muva Morrison's voice!

I don't have the vocabulary to express how I felt reading this novel. No words were wasted at all, and I actually wish some storylines
(Where did Bride's father go? Could we go more into depth with Queen's background? Why was Sophia even in a position to be falsely accused?)
were further explored. Still, with less than 200 pages, Muva Morrison chose which storylines to illuminate very intently. I had to keep reminding myself that Bride was pretty young because most of her decisions made absolutely no sense to my late 30s mind. The themes of child sexual and emotional abuse were interwoven throughout the story - incredibly heartbreaking, but it was not gratuitous. My only drawback is the length of the story, but I will gladly listen to or read again!

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She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy in preparation for the movie release in November. I admit   was not too excited to read how evil was born in President Snow, but I was pretty shocked at his origin story.
Poor?!? Near starving? And dare I say... compassionate and loving?! This is not the President Snow I was expecting, but the horrid experience he lived through could certainly mold the pure evil Snow becomes 64 years later. Also, Dr. Gaul is CHILLING. One of my few disappointments is how quickly Collins pushes us through the final scene between Lucy Gray and Snow. I felt like we skipped a few conversations before ending up in the woods trying to kill each other.
Overall, I felt Collins maintained the same writing style from the previous three books. This book has me excited for the movie adaptation! 

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Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks

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

3.5

 I absolutely loved the idea of New Jessup, and the tension between the old guard enjoying their relatively low-stress life free of in-your-face racism compared to the new school wanting official municipality status was well developed. Also, my heart ached for Alice being unable to gain resolution about her family. The book was superbly written. Like absolutely beautiful prose. My issue was that it was somewhat light on dialogue and slightly boring. When conflict built, it was short-lived and not engaging for me. However, I will definitely check out more from the author, because as I stated, the writing was beyond delightful. 
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Broke. My. Heart. This is one of those books where you have a pretty strong idea of what is going to happen in the first few chapters and you spend the rest of the book bracing for the moment it happens? This was me reading Monday's Not Coming.
This story devastatingly demonstrates what happens when a community is disconnected and everyone "minds their own business". Claudia fought and fought and FOUGHT for everyone to believe that her best friend was missing, and the adults were so caught up in either ignoring what was right in front of their faces or thinking someone else would handle it. Two children were murdered and no one found them for months and months! Claudia's mental breakdown after the discovery of the bodies was jarring (as those experiences usually are) and I was a bit disoriented trying to figure out where we were in the timeline.
 

I usually appreciate dual timelines, but the two in this book were incredibly close, so at times it was difficult differentiating between before and after the discovery. 

Strong themes of child abuse, poverty, gentrification, and failing social services are pervasive throughout this story. PLEASE review the content warnings! 

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All God's Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity by Terence Lester

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challenging hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.75

Thankful for the opportunity to read an ARC of All God’s Children by Dr. Terence Lester. This work can lead to powerful discussions and real change when used effectively. Dr. Lester wove in his own personal experiences as a Black male pastor in majority white congregations to drive home how racism can separate us, but proximity and solidarity can unite us. Particularly in the church, it can be unnerving to experience the type of discrimination, tokenism, and racism that smiles in your face while dismissing your humanity. Dr. Lester explored various ways that this could be harmful to your faith walk, and how being proximate to those different from you can affirm and strengthen both your walk and the walk of others. If you’ve studied race and racism at any level previously, a lot of concepts included in the book will be familiar to you, but I appreciated the references to both Dr. King and Dr. Cone that I will research further. I’m also finishing up Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and several parallels between the two books jumped out at me while reading.  I would love to put this book in the hands of every evangelical that is open to deconstructing their version of Christianity! 
Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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