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alysereadsbooks's reviews
367 reviews
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked the Asian representation in this book and I thought the voice actor did great, but the ending fell a little flat to me. I liked the exploration of female friendship!
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Listened to the audiobook and loved it. It was insightful with the perfect amount of heart and feels timely in a world where things seem hopeless at s
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Really enjoy Tabby’s universe and the emphasis on female friendships and mentorship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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
4.25
I enjoyed this book. It was the perfect balance of well written prose, balancing both romantic comedy aspects with drama and angst.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Racism
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism
Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabess
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was a hot mess. I wanted to like it so much, but felt the characters were very unlikeable and I don't understand how you could stay in a relationship with someone with such fundamentally different values. I HATED the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Life and Other Love Songs by Anissa Gray
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.5
This book was not what I was expecting, but I still very much enjoyed it. I liked the alternating perspectives and timelines. It was a bit slow at times, but I found the ending very unexpected and gut-wrenching. Overall, a bittersweet read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom by Chrissy King
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this book - its prompts and its overview of body liberation, which is a great primer for someone new to body liberation. I enjoyed the author's focus on intersectionality and explicit, regular mentions of disability, and how this may affect body image, self love, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Racism
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
4.5
Listened to the audiobook and it was AMAZING. the production quality and narration was great. Well written, gut wrenching, examination of generational trauma.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Medical content
Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Oof. I wanted to love this book, but I didn’t. I found the writing nearly impossible to keep my interest because it was so flowery. So slow and the ending overall was unsatisfying. Felt unfinished.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked this novel. It’s a cool premise, and I think it pays homage to women’s rage/autonomy, especially in the 1950s. Parts of it felt disjointed, but on the whole, I did enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny