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nila's reviews
485 reviews
The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Really enjoyed this! A great mix of head-on unapologetic facts, humor and wit and heartbreaking anecdotes from a varied group of people. Love the interspersed boxes with "radical reflections" and "unapologetic inquiries" that let you naturally take a break and actually absorb what you were reading. Just overall really good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Fatphobia
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide
Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.5
I liked vol 2 a lot more, just because there were more interactions between Hades and Persephone - really like their chemistry, even though the burn is slooow. Again, not too concerned with all the side plots and characters, though I like Hestia. Looking forward to the next volume!
Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
I really liked the Hades/Persephone bits, but find that I didn't care about the rest. I also don't know if it's just my edition, but the print is often really dark, and I think that many details of the graphics then get lost. I find it hard to rate graphic novels like this, because it's just a partial story so I'll read the sequel, and hopefully this romance won't be too slow
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Is-slottet by Tarjei Vesaas
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.25
I started this book in May 2022. I had such high hopes for this, based on @booksandlala's and so many other people's positive reviews. I DRAGGED myself through the first 100 pages, and thought I it wasn't for me, and that I should've known better because I rarely enjoy masgical realism... I put the book down and didn't pick it up again before yesterday (Jan 3rd). I've finished the rest in about 3 hours, I cannot believe it. This is the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars, because I can't remember if it was a slow beginning or if I just picked up the book at the wrong time. Definitely rereading this, and hoping it'll be a 5 star read! 🌟🌟
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Violence and Medical content
Minor: Gun violence
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual violence and War
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
Found this in a little free library and it fit one of the prompts I have left on one of my reading challenges - so I decided to give it a try. It is very dry and mostly instructional, but there are a few instances of poetic flare dispersed throughout the text. I feel this book would be great for an author who's writing a large-scale battle-scene, it's just a large collection of practical advice. It's difficult to rate it, so I just put it somewhere in the middle.
The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
I love what I've read of Natalie Haynes' work so far, and I feel this was like reading a great first draft. The first third of the book was really slow, and it wasn't until the connection between the two timelines became clear (which could just me not seeing the obvious) that I became more invested in the story. I felt there was no depth to the characters, and a lot of telling, not showing. I'm just disappointed because there is absolutely great potential to the book, especially considering Haynes' other work, but it just didn't live up to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Incest, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death and Murder
Fasandreperne by K.E. Semmel, Jussi Adler-Olsen
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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