sinvvas's reviews
292 reviews

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

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adventurous tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I wish that the Romance was a bit more and to find out why the age of flowers was so harmful/great. 
Heartburn by Nora Ephron

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

3.5

 Whenever I am in a particularly awful mood I will turn on a Nora Ephron movie and instantly feel better. From When Harry Met Sally to Julie & Julia, you can’t go wrong with a Nora Ephron screenplay for a little pick me up. This book was no different. Rachel is seven months pregnant when she finds out her husband is in love with another woman. Though rather than being a depressing book about marriage, it instead points out all of its oddities. The humor is topnotch and the dialogue is some of the wittiest I’ve ever read. Also if you read this book on audio, it's narrated by the wonderful Meryl Streep! 
(However this book does have a lot of 80'sisms. Using outdated ways to talk about lesbians and BIPOC) 

 
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous dark emotional tense slow-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

5.0

I wish I could eat this book whole like a sandwich 
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

 TALIA HIBBERT SUPREMACY!!! The title does not lie, it is an unfairly cute book. Bradley and Celine were best friends who had a huge falling out, but after both apply to a program for the chance of a scholarship they must work side by side. This little romcom also packs quite an emotional punch. Discussing what it's like to have OCD and how to handle large emotions when you're unequipped to. It has the witty dialogue that Talia Hibbert is known for and an incredible amount of heart. For people who like their romance books less spicy or just want a quick fun read, this ones for you.

 
The Roughest Draft by Austin Siegemund-Broka, Emily Wibberley

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

2.5

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

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dark reflective tense 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

4.5

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

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funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

The Manson family, Scientology, Crossfit, and Mary Kay all have something in common. They all use language and rhetoric found in cults. The word cult is tossed around so lightly and Cultish is here to show you why. This book defines and explains the power of emphatic language and how companies and cults use it at others' detriment. It also has a very sympathetic look at the people who join cults and how the world should treat these victims with kindness. Educational, kind, and humorous this book has it all.
Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

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

2.0

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

3.75

Merry Jewishmas! This is a hilarious sapphic Jewish holiday romance. I had to set this book down multiple times because I could not stop laughing. Shani is on her way to her new internship at the Smithsonian when she hits her future girlfriend with her car. They do not get along initially, but strange coincidences and holiday magic keep bringing them together. Full of wonderfully witty dialogue, meaningful conversation about how it feels to be Jewish during the Christmas season, and cute corgis. This is the perfect book to curl up by the fire with during these cold months.
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

One of James Baldwin’s best works, and definitely one of my favorites. A queer classic that focuses on the intersection between masculinity and race. Baldwin writes about a white man who falls for a man in France and moves in with him. Giovanni’s room shows us queerness through the lens of the white upper middle class. Baldwin is witty and shows us the apparent faults with society's acceptance of gender and sexuality, through his complex and flawed characters. It’s incredibly poetic and positively heartbreaking. If you are thinking about getting into Baldwin’s work, this is a great place to start.