tariana's reviews
161 reviews

El mentiroso by Mikel Santiago

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

4.0

Half unexpected ending, the story was very self driven so it was fun to listen to and try to figure out the end.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

What a heartwarming story even though it is about a murder. Or it seems to be about a murder until you realize it’s about much more than that: it’s about friendship, about encouragement, about not taking people for granted. It’s really inspiring, some notes she makes about the Chinese culture, like kids looking after parents advice not because they need but as a sign of respect and to make them feel useful, really got into me. I grew up with this urge to do things by myself, always hated when people tried to help as I’d see it as lack of competence of my part and that people was doubting of my capabilities trying to teach me how to live. So it was good to have a fresh point of view of life. I really need to have fresh pov.
On another note, I am in love with the style of the writing, I wish one day I’ll be able to write something with the same style, sarcastic and audacious.
Mon mari by Maud Ventura

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't even know where to start talking about this book. I read it through my French Class Book Club, recommended by a fellow student. I hated the main character all the way through it up to the epilogue. She lacks communication skills, she is super emotionally dependent of her husband, she is mean, she has “Bentinho” vibes, and she is a bad mother (if you decide to have kids for whatever reason, own your responsibility and take good care of them, they didn’t ask to be born).
Despite all of that, the book really kept my interest through its writing, there’s a dark mysterious tone that makes you curious about what is going to happen, specially because the story is narrated through a week of the characters life, as the days pass you get more excited about the plot.
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Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon---And the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.0

Long before Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, there was Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. Their feminist lyrics won over young women in the 60s and 70s, at the height of the hippie movement and female sexual liberation. If today it is still difficult for a woman to be successful in the music world and remain relevant after the age of 30, just imagine what it was like for them. Although their lives were made easier because they were all from middle to upper class families, they still suffered society's prejudices, the impositions of how they should behave as women, mothers and wives. And I felt sad to realize that the world simply forgot about them and I keep wondering what the future will be for the current generation of feminist singers. Will they still be able to stay relevant after 40? Or are they doomed to oblivion? The younger generations know who Madonna and Cindy Lauper are.
In addition to these questions, observing their behavior in relation to their partners, parents, children, friends made me question my own stance and try to be more emotionally independent and take control of my life without expecting others to take any attitude towards myself.
Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

What an intense book! I had no idea about the history of Jamaica, now I’m about to deep dive on it. The only reason for giving it 4 stars is that I though the end confusing: how did Gillian knew where to find Irie when it says that Irie itself didn’t know where the club was? Also it doesn’t explain how Kojo died, how Gillian’s family heard about her death, how they reacted, if they retaliated somehow, and why the radio station was called Irie?
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Escape from Virtual Island by John Lutz

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adventurous funny 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

4.0

Listening to that was a lot of fun. An adventurous nonsense inside a virtual world, a self conscious NPC causing havoc on the system just because it wanted to have friends. Meanwhile, Faith, Derek, Ramona and Beasley grow closer while trying to figure out what is wrong. Derek is the one who grows the most, having growing inside this virtual world, it is heartwarming to see him realize he has friends on the real world.
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

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adventurous lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Great to see the crew back, but Art is still missed.
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

This wasn't as much fun as the previous one, also...
Oh Mick 😢
I was starting to enjoy him.
This book was a little bit confusing for me, has he achieved what he wanted when he went to the planet, or not?!
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

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adventurous reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I am loving this series. It brings some reflections regarding human x robot and what makes as human, but that is very thin, the story is mostly focused on the adventures. A new character was added, Art, which I loved, and I hope Art will be back on the next adventures, their partnership was amazing.
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous funny slow-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

3.0

A dangerous books for adults that believe the Earth is not rounded. It was a fun read, the writing style reminded me of Lemony Snicket, though Snicket still master it. The powers of the oculators were very creative: arriving late, breaking things, speaking gibberish spies.