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charl's reviews
379 reviews
Send Nudes by Saba Sams
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Really enjoyed this :)
- Tinderloin - 3.5 stars, dude wtf 27 years old bf, helpless dad, dangerous dog, get help!
- Overnight - 2.5 stars, I like the going back in time to present in the club, feel like it could have been longer but okay it was nice to see a 10 page story, weird seeing someone from your past especially negatively in your present again, albeit briefly
- Snakebite - 4 stars ahh stress
- Send Nudes - 4.25 like the style of this one a lot
- Flying Kite - 4 stars interesting Foster family situation
- Here Alone - 2 stars
- The Mothers and the Girls - 3.5 stars the fuck these girlies need help!
- Blue 4Eva - 4.5 stars my favourite of the set, holiday and blended family tense and real dynamics. Love
- The Bread - 4 stars this was a lovely bit of business re baking bread / abortion
- Todays Square - 4 stars not read a lockdown story in a while so that was nice
Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict by Elizabeth Day
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
just not in the mood for this kind of book rn
I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This book was really thought-provoking and challenged my lack of knowledge around black motherhood and pregnancy - part memoir part manifesto and Candice reports and analyses her experiences of pregnancy, birth, and raising children as a black British woman. The statistics (black women in the UK are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women) were startling and it was also eye opening reading about private schools from the perspective of racism and discrimination and protective measures for your child.
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
wow, this book will stay with me. Really impactful, pacy writing that I couldn’t stay away from. I really believed in this world and the characters at the end had me emotional. It starts super tense and doesn’t let up. A book about a serial killer that’s not about the serial killer really, and I liked how Ansel’s parts were in second person so you felt more connected to him - gross
Rizzio by Denise Mina
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Read this in two sittings - Wowee! Really pacy and sharp writing to match the tense events unfolding from 1566 early afternoon plotting murder to post murder and how the scene of the crime is treated over history. Loved it!
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
This book has some really fun and beautiful prose, some of it so in detail re time war things I had no clue what was going on and relied on the letters for the first bit of the book, then got into the swing of it and I really enjoyed the escapades and torment between the two that they can’t be together
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
Such a quick delightful read. I thought this was fiction until halfway through I read the blurb! Helene has some proper sass and I’m here for it. She has to put up with some right stuff when she finally visits.
I loved the style of letters, seeing how they develop over time.
Also - mood: P. 54 - "I houseclean my books every spring and throw out those I'm never going to read again like I throw out old clothes I'm never going to wear again. It shocks everybody. My friends are peculiar about books. They read all the best sellers, they get through them as fast as possible, I think they skip a lot. And they NEVER read anything a second time so they don't remember a word of it a year later. But they are profoundly shocked to see me drop a book in the wastebasket or give it away. The way they look at it, you buy a book, you read it, you put it on the shelf, you never open it again for the rest of your life but YOU DON'T THROW IT OUT! NOT IF IT HAS A HARD COVER ON IT! Why not? I personally can't think of anything less sacrosanct than a bad book or even a mediocre book."
I loved the style of letters, seeing how they develop over time.
Also - mood: P. 54 - "I houseclean my books every spring and throw out those I'm never going to read again like I throw out old clothes I'm never going to wear again. It shocks everybody. My friends are peculiar about books. They read all the best sellers, they get through them as fast as possible, I think they skip a lot. And they NEVER read anything a second time so they don't remember a word of it a year later. But they are profoundly shocked to see me drop a book in the wastebasket or give it away. The way they look at it, you buy a book, you read it, you put it on the shelf, you never open it again for the rest of your life but YOU DON'T THROW IT OUT! NOT IF IT HAS A HARD COVER ON IT! Why not? I personally can't think of anything less sacrosanct than a bad book or even a mediocre book."
Mother Hens by Sophie McCartney
adventurous
tense
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? No
3.0
This book was wild but I didn’t hate it. It’s definitely aimed at millennials so it was interesting reading this knowing I wasn’t going to find it relatable. The family dynamics were unbelievable to begin with but never mind THAT twist 🤣 the gag rate in this book was phenomenal (every other line) but the quality of the gags grated on me, phallic wordplay and innuendos every few sentences gets tiring very fast. But hey, a fun time listening and I can see a lot of people loving this as a summer read.
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I didn’t realise this was auto graphical fiction and about cults ?? Not my vibe
Not Safe For Work by Isabel Kaplan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Just not feeling the style, thought it would be funnier and punchier based on the cover quotes. Also I don’t want to hear about another person working in tv who got there through nepotism 🙃