dionnesims's reviews
48 reviews

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

3.75

ambitious! I enjoyed the stories of the emperor and present-day River the best. I think the ending left a lot to be desired. I felt like the main character was quick to abandon his motivations at the end, and so a lot was left unexplained or open-ended, which isn't my favorite way to end a story. loved the sex scenes and environment descriptions!
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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

3.5

there were parts of this book that I devoured - particularly the middle - and parts that made me wonder if I wanted to finish it (the beginning). in the end, I'm glad I did. but I found my curiosity surrounding the characters to be stronger than any actual development that happened...a win is a win though.
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The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa

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emotional mysterious relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

reading this book was like watching a cozy, slice-of-life anime. I cried really hard on a couple chapters because I have a pet that I love dearly. be prepared for the feels.
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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

Okay, I enjoyed reading this book...I liked the mix of historical fiction and sci-fi, I thought the sex scenes were surprisingly hot, and the humor was dry which always gets a laugh from me. For the anime watchers reading this, it's a slice of life for sure. The ending was kinda roughshod... not a happy ending, not a sad ending, potentially a cliffhanger for a duology if she wanted. Ultimately an interesting concept and I'm glad I read it.
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Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End by Alua Arthur

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

Reading this might've changed my life... it definitely changed my view of death.
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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

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dark funny mysterious slow-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? No

2.75

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Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

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

3.0

Much less action and movement than the first one. I didn't really enjoy the ending...it fell kind of flat, but I imagine that's how reading someone's journal would be. Still a well-written book.
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.75

I laughed and giggled at so many parts of this book. But at 270+ pages I think it should've been shorter. The middle dragged but then picked up again by the end.
I Love You So Much It's Killing Us Both by Mariah Stovall

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Did not finish book.
Very stream of consciousness in a way that became tedious to me about halfway through. I kept going but just didn't care how it ended unfortunately.
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Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
What should've been a very relatable story felt repetitive and not very interesting a few chapters in. Really unfortunate!