jrayereads's reviews
428 reviews

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical book

Genre: Literary fiction, Classics

I have heard such incredible things about Clarice Lispector and her writing. I’m not quite sure what I expected when I picked this book up, but I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed the ways she played with language and found the prose hypnotizing. Not many authors could successfully make me feel such dread and despair while simultaneously making me appreciate life and art and being able to experience both. 

Though I really enjoyed this overall, I rated 4 stars instead of five based on my subjective enjoyment of the “plot”, which I honestly DIDN’T enjoy in many places. I recognize that the narrative/story was not necessarily the point and the goal was not for it to be enjoyable. Still doesn’t change the fact that I thought the middle 20-30% dragged quite a bit, which is unfortunate to say about such a short book. I think a re-read will make me appreciate those slower sections more, since I know where things ended up going. 

Absolutely worth reading, but this will be unlike anything you have read before. 

 

 Rating: 3.5 stars

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

Hamilton’s story is heart wrenching and made me feel absolutely SICK to my stomach at times. The abuse, self-gaslighting, and cruelty she suffered is horrible. I appreciate the insight that she provided in looking back on her life. You can get a real sense of the work that she has done to unlearn the harmful beliefs that made her feel stuck in her abusive marriage. 

I don’t think you have to agree with everything someone does in order to enjoy a memoir, so I won’t go into a rant about monogamy and cheating - which are typically big turn offs for me. She displayed a lot of bravery by showing the ugly parts of her life in this way and how she deeply hurt others, even when she was in a horrific cycle of abuse with Rick.

My favorite parts were about the process of her divorce and her leaving and what taking back her agency and sense of self meant for her. Those felt like the strongest parts narratively, and they were the most impactful for me. I thought this was well written but the pacing felt off in some parts, especially towards the beginning.

The material in this book is heavy, so please check content warnings, which I have listed below.

 

 Rating: 4 stars

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Memoir

What a stunning book. I have never read such a detailed account of what experiencing psychosis is like. I can’t imagine being in her position and the immense fear and paranoia was palpable in her writing. The information she provides on postpartum depression and psychosis is essential for sympathizing with and supporting mothers. 

I appreciated what she was going for with the non-linear structure, but I think the sections in the psych ward could have been more impactful if I had known about the psychosis that led up to it. Sometimes they felt a little tedious because I wanted so badly to know what led to her ending up there. 

 

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Physical book

Genre: Literary fiction, historical fiction

This had a personal, conversational quality to it that made it feel like I was just sitting down and hearing someone’s life story. Isaac’s life story was interesting to read about, but it was his insights into the whys of his life that made this so captivating and meaningful. I loved the structure with the conversations with this therapist that were sprinkled throughout. It gave me a sense of growth as he pieced together key moments from his childhood and how they shaped him as an adult. 

Because of the conversational writing, this book was easy to read and I devoured it in about a day. Definitely worth reading for the discussions on blackness and queerness and because Isaac was such an enjoyable protagonist. 

 

Rating: 5

Format: Physical book/Audiobook

Genre: Nonfiction

Ever since 2020 I have resonated with and agreed with the abstract concept of police abolition, but I hadn’t read anything concrete that breaks down what that actually looks like. I support the rhetorical goals of abolitionists but wasn’t able to explain why and how abolition could take place. 

This was an excellent starting point for me to gain insight into the goals of abolition. The writing of this book was so readable and accessible and it wasn’t bogged down by heavy theoretical or political language that some theoretical texts are. Purnell expertly crafted a history and legacy of policing in the United States so that we can understand the context of policing now. The discussions around disability justice, climate justice, and gender equity were so poignant. Even though the content is heavy and often infuriating, Purnell infused the entire book with this feeling of hope and possibility for positive change. It was both difficult to read and encouraging.

If you are more knowledgeable about police abolition theory and practice then this might retread things you already know, but if you’re like me and you wanted an entry point into really engaging with these ideas, this book is the way to go. 

 

 Rating: 4 stars

Format: Ebook

Genre: Fantasy

Beautifully written with stunning Chinese-inspired mythology and distinct, enjoyable characters. I loved Xingyin and her journey of growth. This was just addicting and fun to read. 

There were times it felt like TOO much was going on, and we often jumped from arc to arc without time for things to settle with the characters. I enjoy fast-paced action but I also like having strong character moments that sometimes I missed between the battle scenes. 

 

 Rating: 3 stars

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Romance

Say what you will about Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker, but the writing was addicting enough that I immediately started Wildfire to get more of it. I do think I liked Icebreaker more than this book, but it was more for vibes-based reasons than any major dip in quality. 

The summer camp premise didn’t grab me as much. I was more invested in Anastasia’s ice skating drama than I was with the random camp shenanigans that the characters were thrown into. I generally like Hannah Grace’s main characters and the fact that they feel like real people who have other friends and also family relationships and drama that they’re dealing with outside of the main couple. I also appreciate that these characters communicate like adults. No crazy third act breakup that happens for no reason. I feel like these characters actually WANT to be together. As usual, some of the smut had me cringing but that is typically a me-thing. 

So far this series is exactly what I want it to be - low stakes, semi-predictable, fun romances that act as a great palette cleanser.

 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Romance

I decided to read this book to see what all the hype and hysteria was about after ANOTHER round of people attacking romance readers and crying about the smut in a book written by an adult for other adults. I had this whole long rant about the “discourse” that surrounds this book, but I decided that I don’t care enough to give those puritanical weirdos my time. 

Y’all are being a bit too dramatic for my taste about this book. It was fine! It’s cute, the main characters were likeable (to me) and I thought the progression of their relationship was relatively realistic. I also enjoyed the side characters that gave a sense of place and that the main couple were real people who had relationships outside of each other. The discussions of mental health struggles, ED representation, and consensual sex that had communication AND discussions of protection and STD testing were all factors that made me enjoy the relationship dynamic and the respect and care they had for themselves and each other. 

I do think this book struggled with its pacing and it definitely didn’t need to be as long as it was. I’ve seen lots of people say they DNF’d it and I get why. There were major moments that dragged. Also sometimes the writing of the smut was a lil cringe, but that was mostly a me-thing, I think. DEFINITELY was not the worst smut I’ve ever read.

What have we learned here today folks? Well, the reality is that the hate this book is getting for being some evil den of sin that is using its cute cartoony cover to lure in and corrupt your children is nonsense. Not liking this book is totally fine. Nothing wrong with having criticisms or just not feeling connected to the characters or the writing or whatever. But maybe just leave romance readers alone and let them live and read their smutty lil sports romances in peace. 

 

 Rating: 4 Stars

Format: E-book (ARC)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Park Row Books for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own. 

The Lotus Shoes is a stunning story of struggle, loss, and resilience, set in 1800’s China. I thought the complex political, religious, and gendered dynamics at play were so interesting and well-executed. The way this book explored how both men and women within Chinese society at this time upheld patriarchal standards was nuanced and captivating. One of my favorite things about this genre is being immersed in a culture that I’m unfamiliar with and feel like I’m learning something as I watch these characters try to navigate the context they find themselves in. Jane Yang really captured that here.

Due to the treatment of slaves and women at the time, this book is sometimes BRUTAL. The practice of foot binding is hard to read about, and Little Flower’s time in slavery was not easy. There are moments of violence committed against the enslaved characters and basically constant misogyny that impacts all of the women throughout the story.

Speaking of, Little Flower is my GIRL. She was so intelligent and compassionate and determined. I loved following her story. She was put in so many difficult and impossible situations, but responded with grace and strength. Though I liked Linjing much less (actually she was infuriating, but I think that was intentional), I still appreciated her role within Little Flower’s journey. Both of their goals and motivations were very understandable and the way their desires clashed made for gripping conflict as they tried to find their own sense of security and purpose in a society that devalued them as women.

Some of the pacing was quite slow towards the beginning, but once I got a good sense of the characters and their motivations, I was much more invested and devoured the latter 60% or so in a day. I would highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction. 

 

The description of this book made it sound right up my alley so I went in with high expectations, but this ended up not being what I thought it would be. It focuses mostly on Ady’s coming of age and the actual spy group mentioned in the title/description doesn’t come until two-thirds of the way through. So much of the first third could have been condensed so we could spend more time with characters that were introduced later on. 

I didn’t feel connected any of the characters, especially not Ady. I never got a good sense of who she was as a person. It just felt like she did what needed to be done for the plot to move forward, not because it aligned with her values as a character. The writing felt distant from what was going on and how the characters felt. There were very serious and real situations that these women spies were in but the writing didn’t give those situations any emotional weight. There were also some random mixed media elements in the form of excerpts from other memoirs, interviews, etc. that didn’t feel fleshed out and they didn’t really add anything.

I wanted to like it but it just ended up not working for me at all.