mmrohbock's reviews
740 reviews

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

4.5ā­ on šŸŽ§

How can something so powerful be packed in a 5 hour audiobook? How can Ta-Nehisi Coates talk about Africa & its relation to the slave trade, the American South & its denial of racial discrimination and Palestine & its ongoing genocide at time it's never been more relevant? Ta-Nehisi is truly one of the most prolific and thoughtful writers of our time--this is a must read.
Rules For Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

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emotional hopeful sad medium-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

4.25

4.25ā­
PG šŸŒ¶ļø

I love these emotional ghost-seeing queer Jewish men so much. There was a lot of chaos and things happening but they made it through and found happiness šŸ’–
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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

4.0

4ā­ on šŸŽ§

If you are a die hard fan of TJR's Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo, this book is for you (especially the audiobook with the full cast). From 1950s Hollywood scandals to the parallels of the scandalous Biblical tale of Salome, this book delivers the drama in droves. This is truly a tale of epic proportions and though the conclusion was a bit rushed, I thoroughly enjoyed the chaos of it all.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

4.75ā­ on šŸŽ§

I think wedding culture is such a farce and I'm glad this book is out here to be the satirical content proving that. But also I just loved how complex each character in this book was and how interesting their interactions were. But also I would have loooooved a little epilogue for Phoebe at the end to know shes truly happy now and what shes up to!
Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff

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emotional hopeful 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

4.5

4.5ā­
RšŸŒ¶ļø

If Scandal and The Idea of You had a baby, it would be this book.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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

5.0

5ā­

I was so thoroughly enchanted by this book. There's something about a nerdy antisocial professor with strong academic beliefs (told in footnotes!!!) realizing that people care about her (and have fallen in love with her!!!) that just made me kick my feet in delight. And there was the right level of intrigue of a frozen faerie world too! If you want a cozy fantasy read this winter, you MUST pick up this book.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.75ā­ on šŸŽ§

Wow this book was so creepy and wild. I loved how atmospheric this book and it set this truly incredible setting but I do think the pacing was pretty slow and setting the stage for all the action to happen in the last 20% of the book. I'm not a spooky girl generally but if you want a Haunted Mansion Gothic creepy-not-funny read this October, this is a good one.
Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire by Alice Wong

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challenging emotional informative slow-paced
This is one of those books where it does not feel right to rate it because you're then judging every authors' lived experiences and stories. Which just makes it even more important to read and understand what it's like to live and love as a disabled person.
Sad Grownups by Amy Stuber

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challenging dark sad slow-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

3.0

3ā­

I requested this advanced copy on a whim because the description promised so much nuance what it means to be happy or sad as adults navigate a complex world, but I found the short stories to be told in ways where the narrative had gaps and felt underbaked and just a bit weird.
The Secret to a Southern Wedding by Synithia Williams

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-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

3.75

3.75ā­
PG-13šŸŒ¶ļø

I love a small town romance with a fiercely smart heroine so much!! I love less a instalove connection that doesn't ever fully feel substantiated. I love a true conflict outside of the main characters. I love less when people keep secrets they know are going to explode and could just make better decisions. So I was a bit conflicted about this book but I really love Peachtree, Georgia and I will be coming back to read Halle's football themed book this fall!