ofbooksandtrees's reviews
1215 reviews

Jaguarman by Raoul de Jong

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Read Febrary 2025
 Afgelopen december las ik Boto Banja van Raoul de Jong waar ik zeer van onder de indruk was, dus natuurlijk moest ik ook Jaguarman lezen. Ik houd ervan hoe Raoul doormiddel van zijn eigen verhaal ook een algemenere geschiedenis onderzoekt. Fijne schrijfstijl ook! 
Geschonden by Amy MacKinnon

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
DNF February 2025 22%
While I have some curiosity for the actual story, I really don't get along with the way this is written (or translated?)
Marshmallow by Simone Atangana Bekono

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challenging

2.0

Read February 2025
Ik geef het maar gewoon toe; ik begreep hier dus vrij weinig van..
In Memoriam by Alice Winn

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

Read February 2025
It's not you, it's me. WW fiction rarely is for me  (especially not if it takes place on the frontlines) , but with the gay romance and all the praise I'd heard, I wanted to give it a try anyways. There where definitely some good parts and I don't regret reading it, but overall it's just not the book for me. 
Rosewater by Liv Little

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emotional fast-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

4.0

Read February 2025
 Always here for messy queer characters! The ending was a little over the top though, and I feel like some of the backstory & side characters could have been explored on a bit more. 
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Read February 2025
 I found the ending a bit underwhelming, but the journey (throughout all 3 of the books) was a good one. 
Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon

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informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

Read February 2025
 The second half was definitely stronger than the first and while I'm usually all for a short chapter, these, at times, felt more like a surface level summery than an actual chapter in a memoir. I understand she might not have wanted to go in depth with certain things, but if you're writing a memoir, you kinda have to? Or like, just leave those parts out and focus on what you are willing to dig deeper with and give those the space they deserve.

Also, so much name dropping... I'm not even someone who usually minds this kind of thing in celebrity memoirs. Famous people hang out with famous people, so it's bound to happen. But at least let those mentions be meaningful, this often felt more like reading an acknowledgement or something.

I did love all the photos that where included though and I really enjoyed the second half that was more focussed on her music and life around that. 
Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.5

Read February 2025
 It’s been a few years since I read the previous two books so this one had me confused at times; not remembering things and not understanding references made. That aside, the time travel stories were beautiful. My favourites were the first (The Daughter) and third (The Sister). I love stories about female relatives. 
Bezeten Stad by Stephen King

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

4.0

Read January 2025
I have my issues with it (mainly the over-sexualization of the female characters) but I enjoyed the story a lot. 
Wahala by Nikki May

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medium-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

2.5

Read January 2025
 Mostly an okay read.
However the (unchallenged and unimproved upon with character development) colorism, anti-black, anti-Nigerian(men) sentiments, & the fat shaming felt icky. Also, Ronke deserved so much better than how these women treated her.