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painausten's reviews
867 reviews
Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet by Samantha Allen
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to the author for the free audiobook + to Steph for gifting me a signed physical copy!!
One of the highest compliments I can give a book is that I set it down multiple times because I didn’t want it to end. That’s exactly what happened with this one, and I actually had to force myself to get to the end because, as it happens with most of my favorite media, I could’ve stopped around 75% forever and pretended the book didn’t end at all. I loved how Samantha Allen’s voice came through so clearly here despite how different this book is from her other novel and her non-fiction work. She writes with so much charm and her characters here felt SO human (even the ghost) that it hurt to say goodbye to them. The foreword in my edition of the book talks about some of the inspo Samantha took for the character of Roland but I still liked making up my own headcanon of who he would be an amalgamation of in our own Hollywood landscape. My one liner review for Patricia Wants to Cuddle was “this is the perfect Mari book” and tbh the same goes for this one. It felt like it was written with all of my silly little interests in mind and for that I’m eternally grateful.
One of the highest compliments I can give a book is that I set it down multiple times because I didn’t want it to end. That’s exactly what happened with this one, and I actually had to force myself to get to the end because, as it happens with most of my favorite media, I could’ve stopped around 75% forever and pretended the book didn’t end at all. I loved how Samantha Allen’s voice came through so clearly here despite how different this book is from her other novel and her non-fiction work. She writes with so much charm and her characters here felt SO human (even the ghost) that it hurt to say goodbye to them. The foreword in my edition of the book talks about some of the inspo Samantha took for the character of Roland but I still liked making up my own headcanon of who he would be an amalgamation of in our own Hollywood landscape. My one liner review for Patricia Wants to Cuddle was “this is the perfect Mari book” and tbh the same goes for this one. It felt like it was written with all of my silly little interests in mind and for that I’m eternally grateful.
1984 (Andrew Garfield) by George Orwell
5.0
Sorry to lib out but uh......we should be scared. I hadn't read this since high school and I listened to the Andrew Garfield/ Cynthia Erivo/Andrew Scott narration this time. Those three should actually narrate everything forever.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
4.0
Omfg. Definitely should’ve read the trigger warnings and I think this book is the reason I’ve had nightmares recently but I really liked it!!! Well worth the wait to listen to the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Long live Rainbow Rowell. I don’t think I enjoyed myself while reading this and if anything I felt like cringing for most of it but I think the sum of its parts made for a really good story.
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
Did not finish book. Stopped at 61%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 61%.
Sex scene so cringe and awful I had to stop reading the entire book to cope
Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Sorry to this book, I actually liked what I read but after 2 hurricanes, covid, and the 2024 election, I simply have to tap out.