readwithmeemz's reviews
1329 reviews

Beautifully written, and full of lush and gorgeous prose. I listened to this as an audiobook, and it was cozy, thoughtful, evocative and inspiring. The concept of the Winter we encounter was simple but really meaningful, and I loved the structure of the book, taking us from late summer into autumn, to winter, and through to spring. It was a gorgeous reading (& listening) experience to go with May on her journey. 

While the concept of “wintering” or resting and retreating in difficult times isn’t new, necessarily, I thought it this was a well written book, and the examples from May’s own life were compelling and relatable. She paints a wonderful picture through her words, and she had me wanting to go into sauna, and take polar dips, and befriend robins. This was gorgeous and meditative and jnspiring. I’m sure I’ll be thinking about it for a while. 

I enjoyed the narration, and the content both, this was really delightful in audiobook format.

An endearing fable in the vein of <i>The Little Prince</i> and <i>Calvin and Hobbes</i>, however missing the charm and meaning that both the aforementioned stories contain. The intent behind the story was clear, but the execution was a bit clunky, and less natural than one would have expected (especially since I felt <i>Born A Crime</i> was so well written). The message of the story was unsubtle and inelegant. I understand that kids’ books don’t need to be profound, but this one just felt hollow and lacked effort, earnestness, or imagination. Not a future classic (in my opinion), but a decent read for a young reader.

The audiobook might end up being fun for the whole family, as Trevor Noah narrates, and makes fun voices for different characters. 

Strange and surreal, this was a beautifully written novel exploring themes of family, personhood, love, identity, and a little bit of magical realism. The plot was a bit complicated for me at the start, and I was a bit confused for maybe the first third of the book, until we started to get more context and backstory. 

In retrospect, I wish I’d read a physical copy rather than listen to the audiobook, because although it was narrated by Toni Morrison herself, I think the physical format would have lent itself to an easier understanding of the plot, and an easier way to refer back to previous passages to reread or recontextualize something.

4.5 Stars

This book was SO CUTE. Cozy and romantic, and sweet as a gulab jamun cheesecake. The setting was so charming (and I am BEYOND excited to read more in the series). Saphira was so earnest and sweet and I was rooting for her constantly. Aiden was so endearing (& so hot). I loved the concept, I loved the setting, I loved the dragons. I even loved the love - some of the scenes gave me butterflies.

Everything was resolved very quickly and easily. And when you read cozy fantasy, you have to remember the stakes aren’t ever THAT high. That being said, there was enough plot to keep me immersed and intrigued by the idyllic world Aamna Qureshi had designed. The conclusion was a bit rushed, but I was glad the main conflict wasn’t a ‘simple misunderstanding’ or a third act breakup. 

Overall, a strong and cozy read, full of so many callbacks for Pakistani readers, I’m going to be thinking about this one for a while. This book was a warm cup of karak chai.