rizahw's reviews
396 reviews

The Steal Like an Artist Audio Trilogy: How to Be Creative, Show Your Work, and Keep Going by Austin Kleon, Austin Kleon

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funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.5

A fun collection of tidbits and truisms about being a creative in a modern day. 
Steal Like An Artist does wear its starting point as a collection of tweets very obviously. 2⭐️
Show your work does have some useful tips for self-promotion and engagement, even if a little outdated at this point. 3⭐️
Keep Going is the strongest out of the three with great insights and advice on how to keep creating in a challenging world. 4 ⭐️

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautifully written from start to finish, but confirms my old bias that Iliad is the boring epic in comparison to Odyssey.
Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This series gets better with every next book!
Also the gay librarian is my new favourite character!
Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

We all need an Agent Magnus in our lives.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

4.75

Building a community is a true antidote to despair and this book is here to remind us of it.
While the mystery is relatively simple, the characters really carry this book as they interact with each other and create a found family I’d love to be a part of.
Also don’t read this book while you are hungry 😉
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Densely written this dark fairy tale captivates you from the first words and doesn’t let go.
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Beautiful poetry collection 
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense 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

5.0

This is how you do enemies to lovers right!
The Self-Care Solution A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier, and Fitter--One Month at a Time by Jennifer Ashton

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

2.5

I dunno if id trust the doctor who didn’t drink any water until she was 49…
I like to start the year with a self help book and this one way available on audio at my library.
This book has very strong “same 24 hours” energy, with a heavy touch of privilege. While most of those challenges would be quite beneficial for most people to attempt, the author really doesn’t check in with how privileged she and thus does not attribute her success in most of these challenges to this privilege.
Also the fact that somehow all of those challenges can help you loose weight (yes even meditating or looking less at your phone  🤷🏻‍♀️) and how doing them or not doing them is linked to higher or lower chances of breast cancer… Honestly both of those takeaways got exhausting after a while. 
I think one can just skim over the suggestions for doing the challenges your way part of each chapter and get as much useful information as I did from listening to this whole book.
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Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5 stars, no notes.
I’m not a big contemporary YA reader, but I would trust Marissa Meyer with my life, and she didn’t disappoint.
So many moments in this book made me audibly gasp, jump with joy and experience heartbreak along with the characters.
Love, love, love 💜