rnbhargava's reviews
404 reviews

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

4.25

Excellent collection of interrelated short stories in this cozy novel. They’re quite inventive albeit, many of them only get a little room to breathe. I wouldn’t mind if some of them were a tiny bit longer. That said, most of them do the job at tugging at the heart and engaging the mind. 
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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a fantastic read. It’s a perfect life affirming dramedy that tiptoes in the fantastical. 
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A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

This is an excellent follow up to Psalm for the Wild-Built. That said, it’s marginally less impactful. It’s mostly about remembering to take time for yourself and for those dear to you. Also, enjoy moments with new people at times too, you never know what might happen. It’s lovely, There’s less extreme discovery in this instalment. Well worth the time but less of a revelation as the first. 
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It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

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

3.5

Is it the greatest writing? No, it isn’t. However, the characters are well rounded and the storyline is propulsive. Frankly, I think I’ll read the sequel too. 
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The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Deluxe Edition II by Nagabe

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

4.0

I really liked this volume quite a bit. Going with 4 out of 5 because it’s more of a transitory volume rather than one leading with initial ideas. There’s excellent build up. 
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Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

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

4.5

Yet another incredibly paced in action but also emotionally moving Hinduism related retelling from Patel. This one is just as interesting as Kaikeyi, I might like this one better with its slightly different storytelling construction, focusing on a godly mother and her essentially demi-god son. Her learning process regrading humanity and his struggles around what is morally upright in relation to his all too fallible paternal family members is told in compelling fashion. My minor gripe with this book is that supporting characters don’t get quite as full arcs. That said, aside from maybe one or two characters, I mostly felt like I could piece together what the supporting characters were up to with their motivations. Vaishnavi Patel is definitely shaping up to be one of my favourite writers. 
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The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Honestly this is a fantastic book. The characters, the discussion it creates with the reader about the nature of propaganda, politics and warfare. The characters are full of complex motivations, doubts, traumas, triumphs and tragedies. Mamoru is such a good kid, all of Misaki’s kids are. Misaki is so multidimensional. Takeru really puts you through a hate/love dynamic and you even come to sympathize with him at points. The supporting characters are even immensely layered through how they handle the highs and lows of their lives before and amidst the narrative of this novel. “Sword of Kaigen” is quite the appropriate title for this.
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A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.5

There are brief tense and subjectively sad parts but they’re brief and the sad ones read more introspective 
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The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Deluxe Edition I by Nagabe

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

4.0

This is an excellent spin on essentially beauty and the beast. The kid is the beauty, the beast is teacher and the curse is upon many individuals and potentially animals. The child is so innocent and caring but there’s a sinister prophecy afoot. It’s compelling hearing about the circumstances for the world and how it relates to the child and her caretaker only known as Teacher. I’m excited to read further.
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Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a narrative about personal jealousy, racism in publishing and interrogating race politics 
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