sarayuu's reviews
86 reviews

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Maybe I'll get back to it some other time 
How the Zebra Got Its Stripes: Darwinian Stories Told Through Evolutionary Biology by Léo Grasset

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hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

Picked this up while browsing the nonfiction shelves and the moment I read evolution stories I was sold! I wish I read the unabridged version but this was good too! Evolution is so fascinating and as someone who didn't major in biology and still have the love for the highschool biology I enjoyed reading this. It's a light read and nothing too intense so it's great for beginners. As always I come back having deeper appreciation in all the living beings after reading this. 

Shoutout to Elephants, honey badgers , dung beetles (my favourite), zebras (no one can point to a specific reason for their stripes lmao) 
Ticket to Childhood: A Novel by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh, Will Naythons

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hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

2.75

This book has its sweet moments! But there were some moments of casual misogyny. It did leave me introspecting my own childhood.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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funny lighthearted relaxing slow-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? Yes

5.0

AAAAA the prose was wonderful. Its miss Austen need I say more 😭
Edit: I've been reading people's experience and it is helping me with falling in love with it more. I am slowly understanding why this is a big deal.
To Strip the Flesh by Oto Toda

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

These short stories were packed with emotion and they were so well portrayed!! I did like them all however my favorite has to be the Hot Watermelon and David in Love! The way Toda portrayed the pain a mother goes through through their panels made me feel it in my skin that's just good storytelling!!! Will definitely look into their future works 🐢
Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York by Roz Chast

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

4.5

Who doesn't know New York! But I was never too excited about it. However this book has convinced me that it is worthy of that excitement. The illustrations were cute and lovely! 
Eve by Una

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challenging hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.75

I was hoping there was more and I completed it but I'm not sure what to take away from this. This artstyle was not for me unfortunately I couldn't recognize which character was being shown at some instances. There was something going but it was not fleshed out properly. It all seems implicit and subtle and I guess thats mostly it I guess. The introduction about eve being right about something didn't make sense ? It didn't make sense to me
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

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lighthearted reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.25

I'd like to think I read this book at the perfect time. I'm neither in my thirties like Shibata is nor thinking about having a baby. I found that Shibata's loneliness is one of the central point and the void that she conceived (or didn't conceive) seems much familiar despite the difference in our situations. 
This book was a great read.. the introduction on how the Japanese title of the book sounds pulled me in right away. I guess her experience resonated with me. Shoutout to all the women who are trying to get through their days, flighting their impending loneliness, holding onto things that remind them of who they used to be, trying to escape the sexism of working in a capitalistic corporate landscape. I see you, I love you! Fictional and real <3
Kowloon Generic Romance, Vol. 2 by Jun Mayuzuki, 眉月じゅん

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.25

Wtf was that ending???? 🤠
I love the art style and the plot is going some direction alright 😭