sphynxreads's reviews
771 reviews

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

I don't know if I should send Fredrik Backman the therapy bill or if I ought to thank him for the free therapy. In terms of craft I do think this is a little bit of a step down from the first book, with the writing more unnecessarily repetitive, lacking creativity, and unevenly paced. I also didn't particularly care for Richard Theo's plotline. But by Jove does this sequel hit so much harder emotionally. There were definitely times when the plot felt a little manipulative, but the end result is still heartfelt and strong. Believe what fans have been saying all this time: Fredrik Backman's books are a masterclass in empathy and nowhere is that more evident than in the Beartown trilogy. He displays such an affinity for humanity and an intimate desire to understand the best and the worst that individuals—and the towns they make up—have to offer. This is destined to be one of my favorite trilogies ever.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

While the individual tips Clear provides here are nothing particularly new or remarkable, it is his approach to goals, productivity, and self-improvement that makes this book stand out among most self-help books. He really dives into the core of how habits are built and broken which is basically based on who we are and who we decide to be. Simple, thoughtful, and grounded.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Overall a solid story with great narration work by Michael Hall in the audiobook, but I don't quite get the hype. This is my first Stephen King novel and while I generally enjoyed the writing and how atmospheric the world-building is, I don't think there's anything particularly outstanding about how he tackles grief here. While the story unsettled me a bit, I wasn't as scared as I wanted to be either. I'm not usually a prude when it comes to sexual content, but I thought some of the descriptions here were unnecessarily sexual and very male gazey. I'm not even sure whether they showed how certain characters were simply mesnt to be unlikeable or the writing just didn't age well. Either way, I am still interested in reading more of King's work, so I'll take any recommendations for my next King read.
Fence Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Not as strong as the first but still very engaging!
The Mythology Class: A Graphic Novel by Arnold Arre

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

I think we as a Filipino society have been sleeping on this masterpiece for far too long. I don't even think this gets nearly as much praise and attention as Tan and Baldisimo's Trese when it deserves paralleled adulation. Mythology Class is incredibly rich in story, with flawed and funny characters you can't help but root for, and runs at a breakneck pace that will have you turning page after page despite being dialogue-heavy. The artwork is astounding too—blending a nostalgic classic style with a more modern approach when it comes to the fantastical elements. I mean, wow, reading this was like watching a movie!! Highly, highly recommended!
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

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challenging reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.5

I was right. After having been somewhat underwhelmed by On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, I had a feeling that I'd like Vuong's poetry a lot more than his prose. And I was right. This was such a moving and beautiful collection and I am eager to read more from Vuong. Highly recommend.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

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emotional tense fast-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

Not gonna lie, the first half kind of bored me and the two main characters annoyed me, but this story and format grew on me really quick. I enjoyed the twists and turns and themes within this book. It's not remarkable by any means, but it's got some solid storytelling nonetheless.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring 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

2.5

I think I've officially grown tired of Brandon Sanderson. While there is a lot to love in this book, I've found myself thinking a lot of times that I just don't care anymore.

I love Tress as a character and the beginning chapters of the book are the strongest in my opinion, but as the story continued I had the impression that Sanderson was offering me more of what I could care less about and less of what I wanted out of this story.

Part of The Princess Bride's appeal is not just the strength of Buttercup and Wesley's romance, but also the character work and development of the side characters. While this has comparable wit, charm, and humor in terms of storytelling and dialogue, I felt that the characterization of the side characters left a lot to be desired. They're all unique in their own way but hardly compelling.

Sanderson is known to be a master of world-building, but I have to say what he does here is distracting to a degree. There are so many Cosmere connections here which I recognize would be exciting for many fans, but they kept taking me out of the story. Even the explanations of the magic system felt uninspired to me. Give me more character backstory and less of the frikkin spore lore, I beg!

Alas, this really is Sandersonified Princess Bride, and from realizing I wanted more Princess Bride and less of Sanderson's flair, I've learned that I have grown apart from his previous appeal to me which is a shame.
Adulthood Is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

Hilariously relatable but also insightful.
Fence Vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat

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lighthearted 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

5.0

This reminded me of the sheer joy that I got from reading Check, Please! Like those graphic novels, it bypassed my general disinterest in sports by giving me hot gay tension. I love that this has a different flavor though with the enemies to lovers, will-they-wont-they vibe. Ecstatic for the next volume!