Initial thoughts: This is a book with heart. Pen's drive and desire only pushes her into one direction but also makes her blind to other people's feelInitial thoughts: This is a book with heart. Pen's drive and desire only pushes her into one direction but also makes her blind to other people's feelings, especially her family. I thought her character development from beginning to end was really strong. It took me a while to warm up to her but I think that was the point because she always put on a front to appear strong in front of others. Xander's story arc wasn't as developed as Pen's but I was still rooting for him, and for things to turn out well, what with the loss of his parents at a young age, and his fear of being discovered as an undocumented immigrant....more
Initial thoughts: When I was 18, I toyed with the idea of culinary school, then again after I earned my Bachelor's. For variouActual rating: 3.5 stars
Initial thoughts: When I was 18, I toyed with the idea of culinary school, then again after I earned my Bachelor's. For various reasons, I gave up those dreams. But I still enjoy losing myself in books which indulge my "what ifs?" A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow raised that with the cultural influences that shaped Lila's approach to food. While I love travel in books too, somehow that cross didn't quite work for me as much as I'd hoped it would. Orion didn't enamour me all that much, so I could've done without a third of the book....more
Initial thoughts: This was so much fun to listen to. Really enjoyed joining Mazie on her journey to chase her dreams. I just wish I’d had gotten a betInitial thoughts: This was so much fun to listen to. Really enjoyed joining Mazie on her journey to chase her dreams. I just wish I’d had gotten a better sense of the various places she visited while on the road....more
Initial thoughts: This book gave me a lot to think about as it made me reflect on my own experiences from growing up to dating to not wanting to date Initial thoughts: This book gave me a lot to think about as it made me reflect on my own experiences from growing up to dating to not wanting to date and beyond. It put words to feelings I had but never quite figured out how to express.
Concepts such as consent not just being distillable to “yes or no” but different types of “yes” ranging from enthusiastic to coercion, for example, helped me understand how and why I ended up in situations I hadn’t actually wanted to be in but felt like I couldn’t escape. Deeper explanations like that helped me address feelings I’ve had with regards to past relationships.
Ace also made me wrestle once again with my own identity. While I’ve identified with demi/grey-A experiences to a large degree, I’ve never claimed any of these labels. Reading this book led me to think about why that is.
Beyond my personal reflections however, I thought Ace was beautifully nuanced as Chen set out to examine a broad spectrum of intersections, including aces with disabilities and/or mental illnesses, or various gender identities. She examined the position of A in LGBTQIA+, and why some do while some don’t consider themselves queer....more
Initial thoughts: I basically spent my twenties single, which drew a lot of unwelcome comments like, "Are you sure you don't want to get married?" or Initial thoughts: I basically spent my twenties single, which drew a lot of unwelcome comments like, "Are you sure you don't want to get married?" or "I'm happy to introduce you to a friend!" That's why I loved the concept of The Couple — what if being single was the goal and people pitied this who were in a couple? Helly's satirical take worked so well and had me in stitches right from the very start....more
Initial thoughts: It took me an unusually long time to finish The Flatshare, though it wasn't for lack of enjoyment. I actuallActual rating: 4.5 stars
Initial thoughts: It took me an unusually long time to finish The Flatshare, though it wasn't for lack of enjoyment. I actually really liked this book. It was quite charming, filled with good cheer but peppered with a good deal of difficulties too that gave rise to conflicts that made me root for Tiffy, Leon, Richie, Gerty, Mo, and even for minor characters....more
Initial thoughts: This is the kind of romance novel I've always looked for — where relationships are messy, the plot progressiActual rating: 4.5 stars
Initial thoughts: This is the kind of romance novel I've always looked for — where relationships are messy, the plot progression isn't all that predictable, and friendships also matter a great deal. I liked seeing how Megan's character developed over the course of the book, and how much she grew as a result of the setbacks and conflicts that she encountered. Since Megan was so boy-crazy though, I don't recall her having many conversations with friends that didn't centre on another guy, save for her theatre-discussions. Would've liked to see a bit more of that.
On the flip side, I was happy to see that the characters were diverse, and that a couple of the secondary characters' subplots were also developed in the course of Always Never Yours....more
Initial thoughts: This was such a satisfying way to end the series! Bridge of Souls was imaginative, introducing twists that were more sinister than iInitial thoughts: This was such a satisfying way to end the series! Bridge of Souls was imaginative, introducing twists that were more sinister than in the first two books without getting too dark though for middle grade readers.
Yet, what surprised me most were the repeated Harry Potter references, which I didn't think added very much for the target audience. I felt like that was nostalgia aimed at older readers, which was unnecessary.
In any case, the Cassidy Blake trilogy, made me think of Schwab's Vicious duology (written for adults) in that the main characters all had experiences with death, giving rise to their special powers and yet, their premises are so far removed from each other. Bridge of Souls understandably was nowhere near as complex as Vicious but I still found myself invested in the lives of Cassidy, Jacob and Lara....more
Initial thoughts: Theatre, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, sibling rivalry, end more. There’s so much in Foolish Hearts without feeling like itInitial thoughts: Theatre, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, sibling rivalry, end more. There’s so much in Foolish Hearts without feeling like it’s too much. I really liked how relationships were complicated to navigate but at the same time also just so wholesome in how they warmed my heart....more
Initial thoughts: I’ve barely read any YA fiction this year but I’m glad that More Than Just a Pretty Face turned out to be onActual rating: 3.5 stars
Initial thoughts: I’ve barely read any YA fiction this year but I’m glad that More Than Just a Pretty Face turned out to be one of them. ‘Twas a happy discovery that this is an “own voices” book by a Pakistani Muslim author. Always makes my heart sing to come across diverse books by diverse authors. And of course, I was all the happier to discover that Danyal had culinary school aspirations. While I chose to lay those dreams to rest when I had the choice, I still enjoy revisiting those dreams in characters of the books I read.
Overall, I thought the romance was pretty cute. On the religious rep front, I would’ve liked to see a greater range of views between not being too fussed about Islam (Danyal) and being super strict about it (his best friend). I also enjoyed the exploration of Churchill, colonialism, and historiography. History, after all, is written by the victors; but what of the conquered? Instead of simply taking on the colonialist’s narrative, Danyal learns more about what it meant for the colonised. I liked his process of discovery especially because he wasn’t academically inclined but found himself very invested in the subject....more
Initial thoughts:Truly was on my radar because I decided that I wanted to at least read one German book this year. Since I've not kept up with GermanInitial thoughts:Truly was on my radar because I decided that I wanted to at least read one German book this year. Since I've not kept up with German publishing, I figured I'd get back into it with something that's been a little bit more hyped lately. Though maybe I should've read the synopsis because then I would've realised that this book is set in Seattle, the US, and not in Germany. So much for expanding my horizons just a little bit more before the year's out.
In any case, Truly was alright. Well, I did find Cooper's saviour complex tiresome but beyond that the book wasn't bad, though I didn't find it memorable either. It came off as a very formulaic story, which I should've expected seeing how it's targeted at New Adult fans of which I'm not one....more
Initial thoughts: The main character’s given name is Josephine, she loves photography, and she moved around a lot as a kid. Seeing how these apply to Initial thoughts: The main character’s given name is Josephine, she loves photography, and she moved around a lot as a kid. Seeing how these apply to me as well, I felt hard-pressed not to rate Chasing Lucky 5 stars. Haha. It was an enjoyable read, no doubt but it also was very, very predictable. I had hoped for a more multi-faceted story.
Still, I think Bennett captured the complicated nature of familial ties so well, it’s worth picking up the book just for that alone. And growing up, I had fantasised about moving back to places I’d lived before and reconnecting with childhood friends. This book brought to life something I never got to experience in real life. That makes it really special to me, even if it didn’t turn out to become a favourite of mine. Perhaps if this main character had gone by Jo instead of Josie, I might have reconsidered. (Not really, though.)...more
Initial thoughts: Picking up a graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier is like coming home. I love her style of illustration, so it’s always greatly comfortInitial thoughts: Picking up a graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier is like coming home. I love her style of illustration, so it’s always greatly comforting flipping through her books, even though I’m way past the middle grade target audience. That being said, I found Guts was such a relatable and wholesome read, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to kids or parents looking for books for their kids....more
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