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amalas_bookstop's reviews
91 reviews
Finders Keepers by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
Ummm…all I can say is wow! And I am immediately diving into the third book.
I can’t believe it has taking me this long to start reading Stephen King. After I am done with this trilogy, I am starting at the beginning.
I can’t believe it has taking me this long to start reading Stephen King. After I am done with this trilogy, I am starting at the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
James by Percival Everett
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
The easiest 5 stars I have given this year!
This book is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn through the perspective of Jim. From the start Percival Everett writes a Jim that is wise, but also cautious. The books starts with him teaching younger children how to live as slave in this world (how to stay under the radar, how to correct a white person while still making them believe they are right, etc.). From the beginning letting us know that the way they speak around white people is totally different than how they speak normally. Which I am eternally thankful for, because I hated reading Jims vernacular in Huckleberry Finn.
The book kept amazing pace amazingly well and in the end it almost read as a bit of a thriller (it has quite a bit of suspense). While Everett did change events of their adventures this came across as way more realistic to what would would have been for Jim to travel through the South. I saw this as an improvement. It was somewhat needed to give Jim a better character ark as he slowly shed the skin of slave and became James.
“I will not let myself, my mind, drown in fear and outrage. I will be outraged as a matter of course. But my interest is in how these marks that I am scratching on this page can mean anything at all. If they can have meaning, then life can have meaning, then I can have meaning.”
I totally recommend reading this after you read Huckleberry Finn, in fact schools should start recommending this as a package deal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
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
2.75
I enjoyed Hucks perspective just a little bit more than Tom’s, however the language was still hard for me to read. I am very glad I finished it, I won’t pick it up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
2.0
I mainly read this so I can read the James perspective retelling. Mark twain did a good job of capturing the way a child dreams and can create a whole new alternate reality. Tom and Huck get into plenty of trouble that works out for them in the end. However this book has some pretty awful language about African and Native Americans that I find it hard to believe that people read this book to their children currently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I definitely liked this one better than Lock Every Door. However, this still did not give me the chills, I am always expecting after seeing him recommended so often.
While the plot was a little far fetch for me and I honestly do not enjoy reading Riley Sagers lead female characters. His writing style is quick and easy to read. He did a great job of keeping the pace and tension throughout the whole story.
This was just another ok read for me, nothing ground shattering.
While the plot was a little far fetch for me and I honestly do not enjoy reading Riley Sagers lead female characters. His writing style is quick and easy to read. He did a great job of keeping the pace and tension throughout the whole story.
This was just another ok read for me, nothing ground shattering.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The setting of this book is a gritty southern town in Virginia. You have a newly elected sherif who is black. He was voted in from the black community and the new residents that are moving in. The other side of the county is white and they are apart of a group called the sons of the confederacy. As if the racial tension was not enough. You also have the backdrop of a serial killer running amuck in the town.
Please read trigger warnings before diving into this one.
S. A. Cosby does a wonderful job describing the town and the tension that Titus (sheriff) has to navigate through. However, there were a few plot holes for me on this one. He introduces tons of characters some who do not have anything to do with the major crime that is being investigated. I also wanted to know more about the connection of the actual criminals once they were uncovered. He left too many loose ends for me.
Regardless I felt this book was just ok.
Please read trigger warnings before diving into this one.
S. A. Cosby does a wonderful job describing the town and the tension that Titus (sheriff) has to navigate through. However, there were a few plot holes for me on this one. He introduces tons of characters some who do not have anything to do with the major crime that is being investigated. I also wanted to know more about the connection of the actual criminals once they were uncovered. He left too many loose ends for me.
Regardless I felt this book was just ok.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.0
This was a cute and fluffy relationship. It was pretty much love at first sight. This was a bit too spicy for me, but I enjoyed the characters quite a bit.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Solid 3.5⭐️ rounded up.
Quick summary about this dystopian world. Imagine a reality where prisoners are given a pathway to total freedom. Catch is they have to fight to the death on a program called Criminal Action Penal Entertainment program, CAPE for short. I will warn this is a pretty violent book. From the first chapter to the last you are in battle whether in the ring or as a protestor.
There were some total wins, that I loved.
1. This book will open up tons of thought and conversation when it comes to capital punishment and our current criminal justice system.
2. I really enjoyed the footnotes in this book. The author used them to explains laws, codes, facts about the prison facilities, and extra anecdotes about a murderd prisoner. It was really well done.
3. The book really reads like you were watching the games on tv. I could really see this book becoming a movie someday. It was a very entertaining read.
Some things that were missing in my opinion.
I wanted more back story or dialogue on the main characters in this book. While this book is very violent and heart wrenching at times, I had a hard time connecting all the way through. I think it was because the author focused more on the world and the message, that he did not give me enough about the characters. Some of the chapters were really short and hard for me to keep up sometimes. I read somewhere that the author started with short stories and that is evident in the book. Some of these chapters definitely read like a short story.
I would still totally recommend this book especially if you are someone who enjoys a dystopian read. I did have a good time reading this and the author did a really good job getting his message across.
Quick summary about this dystopian world. Imagine a reality where prisoners are given a pathway to total freedom. Catch is they have to fight to the death on a program called Criminal Action Penal Entertainment program, CAPE for short. I will warn this is a pretty violent book. From the first chapter to the last you are in battle whether in the ring or as a protestor.
There were some total wins, that I loved.
1. This book will open up tons of thought and conversation when it comes to capital punishment and our current criminal justice system.
2. I really enjoyed the footnotes in this book. The author used them to explains laws, codes, facts about the prison facilities, and extra anecdotes about a murderd prisoner. It was really well done.
3. The book really reads like you were watching the games on tv. I could really see this book becoming a movie someday. It was a very entertaining read.
Some things that were missing in my opinion.
I wanted more back story or dialogue on the main characters in this book. While this book is very violent and heart wrenching at times, I had a hard time connecting all the way through. I think it was because the author focused more on the world and the message, that he did not give me enough about the characters. Some of the chapters were really short and hard for me to keep up sometimes. I read somewhere that the author started with short stories and that is evident in the book. Some of these chapters definitely read like a short story.
I would still totally recommend this book especially if you are someone who enjoys a dystopian read. I did have a good time reading this and the author did a really good job getting his message across.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Traction by Gino Wickman
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
This book explained the EOS system really well. This was required reading for work as we are implanting this system. It has been working great for us so far.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
I think I am still gasping for breath. I am clapping, if all dark academia is not written like this I do not want it. She was able to write what could have been such an elitist topic to something that was very easy to grasp, you don't even have to go searching. I want more!
This book is a straight masterpiece. It is so refreshing to read a victorian age dark academia novel through the eyes of people of color. I cannot fully grasp how she was able to touch on so many topics. From classism to racism to economics she covered it all masterfully. I was learning new scopes of language as I was trying to read this.
Her characterization of Letty and the and white guilt was so spot on. My mind is still reeling. Her characterization of being a person of color who is provided opportunity and the guilt/shame you can sometimes feel was also spot on. I did not know that my soul needed to read a view point of this age that is not told by the white majority. This was like therapy and a history lesson all in one.
A required read.
This book is a straight masterpiece. It is so refreshing to read a victorian age dark academia novel through the eyes of people of color. I cannot fully grasp how she was able to touch on so many topics. From classism to racism to economics she covered it all masterfully. I was learning new scopes of language as I was trying to read this.
Her characterization of Letty and the and white guilt was so spot on. My mind is still reeling. Her characterization of being a person of color who is provided opportunity and the guilt/shame you can sometimes feel was also spot on. I did not know that my soul needed to read a view point of this age that is not told by the white majority. This was like therapy and a history lesson all in one.
A required read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Slavery