Scan barcode
jkpiowa's reviews
712 reviews
Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion by Gabrielle Stanley Blair
challenging
informative
reflective
Some good information and some good arguments. A little simplified, but that is probably intentional for the audience the author is targeting.
Beefcakes by Katana Collins
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Not for me. There is an intro "I bet you're wondering how I got here..." monologue which felt lazy. And some lines were just not written well.
Ancients by Kathryn Moon
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I enjoy the plot of this series, and this installment was very action-packed. But I have realized since I started the series that I am a closed-door romance person, and this is very, very steamy. If rating based on plot and overall writing, 4/5. If rating the book/series as it is written, 2/5 maybe? I am not going to rate because it wasn't written for someone who doesn't like a very steamy book. This one contains a pregnancy, which is very not my thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Woolf has a style of writing that is extremely stream-of-consciousness, which isn't for everyone. Lots of tangents and run-off ideas that she brings back around to incorporate into her argument. It can be a bit repetitive.
The content of this is good though. Her thesis is that in order to succeed in an artistic endeavor like writing, a woman needs time, space, and income. She can't be a busy mother, she can't need to work for a living, and she can't be controlled by a spouse as property without her own agency.
Based on the time this was written (1928), it's great. Looking at it through a modern lens brings up some questions of racism and intersectionality.
The content of this is good though. Her thesis is that in order to succeed in an artistic endeavor like writing, a woman needs time, space, and income. She can't be a busy mother, she can't need to work for a living, and she can't be controlled by a spouse as property without her own agency.
Based on the time this was written (1928), it's great. Looking at it through a modern lens brings up some questions of racism and intersectionality.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.
I know this is YA, but I just couldn't stand how much of an entitled beat the main female character was.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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 laughed constantly throughout, and read this from start to finish in 7 hours nonstop (I took a personal day). As always, Emily Henry writes characters and family dynamics like no one else. This is exactly the type of romance I love, with similar vibes to Book Lovers, which I also gave 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch
informative
reflective
4.0
This was good, it is an exploration of the lives of a specific handful of regency-adjacent women. I don't think "Princess Caraboo" should have been included. There were a couple times I felt the editing could have been better, where a sentence was unclear. Overall I enjoyed learning about these women and how they rebelled against what was expected of them in their own ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Absolute Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang, Vol. 1 by Brian Azzarello
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
I love this series. WW isn't overly sexualized, and her flaws are shown as well as her considerable strengths. She makes mistakes although she has the best intentions. She still wins in the end and is such an amazing character.
Knockout by Sarah MacLean
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The first half of this had me giggling and riveted and absolutely obsessed. However the second half dragged, the plot took a back seat, and the main focus was the physical chemistry and sex scenes between the MCs. 400 pages is a lot for a romance, and I think 50-100 pages of smut and repeated dialogue could have been cut out without losing anything from the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content