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lunabean's reviews
217 reviews
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
2.5
This one had been on my TBR list for a long time, finally got to reading it, and was particularly disappointed. ☹️ I’m quite surprised that lots of people claim that this book holds some profound life lesson, when really it was so simple and cliche.
The book is set in a cafe with a “magical” power that allows people to time travel when they sit in a particular seat. The rules include not being able to leave their seat while time travelling, and finishing their cup of coffee before it gets cold (hence the title) to return to the present. The book is divided into 4 parts, each part telling the story of one person time travelling and the reasons for them doing so.
For all the talk it had, I’d expected some radical, or at least keen, wisdom and enlightenment, but the stories told of the usual “going back in time to see family/a lover” and had no particular insight for me. As for the writing, perhaps language can be lost in translation, but it was so simple with no emotive articulation. Nothing metaphorical that comes with the huge grey area of life and all it’s feelings!!
And what was the point of the woman in the white dress? 🫠
The book is set in a cafe with a “magical” power that allows people to time travel when they sit in a particular seat. The rules include not being able to leave their seat while time travelling, and finishing their cup of coffee before it gets cold (hence the title) to return to the present. The book is divided into 4 parts, each part telling the story of one person time travelling and the reasons for them doing so.
For all the talk it had, I’d expected some radical, or at least keen, wisdom and enlightenment, but the stories told of the usual “going back in time to see family/a lover” and had no particular insight for me. As for the writing, perhaps language can be lost in translation, but it was so simple with no emotive articulation. Nothing metaphorical that comes with the huge grey area of life and all it’s feelings!!
And what was the point of the woman in the white dress? 🫠
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
emotional
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
4.75
Absolutely LOVED THIS. There are some polar opinions on this book and I’ve seen a few reviews calling this book “gross”. EXCUSE you if you don’t know how to appreciate the female form and all the intense, insatiable appetites that come with it! People think woman and think: feminine, submissive, chaste, which is really FAR from the wonderfully diverse spectrum of womanhood😭😭😭
The protagonist in this book is 24 year old Rachel, a lapsed Jew with an eating disorder, who plans her day according to the food she allows herself to eat at set times, with specific caloric limits. Her routine involves 5 nicotine gums for breakfast, a protein bar at 11am, then a veggie salad from subway for lunch and plain frozen yogurt (not exceeding the rim of the cup), an entire evening of the elliptical before dinner. It is at the froyo shop that she meets Miriam, an Orthodox Jew who insists on feeding Rachel, with crazy froyo toppings that explode with joy in your mouth and spoonful after spoonful of perfect dish amalgams at the Chinese restaurant.
Rachel becomes enamoured with Miriam and embarks on a journey of APPETITES: sexual desire, physical hunger, maternal longing - all in a book that is written with vivid imagination, bold and unabashed language, WILDLY erotic and so funny! I lovedddd this book so much and it was completely not what I was expecting. And the MUMMY ISSUES…. 🥵Definitely read it if you are versatile, or looking for an adventurous & tender read.
The protagonist in this book is 24 year old Rachel, a lapsed Jew with an eating disorder, who plans her day according to the food she allows herself to eat at set times, with specific caloric limits. Her routine involves 5 nicotine gums for breakfast, a protein bar at 11am, then a veggie salad from subway for lunch and plain frozen yogurt (not exceeding the rim of the cup), an entire evening of the elliptical before dinner. It is at the froyo shop that she meets Miriam, an Orthodox Jew who insists on feeding Rachel, with crazy froyo toppings that explode with joy in your mouth and spoonful after spoonful of perfect dish amalgams at the Chinese restaurant.
Rachel becomes enamoured with Miriam and embarks on a journey of APPETITES: sexual desire, physical hunger, maternal longing - all in a book that is written with vivid imagination, bold and unabashed language, WILDLY erotic and so funny! I lovedddd this book so much and it was completely not what I was expecting. And the MUMMY ISSUES…. 🥵Definitely read it if you are versatile, or looking for an adventurous & tender read.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Verity by Colleen Hoover
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There is WAY TOO MUCH EROTICA in a book classified as a thriller! Would’ve liked it better with more plot twists and suspense, and less of the sex scenes
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Had no clue what this story was going to be about when I started, now that I’ve finished it I’m at a loss for words.
The book is essentially science fiction mixed with a little bit of a love story between friends. The narrator is Kath, who tells the story of her time as a child at a place called Hailsham. She grows up at Hailsham and had a happy childhood with other children, her closest friends being Ruth and Tommy. Hailsham on the surface sounds like a boarding school, where Kath and her friends have lessons, play sports, write poems and create art. However, there is always an ominous tone behind all of these normal routines. The book talks of their future as “carers”, then “donors”, of clones and “possibles”, and their teachers are called “guardians”. Despite all this, the children do not find anything strange and seem to be aware of the future ahead of them. As we read on, more information of their world comes to light, and we find out the tragedy that has already been written into the lives of these characters.
Although the idea of organ donation and clones is not new,
The book is essentially science fiction mixed with a little bit of a love story between friends. The narrator is Kath, who tells the story of her time as a child at a place called Hailsham. She grows up at Hailsham and had a happy childhood with other children, her closest friends being Ruth and Tommy. Hailsham on the surface sounds like a boarding school, where Kath and her friends have lessons, play sports, write poems and create art. However, there is always an ominous tone behind all of these normal routines. The book talks of their future as “carers”, then “donors”, of clones and “possibles”, and their teachers are called “guardians”. Despite all this, the children do not find anything strange and seem to be aware of the future ahead of them. As we read on, more information of their world comes to light, and we find out the tragedy that has already been written into the lives of these characters.
Although the idea of organ donation and clones is not new,
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.5