megtristao's reviews
1101 reviews

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
One of the blurbs on the back cover describes this book as "tender," and I think that's the perfect adjective to capture this story. This novel is set in a small mountain village in Armenia that is mostly populated with elderly residents, as the younger generations have all died (mostly from war or famine) or moved away. The book follows several different families in the village (all related of course) and their myriad relationships and daily struggles. It's definitely a character-driven story over a plot-driven story, and it has a healthy dose of local folklore.
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-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

4.5

Super fun book! A fantasy action adventure with coming-of-age angst and family drama. 
Dear Miss Metropolitan by Carolyn Ferrell

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
DNF @ 10%: I listened to a chapter and a half on audio and felt I wasn't engaging enough with the story, so I switched to the e-book and started over. Unfortunately, the writing style just wasn't right for me at this moment. Would consider trying again another time.
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Wow. There's a lot to say about this book. It would actually be a great book for discussion, but it is pretty disturbing and graphic, even as someone who reads a fair amount of graphic content. I recommend reading the author's additional info at the end for a good explanation of why the murder scenes were so visceral. I especially appreciated the historical settings throughout this book. You get to see Chicago in so many points in history: the Red Scare, pre-war and post-war society, the weeks leading up to Roe v. Wade, and more. 

This book is being adapted to a series with Elisabeth Moss (and Phillipa Soo as one of the Shining Girls), and I am definitely intrigued to see how deep they get into the different characters. Would make a very interesting series.
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Really enjoyed this audiobook! Will be looking for more by this narrator, and I would definitely read Goffney's next book. (This was her debut.) My favorite part was the development of a very sweet and supportive female friendship in the book.
The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced