megtristao's reviews
1101 reviews

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

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adventurous challenging dark fast-paced
Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

People Like Them by Samira Sedira

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
If I Had Two Wings by Randall Kenan

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adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Red Island House by Andrea Lee

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
I really wanted to love this book, but the writing was almost *too* beautiful for me. I found myself re-reading long passages because I would lose myself. From what I read, the novel appears to read like a series of interconnected stories about the main characters interacting with different people on the island.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book.
The Layover by Lacie Waldon

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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? No
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this romance! When the publisher first reached out, I was intrigued because the book was set in Belize, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I thought the humor in this book was strong; I found myself chuckling quite often. And the last 20 percent gave me the fEeLs I've been missing by not reading much romance this year! A lovely, breezy romantic read featuring wanderers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book.
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

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informative
In the coda, the author describes On Juneteenth as "this brief sketch of the history of Texas, told through vignettes of my family," and I think that sums this up perfectly. The final chapter discusses the history of Juneteenth specifically, while the preceding chapters cover various topics in race relations throughout Texas history. All the chapters also include memoir and family history.

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for a free advance listening copy. (Once I saw it was narrated by Karen Chilton, I knew I had to listen to it!)
Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman

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adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
It's hard to review this book without spoilers, so I will just say that I found myself not as invested in the book after the first third or so. HOWEVER, that first third was absolutely brutal. The descriptions of colonization and the dehumanization of Natives were extremely difficult to read, and Coleman was very skilled at writing those scenes. I can see why this book got so much attention, and there's a lot to discuss.
The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

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emotional funny 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