saoreads's reviews
141 reviews

101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing tense medium-paced

5.0

I've been reading this since last year, during which I spent a great deal of time consuming all the little nuggets of knowledge. To be honest, it brought about so much change in me, both physically and mentally, that 2021 became one of the best years of my life. I'm glad I came across this during a difficult time because it taught me a lot of valuable lessons, particularly about long-held principles and beliefs.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

What's been woven into this book? I've just read until the first part and it just broke me to tears. I actually got goosebumps throughout (03/09/22). The way it keeps striking a cord in my nerves the more I read it, I had to take a break after finishing a chapter just so I wouldn't continuously cry like I still have classes tomorrow. These eyes of mine will be swollen (03/10/22). I thought that as the story progressed, it would at least calm me down from bringing me to tears, but instead, I continued to cry. After a rough minute break, I finally finished the whole book, and I'm glad to say I didn't feel empty after. It was so heartwarming throughout. It gave me so many insights, especially about the way I view life. For every antithesis, the characters would get into their heads, spiralling into what ifs, yet the cafe offered no change in the present but a change of the heart, truly enlightening to have that light view and just unburden ourselves when it comes to reality. This was such a good read that I wish I could read it as if for the first time again (03/12/22).
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Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

4.5

I'm just glad it doesn't have a fixed ending. Somehow, there's that hope and that hope that could provide even a little bit of a silver lining that the sacrifices were worth it. It displayed a lot of realistic analogies, especially on bouts of inciting war, which have become more prevalent with the pandemic since the first book was released in 2020, and how it wasn't all about the blood feud and physically taking over cities, but a metaphor for biological warfare through the form of a monster. Or how the main cause of evil wasn't uprooted (there's some truth in that, only the ones who seemingly caused harm at the very moment and not in the long run). I have to properly process this book because it evoked in me various emotions: it made me giddy, made me mad, made me feel sappy, and made me badly detached. This book had an obvious denouement, but at some point, life still goes on and this tale continues to live on, and maybe that's how love is made eternally.
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How to Analyze People: Dark Psychology - Dark Secrets to Analyze and Influence Anyone Using Body Language, Human Psychology, Subliminal Persuasion and NLP by James W. Williams

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informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

This book gave a general idea about people's psyche, body language and ways of persuasion which actually needs practice in order for it work. 
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

Set in the 1920s, this is a Romeo and Juliet reimagined novel with a twist of fighting off a monster from the political turmoil, faction, and blood feud. I finally got to finish the book after contemplating if I should since I saw snippets from the sequel and it made me regret I ever saw it (can someone bring me back to the time where I ignored it instead of indulging with spoilers?) Anyway, two of my favorite characters-Marshall and Kathleen-common thing about these two is that they had different surnames, Montagov and Cai alike, though they are loyal to the gang, especially the heirs (also due to friendship). I love how the novel's concept was set during the time their teens are about to end and not exactly a minor, literal kid. To take note, there were lots of anecdotes to learn from, especially the character development of Juliette where she came to process the grief and anger from the incident 4 years ago, and from Roma's confession as to how he ended up making the decision. Exactly like the original, I love that the plot of 'Romeo and Juliet' fuses with the new one with additional twists. And honestly, this is the first book I took time to read the acknowledgement for.
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The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

A huge plot twist in the story and I don't think I can recover. Partly blaming Second though it all worked for the best, as there were wins, exists also the losses. One thing to take note of the book, it flows with a certain problem to fix in mind where somehow the characters are forced to change and delve unto a new perspective, a new mindset where what we could've known wasn't all. Ophelia had to go through numerous changes both physically and mentally. Also noting how the violence and torture she had gone through if it happened in reality was truly traumatizing and disturbing. I think this is already the last book? Though it had an open ending, I'll choose to be on an optimistic side where she finally finds what she's looking for and maybe not cause an imbalance of the world while on it. 
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The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

From Winter's Promise, The Missing of Clairdelune, to The Memory of Babel - the Mirror Visitor series never fails to leave me hanging. I'm seeing sorts of pattern how the story would start out and it would always give Ophelia a confiding person that displays a huge role later on like how she met Archibald, Gail, Fox, then Ambrose, Blaise or even Mediana and Octavio (though I think Mediana no longer's part of the picture). For the last book, I expect both couple will journey this stage together to unveil the secret. I had seething rage for the most part seeing the heroine in such situation, it was utterly unfair and really distressing but how she handled her affairs was very humane of her like in that certain circumstance that was the most plausible decision she could have made. The plot twist really gave me utmost goosebumps, now it gets interesting more than ever as many characters get introduced. From Book 1 to 2, it was Farouk's side POV that was included, and from Book 3 was Victoria's (his child). So, unto the succeeding parts it may continue that way since this little child has uncovered alot of discoveries (through her so-called journeying).
I'm curious to know what happened to Fox.
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The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense 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

Book 2 even gets better as the storytelling and storybuilding unfolds. Farouk, the family spirit's side of the plot is so interesting. For the most part, it was Thorn who fell in love with Ophelia first though romance is just a subplot it has its touching moments. New characters are being introduced and it unravels all these series of connections towards the Book of Family Spirits, the Chroniclers, the Guardians, disgraced, and the Nihilists. Not to mention how a lot of characters also died, this is really intense as it could surprise you who ends up betraying or gets betrayed.
I am excited what's coming for Book 3 as Ophelia's going to embark a journey finding her husband who became a Mirror Visitor himself in the last chapter of the book.
Overall, this book never gets boring and it doesn't even make you feel bad for not consuming it in a day or two. I love how I can continue reading on it anytime and it always has my attention. 
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A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

It's an easy read and the world building is also easy to follow, from the prologue till the next chapters, how the metaphors are used is essential and pleasing when it evokes a play to create the figment world. This is really more plot driven and if you're looking for romance it's basically just a sublot since Book One focuses on introducing how the system functions and the characters which serve a purpose throughout the story. I'm excited to read the second book and want to see more of Gail and Mother Hildegarde, even some of Ophelia's siblings. 
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Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense 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

It took me a long time to finish this book and I'm glad I finally got through it. The storytelling, the plot, the characters, the twists and turns - this book is so good and highly relatable which follows through a theme of empathy. The first few chapters I had a good laugh over the humorous and witty flow of the story how the hostage drama began with stories of over 10 people captured one by one. Oft times I'd get goosebumps from theorizing some scenarios that would somehow end up the way I thought it would and even more goosebumps from heartwarming moments that unfolded throughout. I think a character that had lasted an impression on me was Zara (not only because of her name) but because of her personality and the way she does things (some might've frowned upon due to her demeanor) as it all made sense. The book left a lot of good life lessons that were both eyeopening and inspiring, one of my fave is, "You saved yourself. He just happened to be there." And the moment I saw this line, I teared up. I was really curious why the book was entitled the way it was and eventually I understood what it meant. I think this book is going to be one of my ultimate favorite novels to read. 
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