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thecaffeinatedreader's reviews
675 reviews
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/04/17/the-one-hundred-years-of-lenin-and-margot/
This book will destroy you in the best ways, emotionally. Lenni is 17 in the hospital and it’s doubtful whether she’ll ever know a life outside of it or one much longer than what she’s lived. Margot is 83, and she’s been giving a grim diagnosis as well. but as the two connect and form an amazing friendship that is formed of 100 years of living despite what the future might not hold.
This book will destroy you in the best ways, emotionally. Lenni is 17 in the hospital and it’s doubtful whether she’ll ever know a life outside of it or one much longer than what she’s lived. Margot is 83, and she’s been giving a grim diagnosis as well. but as the two connect and form an amazing friendship that is formed of 100 years of living despite what the future might not hold.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? N/A
5.0
You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel by Badiucao, Melissa Chan
Using real political affairs and policies as well as the real world's state, they put us just enough int he future that we can find it a plausible one.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.75
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/04/11/you-must-take-part-in-revolution/
First off! This is a debut graphic novel for both co-writer and (other co-writer) illustrator and man did they take a heavy but super admirable concept and run with it. I would literally suggest this to anyone this year who reads graphic novels for the subject and content alone. This was another pick for the local graphic/comic club I'm in. Not my pick, you all know me, I'm not that smart but man do I love getting to read so many different things that people suggest. We were all pretty jazzed for this, I'd like to think. Chan is an Emmy nominated journalist (just one of many impressive things and nominations), she's no stranger to global or political affairs and she and Badiucao were very clear about this book's intent.
First off! This is a debut graphic novel for both co-writer and (other co-writer) illustrator and man did they take a heavy but super admirable concept and run with it. I would literally suggest this to anyone this year who reads graphic novels for the subject and content alone. This was another pick for the local graphic/comic club I'm in. Not my pick, you all know me, I'm not that smart but man do I love getting to read so many different things that people suggest. We were all pretty jazzed for this, I'd like to think. Chan is an Emmy nominated journalist (just one of many impressive things and nominations), she's no stranger to global or political affairs and she and Badiucao were very clear about this book's intent.
Using real political affairs and policies as well as the real world's state, they put us just enough int he future that we can find it a plausible one.
(The authors helpfully put footnotes for those who might not know the background of this story, such as Tiananmen Square, and I think that's a really great thing to do especially with younger readers or those that again would not have known some of these facts.)
Fledgling by S.K. Ali
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
The characters are great, even the horrible ones, they're so well fleshed out and all given such depth that I didn't ever dread having a different character chapter. I loved them all.
Only to leave you wanting more. Luckily this is a duology, unluckily we have to wait for the second to release.
I'll be frank it's easy to draw the parallels between this and what is happening in Palestine. So again it's dystopia but so relatable to these times now that I think it made it a much more effective read in this climate. I also greatly enjoyed discussing this book with the read along group and we went so much more in depth, there's so much nuance and background work; so many little details that boggle the mind. And I love it.
Reads like this are important, Dystopian reads, books so easily set up to be labeled as banned, these books are the ones that should be getting the spotlight. I loved this book, you can tell by this loose cannon of a review and I hope that something I've said has made you intrigued enough to look at it or pick it up.
5/5 HUGE cups of coffee from me, it's gone on my favorites shelf and I look forward to book 2.
Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years by Various, Various
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
This was a cute anthology. It wasn’t just Barbara, it included her predecessor Bat-Girl (Kane’a niece) and it included Cass and Steph! A solid collection and I was happy to see so many different aspects of Batgirl. If you’re a fan of her or want to start somewhere, this is a good book to go for!
Poison Ivy Vol. 1: the Virtuous Cycle by G. Willow Wilson
adventurous
dark
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Poison Ivy's solo run in The Virtuous Cycle is just a great run at least for this first volume (I did not read the rest). We got some body horror, we have some prime villain/vigilante run up and amazing artwork and coloring. Poison Ivy's always been a fave of mine so I was stoked to read this to begin with and may have been biased. Oh well. We did this for our Graphic Novel Club at my local comic book store. The discussion surrounding this was great. People are way more analytical and critical than me, and I 'm pretty sure I'm a potato as far as brain function goes after I listen to the peeps in there. There was a consensus though among us that the change of Poison Ivy's 'end game' might have made it weaker but this also allowed the series to continue so I mean depends on how you view that on if you'll enjoy the change up of her feelings or not. Also. Poison Ivy road tripping? Chef's kiss.
I'll definitely be reading the other volumes of this. Also, just for the initial mindset of Poison Ivy and the art alone it's 4.75/5 for me.
I'll definitely be reading the other volumes of this. Also, just for the initial mindset of Poison Ivy and the art alone it's 4.75/5 for me.
Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island by Earl Swift
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
full review here: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/03/13/chesapeake-requiem-same-page-community-reads-author-talk/
The premise of this book isn’t how to save the island or what will be done to help it, it’s what’s occurred, what will occur without aid and if it should be aided or not.
The premise of this book isn’t how to save the island or what will be done to help it, it’s what’s occurred, what will occur without aid and if it should be aided or not.
The best part of hearing Swift talk was how he integrated himself enough but still maintained that necessary distance and hearing him speak of how the island fares now. Bleak, but still information I wanted to know going into this talk after reading the book.
Swift poses this to us, if it can be, should Tangier be saved? They’re being called the first possible Climate Change Refugees (whether they see it that way or not) and we have to wonder, if Tangier is the first step for us (at least in the USA) then what’s next?
Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
If I'm going to give any complaints, and I am, it's that I think I would have loved this as a complete five stars if we had more of the characters. Because this was more focused on mixing them with their experiences of their here and now for the 6888, I sometimes just wanted a push for more in-depth glances of them and their experiences.
Still, that's a minor complaint and Sanders sets out to do exactly what she wanted to, giving us ac completing informative and emotional story of the women that certain people have tried to erase or bury. I read this as part of my local library's 1st Thursday book club for our February pick so the review's a long time coming but here we have it.
If you want to learn more about them there's some great information out there! I personally watched The Six Triple Eightfilm on Netflix and The Six Triple Eight documentary on PBS (I have the VPM thing).
As for books, I don't have nonfiction recs to give that I have on my list, not yet, but I do have two more fictional books on my radar for 6888 Battalion. Sisters in Arms and No Better Time.
4.5/5 Huge cups of coffee from me! Definitely perfect for WWII history buffs/historical fiction fans and those looking to promote and diversify their shelves with more Black and POC authors.
The Swamp Thing, Volume 1: Becoming by Mike Perkins, Mike Spicer, Ram V
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
3.25
The art was absolutely gorgeous in this, I read it for the graphic novel club at my local comic book store (first read with them, for me). It was fun to discuss this with people get a better feel of it. Overall, I just wanted more. There was no real dive into 'Becoming' for the Swamp Thing, Levi was suddenly Swamp Thing and there was vague allusions to it but that was about it. Still the coloring? AMAZING. Seriously I would sit here and just admire the pages again any time. I will probably read more of this but not in any hurry/reasonable amount of time lol. Also...that random appearance of one of my fave DC girls in the Green was baffling but amusing.