divineauthor's reviews
292 reviews

Doctor Who: The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

“I think you bring me luck. My Fortuna, that's you.“ —The Doctor to Rose Tyler

was this like GoodTM in a real novel sense? no, but i’m here for tenrose and some fun liddle adventure and i got exactly that <3 

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

“So what if you could do it over? And then again? What body would you choose? Who would you be and who would you love? Would you do it over, and over, and over again?” —“Us Everlasting”

oh this was really good, i love how imbler writes—the way they find connections between sea life and human life! 

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd by Ana Menéndez

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

“How every story needed a beginning. How her past had come to seem like a blank page, waiting for the truth to darken it.” —Lisette, in “Her Mother’s House.”

this was so good in such a slow, meandering way. everything had such a heavy ache but written in such a light way that it balanced out. ugh!!! i do like some short stories better than others—“miami relatives,” “hurricane stories,” “the perfect fruit”—but i didn’t Not enjoy the other ones <3

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

“Trouble is, my story is his story […] I have to squeeze in around the edges of him.” —Paige Embry (aka Not-Gwen Stacy)

oh this was so good. valente’s diction is so so so chewy i don’t know how else to describe it. honestly this would be 5 stars, but not-mera’s story didn’t do much for me. also, the inclusion of not-harley quinn also confuses me because she is like . . . not a fridged girl? but i highly enjoyed this nonetheless. very meta, very witty, very voicey. delicious!

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning

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

0.0

“Even if you starved yourself down to a size zero, you’re always going to be a fat girl, Neevy.” —Max

fatphobia wins ‼️ this was godawful and so fucking long . . . FOR WHAT. 

'night, Mother: A Play by Marsha Norman

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“JESSIE: I didn’t want you to save me. I just wanted you to know.” —page 74

this was a GUT PUNCH of a play. no wonder it won a pulizter 😭 my insides feel like they’ve been razored. 

Headless John the Baptist Hitchhiking: Poems by C.T. Salazar

challenging emotional medium-paced

5.0

“forgetting is a kind of mercy / eventually even the cemetery / forgets it is a cemetery and looks like an open field.” —“Poem with the Head of Homer in It,” page 29

haven’t been reading much because my life got Busy but jesus christ guys what a way to dip my toe into reading. the imagery is literally INSANE. i needed to bash my head into a brick wall then throw myself into a void and never come out. anyway. highly recommend btw

Happy Place by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

“You are in all of my happiest places.” —Harriet Kilpatrick, page 206

guys . . . GUYS. this might be emily henry best work yet i cannot lie to you and I have consistently said that beach read is her best work (i mean it will always be top tier to me but that’s not the point). this had me feeling every human emotion possible i literally heavy-sobbed reading this. the found family, the friendship, harriet and wyn’s relationship—GOD. THE ROMANCE WAS SO FUCKING FANTASTIC LIKE MISS HENRY REALLY WENT HAM ON WYN CONNOR. literally dream man! i just. good lord. i devoured this book fr 

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake

challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

“Blood for blood. The most elementary of principles. The most ancient of reparations.” —Stas Maksimov, page 185

I AM PREDISPOSED TO LOVE ROMEO AND JULIET RETELLINGS AND OLIVIE KNOCKS IT OUT IF THE PARK FOR ME PERSONALLY. THE FAMILY DYNAMICS ARE INSANE AND FUCKED UP, THE ROMANCE IS SO DELICIOUS, AND THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL BREAKS MY HEART. ANYWAY I’M HAVING A BLAST (IS ACTIVELY ROTTING FROM READING OFME)

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

“I’ve known for a long time that I was falling in love with you, and I kept trying to fight it.” —Theo Stephens

idk why it took me so long to read this it was fine and a pretty standard guillory book imo