lara_ayrolla's reviews
55 reviews

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

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dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This was a nice book that made me learn patterns and concepts that I'll never be able to unlearn. The writing wasn't the most polished and there were many things that I would like changed, but, overall, it was pleasant and intelligent. I'm glad I read it.

Pros:
  • The linguistic explanations present in this book are interesting and reflective, creating a whole new perspective on multiple scenarios for me.
  • Many examples used enriched the experience and helped me better understand the consequences of linguistic choices.
  • This book has two things that make me swoon when I'm reading: many quotables, and knowledge that will not allow me to be the same as I was before reading it.
  • I like how many of the concepts taught in previous chapters are carried to the next ones and used organically, making it easier to internalize the knowledge and truly understand it.

Cons:
  • The writing is a bit clunky and needs more editing.
  • The order in which things are said seems random and not planned. Reading that something will be spoken about in other chapters adds nothing but frustration and confusion to the reading experience.
  • Much information without sources was given.
  • Too many personal examples and experiences are used, making the book sound less professional and a little too much like a linguistic-themed memoir at some points.
  • There is so much unnecessary history and background that it becomes daunting to read until getting to the actual point.
  • I'm glad that there are notes, but it's quite unfortunate that they are all at the end of the book with no identifiable number or code whatsoever.
  • I know I bring it upon myself by reading books from the United States but the hyper-focus on the country and the almost fantastical view of other places never fails to disappoint me. I would have liked this book tons more had it been more focused on the topic in general than so specifically on US culture.
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The Ivies by Alexa Donne

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

This book was a 5-star read for me until around the 80% mark. After that, things were rushed and some pivotal reveals were anticlimactic.

Regardless, this read was fun and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I read it at record speed for my usual reading habits.

I would highly recommend this book and definitely want to pick up another Alexa Donne.

Pros:
  • I love Alexa Donne's writing style, with beautiful descriptions, long enough to visualize in detail, but short enough to keep a nice pacing.
  • Foreshadowing death in the first chapters, with exaggerated remarks about things that don't relate to death, is genius and funny.
  • The book is very quotable, and I absolutely love it. The more quotes I highlight in a book, the more I appreciate the writing.
  • Olivia is a moral grey character. It's very interesting to follow her as she learns to accept it.
  • Many good points were made about important subjects such as highly competitive college admissions, classism, the privilege of the rich, racism, and creepy men in positions of power.

Cons:
  • As good as the points made by this book were, they were sometimes too on the nose, just present for the sake of it, and the issues weren't touched upon with much depth.
  • Some descriptions were too succinct or even inexistent. I hardly knew what anyone looked like throughout the entire book.
  • Olivia's constant jabs at her appearance and her obsession with not being thin enough are annoying. I wouldn't have a problem with those things if they were used to make a point and dealt with care, but they weren't even acknowledged.
  • Making a scene with a gun low-stake and dragging is hard, but this book achieved it.
  • The way the killer was revealed was odd and felt forced and illogical. Also, the motive was weak at best.
  • The last chapter was nothing and so much at the same time. It's very infodumpy and not the best way to end a book, in my opinion.
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Rider's Block by Waitlyn Andrews

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

3.25

Before anything, I would like to thank Waitlyn Andrews and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, entertaining book! It has some flaws that bothered me a little bit, but not enough to make me not enjoy my time. It could have been a great one with just a little more polishing, but overall it is good.

Waitlyn Andrews knows how to write a book to make you giggle and enjoy the ride (pun intended). I thought some plot choices would make the book boring and anticlimactic but they only made it better.

I can see a clear development in the quality of the writing from the beginning to the end of this book, and I can't wait to read the next one. If the progress is consistent, it will be outstanding.

Pros:
  • I absolutely love how Waitlyn makes the beginning of her chapters exciting and unique, in this case with song recommendations. I hope she does that for her future books.
  • The ranch vibes are very nice and I love the world-building.
  • The characters in this book are lively, fun, and adorable. Penny, Dean, and Nancy are my favorites. Roper too if we're counting the animals.
  • The pacing is nice and gripping and I didn't want to put down this book until I finished it.
  • Both main characters don't forget who they are to fit in the other person's life. Instead, they bring each other into their worlds and help each other grow.
  • I like how Erik doesn't want Amelia to completely uproot her life for him and wants to spend time in California with her as well.

Cons:
  • In a few aspects, Amelia is quite similar to Waitlyn's previous protagonist, Claire, and much of the plot resembles her previous book. This doesn't really matter if you don't read both books, but can take away from the realism a little bit if you do.
  • I hate grumpy impolite men with a passion. It doesn't matter if they have a reason for it and I end up liking them as the story progresses.
  • I found it offputting how Amelia forces a pregnant woman to confess her pregnancy before she's ready to do it on her own terms. With her being someone familiar with pregnancy and fertility issues, she should have been the first to know not to do that.
  • The drunken confession was anticlimactic considering it was supposed to be a big moment. It could have been cryptic and sexy, but instead, we got a full-on monologue.
  • Amelia's disbelief about Erik's feelings is infuriating. He made his intentions clear from almost the beginning and not even the most unaware person could have not seen it.
  • Many things could have been shown instead of told, such as Amelia's supposedly weekly conversations with her mother while she was staying on the ranch, or dialogues that were reduced to explanations of the conversations that took place.
  • Although I adore Waitlyn's succinct descriptions, in a few parts they were way too short or even inexistent, causing a bit of white room syndrome.
  • This is probably because of my early copy, so it won't be considered in my evaluation, but there were a lot of typos that should probably be considered before the book comes out.
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Pretty Dead Things: A Mystery by Lilian West

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Before anything, I would like to thank Lilian West, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was entertaining but didn't do anything particularly well. Fun enough to enjoy and recommend, bland enough to be forgotten quickly.

Pros:
  • The plot is interesting and kept me engaged.
  • I gasped multiple times with some of the revelations.
  • The past and present interconnected timelines were fun and made me connect much deeper with the mystery and the people involved.
  • The revelation at the end caught me by surprise and made a lot of sense.

Cons:
  • It wasn't clear to me why Cora and Elliott are a couple. They don't seem to have chemistry or much in common.
  • Cora and her motives are very irritating. She knows she's hurting people, and her relationship, but she doesn't stop regardless of that. She could at least own up to it, instead of saying she just wants to return the rings and that she's going to stop.
  • The pacing of the end is anticlimactic and ruins the reveal a little bit.
  • I didn't care about Cora's personality or most of the other characters. The people from the past storylines had way more personality and it made me wonder why Cora was the one getting to tell their stories.
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The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

It was really fun to read and listen to Britney's entire discography. I highly recommend it in case you haven't heard all of her music yet.

I didn't know exactly what to expect from this book but I knew I was going to learn details about some gossip and I hoped I was going to understand who Britney really is and what she felt through different periods of her life. I expected to cry and feel bad for Britney, but I definitely did not expect to feel inspired and eager to turn around my own life.

I didn't expect to read about an incredibly kind and strong woman, and I didn't expect it to be exactly what I needed to read about at this moment of my life, but it was and I loved it.

Sadly, the experience wasn't perfect. The reading was a little bumpy because of the writing style. That is the only reason the book lost some points in my evaluation, not at all the content itself.

Pros:
  • I loved how Britney used her experiences and how she reacted to them to exemplify how her brain worked at certain times in her life.
  • Britney's kindness and strength are inspiring and awesome to read about. She seems like a great person.
  • The way the book starts and ends referencing the same moment of her laying down on the rocks as a child was clever and satisfying, tying it all together.

Cons:
  • The tone of the writing is a little distant and too straightforward. There aren't many details and it feels like an enumeration of everything she's lived.
  • The connection between paragraphs and sometimes even sentences is not very cohesive. The subjects change way too quickly and out of the blue.
  • A few iconic moments and pictures are mentioned but the images aren't included in the book. That would've made the reading experience much nicer, as I had to look up a lot of pictures.
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Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis

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dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Motheater by Linda H. Codega

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

2.75

Before anything, I would like to thank Linda H. Codega, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fine read, intriguing at some points, creative, and fascinating in concept. However, it fell flat. The plot was boring and dragged at some points, and many opportunities for a positive message were missed.

Pros:
  • The different timelines are nice and intriguing.
  • The characters, magic, and worldbuilding are interesting and unique.
  • Nothing attracts me more to a book than female rage and confidence.

Cons:
  • The chapter headers are confusing and not cohesive.
  • Bennie has a job, but she is conveniently never at work.
  • A lot of the same sentences are repeated over and over again.
  • The characters are shocked by the same thing multiple times, sometimes even within the same chapter. I get it, I'm supposed to be shocked!! I'm not, move on.
  • The pacing dragged many times and some chapters were daunting to read.
  • I hated how there could have been more focus on mining companies and the consequences of their actions, and instead, we ended up blaming a witch.
  • This is probably because of my early copy of the book, so it won't be considered in my evaluation. Still, I thought it was important to point out that there were a lot of typos, a few grammatical mistakes, and many repetitions that the author might want to check before the book comes out.
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Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Spanish the fun way! (Foreign Language Graded Reader Series) by Olly Richards

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adventurous informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Me gustaron las historias. Son creativas y buenas para el nivel de español utilizado en este libro.

Hay muchos errores que podrían fácilmente ser encontrados con un poco de revisión y edición.

Las historias en este libro son muy simples para mi nivel de español, pero ya lo sabía cuando decidí leerlo y todavía pude aprender algunas palabras y practicar mi español de una manera divertida.

Fue una buena lectura, pero nada muy especial.
The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

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adventurous fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

It was interesting to see Taryn's point of view of situations that happened in The Cruel Prince book. The writing style and the short amount of pages were a breath of fresh air between bigger books and a good way to keep in touch with Elfhame before reading The Wicked King.

However, many things I would have liked to know were skipped over, while things I didn't care about were described extensively.

Overall, this was a nice read.
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The Mulligan Curse by Diane Barnes

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

3.25

Before anything, I would like to thank Diane Barnes, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to read this book because "Shrek Forever After" is one of my favorite movies, and the plot seemed similar enough. It didn't disappoint and I did have a similar experience to the movie.

I didn't care enough about the characters, since I didn't get to know as much about them, and I disliked many things. However, overall, it was a good experience and I enjoyed the reading.

Pros:
  • I got emotional many times while reading. I finished the book literally sobbing, and it broke me for a few minutes. I had to take a break to stare at a wall and breathe.
  • A lot of the characters are unique and lovable.
  • The message in the book is great, and I like how Mary was able to find a balance between prioritizing herself and the people she loves in the end.

Cons:
  • Mary is insufferably dumb. The things she says and instantly regrets make absolutely no sense.
  • Also, her assumptions make no sense. No rational person would assume the things she does without further evidence.
  • Her assumptions are used as a plot device to create mystery, but it is all predictable and unnecessary.
  • So many sentences are repeated that I feel 50% of the book could be removed to avoid the same sentence appearing twice.
  • This is probably because of my early copy of the book, so it won't be considered in my evaluation. Still, I thought it was important to point out that there were a lot of typos and a few grammatical mistakes that the author might want to check before the book comes out.
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