lochanreads's reviews
300 reviews
The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
21-year-old Bianca Bridge is a talented writer, but when a suggestive photo of her and a married government official surfaces, causing public scandal, she finds herself being coerced into a career in modelling. She is later presented with an opportunity to escape the superficiality of her new profession in the form of the callous and prideful Obadiah Cortland (Mr.), an exceptional makeup artist, who offers Bianca a job, editing his company’s magazine. As these opposing personalities spend more time working together, alongside their luminous co-workers, Radhika and Dante, they begin to uncover eye-opening truths about themselves and each other.
McIvor is a resounding, new voice with the fresh take that modern-day Caribbean literature needs. Her debut novel The God of Good Looks is a witty, transformative and ultimately satisfying read. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
McIvor is a resounding, new voice with the fresh take that modern-day Caribbean literature needs. Her debut novel The God of Good Looks is a witty, transformative and ultimately satisfying read. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment, Grief, and Death of parent
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A lovable, witty and temperature-rising romance. Talia Hibbert is quickly becoming my go-to for extra spicy love stories. Her writing is so lively and evocative in this second instalment of the Brown sisters books. She creates singularly unique characters, whose quirks and complexities I couldn't help but fall in love with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Car accident and Mental illness
Super Self Care: How to Find Lasting Freedom from Addiction, Toxic Relationships and Dysfunctional Lifestyles by Christopher Dines
Dines goes far beyond mainstream ideals that typify the practice of self-care, a widely popularised concept that has been gaining a lot more attention in recent years. More than just a surface-level discussion about things like; meditation, therapy, perfecting one’s mountain pose, or lighting scented candles, Dines probes deeper and approaches the conversation on what he defines as Super Self-Care through a broader and more multifaceted lens.
Super Self-Care is both synonymous with working towards recovery from addiction and with addressing career and creative stagnation. It is the act of confronting our subconscious fears and building healthy relationships. It is the act of practising self-compassion and of harnessing the power of visualisation. This book has many dimensions to it and considers a comprehensive range of powerful themes.
Dines writes from a place of profound vulnerability as he draws from his own past experiences with addiction, compulsive behaviours and recovery, to help people overcome the difficult trials they might be facing in life.
“All areas of my life improved when I became authentically visible. My challenge today is to sustain my authentic visibility, one day at a time.”
His writing both extends and evokes empathy not only in how deeply honest he gets in the personal unveiling of himself, but also in how he uses the collective voice in places, to demonstrate his understanding of the types of fears and insecurities people who this book is primarily aimed at will have in certain situations.
“To observe our thoughts and feelings requires willingness and gentleness.”
In this way, Dines shares his extensive knowledge of mindfulness, group therapy i.e. Twelve Steps of Recovery programs, and spiritual practice to provide readers with a pool of effective techniques to aid in their personal growth.
Because of this book's sweeping range, I thought there was more scope for deeper development and for the many brilliant points it raises to be further expanded upon. However, I did appreciate the intentional structure of the writing; it has relevant subheadings throughout, that tie in nicely with the main subject of each chapter and help to break down the text into easily readable sections. Add to this the fact that Super Self-Care is a comfortably short body of work, 158 pages on Kindle to be exact, and it makes for a smooth reading experience!
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Super Self-Care is a compassionate self-help memoir that explores the importance of making our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being a priority in our lives. It examines how doing so leads to personal fulfilment and meaningful relationships, especially for people struggling with addiction, toxic relationships or harmful behavioural traits.
Dines goes far beyond mainstream ideals that typify the practice of self-care, a widely popularised concept that has been gaining a lot more attention in recent years. More than just a surface-level discussion about things like; meditation, therapy, perfecting one’s mountain pose, or lighting scented candles, Dines probes deeper and approaches the conversation on what he defines as Super Self-Care through a broader and more multifaceted lens.
Super Self-Care is both synonymous with working towards recovery from addiction and with addressing career and creative stagnation. It is the act of confronting our subconscious fears and building healthy relationships. It is the act of practising self-compassion and of harnessing the power of visualisation. This book has many dimensions to it and considers a comprehensive range of powerful themes.
Dines writes from a place of profound vulnerability as he draws from his own past experiences with addiction, compulsive behaviours and recovery, to help people overcome the difficult trials they might be facing in life.
“All areas of my life improved when I became authentically visible. My challenge today is to sustain my authentic visibility, one day at a time.”
(pg. 57) Kindle Edition.
His writing both extends and evokes empathy not only in how deeply honest he gets in the personal unveiling of himself, but also in how he uses the collective voice in places, to demonstrate his understanding of the types of fears and insecurities people who this book is primarily aimed at will have in certain situations.
“To observe our thoughts and feelings requires willingness and gentleness.”
(pg. 54) Kindle Edition.
In this way, Dines shares his extensive knowledge of mindfulness, group therapy i.e. Twelve Steps of Recovery programs, and spiritual practice to provide readers with a pool of effective techniques to aid in their personal growth.
Because of this book's sweeping range, I thought there was more scope for deeper development and for the many brilliant points it raises to be further expanded upon. However, I did appreciate the intentional structure of the writing; it has relevant subheadings throughout, that tie in nicely with the main subject of each chapter and help to break down the text into easily readable sections. Add to this the fact that Super Self-Care is a comfortably short body of work, 158 pages on Kindle to be exact, and it makes for a smooth reading experience!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
Can't Resist Her by Kianna Alexander
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Oh how I wanted to love this book! I went into it with all the bias, all the excitement because queer black women's romances are my serotonin. So I felt really let down when this book ended up being such a disappointment. To its credit, I loved the premise and the conflict that the narrative was built on but I really struggled with the execution of the storytelling. The author obesses too much on minor details, making parts of the story feel extremely banal and as well as that, the dialogue was very cringe. In places, I felt like it had a natural flow but then it would lose that naturalness and start to feel contrived. But to end on a positive, this book has some really sizzling spicy scenes, which gave the story much needed excitement. Despite the excruciating sappy and clichéd epilogue, which I honestly could've done without, I love how this book celebrates women's love and how much it appreciates Black women.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Something to talk about is a cosy chicklit novel about Hollywood celebrity, Jo Jones and her personal assistant Emma Kaplan, two women who gradually start falling for each other after being photographed in a suggestive pose together at an awards ceremony. There are many bumps and challenges that come their way over the course of the year this book covers, forcing Jo and Emma to confront their hidden feelings. This was an easy narrative to fall into and though it suffers from a lot of banal and frustratingly slow moments, it has a really satisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
Sensitive: The Power of a Thoughtful Mind in an Overwhelming World by Jenn Granneman, Andre Sólo
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Great book for understanding the personality trait of sensitivity and the many ways in which, rather than being a sign of weakness, it is a valuable strength that has much to offer to the world.
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A tender and beautifully-crafted narrative. One of the most heartfelt books I've read in a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Death of parent, Racism, Deportation, and Grief
Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center by bell hooks
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Elemental Inferno by A.J. Locke
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Very steamy magical romance with a lot of titillating smuttiness and a well developed conflict. Perfect for lovers of raunchy romances and urban fantasies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Death
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
Cemetery Boys is a thrilling and emotional adventure. It has elements of paranormal romance in an urban fantasy setting. Yadriel is a strong main character that struggles to fit into his community of brujx (healers and guardians of deceased spirits) as a Latino gay trans boy. The story starts with a lot of momentum that immediately pulls you in and the characterisation was excellently executed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Transphobia, Death, Deadnaming, Blood, and Death of parent