nickysbookcorner's reviews
11 reviews

The Spark Within by Samantha Christopher

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adventurous 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

5.0

Wow wow wow. This book was an instant 5 stars for me. From the moment I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. It took me two days to finish. I love dystopian reads and this read easily worked its way to the top. 

Maya (18, FMC) is genetically matched to two “perfect partners” to strengthen the elementals, as are all the other girls. Boys and girls are kept separate until they get matched. She has a good head on her shoulders but is curious about the world around her. 

There are lots of fun little twists and turns, including romantic, familial, and political. Do not sleep on this instant favorite. This book gave me the same vibes as: divergent, uglies, the last air bender. I can’t wait for the next one in the series!! 

✨disclaimer: I received this as an arc in exchange for an honest review ✨
Normal People by Sally Rooney

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hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 A low-stakes book about the bond between your first love. Connel (MMC) and Marianne (FMC). Connel and Marianne keep coming back to each other at different stages of their lives and it doesn’t quite stick each time. They are terrible at communicating with each other, but this is also what makes it realistic. There is an imbalance as they come from different socio-economic classes. I was rooting for them. I loved that this book didn’t really have a plot and it was just snippets of interpersonal relationships. 
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Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 This book is a cute lil’ beachy/vacation read. There were two main story lines: Olive (FMC) grieving and Olive falling in love. I enjoyed how Olive and Leo’s (MMC) relationship developed. I think given the very two different story lines it’s hard for it to be a cutesy, fluffy romance set while “vacationing”/working on a cookbook in Italy. This book ties in food really well into interpersonal relationships. I was hoping for more romance, but I enjoyed the other story line as well. It would have been 4 stars, if it wasn’t labeled as a romance book. 
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Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

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dark hopeful inspiring fast-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? No

5.0

 This book embodies female rage. This is a great sci-fi book with robot mechas and their evolutions (!!). The world building and the storytelling was really great. Xiran did a great job helping me visualize the magnitude of the mechas. The book didn’t feel too rushed and had a good balance between storylines and the progressions. I read through this book rather quickly. The romantic relationships in this book surpassed my expectations and made me really giddy besides the fact that there was a war happening. 
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The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 This is a cute little witchy read and an unexpected romance. I love the way that magic is used in this book. It’s not very flashy. All the characters were lovable. Mika (FMC) has a great head on her shoulders. I love that she questions things appropriately and doesn’t just dive in. She is the appropriate amount of suspicious.  It was a low-stakes fantasy/magic book. Very sweet story line. I wish there was more to read. 
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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emotional reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

 The writing style was different from what I am used to. I attribute this to the original being in Japanese and American book culture being different. I enjoyed this short and sweet read. I love the familial relationships with Takako (FMC) and her uncle. There was a small plot twist that I neither loved nor hated, but was definitely surprised by. I love to see how Takako goes from being burnt out to recharge her batteries. It was a cozy read for me. 
The Penalty by Lynn Montagano

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I received this book as an ARC. I was able to read through about 10% of the book before DNF'ing. So about 45 pages. The reason I stopped reading is because MMC is very insufferable. I didn't want to read from his POV anymore. He exudes toxic "alpha" energy. Wanting to unalive another character in the beginning, wanting to protect his girlfriend, but also not speaking to her??? We don't get to her POV until chapter 6, and by then I had had enough of Xavier. I think maybe if the POV chapters flipped more often I could have gotten through more of the book.
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All In by Elaine Evans

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I couldn’t finish this book due to triggers. There seems to be domestic abuse, emotional abuse and gaslighting. Wish author would have mentioned the triggers. 
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Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

💬 This industry is built on silencing us, stomping us into the ground, and hurling money at white people to produce racist stereotypes of us. 

I loved that this book was told in the view of June Hayward, a white woman, who stole Athena Liu’s, her casual Chinese friend, manuscript about Chinese labor workers. This book was deep, thought-provoking, and at times uncomfortable. June’s character was definitely unlikeable and delusional. The story was like a train wreck you couldn’t look away from. 

I also enjoyed small details thrown in the book about how the publishing world works. 
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Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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emotional funny 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

4.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ || 🌶️
💬: “In a world where you can choose anger or empathy. Always choose empathy.” 

I went into this book thinking it was a fluffy romance, but it was deep and emotional while maintaining lighthearted and funny moments. Justin is the poster boy for “if he wanted to, he would.” I loved how this book portrayed mental illness and childhood trauma and how to support friends dealing with this. This was the first book I read by Abby Jimenez but it definitely won’t be my last.
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