thoughtsontomes's reviews
802 reviews

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

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

4.0

Hazelwood's books are a tad predictable, but I truly don't mind. As long as I don't read them back to back, I find them charming. There were so many beats that I could see coming from a mile away but I wanted to see exactly how the reveals would happen. Plus I like two intellectually smart people being dumb as well as smart man being so in love with woman that she thinks he hates her because he's so awkward. The endings of her books are always a bit off tonally though, as she pulls in some "villain" arcs that feel way over the top for the rest of the story. But I appreciate how the 3rd act breakups in her books are very short lived (like usually less than a chapter) due to that drama. 
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How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Nicole LePera

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hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

3.75

This book is a nice beginning step and primer for a number of different coping skills and approaches to mental health. It can get a bit woo woo at times and is a bit simple but I was able to ease through those bits. It gives a number of coping skills to try and you can dive into those more with further reading. The last chapter was a bit too out there for me and I don’t love some of the books recs but appreciate her references and journaling prompts. 
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

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dark informative medium-paced

4.0

This is a good starting point for studying the links between prisons, capitalism, and racism. It does provide some starting points for alternatives to prisons at the end, but that topic requires further reading. This is much more about the point of the title - that prisons should be obsolete and what is happening behind closed doors. 
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The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book got off to a stronger start than the first one, but I still find it so jarring how much NK Jemisin's writing has improved since this series. This series so heavily leans into romance and I don't think this format of romance is where Jemisin's strong suit is. I much prefer her more subtle romances in later series. The romances in here feel more forced. I do enjoy the world building here and the array of gods. The audiobook narration also makes this more enjoyable as well. 
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Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy by Jessica Fern

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hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

This was one of the best books I’ve read on attachment and how to work with and heal attachment wounds both within and outside of relationships. This book is applicable to both monogamous and polyamorous people. 
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

I wasn’t familiar with this actress but still found the telling of her story as a child star with a narcissistic parent to be interesting 
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Regretting Motherhood: A Study by Orna Donath

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

This didn’t really tell me anything new but moreso was further proof and looking into how many women feel about motherhood 
The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

An interesting look at chronic illness and how society handles the chronically ill as well as areas of improvement needed particularly in the medical system 
Saint Death's Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney

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adventurous funny 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? Yes

4.0

If you like spooky bone magic, this is for you. This is more whimsical gothic than other weird necromancy books I’ve read, which was a delight. There’s some pretty heavy worldbuilding at times and not everything is wrapped up nicely (I originally didn’t realize it was a series) but knowing there’s more books to come leaves me interested. 
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Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen by Sana Takeda, Marjorie Liu

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

I continue to enjoy the expansion of this story. This installment was a bit more filler though. 
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