general

• quick summary - the deaths of two young people found on the beach near kashii station (kyushu) is initially assumed to be a lovers' suicide pact. the detective sent to investigate, jutari torigai, is not convinced and neither is kiichi mihara, a young gun from tokyo. together, they solve a calculated crime involving political intrigue and time-space limits, set in 1950s japan.
• key themes - post-war japan, careerism, murder, jealousy, political scandal.
• fav character - toki. we barely knew her as a character, but I felt sorry for her — it's as if she was forgotten in her own story.

interests

• what i found interesting - how the story was written in such a direct, clear manne...

general

• quick summary - a thriller about a solitary woman's battle for survival after her negative online review provokes a sociopath author to terrorize her in her remote beach home.
• key themes - stalking, loss, grief, trauma, isolation, the power of words.
• fav character - I found deek an extremely comforting character—up to a point lol I don't think any of the characters are necessarily lovable, but emma sure is a fighter.

interests

• what i found interesting - how adams was able to weave some humor into a very dark story. the obvious contradictions in emma's pov and the "author's" written were sometimes comical. the plot twists at the end of each chapter kept me at the edge o...

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• quick summary - a short essay on the enduring value of children's literature for adults.
• key themes - children's literature, imagination, hope, empathy, escapism.

interests

• what i found interesting - I liked how the essay was organized; the division of chapters by argument made it a cohesive and clear read. I also enjoyed the personal testament in the beginning and the inclusion of quotes by different authors.
• what i learned - the origins of children's literature + the concept of "moral imagination" and "phantasia"
• fav quote - there are so many good ones, but "when I write, I write for two people: myself, age twelve, and myself, now, and the book has to satisfy two distinct bu...

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• quick summary - a play about antigone, a woman who alone defies the tyrant creon's rules against the burial of her brother, polyneices.
• key themes - honor, familial love and loyalty, duty, authority, civil disobedience.
• fav character - antigone, obviously. slay.

interests

• what i found interesting - the significance of antigone as a woman being defiant of tyrant rule. her strength of character, fearlessness, and sense of duty towards her brother and the gods make her a most inspiring character in literature. her speeches were extremely powerful.
• what i learned - I basically had to look up all the theban lore to grasp this stor...

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• quick summary - in this volume, takaya unravels the nature of the relationship between kureno and akito (as well as some backstory on the later), the development of machi and yuki's friendship, and the aftermath of rin's efforts to break the curse.
• key themes - love, abuse, family, friendship.
• fav character - I feel kind of silly writing this since he was barely featured in these chapters but kyo- when he was, he reminded us of the plot!

interests

• what i found interesting - I enjoyed learning about machi's backstory and fawned over yuki (and the chalk scene!), although I might be getting a little bit tired of all the bad parents in the series. I lik...

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• quick summary - in this second volume of the dark kingdom arc, we delve into the mysterious sailor v, the past lives of the characters (including a trip to the ☾!) and ultimately learn how to and end up defeating queen metalia.
• key themes - love, friendship, courage, reincarnation, self-discovery, good and evil.
• fav character - minako! she's such a badass, but of course, she's the leader of the senshi <3

interests

• what i found interesting - this is such a comforting, nostalgic-filled series for me. the acknowledgment of the importance of your loved one's support and encouragement to defeat evil (or go through life) is such an important lesson. the artwork ...

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• quick summary - this story follows four dissatisfied english women from different walks of life who embark on a journey to a secluded and beautiful italian villa, where they rediscover joy, friendship, and themselves, ultimately finding happiness in unexpected ways.
• key themes - escapism, nature, self-discovery, love, second chances.
• fav character - lotty was the best one out of them, and the one who married the least worst man (this is not a compliment).

interests

• what i found interesting - the descriptions of the natural world were beautiful, and you could almost feel like you were there on holiday with the ladies too. I also enjoyed how different the personalities...

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• quick summary - lonely-hearts columnist and love lover amelie teams up with serious detective baker to catch a charming but possible wife killer in a cozy mystery and ends in romance <3
• key themes - grief, romance, trust, disabilities, secrets.
• fav character - charlotte; I loved how intelligent, mature, levelheaded, and determined she was and I am looking forward to reading how her romance unfolds.

interests

• what i found interesting - the inclusion and acknowledgment of disabilities in characters in such a setting was a pleasant surprise, and I loved how amelie reacted to meeting alexander. the banter between her and michael was an absolute delight to read, and I was so glad the romance was...

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• quick summary - a memoir of a young girl (now a woman) who grew up in colonial mozambique, recollecting and remembering the complexities of colonalism and decolonialism during the 1960-1970s, while reflecting on her father's relationship with the native land, its people— and herself.
• key themes - patriarchy, colonialism, girlhood, racism, father-daughter relationships, identity and belonging, memory.

interests

• what i found interesting - I appreciated how vulnerable and raw the memoir was, even though the slightly incestuous tone threw me off a little bit. the exploration of colonialism through the figure of her father (the embodiment of patriarchy) was clever, even if quite obvious. I also enjoyed how critical she was of the colonia...

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• quick summary - the story of an elderly woman, a middle-aged man, and a young girl who come together in an unusual companionship around sweets to explore friendship, life, and acceptance.
• key themes - human connection, acceptance and inclusion, discrimination, redemption, the meaning of life.
• fav character - tokue; can she please be my grandmother?

interests

• what i found interesting - the quiet, fragile, spring morning-like atmosphere of the whole book + the food descriptions made my mouth water.
• what i learned - when tokue's 'disease' was first introduced, I thought it was something related to sex trafficking or slavery. leprosy didn't even occur to me. I d...

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• quick summary - a brief overview of queer women's history spanning from ancient greece to modern times.
• key themes - wlw history, queer culture, feminism, patriarchy, sexism.

interests

• what i found interesting - I liked how I was introduced to so many queer women that I had no idea about! it is always comforting to know lesbians were always around and dealing with the same things you are in 2024.
• what i learned - I felt like I learned so much and so little with this book lol the high number of names and personal histories only made me incapable of remembering even one. I found super interesting how men justified lesbianism as having a "male soul" and how intertwined that seems t...

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• quick summary - photographer eva and her longtime friend detective winston pretend to be in love at nathan's mother's dinner party so he can avoid mrs winston's matchmaking (while being secretly in love with each other). at the same time, they have to solve a mystery and capture a criminal that can put everyone in danger.
• key themes - romance, female relationships and rivalry, class, mystery.
• fav character - little sammy :') he was so adorable.

interests

• what i found interesting - it is difficult to say, because there were many themes introduced that are interesting, but that were not developed in the best way. however, I would say that I enjoyed eva's fighting with the idea of perfection and cal...

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• quick summary - ww1 veteran will darling inherits his uncle's bookstore and unwittingly becomes entangled in a web of espionage, danger, and romance with the unreliable and enigmatic kim secretan.
• key themes - trust and betrayal, post-war, class, authenticity, intrigue.
• fav character - kim, what a little bitch he is + phoebe is the best girl in the world and needs to get with maisie asap.

interests

• what i found interesting - the action scenes were extremely well-written, particularly the scenes after the kidnapping. I felt so anxious and just wanted to know what would happen. kim's character is probably one of my favorites this year so far; he is such a shit, but you can't help but wanting to know and understand him. whe...

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• quick summary - a coming-of-age story of orphan jane eyre, spanning from her neglected childhood, including her time in a boarding school, to when she becomes a governess at thornfield hall.
• key themes - independence, religion, gender relations, social class, family, morality, marriage, self-identity.
• fav character - jane, of course + the river sisters <3

interests

• what i found interesting - the relatability of an almost 200-year book for a young woman like myself. jane's loyalty to her morals and wishes for her life is admirable. seeing her navigate the society of her time with her hopes for independence and self-discovery was an amazing experience, and I admired the depth of her charac...

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• quick summary - in this volume, nick and charlie deal with their wishes to take the next step in their relationship (wink wink) while dealing with the incoming big change next year: nick going to university.
• key themes - love, friendship, sex, personal growth, individuality in relationships, ed recovery.
• fav character - nick <3 his struggles feel a lot more relatable to me, while I admire charlie more for what he has overcome.

interests

• what i found interesting - I liked how the idea of taking a romantic relationship into the sexual realm was portrayed, with all the anxieties and wishes of teenagehood (which I did not experience, unfortun...

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• quick summary - after months of being MIA, kim turns up again and drags will back into his world of secrets, criminal conspiracies, and underhand dealings. amidst escalating danger too close to home, their growing romance faces challenges, forcing them to confront their pasts and fight for their future together.
• key themes - trust and betrayal, post-war, class, resilience, intrigue, romance.
• fav character - kim—his character became even more interesting. I just want to understand him (and give him a hug).

interests

• what i found interesting - this was such an improvement from the first book, and I was completely obsessed with it. I love how their romance developed realistically with the constant going back and forth (...

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• quick summary - the backstory of president snows's first involvement in the hunger games as a teenager mentor to lucy gray baird (the girl from district 12) told through his twisted perspective on war, human nature, and thirst for power and control.
• key themes - power, greed, human nature, authority, oppression, war, betrayal.
• favorite character - tigris! she had the opposite of snow's character, despite having grown up in the same circumstances. I was rooting for her and wanted snow to follow her lead. I admired her kind, caring nature and saw her as an example of how not all capitol people have fallen for its distorted policies + I love lucy gray and I would have loved to see her perspective too! she's such a smart, creative and self-reliant girl.

general

• quick summary - a beautifully illustrated collection of poems on love by both classic and contemporary poets.
• key themes - all kinds of love!

interests

• what i found interesting - I loved how ridell divided and included all kinds of poems and love in this collection. I think the ones who resonated more with me were the ones about familial love, especially the sad ones. it was a surprise to see some songs included. for some reason I rarely think of them as poems. comparing poems written centuries ago with ones written in this century is a funny exercise on human nature- we are still the same, and we feel the same as we always did.
• what i learned - I had no idea that leonard cohen was a famous poet before becomin...

general

• quick summary - anne has moved to summerside to work as a school principal while gilbert is at medical school. the novel is presented through a series of letters from anne to her fiancé where she details her experiences, challenges and triumphs when helping the people of her new town navigate their troubles.
• key themes - friendship, community, romance, perseverance, personal growth.
• fav character - katherine! her experience was so relatable and her growth was very believable too. 'little fellow' was also adorable and his story made me cry so much.

interests

• what i found interesting - montgomery's descriptions of canadian nature in every season are always beautiful to read. I was...

general

• quick summary - a short novella on the 3-day developing relationship of a boston-born and aspiring lighthouse owner simon and the lonely fisherman bruce set in a cute maine town, and the ways they challenge one another's perspectives on the world and themselves.
• key themes - mental health, lgbtq+ issues, queer love.

interests

• what i found interesting - the early autumn mood of the story was captured perfectly. I enjoyed the quiet coastal town setting a lot + the mental health representation felt very accurate and real.
• fav quote - "you don't have to profit off of everything beautiful. sometimes things are best left to live"

rating

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• quick summary - an unnamed young franco-korean woman who works at a guest house one day meets a frenchman who is staying in sokcho to find inspiration for his new comic book. they develop a curious relationship, traveling around sokcho, looking for a way to finally see each other.
• key themes - isolation, alienation, loneliness, self-identity.

interests

• what i found interesting - the suffocating atmosphere created by the prose. the short list of characters (even less of speaking ones) really brought me into the isolation the main character felt, and I just could not stop reading. the similarities between a town that is still holding her breath, in-between two worlds, the winter season, and the feelings of the mc wer...

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• quick summary - a brief collection of chinese and japanese folk tales + de morais' impressions on the people, nature, practices and life in china and japan in late 19th century.
• key themes - the east vs the west, folklore, appreciation of nature, cultural exploration.

interests

• what i found interesting - as an asian studies graduate and very much into historical encounters of asian and european people, I enjoyed the reflections included in this book. I was expecting it to be more racist - and it very much was in regards to chinese people - but it was also appreciative of japanese people and japan—their humor, clothing, habits, their (considered superior) lighthearted outlook on ...

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• quick summary - 10-year-old quiet and spiritual lauren and her slightly negligent father niall deal with the disappearance of lauren's mother, christine in their own ways. supernatural phenomena have been happening and confusing lauren for the past few days, and when a teenager in the neighborhood disappears, she gets involved in a tale of magic, mystery, and thriller.
• key themes - isolation, grief, nature, supernatural, neighbor bonds.
• fav character - diane and anne-marie were the coolest teenagers ever, and i loved how they cared for lauren.

interests

• what i found interesting - the vivid descriptions of the scottish highlands that created the perfect atmosphere for this ki...

general

• quick summary - while pip's last investigation still haunts her, she starts to get multiple online threats that she ignores- until they escalate,and she is forced to investigate by herself again, finding commonalities between her stalker and a local serial killer.
• key themes - self-blame, morality, justice, mystery.
• fav character - ravi <3 best literary boyfriend!

interests

• what i found interesting - I read so many mystery books, but they barely talk about the effect the involvement of the characters in these dangerous and traumatic situations can have on them. I loved how jackson did not shy away from showing how broken pip was. the mystery itself was sup...

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• quick summary - successful wellness guru samantha miller publishes an essay on her life-changing sexual experience with her best friend in high school; the same best friend who later claims that this encounter was not consensual. sam has to deal with the consequences of sharing her 'truth', in a story that keeps spiraling out and out of her control.
• key themes - influencer culture, fame, truth and memory, sexual assault, female friendships.
• fav character - I would not say favorite because it is complicated to 'like' a character in this book, but I was very intrigued by lisa.

interests

• what i found interesting - this was a spectacular book! while it is not considered...

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• quick summary - a doll named karolina travels from the land of the dolls to a toyshop in 1939 kraków, just before the war broke. along with the heart-broken but magical dollmaker, they help their jewish friends in the face of the nazi occupation and hopefully find a way to save karolina's homeland from their invaders.
• key themes - compassion, hope, war, courage, magic, love, friendship.
• fav character - rena <3 she made me cry for all the children that were lost in the holocaust. what a brave, lovely, and kind girl.

interests

• what i found interesting - I loved how the author merged history, folklore, and fairytale in just one book.The writing was absolutely magical, and I felt emotional ...

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• quick summary - moomintroll wakes up one winter to find himself alone in a quiet house and snow-covered valley for the first time in his life— he then learns about the mysterious winter, the friends to be made in such times, and the new ways to play and be kind.
• themes - loneliness, contentment, friendship, adventure, family.
• fav character - little my, she's so relatable.

interests

• what i found interesting - I was not expecting the existentialist tone of the book, but I found its significance more meaningful than I expected. I did not know the plot would be as eventful as it was, although I suppose that's the moral of the story: nature is always alive, even midwin...

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• quick summary - while investigating a series of murders, eighteen-year-old palace nurse (uinyeo) hyeon navigates royal and political intrigue and becomes entangled with a young police inspector.
• key themes - political intrigue, mystery, loyalty, familial relationships, classism.
• fav character - lady hyegyeong— I wish I knew more about her motivations, secrets and fears (and what she thought of the conclusion of the story).

interests

• what i found interesting - the dark and tense atmospheric tone of the book is amazing. the research on joseon dynasty that was put in the making of the story is obvious. I thought that hyeon's behaviour was very much like what you expect from a t...