Scan barcode
alrightieaphroditie's reviews
848 reviews
Beach Read by Emily Henry
5.0
five stars ∗ oh, i loved this book. easily one of my favorites of this year, maybe even of all time.
while reading this book, i laughed (out loud), i cried (also out loud, in front of my family), my heart ached something fierce, and i fell in love with every single thing about this book. i’ve had some friends read this and say that it was phenomenal, so i had some high expectations before diving into this book. needless to say, this book met all expectations and even exceeded them.
for starters, the plot is abso-fucking-lutely fantastic. two authors of completely different genres spending the summer in a small beach town helping each other write their next book while simultaneously falling in love??? yes, please. it was executed perfectly and was so fun to read about. i also have to mention that this book serves the enemies (rivals? competitors?) to friends to lovers trope, but the kind where only one person considers them to be enemies/rivals/competitors while the other person has been pining for them for, literally, the whole time. everything about it was simply *chef’s kiss*
not to mention the characters. because, oh boy. the characters. every character was so flawed and had their own distinct voices/personalities and were messy and complicated but wholeheartedly real. some of the relationships were in the same boat; flawed, distinct, messy. especially the familial relationship and the main romance. i loved, loved, loved seeing january and gus (somewhat reluctantly) become friends and then seeing that grow into a romantic relationship. it was definitely messy and complex, but also beautiful and sweet. i also loved the relationship between january and her best friend, and gus with his aunt. it was hard to see january’s familial relationship essentially go down the drain, as things weren’t what she always thought they were. but at the end of the day, they all did love each other with their whole hearts and sometimes that’s all someone needs.
the setting was also much loved, as it struck me as a hallmark movie town, almost. it was small and quaint and on the beach and everyone knows everyone and it was just perfect. i’ve always wished that i had grown up in a town like that, but now i guess moving to a similar town when i’m older will have to suffice.
all in all, i freakin loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. i can definitely, 100%, see myself rereading this for many years to come (and even potentially later this year; i loved gus so much)
while reading this book, i laughed (out loud), i cried (also out loud, in front of my family), my heart ached something fierce, and i fell in love with every single thing about this book. i’ve had some friends read this and say that it was phenomenal, so i had some high expectations before diving into this book. needless to say, this book met all expectations and even exceeded them.
for starters, the plot is abso-fucking-lutely fantastic. two authors of completely different genres spending the summer in a small beach town helping each other write their next book while simultaneously falling in love??? yes, please. it was executed perfectly and was so fun to read about. i also have to mention that this book serves the enemies (rivals? competitors?) to friends to lovers trope, but the kind where only one person considers them to be enemies/rivals/competitors while the other person has been pining for them for, literally, the whole time. everything about it was simply *chef’s kiss*
not to mention the characters. because, oh boy. the characters. every character was so flawed and had their own distinct voices/personalities and were messy and complicated but wholeheartedly real. some of the relationships were in the same boat; flawed, distinct, messy. especially the familial relationship and the main romance. i loved, loved, loved seeing january and gus (somewhat reluctantly) become friends and then seeing that grow into a romantic relationship. it was definitely messy and complex, but also beautiful and sweet. i also loved the relationship between january and her best friend, and gus with his aunt. it was hard to see january’s familial relationship essentially go down the drain, as things weren’t what she always thought they were. but at the end of the day, they all did love each other with their whole hearts and sometimes that’s all someone needs.
the setting was also much loved, as it struck me as a hallmark movie town, almost. it was small and quaint and on the beach and everyone knows everyone and it was just perfect. i’ve always wished that i had grown up in a town like that, but now i guess moving to a similar town when i’m older will have to suffice.
all in all, i freakin loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. i can definitely, 100%, see myself rereading this for many years to come (and even potentially later this year; i loved gus so much)
Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
4.0
three point five stars ∗ lol i have one single tear falling from my eye as i write this.
i went into this book expecting it to be an average, somewhat cliche contemporary novel and while on some parts it was exactly that, it was also so much more. this book dealt with mental health issues in a way no other contemporary (that i’ve read so far) has. reading certain parts of this book was hard for me because i really related to ridley in so many ways and it almost felt like i was watching (reading?) myself in his character. my heart ached so much for him.
so it really started out as a classic cute contemporary, and i loved all of the nerdy aspects of it bc i am, ahem, a Huge Nerd for all things comics/superheroes. i dream of being able to work in a comic book store! that was a really fun aspect to this novel. i also loved the good relationships within this novel, like gray and ridley’s sibling bond and jubilee’s familial system. it was interesting to see those compared to the not so good relationships within this story, mainly between ridley and his parents. i will also say that i wasn’t a big fan of jubilee’s best friend, jayla, for a good majority of the book. i did like her at first, but she kinda took a turn for the worst as the book went on. jubilee questioned her sexuality a bit in this novel, and i felt like jayla wasn’t really supportive of that journey even though she herself is part of the lgbtq+ community. she also was one of the people who pushed jubilee into ‘living life’ and not focusing so much time on her music, and yet she complained a lot about jubilee doing just that? idk i just didn’t really care for her.
all in all, though, i did enjoy reading this book & it was a lot more than i anticipated!!
i went into this book expecting it to be an average, somewhat cliche contemporary novel and while on some parts it was exactly that, it was also so much more. this book dealt with mental health issues in a way no other contemporary (that i’ve read so far) has. reading certain parts of this book was hard for me because i really related to ridley in so many ways and it almost felt like i was watching (reading?) myself in his character. my heart ached so much for him.
so it really started out as a classic cute contemporary, and i loved all of the nerdy aspects of it bc i am, ahem, a Huge Nerd for all things comics/superheroes. i dream of being able to work in a comic book store! that was a really fun aspect to this novel. i also loved the good relationships within this novel, like gray and ridley’s sibling bond and jubilee’s familial system. it was interesting to see those compared to the not so good relationships within this story, mainly between ridley and his parents. i will also say that i wasn’t a big fan of jubilee’s best friend, jayla, for a good majority of the book. i did like her at first, but she kinda took a turn for the worst as the book went on. jubilee questioned her sexuality a bit in this novel, and i felt like jayla wasn’t really supportive of that journey even though she herself is part of the lgbtq+ community. she also was one of the people who pushed jubilee into ‘living life’ and not focusing so much time on her music, and yet she complained a lot about jubilee doing just that? idk i just didn’t really care for her.
all in all, though, i did enjoy reading this book & it was a lot more than i anticipated!!
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
5.0
five stars ∗ i made the mistake of doing my makeup before finishing this and now i’m crying and have mascara all over my cheeks. that last chapter was *chef’s kiss*
oh boy. words cannot even begin to explain how shocked i am with my feelings towards this trilogy. i was hoping to like it, because it’s been on my tbr for almost five years and i would’ve been really sad if i didn’t at least enjoy it. i was not expecting, however, to completely fall in love with every aspect of this trilogy. i haven’t been this excited to continue reading a book in what seems like forever; but every day i woke up and i planned time for me to read before and after work.
i’m truly amazed at how pearson strung this story together, first with concealing the identities of two main characters in the very first book, to all of the political intrigue in the second and the final battles in this one. everything wrapped up so nicely in this book, which i was really worried about. this book is huge and i felt like a lot of things needed to happen and they definitely did. this is probably one of the best endings to a trilogy/series i’ve read in a looong time.
also have to mention the characters bc i’m really in love with literally everyone; lia, rafe, kaden (even though i lowkey hated him for the first two books, he really redeemed himself) pauline, gwenyth, sven, orrin, tavish, jeb... the list goes on and on. i absolutely loved seeing their growth and development in this trilogy.
all in all, everything about this series was wonderful and i really recommend it! i wish there was more hype around this series, even though i am a few years late to the bandwagon. now if you’ll excuse me, i’m going to lay in bed and cry and possibly reread the last chapter a few more times!
oh boy. words cannot even begin to explain how shocked i am with my feelings towards this trilogy. i was hoping to like it, because it’s been on my tbr for almost five years and i would’ve been really sad if i didn’t at least enjoy it. i was not expecting, however, to completely fall in love with every aspect of this trilogy. i haven’t been this excited to continue reading a book in what seems like forever; but every day i woke up and i planned time for me to read before and after work.
i’m truly amazed at how pearson strung this story together, first with concealing the identities of two main characters in the very first book, to all of the political intrigue in the second and the final battles in this one. everything wrapped up so nicely in this book, which i was really worried about. this book is huge and i felt like a lot of things needed to happen and they definitely did. this is probably one of the best endings to a trilogy/series i’ve read in a looong time.
also have to mention the characters bc i’m really in love with literally everyone; lia, rafe, kaden (even though i lowkey hated him for the first two books, he really redeemed himself) pauline, gwenyth, sven, orrin, tavish, jeb... the list goes on and on. i absolutely loved seeing their growth and development in this trilogy.
all in all, everything about this series was wonderful and i really recommend it! i wish there was more hype around this series, even though i am a few years late to the bandwagon. now if you’ll excuse me, i’m going to lay in bed and cry and possibly reread the last chapter a few more times!
The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
5.0
five stars ∗ WHY does pearson end books like this ?! jesus my heart is beating so fast. i was correct in my previous update; shit did indeed hit the fan, and in ways i was not expecting.
though i really enjoyed this, i have to say i feel like the plot was kinda thrown to the side for portions of it. i also felt like a lot of things were stretched out, but i’m not too mad bc i really love lia and i would happily read whatever she does. i do wish we could’ve seen more on pauline/gwenyth’s side of things, and i felt like the chapters we did get weren’t fully fleshed out; they seemed a bit random.
despite those things, though, i did really enjoy reading this! learning more about the enemy was really interesting, and while i still don’t like kaden it was nice to see his development. i also liked the komizar and thought his character was pretty fascinating until the very end (if you know, you know). i’m really excited to see where the final book takes things, but i really hope the “love triangle” fizzles out bc i really can’t stand it? like i don’t believe lia truly loves kaden in the way he loves her, but she definitely has some type of feelings for him. i’m really interested in finding out how things play out after the ending of this book, though. definitely was not expecting that, but i loved it!!
though i really enjoyed this, i have to say i feel like the plot was kinda thrown to the side for portions of it. i also felt like a lot of things were stretched out, but i’m not too mad bc i really love lia and i would happily read whatever she does. i do wish we could’ve seen more on pauline/gwenyth’s side of things, and i felt like the chapters we did get weren’t fully fleshed out; they seemed a bit random.
despite those things, though, i did really enjoy reading this! learning more about the enemy was really interesting, and while i still don’t like kaden it was nice to see his development. i also liked the komizar and thought his character was pretty fascinating until the very end (if you know, you know). i’m really excited to see where the final book takes things, but i really hope the “love triangle” fizzles out bc i really can’t stand it? like i don’t believe lia truly loves kaden in the way he loves her, but she definitely has some type of feelings for him. i’m really interested in finding out how things play out after the ending of this book, though. definitely was not expecting that, but i loved it!!
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
5.0
five stars ∗ you’re telling me it ends like THAT? i’m mentally screaming right now.
i had hoped to enjoy/like this book, and i definitely felt that within the first hundred pages, but as i continued to read i found myself loving this book. the plot was so well executed and i have high admirations for the author for being able to conceal two characters identities for the majority of the story. she really did that!!! as for characters... god i love them. lia was such a fun and inspiring main character, and she showed intelligence and strength and courage and was so fiery and an all around badass? i also loved pauline, gwenyth, and berdi and i’m eager to see their roles in the upcoming books! and i liked rafe (hehe) almost the second he was introduced, and i definitely definitely love him by the end of it. as for kaden.... never really liked him?? i hated reading his chapters and even more the scenes he shared with lia. do people like him??
i can’t believe this book has been on my tbr for over 4 years and i’m just now getting to it?? also idk if i’m just really late to the hype (probably) but this seems to be an under-appreciated book in the community bc i’ve rarely heard anything about it. i’m hoping that i love the next two books as much as this one because i can easily see this trilogy becoming one of my all-time favorites! ∗
i had hoped to enjoy/like this book, and i definitely felt that within the first hundred pages, but as i continued to read i found myself loving this book. the plot was so well executed and i have high admirations for the author for being able to conceal two characters identities for the majority of the story. she really did that!!! as for characters... god i love them. lia was such a fun and inspiring main character, and she showed intelligence and strength and courage and was so fiery and an all around badass? i also loved pauline, gwenyth, and berdi and i’m eager to see their roles in the upcoming books! and i liked rafe (hehe) almost the second he was introduced, and i definitely definitely love him by the end of it. as for kaden.... never really liked him?? i hated reading his chapters and even more the scenes he shared with lia. do people like him??
i can’t believe this book has been on my tbr for over 4 years and i’m just now getting to it?? also idk if i’m just really late to the hype (probably) but this seems to be an under-appreciated book in the community bc i’ve rarely heard anything about it. i’m hoping that i love the next two books as much as this one because i can easily see this trilogy becoming one of my all-time favorites! ∗
Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu
5.0
five stars ∗ i cannot tell a lie; i cried while finishing this. i can’t believe this is the end of the story and i swear i’ll be rereading this duology for years to come. i absolutely loved every second of this; the jokes, the stress, the love, the characters, everything. i love the friendships in this book most of all; it definitely serves a found family type trope. i’m looking forward to any other works ngozi ukazu puts out!
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
5.0
reread april 2020; five stars ∗ how did i give this four stars when i first read it???????? i absolutely love this graphic novel with my whole heart & it lowkey makes me want to become a hockey team manager while at university to see if it’s anything like this! i’m so excited to pick up the sequel now and see where it goes!
4 | gah this was so much cuter than i remembered it being!! i absolutely loved every page of this graphic novel! the jokes were actually hilarious, the artwork was simple yet beautiful, and as a hockey fan myself, i just absolutely loved the plot line. it’s completely original and very well executed. i cannot wait for the the second installment!!
4 | gah this was so much cuter than i remembered it being!! i absolutely loved every page of this graphic novel! the jokes were actually hilarious, the artwork was simple yet beautiful, and as a hockey fan myself, i just absolutely loved the plot line. it’s completely original and very well executed. i cannot wait for the the second installment!!
An Affair of Poisons by Addie Thorley
4.0
three point five stars ∗ i am genuinely so impressed by this book! i haven’t heard a lot about it so i wasn’t sure what to expect when picking it up, but i’m happy to say that i loved what i read! i wasn’t expecting to enjoy it so much but after the first few chapters i was really hooked and wanted to continue reading! i did have one or two things that i just didn’t vibe with, such as the overuse of similes and metaphors that are in this book. i’m pretty sure i counted 5 on one page and while i love descriptive writing, that just wasn’t it for me. the other thing is that the beginning was kind of slow (although the first two chapters are pretty action packed, i just wasn’t connected to the characters or the story yet) and i worried i was gonna dnf it! but now it’s almost a four star read for me and i’m really happy that i decided to randomly pick it up! ∗
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
3.0
three stars ∗ this was kind of a pleasant surprise! i didn’t know anything about this series other than it pays homage to sherlock holmes and has been compared to one of my favorite trilogies, ‘truly devious’. i do think it’s similar in the sense that this first novel takes place at a boarding school where a murder happens, but that’s pretty much the end of the similarities. i’ve never really been a huge fan of sherlock holmes; never read a book, only watched the robert downey jr. adaptation, etc. but i was really intrigued by the thought of his and watson’s descendants being familiar with one another.
i was a bit iffy at the beginning, but once i knew the characters and the general plot i started to enjoy it a lot more! i really liked the characters and the writing style. i thought it was pretty lighthearted at first but it definitely took a turn and dealt with some darker topics. overall, this was a really fun read and i’m interested in seeing where the rest of the series goes! ∗
i was a bit iffy at the beginning, but once i knew the characters and the general plot i started to enjoy it a lot more! i really liked the characters and the writing style. i thought it was pretty lighthearted at first but it definitely took a turn and dealt with some darker topics. overall, this was a really fun read and i’m interested in seeing where the rest of the series goes! ∗
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
3.0
reread march/april 2020; three stars ∗ gah i’m so torn about how to rate this !! i remember loving it when i first read it almost four years ago, but when i read it this time i didn’t have quite the same feelings. on one hand, i do love the mythology mixed in with the plot, and i love the romance and some of the characters. but on the other hand, i felt as if it wasn’t executed as well as i remember it being, and i was somewhat bored halfway through. i wouldn’t necessarily say i love this book, but i definitely do like it. i’ve also been in a weird, not-wanting-to-read mood so that could be affecting my thoughts on this book, unfortunately.