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charvi_not_just_fiction's reviews
672 reviews
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
What an addictive read!
We have morally grey characters left and right, lol.
I loved reading about Lucca's journey and her many identities as she navigates her jobs and tries to survive while staying two steps ahead of everyone. Overall this is a fast-paced and engaging read where you're trying your best to unravel all the mysteries before the book ends.
Love a good mystery-thriller like this one <3
We have morally grey characters left and right, lol.
I loved reading about Lucca's journey and her many identities as she navigates her jobs and tries to survive while staying two steps ahead of everyone. Overall this is a fast-paced and engaging read where you're trying your best to unravel all the mysteries before the book ends.
Love a good mystery-thriller like this one <3
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
lighthearted
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
This book has recently joined the hype train and I expected to love it... unfortunately, I didn't quite enjoy it.
Let's start with part 1: which truly was the highlight of the book for me. I absolutely adored how the writer explored the magic of bookstores and the joy of reading and unravelled Sotorou and Takako's personalities through the narrative. It was beautiful and well-written.
Part 2 is where everything started going down the hill. I kind of hate Momoko. She single-handedly spoiled the book for me. I could rant forever but that would include spoilers. Let's just say that I found her to be a selfish woman with bizarre behaviour and her relationships felt strange and forced. I couldn't condone any of her actions and her overall plotline left me frustrated.
I guess the only ray of sunshine was Takako and Akira's sub-plot but I wish it had been explored more because I saw a lot of potential there.
Overall the book struggles a bit with pacing in the sense I found myself bored in the second part and there were no clear indications of the time leaps so I was often confused for a couple of sentences before I adjusted to it.
Sadly, this was a very average book.
Let's start with part 1: which truly was the highlight of the book for me. I absolutely adored how the writer explored the magic of bookstores and the joy of reading and unravelled Sotorou and Takako's personalities through the narrative. It was beautiful and well-written.
Part 2 is where everything started going down the hill. I kind of hate Momoko. She single-handedly spoiled the book for me. I could rant forever but that would include spoilers. Let's just say that I found her to be a selfish woman with bizarre behaviour and her relationships felt strange and forced. I couldn't condone any of her actions and her overall plotline left me frustrated.
I guess the only ray of sunshine was Takako and Akira's sub-plot but I wish it had been explored more because I saw a lot of potential there.
Overall the book struggles a bit with pacing in the sense I found myself bored in the second part and there were no clear indications of the time leaps so I was often confused for a couple of sentences before I adjusted to it.
Sadly, this was a very average book.
Icarus by K. Ancrum
It’s been a while since a book made me feel so many emotions. Icarus destroyed me.
The book introduces us to our protagonist Icarus, the softest cinnamon roll to exist. Actually, this book is filled with soft boys and I love it. Most of Icarus’ life has been spent stealing and replacing artworks with forgeries in Mr. Black’s mansion to exact revenge for the death of his mother. His father has some rules: no friends, don’t get to know others, no social gatherings and never ever inviting people home. So you can only imagine the kind of hell Icarus’ life is. But then he discovers Helios, Mr Black’s son who has been imprisoned in the mansion.
Icarus and Helios were made for each other, it’s a fact and there’s no denying it. Their romance is the sweetest, purest thing and both of them just made me cry with how raw and untethered they were. Except together, they made sense.
The friendships in Icarus were the shining light, they made me feel warm and happy and reminisce about my college days. Celestina, Luca, Julian and even Sorell add so much light and life to Icarus’ life. Time and time Icarus does his best to push everyone away but they find a way to make him a part of their lives.
If you’re looking for a retelling, I’d say this was a rather loosely based retelling but I loved it all the same. All in all, I’d highly recommend this book.
Also, here's the full review on my blog, including details on how the author's note just had me full-on sobbing.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
“If you’re such a good thief, then why haven’t you stolen me yet?”
It’s been a while since a book made me feel so many emotions. Icarus destroyed me.
The book introduces us to our protagonist Icarus, the softest cinnamon roll to exist. Actually, this book is filled with soft boys and I love it. Most of Icarus’ life has been spent stealing and replacing artworks with forgeries in Mr. Black’s mansion to exact revenge for the death of his mother. His father has some rules: no friends, don’t get to know others, no social gatherings and never ever inviting people home. So you can only imagine the kind of hell Icarus’ life is. But then he discovers Helios, Mr Black’s son who has been imprisoned in the mansion.
Icarus and Helios were made for each other, it’s a fact and there’s no denying it. Their romance is the sweetest, purest thing and both of them just made me cry with how raw and untethered they were. Except together, they made sense.
“I feel . . . meeting him feels like learning about a part of myself that I haven’t been allowed to understand until now.”
The friendships in Icarus were the shining light, they made me feel warm and happy and reminisce about my college days. Celestina, Luca, Julian and even Sorell add so much light and life to Icarus’ life. Time and time Icarus does his best to push everyone away but they find a way to make him a part of their lives.
If you’re looking for a retelling, I’d say this was a rather loosely based retelling but I loved it all the same. All in all, I’d highly recommend this book.
Also, here's the full review on my blog, including details on how the author's note just had me full-on sobbing.
Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
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? Yes
I fell in love with a book by this author like 5 years ago but ever since then, I've been unable to even finish any of her other books. I think this is where I give up...
I really liked the concept of this book but the writing felt very tell not show, every lesson that Sunny needed to learn was laid out so plainly and there were just so many monologues. I can't relate to Sunny, I don't find her particularly interesting or likeable either.
Everything about this book makes me feel so indifferent and bored so I decided to finally dnf at 41%
I gave it a shot, but it's not for me.
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
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
3.5
This book was hyped up so much and while I fell in love with it when I started reading, unfortunately the spell didn't last.
We start with getting to know the characters - Shizuka, Katrina and Lan - their lives and where they live. I buddy read this with Sonali and she and I both fell in love with the writing. Aoki's writing style is hauntingly lyrical and can make the most mundane string of words sound beautiful. While I'm no musician I was able to keep up with the narrative and truly experience the fascination and the pull of the violin.
However, after about the first 30 to 40% the book started to get extremely technical. I loved the edition of Lucia in the book, even though all she could talk about were the technicalities of violin, I thought she added a very important perspective to the narrative and I truly enjoyed her story. But after a while the musical details became a hindrance to my reading and I started skimming which of course affected my experience. I feel like the average reader with no knowledge of violin and classical music (me) would get a bit lost from time to time which is really a pity.
Another one of my issues was with the tone of Hell in this book. Shizuka Satomi has delivered six souls to hell and with a seventh one (Katrina), her soul will be set free. This is the central plot point of the book. The more we get to know about Shizuka the more we realise that she may appear to be the Queen of Hell but she is kind-hearted on the inside. But it became so difficult to put together the images of the kind and nurturing Shizuka who took Katrina under her wing and defended her with the Shizuka who was quite ready and eager to sacrifice Katrina to the demon. Yes, her feelings change and waver over time but the point is this makes us take Hell so lightly.
The characters' attitude towards discovering the hell bond and trading of demons is so bizarre at some point you would think people in LA just always go about trading souls to to demons. What with characters switching opinions on the morality of this deal in the span of seconds and the casual way it is presented, I couldn't be serious about it at all. Up until the very end, I truly couldn't believe that breaking the bond might even have any consequences.
You know, apart from these issues I love the different themes the book picked up on - trans lives, found families, the power of art and music, morality and immorality, artificial code and how human can they be, feminism, love and family and so many more. I don't talk much about Lan and her family in this review but I adored them. They had such a fun and interesting dynamic going on and whenever we got to the donut shop I would have a blast reading about them. I was worried at some point whether all these narratives would get tied together by the end but thankfully the ending was brilliant. The author ended on a high note(pun intended) and I love how everything was wrapped up.
I did sadly not enjoy the climax as much because the technical musical descriptions yet again interfered with my immersiveness.
But overall, this was a good book, just not incredible for me.
We start with getting to know the characters - Shizuka, Katrina and Lan - their lives and where they live. I buddy read this with Sonali and she and I both fell in love with the writing. Aoki's writing style is hauntingly lyrical and can make the most mundane string of words sound beautiful. While I'm no musician I was able to keep up with the narrative and truly experience the fascination and the pull of the violin.
However, after about the first 30 to 40% the book started to get extremely technical. I loved the edition of Lucia in the book, even though all she could talk about were the technicalities of violin, I thought she added a very important perspective to the narrative and I truly enjoyed her story. But after a while the musical details became a hindrance to my reading and I started skimming which of course affected my experience. I feel like the average reader with no knowledge of violin and classical music (me) would get a bit lost from time to time which is really a pity.
Another one of my issues was with the tone of Hell in this book. Shizuka Satomi has delivered six souls to hell and with a seventh one (Katrina), her soul will be set free. This is the central plot point of the book. The more we get to know about Shizuka the more we realise that she may appear to be the Queen of Hell but she is kind-hearted on the inside. But it became so difficult to put together the images of the kind and nurturing Shizuka who took Katrina under her wing and defended her with the Shizuka who was quite ready and eager to sacrifice Katrina to the demon. Yes, her feelings change and waver over time but the point is this makes us take Hell so lightly.
The characters' attitude towards discovering the hell bond and trading of demons is so bizarre at some point you would think people in LA just always go about trading souls to to demons. What with characters switching opinions on the morality of this deal in the span of seconds and the casual way it is presented, I couldn't be serious about it at all. Up until the very end, I truly couldn't believe that breaking the bond might even have any consequences.
You know, apart from these issues I love the different themes the book picked up on - trans lives, found families, the power of art and music, morality and immorality, artificial code and how human can they be, feminism, love and family and so many more. I don't talk much about Lan and her family in this review but I adored them. They had such a fun and interesting dynamic going on and whenever we got to the donut shop I would have a blast reading about them. I was worried at some point whether all these narratives would get tied together by the end but thankfully the ending was brilliant. The author ended on a high note(pun intended) and I love how everything was wrapped up.
I did sadly not enjoy the climax as much because the technical musical descriptions yet again interfered with my immersiveness.
But overall, this was a good book, just not incredible for me.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This might be the first Roshani Chokshi book I finished and wow, the hype is truly worth it.
I could wax poetry for the prose, it's the strongest point of this book. Every line flows beautifully and seamlessly, captivating the reader to keep going. If you're listening to the audiobook like I was, it's like the lull of a dream. I was just hooked.
The characters are mysterious: Indigo, Asher and the Bridegroom. It's fascinating to read about Indigo and Asher's bond over the years and see who Indigo is now and the secrets she is hiding. There was an element of mystery to the Bridegroom as well. I for one was completely invested in finding out what happened to his brother.
As someone who loves myths and fairytales, this book is an ode to them. The book is magically charged and mentions os many tales, weaving them seamlessly into the narrative. The plot itself was so intriguing and I couldn't help but gasp at the revelations. I did figure out the main plot twist a few pages ahead of it and I'm keeping my lips sealed but it's kind of a trope I've seen around and although it's not my favourite, I think it worked beautifully for this book.
All in all this was an enchanting adventure and I can't wait to read more books by the author!
I could wax poetry for the prose, it's the strongest point of this book. Every line flows beautifully and seamlessly, captivating the reader to keep going. If you're listening to the audiobook like I was, it's like the lull of a dream. I was just hooked.
The characters are mysterious: Indigo, Asher and the Bridegroom. It's fascinating to read about Indigo and Asher's bond over the years and see who Indigo is now and the secrets she is hiding. There was an element of mystery to the Bridegroom as well. I for one was completely invested in finding out what happened to his brother.
As someone who loves myths and fairytales, this book is an ode to them. The book is magically charged and mentions os many tales, weaving them seamlessly into the narrative. The plot itself was so intriguing and I couldn't help but gasp at the revelations. I did figure out the main plot twist a few pages ahead of it and I'm keeping my lips sealed but it's kind of a trope I've seen around and although it's not my favourite, I think it worked beautifully for this book.
All in all this was an enchanting adventure and I can't wait to read more books by the author!
Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
This book is so dry. It's all explanation and intricacies of being a forensic anthropologist with none of the excitement. Like hello?? The premise was a child's bones (acc. to the blurb) like how could this be so dull??
Not to mention it's being carried by the most two-dimensional characters ever which means they're carrying the story to its downfall. I kept reading in hopes it would get better but there's literally no mystery? Nothing to pursue as a reader, like the easiest dnf I've had in a while.
Not to mention it's being carried by the most two-dimensional characters ever which means they're carrying the story to its downfall. I kept reading in hopes it would get better but there's literally no mystery? Nothing to pursue as a reader, like the easiest dnf I've had in a while.
A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? It's complicated
4.0
Okay I didn't per se realise it was historical fiction when I began but it was so good?? I rarely enjoy historical fiction centered in the West but then again, this was a diverse take and located in Dublin so maybe that or Adiba Jaigirdar's wonderful writing and characters helped.
I was all in with the heist plot but this book is so much more than that. It's about Josefer, Emily, Hena and Violet and damn it these four made me cry. It was beautiful to see their friendships and a budding romance between these girls who are so different from each other. All four of them had character arcs, they were all their own people and stayed true to themselves until the end.
Maybe don't count on me for a comprehensive review but I learnt more about the Titanic from this book than I've ever learnt in my entire life. Love, love, love this book so much!
I was all in with the heist plot but this book is so much more than that. It's about Josefer, Emily, Hena and Violet and damn it these four made me cry. It was beautiful to see their friendships and a budding romance between these girls who are so different from each other. All four of them had character arcs, they were all their own people and stayed true to themselves until the end.
Maybe don't count on me for a comprehensive review but I learnt more about the Titanic from this book than I've ever learnt in my entire life. Love, love, love this book so much!
The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
This was an enjoyable read. Rather predicted, enemies to lovers although I'd rather frame it as rivals to lovers since Vik and Deepa have been childhood rivals but you won't call their relationship hatred. Just intense, friendly rivalry.
Anyway, I could relate to Deepa a lot, she's your typical Type A personality who plans everything in her life and likes to be in control. Which is why the unpredictable prankster Vikram gets on her nerves so much. All Deepa wants is perfection, which is really the central theme of the book. I thought it got a bit repetitive with repeated emphasis and started getting on my nerves.
I wish we could have seen more of Vik and Deepa, I loved their chemistry but so much of the book was taken up by Rohit and Deepa. The author kept teasing us about some secret about Rohit or his past and it felt very anti-climatic in the end. Rohit is seen as the perfect guy and his perfection truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the author tries telling us that nothing and nobody is perfect but on the other hand even at the end of the book, Rohit remains a perfect guy with no flaws which is frustrating.
I did like the message of different things and different people being right for someone but wrong for another person and the story carried that out quite well.
I loved the side characters as well, especially the younger sibling squad but I wish their stories had been elaborated more on. I feel like we started with character arcs for most of them but the author kind of abandoned them halfway through. Like what happened with Lily and the idea of her coaching? I would have loved to see their arcs completed and given a better ending, or rather any satisfactory closure.
All in all, the book has its ups and downs but special props to the lovely audiobook narrator who got all the pronunciations right and made the experience so enjoyable!
Anyway, I could relate to Deepa a lot, she's your typical Type A personality who plans everything in her life and likes to be in control. Which is why the unpredictable prankster Vikram gets on her nerves so much. All Deepa wants is perfection, which is really the central theme of the book. I thought it got a bit repetitive with repeated emphasis and started getting on my nerves.
I wish we could have seen more of Vik and Deepa, I loved their chemistry but so much of the book was taken up by Rohit and Deepa. The author kept teasing us about some secret about Rohit or his past and it felt very anti-climatic in the end. Rohit is seen as the perfect guy and his perfection truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the author tries telling us that nothing and nobody is perfect but on the other hand even at the end of the book, Rohit remains a perfect guy with no flaws which is frustrating.
I did like the message of different things and different people being right for someone but wrong for another person and the story carried that out quite well.
I loved the side characters as well, especially the younger sibling squad but I wish their stories had been elaborated more on. I feel like we started with character arcs for most of them but the author kind of abandoned them halfway through. Like what happened with Lily and the idea of her coaching? I would have loved to see their arcs completed and given a better ending, or rather any satisfactory closure.
All in all, the book has its ups and downs but special props to the lovely audiobook narrator who got all the pronunciations right and made the experience so enjoyable!
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith
I think this is a wonderful book for everyone to read.
As a rule of thumb, if a psychologist or therapist writes a self-help book it usually is good and helpful. Not only does Julie Smith debunk and clear some of the myths and counteractive advice propagated by pop psychology, so-called life coaches and other self-help books, but she also does a great job of integrating different kinds of things in this book.
Whether you need help managing your emotions, are thinking of starting therapy or want to focus on yourself or your relationships, this book can help with it all. Of course, it isn't magic but as a psychology student, I can attest that it is a wonderful place to start and provides many helpful tips. It's armed with a toolkit to actually implement the practices talked about so I'd suggest purchasing a physical copy or an ebook.
(I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author but unfortunately couldn't access the toolkits despite the provided directions.)
All in all, a highly recommended book from my side!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
"It is okay to build upon your emotional health and resilience even if you are not struggling right now."
I think this is a wonderful book for everyone to read.
As a rule of thumb, if a psychologist or therapist writes a self-help book it usually is good and helpful. Not only does Julie Smith debunk and clear some of the myths and counteractive advice propagated by pop psychology, so-called life coaches and other self-help books, but she also does a great job of integrating different kinds of things in this book.
"Our mood is not fixed and it does not define who we are. It's a sensation we experience."
Whether you need help managing your emotions, are thinking of starting therapy or want to focus on yourself or your relationships, this book can help with it all. Of course, it isn't magic but as a psychology student, I can attest that it is a wonderful place to start and provides many helpful tips. It's armed with a toolkit to actually implement the practices talked about so I'd suggest purchasing a physical copy or an ebook.
(I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author but unfortunately couldn't access the toolkits despite the provided directions.)
All in all, a highly recommended book from my side!