aliciaclarereads's Reviews (1.25k)

read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to

This book was so much fun! I'm a big fan of Matt Bellassai's podcasts and videos, and I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much when I got this as an ebook rather than an audiobook. Audiobooks are definitely my preferred method of "reading" for memoirs. However, he was just as funny in print! Bellassai really leans into his "I'm not a functional adult schtick" which can be a little exhaustive (from anyone), but I found this book broken up with a nice mix of stories of his childhood and family as well as observations from the world around him. He frequently goes off into little side tangents during his stories, which I found incredibly hilarious and definitely adding to the storytelling. When I read it again, I'll have to get this on audiobook.

I will fight him about how Cheerios aren't a valid cereal, but I will give him a standing ovation for his depiction of dentists/orthodonists as sadistic torturers.

THAT. ENDING.

I really recommend Gillian Flynn books on audiobook; it's such a great experience.

read for Popsugar 2018 Challenge: next book in a series you've started

I've become really bad at reading YA series. I forget everything about the previous books and get stuck trying to catch up. I feel like I'm becoming so old! This book had enough to reference the previous book that I didn't feel totally lost, which I appreciated. However, there wasn't a ton of exposition for the plot of this book, which drove me crazy for the first third. I understand that Sierra was in the dark for most of the book about the Deck of Worlds, but it was really hard for me to understand its purpose? Eventually, Sierra and the reader are given more information, but I failed to really see the risk surrounding the Deck when it was just randomly introduced. (Unless it was mentioned in the first book, in which case, blame my failing memory!)

However, that was my only real issue with this book. Otherwise, I totally loved it. Sierra and her friends have so much fun and are such a great teenage gang

for Halloween they literally dress up as the Scooby gang, it was very cute.

. I loved the exploration of the shadowshaping talents of each of her friends, and wish we'd gotten more of that! It was a really great way to express the personalities of the characters. Also, I totally vibed with Sierra's romantic pursuits and confusions; it felt so authentically 16 year-old to me.

The last third of this book was WILD, and so amazing. The book really hit a stride and does not let go. Older manages to combine discusses of police brutality and protesting (very real things black and Latino kids in Brooklyn would be dealing with) with all the magical elements in such an amazing way. It added some real world stakes that will grip at your heart, and seeing Sierra and her friends and family get to be literally empowered with their magic despite all the nonmagical issues and oppressions they face is a really powerful moment.

I read the first book for a college course, and I really wish these were talked about more widely in the YA community. These books are so fun and accessible, and hit so many points for the excellence of diversity. Frankly, the fact that you can imbibe drawings and paintings with spiritual power would make for a really visually stunning movie! Also these covers are a DREAM.

read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: a favorite prompt from 2017: a book written by someone you admire

I remember the first time as a kid looking up to see which celebrities shared my birthday. The only name I recognized: Carrie Fisher. I've always held her in a special place in my heart ever since. This book was a delight to listen to. I hadn't really realized just how young she was during the first Star Wars. Forty years later, she can still reflect on what it was like to be so young and naive about herself and the world, and tell a really compelling story about this time in her life. I loved the addition of the diary entries (narrated beautifully by her daughter, Billie Lourd). They were really beautifully written for a 19 year old, but they were also so obviously written by a young girl confused about life and love. I'm so deeply endeared by this book, and it was really heartbreaking anytime she alluded to her dying in the future. I'm certainly looking at this book with rose tinted nostalgia, but I did enjoy it. She's so funny, and I can't wait to read her other works.

read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: Nordic noir

I'm shocked that I managed to go so long and be completely unspoiled for this book. I'm really split on my thoughts for this book. At points it dragged on, and other moments flew by. Lisbeth is definitely a unique character whose insights I enjoyed, where as Blomkvist read like such an author stand in, I kept rolling my eyes. I was really intrigued about the mystery regarding Harriet's disappearance but all Wennerstrom stuff just made my eyes glaze over.

My biggest issue was how much sexual violence is in this book. I know each section began with a statistic regarding sexual violence in Sweden, but... this book didn't seem to say anything. It concludes that rape is wrong but it makes the issue REALLY black and white

psychotic incestuous father and son pair, an evil sadistic guardian, yeah they're really bad. but what about that kind of friend who pressures you when you're drunk?

when sexual violence/assault and rape is often a lot murkier. Perhaps because I'm reading it in the time of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, I just wanted a more nuanced conversation about it.

I liked this enough, but I don't want to continue this series. I read spoilers to find out if anything interesting happens in the next books and I'm disappointed.

Lisbeth a 25/26 yo woman has a sexual relationship with a 16 yo?? That's just terrible. I'm sorry but a 25 yo cannot have a sexual relationship with a 16 yo. (I mean a hell of a lot else happens but feels like a real back track on this attitude that sexual assault is bad)

read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: a book with a weather element in the title

I had thought this was a Mulan retelling but it’s really Mulan meets Robin Hood, and I was suckered in. Renee Ahdieh has a beautiful, lyrical writing style, and draws me in each time. I loved Mariko, and how she slowly learned to get out of her head and find her place in the world. At some points I kind of rolled my eyes

Mariko learning her rich father was greedy in like an afternoon? I mean I’ll suspend disbelief but like... cmon.

but I also fell for this book hard. In all honesty, my rating is probably more of a 4 or 4.5, but I'm still in that blissful post book high.

Also Amaya kind of serves no purpose which was disappointing. I mean she had a purpose but like she was so underdeveloped and just used for Kenshin’s feelings

Also, I’m a big fan of a romance where the characters are in love with each other and are ANGRY ABOUT IT. (frankly I was obsessed with this romance and is probably why I'm rounding my review up)

I’m really looking forward to the sequel BUT I was let down by the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn so I’m hoping that doesn’t happen this time. I’m very excited for some more court intrigue after reading The Forest of a Thousand Lanterns last year.

HELLO FEUDING EMPRESS AND CONSORT? IM INTO

read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: a book with an animal in the title

I really liked this! Tiffany Haddish is an excellent storyteller, and I think listening to the audiobook is perfect way to consume this book. I laughed so much listening to this; she is just hysterical. The book also goes into a lot of difficult and traumatic times in Tiffany's life, and while it's strange to say that I enjoyed it, I did. She talks about domestic violence (and gives a proper trigger warning at the beginning of the chapter), her life in foster care, her struggles with her mother (who was also abusive), and her time spent homeless while she pursued comedy. Towards the end as she gets to the past year with her success in Girl's Trip and talks about how growing up poor still affects her mentality.

My biggest qualms were the chapter on Roscoe and that Tucker Max was a coauthor. Her chapter on Roscoe made me uncomfortable at first (probably because of the voice she did) but I don't think Tiffany really makes him the joke at any point.

I laughed so hard when she said she thought her pussy had healed him, oh my god, which clearly makes herself the butt of the joke

It was a really wild story, but I think it was also told with a lot of empathy. I'm a bit confused about Tucker Max as a coauthor for this book, but frankly I'm not well-versed on co-authoring, and this was her first publication, so maybe I'm being overly sensitive.

I don't know if I would have enjoyed reading a physical book as much as the audiobook. There's so much in her cadence that really adds another layer of enjoyment. Also I haven't watched Girl's Trip yet and I'm remedying that mistake tonight!

read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: a book about mental health

I really enjoyed this! Lily spoke very openly and candidly about her experiences with abusive relationships, her eating disorder, her struggles with body image, and her relationships with her parents (which were both very loving in spite of some of her difficulties, particularly with her dad). She also focused a lot on the importance of self-love, particularly when she described her tattoos and what they meant to her (which I googled images to look at as she spoke). I particularly like how she discussed her choices to act in Netflix's To the Bone, which received a lot of backlash about "glamorizing eating disorders." Perhaps this is the case (I haven't seen the film), but Lily's description of her choice to tell this kind of story, and her fear of relapsing if she got too close to that mindset again was open and honest. She didn't address the backlash, but I really encourage critics to hear her perspective.

My biggest issue was how short this book was. This was a super quick read, the audiobook was only 3.5 hours! She covered a lot of topics, and I wish she'd written just a little more. The book opens with a really funny story about how she over plucked her eyebrows as a young teen, which was so painfully relatable. I wish we'd gotten a little bit more of those charming stories to balance out a lot of the serious discussions.

Regardless, I really liked this, and I was happy to listen to this on audiobook!

read for PopSugar 2018 challenge: a book with alliteration in the title

I really enjoyed this! Janet Mock covers SO MUCH in this memoir on how she came into her trans identity and womanhood. Mock has faced a lot in her life, and she was able to write about her hardship and trauma beautifully. She's also incredibly full of grace towards her family, specifically her parents. Towards the end Mock is so reflective about her parents and is able to look at them through an adult lens and see what she couldn't as a child and teenager. It was really moving

There's a lot of really didactic passages about what trans people face, and I think there's a lot that would be great to share with someone who doesn't understand what being trans means. These grew a bit tedious after awhile, but I respected why she was writing about it, especially as she's a transwoman of color who needs to put her perspective out there. But I enjoyed the parts where she talked more about her life and her experiences specifically.

I'm definitely looking forward to her newer memoir about her 20's, since I'm in my 20's and think I'll identify with it even more.