sareidle's Reviews (180)

A predictable yet cute love story. I liked the alternating perspectives between the two main characters and that they were dealing with real problems regarding family and identity. I would recommend this book to fans of Never Have I Ever (Netflix) as the humor and heart is similar!

A great read for Disability Solidarity Month! I'm thankful that Sarah Marsh merged her experience as a deaf person with the historical record of Alexander Graham Bell's deaf pupils. I learned a lot about what the deaf experience can be like, and how important sign language is as a communication form. I appreciated how Marsh only used quotations for written conversations as Ellen could directly cite what was communicated, whereas she was interpreting sign language and speech via lip-reading. Distinguishing the two timelines with a phrase in Visible Speech or a sign was creative and taught me a bit of sign language along the way. Switching between the timelines was a bit confusing, especially in the first half of the book, but the plot was clear by the end and I enjoyed watching the story unfold.

I learned a lot about the nuance of the German language and how the language of the Third Reich persisted after 1945. Klemperer's perspective as a Jewish academic who stayed in the country for the duration of the Nazi regime is compelling, both in his lived experience and what he read in publications at the time. The book consists of essays on various elements of the language, so it is not meant to be read cover-to-cover and some observations are repeated. However, the chapters on the symbolism of the star and the religious connotations of the language were incredibly well-done and I will definitely return to them.

I love the layout of this cookbook and how it incorporates the atmosphere and elements from Stardew Valley. The cookbook's recipes are divided by season, and the illustrations and photographs are beautiful throughout! So far I have made the summer fruit salad and it was delicious!

This was a very fun and charming read! I really loved the cast of characters, especially Jane, August, and August's roommates. The book felt lived in, and while some events seemed more fluffy than substance, I enjoyed spending time with the characters and learning more about them.

I kept starting this book from the beginning when traveling via airplane and never completed it upon completing my journey. I've enjoyed John Green's other books, but I don't know if I can overcome my history of DNFing this one.

Oof. I knew this would be a heavy, heartbreaking book going in, but I was still in tears for most of the second half. I was forced to confront the loss of innocence and childhood that is part of war and violent regime changes. While it was difficult to read about, I felt that the portrayal of trauma and grief was true to life.

Additionally, I think that Kite Runner pairs very well with A Thousand Splendid Suns in showing how the Taliban affected life across gender, class, and ethnicity.

Veronica is lucky that I read this when my prefrontal cortex was not fully developed. -_-

I threw the book against the wall after finishing it.