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angieoverbooked's reviews
501 reviews
There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib
emotional
informative
slow-paced
5.0
This book is beautiful, poetic commentary on basketball- and so much more. It is commentary on community and home- making a home wherever you are, never leaving home, leaving home but always missing it. It’s about loneliness, mourning, endings, and survival.
Another indisputable win for me from Abdurraqib. A book you want to take your time with and soak up every word.
Another indisputable win for me from Abdurraqib. A book you want to take your time with and soak up every word.
Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
While I wasn’t wild about the circumstances that led to this “marriage of convenience” plot, I really liked the full circle element of this story of a couple who were high school sweethearts who found their way back to each other years later. I thought I’d land at 3.5 stars but I was rooting for Violet and Xavier so much by the end that it ended up being 4.
The cool thing about a second chance romance, where the first chance was in high school, is the character growth not just as individuals but as a couple. I loved the way they faced the inevitable third/fourth act conflict with grace and maturity.
No Reservations: A Novel of Friendship by Sheryl Lister
3.25
The friendships are lovely. The narration is great. But the overall story is just... fine. Having three main characters gives a writer the opportunity to represent more of a range in terms of marriages/relationships, but that opportunity was missed. The two husbands were so similarly disappointing, that I could barely tell them apart.
Now that I've read this, the cover really bothers me. Neither the ages nor sizes described in the book are represented on the cover. The women are older than the cover makes them appear and one of them is plus-sized- I think it's important that the illustration matches and represents who the characters are.
Now that I've read this, the cover really bothers me. Neither the ages nor sizes described in the book are represented on the cover. The women are older than the cover makes them appear and one of them is plus-sized- I think it's important that the illustration matches and represents who the characters are.
The Other Side of Yet: Finding Light in the Midst of Darkness by Michelle D. Hord, Michelle D. Hord
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
5.0
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
First of all, this was one of the best performed audiobooks I have heard in a long time and it's already claiming a spot in my top audiobooks of the year. It was so compelling and emotional.
I loved this follow up from Gonzalez after Olga Dies Dreaming. Again, she has created characters with depth that I wanted to spend more time with. A book that switches perspectives has to be done in such a way that you don't want to rush through one character's perspective to get to the other's. Both Anita and Raquel's chapters completely drew me in.
While I love the way it all came together and there were small threads throughout, I did expect the full connection between the characters and timelines to be revealed much sooner. While Anita was a promising artist in the '80s and Raquel is an art student in the '90s, it felt like two mostly separate stories or books a lot of the time. But- I liked both stories. And I appreciated the parallels between Raquel and Anita. The conclusion was satisfying.
Side note: I absolutely loved all of the '90s music references!
I loved this follow up from Gonzalez after Olga Dies Dreaming. Again, she has created characters with depth that I wanted to spend more time with. A book that switches perspectives has to be done in such a way that you don't want to rush through one character's perspective to get to the other's. Both Anita and Raquel's chapters completely drew me in.
While I love the way it all came together and there were small threads throughout, I did expect the full connection between the characters and timelines to be revealed much sooner. While Anita was a promising artist in the '80s and Raquel is an art student in the '90s, it felt like two mostly separate stories or books a lot of the time. But- I liked both stories. And I appreciated the parallels between Raquel and Anita. The conclusion was satisfying.
Side note: I absolutely loved all of the '90s music references!
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This is a memorable love story with elements of magical realism and historical fiction. While readers should note that it doesn’t feel like a romance until about halfway through, it’s an intriguing, genre bending novel that is worth the read.
I loved:
- Ricki’s spirit, her love for flowers, art and history and the way she romanticizes her life
- Ezra’s… everything
- the historical notes about New York & the Harlem Renaissance and how Tia Williams always mentions the names of classic Black authors and creatives
- Ms. Della, a grandmother type figure. Having lost all of my beloved grandparents, I really gravitate toward this type of character
- the side characters in general. Tia Williams crushes them every time.
- Seven Days in June cameo appearances
- the audiobook narration is gorgeous