I didn't think a book could get so insufferable and yet this one managed to hit the ball out of the park.I didn't think a book could get so insufferable and yet this one managed to hit the ball out of the park....more
Can white women please, please, please stop making themselves the centre of conversation for every issue in the world? Can they please stop appropriatCan white women please, please, please stop making themselves the centre of conversation for every issue in the world? Can they please stop appropriating the struggles of women of colour and applying it to themselves for whatever reason? Can people please stop thinking that North American dystopias, cultures, politics, crises should always be the front and centre of literally every conversation in any scenario?...more
Oh boy this book was a wild ride from the start to finish. I think a bit of the charm was lost in the translation because the prose felt a bit juvenilOh boy this book was a wild ride from the start to finish. I think a bit of the charm was lost in the translation because the prose felt a bit juvenile, the sort you find in third drafts maybe? It could've been polished a bit more. It also makes me wish more than ever that I could read Urdu. Nevertheless, Ali Imran, our main guy was so freaking hilarious. He is the funny side character who finally got his own story! And also uses his foolishness and people's constant underestimation to hide a razor-sharp mind. The mysteries are pretty simple. I guessed them in my first read. But what I didn't know is that South Asia had it's own writers churning detective stories set here, with Urdu/Hindi phrases and exclamations and ethnic names. All my life has been spent reading stories set in England towns, so this was a refreshing change of setting that made this book another of my favorites! Overall, if you just want to switch off your brain, read something short and quick and a bit hilariously childish, pick this one up. The prose once again, is a bit too simple, but Ali Imran made it very enjoyable. 4.25 stars!...more
Actual rating: 3.75 stars Absolutely, as always, I adored Mafi’s writing, the Persian influence and worldbuilding. This seemed like a combination of CiActual rating: 3.75 stars Absolutely, as always, I adored Mafi’s writing, the Persian influence and worldbuilding. This seemed like a combination of Cinderella and Aladdin, and the politics of the this world were so very interesting to read. However, I could not help but draw parallels to her previous series. Alizeh and Juliette are once again young girls going through immense suffering but who secretly have long-lost lineages and are born with the purpose of being manipulated for the greater world. Kamran and Aaron are tortured princes/commanders who've fallen in love with the girl after meeting her only twice (how???), subject to the unsavoury decisions their sovereigns make (grandfather and father respectively). In addition, all those mentions of how Alizeh is soooooo not like the other girls and that she possesses wits too along with beauty like... it's 2022 can we please let this trope die? She's royalty, had the privilege of a fine education and the security of a good home and financial position for the first few years of her life. Not everyone is so lucky. And not all people have the same diplomatic, linguistic sort of intelligence that you seem to love Ms. Mafi. The book lacked in a cohesive plot and things started moving only at the last seven chapters. I would've appreciated seeing more friendships instead of romance and angst in the books but since this is the first one I can wait to see how the story unfolds....more
Thoughts I had while reading Believe Me (minor spoilers ahead): 1. Ooff omg Warner is definitely an introvert, an anxious one at that. Someone get himThoughts I had while reading Believe Me (minor spoilers ahead): 1. Ooff omg Warner is definitely an introvert, an anxious one at that. Someone get him therapy 2. It's actually very relatable how Mafi wrote about his sensory overload when he's surrounded by lights and people and too much noise. Idk what it says about me relating to a guy who picks up a gun at the slightest hint of danger, but his quiet thrumming anxiety always in the background was comforting to see. Him snapping at people was in no way justified but it made sense because I do it in times of sky-rocketing anxiety too. I appreciate it. 3. Kenji, broooooooo, I missed you so much!!!! I love you loads. You're the star! You're the saving grace! You're an amazing friend and boyfriend and leader and I wish every person meets a guy like you...more
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED HOW THIS BOOK STARTED!! The developing romance between Jenny and Jaewoo was so sweet and heart-wrenching, plus the whole “I didnI LOVED, LOVED, LOVED HOW THIS BOOK STARTED!! The developing romance between Jenny and Jaewoo was so sweet and heart-wrenching, plus the whole “I didn’t know you were famous trope.� But I think the book lost hold on pacing after the 50% mark. That’s when they shared their first kiss, and I feel like it would’ve been a lot better if the author had allowed some time to develop their romance more, maybe let them try and be friends first instead of straightaway heading for a relationship because of a profound connection. Honestly, sometimes I’m so confused by the allo world LMAO. It could’ve helped develop Jaewoo’s character better. Jenny told us a lot of things about his and her feelings and everything, which could’ve been shown instead if they hadn’t headed for a relationship so fast. What made this book worth reading though, were Min Sori and Lee Jihyuk. HOLY SHIT THEY DESERVE A BOOK OF THEIR OWN!!!! They’re such icons in their own right, and their already-over relationship angst tugged so much at my heartstrings. They seriously deserve a book of their own. I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH!!! *cries* Nathaniel/Jihyuk, sir, you are an icon. I worship the ground you walk on. ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 stars...more
![Raag Darbari [Paperback] [Jul 20, 2012] Shrilal Shukla and Gillian Wright (Tr.)](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1366191192l/15925056._SX50_.jpg)
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