Bey's bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:21:26 -0700 60 Bey's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214333691 When you¡¯ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch¡¯s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He¡¯s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who¡¯s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he¡¯s been set up to fail. But there¡¯s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]>
400 Suzanne Collins 1546171479 Bey 5
she¡¯s so sick for making a 16-year-old thinking it was the last days of his life¡­ only to let him outlive everyone he ever loved. no wonder haymitch¡¯s the way he is in the series. pass him the alcohol now. I¡¯m giving 5/5 especially for that killer epilogue.]]>
4.67 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Bey
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: fantasy, scifi, tearjerker, dystopian
review:
hello yes I would like to sue Suzanne Collins for the emotional damage she has done¡­ and the damage to my sleeping schedule.

she¡¯s so sick for making a 16-year-old thinking it was the last days of his life¡­ only to let him outlive everyone he ever loved. no wonder haymitch¡¯s the way he is in the series. pass him the alcohol now. I¡¯m giving 5/5 especially for that killer epilogue.
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<![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 23607381
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]>
436 Suzanne Collins Bey 5 4.57 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Bey
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2014/01/01
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: dystopian, owned-physical, fantasy, scifi
review:

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<![CDATA[Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club - Roll Call]]> 60753802 From New York Times bestselling author Molly Knox Ostertag and critically acclaimed illustrator Xanthe Bouma comes an all-new Dungeons & Dragons graphic novel series!

Middle school is a dungeon¡­ At least, that¡¯s how Jess sees it.

Luckily, she and her best friend Olivia know how to escape into the sprawling worlds of their own imaginations. The two friends have always loved making up stories, first with little kid games of make-believe, and more recently with the fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. When they play, Olivia runs the game as Dungeon Master and Jess is the solo party member, playing a take-no-prisoners, lone-wolf fighter of her own design named Sir Corius.

But when Olivia wants to add new players to their group, Jess finds herself struggling to share their game¡ªand her best friend. Will their epic campaign withstand all this change, or has their adventure¡ªand their friendship¡ªfinally come to an end?]]>
208 Molly Knox Ostertag 0063039257 Bey 3 4.27 2022 Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club - Roll Call
author: Molly Knox Ostertag
name: Bey
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:

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Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 14 57652485
Sukuna, unleashed, is wrecking Shibuya, and Fushiguro has suffered a serious injury from a curse user¡¯s surprise attack. Fushiguro comes up with a desperate plan to deal with both the rampaging Sukuna and the curse user, but the cost will be grave¡­]]>
192 Gege Akutami 1974725324 Bey 3 4.63 2021 Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 14
author: Gege Akutami
name: Bey
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/28
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, rep-poc, written-by-aoc, translated
review:

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Thousand Autumns [ǧÇï] 58691475
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???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????...]]>
2175 Meng Xi Shi Bey 4 fantasy, rep-poc, rep-queer 4.19 Thousand Autumns [ǧÇï]
author: Meng Xi Shi
name: Bey
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/28
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: fantasy, rep-poc, rep-queer
review:
There is a dire need to wrap Shen Qiao in a blanket and roll him like a burrito.
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She Is a Haunting 62814578
When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She¡¯s always lied to fit in, so if she¡¯s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.

But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don¡¯t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can¡¯t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don¡¯t eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house¡ªthe home her family has always wanted¡ªwill not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house¡¯s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.]]>
384 Trang Thanh Tran 1547610824 Bey 3 owned-physical 3.52 2023 She Is a Haunting
author: Trang Thanh Tran
name: Bey
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: owned-physical
review:

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Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it¡ªbut can she do it?]]>
306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Bey 3 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Bey
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2020/10/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: guilty-pleasure, romance, contemporary, owned-physical, slow-burn
review:
Even after 4 years, my love towards this book hasn¡¯t changed. Maybe a little bit, but still beautifully written (and narrated) for me nonetheless ??
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The Lying Life of Adults 48715377 ¡°Two years before leaving home my father said to my mother that I was very ugly. The sentence was uttered under his breath, in the apartment that my parents, newly married, had bought in Rione Alto, at the top of Via San Giacomo dei Capri. Everything¡ªthe spaces of Naples, the blue light of a very cold February, those words¡ªremained fixed. But I slipped away, and am still slipping away, within these lines that are intended to give me a story, while in fact I am nothing, nothing of my own, nothing that has really begun or really been brought to completion: only a tangled knot, and nobody, not even the one who at this moment is writing, knows if it contains the right thread for a story or is merely a snarled confusion of suffering, without redemption.¡±

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369 Elena Ferrante 1609455924 Bey 2 3.63 2019 The Lying Life of Adults
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Bey
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Comic / Manhua) Vol. 6]]> 213680323 242 M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´ Bey 4 4.71 2024 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Comic / Manhua) Vol. 6
author: M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´
name: Bey
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:

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Mexican Gothic 48717236
Noem¨ª is also an unlikely rescuer: She¡¯s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she¡¯s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin¡¯s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noem¨ª; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi¡¯s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family¡¯s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noem¨ª, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family¡¯s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family¡¯s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noem¨ª digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noem¨ª, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]>
302 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 1529402662 Bey 4 ¡°In a sense all dreams foretell events, but some more clearly than others.¡±

It has been a while since I last read a horror/thriller book, and I am fascinated with this one. With a mixture of gothic Latin theme, feminism acts and tight-gripping-to-the-end storyline, this book fascinates me so much. However, I understand that wordy narrations might not be a lot of people¡¯s choice of reading companion, Silvia Moreno-Garcia did give me quite a pleasant experience for such a gruesome story.

Trigger warning: Incest, Rape Attempt, Gore, Violence, Murder, Gun Usage, Death.

4/?????????? ]]>
3.72 2020 Mexican Gothic
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Bey
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/11/05
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: owned-kindle, owned-physical, historical-setting, own-voices, slow-burn, suspense-thriller-horror, mystery, written-by-aoc, rep-poc
review:
¡°In a sense all dreams foretell events, but some more clearly than others.¡±


It has been a while since I last read a horror/thriller book, and I am fascinated with this one. With a mixture of gothic Latin theme, feminism acts and tight-gripping-to-the-end storyline, this book fascinates me so much. However, I understand that wordy narrations might not be a lot of people¡¯s choice of reading companion, Silvia Moreno-Garcia did give me quite a pleasant experience for such a gruesome story.

Trigger warning: Incest, Rape Attempt, Gore, Violence, Murder, Gun Usage, Death.

4/??????????
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<![CDATA[Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Comic / Manhua) Vol. 5]]> 202359942 228 M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´ Bey 4 4.63 2024 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Comic / Manhua) Vol. 5
author: M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´
name: Bey
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu (Novel) Vol. 2]]> 209544488 KNOW THINE ENEMY

After a passionate night together, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye part the next morning as enemies. A new emperor has ascended the throne, and the court is in flux. Power and position are in reach for anyone who dares to grasp them--and Shen Zechuan will stop at nothing to pursue his ambitions. But while Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye counter each other's moves on the board, grander schemes are afoot in the capital of Qudu.

As court conspiracies swirl around them, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye find themselves unlikely allies against a mysterious adversary pulling the strings behind a series of calamities targeting the emperor. Yet, in order to work together, there must be trust, and with trust comes in setting their masks aside, they may inadvertently find their whole selves laid bare.]]>
422 Tang Jiu Qing Bey 4 4.60 Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu (Novel) Vol. 2
author: Tang Jiu Qing
name: Bey
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/15
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu (Novel) Vol. 1]]> 198692490 SCOURGE OF A NATION

Shen Zechuan is the eighth son of the traitorous Prince of Jianxing, a man who doomed his cities and people to destruction at the hands of the foreign enemy. As the only surviving member of his reviled line, Shen Zechuan bears the hatred of the nation. And no one's hate burns hotter than that of Xiao Chiye, the youngest son of the powerful Prince of Libei.

Xiao Chiye would love nothing more than to see Shen Zechuan dead, but against all odds, he clings to life. Rather than succumb to his family's disgrace, he becomes a thorn in Xiao Chiye's side, clawing his way into the cutthroat political world of the capital. Yet as these two bitter enemies struggle against the bonds of their fate, they find themselves drawn together with a force neither expected--and neither can hope to resist.]]>
446 Tang Jiu Qing Bey 4 4.46 Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu (Novel) Vol. 1
author: Tang Jiu Qing
name: Bey
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/23
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 4]]> 202362905
Who created this ghost town in the first place, defying the edict of the founder of demonic cultivation? A mysterious blind ghost may carry the answers.]]>
218 Luo Di Cheng Qiu Bey 4 4.77 2022 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 4
author: Luo Di Cheng Qiu
name: Bey
average rating: 4.77
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/07
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 6]]> 60044941 BODY IN ABYSS, HEART IN PARADISE

White No-Face, Xie Lian¡¯s greatest fear and most hated enemy, has arrived¡­or so it seems. While the ghost with the half-crying, half-smiling mask is somewhere nearby, the creature is elusive as always, taunting Xie Lian from just out of reach and promising the total destruction of everything he holds dear.

As Xie Lian confronts the trauma of his last encounter with the terrifying ghost, Hua Cheng will do anything in his power to protect him. But White No-Face¡¯s identity and purpose are not the only mysteries to unravel, as Hua Cheng also has a history in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Mount Tonglu. Will Xie Lian finally discover the full connection they share¡ªand learn the true depths of Hua Cheng¡¯s devotion?]]>
412 M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´ 1638585512 Bey 4 owned-physical 4.80 2017 Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 6
author: M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´
name: Bey
average rating: 4.80
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves: owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 8]]> 60044962 In this final book (Volume 8), read the conclusion to this epic historical fantasy about a prince and the mysterious man by his side, in English for the very first time. Also includes bonus stories!

White No-Face's mask is off, and the final conflict has begun. Deep in the ancient caverns and lava flows of Mount Tonglu, Xie Lian must face the one whose hatred has plagued him for centuries¡ªbut this time, he won't have to do it alone. His beloved, Hua Cheng, has spent his long existence amassing the power to protect him, and now with their feelings for each other out in the open, they have all the more reason to fight for survival.

In this thrilling conclusion to Heaven Official's Blessing, can Xie Lian and Hua Cheng triumph against an all-powerful foe?

Also included in this final volume are five bonus tales of romance, celebration, and adventure.]]>
404 M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´ 1638585539 Bey 4 owned-physical 4.81 2017 Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 8
author: M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´
name: Bey
average rating: 4.81
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves: owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 7]]> 60044950 LIFETIMES OF CRUELTY, CENTURIES OF DEVOTION

The Kiln is open, and White No-Face is back to his full power. The past eight hundred years have not blunted his hatred nor his obsession with Xie Lian¡ªhe aims to break Xie Lian down to nothing, even if all of humanity and the heavens themselves are collateral damage.

This time, however, Xie Lian will not face him alone. Together with Hua Cheng¡ªpowerful ghost king, stalwart protector, and devoted love¡ªcan Xie Lian finally reveal the face behind the mask and put an end to the nightmare forever?]]>
404 M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´ 1685791115 Bey 4 owned-physical 4.74 2017 Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 7
author: M¨° Xi¨¡ng T¨®ng Xi¨´
name: Bey
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves: owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Business Casual (Lovelight, #4)]]> 199162859 Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?

Nova Porter isn¡¯t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it¡¯s his charm? Or maybe it¡¯s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she¡¯s distracted every time he¡¯s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn¡¯t have time for frivolous flirtations.?

In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They¡¯ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities.?But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can¡¯t quite avoid him.?

And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He¡¯s hoping he can convince Nova he¡¯s worth some of her time.]]>
380 B.K. Borison 0593641183 Bey 4 4.21 2024 Business Casual (Lovelight, #4)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Bey
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 3]]> 195516664 222 Luo Di Cheng Qiu Bey 4 4.65 2022 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 3
author: Luo Di Cheng Qiu
name: Bey
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves:
review:

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Night Sky with Exit Wounds 30245389 Night Sky with Exit Wounds is a book of poetry unlike any other. Steeped in war and cultural upheaval and wielding a fresh new language, Vuong writes about the most profound subjects ¨C love and loss, conflict, grief, memory and desire ¨C and attends to them all with lines that feel newly-minted, graceful in their cadences, passionate and hungry in their tender, close attention: ¡®¡­the chief of police/facedown in a pool of Coca-Cola./A palm-sized photo of his father soaking/beside his left ear.¡¯ This is an unusual, important book: both gentle and visceral, vulnerable and assured, and its blend of humanity and power make it one of the best first collections of poetry to come out of America in years.

¡®These are poems of exquisite beauty, unashamed of romance, and undaunted by looking directly into the horrors of war, the silences of history. One of the most important debut collections for a generation.¡¯ Andrew McMillan]]>
93 Ocean Vuong Bey 4 4.05 2016 Night Sky with Exit Wounds
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Bey
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/12
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: written-by-aoc, rep-poc, poetry, written-by-queer
review:

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<![CDATA[Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 4 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #4)]]> 210594674 AT THIS RATE... JUNGHYEOK YU WILL DIE TODAY.

Dokja has his hands full dealing with relentless monster attacks, as well as the Landlord Coalition¡¯s tyranny. But when Junghyeok disappears amid the chaos, Dokja is faced with a chilling question¨Dwhen the main character of this universe dies, what happens to the rest of the world? Not wanting to find out, he ventures into the Cinema Dungeon to find the missing Regressor!]]>
264 Singshong Bey 4 4.42 2022 Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 4 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #4)
author: Singshong
name: Bey
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 3 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint #3)]]> 205008347 IF YOU HAVE A SHRED OF PRIDE LEFT, STAND UP AND FIGHT!

Inside the ruthless scenarios of TWSA, something as simple as getting a meal is a life-or-death struggle. With all the food destroyed by the goblin, Dokja¡¯s group is forced to venture into the dark tunnels full of vicious creatures. But in the cruel new world, monsters are not the most dangerous enemies...Fear and desperation among the survivors cause Geumho Station to erupt into wanton bloodshed. And amid the chaos, Huiwon¡¯s true power awakens¨Dthe Time of Judgment is here!]]>
248 singNsong Bey 4 4.44 2021 Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 3 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint #3)
author: singNsong
name: Bey
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 2 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #2)]]> 199844049 THE ENDLESS TRAGEDIES OF THIS WORLD ALL BEGIN WITH THIS CHARACTER.

Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse is Dokja¡¯s favorite novel, or it was...until it became reality. Thanks to his knowledge of the story, he managed to survive the first chaotic moments of the new world. But the relentless scenario waits for no one, and Dokja finds himself in yet another life-or-death struggle. Isolated from his group and surrounded by horrific creatures, his story seems all but doomed to a premature ending...That¡¯s when an unmistakable presence makes an entrance. It¡¯s time for Dokja, the only reader of TWSA, to meet its main character¨Dthe Regressor Junghyeok Yu!]]>
240 singNsong 4000005324 Bey 4 4.48 2020 Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 2 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #2)
author: singNsong
name: Bey
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Manhwa, Vol. 1 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #1)]]> 194805543 AT THAT MOMENT, MY LIFE TOOK ON A DIFFERENT GENRE.

As a struggling office worker, Dokja Kim¡¯s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he¡¯s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end¡­and so does the world.

People all around the globe suddenly find themselves being massacred by horrific monsters or pitted against each other in sadistic scenarios straight out of the novel. However, only Dokja is aware that this is merely the first chapter of what is to come. Knowing that devastating plot twists are on the horizon, he can no longer afford to sit back as a reader¡ªit¡¯s time for Dokja to step up and write his own destiny!]]>
248 singNsong Bey 4 4.43 2020 Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Manhwa, Vol. 1 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #1)
author: singNsong
name: Bey
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 5 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #5)]]> 216187856 THE GIRL WHO DID NOT CRY COMMANDED THE BATTLEFIELD.

In their quest to rescue Junghyeok from the Cinema Dungeon, Dokja¡¯s group find themselves in the midst of a fierce naval showdown. This should be easy¨Dafter all, it¡¯s a reenactment of the famous battle won by Jihye Lee¡¯s constellation! But Dokja¡¯s confidence soon turns into panic when he spots the heroine of this story reduced to a tearful mess, haunted by guilt and sorrow. Can Jihye overcome her trauma and become the peerless ruler of the sea she¡¯s destined to be?]]>
272 Umi (Redice Studio) Bey 0 to-read 4.51 2022 Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 5 (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, #5)
author: Umi (Redice Studio)
name: Bey
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Only and Forever (Bergman Brothers, #7)]]> 195035565 It¡¯s a room-mance for the books in this tender, steamy story about unexpectedly finding love and being brave enough to let it revise life¡¯s narrative in the final book in the beloved Bergman Brothers series.

Viggo Bergman, hopeless romantic, is thoroughly weary of waiting for his happily ever after. But between opening a romance bookstore, running a romance book club, coaching kids' soccer, and adopting a household of pets¡ªjust maybe, he¡¯s overcommitted himself?¡ªViggo¡¯s chaotic life has made finding his forever love seem downright improbable.

Enter Tallulah Clarke, chilly cynic with a massive case of writer¡¯s block. Tallulah needs help with her thriller¡¯s romantic subplot. Viggo needs another pair of hands to keep his store afloat. So they agree to swap skills and cohabitate for convenience¡ªhis romance expertise to revive her book, her organizational prowess to salvage his store. They hardly get along, and they couldn¡¯t be more different, but who says roommate-coworkers need to be friends?

As they share a home and life, Tallulah and Viggo discover a connection that challenges everything they believe about love, and reveals the plot twist they never saw happily ever after is here already, right under their roof.]]>
368 Chloe Liese 0593642481 Bey 4 4.00 2024 Only and Forever (Bergman Brothers, #7)
author: Chloe Liese
name: Bey
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/09
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir]]> 53060552 "There is no writer quite like Dolly Alderton working today and very soon the world will know it.¡±-- Lisa Taddeo, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Three Women

¡°Dolly Alderton has always been a sparkling Roman candle of talent. She is funny, smart, and explosively engaged in the wonders and weirdness of the world. But what makes this memoir more than mere entertainment is the mature and sophisticated evolution that Alderton describes in these pages. It¡¯s a beautifully told journey and a thoughtful, important book. I loved it.¡±--Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and City of Girls

The wildly funny, occasionally heartbreaking internationally bestselling memoir about growing up, growing older, and learning to navigate friendships, jobs, loss, and love along the ride

When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that absolutely no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. Everything I Know About Love is about bad dates, good friends and¡ªabove all else¡ª realizing that you are enough.

Glittering with wit and insight, heart and humor, Dolly Alderton¡¯s unforgettable debut weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age¡ªmaking you want to pick up the phone and tell your best friends all about it. Like Bridget Jones¡¯ Diary but all true, Everything I Know About Love is about the struggles of early adulthood in all its terrifying and hopeful uncertainty.

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368 Dolly Alderton 0062968807 Bey 3 3.90 2018 Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir
author: Dolly Alderton
name: Bey
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/03/17
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:
I wanted to rate it lower but I feel weird rating someone¡¯s life story lower than 3 so here I am, I guess.
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Clouds: A Memoir 55656681
¡°Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something?big. I want someone¡¯s life to be changed forever.¡± This is what Laura Sobiech?prayed when she found out her seventeen-year-old son had only one year to live. With this desperate prayer, she released her son to God¡¯s will.

At that point, Zach Sobiech was just another teenager battling cancer. When his mother told him to think about writing goodbye letters to family and friends, he decided instead to write songs. One of them, ¡°Clouds,¡± captured hearts and changed lives, making him an international sensation.

This story is a testament to what can happen when you live as if each day might be your last. It¡¯s a story about the human spirit. It shows how God used a dying boy from a small town in Minnesota to touch the hearts of millions¡ªincluding top executives in the entertainment industry, major music artists, news anchors, talk show hosts, actors, priests and pastors, and schoolchildren across the globe. And above all, it¡¯s an example of the amazing things that happen when someone shares the most precious thing he has¡ªhimself. ?

¡°I¡¯m not a musician; I¡¯m just a filmmaker, and my prayer is that you get an opportunity¡ªboth through the reading of this beautiful book and the watching of our film based on it¡ªto experience what I will fail to put into the magic and inspiration of Zachary David Sobiech.¡±

¡ªJustin Baldoni, filmmaker and director of Clouds]]>
368 Laura Sobiech 1400229774 Bey 5 Hope is something much bigger than anything physical we may desire. It is about raising our eyes from a point on the horizon to the heavens and into eternity.

I have watched the movie on Disney+ months ago and after finding out that it was based on a memoir book, I feel compelled to read it despite my lack of experience reading one. Zach¡¯s experience reminded me of my passed cousin who fought for breast cancer and lost to it eventually. They had some similar personalities so it hits a little close to home and I couldn¡¯t help but weep.

This is very beautifully written, I feel as if I were hearing a story of a close friend who fought for life, reminding us to never take life for granted because every second is a blessing. And I believe there is nothing more rewarding than being surrounded by people who loved you when your time here is up.

Until today, I have kept the Clouds song on my playlist because yes, it is very catchy and beautiful and I love it.]]>
4.70 Clouds: A Memoir
author: Laura Sobiech
name: Bey
average rating: 4.70
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2021/05/08
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: family, memoir, tearjerker, nonfiction
review:
Hope is something much bigger than anything physical we may desire. It is about raising our eyes from a point on the horizon to the heavens and into eternity.


I have watched the movie on Disney+ months ago and after finding out that it was based on a memoir book, I feel compelled to read it despite my lack of experience reading one. Zach¡¯s experience reminded me of my passed cousin who fought for breast cancer and lost to it eventually. They had some similar personalities so it hits a little close to home and I couldn¡¯t help but weep.

This is very beautifully written, I feel as if I were hearing a story of a close friend who fought for life, reminding us to never take life for granted because every second is a blessing. And I believe there is nothing more rewarding than being surrounded by people who loved you when your time here is up.

Until today, I have kept the Clouds song on my playlist because yes, it is very catchy and beautiful and I love it.
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Grass 53243239
Grass is a powerful anti-war graphic novel, offering up firsthand the life story of a Korean girl named Lee Ok-sun who was forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Imperial Army during the second World War - a disputed chapter in 20th century Asian history.

Beginning in Lee¡¯s childhood, Grass shows the leadup to World War II from a child¡¯s vulnerable perspective, detailing how one person experienced the Japanese occupation and the widespread suffering it entailed for ordinary Korean folk. Keum Suk Gendry-Kim emphasizes Lee¡¯s strength in overcoming the many forms of adversity she experienced. Grass is painted in a black ink that flows with lavish details of the beautiful fields and farmland of Korea and uses heavy brushwork on the somber interiors of Lee¡¯s memories.]]>
408 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim 1770464182 Bey 4 4.47 2017 Grass
author: Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
name: Bey
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/28
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, memoir, rep-poc, written-by-aoc, translated
review:

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Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir 57437746 The meticulous artwork of transgender artist Bishakh Som gives us the rare opportunity to see the world through another lens.

This exquisite graphic novel memoir by a transgender artist, explores the concept of identity by inviting the reader to view the author moving through life as she would have us see her, that is, as she sees herself. Framed with a candid autobiographical narrative, this book gives us the opportunity to enter into the author¡¯s daily life and explore her thoughts on themes of gender and sexuality, memory and urbanism, love and loss.]]>
160 Bishakh Kumar Som 1951491114 Bey 3 3.69 2020 Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir
author: Bishakh Kumar Som
name: Bey
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/03/29
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: graphic-novel-comics, memoir, nonfiction
review:

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The Times I Knew I Was Gay 50897027 A charming, highly relatable graphic memoir about one woman¡¯s coming out and coming of age that ¡°brims with hope, and the joy that arises when one is finally ready to step out into the world¡± (OprahMag.com).Ellie always had questions about who she was and how she fit in. As a girl, she wore black, obsessed over Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and found dating boys much more confusing than many of her friends did. As she grew older, so did her fears and a deep sense of unbelonging. From her first communion to her first girlfriend via a swathe of self-denial, awkward encounters, and everyday courage, Ellie offers a fresh and funny self-portrait of a young woman becoming herself. This ¡°heartwarming, delightful memoir of self-discovery¡± (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) reminds us that people sometimes come out not just once but again and again; that identity is not necessarily about falling in love with others, but about coming to terms with oneself. Full of vitality and humor, The Times I Knew I Was Gay will ring true for anyone who has taken the time to discover who they truly are.]]> 320 Eleanor Crewes 1982147121 Bey 3 3.87 2020 The Times I Knew I Was Gay
author: Eleanor Crewes
name: Bey
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/13
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: written-by-queer, graphic-novel-comics, memoir
review:

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<![CDATA[Nothing More to Lose (NYRB Poets)]]> 18630757 Nothing More to Lose is the first collection of poems by Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish to appear in English. Hailed across the Arab world? and beyond, Darwish¡¯s poetry walks the razor¡¯s edge between despair and resistance, between dark humor and harsh political realities. With incisive imagery and passionate lyricism, Darwish confronts themes of equality and justice while offering a radical, more inclusive, rewriting of what it means to be both Arab and Palestinian living in Jerusalem, his birthplace.]]> 129 Najwan Darwish 1590177479 Bey 4 4.15 2014 Nothing More to Lose (NYRB Poets)
author: Najwan Darwish
name: Bey
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/28
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: poetry, translated, written-by-aoc
review:

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<![CDATA[TODOS LOS ESPECIALISTAS EN MARKETING SON MENTIROSOS:: Los actuales vendedores de sue?os]]> 9506727 SON Los actuales vendedores de sue?os, de Seth Godin, es un cl¨¢sico libro que explica c¨®mo funciona realmente el marketing y por qu¨¦ la autenticidad es el mejor marketing de todos los tiempos.
Como sabemos en el mundo actual, la feroz competencia hace posible que cualquier otra empresa pueda vender lo mismo a m¨¢s barato, lo que prima es lo que se le haga creer al consumidor, m¨¢s incluso que lo que el producto realmente pueda ser. Una buena historia, bien contada y vendida, hace que el comprador est¨¦ dispuesto a pagar un plus por exclusividad.
Lo prioritario es, pues, el primer impacto, la primera impresi¨® el consumidor compra lo que quiere, lo que desea, no lo que necesita.
Es la empresa que satisface deseos la que crece en el mundo de hoy, y no la que satisface necesidades.
Lo anterior puede aplicarse a cualquier contexto, a cualquier terreno, incluido, por ejemplo, el mundo de la pol¨ªtica. Gana las elecciones quien sabe contar una historia m¨¢s coherente y con m¨¢s dosis de credibilidad, una mentira que merezca la pena, un cuento cuyo valor aumenta a medida que es compartido por m¨¢s gente.

Es as¨ª, todos los especialistas en marketing son mentirosos, pero los que tienen ¨¦xito son aquellos que m¨¢s honestamente pueden contarnos una historia que queremos creer y compartir.
> La importancia de la visi¨®n del mundo que tiene el consumidor a qui¨¦n nos dirigimos.
> Lo innovador como recurso para captar la atenci6n.
> El peso de la primera impresi¨®n en una cultura caracterizada por un vertiginoso ritmo de vida.
> El valor de las historias cre¨ªbles y apetecibles.
> La importancia de evitar que exista una distancia insalvable entre la imagen que se vende y el producto real.
> Contar historias impactantes, pero previamente testadas y cre¨ªdas por nosotros mismos.
> Los grandes maestros del relato.
> La segmentaci¨®n del c¨®mo lograr que las ideas se propaguen y cuajen.
> Lecturas recomendadas.
> Consejos para los especialistas en marketing.
Por lo tanto, este libro, es un libro ameno, intrigante y revelador, especialmente dirigido a todos los interesados en el mundo del marketing.
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243 Seth Godin 110118454X Bey 4 nonfiction, self-help 4.09 2005 TODOS LOS ESPECIALISTAS EN MARKETING SON MENTIROSOS:: Los actuales vendedores de sue?os
author: Seth Godin
name: Bey
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/10
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: nonfiction, self-help
review:
This book serves insightful materials which I think would be an all-time relatable tips for those who are working in the marketing field.
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<![CDATA[Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 1]]> 100853142
Thirteen years later, Wei Wuxian is reborn. Summoned by a young man who sacrificed his soul in a forbidden ritual, Wei Wuxian is now bound to seek vengeance on the stranger¡¯s behalf or risk the destruction of his own soul. But when an evil entity emerges, a familiar face from Wei Wuxian¡¯s past suddenly appears amidst the chaos¨CLan Wangji, a powerful cultivator who will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.]]>
222 Luo Di Cheng Qiu Bey 4 4.52 2024 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 1
author: Luo Di Cheng Qiu
name: Bey
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/28
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race]]> 40151243 Based on the New York Times bestselling?book and the Academy Award¨Cnominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math¡­really good.

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.

"Finally, the extraordinary lives of four African American women who helped NASA put the first men in space is available for picture book readers," proclaims Brightly in their article "18 Must-Read Picture Books of 2018." "Will inspire girls and boys alike to love math, believe in themselves, and reach for the stars."

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40 Margot Lee Shetterly Bey 3 4.58 2018 Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
author: Margot Lee Shetterly
name: Bey
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/02/28
date added: 2024/07/12
shelves: written-by-aoc, graphic-novel-comics, nonfiction
review:

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Window Shopping 59031925 A sizzling, standalone, feel-good holiday romance from Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer.

Two weeks before Christmas and all through Manhattan,

shop windows are decorated in red and green satin.

I'm standing alone in front of the famous Vivant department store,

when a charming man named Aiden asks my opinion of the decor.

It's a tragedy in tinsel, I say, unable to lie.

He asks for a better idea with a twinkle in his eye.

Did I know he owned the place? No. He put me on the spot.

Now I'm working for that man, trying to ignore that he's hot.

But as a down on her luck girl with a difficult past,

I know an opportunity when I see one-and I have to make it last.




I'll put my heart and soul into dressing his holiday windows.

I'll work without stopping.

And when we lose the battle with temptation,

I'll try and remember I'm just window shopping.]]>
248 Tessa Bailey 1087987598 Bey 2 3.58 2021 Window Shopping
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Bey
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2022/02/23
date added: 2024/06/24
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance, trope-forced-proximity
review:
Aiden Cook is a big capital SIMP and I loved him.
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<![CDATA[Frieren: Beyond Journey¡¯s End, Vol. 3]]> 59360240 200 Kanehito Yamada 1974731634 Bey 4 4.55 2020 Frieren: Beyond Journey¡¯s End, Vol. 3
author: Kanehito Yamada
name: Bey
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/06/11
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Spy x Family, Vol. 11 (Spy ¡Á Family, #11)]]> 176443110
Threatened by Yor¡¯s relationship with Melinda Desmond, Anya gets serious about her own friendship scheme. On the way to a museum field trip, however, she and her class become the target of political activists looking to free their political allies¡­]]>
208 Tatsuya Endo 1974743292 Bey 4 4.49 2023 Spy x Family, Vol. 11 (Spy ¡Á Family, #11)
author: Tatsuya Endo
name: Bey
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/06/11
shelves:
review:

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The Way We Were 11069831 nan 464 Elizabeth Noble 1408486717 Bey 2 romance 3.39 The Way We Were
author: Elizabeth Noble
name: Bey
average rating: 3.39
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2016/02/04
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: romance
review:

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A Fragile Enchantment 126919225 In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh ? Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more¡ªuntil an anonymous gossip columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family¡¯s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.]]>
384 Allison Saft 1250892848 Bey 3 3.55 2024 A Fragile Enchantment
author: Allison Saft
name: Bey
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Frieren: Beyond Journey¡¯s End, Vol. 2]]> 59348522 199 Kanehito Yamada 1974731219 Bey 4 4.60 2020 Frieren: Beyond Journey¡¯s End, Vol. 2
author: Kanehito Yamada
name: Bey
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/31
date added: 2024/04/01
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1]]> 58478970 192 Kanehito Yamada 1974729540 Bey 4 4.56 2020 Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1
author: Kanehito Yamada
name: Bey
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/29
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Omniscient Reader¡¯s Viewpoint, Vol. 1]]> 43802732
Only I know the end of this world.

One day our MC finds himself stuck in the world of his favorite webnovel. What does he do to survive? It is a world struck by catastrophe and danger all around.

His edge? He knows the plot of the story to the end. Because he was the sole reader that stuck with it. Read his story to see how he survives!]]>
2079 Singshong Bey 0 to-read 4.70 Omniscient Reader¡¯s Viewpoint, Vol. 1
author: Singshong
name: Bey
average rating: 4.70
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco (The Midnight Heat Collection, #1)]]> 203652553 This soccer star is determined to win¡­ his woman¡¯s heart.

For millionaire footballer Nikolas Christou, one look is all it takes. The minute he sees Aria Granger, he¡¯s a goner. Playboy Nik knows lust¡ªintimately¡ªbut his need for Aria goes far beyond that. Of course, the plus-sized beauty isn¡¯t interested in romance¡­ but Nik isn¡¯t interested in giving up.

Aria Granger has sworn off relationships for her own good. After all, her ex nearly murdered her best friend, so clearly?her taste is questionable.?When charming, gorgeous Nik bounds into her life, Aria can't decide if he's as innocent as he seems... or if her bullsh*t-ometer is broken.

The super-sweet sports star?claims?he needs a fake girlfriend to protect him from 'misunderstandings'. And Aria, with her tattoos, piercings and dangerous scowl, fits the bill. But there's no way a guy as handsome as Nik can be?that?bad at handling relationships. Can he?]]>
210 Talia Hibbert Bey 3 3.69 2018 The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco (The Midnight Heat Collection, #1)
author: Talia Hibbert
name: Bey
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/22
date added: 2024/03/09
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls, #3)]]> 61087733
Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life (vomit and crying are regretfully involved). To get her mind off everything and overcome her writer's block, Iris tries out for a local play, but comes face-to-face with Stefania¡ªor, Stevie, her real name. When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked, but goes along with it because maybe this fake relationship will actually get her creative juices flowing and she can get her book written. As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move¡­]]>
400 Ashley Herring Blake 0593550587 Bey 2 4.11 2023 Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls, #3)
author: Ashley Herring Blake
name: Bey
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/01/13
date added: 2024/02/29
shelves: rep-queer, romance, setting-small-town, setting-workplace, trope-fake-dating-marriage, trope-forced-proximity, trope-oppositesattract
review:

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<![CDATA[What Women Want: A Therapist, Her Patients, and Their True Stories of Desire, Power, and Love]]> 128169284
Sigmund Freud once ¡®The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is ¡° What does a woman want? ¡±' Through the relatable and moving stories of seven very different women, Maxine Mei-Fung Chung refutes this inscrutability and sheds light on our most fundamental needs and desires. From a young bride-to-be struggling to accept her sexuality, to a mother grappling with questions of identity and belonging, and a woman learning to heal after years of trauma , What Women Want is an electrifying and deeply intimate exploration into the inner lives of women.

Based on hours of conversations between Maxine and her patients, this book lays bare our fears, hopes, secrets and capacity for healing. With great empathy and precision, What Women Want presents a fearless look into the depths of who we are, so that we can better understand each other and ourselves.

To desire is an action. This extraordinary book liberates and empowers us to claim what we truly want.]]>
305 Maxine Mei-Fung Chung 1538758296 Bey 4 3.83 2023 What Women Want: A Therapist, Her Patients, and Their True Stories of Desire, Power, and Love
author: Maxine Mei-Fung Chung
name: Bey
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/29
date added: 2024/02/29
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, #5.1)]]> 36013042 24 Rick Riordan Bey 5 fantasy, mythology, rep-poc ¡±... And that¡¯s how I ended up hanging from a billboard over Times Square without my pants. To answer your next question: Boxers. Plain blue boxers. No smiley faces. No hearts. Laugh all you want. They¡¯re more comfortable than briefs.¡±

Excuse me while I laugh to death because of Percy and Grover duo OHMYGODS I MISS THEM SO MUCH?????? And it¡¯s kind of weird reading Apollo not being the dorky Lester but wELL.

5/5??]]>
4.01 2017 Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, #5.1)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Bey
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/19
date added: 2024/02/11
shelves: fantasy, mythology, rep-poc
review:
¡±... And that¡¯s how I ended up hanging from a billboard over Times Square without my pants. To answer your next question: Boxers. Plain blue boxers. No smiley faces. No hearts. Laugh all you want. They¡¯re more comfortable than briefs.¡±

Excuse me while I laugh to death because of Percy and Grover duo OHMYGODS I MISS THEM SO MUCH?????? And it¡¯s kind of weird reading Apollo not being the dorky Lester but wELL.

5/5??
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<![CDATA[Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire]]> 62229179
Gaza, home to two million people, continues to face suffocating conditions imposed by Israel. This distinctive anthology imagines what the future of Gaza could be, while reaffirming the critical role of Gaza in Palestinian identity, history, and struggle for liberation.

Light in Gaza ?is a seminal, moving and wide-ranging anthology of Palestinian writers and artists. It constitutes a collective effort to organize and center Palestinian voices in the ongoing struggle. As political discourse shifts toward futurism as a means of reimagining a better way of living, beyond the violence and limitations of colonialism, Light in Gaza is an urgent and powerful intervention into an important political moment.]]>
280 Jehad Abusalim 1642597252 Bey 5 4.54 2022 Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire
author: Jehad Abusalim
name: Bey
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/01
date added: 2024/02/01
shelves:
review:

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On a Sunbeam 41819533 Two timelines. Second chances. One love. A ragtag crew travels to the deepest reaches of space, rebuilding beautiful, broken structures to piece the past together.Two girls meet in boarding school and fall deeply in love¡ªonly to learn the pain of loss. With interwoven timelines and stunning art, award-winning graphic novelist Tillie Walden creates an inventive world, breathtaking romance, and an epic quest for love.LA Times Festival of Books 2018 Book Prize Winner, Graphic Novel/ComicsA Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2018One of The Washington Post's "10 Best Graphic Novels of 2018"A School Library Journal Best Book of 2018A YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic NovelA 2019 Hugo Award Nominee, Best Graphic StoryA Harvey Award Nominee, Book of the YearA Harvey Award Nominee, Best Children's or Young Adult Book]]> 544 Tillie Walden 1250225973 Bey 3 4.12 2018 On a Sunbeam
author: Tillie Walden
name: Bey
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/30
date added: 2024/01/30
shelves:
review:

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Cleat Cute 76753210
Phoebe Matthews has always admired Grace¡¯s skill and was star struck to be training alongside her idol. But she quickly finds herself looking at Grace as more than a mere teammate. After one daring kiss, she¡¯s hooked. Grace is everything she has been waiting to find.

As the World Cup approaches, and Grace works her way back from injury, the women decide to find a way they can play together instead of vying for the same position. Except, when they are off the field, Grace is worried she¡¯s catching feelings while Phoebe thinks they are dating. As the tension between them grows, will both players realize they care more about their relationship than making the roster?]]>
336 Meryl Wilsner 1250873312 Bey 3
The final blow that is very off-putting is the part where Grace assumed that Phoebe is diagnosed with ADHD like why the hell would you do that to someone, especially one you consider important?

I get that the point is that Grace is trying to be someone less-labelling everything and she herself is neurodivergent-coded, but a lot of things rubbed me the wrong way. Luckily, the writing style still suits my liking so I still enjoyed it regardless.]]>
3.97 2023 Cleat Cute
author: Meryl Wilsner
name: Bey
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/23
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves: contemporary, guilty-pleasure, rep-queer, romance, setting-sports, trope-friends-to-lovers, trope-oppositesattract
review:
One of the biggest let-downs because I might or might not have put certain expectations about the premise. Some said it to be a rivals to lovers but no, nothing rivalry about their relationship. It is more of a¡­ FWB to situationship to relationship filled with assumptions and miscommunications.

The final blow that is very off-putting is the part where Grace assumed that Phoebe is diagnosed with ADHD like why the hell would you do that to someone, especially one you consider important?

I get that the point is that Grace is trying to be someone less-labelling everything and she herself is neurodivergent-coded, but a lot of things rubbed me the wrong way. Luckily, the writing style still suits my liking so I still enjoyed it regardless.
]]>
The Obsession 51260845 A classic sort of love story... except somebody might wind up dead.

Nobody knows Delilah like Logan does. Nobody. He makes sure of it by learning everything he can through her social media and watching her through a hidden camera he has trained on her house. Some might call him a stalker. Logan prefers to be called ¡°romantic.¡±

But after Logan sees Delilah killing her abusive stepfather, he realizes there¡¯s still more about her to discover. His sweet, perfect Delilah isn¡¯t so perfect after all.

Delilah knows she should feel guilty, but all she feels is free. She¡¯s so over the men in her life controlling her. Except Logan saw what she did, and he won¡¯t let her forget it.

Delilah is done being the victim. And she refuses to be a character in Logan¡¯s twisted fantasy. If Logan won¡¯t let her go¡­ she¡¯ll make him.]]>
309 Jesse Q. Sutanto 1728215161 Bey 0 owned-physical, to-read 3.71 2021 The Obsession
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: Bey
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/08
shelves: owned-physical, to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Love & Other Natural Disasters]]> 58782844 This delightfully disastrous queer YA rom-com is a perfect read for fans of Jenny Han, Morgan Matson, and Sandhya Menon.

When Nozomi Nagai pictured the ideal summer romance, a fake one wasn't what she had in mind.

That was before she met the perfect girl. Willow is gorgeous, glamorous, and...heartbroken? And when she enlists Nozomi to pose as her new girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Nozomi is a willing volunteer.

Because Nozomi has a master plan of her own: one to show Willow she's better than a stand-in, and turn their fauxmance into something real. But as the lies pile up, it's not long before Nozomi's schemes take a turn toward disaster...and maybe a chance at love she didn't plan for.]]>
368 Misa Sugiura 0062991248 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.36 2021 Love & Other Natural Disasters
author: Misa Sugiura
name: Bey
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/07
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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Well, That Was Unexpected 67352979 Crazy Rich Asians meets To All the Boys I¡¯ve Loved Before in this an outrageous, laugh-out-loud yet heartfelt YA fake dating romcom, from the winner of the Comedy Women in Print Prize

Sharlot and George¡¯s story starts how all good love stories do ¨C they¡¯re catfished by their own parents

When Sharlot Citra is caught with her very hot (but very secret) boyfriend by her traditional mother, she finds herself whisked away from LA to Indonesia for a summer of ¡®getting back to her roots¡¯. Or so her mother thinks.

Across the globe, George Clooney Tanuwijaya, tested with a name that is a daily embarrassment, is tested further when his father and sister, Eleanor Roosevelt, decide to take it upon themselves to find him a respectable girlfriend. His family¡ªone of the wealthiest, most famed in Indonesia¡ªhas a reputation to uphold.

Sharlot and George¡¯s worlds collide when they discover that their parents have secretly been pretending to be them online. They agree to meet once, just to shut their parents up. But when the media gets wind of their date, things quickly spiral and the two families get swept up in a highly publicised stunt where everyone has a role to play. And a secret to keep.]]>
384 Jesse Q. Sutanto 0008501467 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.54 2022 Well, That Was Unexpected
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: Bey
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/07
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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A Scatter of Light 112976265
An Instant New York Times Bestseller

Last Night at the Telegraph Club author Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful queer coming-of-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage.?

Aria Tang West was looking forward to a summer on Martha¡¯s Vineyard with her best friends¡ªone last round of sand and sun before college. But after a graduation party goes wrong, Aria¡¯s parents exile her to California to stay with her grandmother, artist Joan West. Aria expects boredom, but what she finds is Steph Nichols, her grandmother¡¯s gardener. Soon, Aria is second-guessing who she is and what she wants to be, and a summer that once seemed lost becomes unforgettable¡ªfor Aria, her family, and the working-class queer community Steph introduces her to. It¡¯s the kind of summer that changes a life forever.

And almost sixty years after the end of Last Night at the Telegraph Club , A Scatter of Light also offers a glimpse into Lily and Kath¡¯s lives since 1955.]]>
336 Malinda Lo 0525555307 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.76 2022 A Scatter of Light
author: Malinda Lo
name: Bey
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/07
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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A Burning 51795178 For readers of Tommy Orange, Yaa Gyasi, and Jhumpa Lahiri, an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise--to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies--and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India.

Jivan is a Muslim girl from the slums, determined to move up in life, who is accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook. PT Sir is an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party, and finds that his own ascent becomes linked to Jivan's fall. Lovely--an irresistible outcast whose exuberant voice and dreams of glory fill the novel with warmth and hope and humor--has the alibi that can set Jivan free, but it will cost her everything she holds dear.

Taut, symphonic, propulsive, and riveting from its opening lines, A Burning has the force of an epic while being so masterfully compressed it can be read in a single sitting. Majumdar writes with dazzling assurance at a breakneck pace on complex themes that read here as the components of a thriller: class, fate, corruption, justice, and what it feels like to face profound obstacles and yet nurture big dreams in a country spinning toward extremism. An extraordinary debut.]]>
448 Megha Majumdar 0593214765 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.77 2020 A Burning
author: Megha Majumdar
name: Bey
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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Hana Khan Carries On 55502888 From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of "You've Got Mail," set in two competing halal restaurants.

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she'll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighborhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana's growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant--who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.]]>
348 Uzma Jalaluddin 0593336364 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.94 2021 Hana Khan Carries On
author: Uzma Jalaluddin
name: Bey
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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Everything I Never Told You 23398763
Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee; a girl who inherited her mother's bright blue eyes and her father's jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue - in Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James's case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the centre of every party. But Lydia is under pressures that have nothing to do with growing up in 1970s small town Ohio. Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants, and his ethnicity, and hers, make them conspicuous in any setting.

When Lydia's body is found in the local lake, James is consumed by guilt and sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to make someone accountable, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is convinced that local bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it's the youngest in the family - Hannah - who observes far more than anyone realises and who may be the only one who knows what really happened.

Everything I Never Told You is a gripping page-turner, about secrets, love, longing, lies and race.

Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.]]>
297 Celeste Ng 0143127551 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.93 2014 Everything I Never Told You
author: Celeste Ng
name: Bey
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[The Girl with the Louding Voice]]> 51711378 A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future.

Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. This, her mother has told her, is the only way to get a "louding voice"--the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future. But instead, Adunni's father sells her to be the third wife of a local man who is eager for her to bear him a son and heir. When Adunni runs away to the city, hoping to make a better life, she finds that the only other option before her is servitude to a wealthy family. As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless slave, Adunni is told, by words and deeds, that she is nothing. But while misfortunes might muffle her voice for a time, they cannot mute it. And when she realizes that she must stand up not only for herself, but for other girls, for the ones who came before her and were lost, and for the next girls, who will inevitably follow; she finds the resolve to speak, however she can--in a whisper, in song, in broken English--until she is heard.]]>
480 Abi Dar¨¦ 059333986X Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 4.45 2020 The Girl with the Louding Voice
author: Abi Dar¨¦
name: Bey
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1)]]> 61044406 442 Lexi Ryan 1529376955 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.87 2021 These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1)
author: Lexi Ryan
name: Bey
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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The Country of Others 56933516 336 Le??la Slimani 0571361617 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.70 2020 The Country of Others
author: Le??la Slimani
name: Bey
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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The Death of Vivek Oji 48595550
But Vivek¡¯s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens¡ªand Osita struggles to understand Vivek¡¯s escalating crisis¡ªthe mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.

Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations¡ªa dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.]]>
248 Akwaeke Emezi 0525541608 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 4.12 2020 The Death of Vivek Oji
author: Akwaeke Emezi
name: Bey
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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<![CDATA[The Silence of the Girls (Women of Troy, #1)]]> 37969723
When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men driving the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis's people but also of the ancient world at large.

Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war¡ªthe slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead¡ªall of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives¡ªand it is nothing short of magnificent.]]>
325 Pat Barker Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.88 2018 The Silence of the Girls (Women of Troy, #1)
author: Pat Barker
name: Bey
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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A Woman Is No Man 41016483 368 Etaf Rum 0062699784 Bey 5 4.29 2019 A Woman Is No Man
author: Etaf Rum
name: Bey
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/03
date added: 2024/01/04
shelves:
review:
What if we women stick up together and bash these men¡¯s heads to the wall.
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Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2 59778756
The final test of the Defense Force has come to an end, but the examinees¡¯ challenges aren¡¯t over yet. A mysterious humanoid kaiju revives a neutralized honju and sics it on Kikoru Shinomiya. Just when Kikoru seems to be at the end of her rope, Kafka rushes to her defense! But what is the humanoid kaiju¡¯s goal?]]>
212 Naoya Matsumoto 1974731855 Bey 3 4.61 2021 Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2
author: Naoya Matsumoto
name: Bey
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/23
date added: 2023/12/25
shelves:
review:

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Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 2 53061567 192 Kamome Shirahama 1642129399 Bey 3 4.48 2017 Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 2
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Bey
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/23
date added: 2023/12/23
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 16: The Shibuya Incident: Closed Gate]]> 60158517
After he consumes Mahito¡¯s soul, Geto reveals part of his nefarious plan to Itadori and the others. In that moment, Choso recognizes the evil sorcerer possessing Geto's body and is filled with rage! Who is this evil sorcerer, and what relation do they have to Choso? Now that Gojo is imprisoned and the foundations of jujutsu society are crumbling, what will happen to the world as it devolves into destruction and chaos?!]]>
192 Gege Akutami 1974733106 Bey 3 4.61 2021 Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 16: The Shibuya Incident: Closed Gate
author: Gege Akutami
name: Bey
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/22
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Goodbye, My Rose Garden, Vol. 3]]> 56291763 In this beautiful new yuri manga, a young British noblewoman asks her maid to kill her...but the two fall in love instead!

England, the early 1900s. Alice, a young noblewoman, has a Japanese maid named Hanako working in her household. The two have a fairly typical relationship¡­until the day Alice begs Hanako to kill her. As Hanako tries to figure out why her mistress would make such a terrible request, she and Alice grow closer until an entirely new feeling begins to blossom between them. Don¡¯t miss this poignant tale about women falling in love in historical Britain.]]>
198 Dr. Pepperco Bey 4 graphic-novel-comics 4.48 2020 Goodbye, My Rose Garden, Vol. 3
author: Dr. Pepperco
name: Bey
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/30
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves: graphic-novel-comics
review:

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Spy x Family, Vol. 10 107525465 199 Tatsuya Endo 1974742008 Bey 4 4.54 2022 Spy x Family, Vol. 10
author: Tatsuya Endo
name: Bey
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/29
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves:
review:
Why does the first chapter contain ONIONS.
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<![CDATA[The Blue Between Sky and Water]]> 25858906 305 Susan Abulhawa 1632862239 Bey 4
This book is filled with a full range of emotions, starting from sadness, grief, fear, longing, to hopefulness of the survivors of Naqba and other aggressions happened in Palestine. It is very endearing to meet a range of different characters, whom in their own struggle, found strength in the tight-knit familial bond, no matter how dysfunctional it seemed as the aggressions raged on. Not crying is practically impossible throughout the reading journey.

To no one in particular, Hajje Nazmiyeh mumbled, ¡°My mother once said this land will rise again.¡±
]]>
4.32 2015 The Blue Between Sky and Water
author: Susan Abulhawa
name: Bey
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/24
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves: domestic-women-lit-fic, magical-realism, own-voices, rep-poc, tearjerker, written-by-aoc
review:
It took me a while to get a hold of what this book is actually about, and once I grasped it, the writing just flowed beautifully.

This book is filled with a full range of emotions, starting from sadness, grief, fear, longing, to hopefulness of the survivors of Naqba and other aggressions happened in Palestine. It is very endearing to meet a range of different characters, whom in their own struggle, found strength in the tight-knit familial bond, no matter how dysfunctional it seemed as the aggressions raged on. Not crying is practically impossible throughout the reading journey.

To no one in particular, Hajje Nazmiyeh mumbled, ¡°My mother once said this land will rise again.¡±

]]>
<![CDATA[This Could Be Us (Skyland, #2)]]> 182762109 fixes?everything. She¡¯s a domestic goddess who's never met a party she couldn't host or a charge she couldn't lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette?for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes?poof?in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.

But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost.?She's too?busy keeping a roof over her daughters' heads and food on the table.?And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.

But then an unlikely man enters the picture¡ªthe forbidden one, the one she shouldn't want but can't seem to resist. She's lost it all before and refuses to repeat her?mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust?herself?

After all she's lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?]]>
416 Kennedy Ryan 1538706822 Bey 0 to-read 4.37 2024 This Could Be Us (Skyland, #2)
author: Kennedy Ryan
name: Bey
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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The Woman in Me 63133205 The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice¡ªher truth¡ªwas undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey¡ªand the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears¡¯s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love¡ªand the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.]]>
288 Britney Spears 1668009048 Bey 0 to-read, owned-physical 3.83 2023 The Woman in Me
author: Britney Spears
name: Bey
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/27
shelves: to-read, owned-physical
review:

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The Sword of Kaigen 199258925 A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire¡¯s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ¡®The Sword of Kaigen.¡¯

Born into Kusanagi¡¯s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family¡¯s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen¡¯s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.]]>
698 M.L. Wang 1955252378 Bey 5 Reread May 1 to May 27, 2021

Well yeah it¡¯s just me re-acknowledging Misaki¡¯s MILF supremacy.

**

¡±You learn over time that the world isn¡¯t broken. It¡¯s just¡­ got more pieces to it than you thought. They all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young.¡±


First thing I would address is the trigger warnings: sexism, racism, death, gore, violence, suicide, rape, mention of domestic abuse.

The story sets on the world of Duna¡ªwhich is a combination of East Asian communities¡ªlives a bloodline of the strong and respectable warriors, the Matsudas. The story is told through 3rd person narrative, going back and forth between Mamoru, a 14 year-old warrior so talented on his age, but still not enough for a Matsuda, and Misaki, a mother of four sons, in which Mamoru is the firstborn. The worldbuilding that happened in the beginning started off pretty solid... and confusing, should you not be aware of a little bit of Japanese language. But the author is rather good in setting up pieces after pieces of world they wanted the reader to imagine¡ªa world of warriors with magical elements and sexism in their blood.

¡±Wholeness, she had learned, was not the absence of pain but the ability to hold it.¡±


This book speaks of courage, trust, kinship, family, putting past regrets to rest and most importantly, love. I love how solid the characters are pictured and their gradual development; the author somehow pulled it off neatly, flowing in rhythm with the plot that serves and stirs enough amount of emotion that 559 pages just... flowed through.

¡±there were things you couldn¡¯t train into a fighter¡ªspirit, courage, the ability to be something bigger than oneself.¡±


A CONFESSION: I did not expect to get very emotional, thank you very much. I pretty much squeezed my eyes dry every now and then. It has a sufficient amount of poetic quotes I could not stop highlighting because, gods, it is so beautiful.

5/5 ??]]>
4.57 2019 The Sword of Kaigen
author: M.L. Wang
name: Bey
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2021/05/27
date added: 2023/11/27
shelves: owned-kindle, fantasy, scifi, family, owned-physical, written-by-aoc, rep-poc, own-voices, tearjerker
review:
Reread May 1 to May 27, 2021

Well yeah it¡¯s just me re-acknowledging Misaki¡¯s MILF supremacy.

**

¡±You learn over time that the world isn¡¯t broken. It¡¯s just¡­ got more pieces to it than you thought. They all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young.¡±


First thing I would address is the trigger warnings: sexism, racism, death, gore, violence, suicide, rape, mention of domestic abuse.

The story sets on the world of Duna¡ªwhich is a combination of East Asian communities¡ªlives a bloodline of the strong and respectable warriors, the Matsudas. The story is told through 3rd person narrative, going back and forth between Mamoru, a 14 year-old warrior so talented on his age, but still not enough for a Matsuda, and Misaki, a mother of four sons, in which Mamoru is the firstborn. The worldbuilding that happened in the beginning started off pretty solid... and confusing, should you not be aware of a little bit of Japanese language. But the author is rather good in setting up pieces after pieces of world they wanted the reader to imagine¡ªa world of warriors with magical elements and sexism in their blood.

¡±Wholeness, she had learned, was not the absence of pain but the ability to hold it.¡±


This book speaks of courage, trust, kinship, family, putting past regrets to rest and most importantly, love. I love how solid the characters are pictured and their gradual development; the author somehow pulled it off neatly, flowing in rhythm with the plot that serves and stirs enough amount of emotion that 559 pages just... flowed through.

¡±there were things you couldn¡¯t train into a fighter¡ªspirit, courage, the ability to be something bigger than oneself.¡±


A CONFESSION: I did not expect to get very emotional, thank you very much. I pretty much squeezed my eyes dry every now and then. It has a sufficient amount of poetic quotes I could not stop highlighting because, gods, it is so beautiful.

5/5 ??
]]>
<![CDATA[Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu (Novel) Vol. 1]]> 62145800
When a fight leaves Shen Qiao injured, blind, and with hazy memories, Yan Wushi takes in the defeated sect leader with a dark plan: test the limits of the man¡¯s patience and faith in others to lure him onto the demonic path. Little does he know that he is about to meet the first immovable force of his life, and that two hearts can connect in unexpected ways. With the passing of a thousand autumns, who can stay eternal?]]>
396 Meng Xi Shi 1638589321 Bey 4 4.15 Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu (Novel) Vol. 1
author: Meng Xi Shi
name: Bey
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/23
date added: 2023/11/24
shelves: owned-physical, fantasy, rep-poc, rep-queer, trope-oppositesattract, written-by-aoc, translated
review:
idk something just whispered to me that I must protect Shen Qiao at all costs.
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Fence #9 (Fence, #9) 41257291 30 C.S. Pacat 1641443189 Bey 4
Merged review:

?We didn¡¯t win, but we had each other¡¯s back.?]]>
4.18 2018 Fence #9 (Fence, #9)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: Bey
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/19
date added: 2023/11/16
shelves: contemporary, graphic-novel-comics, rep-queer, rep-poc
review:
?We didn¡¯t win, but we had each other¡¯s back.?

Merged review:

?We didn¡¯t win, but we had each other¡¯s back.?
]]>
<![CDATA[Better Hate than Never (The Wilmot Sisters, #2)]]> 73760554 Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare¡¯s The Taming of the Shrew.

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won¡¯t even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno.

Despite their friends¡¯ and families' pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she¡¯s only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn¡¯t sure she can trust his charming good-guy act.

When Christopher¡¯s persistence and Kate¡¯s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize ¡°peace¡± is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it¡¯s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts¡ªor if they already gave them away long ago.]]>
399 Chloe Liese 0593441532 Bey 4 3.80 2023 Better Hate than Never (The Wilmot Sisters, #2)
author: Chloe Liese
name: Bey
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/12
date added: 2023/11/13
shelves:
review:
Actually did not expect this to be very wholesome¡ªthere was an-almost third act breakup but their commitment to communicate as opposed to the big misunderstanding?? they had in the past. Also, THEIR LOVE CONFESSION SCENES¡­ it is very lengthy and shows how both Christopher and Kate love and respect each other even with all their quirks and flaws. It also does not hurt to have a demisexual rep in the book.
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Salt Houses 34569571 ?
Salma is forced to leave her home in Nablus;?Alia¡¯s brother gets pulled into a politically militarized world he?can¡¯t escape;?and?Alia and her gentle-spirited husband move to Kuwait City, where they reluctantly build a life with their three children. When Saddam Hussein?invades?Kuwait in?1990, Alia and her family?once again?lose their home, their land, and their story as they know it,?scattering to?Beirut,?Paris, Boston, and beyond. Soon Alia¡¯s children begin families of their own, once again navigating the burdens (and blessings)?of assimilation in foreign cities.??
?
Lyrical and heartbreaking,?Salt Houses?is a remarkable?debut novel that challenges and humanizes an age-old conflict?we?might?think we understand¡ªone that asks us to?confront?that most devastating of all truths: you can¡¯t go home again.?
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314 Hala Alyan Bey 5
Salt Houses tells the tale of 3 generations of a Palestinian family who survived one war after the other¡ªalong with how they react to the war and cope with the aftermath of the war. It explores the complicated family dynamic, kinship, parenthood, and beliefs of the family.

Each character has their own flaws and dimensions and I loved the book for it. In the Q&A, the author explained that she wanted to abandon the ¡°good immigrant¡± trope in this book, and that is what made this book feels so realistic and made the characters humane.

?What is a life? A series of yeses and noes, photographs you shove in a drawer somewhere, loves you think will save you but that cannot. Continuing to move, enduring, not stopping even when there is pain.?
]]>
4.08 2017 Salt Houses
author: Hala Alyan
name: Bey
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/12
date added: 2023/11/12
shelves: domestic-women-lit-fic, historical-setting, family, own-voices, rep-poc, written-by-aoc
review:
Imagine not having fully processed and recovered from one war only to be faced with another war and invasion, though from the sidelines, but still close in proximity. Well, same, I could not imagine it either so that is why reading stories like this is important so one can empathise with the victims of the war¡ªor slaughter.

Salt Houses tells the tale of 3 generations of a Palestinian family who survived one war after the other¡ªalong with how they react to the war and cope with the aftermath of the war. It explores the complicated family dynamic, kinship, parenthood, and beliefs of the family.

Each character has their own flaws and dimensions and I loved the book for it. In the Q&A, the author explained that she wanted to abandon the ¡°good immigrant¡± trope in this book, and that is what made this book feels so realistic and made the characters humane.

?What is a life? A series of yeses and noes, photographs you shove in a drawer somewhere, loves you think will save you but that cannot. Continuing to move, enduring, not stopping even when there is pain.?

]]>
This Winter (Solitaire #0.5) 54294206 Solitaire.

I used to think that difficult was better than boring, but I know better now¡­

I¡¯m not going to think about the past few months, about Charlie and me, and all of the sad. I¡¯m going to block it all out. Just for today.

"Happy Christmas, " I say.

The festive season isn't always happy for Tori and her brother Charlie. And this year's going to be harder than most.]]>
102 Alice Oseman 0008412936 Bey 1 4.08 2015 This Winter (Solitaire #0.5)
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2015
rating: 1
read at: 2020/09/01
date added: 2023/11/12
shelves: contemporary, rep-disability-mental-illness, family, rep-queer, owned-physical, written-by-queer, rep-poc
review:
This is so... wholesome. It is Tori being a good sister she is and Nick being a good boyfriend he is and Charlie being a good smolbean he is and Oliver being a cute brother he is. Did not really occurred to me that their parents were that bad when I first read Heartstopper, though. But they are that bad.
]]>
Dirty Headlines 41714862 standalone, enemies-to-lovers romance.

C¨¦lian Laurent.
Manhattan royalty.
Notorious playboy.
Heir to a media empire.
...And my new boss.


I could have impressed him, if not for last month's unforgettable one-night stand.
I left it with more than orgasms and a pleasant memory--namely, his wallet.
Now he's staring me down like I'm the dirt under his Italian loafers, and I'm supposed to take it.
But the thing about being Judith "Jude" Humphry is I have nothing to lose.
Brooklyn girl.
Infamously quirky.
Heir to a stack of medical bills and a tattered couch.
When he looks at me from across the room, I see the glint in his eyes, and that makes us rivals.
He knows it.
So do I.
Every day in the newsroom is a battle.
Every night in his bed, war.
But it's my heart at stake, and I fear I'll be raising the white flag.]]>
380 L.J. Shen Bey 1 4.32 2018 Dirty Headlines
author: L.J. Shen
name: Bey
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2020/11/30
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Beautiful (Beautiful Bastard, #5)]]> 29470808
Scaling the career ladder is the default way to deal with heartbreak¡ªand to just deal¡ªfor Jensen Bergstrom. Absolutely buried by his drive and workload, he rarely takes time for himself. But when his sister Hanna convinces him to join the gang on a two-week wine tour, he has a rare moment of cutting loose. Of course, it¡¯s only once he¡¯s committed that he realizes the strange girl he met briefly on the plane is coming along, too. She might be too much for him¡­or he might realize his life has become too small and needs her to make it bigger, crazier.

With this circle of friends there¡¯s always something going on: from Chloe and Sara¡¯s unexpected personality swaps to Will¡¯s new domestic side to Bennett¡¯s text message barrage and George¡¯s own happily-ever-after. In short, their adventures in love, friendship, and hilarity are nothing short of Beautiful.]]>
418 Christina Lauren Bey 1 But something happens when you betray someone who¡¯ll give you anything. It sours their generosity. ]]> 4.28 2016 Beautiful (Beautiful Bastard, #5)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2016
rating: 1
read at: 2021/10/13
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance, slow-burn
review:
But something happens when you betray someone who¡¯ll give you anything. It sours their generosity.

]]>
Dating You / Hating You 32620304 All¡¯s fair in love and work. The first standalone romance by New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard) is a sexy, compulsively readable romantic comedy that dives headlong into the thrill and doubt of modern love.

Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend¡¯s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they¡¯re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn¡¯t enough to squash the fire.

But when their two agencies merge¡ªcausing the pair to vie for the same position¡ªall bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals¡ªso why can¡¯t they act like it?

Can Carter stop trying to please everyone and see how their mutual boss is really playing the game? Can Evie put aside her competitive nature long enough to figure out what she really wants in life? Can their actor clients just be something close to human? Whether these two Hollywood love/hatebirds get the storybook Hollywood ending or just a dramedy of epic proportions, you will get to enjoy Christina Lauren¡¯s heartfelt, raucous, and hilarious romance style at its finest.]]>
368 Christina Lauren Bey 1
Trigger warning: sexism in workplace]]>
3.56 2017 Dating You / Hating You
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2022/08/06
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, comedy, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance, trope-forced-proximity, trope-enemies-rivals-to-lovers, setting-workplace
review:
Only the last 15% made up for the mishaps happened in the first 85% and I hate it, but not as much as I thought I would initially.

Trigger warning: sexism in workplace
]]>
<![CDATA[Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons, #1)]]> 18924472
But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation¡ªand terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out¡ªMia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume¡ªher sweet, filthy fling¡ªto France for the summer and just¡­play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.]]>
413 Christina Lauren Bey 1 4.09 2014 Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons, #1)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2014
rating: 1
read at: 2021/06/06
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

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The Honey-Don't List 51086670 Alternate cover edition of ISBN-13: 9781982123918, ISBN-10/ASIN: 1982123915

Carey Duncan has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and¡ªmore than anyone would suspect¡ªhas helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There¡¯s only one problem: America¡¯s favorite couple can¡¯t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn¡¯t all he thought it¡¯d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses¡¯ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along¡ªand start playing for keeps¡ªthey may have the chance to build something beautiful together¡­]]>
308 Christina Lauren Bey 1 3.47 2020 The Honey-Don't List
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2021/07/28
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance, rep-disability-mental-illness
review:

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Twice in a Blue Moon 43822778
Sam and Tate fall hard and fast. For two glorious weeks, the couple share their hopes, dreams, and secrets. Sam admits he suspects his grandfather is dying and that this could be the last trip they take together, and Tate reveals that she is the hidden daughter of one of the biggest film stars in the world¡ªa secret she¡¯s never told anyone before.

But when Tate is exposed by a crush of cameras and reporters, she knows she's been betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust. She is forced to decide whether she will return to her quiet life or embrace being in the public eye. So when Sam reappears in her world more than a decade later, can Tate forgive the past and rekindle the passion they shared on their magical trip abroad? And does she even want to?]]>
368 Christina Lauren 1501197428 Bey 1 3.69 2019 Twice in a Blue Moon
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2021/11/27
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, family, guilty-pleasure, romance, trope-second-chance
review:
The world has progressed past the need of instalove featuring second chance romance it is a recipe for disaster.
]]>
Roomies 34466910 From subway to Broadway to happily ever after. Modern love in all its thrill, hilarity, and uncertainty has never been so compulsively readable as in New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren¡¯s romantic novel.

Marriages of convenience are so...inconvenient.

For months Holland Bakker has invented excuses to descend into the subway station near her apartment, drawn to the captivating music performed by her street musician crush. Lacking the nerve to actually talk to the gorgeous stranger, fate steps in one night in the form of a drunken attacker. Calvin Mcloughlin rescues her, but quickly disappears when the police start asking questions.

Using the only resource she has to pay the brilliant musician back, Holland gets Calvin an audition with her uncle, Broadway¡¯s hottest musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadway¡ªuntil his reason for disappearing earlier becomes clear: he¡¯s in the country illegally, his student visa having expired years ago.

Seeing that her uncle needs Calvin as much as Calvin needs him, a wild idea takes hold of her. Impulsively, she marries the Irishman, her infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves and Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway¡ªin the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting¡ªwill Holland and Calvin to realize that they both stopped pretending a long time ago?]]>
368 Christina Lauren 1501165836 Bey 0 3.73 2017 Roomies
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, unread-owned-no-longer-interested
review:

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand 39947203 From the New York Times bestselling author that ¡°hilariously depicts modern dating¡± (Us Weekly) comes a sexy romantic comedy about online dating, and its many, many fails.

With a world-famous speaker at their university, Millie Morris and her four woefully single male colleagues make a pact that they¡¯ll all find dates. Unfortunately, Millie has more success helping them make matches online than she does navigating the onslaught of lewd pics in her own feed. But when she creates a fictional name for a new account, Millie finds herself vying for the online attention of a man she sees every day in the flesh.]]>
385 Christina Lauren Bey 1 3.92 2018 My Favorite Half-Night Stand
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2021/02/03
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard, #3)]]> 17831614
When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she¡¯s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother¡¯s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he¡¯s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna¡¯s¡­until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can¡¯t forget. Now that Hanna¡¯s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it¡¯s up to Will to prove he¡¯s the only man she¡¯ll ever need.]]>
432 Christina Lauren Bey 1 4.24 2013 Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard, #3)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2021/05/12
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard, #2)]]> 17406944
The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he¡¯s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it¡¯s not until Sara¡ªand the wild photos she lets him take of her¡ªthat he starts wondering if there¡¯s someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.]]>
354 Christina Lauren Bey 1 4.18 2013 Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard, #2)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2020/12/03
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating]]> 39944217 Most men can¡¯t handle Hazel. But her best friend Josh isn¡¯t most men. Don¡¯t miss New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren¡¯s new novel about two people who are definitely not dating¡­no matter how often they end up in bed together.Hazel Camille Bradford knows she¡¯s a lot to take¡ªand frankly, most men aren¡¯t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don¡¯t send them running, her lack of filter means she¡¯ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She¡¯s a good soul in search of honest fun. Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met¡ªwhen she gracelessly threw up on his shoes¡ªto when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air. Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there¡¯s nothing between them...right?]]> 320 Christina Lauren Bey 1 ?But at the end of the day, being myself is enough. I am enough.?

Me? Devouring a book in a day? In this economy? Sounds impossible, but thanks to Josh and Hazel I managed to do so. A very page-turning, laugh out loud, feel-good romcom indeed.]]>
4.13 2018 Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2021/02/27
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: comedy, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance, rep-poc
review:
?But at the end of the day, being myself is enough. I am enough.?


Me? Devouring a book in a day? In this economy? Sounds impossible, but thanks to Josh and Hazel I managed to do so. A very page-turning, laugh out loud, feel-good romcom indeed.
]]>
In a Holidaze 50892287 Alternate cover edition can be found here

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..

It¡¯s the most wonderful time of the year¡­but not for Maelyn Jones. She¡¯s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world¡ªthe snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake¡­she¡¯s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop¡ªand finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren¡¯s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
]]>
307 Christina Lauren 198212394X Bey 1 3.65 2020 In a Holidaze
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2021/12/29
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Bastard, #1)]]> 17406956 An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, blunt, inconsiderate¡ªand completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative¡ªcompletely infuriating¡ªcreature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he's willing to bend the rules¡ªor outright smash them¡ªif it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.

Originally only available online as The Office by tby789 ¡ª and garnering over 2 million reads on fanfiction sites ¡ª Beautiful Bastard has been extensively updated for re-release.]]>
318 Christina Lauren Bey 1 guilty-pleasure, romance ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to bring you back something?¡± Her eyes moved in the direction of his office. ¡°A hit man? Some holy water?¡±

There, a quote that sums up how one would feel about Bennett¡¯s character. Uhhh I have to admit that the author¡¯s writing is the one who kept me to read until the last page because the first half of the book only consists of snarky exchanges and angry fucks that I had to take a breather and put this down and run to another book. Yeah, intense much?

3/5 ?? ]]>
3.92 2013 Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Bastard, #1)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2020/08/24
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: guilty-pleasure, romance
review:
¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to bring you back something?¡± Her eyes moved in the direction of his office. ¡°A hit man? Some holy water?¡±

There, a quote that sums up how one would feel about Bennett¡¯s character. Uhhh I have to admit that the author¡¯s writing is the one who kept me to read until the last page because the first half of the book only consists of snarky exchanges and angry fucks that I had to take a breather and put this down and run to another book. Yeah, intense much?

3/5 ??
]]>
The Soulmate Equation 55692620
But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that¡¯s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: This Jess understands.

At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98 percent compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly¡¯s founder, Dr. River Pe?a. This is one number she can¡¯t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pe?a. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we¡¯ll pay you. Jess¡ªwho is barely making ends meet¡ªis in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the ¡°Diamond¡± pairing that could launch GeneticAlly¡¯s valuation sky-high, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist¡ªand the science behind a soulmate¡ªthan she thought.

The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.]]>
360 Christina Lauren 1982123966 Bey 0 4.00 2021 The Soulmate Equation
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, unread-owned-no-longer-interested
review:

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Love and Other Words 36206545 The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos¡ªthe first and only love of her life¡ªthe careful bubble she¡¯s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy¡¯s entire world¡ªgrowing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother...only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more¡ªspending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy¡¯s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).]]>
432 Christina Lauren 1501128019 Bey 1 We made this room special, not the other way around.

This book is quite good, I think. Their friendship was heartwarming and the mutual pining is very UGH... but it inflicts nearly zero emotion and swoons off me (aside from the car-post-breakup scene). It kind of fell flat at some points because the conflicts that are actually deep just disintegrated like that? Too easy.

final rating: 3/5?]]>
4.28 2018 Love and Other Words
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2021/12/19
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, contemporary, romance, guilty-pleasure, trope-second-chance
review:
We made this room special, not the other way around.


This book is quite good, I think. Their friendship was heartwarming and the mutual pining is very UGH... but it inflicts nearly zero emotion and swoons off me (aside from the car-post-breakup scene). It kind of fell flat at some points because the conflicts that are actually deep just disintegrated like that? Too easy.

final rating: 3/5?
]]>
<![CDATA[The Unhoneymooners (Unhoneymooners, #1)]]> 43341641
Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal

Named a ¡°Must-Read¡± by TODAY, Us Weekly , Bustle , BuzzFeed , Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ , Entertainment Weekly , Publishers Weekly , Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman¡¯s Day , The Toronto Star, and more!

For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime¡ªmaybe even love¡ªin this romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Roomies .

Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion...she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas.

Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren¡¯t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there¡¯s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo.

Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is...Olive doesn¡¯t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.

With Christina Lauren¡¯s ¡°uniquely hilarious and touching voice¡± ( Entertainment Weekly ), The Unhoneymooners is a romance for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.]]>
429 Christina Lauren Bey 1 It¡¯s the strangest feeling to be proud simply because I¡¯m taking care of me and mine. Is this what it¡¯s like to grow up?

Ah, the good amount of serotonin boost with just a pinch of angst made a good combination. This really flatters me and to think that romcom was not my muse... maddening. It is what I should be reading all the time methinks.]]>
4.09 2019 The Unhoneymooners (Unhoneymooners, #1)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Bey
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2021/01/14
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: comedy, contemporary, family, guilty-pleasure, romance, slow-burn, rep-poc
review:
It¡¯s the strangest feeling to be proud simply because I¡¯m taking care of me and mine. Is this what it¡¯s like to grow up?


Ah, the good amount of serotonin boost with just a pinch of angst made a good combination. This really flatters me and to think that romcom was not my muse... maddening. It is what I should be reading all the time methinks.
]]>
The Heartstopper Yearbook 60778246
By the winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

'The queer graphic novel we wished we had at high school.' Gay Times

Contents:
? Introduction
? Profile Pages: Alice, Nick, and Charlie
? Heartstopper Moment: Pride
? The Art of Heartstopper
? Profile Pages: Tara, Darcy, Elle, and Tao
? Heartstopper Moment: Summer
? Quiz: Are You More Nick . . . or More Charlie?
? Mini-comic: The Teachers
? Profile Pages: Harry, Ben, Nellie, Henry, and Aled
? Heartstopper Moment: Halloween
? The World of Heartstopper
? Mini-comic: Moments
? Profile Pages: Tori, Sahar, Mr. Farouk, and Mr. Ajayi
? Heartstopper Moment: Winter
? Family Tree: The Springs
? Family Tree: The Nelsons
? How to Draw Heartstopper
? Mini-comic: Girlfriends
? Heartstopper Moment: Alternate Universes
? Author's Note]]>
160 Alice Oseman 144496948X Bey 1 MY CHILDREN. 4.41 2022 The Heartstopper Yearbook
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2022/12/30
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-physical, graphic-novel-comics, rep-poc, rep-queer, rep-disability-mental-illness, written-by-queer
review:
MY CHILDREN.
]]>
<![CDATA[I Was Born for This (I Was Born for This, #1)]]> 34325090
Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He¡¯s their frontman ¨C and playing in a band is all he¡¯s ever dreamed of doing. It¡¯s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Because that¡¯s the problem with dreaming ¨C eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.]]>
396 Alice Oseman 0008244103 Bey 1 ¡®Everyone¡¯s normal, really, aren¡¯t they? I mean, everyone¡¯s normal, everyone¡¯s weird, everyone¡¯s just trying to deal with their own life and keep calm and carry on. And hold on to something that¡¯ll keep them going.¡¯
¡®Yeah. That¡¯s why people get into fandom and bands and stuff. They just want to hold on to something that makes them feel good. Even if it¡¯s all a big lie.¡¯


How is this so extremely relatable?

Alice Oseman must have been a witch or something because she literally turned a fanfiction into a good-ass novel with minimum amount of romance and if one can write a story about a platonic relationship, it is Alice Oseman. Periodt.]]>
4.02 2018 I Was Born for This (I Was Born for This, #1)
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2020/12/13
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-kindle, contemporary, rep-disability-mental-illness, owned-physical, rep-queer, written-by-queer, rep-poc
review:
¡®Everyone¡¯s normal, really, aren¡¯t they? I mean, everyone¡¯s normal, everyone¡¯s weird, everyone¡¯s just trying to deal with their own life and keep calm and carry on. And hold on to something that¡¯ll keep them going.¡¯
¡®Yeah. That¡¯s why people get into fandom and bands and stuff. They just want to hold on to something that makes them feel good. Even if it¡¯s all a big lie.¡¯


How is this so extremely relatable?

Alice Oseman must have been a witch or something because she literally turned a fanfiction into a good-ass novel with minimum amount of romance and if one can write a story about a platonic relationship, it is Alice Oseman. Periodt.
]]>
Solitaire 57894080
My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year ¨C before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people ¨C I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that¡¯s all over now.

Now there¡¯s Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don¡¯t know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don¡¯t care about Michael Holden.
I really don¡¯t.

This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers.]]>
392 Alice Oseman Bey 1 ¡±It¡¯s so easy to assume you know everything about a person.¡±

One. Strong. Word. That. Defines. The. Society.
Apparently, everything is easier when we only look on the surface.
And that is what Solitaire about. How easy friendship is made solely based on one look at a pretty face, or a shiny jewellery, or a bright smile and punny jokes. Then there is Tori, a self-deprecating girl and Michael, a way-too-bright boy who were struggling in becoming friends. Especially with Tori¡¯s nonchalantness and constant will to push people away.

¡±There¡¯s a time and a place for being normal. For most people, normal is a default. But for some, like you and me, normal is something we have to bring out, like putting on a suit for a posh dinner.¡±

This book would not give you a rainbow and sunshine feelings, but the actual opposite. Told entirely from Tori¡¯s perspective, the narration is actually self-deprecating. I mean, I would not complain that she ¡°hates¡± people and listen to only sad music and being quiet most of the time, but Tori really got it bad. Instead, she was looking out for Charlie, her loving brother whom she admires because though he was not so different to her, he is loved. At school, at home, anywhere he goes. (Yes, he is such a smol bean, in case you had not noticed). Then came Solitaire, a blog pulling out pranks on the school, which pranks were accidentally all related to what Tori liked. Being the nonchalant person she is, of course she didn¡¯t care for one bit, but Michael wasn¡¯t one to deny when he was curious about something. So, the little misadventure began.

¡±I think you should know that I make up a lot of stuff in my head and then get sad about it.¡±

Honestly, Tori? Same.

I am actually kind of hoping that the ending would actually show, not implicitly, Tori getting an actual help. The last conversation of her and Michael would have passed as a romanticisation of mental illness and that is one thing that bothers me the most. Well, wouldn¡¯t really compare it to the previous ones because it is apparent that the story revolves around showing how denial Tori is about her state of mental health.

4/5??]]>
3.84 2014 Solitaire
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2014
rating: 1
read at: 2020/09/01
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: contemporary, rep-disability-mental-illness, mystery, rep-queer, romance, owned-physical, written-by-queer, rep-poc
review:
¡±It¡¯s so easy to assume you know everything about a person.¡±

One. Strong. Word. That. Defines. The. Society.
Apparently, everything is easier when we only look on the surface.
And that is what Solitaire about. How easy friendship is made solely based on one look at a pretty face, or a shiny jewellery, or a bright smile and punny jokes. Then there is Tori, a self-deprecating girl and Michael, a way-too-bright boy who were struggling in becoming friends. Especially with Tori¡¯s nonchalantness and constant will to push people away.

¡±There¡¯s a time and a place for being normal. For most people, normal is a default. But for some, like you and me, normal is something we have to bring out, like putting on a suit for a posh dinner.¡±

This book would not give you a rainbow and sunshine feelings, but the actual opposite. Told entirely from Tori¡¯s perspective, the narration is actually self-deprecating. I mean, I would not complain that she ¡°hates¡± people and listen to only sad music and being quiet most of the time, but Tori really got it bad. Instead, she was looking out for Charlie, her loving brother whom she admires because though he was not so different to her, he is loved. At school, at home, anywhere he goes. (Yes, he is such a smol bean, in case you had not noticed). Then came Solitaire, a blog pulling out pranks on the school, which pranks were accidentally all related to what Tori liked. Being the nonchalant person she is, of course she didn¡¯t care for one bit, but Michael wasn¡¯t one to deny when he was curious about something. So, the little misadventure began.

¡±I think you should know that I make up a lot of stuff in my head and then get sad about it.¡±

Honestly, Tori? Same.

I am actually kind of hoping that the ending would actually show, not implicitly, Tori getting an actual help. The last conversation of her and Michael would have passed as a romanticisation of mental illness and that is one thing that bothers me the most. Well, wouldn¡¯t really compare it to the previous ones because it is apparent that the story revolves around showing how denial Tori is about her state of mental health.

4/5??
]]>
Loveless 44752307 The fourth novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman ¨C one of the most authentic and talked-about voices in contemporary YA.

Georgia feels loveless ¨C in the romantic sense, anyway. She¡¯s eighteen, never been in a relationship, or even had a crush on a single person in her whole life. She thinks she's an anomaly, people call her weird, and she feels a little broken. But she still adores romance ¨C weddings, fan fiction, and happily ever afters. She knows she¡¯ll find her person one day ¡­ right?

After a disastrous summer, Georgia is now at university, hundreds of miles from home. She is more determined than ever to find love ¨C and her annoying roommate, Rooney, is a bit of a love expert, so perhaps she can help.

But maybe Georgia just doesn¡¯t feel that way about guys. Or girls. Or anyone at all. Maybe that's okay. Maybe she can find happiness without falling in love. And maybe Rooney is a little more loveless than she first appears.

LOVELESS is a journey of identity, self-acceptance, and finding out how many different types of love there really are. And that no one is really loveless after all.]]>
443 Alice Oseman Bey 1 ¡¯This is just who I am and one way or another, we¡¯re all going to have to put up with it. I can still do amazing things with my life.¡¯

Never have I been feeling so... called out by a book? Yeah, love me an author who can make me feel so relatable in any way possible. I mean, the whole plot is about Georgia questioning if she would be capable in having a crush, much less loving anyone in general. And entertaining the thought that maybe she was not even into guys, but girls. But that is, until she met someone alike that she knew what she is, just be.

¡¯In the end, that was the problem with romance. It was so easy to romanticise romance because it was everywhere. It was in music and on TV and in filtered Instagram photos. It was in the air, crisp and alive with fresh possibility... I could see it all, all the time, all around, but when I got closer, I found that nothing was there. A mirage.¡¯


This book has been a fun read about exploring what asexuality is¡ªas an umbrella term, and mostly about how love should not be all about grand gesture proposals or mind-blowing sex or 100k words worth of fluff, rather putting it as an umbrella term for what we feel towards people we care about, whether they are in need of an awkward supportive laugh on unfunny jokes, 3AM call for a McFlurry or just a gut-wrenching cry with no reasons. And it. is. beautiful. nonetheless.

It is a light and fun read and very recommended for those who are alien to the whole asexuality/aromanticism spectrum!

5/5 ??]]>
4.21 2020 Loveless
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2020/10/08
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: owned-kindle, owned-physical, comedy, contemporary, own-voices, rep-queer, written-by-queer, rep-poc
review:
¡¯This is just who I am and one way or another, we¡¯re all going to have to put up with it. I can still do amazing things with my life.¡¯


Never have I been feeling so... called out by a book? Yeah, love me an author who can make me feel so relatable in any way possible. I mean, the whole plot is about Georgia questioning if she would be capable in having a crush, much less loving anyone in general. And entertaining the thought that maybe she was not even into guys, but girls. But that is, until she met someone alike that she knew what she is, just be.

¡¯In the end, that was the problem with romance. It was so easy to romanticise romance because it was everywhere. It was in music and on TV and in filtered Instagram photos. It was in the air, crisp and alive with fresh possibility... I could see it all, all the time, all around, but when I got closer, I found that nothing was there. A mirage.¡¯


This book has been a fun read about exploring what asexuality is¡ªas an umbrella term, and mostly about how love should not be all about grand gesture proposals or mind-blowing sex or 100k words worth of fluff, rather putting it as an umbrella term for what we feel towards people we care about, whether they are in need of an awkward supportive laugh on unfunny jokes, 3AM call for a McFlurry or just a gut-wrenching cry with no reasons. And it. is. beautiful. nonetheless.

It is a light and fun read and very recommended for those who are alien to the whole asexuality/aromanticism spectrum!

5/5 ??
]]>
Radio Silence 40119231 Fangirl. This is an utterly captivating and authentic new teen novel from the author of Solitaire.

Frances Janvier spends most of her time studying. Everyone knows Aled Last as that quiet boy who gets straight As. You probably think that they are going to fall in love or something. Since he is a boy and she is a girl. They don¡¯t. They make a podcast. In a world determined to shut them up, knock them down, and set them on a cookie cutter life path, Frances and Aled struggle to find their voices over the course of one life-changing year.

Will they have the courage to show everyone who they really are? Or will they be met with radio silence?]]>
403 Alice Oseman 0007559240 Bey 1 ¡±I wonder¡ªif nobody is listening to my voice, am I making any sound at all?¡±

Excuse me, EXCUSE ME. It has been a while since the last time I finish a book in one sitting. ONE. And this masterpiece just did that to me¡ªjust started reading this at 12am and here I am now almost sobbing because it ended. No, this cannot be. We can consider this a light read, yet very well written. I could not say that the characters are really complex, but that is what enchanting about this book: simple teenage characters who are dealing with each of their own baggage, scattering themselves along the way then trying to pick up what they can after finding what exactly they have been looking for.

¡±Everyone¡¯s different inside their head.¡±

This is a story about how one loses themselves in a cry disguised as a podcast. How one was so sure in doing what they thought was the only option everyone has only to find out it was not. How one struggles to excel at everything because it was the only option they had. How one desperately disguise themselves in another personality just to blend in.

¡±Every time I thought I¡¯d worked out what I really enjoyed, I started to second-guess myself. Maybe I just didn¡¯t enjoy anything anymore.¡±

It struck me just how relatable the story is to some people: Having strict parents, being an outcast drowned in a sea of noise that is people, being pressured to always excel in academics, pressured to label themselves, and lousy and nosy friends who only care because they needed to know all the juices in the world. This book has it all, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.

5/5??]]>
4.26 2016 Radio Silence
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2016
rating: 1
read at: 2020/08/01
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: contemporary, rep-queer, own-voices, owned-kindle, owned-physical, written-by-queer, rep-poc
review:
¡±I wonder¡ªif nobody is listening to my voice, am I making any sound at all?¡±

Excuse me, EXCUSE ME. It has been a while since the last time I finish a book in one sitting. ONE. And this masterpiece just did that to me¡ªjust started reading this at 12am and here I am now almost sobbing because it ended. No, this cannot be. We can consider this a light read, yet very well written. I could not say that the characters are really complex, but that is what enchanting about this book: simple teenage characters who are dealing with each of their own baggage, scattering themselves along the way then trying to pick up what they can after finding what exactly they have been looking for.

¡±Everyone¡¯s different inside their head.¡±

This is a story about how one loses themselves in a cry disguised as a podcast. How one was so sure in doing what they thought was the only option everyone has only to find out it was not. How one struggles to excel at everything because it was the only option they had. How one desperately disguise themselves in another personality just to blend in.

¡±Every time I thought I¡¯d worked out what I really enjoyed, I started to second-guess myself. Maybe I just didn¡¯t enjoy anything anymore.¡±

It struck me just how relatable the story is to some people: Having strict parents, being an outcast drowned in a sea of noise that is people, being pressured to always excel in academics, pressured to label themselves, and lousy and nosy friends who only care because they needed to know all the juices in the world. This book has it all, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.

5/5??
]]>
<![CDATA[Nick and Charlie (A Solitaire novella)]]> 51918909
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

CHARLIE: ¡°I have been going out with Nick Nelson for two years. He likes rugby, Formula 1, dogs, the Marvel universe, the sound felt-tips make on paper, rain and drawing on shoes. He also likes me.¡±

NICK: ¡°Things me and Charlie Spring do together include: Watch films. Sit in the same room on different laptops. Text each other from different rooms. Make out. Make food. Make drinks. Get drunk. Talk. Argue. Laugh. Maybe we're kind of boring. But that¡¯s fine with us.¡±

Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple ¨C that they¡¯re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone¡¯s asking if they¡¯re staying together, which is a stupid question ¨C they¡¯re ¡®Nick and Charlie¡¯ for God¡¯s sake!

But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever¡­]]>
122 Alice Oseman Bey 1 "Some things are nicer if they¡¯re just for us."

MY HEAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTT is so content with this couple. I need, like, 1000 pages of their love story, bickering, silly arguments and Nick and Charlie being stupid.]]>
4.22 2015 Nick and Charlie (A Solitaire novella)
author: Alice Oseman
name: Bey
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 1
read at: 2020/09/17
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: rep-queer, romance, contemporary, written-by-queer, rep-poc
review:
"Some things are nicer if they¡¯re just for us."

MY HEAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTT is so content with this couple. I need, like, 1000 pages of their love story, bickering, silly arguments and Nick and Charlie being stupid.
]]>