Michelle Grondine

mona awad has done it again!

Revisado: 09-23-23

wow what an absolute masterpiece? i have read everything mona awad has published this far and even have 4 Bunny-inspired tattoos on my body and yet this mysterious gothic romantic drama about a young woman getting sucked into a beauty cult her late mother who died mysteriously was obsessed with when she travels to la jolla for her mother’s funeral has become my favorite mona awad work to date. i cannot count the amount of times i cried reading and so much of my hard copy i read along with as i listened to the audiobook is annotated. i absolutely loved the narrator’s performance. there’s a lot of wordplay throughout that really is enhanced by an audiobook narration that i don’t think is as impactful with just reading a physical copy text and i really appreciated the immersive experience reading + listening gives me. the more senses i can drip in the story feasibly i will attempt to do so! wow just such a fun time but also a very masterful breakdown of how the beauty industry can be extremely scary and sinister under a pretty facade. absolutely brilliant work.

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my only complaint is i wish it was longer !!!

Revisado: 05-04-23

wowowowowow is this my new favorite olivie blake story after alone with you in the ether? that would be a resounding YES. i loved the spoopy creepy mysterious vibes and all the characters within this world so much. thank you ms blake for the stellar bisexual/pansexual representation in this !!!!! I ADORE YOU ICON. the vibes are immaculate. i want a whole series of stories within this world and oh my gosh a tv series EEEEEEEEEEEEE could you imagine like i would probably flip out. the narration was spot on and a perfect cherry on top of a beautiful story.

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started out promising but took a turn and didn’t look back

Revisado: 05-04-23

there is so much i could say about this book but also at the same time i just feel a little exhausted by the characters and the story and the writing. i understand the author was trying to tell a story of a character coming out later in life but wow the heavy internalized biphobia was just a lot to deal with repetitively over and over again and after having endured that whole story i still feel left with a stronger projection of internalized biphobia coloring the book than any sort of satisfying resolve and education and remorse and growth and relearning. the obsessive insistence that only penetrative intercourse counts towards losing virginity and also the obsession with it to begin with it just made the story read so much younger than i was expecting given the ages of the characters and the setting. the trope the book ultimately ends up being is one of my favorite romance tropes to read but in this iteration i really hated the pivot from where the story was going even with all the issues i was having. i’m happy for the characters being happy but this journey was just not it for me. i will round my overall score up to 3 stars from 2.5 because audible doesn’t allow half stars and carlyn greenwald is mother for giving us that hot ones training scene. never have i ever felt so seen in a romance novel and i love her so much for giving the culture that scene. iconic.

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absolutely exquisite autism memoir by an actually autistic stunning writer

Revisado: 01-19-23

i am absolutely in awe of this beautiful audiobook which is memoir / non-fiction and read by the author, chloe hayden, an actually autistic accomplished, knowledgeable, educated young adult sharing her lived experience as an audhd musician, writer, actor, artist, performer, entrepreneur (amongst many other things) in a world that is designed for allistic people. it is such a beautiful listen and read, that covers a variety of neurodivergent identities but obviously centered around chloe’s personal experiences and studies into autism from a young age through now, weaving in writings from the time certain events happened in her life as well as hindsight understanding and interpretation. the book also includes chapters about burn out, work, creativity, friendships, sexual assault, bullying, family dynamics, and relationships—also including a beautiful passage written by her then partner, now fiancé, on their experience as an allistic person in a romantic partnership with and autistic person which i found so loving, tender, stunning, and just a beautiful inclusion on love, communication, and trust and vulnerability in partnership. highly recommend to all people, but especially to anyone who is on the spectrum themselves, loves and cares for anyone on the spectrum, or just wants to educate themselves better on autistic people. love chloe hayden so much and hope she continues to write because i am absolutely in love with her mind and how she writes and expresses herself and the enthusiasm, joy, and beauty she brings into the world. this book existing is such a gift and makes me so happy to be alive in a time where i have the honor and opportunity to read it. 5 stars all around!

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beauty and the beast retelling with regency fae

Revisado: 01-03-23

the audiobook was very well narrated and finally helped me finish this novel that i tried to pick up physically before a couple times prior but never followed through finishing my read. the lore is interesting and pulls from long standing tales such as beauty and the beast and the irish tam lin, and east of the sun, west of the moon, but there is also a lot of introduces toxic masculinity, dubious consent, and exploitative behavior such as enchanting the female lead with mystical wine that wipes her memory and agency, making her a human marionette to dance and perform any way the high fae pleases; and yet none of this behavior is addressed, discussed, or dealt with in any way; which makes me concerned as i know many idealize the male characters in this story’s behavior as romantic when much of it is really not. definitely feeling extremely conflicted because i do love the campy unhinged dramatic melodrama vibes and the world itself i find myself really intrigued about and excited to explore more of. should be a time finally moving my way through this series this year for the first time with one of the book clubs i’m in ! i’ve heard the series veers away from the beauty and the beast structure movie forward so it will be interesting to see where the story hears next! here’s to hoping there is more consensual romantic and/or sexy times coming in the future books but not getting my hopes up! if you enjoy like a true blood meets sweet valley meets beauty and the beast meets hades and persephone meets a knights tale meets shadow and bone meets carnival row meets vampire academy when the go to the high courts, then this might be the book for you !

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wow EMILY HENRY IS BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER 5-STAR SMASH

Revisado: 12-01-22

wow this book was absolutely stunning? the plot, the vibes, the setting, the characters, the love story, the romance, the themes…just never ceases to amaze me how well Emily Henry writes banter and just Gets Itᵗᵐ when it comes to writing romances where the characters involved actually believably like each other and respect each other and want the best for each other. I also really appreciated the way this novel dealt with grief, parentification, sense of responsibility, codependency, toxic independence, and overall what happens when a persons can be deemed a caretaker or the “responsible one” of the family from multiple perspectives. It was a very grounded, tender, thoughtful, nuanced portrayal that I think deserves to be read by as many people as possible. Never doubted Henry to deliver an another A+ book. Truly not a single miss in her bibliography for me! Cannot wait for Happy Place x

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I LOVE THESE WOMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Revisado: 11-28-22

absolutely perfect rom com with complex backstories for both female leads and such a beautiful grounded believable banter-filled sexy time !!!! wish this would get snapped up for a film adaptation because AHHHH I AM ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED I TELL YOU

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WHO LET MARK HK CHOI BE THIS GOOD AT WRITING !!!!!!!!!!!

Revisado: 03-15-22

wow. i am speechless. never have i ever met a book that is so wholly encompassing of my human experience on earth before laying my hands on a copy of Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi. i inhaled this audiobook in one sitting, i couldn’t listen to the story fast enough, i had to know what was going to happen next immediately and it simple could not wait. each sister is so tender to me and achingly human in their imperfectness but are trying their best to survive the cards that life dealt them with dark witty humor and a good head on their shoulders. Choi handles trauma, ptsd, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders (specifically bulimia) in a way that is so generous, vulnerable, considerate, compassionate, kind, and honest, all while being truthful to her own experiences with body dysmorphia and eating disorders, which she shares in the opening content warning note as well as during her #koreadathon 2022 panel with Kat Cho, bookswithchloe, and monica kim. a must read, and super important, super special book for teens to people in their 30s, struggling with their relationships, in therapy, figuring out life.

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all features no bugs in this essay collection

Revisado: 03-15-22

I LOVE MARY HK CHOI’S VOICE SO MUCH

HER WRITING IS SO GOOOOOOOOOOD. it makes you laugh, cry, scream, and giggle. her audible singles feel like a best friend telling you stories during a homecoming reunion. this book is so tender and vulnerable and funny and chaotic and acerbic and just a fun time. i could listen to mary hk choi tell stories about her life for hours.

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what a heartwarming love letter from author to mother

Revisado: 03-14-22

literal perfection. so relatable. love that mary hk choi was fiercely advocating for her self interests from such a young age with her “i told my mom i loved money more than i loved her.” i cry. adore adore adore this short audible original and highly recommend everyone take 15 minutes out of their day to listen to mary hk choi narrate her love letter to her mom <3

read for #koreadathon 2022

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