en-US Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:01:57 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9530948182 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:01:57 -0700 /review/show/7643204915 Makayla wants to read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
]]> ReadStatus9508835942 Wed, 04 Jun 2025 13:20:33 -0700 /review/show/7627858016 Makayla wants to read Educated by Tara Westover
]]> Review5254981432 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:21:19 -0700 /review/show/5254981432 Makayla gave 2 stars to Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
bookshelves: low-fantasy
The whole time I was reading this, I just felt like it seemed so one-dimensional, fit for a stage instead of a novel. Lo and behold, at the end it said that it was originally written as a play (I think - I haven't checked on this). It just felt a bit scrapped together, with random elements that didn't feel entirely natural or smooth, and random additions just to make the story work out (i.e. the "curse" just felt weirdly thrown into the story and so unimportant to the degree that it just didn't need to be an element?). While it has some positive, uplifting messages, overall I wasn't really moved by it. ]]> Review4950958493 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:19:09 -0700 /review/show/4950958493 Makayla gave 4 stars to Lessons in Chemistry (Hardcover) by Bonnie Garmus
bookshelves: feminism, historical-fiction
It's a good sign when I can read a book that slips into the third-person POV of a dog every so often in a way that's so surreal, and so absurd, that it's completely nonsensical and yet I'm not bothered by it at all because the story is so good. This was really a great read, and though I think it would have been nice if the historical fiction setting had been tapped into more BEYOND the feminist elements, overall I really enjoyed it. ]]> Review4950958493 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:18:25 -0700 /review/show/4950958493 Makayla gave 4 stars to Lessons in Chemistry (Hardcover) by Bonnie Garmus
bookshelves: feminism, historical-fiction
It's a good sign when I can read a book that slips into the third-person POV of a dog every so often in a way that's so surreal, and so absurd, that it's completely nonsensical and yet I'm not bothered by it at all because the story is so good. This was really a great read, and though I think it would have been nice if the historical fiction setting had been tapped into more BEYOND the feminist elements, overall I really enjoyed it. ]]> Review7575185164 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:17:13 -0700 /review/show/7575185164 Makayla gave 5 stars to Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out (Hardcover) by Gracie Gold
bookshelves: absolute-favorites, memoir
This might just be the MOST honest memoir I've ever read. Often in memoirs, the author comes across as polished, like they're trying to create an image of themselves separate from who they truly are, or you can tell that they're trying to depict themselves in the best light possible. Gold simply puts herself out there, in a wonderfully vulnerable way, and it's relishing to read. Her story is riveting, powerful, and had me searching up every single competition that she described along the way so that I could watch it for myself after reading the scene. ]]> Review7575185164 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:14:48 -0700 /review/show/7575185164 Makayla gave 5 stars to Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out (Hardcover) by Gracie Gold
bookshelves: absolute-favorites, memoir
This might just be the MOST honest memoir I've ever read. Often in memoirs, the author comes across as polished, like they're trying to create an image of themselves separate from who they truly are, or you can tell that they're trying to depict themselves in the best light possible. Gold simply puts herself out there, in a wonderfully vulnerable way, and it's relishing to read. Her story is riveting, powerful, and had me searching up every single competition that she described along the way so that I could watch it for myself after reading the scene. ]]> Review4734172516 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:14:18 -0700 /review/show/4734172516 Makayla gave 5 stars to The Glass Castle (Paperback) by Jeannette Walls
bookshelves: memoir
This was recommended to me and I really loved it so much. There's nothing like a memoir that teaches you something new. Even though I was a bit annoyed at the beginning because I was convinced NO ONE remembers something at this age in this in-depth of detail, Walls's writing is so compelling that I kind of forgot about this after awhile and really just fell into her story. ]]> ReadStatus9492905371 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:14:03 -0700 /review/show/4734172516 Makayla finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
]]> Review7588318458 Sat, 31 May 2025 19:13:04 -0700 /review/show/7588318458 Makayla gave 5 stars to The Seven Year Slip (Paperback) by Ashley Poston
bookshelves: contemporary, low-fantasy, romance
This was SUCH a good romance, and romance can be so hit-or-miss for me. I loved that the plot focused on their connection for the most part, and kept the ~intimate~ scenes to a minimum (the less the merrier honestly), plus the premise itself was really unique. It doesn't matter that there are all sorts of follow-up logic questions that could arise, technically speaking, from the fact that this is a time traveling apartment; it's enough that it creates for a fun storyline and it's entertaining enough that I didn't question it. I really rooted for the characters and didn't find it cringeworthy at all (a rare feat for romance). ]]>