798 ratings (3.52 avg)
582 reviews

arielle

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arielle’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (3342)
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read‎ (917)
did-not-finish‎ (22)
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on-pause‎ (8)
4-stars‎ (318)
3-stars‎ (230)
5-stars‎ (120)
2-stars‎ (109)

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botm‎ (18)
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arielle is Currently Reading

arielle is currently reading

Homesick for Another World

by Ottessa Moshfegh

bookshelves: books-i-own, currently-reading, short-stories

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arielle said: " Trying to get back on the short story train. Know without a doubt in my mind that these stories, whether I like them or not, are going to be a wild ride. Ottessa Moshfegh knows no other way.

Bettering Myself
This is a really difficult story for me ...more "

Apr 11, 2026 06:38AM · see review

arielle is currently reading

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

by Suzanne Collins

bookshelves: books-i-own, 5-stars, young-adult, currently-reading

Reading for the 7th time

read in April 2021

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arielle said: " It is an incredibly bizarre experience reading/teaching The Hunger Games as an adult. Doubt there's anything I can really add to the conversation that hasn't already been said. However, from a teacher perspective, this text is excellent for teaching ...more "

progress:

(page 172 of 374)
— Apr 09, 2026 08:34AM

May 09, 2025 07:03AM · see review

arielle is currently reading

Normal People

by Sally Rooney (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: books-i-own, 5-stars, favorites, currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

read in April 2019

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arielle said: " While I'm bumping this up to five stars, I don't believe Normal People is a five-star read throughout. Nor do I think it will be a five-star read to everyone. I had similar thoughts following my reading of Sally Rooney's other novel, Conversations wi While I'm bumping this up to five stars, I don't believe Normal People is a five-star read throughout. Nor do I think it will be a five-star read to everyone. I had similar thoughts following my reading of Sally Rooney's other novel, Conversations with Friends. I would anticipate the style being something of an adjustment to most people. However, I would say that if you enjoyed her other novel, this is cut from the same cloth... and was, in my opinion, a step up.

While Conversations... was a slow build and took awhile for me to feel fully committed, I was immediately hooked on Marianne & Connell's story. The dynamic between the two of them was so complex and upsetting and real. Though Rooney crafts precocious characters who are often more intelligent and interesting than the people surrounding them, she proves that is not a guarantee for a more simple, happy lifestyle. In this novel, specifically, she explores the idea of what it means to be a normal person. She considers how we can navigate the world in a way that leads to fulfillment while maintaining healthy relationships with other people and leaving behind past grudges and trauma. Marianne and Connell's friendship and intimate relationship demonstrates a duality many readers will find relatable: sometimes the most confusing, messy, and hurtful bonds we have with people are the ones that teach us the most.

There were aspects of this novel I didn't enjoy, but I believe that was the intention. It's not a light, breezy read. It's an investigative character study that packs a powerful punch and deals with a number of uncomfortable issues (the most overarching of which seems to be our preoccupation with how others see and think of us). It's not going to offer a full sense of closure. It's not going to provide a clean happy ending. However, I don't think anyone going into one of Rooney's novels should ever expect that.

The level of wisdom and insight that went into this piece is commendable. I appreciate Rooney for her sharp, precise writing, deliberate choices, and ability to naturally embed commentary in a way that feels both subtle and organic. I remain impressed by the work she's done and fully intend to read any follow-ups in the future. ...more "

progress:

(page 141 of 273)
— Apr 09, 2026 08:33AM

May 01, 2020 09:03PM · see review

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arielle’s Quotes

“People over forty can seldom be permanently convinced of anything. At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are caves in which we hide.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bernice Bobs Her Hair

tags: foibles, ideals

523 likes

“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
― Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy

tags: justice

586 likes

“Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale

11 likes

“Gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. I am angry. We should all be angry. Anger has a long history of bringing about positive change. But I am also hopeful, because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to remake themselves for the better.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All Be Feminists

tags: feminism, gender

146 likes

“The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It’s when mercy is least expected that it’s most potent—strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration.”
― Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy

tags: grace, healing, justice, mercy

215 likes

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