aebaranello's reviews
55 reviews

Alpha Beta Chowder by Jeanne Steig

4.0

Cute little alphabetical poetry book with some REALLY fab vocab. Absolutely adore the illustrations. Good for teaching kids (or yourself) prosody

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark tense slow-paced

2.0

Cruel, mostly. I wanted to like it. Depressing and cruel. At around page 150 I thought to myself, "Oh, it should be over soon!" For all 200 pages after that, I felt like the ending was right around the bend, but it never ever came. I usually like stream of consciousness, but this went on and on and on. I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't a pleasant read. The description/blurb describes the book as "both tender and blackly funny" - there was not an ounce of tenderness in this book. I don't mean that as a judgement, but more as an objective fact. 

Also, justice for Reva 

Weyward by Emilia Hart
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

Yadda yadda yadda 

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

funny

4.5

Not without it's flaws, but neither are we. Very clever writing 

Wanting: Women Writing About Desire by Margot Kahn, Kelly McMasters
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.

Some gems, but mostly just pandering 

A lot of "woe is me" for very normal, human experiences 

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.

Melodramatic 

The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman

fast-paced

2.0

Reads like the Wikipedia synopsis of a movie + some moments of overdescribing that took me out of it. Fervently disliked the way this was written

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

4.0

This and Rodrick Rules are two of the best things to come out of childrens lit

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

1.0

I dated a guy who said this was his favorite book and I broke up with him three weeks later 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

3.0

The first half was riveting, but then it dropped off after her mom died (ironic). For a book with a shock-value title like this one, there's surprisingly little reflection on her feelings once her mom actually died. I expected to hear more thoughts and processing - a majority of the second half of the book doesn't even mention her mom - when Laura brings up the concept that her mom was abusive, she freaks and leaves, and never really reflects or acknowledges the concept. As the reader, it's very easy to have my own thoughts and opinions as I am looking at this situation from the outside , which I acknowledge. But you're out here publishing a whole book centered around your mother, and you barely offer any introspection or reflection regarding her impact, except for half-hearted attempts at closure in the last chapter. It's well written, but the organization is strange. Overall a decent and compelling read