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blessingo's reviews
32 reviews
The Pharaoh's Daughter: A Treasures of the Nile Novel by Mesu Andrews
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
I had to return the book because it was overdue. I then started school, so I couldn't finish.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Anatomy and Physiology by Michael J. Veiera Lazaroff
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Too much for the amount of time I had.
Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is such a fun tale! Agyemang's Fibbed is a totally fun tale showcasing creative Nana, who yearns to tell stories in a world that'll just believe her.
The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was a rollicking tale of self-discovery and finding your passion in what you've enjoyed all along.
It follows the story of Mia West, an aspiring baker, who loves to bake, but takes the sage advice of her beloved Aunt Frannie and looks to find her "true passion" (that she won't find in mixing bowls and sacks of flour). She looks for something that will change the world, and after a heartwrenching break-up, she takes it as a sign to travel the world to find it.
She joins the Humanitas Foundation and embarks to places like India and Hungary. She doesn't look for love and healing, but through the ride, she finds that and so much more.
I loved how Mia was able to open herself up more to love as the book went on. There was a lot of character development as she truly learned what she wanted. I loved her relationship with Rosie, who allowed her to flourish without boundaries.
I also loved characters like Milo, who seemed realistic, easy-going, and provided comic relief when the characters were in dangerous conditions.
I felt characters like Lars could've been further developed because there was a lot of exposition in the end about his life, and it felt like I didn't get to know him to feel heartbroken over his situation.
The book was diverse because there were a lot of people from different backgrounds, but ethnically, there was only an Rwandan immigrant named Abel and a drug-addled black woman found briefly in the first chapters of the book. So, diversity could be improved.
It follows the story of Mia West, an aspiring baker, who loves to bake, but takes the sage advice of her beloved Aunt Frannie and looks to find her "true passion" (that she won't find in mixing bowls and sacks of flour). She looks for something that will change the world, and after a heartwrenching break-up, she takes it as a sign to travel the world to find it.
She joins the Humanitas Foundation and embarks to places like India and Hungary. She doesn't look for love and healing, but through the ride, she finds that and so much more.
I loved how Mia was able to open herself up more to love as the book went on. There was a lot of character development as she truly learned what she wanted. I loved her relationship with Rosie, who allowed her to flourish without boundaries.
I also loved characters like Milo, who seemed realistic, easy-going, and provided comic relief when the characters were in dangerous conditions.
I felt characters like Lars could've been further developed because there was a lot of exposition in the end about his life, and it felt like I didn't get to know him to feel heartbroken over his situation.
The book was diverse because there were a lot of people from different backgrounds, but ethnically, there was only an Rwandan immigrant named Abel and a drug-addled black woman found briefly in the first chapters of the book. So, diversity could be improved.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and War
Dragonwyck by Anya Seton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 89%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 89%.
This book got so intense, I just stopped, even though I was almost done.
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
I was reading for a book club but wasn't engaged. I stopped pretty early on. I will probably finish in the future if God is willing.
You're Not Enough (and That's Ok): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love by Allie Beth Stuckey
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
It's not found in ourselves. We are not enough, and we were never meant to be. That's good news.
Stuckey's pink, cutesy-looking, convicting memoir cuts deep to the heart. In her 2020 memoir, she delves into the self-love movement's lies and separates them from the half-truths and inconsistencies that have crept into "cute signs on a coffee mug" Christianity. In her self-help book, she tells us that we aren't enough, we don't deserve our dreams, and we're not entitled to anything in an empathetic, refreshing way, drawing her perspective from her struggles of addiction and attempts at fleeting self-love.
You're Not Enough (And That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love is a self-help book that advises Christians on the advice that we should already know -- God is enough for us, not us. When we take the focus off ourselves, we can enjoy others and life more in the comfort of God's designated will. Stuckey's book is self-helpful because we learn to look up at the One who can truly help us beyond any other lie.
You're Not Enough (And That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love is a self-help book that advises Christians on the advice that we should already know -- God is enough for us, not us. When we take the focus off ourselves, we can enjoy others and life more in the comfort of God's designated will. Stuckey's book is self-helpful because we learn to look up at the One who can truly help us beyond any other lie.
A Memory of Violets: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by Hazel Gaynor
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A winding, emotional, moving tale on family, loss, and longing sent in the cobbled paveways and streets of London's disabled and poor.
In Hazel Gaynor's novel, protagonist Matilda "Tilly" Harper ventures off torwards a smoggy early-1900s London from her hometown of Grasmere, determined to carve a new destiny for herself from her troubled past. She's picked up a job working for Mr. Shaw's Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls as new housemother.
But on her first day there, Tilly finds a "slim, wooden box" nestled in the corner of the room she's to sleep in. Inside the box contains a book–among other things, like a wooden peg, rag doll, and a single button—but when Tilly opens the book, she discovers a new tale marked with separation and depravity that she won't soon forget.
I loved how I walked alongside Tilly and the rest of the characters and literally watched them mature and develop before my eyes. You can see their lives flourish and change among the pages.
I loved the slight romance interwoven as well, although I personally don't like romance novels.
I'll re-read this Lord willing, to get even more of this tale.
P.S., it made me tear up a couple of times torwards the end. If you're also craving for a heartbreaker, this will probably be for you.
In Hazel Gaynor's novel, protagonist Matilda "Tilly" Harper ventures off torwards a smoggy early-1900s London from her hometown of Grasmere, determined to carve a new destiny for herself from her troubled past. She's picked up a job working for Mr. Shaw's Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls as new housemother.
But on her first day there, Tilly finds a "slim, wooden box" nestled in the corner of the room she's to sleep in. Inside the box contains a book–among other things, like a wooden peg, rag doll, and a single button—but when Tilly opens the book, she discovers a new tale marked with separation and depravity that she won't soon forget.
I loved how I walked alongside Tilly and the rest of the characters and literally watched them mature and develop before my eyes. You can see their lives flourish and change among the pages.
I loved the slight romance interwoven as well, although I personally don't like romance novels.
I'll re-read this Lord willing, to get even more of this tale.
P.S., it made me tear up a couple of times torwards the end. If you're also craving for a heartbreaker, this will probably be for you.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
An all-encompassing scope of a Ghanaian lineage from the 1700s to–what I assume is 2016—Gyasi's novel reckons with slavery and colonialsm and the implications of these all in modern times. I loved stories like Esi's for how brutal and direct they were.
To see Gyasi's timeline of fire, arrest, and the black ember of hardships that tied them all together was simply beautiful. Gyasi's at times poetic and sweeping style of writing makes this book an even more worthwhile read.
I loved this book as a fellow Ghanaian! I gave this book a lesser rating because some of the content here was very graphic. This is just my preference, however. But if you can deal with things such as sexual abuse and the abominations of slavery (which I suggest that you should be somewhat aware of and knowledgeable about before reading this book), I believe that this is a strong, informative tale on our lineage and how it affects all of us.
To see Gyasi's timeline of fire, arrest, and the black ember of hardships that tied them all together was simply beautiful. Gyasi's at times poetic and sweeping style of writing makes this book an even more worthwhile read.
I loved this book as a fellow Ghanaian! I gave this book a lesser rating because some of the content here was very graphic. This is just my preference, however. But if you can deal with things such as sexual abuse and the abominations of slavery (which I suggest that you should be somewhat aware of and knowledgeable about before reading this book), I believe that this is a strong, informative tale on our lineage and how it affects all of us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, and Violence
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
I unfortunately stopped reading this because I had to turn it in back to the library before I got to finish.
It was a beautiful book, however. You can clearly picture the Wampanoag village Mary lives on and the intricate lives of everyone in the book.
It was a beautiful book, however. You can clearly picture the Wampanoag village Mary lives on and the intricate lives of everyone in the book.