bookbrig's reviews
1671 reviews

Woman, Captain, Rebel: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain by Margaret Willson

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informative medium-paced

4.0

This was a random shelf discovery for me, and I ended up loving it. Wilson writes about Thurídur with such an engaging voice and warm eye to detail, that I found myself caught up in her life almost from the first page. I learned a lot about Iceland's history as well, and I'm really glad I listened to the audiobook. It really gave me context for the pronunciations that are outside my experience. If you're in the mood for an interesting biography of a fascinating woman this would be a great choice-it put me in the mind of Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang.
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Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver by Sophia Bush, Mary Oliver

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

This is such a wonderful listen, with lovely interviews interspersed with Mary Oliver reading her own poetry. That said, I checked this out from my library, and didn't realize until after listening that there's no physical book. It appears to be more like an in-depth podcast, which is still a fantastic listening experience, but also left me a bit disappointed that I couldn't read a physical copy. I would have loved to share this with my mom, but she doesn't really listen to audiobooks so it's not accessible for her. I suppose the best I can do is maybe use the helpful bibliography at the end to retrieve some of the poetry collections this pulls from. That's going to be more difficult than I anticipated without a physical copy to refer to while searching for those collections, but still do-able. 

I highly recommend listening to this-I just wish they'd chosen to create a physical copy as well. Though perhaps it would have been prohibitive to license all the poems they wanted to include? Anyway, I can see myself re-listening to this multiple times, it's just that engaging.
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All about Cookies: A Milk Bar Baking Book by Christina Tosi

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

This was such a fun read, and I found tons of recipes I'd like to try. I haven't made anything out of the cookbook yet, but the instructions and photographs look very clear, and there are tips on adapting or adjusting for many of the recipes. I love all the pictures, and I can't wait to bake the chipless wonders just to sass Nick about his cookie preferences.
The Chatelaine by Kate Heartfield

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was a random shelf discovery, and I'm really glad I picked it up. First, the audiobook reader was excellent and then I fell in love with so many of the characters. They're prickly and stubborn and weird-just interesting to read about. I think maybe Claude and Margriet were my favorites, and I enjoyed how their respective stories wrapped up. But there wasn't a character perspective I didn't like reading, and I feel like this strange little story is going to stay with me for a long time. 
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NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field by Billy-Ray Belcourt

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

3.5

I rarely read full poetry collections because it's a form I can struggle with as a reader. This book has so many layers, and the poems dive deep into theory and emotion. It's the sort of book that I would likely understand better if I could talk it through with other readers or in an academic setting to catch some of the allusions that I know I'm missing. But there are also some poems that I really loved, even without necessarily having the broader context, and I'm glad I read the whole book. I think my favorite may have been Cree Girl Blows Up The Necropolis Of Ottawa, but The Terrible Beauty of the Reserve was a close second.
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A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

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adventurous emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This was a sweet and quick read with very lovable characters, and I enjoyed every moment! I would read more about any of the characters, set either before this story or after it. It reminded me a bit of the video game <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/12/21134502/coffee-talk-game-review-nintendo-switch-ps4-xbox-steam">Coffee Talk</a>-just a quiet, cozy experience. Also, Thimble is my favorite forever.
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On Animals by Susan Orlean

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

There are some fun anecdotes here, but it's not particularly cohesive and a number of the stories were written long enough ago that newer developments aren't captured in their telling. The audiobook was a nice listen, but I think I prefer something like a Mary Roach collection of essays than this particular outing.
The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Along with great art this is really funny, and had me laughing out loud at several points. I love the characters and the way the story plays with tropes while delivering its own satisfying plot. A great crossover age title too.
Ghost Month by Ed Lin

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Did not finish book.
started this on a vacation, and didn't have time to get very far. I may try it again in the future.