bookhoarder93's reviews
18 reviews
The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
John Green pens a number of short essays on topics ranging from the mundane to the complex, the lighthearted to the serious. He writes beautifully; the chapter on Auld Lang Syne made me cry. It’s a very digestible read, and everyone can find a chapter they love.
Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As with any Sally Rooney book, the main characters feel real and the stories surrounding them seem plausible. I enjoyed the ever changing dynamics and relationships between each of the main characters. The ending felt complete while not being final. It masterfully captures the complicated nature of relationships, speaks to love and how love manifests, and what contemporary dating can be like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual content, Infidelity, Chronic illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, and Mental illness
Gallows Hill, by Darcy Coates
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This is really my first dive into the horror genre in books, and I very much enjoyed it! There were moments I had to pause reading because I had to steel myself for what I could tell was something spooky. I thought the beginning was slow, but once I got about halfway in the pace picked up. There were story aspects I saw coming, but other details that surprised me.
The Maid, by Nita Prose
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This book was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed the character, thought the descriptions the author provided were vivid, and there were turns that I didn’t see coming. I also think the author did a great job with putting us in the shoes and mind of a character who is on the spectrum. I thought the ending of the book felt a little thrown together. The ending was a shock, but not a shock that could have been reasonably deduced. I also think some of the details about Molly, Gran, The Blacks, and Mr. Preston were not given the attention I would have liked to see, and they were sort of dropped and then left. It also drove me crazy that the details made it difficult to place where this story happened. Overall, I think it’s a great read for a book club; we had a lot of discussion. But I wasn’t overly impressed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Infidelity
Minor: Addiction
The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book has a new, interesting take on the space between life and death. It explores themes in a meaningful way, while also crafting a beautiful, semi-fantastical story. I also found it had great timing. Just at the moment where the thought it’s getting a little repetitive even tugged at my mind, it brought something exciting or thought-provoking to the forefront. I also very much enjoyed the chapter lengths. It made for easily picking it up and putting it down without stopping in the middle of everything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Beautiful World, Where Are You, by Sally Rooney
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Overall, I found the book to be a quick, easy read that was reflective and introspective. As is typical of Sally Rooney characters, they were interesting and perfect vessels to communicate ideas, struggles, views, etc. And their relationship to one another was intriguing, albeit upsetting at times. The one thing I really appreciate about her characters are how real they feel. How they could be someone in your life. I found the style a little difficult. The switching between present experiences and emails written by two different people was challenging for me. I did find myself sort of wondering where the book was going; it got a little repetitive and predictable at times. Not my favorite book of Rooney’s, but still a solid read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pregnancy
Gallant, by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was an extremely easy read and I was immediately sucked in. The main character was interesting, likable, and unique, and the secondary characters were all brought the pages alive in their own ways. While I did very much enjoy the book, it isn’t my favorite of Schwab’s. Even though it was easy and enjoyable to read, there were aspects that were a bit predictable. Certain parts felt unnecessarily drawn out. I did love the focus on defining ‘home’ and ‘family’.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, and Grief
Circe, by Madeline Miller
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Minor: Child death
The Perishing, by Natashia Deón
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
I really wanted to stick this one out, but I just couldn’t make it any further. The summary of the story was captivating and seemed right up my alley. However, the story felt very disjointed and unclear. I kept asking myself, “what’s the plot?” And I think the switching back and forth between two timelines did not help with this. It was just boring and confusing.
Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic, by Eric Eyre
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse
Moderate: Death