lillimoore's reviews
238 reviews

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

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2.0

While well written, I found that the main messages were struggling to come up for air in this book, drowned in a lot of self-reflection. It is rare to find a self-help book that isn't written as a result of the author's personal experience, but to me, this felt more like a memoir of one person's creative process than helpful advice for others to follow. It was all, to me, general and common sense thinking that most creative people begin to realize as they mature into adulthood—maybe it would be helpful for younger teenagers to read at that point in their development. I'd be more interested in reading some of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir and fiction work, but as I am reading this in tandem with [b:Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life|12543|Bird by Bird Some Instructions on Writing and Life|Anne Lamott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394996112l/12543._SY75_.jpg|841198], I find them to be attempting to deliver similar messages, with the latter being much more successful in doing so. For those who it has helped with their creative process—I think that's great! We all learn and absorb that information and advice so differently, and I just have found similar sentiments in better packages than this one.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

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3.0

Randy Pausch seemed like a great guy, and this audiobook was an easy digest while I was doing mindless cleaning or at work. I love that he is so dedicated to leaving a legacy for his kids and I appreciated his story and optimistic outlook on life. I have yet to see the actual video of The Last Lecture but intend on watching it later on this evening to bring everything full circle. Sure, this book was simple and enjoyable enough and I definitely found myself getting misty-eyed as the book came to a close, but for me it wasn't anything extremely profound. Perhaps this is just because I have dealt with death and its associated themes many times in my life, and I have indulged in many sad tales about it as well. Randy's advice and outlook, while heartwarming and positive, are not necessarily original. This is a book that I think resonates more with folks who may be dealing with terminal cancer in their own lives and families, and it's particularly written for those who knew Randy personally and were greatly affected by his life and by his death. He was a lovely man and I won't deny that there were some reminders in the book that of course are worth hearing from time to time, but if you're looking for a self-help book or you're looking for something that is going to change the course of your own life (as many books have the power to), this probably wouldn't be my first recommendation.

What would I recommend it for? A quick read on a flight or long drive, or perhaps if you happen to be sitting in the oncologist's office more often than one would hope and need something to ease the edge of terminal cancer just a little bit. I certainly hope that Jai and their three children are thriving 10 years following Pausch's death.
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

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3.0

I'm really not one for YA anymore. For several years after I transitioned into more mature material, I reflected on my YA memories fondly and continued to pick up the most popular titles as I would come across them at sales or in little free libraries, collecting them for times when I felt nostalgia for my teen times or simply was looking for something less complex and faster-paced. But I think finally picking this book up at age 23 killed any remnants of desire I have to read these books. It's not that it wasn't well-written—it was actually phenomenal in terms of voice. My real problem with YA fiction is the flippancy of the plot lines. I thought there was so much more interesting potential that was left untapped in some of the side characters and the environment of the hospital, that probably would have been further explored had this book been geared towards adults. The relationships were unrealistic and the pacing was extremely rushed.

That being said, I think this is a good book for the appropriate age group to read, if they're into this sort of thing. I suppose for myself, I've just moved past it and have a difficult time reconnecting with my 14-year-old self, who would have positively adored this book.
Middletown by Sarah Moon

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4.0

This book was so relatable and would have been so important to me if I'd had it in middle school. The portrayal of addiction in this story was heartbreaking but so spot-on and fortunately did come with a happy ending. There was so much tragedy along the way, though. I loved the character of Eli but Anna really frustrated me and I kept thinking, "God. she is selfish," but I had to back up and remember that she's just 17 and all this is going on, and would I have been doing any better? All things considered, she was a good sister and the siblinghood between our two main characters is very cute and heartwarming.

However, nothing irritates me more in a book than just going entirely overboard with the amount of shocking events and tragic moments in one person's life. I don't want to get into many specifics or spoilers here but the relatives and relationships mentioned throughout the novel just feel overdone—these are all heavy things and I respect that some people truly do live consistently tragic lives, but I think having a nuanced conversation about one or two of these issues instead of creating an entire barrage of them is more effective in a novel setting because it maintains focus in that shorter span of time. I thought the book handled Eli's sexuality and gender issues as well as Carrie's addiction issues and relationship with her sister extremely well, but I thought the relationships and characters of Anna and Eli's fathers were both heavy-handed and poorly executed.

Overall it just felt like there was too much going on at all times, but I loved this book anyways because of how well it touched on those themes and how much I felt for dear Eli. I went through really similar things around the same age and I just love her character. Would definitely recommend this to the middle grade-aged kids in my life.
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

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4.0

This book was as addicting as those little green pills, and I was utterly absorbed in it. Beth is an unusual character which made for a very refreshing reading experience. If you're someone who likes orphan tales, complex teen protagonists in an adult novel, and a plot-heavy experience, this is the book for you. It's absolutely the book for you if you're a fan of logic (and obviously chess) and mental games. It's not for you if repetition in a book bores you even when it serves a clear purpose.

I feel this book was ahead of its time, and deserves its Netflix adaptation and subsequent resurgence. It's motivated my immediate circle of friends to become deeply obsessed with the game of chess, which I personally have never played, but after this, I think it's about time I learn how!
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

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4.0

This was an absolutely wild ride. I had really mixed feelings for the duration of the book, but the narrator of the audiobook was fabulous and I loved listening to her speak so I kept on through the moments that made me want to stop listening and I'm glad that I did so. The very end of the book was so incredibly gratifying that it changed what was initially, to me, a solid 2.5 into a 4.

The original 2.5 was not because the writing was lacking. It wasn't because I had such mixed emotions regarding the nameless narrator of the story (which was clearly the author's intention) and her casual drug abuse and friend abuse. It was probably because reading it so often felt murky and foggy just like time does when you take too many sleeping aids. Surely that was intentional as well, but in this case, good thing this book is relatively short or it would certainly feel like an overdose. It hit close to home--my mother was addicted to painkillers and other various opioids, and it eventually killed her as well, but unlike the narrator, she was a good person who cared about her impact on others and the world around her. She never judged anyone for anything (she was all too aware of her fatal flaw). Maybe the personal reasons and the differences in women who shared this toxic trait is what made the first half of this book feel like slogging through shit. I actually do like good people, and seeing the good in people, and even though it might be cooler to write about a character that everyone hates and with good reason, for me it's not the type I prefer to read about. That being said, I look forward to reading Eileen after all of the mentions in the reviews of this book.

Despite the shortcomings of genuine goodness in the people in this book, I still enjoyed it. I think this author is a star at crafting character studies. I felt that I got so inside of the narrator I could have worn her as a white fox fur coat. I even felt that I got that insight into that absolute loon Dr. Tuttle and I adored Reva in spite of everything I despised about her. Her presence on the last page is what made this entire book worth the time it took to read.

If Bojack Horseman's mother never gave birth, instead opted to move to the city and led a different but equally depressing existence, and later wrote a memoir, this probably would have been it. I was so reminded of her casual cruelty and voice, snide remarks she makes at Bojack and her husband in the show. The book actually felt very similar to the fourth season of Bojack in that it reflected a lot on the underwhelming tragedy of growing up with detached, cold parents.

If you're in a delicate emotional state, this is not the book for you. It will immediately bring you back to your own blue periods in memory whether you're prepared to deal with that or not. Luckily for me, when it was very reminiscent of times where I've locked myself in my own apartment for as long as financially possible, I was prepared to think about that and reflect on it as I'm feeling pretty good recently. Just make sure you're feeling good too before you pick this one up.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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4.0

The Silent Patient was so addicting, I finished it in one sitting, which I don't often do. The twist managed to get me—I was trying and guessing the whole time and it really pulled one over on me in such a well-done way. I think this book taught me something about reading and what to pay attention to especially in a thriller; had I not been so wrapped up in the pacing of the book maybe I would have questioned why Theo was even bringing up his personal life in this narrative, but I'm glad that I didn't and glad my guesses were so far off it's almost not even funny (almost).

I keep wavering between 3 and 4 stars because I didn't care about any of the characters even slightly, except for MAYBE Theo a little bit and definitely Ruth even though she really has very little to do with the story, and yet I could not wait to see what happened and what it would take for Alicia to speak. Maybe that's the beauty of a thriller, a genre which I haven't read much of but am interested in reading more of so long as they are this good and absorbing. It could be very easy for this book to have a hackneyed prose or plot in this genre and it avoided that pitfall skillfully. I have an ALC of The Maidens waiting for me next month and I'm really looking forward to it!
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

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3.0

We Are the Brennans is a fresh take on the family drama genre that will definitely keep its readers on their toes as they follow the twists and turns of each sibling and the parents in this Irish Catholic family living in New York.

Sunday Brennan has been hiding away in Los Angeles, leaving behind a confused fiancé and a stunned family in her wake. Five years after she leaves her family in small town New York state, she makes a poor decision to drive herself home after several drinks and crashes her car. At her lowest low, her emergency contact and older brother Denny convinces her to return home to her family in New York, where she is one of four children of Irish immigrants who left the country during the political and religious conflicts plaguing it in the 1970s and 80s. She returns and begins the arduous task of healing physically, and soon finds that there is much emotional damage that needs healing as well.

Denny has problems of his own. He's in over his head in debt trying to manage the pub he owns with lifelong friend Kale and has inadvertently pushed his wife Theresa and their young daughter Molly away amid the stress. Not to mention as the oldest son he feels a particular responsibility towards his aging father Mickey, whose memory is beginning to falter, and younger brothers Jackie and Shane.

Jackie's run into a few issues with the law despite best intentions. He just wants time to focus on his art and support the other members of his family. Shane has a developmental disability that has kept him limited to a life of needing to be cared for and looked after by others, which the siblings happily do. Both, similarly to Sunday, were overlooked by their anxious and depressed mother, who favored oldest son Denny almost as much as she seems to have favored complaining and nagging. She passed away in the time Sunday spent in California.

Kale himself has his own set of problems. He's living his life, working hard and raising his young son Luke with his wife Vivienne, but when Sunday returns home 5 years after leaving him behind with little explanation, the steadiness of his world is interrupted. As things unfold, he also discovers that things with his business are not what they seem and the financial implications could cost him everything, including the special relationship he has with his friend-for-life Denny and the Brennan family as a whole.

This is the story of a family on the edge of calamity that comes together to get through tough times and tougher realities. I appreciate the time that went into creating distinct lives and personalities for every character and also the perspective of an Irish Catholic family on the East Coast, which is not something I've read about much and not a setting I've spent a ton of time reading about either.

I enjoyed this story and appreciated the characterizations within for the most part. I felt really awful for Vivienne. She honestly is not a bad person at all, and it is a trope I somewhat dislike to have the new partner or spouse come between former lovers or partners and be portrayed as the enemy. She may be different than the Brennans, but this doesn't and shouldn't make her a villain. I hope in the fictional aftermath of this story, she ended up getting her happy ending and happy home.

I also found parts of the story to be plodding, and couldn't help the feeling that something was missing the whole time although I could never quite put my finger on what it was, but overall, it came together in the end. It wasn't all that deep or life-changing and I wasn't as blown away as I expected to be by this story—especially in the beginning when I was immediately gripped by it—but it was still enjoyable and well-thought out by the author. Tracey Lange is a bright new talent and I certainly look forward to reading more of her work in the future!
The Last to See Her by Courtney Evan Tate

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2.0

Well, I suppose it's a good thing I went into The Last to See Her with low expectations because I did find myself to be pleasantly surprised. This was nothing particularly special or sparkling, but it was engaging and compelling enough to keep me company at work despite its numerous issues.

Romance author Gen and her surgeon sister Meg are the best of friends. They share everything with one another and always have—or so it seems. But when Gen accompanies Meg to a conference in New York City to get away from her dramatic divorce with her cheating husband back in Chicago, she goes missing one night after the sisters have gotten fairly drunk and Meg begins the challenge of locating her missing sister. She enlists the help of Detective Nate Hawk, and together they discover that this disappearance is not all that it seems at first. Things unshared between sisters begin to unravel.

This was enjoyable enough with a fun and semi-twisty plot, but felt rushed and heavy-handed. Another reviewer mentioned the repetitive use of the terms "pregnant pause" and "mercurial" and this drove me wild while reading. It was so annoying! The dialogue often felt cheap and forced, and some of the descriptions made me actually scoff aloud and roll my eyes right here in the middle of my office. Gen describes her 5-year-old nephew as smelling of "puppy dogs and sunshine" at one point, I kid you not. It was soooo bad. There were also a ridiculous amount of plot holes and things that didn't add up or make any sense at all. Detective Hawk is terrible at his job and exceedingly unprofessional, and honestly so is the P.I. Gen hired to follow her husband, even though he was one of the more redeemable characters. The characterizations in this book were all very surface level, and this is something I'm finding to be true with a lot of thrillers as I explore the genre more that makes me think maybe thrillers aren't for me, although I do enjoy the elements of mystery. If anyone has enjoyed any thrillers with a particular depth of character to them, please recommend them to me!

I failed to understand a lot of motivations of the characters and did not find them to be realistic or sensible at all. The book could have done a better job handling the clear mental illness Gen was suffering from and did a disservice to audiences and those living with mental illness in reality by being so vague in regards to her mental health. I also think this could have been such an interesting exploration of sisterhood and of coping with the mental illness of a loved one, but it didn't dive too deep into those topics even though there was a great opportunity to.

All that being said, this was enjoyable enough. I haven't read enough of this genre to compare it to anything that might be useful, but if you enjoy run-of-the-mill thrillers and the plot sounds intriguing to you, you might enjoy this one!
Turbulence by David Szalay

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5.0

When I was in high school and a wannabe writer, always with a pen behind my ear, always toting journals and notebooks and extra scraps of paper, I used to write letters to strangers any time I travelled and stick them in the seat-back on the plane, wedged them between chair cushions in coffee shops, and left them wherever I could imagine a curious someone else finding them and getting something out of my words. This was a rather grandiose, romantic and pretentious moment in my life, but on the other hand, if I had been the recipient of these letters, I would have been immediately invested in their subject. I still to this day enjoy the concept, and might even take the pompous hobby back up after reading this superb book. I thought a stranger might enjoy a vignette of my own life.

Turbulence by David Szalay is an excellent and beautifully written series of 12 vignettes that highlights the concept of human interconnection across the world by following 12 people as each one of them travels from one airport to the next and someone they either know or encounter during their travels then begets the next chapter. Although short in its entirety and in every chapter, this book packed so much emotion and meaning into every word.

I loved this concept because I love a window into anyone's life. It's part of why I enjoy thrift stores and garage sales and people watching so much. Each of the twelve windows I got to peak through in this book, each brief moment with each character that I got to savor, was so indicative of who these people are, where they've been and where they're headed. The interconnectivity of it was a beautiful reminder of humanity. I particularly loved that the story ended where it began. It really emphasized how small this big world can be and how closely intertwined so many lives are without us realizing it. This review will remain short (by my standards), like the book it is about, because not much needs to be said to convey how much I enjoyed this. I will be adding this to my personal collection and will return to it many times over the years, and intend to give it as a gift in the future as well. It's just phenomenal.