rileslovesyall's reviews
14 reviews

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

5.0

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. It’s caring and thoughtful and hopeful, and I just want to give Yara the biggest hug 💜

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

When is the last time you really listened to the birds? Odell explores how connection to the environment around us gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the modern grind and urges us to practice stepping out of the race both for ourselves and to push back against the systems harming the world at large. Pick up this book, put down your phone, and give yourself a break. 

A Philosophy of Walking by Frédéric Gros

inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

I quite enjoying this meandering set of essays exploring walking as a part of human life. If you’re a walker, this is definitely good food for thought. 

This Is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan

lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

5.0

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was great for a light read. It's a thrilling page turner, easy to read, and had an unexpected twist. I appreciate the exploration into the human psyche while you following the main character trying to solve this mystery. Not particularly deep or insightful, but if you want something engaging and light, it's great. Good for a beach read, airplane, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

To Hold Up the Sky by Cixin Liu

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I liked this collection of short stories, but I think The Wandering Earth was a more interesting collection. This one felt a lot more regularly war-based, and I appreciate the other stories where Liu explores a wider range of topics. Not a bad read, just not my favorite from my recent explorations. 

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

This was a fun exploration into different famous peoples’ creative routines and rituals. Interestingly there were people like Albert Einstein in the book, which I wouldn’t have expected from a book on rituals of artists. But in general the concept of exploring different rituals was fun, and this is a nice light exploration. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I follow Matt Haig on social media where he addresses mental health issues and talks about being a human in the world, two topics I care a lot about. Reading this book was a beautiful expansion into some of the themes I've seen him share elsewhere. I found it a funny, interesting, easy read that left me feeling hopeful about how to take life day by day and appreciate what I have around me.