staceen's reviews
75 reviews

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A plane full of passengers unwillingly get their causes and ages of death predicted by an old lady. These are their stories. 

This was darling, a feel-good, mildly cheesy (in the best way) book with a touch of suspense. 
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

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challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

A play-by-play of all the times white people have voted and acted against our own interests because of racism. Really great, accessible writing. 
A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A group of boarding school friends reunites at a remote inn 27 years later for the wedding of two high school sweethearts, who recently reunited just before the bride was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

This is not the type of fast-paced plot-driven novel that I typically enjoy, but I loved this. Don't get me wrong, it's dark as hell, but gorgeously written. Shreve beautifully captures the way time slows down during New England winter weekends. 

I didn't find the characters unlikable like other reviewers, but definitely flawed. Agnes was loony AF and super tragic. Oh, and if the infidelity, unrequited love, estranged children, spousal abuse, climate change and terminal cancer themes weren't grim enough, the author adds a novel-within-a-novel about the tragic Halifax explosion during WWI. And they're never not talking about 9/11. 
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Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

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  • Loveable characters? No

2.5

Daphne gets notes (from the universe? God? We never find out) with the length of time of all her romantic relationships. The author spends more time name-dropping LA streets and businesses than anything else. At least 40% of the book was someone lecturing about what love *should* be. This obviously wasn't for me. I found premise to be weird and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. 
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Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad

3.5

I'm still working out how I feel about this book. I found the chapters in the hospital and the descriptions of mental illnesses very visceral and honest. I liked her writing a lot and found her to be vulnerable in places, but as other reviewers mention, the book lacks a well-thought-out thesis and the omission of her marriage while describing other romantic relationships in detail was glaring. 
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All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Some good twists and reveals that I didn't see coming until they were right in front of me. 
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When in French: Love in a Second Language by Lauren Collins

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funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Part memoir, part love story, part meditation on language. Lauren Collins's writing is so smart and clever, I'm so glad I read this. 
What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Very short, but powerful account of a woman diagnosed with incurable brain cancer, as the author has been herself. 
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The It Girl by Ruth Ware

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Read in a few days, couldn't put it down. What I wanted The Secret History to be. 
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Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

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hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

I adore Ina's work, and it felt so comfortable to listen to her tell her story. It was honestly like a book valium, calming and kind of mindless. Not a whole lot of substance but I thought it was just right.