tsmail's reviews
389 reviews

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

challenging hopeful informative medium-paced

4.75

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Fierce Intimacy: Standing Up to One Another with Love by Terry Real

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Best relationship development approach out there.

Maus: A Survivor's Tale. My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

This needed some stronger editing. Parts dragged on a bit and the writing was melodramatic at times (def YA). The ending was also incomplete and fell flat.

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

Solid blend of science, examples, guidance, and entertainment/engaging content. Easy to follow yet interesting to think about how to do better with communication and why it’s important to do better.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

 Wet intellectual and the sort of text that would be helpful to reread every few years.

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? No

4.5

The book is a bit slow to start, but it was unique enough of a plot and used language beautifully that I stuck with it. It proved to be a great story with important themes and an array of lovable characters.