allie_oop's reviews
564 reviews

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

5.0

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

That was surprisingly advanced for a kid's book, in a good way. So many of them feel overly simple to the point of being cringe for older readers, but this one didn't. It was a great ghost story mystery with properly spooky vibes, but without being overly scary.

How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.

Audio isn't working for me. There are a lot of unfamiliar names and unfamiliar foreign political parties mentioned, and I need to be able to see the words.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

I keep trying to love these books, and on paper they should be everything I love in a story. But I keep getting stuck at the halfway point. 🤷‍♀️

Modern China: A Very Short Introduction by Rana Mitter
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

Very dense, and I didn't have the spoons at the time

A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I'm the Gay Holy Maiden by A.J. Sherwood

adventurous lighthearted relaxing

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

4.0

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History by Sanjeev Sanyal

informative medium-paced

5.0

This is a great history of the Indian Ocean region. It focuses mostly on economic and cultural history, and how the trade routes connected India with Africa and the more eastern portions of Asia. It was absolutely fascinating, and somewhat less dry than a lot of history books. If you want a look at wars in the area, this isn't your best bet.

Peter Lee's Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

I just don't care, and I need to read other things.

The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R.K. Narayan
Did not finish book.

ran out of time