andycroll's reviews
107 reviews

Machine Readable Me: The Hidden Ways Tech Shapes Our Identities by Zara Rahman

informative slow-paced

3.0

Decent enough polemic, but fails to make the clear case for an alternative. Is it just “don’t?

In one chapter it seems to accidentally make the case for the contrary point.

The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams by Seth Godin

medium-paced

3.5

As is typical a few well turned sentences but this polemic toward “purpose” for organisations didn’t address the how to change things other than in a tautological fashion, just a wish and demand for a different world by “making it that way”.

Pine by Francine Toon

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Enjoyed this in the end although it took a long time to get going. Decent tale, but feels like it’d make an excellent film where the visuals could add to the oppressive atmosphere.

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs In His Own Words by Steve Jobs

inspiring fast-paced

4.5

Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly

inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

A little fortune cookie-ish, but good.

Nothing to Lose by Lee Child

tense fast-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

3.0

Even for Reacher this one’s a bit silly.

The SaaS Playbook: Build a Multimillion-Dollar Startup Without Venture Capital by Rob Walling, Jason Cohen

informative fast-paced

4.0

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Just live the thickness of the world  in this trilogy.

Expands out into all sorts of amazing places whilst not totally going into many places.

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Extraordinary.

Captures the madness and banality of grief.

Sort of a poem. Sort of a novel. Sort of a fever dream.