annalenawrites's reviews
340 reviews

Manchmal konnte ich vor Angst nicht atmen: Zehn Jahre missbraucht und gepeinigt. Mein Weg in ein glückliches Leben by Clarissa Vogel, Andrea Micus

challenging dark fast-paced

Es fühlt sich falsch an, eine Bewertung in Sternen zu geben, aber das Buch war sehr, sehr gut, stark und intensiv, schwer zu lesen, aber ich bin froh, es gelegen zu haben. Ich weiß trotzdem nicht, ob ich es empfehlen würde, weil es wirklich nicht leicht zu verarbeiten ist.

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

This is so beautifully and simply written. I adore the writing style and I want to read many books by the author. I love how she describes relationships and interactions and mundane situations in a way that makes it clear that she just gets it, she knows exactly what it's like to be alive and be human (some authors don't seem to know how people actually interact and Elizabeth Strout is the opposite). I enjoyed the story and the chatacters and I liked learning more about them, finding out about Catherine and about David. Still, I didn't always connect to the characters as much as I had hoped, but it was a great book regardless. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It was interesting to read this again. I related to it in a different way and understood it better than I used to. I understand Holden more. How he's struggling and lonely and depressed and he wants to connect to people but doesn't allow anyone to get close, how he idealizes childhood and grieves his brother and misses his sister, how scared he is of responsibility and growing up... I really like how this is written and I'm glad I read it again although it's not one of my favorites.

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.0

This was a really fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed Oscar Wilde's writing style and humor.

Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley

emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

4.75

I really enjoyed this! I love the author's writing and art style and it was really nice to read about her relationship and wedding preparations!

Briefe an einen jungen Dichter by Rainer Maria Rilke

hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

The most beautifully written piece of literature I've ever read. I learned and reflected so much. I want to read this again and again. Rilke gets it. He knows what it's like to be lonely, to have big questions and doubts, to be young and growing up and developing and to make mistakes. He also appears to be a feminist from the way he writes about women and men and their shared humanity and that women are more human than men. His thoughts are really fascinating and inspiring and interesting to read. I hope Kappus felt honored to receive them, I definitely feel privileged to be able to read them now so many years later. This is absolutely stunning and I think everyone should read it, particularly everyone who wants to be a writer or an artist.

How to Build a Healthy Brain: Reduce stress, anxiety and depression and future-proof your brain by Kimberley Wilson

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

This was really interesting and I definitely learned a lot although some of the informative on mental health was not new to me. I particularly liked the first few chapters and the afterword addressed to policy makers as I would hope to see sustainable changes in politics prioritizing people's health. I will also definitiv try to implement some of the advice in my daily life. Would recommend!

The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran

medium-paced

3.0

This was... fine. I've heard a lot about it and it was available as a free audiobook so I gave it a chance. While I did take away some advice from it that I will implement, a lot of it was repetitive and redundant. Some of the advice was really bad, like continuously recommending limiting calories to 1200 per day for weightloss... super toxic and bad advice and had no place in this book as it was mainly focused on the workplace and productivity and not on fitness or wellness. I think this would have been better if it had only been about work and management without trying to make the principle applicable to all situations in life. There was also a lot of pressure to achieve as much as possible as fast as possible, creating a sense of urgency that I don't appreciate.

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This was amazing. It's absolutely beautifully written and a fascinating portrayal of women in the 1920s, of being a woman and a female author, of the patriarchy and past views on gender and how far we've come and yet how little has changes. A lot of this is still very relevant and applicable now although of course a lot has changed in the nearly 100 years since this was first published. I listened to the audiobook in one day and it was perfect, it was very accessible and easy to follow and really pulled me in. At some point, I'd also like to read a physical version of this to be able to highlight quotes because there were so many good ones.

Daisy Haites by Jessa Hastings

dark emotional 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

4.25

This was a really fun read but sometimes very frustrating because they were both clearly in love with each other but so oblivious... I loved getting to know Daisy and her family better and seeing the similarities between her and Magnolia. I really enjoy how Jessica Hastings writes and I'm curious about how the series will continue. I'm definitely hooked!