bdilley28's reviews
99 reviews

Uncultured by Daniella Mestyanek Young

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

3.0

This book took me FOREVER to read. While I was busy with school and working, I found it hard to read more than a chapter of this book a day. While the content was very heavy, I found this book much more difficult to read than Know My Name even though they have very similar themes. I was trying to place why I did not like this memoir compared to others, and I came up with a few reasons. Firstly, I felt as though the pacing and timeline was odd. It began with Daniella's early childhood and ended when she was in her mid 30's. While I don't think this is a necessarily odd timeline, I wished there was more chapters written about Daniella acclimating to life outside of a cult before the chapters about joining the army. Additionally, I didn't really find motivation to read the chapters about the army since it is not something I would normally gravitate towards. Overall not bad but not my favorite memoir I have read.
The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Go to review page

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

5.0

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Honestly, I think the plot line of this book is really creative and something unique with themes that were explored in a creative way. However, I wish I read more in depth warnings about this book because it was VERY dark and ended up being too overwhelming for me(I couldn't read the last 70 pages). Personally, the book was far too graphic for me which is why I didn't feel comfortable finishing it. Maybe I'll read the last 70 pages when I'm less overwhelmed with life!
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Go to review page

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Very cool concept of a book! Not a terribly exciting storyline but not boring either. Trying to get more into historical fiction!
Happy Place by Emily Henry

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Favorite Emily Henry by far! I started this last night and binge read it today. I thought the plot was pretty unique and I genuinely was invested in the characters. I also liked the two plot lines and how information was pieced together.
The Boy at the Edge of Everything by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

We're trying to pick our One Act Play for this winter's show, and this was one of our options! I thought it was such a unique and fun story, and I enjoyed The Boy and Simon being foils to one another. The fact that it started and ended in the same way felt like it completed the story well, and it was easy to following with sharp dialogue. I liked it a lot!
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a great fall read! It was a little slow paced at first but I enjoyed the different timelines between Walton's narration, Frankenstein's narration, and the monster's narration. My favorite chapters were in the monster's point of view and I enjoyed how Shelley used different character's narrations to reveal new things about the plot. The ending felt VERY anticlimactic but I liked how the overall story line was structured!
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Go to review page

adventurous emotional informative inspiring slow-paced

4.5

This was an amazing book. Although I do not usually read non-fiction books, this was sprinkled with Robin Wall Kimmerer's own experiences, and in that way it reminded me of a memoir. Hearing multitudes of Indigenous perspectives on nature and spirituality was so exciting to read, especially since it is often a narrative that has been suppressed in the past. I struggle reading this book because the chapters felt really long, but I liked that there was a lesson at the end of each chapter. Some of my favorite chapters were when Kimmerer took her students to the cranberry marsh for 5 weeks and her confronting Windigo. Overall a great book!
Crossings by Alex Landragin

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Such a unique book with a fun way to read it. I read the baroness sequence so I was jumping across the three sections which made it difficult to track my progress and I got a bit discouraged because I couldn’t see how much of the boom I had left. At first it was a bit confusing to see how all three stories fit together but it was so fun tracking how different parts of the story carried over. I’m excited to read it again chronologically and see how it compares!!
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

Real rating is 3.5 if goodreads would allow for it. 

Honestly I thought I would like this book much more than I did. It's very me: a book that explores mother-daughter relationships and discusses family trauma and grief. I didn't dislike the book, but I found it a little confusing. Unless it is written well, I have a hard time following a book that doesn't have a linear timeline, and with the amount of characters in this book, it was not necessarily easy to follow. I liked the ending and thought it closed out the book really well. 

Overall not bad but not my favorite book.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings