bdilley28's reviews
99 reviews

Circe by Madeline Miller

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This book completely exceeded my expectations. I loved how it retold the stories I was familiar with through a different and outside perspective. The story was captivating and I liked how Circe constantly questioned what it meant to be a goddess and how she could use her powers for good. The ending felt very full circle and it is possibly the most satisfying ending I have read in a book. Highly recommend!

P.S. I would LOVE to live on Aiaia in Circe's house it sounded like a dream.

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

adventurous dark hopeful reflective 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

3.0

Overall not an awful book. I liked the third-person narration, but sometimes it was hard to follow which character was being talked about which bothered me. The chapters were too long to the point where I would skip whole paragraphs and go to the dialogue if I was bored. The story was pretty good but the time jumps were jarring and I felt like it was about too long of a time span. I liked the ending and I thought it wrapped it up pretty well.

Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

What a beautifully written book about a touching story. The start was a bit slow but I was invested in the characters and their friendship, which proved to be worth it towards the end of the book. Once I got to the 2017 section, I was hooked and needed to know what happened to Tully. The portrayal of Tully's struggles were raw and genuine, and I liked hearing Anna's point of view as well. Honestly surprised I didn't cry.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

Read it all in one sitting. The writing was eloquent but not convoluted, and I really enjoyed how the chapters were broken into smaller sections. The story was beautiful, and I loved how each character was well rounded, their flaws being exposed and then counteracted by their strengths. 1000% recommend.

Paterson by William Carlos Williams

adventurous hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

Normally I’m not a huge poetry fan but this was pretty easy to understand. I liked how it incorporated the history of Paterson with the poet’s experiences living there. Also liked how Paterson the movie took inspiration from the poems in this collection. My copy had also been annotated so that helped me to understand what I was reading.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

This was the cutest little book. Even though it's a kids book the story was so endearing I cried at the end. I liked how the author wrote in the dedication that this book was for the child of the grown-up reading it because he was right. The illustrations were also really cute I loved them.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

cute fun early summer read. loved the last chapter and epilogue I thought they were so cute. Found it hard to believe that Brendan was being distant because Libby had anemia like suck it up. other than that it was a nice book to read during a stressful week!

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

A little boring but Act Three was pretty good.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.5

A powerful story about faith, queer love, Blackness, acceptance, and forgiveness. While I did find some of the letters about Nettie's experiences in Africa a bit long, her story was very insightful into missionary work and stereotypes about African people. I loved Mr._____ and Celie's storyline, especially towards the end of the book, where Celie calls him Albert, symbolizing both of them being equals now.
Favorite lines:
"How can you be dead if I still feel you? Maybe, like God, you changed into something different that I'll have to speak to in a different way, but you not dead to me Nettie. And never will be. Sometime when I git tired of talking to myself I talk to you." (258)
"He couldn't sleep, she say. At night he thought he heard bats outside the door. Other things rattling in the chimney. But the worse part was having to listen to his own heart. It did pretty well as long as there was daylight, but as soon as night come, it went crazy. Beating so loud it shook the room. Sound like drums." (223)

A Hundred Other Girls by Iman Hariri-Kia

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-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? No

4.0

A very fun read! It was clearly written by a younger person and aimed towards a younger audience without seeming too cringey or unbearable to read(though the use of "zaddy" was much too much for me). The storyline was exciting, with twist and turns, and the occasional ball from left field which completely took me by surprise! The inclusivity didn't feel forced, and I especially appreciated having a Iranian-American and gender non-conforming person to feel inspired and uplifted by, as well as seeing their friendship blossom. A Hundred Other Girls is a feel good book that has inspired me as a young woman, and I 1000% recommend it(would be a great beach read!).