bellatilford's reviews
69 reviews

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

i think the book was well written and interesting except i think it was highly overwritten. it’s not so much that the lines were overwritten but the plot as a whole went on too long. then near the end it was a quick wrap up of everything. i wish it had been more concentrated. the very beginning of the plot was the most interesting part to me.  it wasn’t a waste though. it was definitely a cool book with well written characters. 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

a classic for good reason. i don’t love classic books, but this was beautifully written. sometimes the plot and descriptions dragged on too long but it was a powerful read. especially when you consider the time it was written, the book is even more of a masterpiece 

Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket

funny lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

i loved the narrators voice and found it to be very relatable to the way i think. i think the plot itself was good. it constantly went off on tangents, which was part of the narrators voice. at times i appreciated these sidetracks and at times i wished the plot would move on. the ending was interesting not super shocking, but definitely not something i expected 

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

adventurous challenging inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

the book made some really powerful points about what we care about and how to realign our values with what rlly matters. i think at times i found mark manson to be slightly douchey as a narrator, but i also think he does a good job and making his points clear and sticking to them. i think  this book definitely changed my views for the better 

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

medium-paced

4.5

so many interesting points were brought up during this book that i found myself wanting to explain to others and discuss. despite the overall complexity of the book it was broken down really well and even included summaries at the end of each paragraph that made the concepts easy to digest. almost every idea stated in this book was something i had never heard before but i really resonated with all the points throughout. overall so so good, but very lengthy so as a book not 5 stars but concepts were 5 stars 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

slow-paced

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

3.75

i loved the ending of this book and read the last 50 pages or so really fast, but the book as a whole, though beautifully written and unique, didn’t catch my attention too much. it’s a slower book focusing a lot on simple beauties of nature and an odd quiet girl. so it’s not exactly suspenseful or very exciting, however i did enjoy it still a lot. it has its own appeal and simplicity and is in a league of its own. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

BEAUTIFUL. just so creative and beautiful. the characters were so loveable the plot was great and i felt engaged throughout. read this book 

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

slow-paced

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

3.25

this book was definitely a challenge for me. i picked it specifically because it’s unlike things i normally read and i wanted to try something new. there were some really wonderful quotes and sections. but as a whole the book dragged on and i found it hard to engage with, especially since it is older and written in older style and the main character is the epitome of an anti-hero very unlikeable and egotistical. the book was as a whole cynical, but well-written

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

great book! i liked the plot twist at the end i loved how fast paced it was i read it rlly quick. i don’t think the plot twist was AS shocking as i thought it would be but i did rlly like the plot twist still. overall the foreshadowing and writing was just rlly rlly good. a perfect book for someone getting back into reading 

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

i read this book in literally 3 days i could not put it down it was so well written the plot was so interesting and the ENDING WAS SO GOOD it was creative well-planned and an overall great read