bookish_brain1's reviews
131 reviews

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? No

4.0

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne

challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

3.0

I got this book on Kindle Unlimited for free. It has a sequel that has not been released yet. It's like Hunger Games but with vampires. There is a very slow-build romance, and a twisted ending. Once the romance peaks, the spice is quite nice (fans self). It is violent and gory, pitting vampire against vampire in a winner take-all twisted and psychotic "game". I will probably read the sequel (if I remember). I am trying to read less series books, it is so hard to commit long-term to one particular book when there are so many that are begging to be read.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

4.0

This was a Book of the Month selection and it was so fun! Women in STEM, romance, humor, intrigue, and sexy spice! I laughed so much, the spice was spicy, the characters delightful. It was just what I needed after reading McCurdy's book. I enjoyed this read so much, if you need a lighthearted fun sexy rom-com romp with science-y stuff, then this is definitely the book for you! Y'all this book is a great way to end 2022. Her writing style moves quickly, you will perhaps learn more about M. Curie and brain science. Who knew STEM and SPICE could work together so well

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

5.0

My kids grew up watching iCarly so I know about McCurdy peripherally but not really directly. I knew virtually nothing about her, but I had heard so much about this memoir, that I had to read it...plus that title (whew). It is so well written and it will break your heart over and over again. I applaud McCurdy's ability to expose her vulnerabilities, trauma, and pain in a manner that is meaningful and poignant without being exploitative. She doesn't wrap up her story in a way that is past tense, it is clear that she is in recovery and every day is both a struggle and a choice, a joy and a triumph, hard but worth it. It is an extremely difficult read, and there were many instances when I had to put it down and walk away. This memoir details toxic parental relationships, traumatic childhoods, eating disorders, and substance abuse. It's not a light-hearted endeavor, and might be triggering for many. Despite the heavy, painful, and difficult topics, I found it hopeful and inspiring.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

3.0

Who doesn't want a little murder, magic, and madness in their life? I also got to attend a zoom book club meeting with the author, and it was fantastic. He is definitely one of my favorite nonfiction writers, and I'll read anything he writes. This is the story about the great Chicago world's fair of 1893 and the events that surrounded it. Its official name was the World's Columbian Exposition and its original purpose was to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus's "discovery" of America. The architects involved in its design and construction elevated this fair to something magical and miraculous which became known as the White City. It only lasted 6 months yet recorded over 27.5 million visitors (the population of the U.S. at the time was only 65 million). Cracker Jack was a new snack, Shredded Wheat a new breakfast choice, and the Ferris Wheel was invented. Involved in the project or visitors to the fair were names like Buffalo Bill, Susan B. Anthony, Jane Addams, Clarence Darrow, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, Nikola Tesla, and Marshall Field. Frank Lloyd Wright was a junior architect that was later fired. Oh and also, a serial killer built a murder hotel near the fair and took advantage of the influx of visitors, especially female visitors. It was not quite a 4-star read for me, it was a bit slow at times and the minutiae of some details were less riveting than others. I can't wait to visit Chicago again now that I've read this history. There are some that even believe that Holmes (the serial killer) was also Jack the Ripper, but Larson doesn't believe so. It is an interesting theory though. If nonfiction is your thing, you really can't go wrong with Larson.

Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning

2.0

A Book of the Month selection, it was a sweet book. If you have a high schooler or even middle schooler that enjoys a romantic teenage story, loves sports, and girl power, I would definitely recommend. There is no sex, and the romantic scenes are rather chaste. Girls in sports and female friendships were more central to the story than the romance, but it was a nice read. I love a girl quarterback comeback story. I didn't read it with a super critical eye, but I can't think of anything that would make it objectionable to most people, and I think it would appeal to a younger audience.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

4.0

This is the gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal and was gifted to me by a wonderful couple that opened their home to my husband and I, where we shared our love for reading. I never would have picked up this book, so I am so glad they shared it with me. It is delightfully humorous, and I really enjoy books that focus on the humanity of Jesus, and I enjoy imagining what his "lost" years were like, or what he was like as a child or a teen. I think it was a wonderful choice to read over advent. I love the author's sense of humor and imagination. He is not trying to be especially historical or theologically accurate. He did try and portray the time period contextually accurate, but there are just some things we cannot know, about Jesus or his early years or what life was like for him prior to his ministry beginnings. I love Moore's vision of the early life of Jesus seen through the eyes of his bff - Biff (also known as Levi). I love finding the irreverent in the sacred, the absurd in the serious, the funny in the strange. I try not to take myself too seriously, and I love a book that engages those sensibilities. My husband will be happy to learn that this book does not make the claim that Jesus was perhaps married ;)

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

3.0

"You can't make people love you. But you can give the love you long for out to the world. You can be the love you wish you had. That's the way to be okay. Because giving love to other people is a way of giving it to yourself." I am really starting to love this author, I think this is the 2nd book of hers that I have read and she just does the human condition and stories of love and loss really well. It is barely 1 chili pepper spice, but it is such a funny and delightful story, you really don't mind. It isn't so much about finding love in others but about believing yourself deserving of being loved and how hard it is to let people love you sometimes. Because "love is something you do, something you generate, something you choose to do over and over." Like her other books, there are some darker themes and moments, but overall it is a quick, fun, enjoyable time.