bookishaddictions's reviews
310 reviews

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

3.0

I listened to the audiobook of The Feather Thief to complete the true crime prompt in a yearly reading challenge. I found the story of Edwin and his theft of 299 birds to be fairly interesting. While I was not hooked on his story by any means, I thought the concept of his obsession with the feathers was intriguing. Edwin’s crimes occurred in 2011, and the birds stolen included some originally collected by both Darwin and Wallace. His crimes made significant waves within the world of science, as many of these birds were 200+ years old. Johnson will walk you through how he learned of the case, Edwin’s fly-tying background that inspired the heist, how Edwin actually committed the crimes, and even the fallout after the birds were noticed to be missing. This was a weird topic to spend 5+ hours on, but I can’t say I regret it. If you are looking for something different to read or listen to, The Feather Thief just may be worth checking out

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Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices by S.K. Ali, Aisha Saeed

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

So I decided during the Christmas season to try to fit some non-Christian holiday stories as well; one of these books ended up being Once Upon An Eid. I found the stories were intriguing, as I loved getting to see the world from a different perspective. I also found the collection to be informative, as I had not previously known much about Eid or its significance within Islam. I learned about the beauty of young women first adopting the hijab, the emphasis placed on family, and the preaching of love. While I knew that the media often unfairly (and offensively) portray Muslim characters, I was thrilled to experience these stories that showed how beautiful Islam can and is meant to be. This anthology would be a great way to open the discussion between parents and their children about different cultures and beliefs, as these stories are told from the perspectives of younger children and teens. These stories display how that despite all of our differences in cultural practices, we are all human- ultimately we all need to love and be loved. I found this anthology on accident while browsing the seasonal reads category on Libby, but I encourage you now to go find this one with a purpose- to build understanding and to learn of a holiday that likely holds significance for someone within your own community 🕌🌝

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

While I try to review diverse works all year long, I feel it’s important that we discuss important real people throughout Black History Month. We don’t hear about Belle Marion Greener, also known as Belle da Costa Greene, yet it was her that historically paved the way for many women (and women of color once her true identity was known). Her story is compelling, informing, and will leave you wanting to know more. Benedict and Christopher Murray make a point of acknowledging where their telling of Belle’s life becomes more fictionalized, so readers can separate their Belle from Belle the historical figure. I loved learning about Belle’s strength, grace, and intelligence. I can’t imagine the internal (and external) struggles she faced trying to pass while not forgetting who she truly is. I could not recommend reading her story enough

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Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

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adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

I snagged the audiobook edition on @libby.app from my local library. I loved every minute of it. McConaughey discusses everything- his hopes, his dreams (both normal and wet), and the hardest lessons he’s learned. This isn’t a traditional memoir, but it is full of his life stories. His tales are funny, brutally honest, and full of knowledge to share with listeners. McConaughey doesn’t set out to tell listeners what to do; he strives to tell listeners what he has done. I loved learning about his travels and the reasons for some of the choices that would be most questionable in public opinion. The six hours it’ll take to listen to this story (beautifully told by McConaughey himself) will pass by in no time. I highly recommend checking out Greenlights if you’re looking for something funny but reflective 🚥

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Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Reid has done it again…. I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six- but I LOVED Carrie’s story. We always right off athletes once they cross 30, especially female athletes; I love that Soto’s character challenges the stereotypes and shows the beauty that can come with age. As an athlete, I could have only dreamed of having the career Soto had. I can also fully understand why she would want to protect her record so bad. Soto’s story shows the good and the bad of being a professional athlete, as well as the double standards that are held for women. Soto is complex and drastically contrasts against society’s ideal “lovable” woman. You don’t need to understand tennis either to understand Soto’s story, so I recommend checking this one out.

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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was officially the first audiobook I have ever completed. I HATED audiobooks, as I typically found them hard to focus on. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder showed me that some audiobooks can actually be entertaining; while this narrator wasn’t my favorite and I wish alternative speakers were used for more than just interview recordings, it did encourage me to give audiobooks another chance. I found the story itself interesting, and I kept trying to predict the ending as Pippa got new information. I liked that it was full of mistakes and unethical choices since it shows the real difficulties of conducting an unofficial investigation, although I wish they acknowledged that some of the information would never be admissible in court as such. I enjoyed learning about the characters, and I would give Jackson’s other novels a chance.

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Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? No

4.0

I loved The Nutcracker as a child, especially the Barbie retelling, so I knew I was going to love this novel. I found the overall premise to be intriguing, as Marietta’s unexpected journey to a magical world echoed that of Marie- however, there isn’t really a “Nutcracker” character like some versions. We do get to learn about a variety of villages in the sugar-dusted world, although the story takes place in Everwood. In a world filled with sweet riches, loyal soldiers, a terrible king and terrified villagers, Kuzniar maintains a very similar aesthetic to the original Nutcracker telling. Marietta’s story is delectably sweet with a touch of something darker. I found a copy of Kuzniar’s retelling through @libby.app, so I recommend checking with your local library 🍬❄️

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As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

My initial reaction: wow. I found that Katouh left me with more emotions than I could possibly process as I read the novel. Salama and Kenan’s story is heartbreaking yet inspiring; it follows there journey as they fight for life in revolution-torn Syria. While I had heard about the civil war occurring there in the press, Katouh is right that we needed to hear a more human than statistical telling of what is occurring. We’ve spent our lives watching news of war (between nations, civil, etc.), and that has made it too easy for many people to look away because the casualties become another number in a never-ending list; As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow is a reminder that those numbers are real people with real lives. Katouh’s Salama is strong, smart, and loving; I found myself rooting for her from the start. Kenan is protective, loyal, and kind; I love that he shows people a prime example of how a person can love their country while still believing it needs to be rebuilt. The romance is light, the heartbreak is strong, but hope is alive. This novel would be a great way to begin forming empathy for the people experiencing the painful struggles of revolutions and lack of civil rights around the world; I would highly recommend this novel as something to read as one learns about what the Syrian revolution and its people.

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I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I waited for months before this book became available via @libby.app. It was absolutely worth it! McCurdy’s story touched me in ways that I didn’t expect. While Jennette details everything from her Hollywood start to her journey to better health, I found myself most intrigued by her descriptions of her struggles with anxiety and OCD. It’s never been a secret that I have depression, nor is it much of a secret that a large portion of the population does too; however, I have not had one of my childhood icons actually express that they were dealing with so many of the same anxiety issues as I was at the same age. She put some of my hardest to describe feelings into words, especially those pertaining to myself and food. Although she’ll likely never see this, I still want to thank Jennette for making me feel seen and understood; I just hope that now she feels seen for who she truly is as well. I had so much frustration and judgement towards her mother while reading this, and it makes me sad to know there are others out there going through the same things McCurdy did. I’m grateful for her candor, and I applaud the efforts she went to in order to get better. I don’t want to try to summarize her complex combinations of experiences, so you’ll have to check this one out to learn more!

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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

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dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

I’m not a huge memoir person, but I decided to give Perry’s a go since I loved how he portrayed Chandler; I became intrigued when I heard that he was practically playing himself. His story is heartbreaking, and it truly shows the complexity of addiction and maintaining sobriety. While I thankfully have never fallen down that rabbit hole myself, I have known enough addicts to have seen a life like Perry’s play out (minus the resources that come with Hollywood money). I was intrigued by his traumas and I had moments where I felt I could relate to some of his self-deprecating thoughts during my darkest moments, however, this eventually got to be a bit repetitive. While the memoir is the story of Perry’s life, a solid 85% is actually about his addiction. I get addiction essentially becomes a persons life, but it could get tedious at times to repeatedly read how he felt that he wasn’t good enough or how much Vicodin he was taking. I wish I could have learned more about his relationships with people, his interests outside of acting and tennis, etc… Like in his daily life, he seems to have allowed his addiction to become his story. While I still hold great respect for Perry as an actor and writer, I found his memoir to be fairly average. I would recommend checking his book out if you are curious about how the mind of an addict works, but it will only help so much if you hope to get to know Perry as a person.

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bookishaddictions's reviews 310 reviews

bookishaddictions's reviews
310 reviews