bwandyn's reviews
175 reviews

When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramsey

challenging informative sad medium-paced

4.5

A depressing mosaic of historical phenomena, government reports, newspaper articles, and first-hand accounts. Hard to believe this is a debut novel with how well Ramsey blends the narratives of his interviewees with the story at large. Very digestible and an overall heartbreaking read.

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

adventurous emotional 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? N/A

3.75

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

challenging dark funny sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Rollercoaster ride between the most absurd dark humor and the most tragic tales of addiction. Welsh understands shock value more than most. I wish some of these vignettes would go on forever.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

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

2.75

Adorkable humor is fine. The last third is a miserable slog. By the time the climactic Croatia trip comes in, I couldn’t care less. Nevermind how anticlimactic it all turns out. Globetrotting shouldn’t feel like the DMV.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark funny informative reflective fast-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

3.75

So contemporary and meta that it'll be unreadable in 20 years. Spending half a book crying about Twitter debates and Goodreads reviews should be annoying, but it's all in good humor. Thriller bits do not thrill me!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The perfect fantasy adventure. Silly songs, silly prose, and a climax that just keeps going. One of the few children’s books that just gets better as you age.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Kind of slows to a crawl in its third act. Effectively cold and brutal and discouraging throughout. Don’t get the push to label this “magical realism” or, worse yet, “sci-fi”. 90% of this novel is very normal historical fiction. Whitehead rocks.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

Picks up once it stops echoing Harry Potter with the stupid “demigod summer camp” and pivots into Percy’s Bizarre Adventure. Proto-MCU dialogue. Hilary Duff mention. I care less about Greek mythology than before. Anyone that recommends this outside of grade school either stopped exploring fantasy or stopped reading altogether.

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5