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courtneyinthemoon's reviews
261 reviews
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really do enjoy a TJR book. This one is no exception to that rule. Taylor has such a wonderful way of building a story and capturing you in the early pages of the book.
My first book that I ready of TJR was Daisy Jones and the Six. I have yet to read anything that has had a hold on me quite like that book but this book was up there. Not as strong as Daisy or Evelyn but the characters in After I do were very lovable and some were even very relatable.
It may be because of the frame of mind I am in right now (heavy grief due to losing my Dad in April) but I honestly thought and hoped that Lauren and Ryan wouldn't end up together. While I loved them both, don't get me wrong, their year apart seemed to do them good and I really would have loved to see Lauren thrive on her own. I was left yearning for the strong woman who continues to conquer the world and discover herself without him.
All in all though, the whole cast of characters were truly lovable. Losing Grandma Lois sent me into me into a whirlwind of emotions (again, still raw with grief so if you are in the same boat, tread lightly) and the timing of her death and the birth of the baby was a little ... meh and phony for me but it played out nicely in the end with the name of the baby being meant to honor Grandma
I didn't hate it but I didn't 5 star love it.
My first book that I ready of TJR was Daisy Jones and the Six. I have yet to read anything that has had a hold on me quite like that book but this book was up there. Not as strong as Daisy or Evelyn but the characters in After I do were very lovable and some were even very relatable.
All in all though, the whole cast of characters were truly lovable.
I didn't hate it but I didn't 5 star love it.
It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
4.0
I took my time reading this one. There again were some sections that I felt were not right for me at the moment that I just skipped over and may come back to but there was a lot that I sat with and really reflected on and how I can incorporate it into my journey with grief after losing my Dad. I really did like how the author did her research and spoke from her own experience of losing her partner tragically. That made the words resonate with me more than other books on grief I've read in the past.
All in all a great book to help in those early dark days of grief and also a book to help those who may have a person in their life who is going through the depths of grief and are looking for some insight on how to help or to know a little more about what they are experiencing. As someone who is in those depths of grief right now it is hard for me to communicate my thoughts to my partner and to my other loved ones in my support system.
All in all a great book to help in those early dark days of grief and also a book to help those who may have a person in their life who is going through the depths of grief and are looking for some insight on how to help or to know a little more about what they are experiencing. As someone who is in those depths of grief right now it is hard for me to communicate my thoughts to my partner and to my other loved ones in my support system.
How to Survive the Loss of a Parent by Lois F. Akner
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
3.75
This book follows a group of adults in a support group of people who have lost a parent or both parents. I found myself relating to a few of them. Some of the sections in this book were not applicable to me such as the part about siblings going at each other after the death of your parent. Any chapter that I found not relevant I skipped. There were only two I believe. Being as this was published in the 90's a lot of the methods are outdated such as Moving On, I cannot stand that phrase after you've lost someone. You do not move on from losing a parent or loved one, you move forward, big difference.
Other than that there are some really great pieces to this book that I do believe that I will come back to. Some of the exercises that the group went through were really good, so much so that I think that once I'm a little further into this journey of life without my Dad and I feel a bit stronger I will do some of them.
Other than that there are some really great pieces to this book that I do believe that I will come back to. Some of the exercises that the group went through were really good, so much so that I think that once I'm a little further into this journey of life without my Dad and I feel a bit stronger I will do some of them.
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
2.5
Just meh for me.
The author is definitely an excellent writer and did a decent amount of research but I felt like this was a lot of repition of her own opinions throughout.
I do find the "cult" phenomenon quite fascinating so when the author did dive into the big ones that we all know it was just meh for me because it was all ..... "Yeah, we know."
There are some interesting tidbits throughout but it's an overall never going to read this one again nor recommend it to anyone for me.
The author is definitely an excellent writer and did a decent amount of research but I felt like this was a lot of repition of her own opinions throughout.
I do find the "cult" phenomenon quite fascinating so when the author did dive into the big ones that we all know it was just meh for me because it was all ..... "Yeah, we know."
There are some interesting tidbits throughout but it's an overall never going to read this one again nor recommend it to anyone for me.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Please look into the trigger warnings for this book because there are a lot of them throughout.
This book left me in a book hangover for days after I finished it. It was one of the best books I've read this year so far.
A book about a family spanning generations. You follow them through an enormous amount of struggle and pain. So many chapters ended with me in tears.
This book isn't for the faint of heart but it is absolutely beautiful storytelling. The character development was exquisite and while I felt an enormous amount of sadness throughout I really fell head over heels for these characters from start to finish. Except Hansu, screw that dude!
This book left me in a book hangover for days after I finished it. It was one of the best books I've read this year so far.
A book about a family spanning generations. You follow them through an enormous amount of struggle and pain. So many chapters ended with me in tears.
This book isn't for the faint of heart but it is absolutely beautiful storytelling. The character development was exquisite and while I felt an enormous amount of sadness throughout I really fell head over heels for these characters from start to finish. Except Hansu, screw that dude!