dakotavander's reviews
72 reviews

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

3.0

🌺 🌙 🩸 Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann 🩸 🌙 🌺 

A series of murders of the Osage people bring national attention to the newly formed FBI. Can they catch the killer(s) and bring justice to a frightened community?

I read this firstly because last year I read “The Wager” by Grann last year and it was one of my favorite books of the year. Secondly, I wanted to eventually watch the movie. While I enjoyed some aspects of the book, I was widely disappointed that, unlike “The Wager” there was no single through-line narrative in this book.

The first half reads as a murder mystery which I really liked. But then the last half goes into a trial story and later an unraveling of further details the author finds by researching. It’s not that the context wasn’t interesting, it just felt it was somewhat pulled out of order. 

It was a decent read. Faster than I anticipated, but it doesn’t make me very excited to watch the movie to be honest.

Emma by Jane Austen

3.0

🌸 Emma by Jane Austen 🌸 

I have wanted to read this classic since seeing the 2019 film (which I enjoyed). When I tried to read “Wuthering Heights” earlier this year, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to read classics because of the challenge. But I’m happy to say “Emma” was a MUCH easier read than “Wuthering Heights”.

“Emma” was light hearted and funny and made me slow down (both because it was difficult to read and because it was a long read) and really enjoy the slower storyline it presents. The scope is a little small for my taste. Not a lot happens in such a long story. But I can also recognize that maybe this just isn’t my type of book. 

I’m happy to have gotten through at least one classic this year, haha. But now I don’t feel the need to force myself into another one anytime soon. (Unless it’s for my work’s book club I guess, lol)

3/5 ⭐️ 

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

3.0

🔑 🚪 The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 🚪 🔑 

When a woman gets hired as a live-in housemaid, what secrets will she uncover of the family she works for?

This book was fast as lightning! It was thrilling and exciting but, unfortunately, too much so. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it. But there were parts, like the timing, that were SO unbelievable that it took me out of the story. I also think that some of the choices made by the characters were unrealistic and some things done for shock alone. I’m excited to see how it’s adapted to film and wonder if they’ll fix some of the issues with the pacing and story. 3/5

The Possession of Mr Cave by Matt Haig

4.0

✨ 🔒 The Possession of Mr. Cave by Matt Haig 🔒 ✨ 

When a man’s wife and son dies years a part he is left with his only daughter and innate desire to protect her at all cost. What lengths will he go to to keep her safe?

“The Possession of Mr. Cave” is my 4th book by Matt Haig that I’ve read in the past year and a half and it has cemented him as one of my must-read authors. I loved how this book showed a brilliant decent into madness that continuously escalated. Although I felt like I knew where the book was going the journey there was great. 

Have you read any Matt Haig? Which is your favorite?

Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom

3.0

🌎 ❤️ Falling Back in Love with Being Human by Kai Cheng Thom ❤️ 🌎 

I normally don’t do well reading poetry or short prose or what not but I really loved this. I finished this collection in one sitting and it felt like a warm hug given by the author to all their readers and even their critics and haters. It is an important piece in acknowledging the nuance that love for those that spout hatred can exist without excusing their actions.  

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

4.0

🐙 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 🐙 

This book was chosen as my work’s book club book as a “mystery” but I wouldn’t necessarily call it that. When I hear “mystery” I assume it will be thrilling and fast paced and perhaps that’s my own misunderstanding. This book was fast to read but slow to get to the mystery in my opinion. But I loved it nonetheless.

It reminded me of reading on a pier, watching and listening to the waves roll beneath you. It was smooth, easy, and beautiful to read. 

I called the “twist” well before it happened but still enjoyed witnessing the characters figuring it out. Some of the characters seemed a little flat but not so shockingly so that it pulled me out of the story for more than a moment. 

Would recommend for a quick peaceful read but I do think the hype is very over done. 

Matilda by Roald Dahl

4.0

📚 ✨ Matilda by Roald Dahl ✨ 📚 

If I’ve talked to you about art in any length you would know that one of my favorite artists is Quentin Blake who illustrated most of Roald Dahl’s works. It is mostly for his drawings that I love his books so much.

But Matilda particularly I have always loved. As a kid who loved books I often wished I also could move things with my mind and befriend my favorite teacher. 

The book is short and sweet and funny as Dahl always is. To read it back now makes me miss seeing students read it for the first time as I would often give it to my better readers when I taught elementary school.

Now, if I was being overly analytical (which I don’t thing is necessary or should be considered seriously), some parts of the story didn’t age well. Lol. It’s essentially a children’s worst nightmare come to life with Miss Trunchbull but could you imagine any of the things she says let alone does happening today? And Miss Honey… such sweet and innocent memories of her but as an adult, GURL, don’t be inviting students over to your house after school! Creep alert! 

But it’s light, it’s goofy, it’s fun. The only reason I reread it this week was because I wanted to watch the movie and I have a rule this year that I have to read something before I watch it. Coming at you next, Dune!

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

5.0

✍️ A Little Life by Hanna Yanagihara ✍️

This book me so long to finish not just because it’s a long book but because it is HEAVY. I simply could not stand more than a few hours of reading it a week. 

I get the criticism. I get the uncomfortable-ness of seeing a person, fictional or not, subjected to so many horrors in such unimaginable detail and in such a relatively short time. But, while I may not have experienced everything Jude had, I can say enough with experience that I felt very connected to him and his story, unfortunately. 

Reading this was difficult for me BECAUSE of how I related to Jude. I am very thankful for the kindness people close to me gave me in trying to warn me of how triggering this book could be. But thankfully, over the past two years, since I had been in treatment, I have the skills and supports that helped me process the events of this book and, in a way, it helped me process my own shit. In that way, this book was very cathartic. 

It was like, at moments, I was seeing how my life could have been if I hadn’t gotten help. If I hadn’t listened to the people around me and if I hadn’t believed them.

This book is definitely not for everyone. Not everyone will be able to compartmentalize the way they need to with the events of this book and that is more than understandable. But I loved this book. So much. I think it’s needed for people like me. And it’s written so well. This book is now proudly on my shelf and I will talk about it to anyone who will listen. 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

4.0

🔱 ⚡️ Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ⚡️ 🔱 

This must be my millionth time reading this book. I used to read it to my students as I taught Ancient Greece and they loved it. I’m still so astonished at Rick Riordan’s story of how he also was a 6th grade teacher and how he wrote this book to better explain myths to his students and son. It’s so inspiring. 

The book itself is definitely meant for kids and every time I reread it that becomes more and more evident. But even with all the annoyances that I find when I read middle grade or YA, I’m still so happy to know that stories like this, that become so important to kids, exist in the world.

A coworker’s son is currently reading this series for the first time and I’ve loved hearing his thoughts. The show on Disney+, while not perfect, is at least better than the movie, Lol. And I’m working now on updating my teaching resources to sell online as a side hustle.

I think I’ll probably try to read the rest of the series now that I’m not teaching this book over and over again. I’ve liked other books in this universe like Magnus Chase and the Red Pyramid so I think I’ll like following Percy’s story too. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5.0

🎬✨ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ✨🎬

I have very strict rules about books that I keep in my house. They have to be 5-Stars, they have to be books that I have a personal connection with, or they have to be something I know I would read again. 

Seven Husbands marks off all three of those criteria. 

I connected so much with Evelyn as a very human character. Not a villain but does things that are questionable at best. Not a hero but is relatable and we root for her. She shows herself not in the best of light and I admire that. 

I didn’t see the twist until it happened. And it happened so perfectly. I was already crying about something in the plot and then, BAM! There it was. 

10/10. Recommend highly.