dummythicc's reviews
134 reviews

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Stephen King will always manage to draw me in with his writing, regardless of if it is a crime novel or a horror.

I liked the cliff-hanger, and it had me on the edge of my seat every time I picked it up.

Definitely going down as one of my favorite Stephen King series, definitely as enjoyable if not more so than Mr. Mercedes. 

Calypso by David Sedaris

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.25

I always enjoy his writing, but this one seemed a little more morose than his other books. 

Everything Is an Emergency: An Ocd Story in Words & Pictures by Jason Adam Katzenstein

funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

I have OCD, and lately have been struggling to control aspects of it. I wanted to check out different books for learning how to cope with OCD, and was drawn to the illustrated/comic aspect of this book. 

The illustrations are very cute and oftentimes funny, and helps draw a relatable light on this all-too-common, but frequently misunderstood disorder. 

The only reason I gave it a 4.5/5, was because I felt it could have been more organized. (That's the OCD in me-lol)

Animal Farm / 1984 by George Orwell, Christopher Hitchens

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Animal Farm: 4/5 
1984: 5/5 

I enjoyed both novella and novel, but definitely blew through 1984 quicker. I can see why it is considered one of the greatest novels of all time, as it is somehow still relevant even though it was written in the 1940s. The main point I take away from Orwell's book is that you should always learn new things. Always strive to grow as a human being, question things, and trust that you always have room to grow. Otherwise, you are a prisoner of group think and are stuck in your belief system.

The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

Interesting read for those who love the office. A little bit hard to follow along with how many different names are in each chapter/interview. 

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

One of the first Stephen King books in a while I've had trouble putting down. I really like it when King leans into crime/thriller versus horror, it's a nice change of pace.

I would've rated it 5 stars, but the child death in this book really upset me, so it probably wouldn't be something I'd read again on a whim.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Incest, and Murder

Moderate: Vomit

Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu by Junji Ito

funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

 Very cute manga, and it makes the artist Junji Ito a lot more loveable knowing he is a cat person. 

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek

challenging informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Incredibly interesting read. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but I recommend it to anyone looking for a change of pace in the nonfiction setting. 

You definitely learn a lot about forensic pathology and there are some harrowing accounts of working at Ground Zero on 9/11. 

5 stars simply because it was so intriguing, I could barely put it down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Suicide

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Good gods does Maxim make me incredibly angry. The way he treats his new wife like absolute garbage,

literally murdered Rebecca because he couldn't control her,

like why is this being advertised as a romance. 

Favell completely disgusted me too with his treatment towards women. This book takes on a whole new light in this day and age. 

Honestly, would have rated it a 5, but the subject matter was triggering at times. Also, fully went into this book thinking it was going to be a ghost story. It is in a way, but not in the way you think. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

So, I discovered this book through a Reddit thread recommendation of "Thriller Books you Should Go Into Blind Reading." And while I'm glad I didn't know anything about the story, I have read books similar to it before.

M. Poirot reminds me of Sherlock Holmes if he drank less and was more French. I also enjoyed the perspective of the unreliable narrator, versus the story being told from the detective's perspective. This book would be a 5/5 if Poirot didn't annoy me as much with his constant game playing and hiding of the facts. I mean, I'm French and he got on my nerves. 

But seriously, definitely recommend this book if you want a fun thriller/whodunit