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dwdillydally's reviews
102 reviews
The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore, Kitty Moss
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Super Santa: The Science of Christmas by Bruce Hale, Guy Francis
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Ehhh, I wish there was more science in a book with the subtitle, "The Science of Christmas." Yes, there are facts mentioned, but the text doesn't explain the science or math behind the Earth's size, number of homes on the planet, the potential engineering of a flying sleigh, biological info about reindeer, etc, etc. And I don't think the illustrations inform us either. They'r cute and colorful but do not give a sense of scale, size companions, etc.
One positive I loved seeing in a picture book: Mrs. Claus is a mechanic on the magical sleigh! She's got a power drill, overalls, and goggles.
One positive I loved seeing in a picture book: Mrs. Claus is a mechanic on the magical sleigh! She's got a power drill, overalls, and goggles.
Dig, Dig, Dinosaur by Anjali Goswami
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.0
The peek-a-boo pages are a cute, simple way to convey the how parts of fossils are revealed. I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. Perhaps, where the fossils go after they are dug up?
The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah MacKenzie
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
For book: 4 stars
For audio book: 3 stars
For audio book: 3 stars
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
adventurous
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In a nutshell, if you wish John Steinbeck wrote uplifting stories about the Great Depression, try this.
I don't know if the story is tight enough to be my 'book of the year,' but overall, I loved it. Many parts of this book appealed to me:
- Historical fiction
- Road trip story
- Features animals. SPOILERthe titular giraffes live! (see also https://www.doesthedogdie.com/ )
- Main character is a curmudgeon
- Set during the 1930s / Great Depression
- Variety of scenes set in rural America and a revolving door of interesting weirdos
Two criticisms:
1. The ending rambles a little, but I forgive it because by then, the POV is from an old man with slight cognitive problems. So the tone matches the main character's state-of-mind, but I'm not sure if that was the author's intent or not.
2. The only woman character (human; one of the is female) SPOILER...dies by the end. Her character was a little shallow, but all the supporting characters are that way. But it was let-down to learn her fate second-hand.
I don't know if the story is tight enough to be my 'book of the year,' but overall, I loved it. Many parts of this book appealed to me:
- Historical fiction
- Road trip story
- Features animals. SPOILER
- Main character is a curmudgeon
- Set during the 1930s / Great Depression
- Variety of scenes set in rural America and a revolving door of interesting weirdos
Two criticisms:
1. The ending rambles a little, but I forgive it because by then, the POV is from an old man with slight cognitive problems. So the tone matches the main character's state-of-mind, but I'm not sure if that was the author's intent or not.
2. The only woman character (human; one of the is female) SPOILER...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Car accident, and War
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Book club switched to "West with Giraffes"
All Dogs Have ADHD by Kathy Hoopmann
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
All Dogs Have ADHD
by Kathy Hoopman (2020 edition)
#dwreads24
What a sweet introduction to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 🥰 There are other books that offer more in-depth information, but none will bring a smile to your face like this one! This could be a great read-together if you want to start a conversation about ADHD with a loved one.
I recommend this to...
- Any folks diagnosed ADHD (See if these photos ring true for you.)
- All ages. (A quick read with plenty of photos.)
- Dog lovers (Naturally!)
by Kathy Hoopman (2020 edition)
#dwreads24
What a sweet introduction to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 🥰 There are other books that offer more in-depth information, but none will bring a smile to your face like this one! This could be a great read-together if you want to start a conversation about ADHD with a loved one.
I recommend this to...
- Any folks diagnosed ADHD (See if these photos ring true for you.)
- All ages. (A quick read with plenty of photos.)
- Dog lovers (Naturally!)
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness
The Vanishing Station by Ana Ellickson
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
4.0
The Vanishing Station (2024)
by Ana Ellickson https://ellicksonwriter.com/
Solid urban fantasy! I was invested in the three main characters. Ruby is a recent high school graduate who is a well-rounded fictional character. Her interests, her motivations, and her insecurities are front and center. Ruby's dad and her love interest Montgomery are also well-developed and each has of them has a unique drive. I LOVE the conflict of a young adult who has magic to travel the world, but is 'stuck' in life due to extenuating obligations. Too relatable!
Criticisms: the supporting cast and... the villain? The supporting cast is vast and diverse, but overall shallow in character development. At the moment, this book is a standalone story, but it does have the potential to become a series. Maybe the author will share more of this fantasy world with another character?
About the villain. I'm not sure how to categorize this, but the final confrontation in this story doesn't seem to match what the villain is capable of. Throughout the book, I was enjoying who the villain is and how they're set-up, but in the end, the main characters get away too easily. I felt a similar reaction to Cersi (sp?) in the Game of Thrones TV show. All build-up, "PFFFTT" (blowing raspberries) for pay-off. So, I'm not sure if this is a flaw in the character of the villain or a problem of establishing stakes. The villain's ending just... a head-scratcher.
I'd recommend this to...
- Fans of urban / modern fantasy or anyone who wants to sample that genre
- Someone who knows San Francisco (I'd like to hear what details the author got right / wrong.)
- Romance readers who prefer fade-to-black sex scenes (I liked that it had romance but didn't go into details on the heavy-petting.)
by Ana Ellickson https://ellicksonwriter.com/
Solid urban fantasy! I was invested in the three main characters. Ruby is a recent high school graduate who is a well-rounded fictional character. Her interests, her motivations, and her insecurities are front and center. Ruby's dad and her love interest Montgomery are also well-developed and each has of them has a unique drive. I LOVE the conflict of a young adult who has magic to travel the world, but is 'stuck' in life due to extenuating obligations. Too relatable!
Criticisms: the supporting cast and... the villain? The supporting cast is vast and diverse, but overall shallow in character development. At the moment, this book is a standalone story, but it does have the potential to become a series. Maybe the author will share more of this fantasy world with another character?
About the villain. I'm not sure how to categorize this, but the final confrontation in this story doesn't seem to match what the villain is capable of. Throughout the book, I was enjoying who the villain is and how they're set-up, but in the end, the main characters
I'd recommend this to...
- Fans of urban / modern fantasy or anyone who wants to sample that genre
- Someone who knows San Francisco (I'd like to hear what details the author got right / wrong.)
- Romance readers who prefer fade-to-black sex scenes (I liked that it had romance but didn't go into details on the heavy-petting.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894 by Daniel James Brown
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I didn't finish it through Libby (library app for digital books), but I hopped over to Libro.fm and bought my own copy. Now I own it both physically and digitally!
Under a Flaming Sky: the Great Hinkley Firestorm of 1894 (2006)
by Daniel James Brown
This is one of my favorite books ever, especially books about Minnesota. But this first time I listened to the audiobook. In earlier readings, I remember my adrenaline pumping during the 'chase chapters' when trains are trying to escape the fast-moving wildfire. This time, the read-aloud version brought the gruesome aftermath of the fire to my attention. With the audio version, I couldn't skim over the 400+ deaths in Pine County. So if you want to read about this stunning disaster in Minnesota history, brace yourself for some heart-wrenching descriptions.
I'd recommend this to...
- Adults and teens 13+
- If you want a short history book (less than 300 pages in print, 8 hours in audio)
- Fans of true crime (while no crimes were committed, it has - overlapping themes: investigation, forensics, psychology of trauma)
- Fans of survival or disaster stories
- Readers interested in weather science or medical details
Content warnings:
- Human and animal death
- Fire injury and death
- Separation of families
- Refugees
- PTSD / psychological trauma
#dwreads24
Under a Flaming Sky: the Great Hinkley Firestorm of 1894 (2006)
by Daniel James Brown
This is one of my favorite books ever, especially books about Minnesota. But this first time I listened to the audiobook. In earlier readings, I remember my adrenaline pumping during the 'chase chapters' when trains are trying to escape the fast-moving wildfire. This time, the read-aloud version brought the gruesome aftermath of the fire to my attention. With the audio version, I couldn't skim over the 400+ deaths in Pine County. So if you want to read about this stunning disaster in Minnesota history, brace yourself for some heart-wrenching descriptions.
I'd recommend this to...
- Adults and teens 13+
- If you want a short history book (less than 300 pages in print, 8 hours in audio)
- Fans of true crime (while no crimes were committed, it has - overlapping themes: investigation, forensics, psychology of trauma)
- Fans of survival or disaster stories
- Readers interested in weather science or medical details
Content warnings:
- Human and animal death
- Fire injury and death
- Separation of families
- Refugees
- PTSD / psychological trauma
#dwreads24
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Abandonment
The Little Wood Duck by Brian Wildsmith
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0