esmathteacher's reviews
75 reviews

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

5.0

As far as celebrity autobiographies go, Britney Spears wrote a great one. I read it in one sitting and really felt like I was hearing from Britney Spears and all her layers. Not just the image others have curated for her. Her story is horrifying but her humanity & faith astounding. 

The Change by Kirsten Miller

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I really loved this book! The story was unique and kept me intrigued the entire time. The characters were well developed and the chemistry was great. Several unexpected moments and twists that I loved. Highly recommend!

The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven W. Thrasher

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Thrasher takes a unique approach to his work by creating a narrative of life stories coupled with the facts and impacts of the systems that led to the stories going the way they did. It’s an incredibly informative read that provides insight into not just the systems or human impact but somehow provides both at once. This is a must read for any aspiring antiracist and human who interacts with others in their community (aka literally everyone)

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book as it didn’t so strictly follow the usual romance novel tropes. The story takes place over many years and life phases which really made me feel like I knew the characters and also gave them great depth. Overall the writing is great and the story is fun and engaging 

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

The story line was just too predictable and uninteresting

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

I really wanted to find this book to be good in someway but my god it was a terrible read. It reads like the diary of a young kid or someone just writing down and publishing the conversations they had with a therapist. It’s an act of pure privilege that this would get published at all because it is so poorly written. Perry clearly had a tough life and reading about it humanizes him more, but it wasn’t enough to keep reading it. I don’t recommend this to anyone, including MP fans. He was a great actor, his writing remains questionable.

Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

This was the first book I’ve stayed up to finish in about 15 years. Although not the best book I’ve read or the most well written, there was something about it that connected to my inner child. An Indian girl who feels disconnected from her Indianness. Although my circumstances are nothing like either character. I felt a part of my inner child heal while reading this book. Tears and dreams of my home that is so deeply mine but still feeling so lost in it. I’m very grateful that I started my new year with this book. 

Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

This was a good and timely read as the year wraps up. It provides a mirror into myself and also a window into what could happen if I don’t make changes soon. I already see my health declining rapidly and this book is giving me some hope that I can make changes that will help me be healthier and also provided me some insight into how I’ve been manipulated by the system’s & relationships in my life. At the same time it provided helpful ideas for constructing boundaries for my wellbeing as well. Only reason I didn’t give it a 5-star rating is because it wasn’t like “life changing” or incredible or anything. It was just a good read that was helpful to me. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book. The story line is complex and there were times I thought I might just let it go. But I’m glad I stuck around because the last half of the book was great! I’m not sure if I’ll read the next in the series though. It’s long and it makes me wonder if it’ll be another slow burn & I’m not sure I can get through it if it has a similar structure of context for 50% before the true story and action in the second half. We’ll see though.