estellegodard's reviews
280 reviews

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

I respect and admire this true story but it didn’t emotionally impact me in the way I thought it would. however, I think there is a lot of strength in telling this story & i appreciated several of the very candid reflections the author had 

The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century by Amia Srinivasan

informative medium-paced

4.75

what a stupendous collection of essays ! very well written, interesting, and informative. the author does a great job of investigating all perspectives and sides when making her argument. her feminist content builds on plenty of historical feminist theories while giving it modern perspective. all the essays were fantastic but I didn’t enjoy the last 2 as much as the others. 

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

informative medium-paced

4.25

each case study revolving around a specific book store was truly informative and a pleasure to listen to. this book is wide reaching and terrifically incorporates all forms of book selling. 
this is really aimed at book lovers, bookstore enthusiasts, and people interested in history. I am all of these things so it was a perfect fit! as a new yorker it was also very cool to recognize certain bookstores or to learn about the independent stores that I never got to know. 

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

reflective slow-paced

3.0

taking into consideration how hyped this book is, this book didn’t at all meet my expectations. it was still an interesting concept and I thought the author did a great job of balancing the horror of the world with the gentle excitement the narrator feels exploring the new world. but, while this novel made me ponder the bigger picture (metaphors etc) , I didn’t feel emotionally touched or connected to the story or its characters. 

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.25

I devoured this book and had real moments of laughter. i think it is very cool to see a breakup tale told from the mans perspective. the narrators voice is so strong and there are so many amazing and universal passages about heartbreak that struck a chord. 
I enjoyed the final section when we get a glimpse into jen’s perspective. the dialogue in this book is so realistic and the way dolly alderton wrote children was wonderfully funny and charming. 
my only wish is that we had seen andy’s evolution as a comedian a bit more progressively. 

Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Loving and Living Alone by Amy Key

slow-paced

2.5

a book that should have been completely up my alley but turned out to be kind of boring, kind of repetitive, and frankly bummed me out. I was expecting a powerful introspective look at love and solitude and while it was certainly introspective, I found it a little meek without anything very new or insightful to share. I did appreciate the various ways the author explores love and what it can mean. but I thought the book “everything I know about love” by dolly alderton set out to do something similar and did it better, without the self-pitying tone. 
what I thought was most successful was setting front and center the taboo subject of a woman living without romantic love. it doesn’t shy from those tricky feelings and the jealousy and sadness that may come with it. 

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I am always touched by woodson’s writing style but I did not like this as much as “red at the bone”. I wanted to feel more connected to the characters, especially given how important the girls are to august. nonetheless, there are a lot of moments that are tremendously sad yet written with a gentle touch that eases you into the situation. the brooklyn setting is vivid (like out of spike lee’s “do the right thing”) and speaks to the culture of the time. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Playing to the Gallery by Grayson Perry

medium-paced

2.75

I was expecting something a little more informative regarding the art world and galleries. while there certainly were some interesting topics, I thought none of the main questions the authors seeks out to answer were actually answered. as an audio book this felt a lot more like a ted talk too, which made it a little hard to follow at times. 

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

emotional fast-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

I loved this book! it reads similarly to emily henry’s books with a strong emotional core, amazing dialogue and descriptions, fully fleshed out and believable characters, and really great sex scenes. I thought it was overall really realistic and such a joy to read while still delving into deep subject matter and pulling on the heart strings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Self harm

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

it was a fast paced and entertaining book but beyond that it really wasn’t anything special. I was expecting something a lot more airtight and intense. while there were interesting facets to this, there were many moments that felt repetitive and the science felt flimsy. I also found it weak that we never get any closer on amanda’s arc. 
I picked up this book because it was pitched to me as being similar to “project hail mary”. this novel doesn’t stack up in the slightest to weir’s book. but, this book was exactly the sort of easy and quick read I needed at the moment. I just wish it had a bit more substance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence