estellegodard's reviews
240 reviews

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

emotional fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved it. I loved it from the moment I started reading it. the love story between anne & lyon felt so relatable and it hurt me in a way that I can’t really describe. I’m devastated by this book & im feeling very melancholy. but somehow, I want to immediately read it again 

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

I was so sure this would be a 5 star read for me. it gripped me right from the start and I loved the premise and all the witchy/culty aspects. I thought the author did a great job of setting up the timelines, merging the political upheaval with the magical elements, and making us feel on edge. however, the last section really fell flat & the ending just wasn’t as satisfying. we spent so much time on the main character growing up with trauma & not enough time on getting him to finally reckon with his family history. the last 30 pages were a mad dash to wrap everything up & while I enjoyed the final sacrifice & the death of everyone, I thought it could have been more detailed & less rushed. 

American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress by Wesley Lowery

3.5

very interesting & very moving, especially when discussing the case studies 

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really could be swayed to give it 4 stars but for a lot of of the book, I felt like I was treading water. there were moments that were exciting and others that felt so dull. I think this is due to the abstract concept and writing style utilized. nonetheless, the last third was much more enjoyable and I was satisfied with the ending 

All The Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley

fast-paced

4.0

this was a great audio book experience. I liked the mix of art historical tidbits and personal anecdotes that the author wove into his memoir. as a New Yorker and art lover everything felt very familiar 

Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

what a spectacularly modern book! I read the blurb and knew it would be something I’d love. my one reproach is perhaps now humdrum it is at times. but the moments of emotional reflection are deeply moving. I especially loved the constant battle the main character goes through between being an independent young woman & wanting to settle down and be in love; these things still clutter the minds of women today and I found it a deeply relatable and enjoyable book. 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

emotional fast-paced

4.25

I really really loved this book. I was captivated by the story early on and could not put it down. it was a pleasure to live within this family’s life and experience their loves and losses along with them. despite the many characters the author does a great job of keeping everything clear & it’s never confusing. I was a little let down by noa’s finishing arc; to me it didn’t seem like it was in his character to leave his family in this manner. for this reason as well as perhaps the few moments where the book got a little repetitive, I won’t give it a perfect rating but this does not mean it’s not an incredible book. historically it’s a treasure and i learned a tremendous amount on a subject that I knew very little on. 

Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason

slow-paced

3.25

this was a weird one for me. I think the first issue was that I expected to love it based on the hype that surrounds this book; I did not love it. yet, by the time I was about 100 pages away from the end, the book really began to resonate with me and I even shed some tears. I think for the most part it’s a very repetitive book and I struggle to actually sympathize with the character. I think this mainly comes from how mundane her story actually is; it doesn’t allow for a lot of character analysis since not much is actually happening. but once martha gets her diagnosis, I think the book really finds it’s footing and shows mental illness with a lot of nuance. the strongest passages are about how mental illness takes a toll on those surrounding the affected person. I think I would’ve rated this book 2.5 stars if not for the last 100 pages or so. 

Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina

funny

3.25

I enjoyed it overall but found it a little repetitive at times. I also think the use of the word “fuck” was way to liberal. I do love book about the food/restaurant industry so it was cool to hear about all these notorious nyc restaurants and their behind the scenes operations 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

3.5

I thought the parts where we followed Kirstin were dull and redundant. I never ended up actually caring for or about her, this can be said for basically all the characters. when we are in the pre-apocalyptic world I enjoyed the book much more than in the post-apocalyptic world; it just wasn’t super engaging. yet, there were in fact chapters that I found really great and that kept me coming back for more. I am glad to have finally read this ultimately.