gsmallwood63's reviews
32 reviews

Sylvia's Second Act by Hillary Yablon

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

I wanted a fun read after finishing a couple of serious books and this book fit the bill! 

The Women by Kristin Hannah

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

This story was fascinating.  I learned information about the Vietnam war and the women who served that I did not know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident

Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, and Gaslighting

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I enjoyed reading this book from the first page. I read it on kindle and listened on audiobooks (moving back and forth) and would recommend both platforms. I loved the characters! The story evoked so many emotions.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book is very interesting in that one major event/change changed how the world functioned and how people are perceived and perceive others.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Grief

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book started slow but I’m so glad I kept reading.  The story is fascinating!

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

I loved this book. It will stay with me for awhile 

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

This was an enjoyable read. I felt like the ending was a bit of a let down. 

Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.5

I enjoyed this book. The author dabbled in some interesting and complicated social issues of 1960 (which still unfortunately exists to some degree today). 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is a wonderful story about people, complicated relationships, love, and much more.