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hannahleelovestoread's Reviews (635)

Chief Everything Officer: 15 Years Inside the Boardroom

4.0

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Chief Everything Officer: 15 Years in the Boardroom by Kunal Gupta is a fascinating and rewarding read. Best categorized as a business memoir, the book recounts Gupta’s time so far as a successful entrepreneur and relays his tips for running the optimally successful business. While I do not necessarily agree with Gupta’s heavily leadership-centered approach—hence the phrase “Chief Everything Officer”—it is clear that, for some, this outlook reaps numerous benefits. Gupta helpfully maintains a linear storyline within the chapter entries while sandwiching advice in between his anecdotes. Many of his observations—such as the one that every individual has a different reason for working toward the same collective goal—are true of life in general, not just business ventures. I was particularly struck by his observation that, in many cases, constraints counterintuitively lead to more freedom. I also found “perfection is the enemy” to be a maxim that I would like to emphasize in various aspects of my own life. Overall, Gupta has written a memorable and enjoyable work.

Unlearning: 15 Experiments That Transformed My Life

Kunal Gupta

4.0

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Unlearning by Kunal Gupta is a riveting account of a series of fifteen behavioral experiments the author conducts to make drastic changes in his life. Originally inspired by a powerful documentary to reverse his escalating habit of excessive consumerism, Gupta first embarks on a short-term, minimalistic journey of making only the most necessary purchase. After following this lifestyle for a year, he informs readers, he finds himself in a pattern of continuous inspiration to “unlearn” unhealthy or limiting habits and belief systems. Gupta is impressive in tackling topics as light as his fear of heights and as heavy as grief, and he maintains a tone that is easy to read but respectful of people he meets around the world—in addition to his readers—and their various feelings, cultures, and belief systems. He skillfully employs inspirational quotes at the beginning of each chapter as well as helpfully offering his readers digestible summaries of each of the fifteen experiments. Unlearning is a helpful and enjoyable read, and I look forward to exploring more of Gupta’s work.

Falling Down

Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

4.5

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Shaken Not Stirred

Alma Katsu

4.25

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Compromising Willa

Diana Quincy

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

On Enemy Ground

Alma Katsu

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Hollywood Psycho: The Luke Townsend Story

Brittany Roth

4.25

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Much like Paris Hilton in the early aughts, the glamorous Luke Townsend is famous for nothing more than her partying, her beauty, and her rich and successful parents. After experiencing a sheltered childhood and surviving tragic circumstances in her first serious relationship, the glamorous socialite has little interest in romance. But when Luke is caught up in a whirlwind romance with the handsome and charming Mitch Bellamy, she believes that true happiness is finally a reality for her—so why do her friends and family detect only red flags?

One of the darkest domestic thrillers I’ve read this year, this novel is a haunting account of a woman who endures horrors our society tends to speak of only in whispers. This story is utterly unflinching in its depiction of numerous disturbing topics, so checking content warnings before reading for those who feel they should is a must. However dark its content, though, the book is not without hope: the message at the end is one of sisterhood and empowerment. All thriller lovers, particularly women who have endured abusive relationships, will want to give this a read.

I was lucky enough to receive a digital advanced reader copy of this book from its talented author, Brittany Roth. Many thanks to her.

Content Warnings

The Vanishing Man

Alma Katsu

4.25

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

Tempting Bella

Diana Quincy

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Look In the Mirror

Catherine Steadman

DID NOT FINISH: 38%

The premise of this book is exciting, but after reading over a third of it, I was, frankly, a little bored. There were many promising elements of the plot, but the pace was too slow for a thriller.

Content Warnings

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