honniker's reviews
1008 reviews

A Simple Prayer by Amy Clipston

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-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

3.0

This is essentially a fleshed out prodigal son story with a side of romance. I felt like everyone being okay with each other was pretty abrupt and in one case didn't seem all that realistic. Part of me felt like there were almost too many things going on in this book and it suffered for it. 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

The book was well written but it definitely made me sad. I'm glad McCurdy is doing better in life but I feel bad for the exploitation she faced and the issues she dealt with not just from her mother but also in the television industry. 

The Photograph by Beverly Lewis

emotional inspiring medium-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

2.75

I liked the idea of the story and I liked parts of the story. I felt like it could've been shorter though because there were a lot of pages and paragraphs going on and on about Lily and being worried for her. Which I understand but it's like goodness, we get it already.

I also would've liked to know more about Frona as a side character, rather than some of the others. I understand this takes place in the same location and time as some of Lewis's other novels so she was reintroducing those characters, but I feel like it would've been interesting to hear more about Frona. 

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this installment and am looking forward to the next! 

Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente, Ryan Dunlavey

funny informative medium-paced

2.75

An informative look at the history of the comics industry,. My main issues were that I'd does skip around time wise a lot. Additionally, it was a little difficult to keep track of who was who, especially at the beginning.

I did especially like the sections on Manga and how direct sales got started. I would like to see an update on the state of comics today as this ends in the 2010s.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

It's crazy because this was one of the oldest books on my TBR. What I wanted was stories; stories about life in Tehran, about the girls themselves, about hiding and reading forbidden books. What I was getting was an academic paper on Lolita with occasional appearances by young ladies in Iran. 

Maybe it was going to improve, but honestly, life is too short to wait around. 

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

adventurous funny 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? N/A

4.0

I found this series in a "guilty favorites" post in a book subreddit. The little I knew of the premise sounded interesting and so I got the first through Prime Reading. I then got the next four in the series. 

I'm not always the biggest fan of LitRPG but this has less technical stuff than others I've read. The characters are a lot of fun and the story is compelling enough that I'm eager to find out what's going to happen next. In fact, I put my other books on hold so I can read these. If you are a fan of MMOs or TTRPGs you might like this one. 

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

adventurous funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This book was definitely a slog. I think I've been reading it over a year and I took long breaks.

At moments it was highly entertaining. At others, I got tired of the philosophy quotes and moralizing. 

My main takeaway from this book is that people are people throughout generations. The people in Chaucer's day dealt with some of the same things we do today. 

Part of me is glad I pushed through but I have no desire to revisit it. 

A Plain Leaving by Leslie Gould

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

I'm not going to lie, I could've read a whole book about Ruby and Duncan and been perfectly fine. The main story wasn't terrible. It was interesting to me that I'm dealing with some of the some issues. Our family's generational farm is being split up after the death of my grandparents. Unlike Jessica though, I have no say in what's going to happen. 

Anyway, the main story (and side story for that matter) were pretty predictable. I found the sudden shift in the attitude of Jessica's family to be a little jarring after they had been so cruel, though the book did indicate things still needed improving which I appreciated. I found Ruby's story much more compelling than Jessica's but all in all, this was a pretty decent read.

The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: by Sheila Wray Gregoire

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I saw this book recommended several times in Christian Marriage groups. I was struggling with some things in the bedroom so decided to look into it. It's funny because I originally just browsed the book for the section I thought would help. I didn't find it as helpful as I thought I would. Honestly, I think I was looking for a magic fix it guide.

I will say, however, that I soon realized because of my browsing I had essentially read half the book. So I figured I might as well read the first half. I am so glad I did. Because honestly, I found the first half to be a lot more helpful than I thought it would be.

This is a great book because it isn't long, it discusses how sex fits into a committed, Christian relationship and it does a great job of explaining the technical side of things. I told my husband this is going to be my new go-to recommendation for couples, whether or not they are newly married.