jcburcham's reviews
291 reviews

A Fire Story by Brian Fies

informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Just Ash by Sol Santana

challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

4.0

Combination of physical book (received from Banned Books Box subscription) and audio (Libby). Wow, this was such an incredibly important perspective I'd never heard before, told with a rawness and believability that can only be achieved by a writer who has both talent and an intimate familiarity with the subject matter. My heart ached for Ash and the way he was treated. Although parts of this book were hard to read, the undercurrent of hope and endurance of the human spirit were strong and kept me going. The backdrop of location (Salem, MA) and its cultural significance were well played.

Jezebel by Megan Barnard

adventurous dark tense 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

4.0

Audio (Audible), narrated by the goddess Perdita Weeks. ❤️ I arrived at this novel by chance after entering the narrator's name in the Audible search field because I wanted to spend some time listening to her voice. Historical fiction? Maligned female character? Creative spin on a biblical tale? Well, I wasn't necessarily drawn to the biblical aspect, but I took a moment to reflect on my own presumptions of what I've been culturally taught about the significance of the name Jezebel. And I realized this is definitely a book I wanted to read, not just a way to pass some time with one of the most beautiful narrating voices in the world. 

I quickly became very invested in the story, which is this author's first novel. The writing was engaging and relatively fast-paced. I realize it's a reimagining of a tale, but the author did quite a bit of research and I feel like I learned a lot, which is one thing I love about good historical fiction. 

I look forward to more from this author! And can only hope Perdita will narrate those as well.

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Audio (Libby). This book blew away any expectations I had for it. Describing it as a book that tells you how to live a healthier, more enjoyable and meaningful life does not convey the depth of humanity and inspiration found in these pages. Yes, it explains how exercising more, eating healthier, prioritizing sleep and mental health are critically important. It talks about cancer prevention, detection and treatment. It shares interesting studies about longevity in animals and humans. I was initially intimidated by the size of this book (17 hours!), but the content is so compelling and easy to connect with. I wish everyone would read it!!
On further reflection, just wanted to note that issues like race and socioeconomic barriers to care are beyond the scope of this book.

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

dark medium-paced

3.0

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I have to admit, I've never read Little Women! I've seen a theatrical version (I don't even think I saw the movie?!), so I'm familiar with the story and characters. This is such a wonderful, modern day retelling for ALL ages. 

At the end of the book, there's a little synopsis of Louisa May Alcott and her life. I really think she would approve of this retelling. ❤️

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

adventurous challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This is unlike any memoir or graphic novel I have read. The black-and-white comic book style did not appeal to me at first, but it really grew on me as an effective and powerful medium for telling this story. (Although the tiny text was hard on my eyes and I longed for a large print version.) 

I save my five-star ratings for books that show me a way of life I did not know about and teach me things that I should be aware of. This is definitely one of those books. The intelligent, outspoken young girl telling this story reminded me at times of my own daughter. Which is also why the last page destroyed me...

Definitely will read the next book in this series and recommend this title to anyone who will listen.

Wish I could remember how this book landed on my radar! And for anyone who enjoys childhood memoirs in graphic novel format, I highly recommend When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed.