jenwestpfahl's reviews
303 reviews

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

challenging 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

4.75

Some parts were hard to stomach but it’s an excellent book. The characters were so well researched and written. It all felt very real. 

Would be a 5 except for a couple of courtroom scenes that felt a little cribbed from Aaron Sorkin.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Racism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Suicide

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

While the writing style is excellent, I found it hard to follow the through-line of the story as the point of view and timeframe changed with each chapter. I also didn’t feel like we spent enough time with any of the characters to really connect with them. I liked the idea of getting the backstories of what led each person to a specific terrible moment in time, but it just didn’t hit home for me.  

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
Did not finish book.

Library loan expired. Didn’t care enough about the story to get back on the loan list.

Yellow Medicine by Anthony Neil Smith
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

Hard to follow. Not really into following the memories of a cop who sleeps with teenage girls. Looked up a plot synopsis and was not one bit interested. How did this even get on my tbr list?

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

The ghost story was compelling enough to continue and the answers were obvious to the reader just the right amount of steps before the characters. I liked the descriptions of Maddy’s antics.

The instant romance was rather hard to believe and kind of weighed down the story. I was not at all expecting the graphic descriptions that went along with this part of the story and wasn’t a fan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Suicide, War

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.5

I loved the writing in this book and the themes of perseverance and female solidarity. It was so well-researched - from the rural horse book delivery routes and women coal miners to the blue people of Kentucky and forest fire prevention - to set a realistic scene and plot. I was taken aback by how hard life was so recently in these mountain regions.

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray

informative inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

I hadn’t heard of Frances Perkins and she was a remarkable woman! This was an engrossing tale about her personal and professional life. The depiction of FDR was also very interesting.

The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

I didn’t understand much of the first chapter or two. And what I did understand maybe felt relevant in 1990 but none of it resonated with me. 

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

It took me 80 pages or so to get into this but I ended up loving it. Eudora’s backstory is very interesting, and you can’t help but love her new cast of friends. The ending was very satisfying.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a light magical realism read. The character development of the two main present time characters was the focus of the book while the magic was sort of in the background. The historical plot line was also interesting.