jenwestpfahl's reviews
303 reviews

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

One of the best books I have read in a while. I felt like I was there in person watching everything unfold and wanting to jump in and alter the course of the characters’ lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent

Minor: Bullying

God Hunger: Discovering the Mystic in All of Us by John J. Kirvan

inspiring slow-paced

4.0

Great book to use as a daily devotional or to inspire spiritual journaling.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.5

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a book to ready slowly and many times. I suspect new insights will come with each reading. 

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This was sort of boring and I don’t really love Eilis, the main character, but I’m still sort of interested in reading the next book in the series. Is that weird?

Cafe Europa: Life After Communism by Slavenka Drakulić

informative slow-paced

4.0

These essays give an interesting look at life shortly after the fall of communism in several Balkan counties. It’s a perspective worth knowing.

The Liar's Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson

emotional fast-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

Really interesting perspective on what it might be like to be raised in a cult and how also what happens to someone when the truth is too traumatic for their brain to process. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, Kidnapping, Gaslighting

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

informative slow-paced

3.0

If you’re curious in meditation or mindfulness, it’s worth a read. It was too long and repetitive and some of it makes no sense but there are several good nuggets in it. Most of it is easy to understand and to put into practice even for those not interested in adopting a Buddhist worldview.

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

So many characters all introduced back to back to back with their own chapters. I wasn’t even close to caring about any of them and then we’re off meeting a new one a figuring out where they fit. When I got to the chapter titled Patrick but starting with Jennifer as the first person doing anything, I gave up. 

the Ludwig Conspiracy by Oliver Pötzsch

mysterious 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

3.5

This was a fun little puzzle-solving mystery. I loved all the historical and place-setting info. The characters were rather dull and the romance was lame. But that’s not what we’re here for.