jenwestpfahl's reviews
295 reviews

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

I know it’s meant to be inspiring but it wasn’t to me. Cheesy and annoying or maybe even cloying would be more apt descriptions.

I like the message about going on a journey to discover yourself and your purpose and that doing so can help you appreciate the life you choose to lead. But the Wizard of Oz has that same message in a much more entertaining package and without hitting you in the face with it every three pages.

The mixing of language and traditions from different faiths was kind of interesting but I felt like it didn’t all add up to anything. Maybe it was a way of showing the commonalities among us - like when one person says the universe is aligning to help them, is that much different than saying the Grace of God has helped them through a tough situation?

So I guess there was some thought provoking ideas here. But it just didn’t really “work” for me as a whole.

Homecoming by Kate Morton

emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

I somewhat agree with those who said the book within the book was an issue. I found some of what was included in that book to be hard to believe (that he would include it) but it didn’t bother me enough to affect how I enjoyed the book. The identity of Jess’s father was more of a stretch and so unnecessary and cheesy. I’m glad that wasn’t a big part of the story.

I did guess the broad strokes of the mystery fairly early on and some more details as it went on. A few details still came as a surprise. I think we were meant to figure some things out before Jess did though. It kind of builds the anticipation of her realizing what we already have.

 

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

A delightful little mystery with a word of romance thrown in. I look forward to continuing the series.

Bridge to America by Linda Glaser

reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

A good YA book about what it was like, from a child’s perspective, to be an impoverished Eastern European Jew and then an American immigrant in the 1920s.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

challenging dark fast-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? Yes

5.0

Wow. There is a lot going on in this book. I couldn’t put it down and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Not really sure what to make of it but I recommend it!

The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth

dark slow-paced

2.0

This book needed a heavy-handed editor. The endless descriptions of Christmas displays in downtown storefronts and other details were so boring and made the book nearly twice as long as it needed to be. I ended up skimming the last 20% just to find out if they figured out who the killer was.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

I liked the format of not knowing the victim till the end and the changing viewpoints. It was well written but it’s hard to really enjoy a book where each character is more despicable than the last. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Suicide attempt

This Is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival by Archbishop Robert Barron

challenging informative medium-paced

4.0

A really great explanation of Catholic beliefs about the Eucharist. Bring your dictionary and your thinking cap because Bishop Barron uses big words and a complex writing style.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

emotional 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? No

4.75

This has a similar vibe to Orphan Train but the modern half of it felt a bit more plausible. I sped through this book in two days because I had to know exactly where the threads led and met up. Very well done story with a mix of tragic and bittersweet storylines.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton, William H. Shannon, Robert Giroux

reflective slow-paced

2.5

So slow with so much unneeded detail. I was expecting a lot more insightfulness than I got from this famous conversion memoir, especially toward the end. But it wasn’t there. All in all not a very memorable story.