joerourke's reviews
26 reviews

This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes

funny reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.25

love this woman. she narrates the audiobook. she has some outrageous stories and love hearing her passion for family and acting. i found it very inspiring.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

dark funny reflective medium-paced

4.0

very clever storytelling which will have you yelling at the book. narrated by author, which i love. but parts definitely felt slow or repetitive throughout, despite the banality of a lot of the stories and encounters she’s had. the ending feels a bit inconclusive/rushed 

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

its harrowing. its a dark and heart wrenching tale of snapshots of a friendship group throughout their tumultuous lives. it is a long book, and some of the plot lines are possibly too grotesque (especially in theatre)

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

alright alright alright. narrated by mcconaughey which is like music to my ears. this book is fucking weird though. half memoir half self help book. thoroughly interesting and entertaining. the guy has lived a wild life

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

audiobook narrated by obama was nice, he has a good voice. sort of skips around the war criminal stuff and can be a bit self righteous. enjoyed the parts about his earlier life though. also doesn’t cover his second term (sequel??)

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

5.0

a book that will leave you going "what the fuck" at the end of every page. drug induced madness throughout. thoroughly entertaining.

A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

adventurous challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

beautiful and varied, this collection of poems can be overly esoteric at times but there are many highlights littered throughout

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring tense 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

a spell-binding mix of politics, love, and technology and a glimpse into how our future could be. the last few chapters never fail to make me sob

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

a brilliant and witty recount of adventures and adjustment to a new way of life and all the benefits it can bring. gerry is an outsider who tries to fit in but finds his closest friends in the wildlife around him