jordanlgilbert's reviews
592 reviews

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.

Paused, just not the right time!

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future by Jean M. Twenge

slow-paced

2.0

Talked with a friend about this last night so figured I'd jot my thoughts down sooner rather than later. I thought parts of this were really interesting, but I was distracted by some cherry-picking of data/generally not using it well and what seemed to me a general disregard of society as part of what shapes generations (outside of technology/values of people) - if felt like a disservice to make the conversation so much about individuals while brushing over the societal aspect of it all, especially for the later chapters. A personal gripe is that she says that while the majority of research/information has the cutoff between Millennials/Gen Z is 1996/1997, she chooses to keep using 1994/1995 based on one of her previous books, which ???? For someone drawing so much from data (disregarding how she uses it), it seems like a very strange choice and makes me wonder more about her other methods when it comes to the analysis of the data in the book.

Of course I am biased (as everyone is in some way!) in that I work with data and young people and data <i>about</i> young people, so take everything I say with a grain of salt, to each their own!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-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

3.75

I liked a lot about this book, and I listened to the last 20% on audio and wish I had listened to the entire thing and might've loved it in that case. The story was gorgeous and I had a great time with the magic and the romance (the slowest of slow burns considering they interacted for the first time like 30% in....) but the time jumps took me out of the story a bit. Immaculate vibes though.

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

4.5

If there's anyone who would make me care about basketball (besides Emma), it's Hanif Abdurraqib. I especially did love the format that he wrote it in, with four quarters, and a countdown that he uses brilliantly. It's about basketball but also not about basketball, and though I didn't love it <i>quite</i> as much as I loved They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, I will read every book he writes. He just has a way with words and a way of writing about Ohio, and particularly Columbus, that makes me really happy someone can write so beautifully about this place that I love so much.

Here For It (the Good, the Bad, and the Queso): The How-To Guide for Deepening Your Friendships and Doing Life Together by Amy Weatherly, Jess Johnston

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

This was a short and to-the-point book about many aspects of (female) friendship, and I definitely think there were some good tidbits. There were a few too many queso references (I know it's in the title, but it just felt a bit overkill) and it seemed like a lot of it was straight-forward and surface level as far as the how-to, but overall I liked it!

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

Paused at Chapter 12/35%, might come back to it but it’s just so long and my friend Sarah who reads a lot of fantasy told me she wasn’t super into it

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

4.5! (maybe 4.75....????) Better than the first one!! The second of the series, somehow both very meta and also a classic locked room mystery at the same time?? The format of the narrator talking to the reader is done so well here and really had me trying to figure everything out before the reveal, which I did (yes a brag) but in a way that felt really satisfying because it wasn't obvious and even through that I was still surprised at so many pieces of the reveal and the actual ending!! Assuming (hoping...) that there will be more and definitely looking forward to them!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray

emotional funny hopeful slow-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

3.5

This one was fun and definitely gave some People We Meet on Vacation vibes! I really loved both of the main characters working through some real things, and I felt like they were fully fleshed out. For the romance itself, I went back and forth between being obsessed with them and rolling my eyes at how high school they were acting. Maybe that's a me-thing because I find myself often slightly disappointed by friends-to-lovers but I'd overall definitely recommend it to anyone who loves that trope!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.

immediate weird vibes (the cover is amazing though)