justagirlwithabook's reviews
432 reviews

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you know me, you also know that I named my dog after Darcy's estate in Pride and Prejudice. So, I'm kind of a fan. And I am such a fan of this modern retelling! Not only did it tackle the "love story" of two people from different social classes, it addressed culture, identity, and judgment, it included a bit of free verse that really spoke truth, and it shined a light on the reality of gentrification and inequality that's still so prevalent in the U.S. Highly recommend!

Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward

dark informative slow-paced

4.0

Where do I start with this one? Rather than focusing on the topic, can I just say that Bob Woodward's writing is just good. I found myself thinking that being an investigative journalist would be like attempting a ridiculously large puzzle while only being given a small card table to put it all together on. So in other words, I don't know how they do it, but I admire and appreciate their using their talents to help shed light on our world, its events and people.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The best sign of a five-star read is if it keeps me up long past my bedtime. And I think I might have a new favorite author, and her name is Diane Setterfield. Oh my goodness, this book. The more I read, the more I hone in on individual elements in books that I'm a sucker for every single time and this one had it all: Magic? Yes, sign me up. Storytelling and folk tale vibes? Absolutely, yes. Unique characters, atmospheric settings, historical elements, and whimsical feelings? Of course. Tributaries of storylines that eventually merge into one? Beautiful lines on every page that just speak to my soul? What else could this reader ask for?

I had half the book left to read last night, and a few hours past my bedtime, I just couldn’t stop. I was too sucked in, too invested in the characters’ lives and the life of the story itself. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep soundly if I didn’t get to the end.

Of course by the time I did get to the end, I was heartbroken over it. No, it didn’t end heartbreakingly because of tragedy, but it left me sad simply because it was over. It left me wanting to stop by the Swan Inn to hear stories told by “the regulars” there about times past and to maybe take a walk or two along a great river. It also left me Googling images by Henry William Taunt and getting lost in a real time long ago along the Thames.

Up to this point, The Thirteenth Tale has been on my shelf for years and remained untouched, I’m only somewhat sad to say. I’ve never been more excited to not have read it yet, since it means I finally have all the motivation in the world to move it to the tippy top of the TBR pile and read it next!

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

After finishing this YA "fantasy" book up a couple of days ago, I'm still not quite decided on where I stand. And maybe where I stand is "This would be great for semi-mature YAs - they'd totally connect with the storyline and characters!" Was it great for me, personally? It was just okay. It felt more like a realistic fiction novel than fantasy and in that regard I was disappointed. But did I keep reading? Yeah, I did, and not because I had to. So there's that.

Chernobyl 01: 23:40: The incredible true story of the world's worst nuclear disaster by Andrew Leatherbarrow

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

4.0

While this particular audiobook wasn't groundbreaking by any means, it was a really well done "here are the basics" sort of book. Leatherbarrow discusses the events leading up to the disaster, how it all happened, the aftermath, and his own travel experience to the site itself. For someone who doesn't consider themselves a science nerd, he does a great job of explaining the logistics of a nuclear disaster in a way that is easy to understand (and that'll also have you googling to learn more!).

Corregidora by Gayl Jones

slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Corregidora was originally published in 1975, but the issues that Gayl Jones presents are timeless. The story follows a blues singer, Ursa, who struggles with her maternal history but also with her relationships in the present. Her last name, Corregidora, is her family’s legacy, as her mother and grandmother were both fathered by a man by this name who was a Portuguese slave master. Issues of abuse (domestic and otherwise), slavery and ownership, sexuality, and womanhood all cycle throughout the past and the present as the reader experiences Ursa’s struggle to work through both her mother’s and grandmother’s experiences but also her own current reality. This was not an “easy read” but it is an honest and important one.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ah, where do I start with this one? Scythe by Neal Shusterman is every bit YA as it ever could be, and historically I tend to rate YAs a bit lower than my usual fair of books, maybe because it all seems so underwhelming and teen characters are still teens and growing into themselves. That being said, this is among the best YAs I've read lately. The premise is a bit morbid, but it speaks to issues that are always of the highest importance: morality, ethics, compassion, and empathy. If you like a fast-paced read and appreciate a tale of good versus evil (and where justice prevails), check it out.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is the second in the "Arc of a Scythe" series by Neal Shusterman. I don't know whether or not the first or second was my favorite of the two, but this one didn't disappoint. It picked up right where the first one left off and didn't stop. There were a few more puzzle pieces being played in this one - a handful more key characters, schemes set up that slowly played out, and so forth. I couldn't put it down once I started, and the ending will have you eager for the third book, which I believe comes out September 2019. I've already added it to my list!

The Binding by Bridget Collins

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I had such high hopes for this one and my dreams fell through by Part 2, which was about a third of the way in. This book has been advertised as historical fiction, literary fiction, and magical realism. The blurb on the inside cover gave me all those musty bookshop vibes, and I expected to be entirely wrapped up in the magical aspects of hiding people's memories away in these bound books. And then, after Part 1, it took a turn and led me deep into what I would call a YA romance that I was entirely not expecting nor really wanted. It was all the angsty teen romance that had me rolling my eyes, and it got so far away from its original blurb that I'm surprised I even finished the book. So, all-in-all, a bit disappointed to say the least.

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe

mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was hoping to love this one as much as I remembered loving The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, and while it was an alright read, it fell short of all the luster I had expected. It somewhat picks up where Deliverance Dane left off, but the first part of the book was spent just chattering away about academia that had little to do with the main plot. Things finally got going towards the end, but by then I just wanted to know how it ended and move on to my next book. If you enjoy reading about research and academia with a tad bit of history, this might be worth your time, but expect a lot of hopping around, characters that aren't quite as smart as they should be, and a potentially somewhat unsatisfying plot line.