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justinlife's reviews
840 reviews
A Most Tolerant Little Town: The Explosive Beginning of School Desegregation by Rachel Louise Martin
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This is one of those books that’s uncomfortable to read but worth reading. In this book, we read about the desegregation of Clinton High, years before Little Rock occurred. Martin brings this history to life with brilliant prose and really shows off her skill as a historian and author. She recreates the scenes so viscerally that it feels like we’re there, watching these events unfold. It’s well paced and well researched. This is the best of the narrative non fiction.
While it’s uncomfortable to face our past, it’s important to read, to recognize, and to remember. We’ve come a long way and ay times we haven’t. Public schools have always been area where a lot of attention is paid when change occurs.
This is an important book that you should pick up and read. I highly recommend it.
While it’s uncomfortable to face our past, it’s important to read, to recognize, and to remember. We’ve come a long way and ay times we haven’t. Public schools have always been area where a lot of attention is paid when change occurs.
This is an important book that you should pick up and read. I highly recommend it.
An Unexpected Kind of Love by Hayden Stone
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Unexpectedly, I really liked this novel. Stone leans heavily on the fantasy/improbability of the genre but by the end I appreciated what he did. Aubrey Barnes is a rather young bookstore owner who inherited his parents’ shop in London. He’s in debt and stressed about finances while still raw from a breakup where his longtime partner left him for someone else. Because there’s a movie being filmed down the road, he runs in pot C-list up and coming actor Blake. Blake is head over heels for Aubrey and drama ensues.
Overall I thought it was a fun evaluation of how we cope with breakups while being open to new possibilities. Aubrey wasn’t a narrator I particularly enjoyed, but he grew on me. I liked how ridiculous the plot was but how they overcame the problems felt real. Overall I’d recommend it. It was cute and fun.
Overall I thought it was a fun evaluation of how we cope with breakups while being open to new possibilities. Aubrey wasn’t a narrator I particularly enjoyed, but he grew on me. I liked how ridiculous the plot was but how they overcame the problems felt real. Overall I’d recommend it. It was cute and fun.
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I'm gonna chalk my dislike of this book on a variety of factors- the time of year, not enjoying the his take on the speculative fiction genre, and the style. Something about it didn't work for me. I think I'm tired of men writing speculative fiction in a way that shows the worst of the human spirit. Heller's The Dog Stars falls into it for me.
In this novel we follow Hig, a survivor of a plague that wiped out most of America (potentially the world) nine years ago. He's living in a private airport/rundown community with Bangley, a gun enthusiast. They've been holding their own for the past nine years, fighting people off and staying alive in this space. It seems that Hig is trying to hold to whatever kind of humanity the reader might know while Bangley has less worry about the others out there and just wants to survive.
Something happens that pushes Hig to do something different, and he goes off on a little adventure. In this world that Heller has created, a lot of animals have already died. The planet is getting warmer. Whoever is left is either like Hig and Bangley and we assume staying in one place or marauders who are taking what they can and surviving by killing others.
The outlook that Heller leans in to is that if you have compassion or are caring, even nine years later, it will be a weakness and you will die. Caring about others is a risk that will most likely cost you your life. He sticks to this bleakness throughout the book, for the most part. No spoilers here. Hig, having compassion is mocked by the other men in the book, who seem to fit the typical gun enthusiast stereotype. Very "get off my lawn". To me, it felt like it was setting up this dichotomy of two types of men- the rigid, classic, american man, denying emotions, loving guns, killing people and the more emotionally aware, poetry loving, gardening kind of guy. Heller makes it to where the second couldn't survive without the first.
This was just exhausting to read. I have a hard time understanding why someone would want to envision a world like this. I will give him that he makes you believe that it could be like this. I don't believe that, but in this fiction, the reader does. Like you have the opportunities to show a range of feelings and emotions and this is what we get? Ok, I guess. Not to be that british slang for cigarette, but I felt this would be perfect for straight dudes. I can see a lot of them liking it and seeing themselves in it. I see how the loneliness and survival in the story might resonate with them and how by having that classic American male image being so dominant, it might make them feel validated in their own emotional neglect.
If you read it, I would recommend the audiobook though. The structure of the novel was hard to get into and I kept wanting to skip around. The audiobook made more sense to me.
This book did make a good book club discussion book and I think there's a lot to chew on that people might like. I think this just happened to be the wrong time of year and the wrong mood for me to read it.
In this novel we follow Hig, a survivor of a plague that wiped out most of America (potentially the world) nine years ago. He's living in a private airport/rundown community with Bangley, a gun enthusiast. They've been holding their own for the past nine years, fighting people off and staying alive in this space. It seems that Hig is trying to hold to whatever kind of humanity the reader might know while Bangley has less worry about the others out there and just wants to survive.
Something happens that pushes Hig to do something different, and he goes off on a little adventure. In this world that Heller has created, a lot of animals have already died. The planet is getting warmer. Whoever is left is either like Hig and Bangley and we assume staying in one place or marauders who are taking what they can and surviving by killing others.
The outlook that Heller leans in to is that if you have compassion or are caring, even nine years later, it will be a weakness and you will die. Caring about others is a risk that will most likely cost you your life. He sticks to this bleakness throughout the book, for the most part. No spoilers here. Hig, having compassion is mocked by the other men in the book, who seem to fit the typical gun enthusiast stereotype. Very "get off my lawn". To me, it felt like it was setting up this dichotomy of two types of men- the rigid, classic, american man, denying emotions, loving guns, killing people and the more emotionally aware, poetry loving, gardening kind of guy. Heller makes it to where the second couldn't survive without the first.
This was just exhausting to read. I have a hard time understanding why someone would want to envision a world like this. I will give him that he makes you believe that it could be like this. I don't believe that, but in this fiction, the reader does. Like you have the opportunities to show a range of feelings and emotions and this is what we get? Ok, I guess. Not to be that british slang for cigarette, but I felt this would be perfect for straight dudes. I can see a lot of them liking it and seeing themselves in it. I see how the loneliness and survival in the story might resonate with them and how by having that classic American male image being so dominant, it might make them feel validated in their own emotional neglect.
If you read it, I would recommend the audiobook though. The structure of the novel was hard to get into and I kept wanting to skip around. The audiobook made more sense to me.
This book did make a good book club discussion book and I think there's a lot to chew on that people might like. I think this just happened to be the wrong time of year and the wrong mood for me to read it.
Advanced Chemistry by A.J. Truman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I wasn’t expecting to like this poly romance novel as much as I did, but it was a lot of fun. I did find the teacher former student ratio to be a bit uncomfortable but overall this was a good time. Chase is a nerdy chemistry teacher who starts a relationship with two best friends Anton and Sebastian. Overall it was an interesting read about how relationships can evolve and how to let go of the fear of falling for someone or someones.
Romance Languages by A.J. Truman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
2.5
This was just ok. I didn’t like this friends to lovers story. It made no sense to me and while I’ve gotten used to Truman’s over the top situations, I just didn’t buy this one. Like at all.
Drama! by A.J. Truman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
3.75
A fake bf, enemies to lovers book was fun and ridiculous. That seems to be my word for Truman’s writing. I keep reading so I must enjoy it.
Here we have drama teacher Everett stuck in a circumstance where he needs his enemy’s help as a fake boyfriend. His enemy is the football coach Raleigh.
I thought this was fun. There were some interesting conversations around art vs. sports funding in public schools that I enjoyed. The characters were a bit much but overall a solid read.
Here we have drama teacher Everett stuck in a circumstance where he needs his enemy’s help as a fake boyfriend. His enemy is the football coach Raleigh.
I thought this was fun. There were some interesting conversations around art vs. sports funding in public schools that I enjoyed. The characters were a bit much but overall a solid read.
Ancient History by A.J. Truman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Truman starts a new series in the same town which is fun. Here we have teachers instead of single dads.
This was a sweet second chance romance between that picks after the characters’ closeted high school romance. Hutcheson was the star soccer player and carried on for two years with Amos secretly before abruptly cutting it off and leaving Amos to wonder what happened. Ten years later, Hutcheson returns as the soccer coach at the school Amps works at.
Truman is a fun writer and I enjoyed how he wrote these characters, giving them chances to explore their feelings and explain the past. There’s a nice section where go down where they would’ve been if things went differently that I found touching. This was a sweet read.
This was a sweet second chance romance between that picks after the characters’ closeted high school romance. Hutcheson was the star soccer player and carried on for two years with Amos secretly before abruptly cutting it off and leaving Amos to wonder what happened. Ten years later, Hutcheson returns as the soccer coach at the school Amps works at.
Truman is a fun writer and I enjoyed how he wrote these characters, giving them chances to explore their feelings and explain the past. There’s a nice section where go down where they would’ve been if things went differently that I found touching. This was a sweet read.
The Barkeep and the Bro by A.J. Truman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
As I thought the last setup was ridiculous, this one took pit to another level. Here, we have Mitch, owner of a local pub who falls for his daughter’s ex Chase (everyone is over 21 here). While Chase might be 17 years younger, Mitch keeps gravitating towards him.
I’m not a fan of workplace romance,but Truman handles it delicately and shows the issues with it. Both characters are given space to explore and figure things out. Overall a fun quick read.
I’m not a fan of workplace romance,but Truman handles it delicately and shows the issues with it. Both characters are given space to explore and figure things out. Overall a fun quick read.
The Mayor and the Mystery Man by A.J. Truman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The second in the series, this friends to lovers follows the local mayor as a scandal breaks out amid his reelection campaign. In order to quash the rumors and the bad press, he recruits his best friend to pretend to be his boyfriend. The best friend who is straight doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.
A ridiculous setup but the fake boyfriend trope is ridiculous. Overall I enjoyed it.it was fun to add new careers in the to,nave genre and the addition of a local election added more tension and opportunities for Truman to have fun.
A ridiculous setup but the fake boyfriend trope is ridiculous. Overall I enjoyed it.it was fun to add new careers in the to,nave genre and the addition of a local election added more tension and opportunities for Truman to have fun.
The Falcon and the Foe by A.J. Truman
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Sloppy bear bear meets neat freak in this single dad enemies to lovers romance. This was a lot of fun and the cover listed wasn’t the one that I saw. I saw a cartoon image on insta so I picked it up.
Cal is a single dad in his forties working two jobs and trying to have a life for his son. When his son wants to join the local equivalent of the Boys Scouts, he has to deal with Russ, his enemy, also a single dad whose husband passed away.
Overall a fun read. It’s rare to see stories about men in their 40s. Truman does a great job giving these characters depth.
Cal is a single dad in his forties working two jobs and trying to have a life for his son. When his son wants to join the local equivalent of the Boys Scouts, he has to deal with Russ, his enemy, also a single dad whose husband passed away.
Overall a fun read. It’s rare to see stories about men in their 40s. Truman does a great job giving these characters depth.