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katieohara's reviews
115 reviews
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The characters were hard to relate to. There were too many characters referenced and some had no value to the plot. Especially when the author name dropped Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, which felt jarring and not relevant to the over all plot. Also for a book based on so much factual research there were some glaring holes that broke the world building for me, such as there being no art history PhD program at Georgetown and the way Jess gets her job is also unrealistic to the Smithsonian system. I am in an interracial relationship and I found Theo and Jess’s relationship to be dry. The death of Theo also felt forced and done for shock value which I find gross that a white author would use that as a plot device. For a book that is set half the time in ante bellum South, it certainly glossed over the atrocities of slavery. I get why people like this book but for me it felt like the type of book a boomer white mom living in the suburbs would read because it was on Reese Witherspoon’s book list.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The Torqued Man by Peter Mann
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Animal death, Addiction, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Torture, Sexual content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Body horror, Alcoholism, Alcohol, War, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, and Death
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Eastern Europe!: Everything You Need to Know About the History (and More) of a Region that Shaped Our World and Still Does by Tomek E. Jankowski
informative
slow-paced
2.75
I first bought this book in 2017 when I was missing my college medieval class. In the introductory chapter and it wasn’t hooked so I put it down. I only picked it up again in 2023 as part of a challenge to read books that I already owned. It was a challenge through the book.
One of my major issues with the book that author is the type of historian that only values military and political history. Most of the sub chapters about the kingdoms and countries are exclusively who is in charge, and who went to war. This is more of a book about how borders have changed in the past two thousand years. I wish that the cultural, religious, and even the economic history was better integrated in the text. It felt out of place when it was left to the useless trivia section.
I almost feel like this book needed to be two volumes. The ancient and medieval is really gloss over in favor for the modern history. The first volume could be ancient/medieval and the second could be modern history 1700-now.
There were a lot of proofreading issues that made me feel like the editor did not put enough care into the book. There were spelling errors, incorrect dates, and footnotes not in superscript. Also casual references to Wikipedia. In some ways it solidifies my feelings that this book is kind of a series of bound and printed Wikipedia articles.
One of my major issues with the book that author is the type of historian that only values military and political history. Most of the sub chapters about the kingdoms and countries are exclusively who is in charge, and who went to war. This is more of a book about how borders have changed in the past two thousand years. I wish that the cultural, religious, and even the economic history was better integrated in the text. It felt out of place when it was left to the useless trivia section.
I almost feel like this book needed to be two volumes. The ancient and medieval is really gloss over in favor for the modern history. The first volume could be ancient/medieval and the second could be modern history 1700-now.
There were a lot of proofreading issues that made me feel like the editor did not put enough care into the book. There were spelling errors, incorrect dates, and footnotes not in superscript. Also casual references to Wikipedia. In some ways it solidifies my feelings that this book is kind of a series of bound and printed Wikipedia articles.
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
If this is your first time reading Jasper Fforde, please note it is very easy to get lost and give up. The first 75 pages will be utterly confusing, but Jasper Fforde lays it out for you in time.