laurmyfe's reviews
213 reviews

Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation by Tiya Miles

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Everything is connected, even when you don’t expect it. This reaffirmed my need to read Parable of the Sower 🫡

Running by Lindsey A. Freeman

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I enjoyed the perspective on running as a practice that helps you and others recognize yourself. There were some good anecdotes and lots of references to running media that I would like to explore.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I was incredibly confused the entire time. And

I kind of did want Josie to die. Rip

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Temporary moratorium on romance in order rn. This was sweet and I liked it more than a lot of her other books. I just can’t do romance at the moment I think

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

She was such an incredible and introspective writer for being so young.

I hadn’t realized how late into the war the family was caught. The last shipment of Jews to the camps. D-day had happened a month beforehand. The person who turned them in received $1.50 per person. It’s almost beyond comprehension.

The summary about Hitler at the end was chilling. He’s such a prolific figure in history and yet it’s almost like we learn about a caricature. Dare I say it, someone reminds me of him.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I first read this when I was 16, and while I was a very headstrong teenager with anger towards men and the patriarchal society we live in, I hadn’t yet lived enough to really understand it. 

At 25, 15 days into an absolutely brutal social collapse, this book made me want to cry on every page. The structure is elegant. The movement between past and future is deft and emotional. The internal struggle, the constant fight to believe yourself, was incredible. 

I didn’t read the historical note the first time. I didn’t realize that it was part of the novel. Having to sit with the unexplained, uncertain future of Offred upset me in the extreme. I felt like someone had cut off my arm. 

Reading the historical note now, I have mixed feelings. I think she couldn’t leave us there, couldn’t leave us forever trapped inside that society. She had to give us some shred of hope that it ended, that someone somewhere would have realized it was wrong. I hope that will hold true for us for what is to come. It just feels a bit too good to be true.

All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89

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Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book felt way more reflective. Alex as a character had a much deeper understanding of herself, her relationships, her status and was constantly questioning her own actions and their impacts of others. It was honestly one of the best parts of the book. 

I didn’t love the first gauntlet cop out. It felt stupid to have Darlington fully in hand and not make it out really just on a technicality.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Very well developed. The world building was excellent. The last quarter was very engaging and I enjoyed the wrap up, although I’m not sure that I even want a sequel. I’m going to read it but this should’ve been a stand alone.

The ending of going to look for someone as redemption is too reminiscent of Rule of Wolves. Like girl, we need a new plot line here.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Better than Iron Flame for sure but like why do we keep going back to school??????

Also the ending seemed messy. Like

we can’t keep having a new big bad venin that we actually successfully kill every single book.

 

Anyway, I had fun :)