leslielopezholder's reviews
372 reviews

Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton

4.0

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

4.25

An absolutely fun read, very much reminiscent of Project Hail Mary. Where it lost me was that the plot sometimes fell flat. But otherwise, I am excited to see this up on the big screen!

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A terrifying story that will certainly stick with me for a while, particularly so as it seems to be echoed in reality every day. The writing was lush and beautiful, it transports you even. Despite that, I had to knock it down half a star because the formatting really took away from the experience for me. While the author may have had his intentions for doing so, the endless blocks made it very difficult to read.

My Murder by Katie Williams

dark mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

There was so much potential in this! The premise and MC was interesting and had me hooked for a while. But I was disappointed by how the plot developed. 

One Day by David Nicholls

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I've been meaning to read this for so long after being heartbroken by the movie growing up. I wanted to root for these two so badly, but I was often so annoyed with Dex's behavior. In turn, this dulled his more "charming" moments. I was yelling half the time at Emma YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER. 

Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End by Alua Arthur

3.5

I went into this book thinking it was going to be more focused on being a death doula and philosophies on death. While that was certainly present in the book, it was interspersed with the author's personal journey, which I felt didn't always connect with the topic at hand. It felt to meandering and I wish it was more straightforward, or maybe chronological?

I will say, though, there are some very good nuggets and it actually pushed me to want to talk more about end of life planning with my family.

Erasure by Percival Everett

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

I watched the movie when it came out so I figured this would be a great intro to this author. The premise is so fresh and insightful. However, I'm not sure the book needed to include the entirety of My Pafology to understand the point the author was making. As I read this as an audiobook, the excerpts of "other" writings took me out of it and brought down what was otherwise a great read.

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book is very literally just women talking, with almost no plot. But that is the magic of this story. The contemplation, the commentary, the insight, one could consider this a philosophy textbook. The women in this book (unfortunately inspired by real events) grapple with not only what happened to them, but have to take up the responsibility of what they owe their community, society even? They ponder their role as mothers, sisters, and wives, but their moral imperative as Christians. This book will linger with you for a long while.

Upworthy - GOOD PEOPLE: Stories From the Best of Humanity by Gabe Reilich, Lucia Knell

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

A feel-good book that restored some of my faith in humanity. At this point, I might need to read this annually!

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I can't put into words how impactful this book was. I read this for the first time about 5 years ago and I still will think back on it. It grabs hold of you and the ending will then shatter you. I don't want to spoil anything but this is one that I would recommend anyone to read. It is expertly written and contrasts dueling philosophies in the main characters in a thought-provoking way.