librosconcafe's reviews
275 reviews

3rd Degree by James Patterson

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

It was a decent plot, but not as intense as the others..in my opinion.

2nd Chance by James Patterson

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I liked the first better, but it was still a good book. You’re constantly guessing and changing your mind about who the suspect is.

1st to Die by James Patterson

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The first book worthy of five stars that I’ve read in a while! It’s also the first book I’ve ever read by James Patterson. The writing was so good and it keeps you reading and guessing until the very end! I look forward to reading much more by him. 

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

informative medium-paced

3.25

I felt it was a good book overall. You can learn a lot about dopamine and it’s negative effects on the body and mind.

I do think, however, that the author “demonized” way too many things. For example, her reading erotic novels turning into an obsession wasn’t good. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that reading is one of the most valuable things a person can do with one’s time. So that is her personal struggle, and not something that applies to others. 

At one point she said something negatively about getting into flow with different activities, like it was a bad thing. Flow has been found to be very beneficial to the brain. Video games are also a positive thing in moderation. I don’t know…I just felt too much of “you better not do anything or it might be an addiction.”

Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 1: The Day of Departure by Yoshihiro Togashi

adventurous lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

A great manga to delve into. I’m enjoying it more because I’m watching the anime at the same time. It can easily be read in a day, or even a morning. Looking forward to more!

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I’m glad I decided to give this series another shot after not liking the previous book. I like the writing and how much the author describes every detail. It was a good read overall.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.75

For me, this book felt really long. I felt this way in particular during the second half. I didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as the first one. It was still good though. I felt it was jumping from setting to setting a lot and I didn’t have much descriptions to be able to picture it in my mind. 

Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart M. Brown Jr.

informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

A really good book, I thought, on the importance of play. 

I think the author was a little harsh on video games at times. I think it would’ve been more beneficial to talk about the positives of gaming and how that can also be a form of play. 

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

adventurous tense slow-paced

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

4.25

I will say that reading books 1-5 within 7 months is the biggest accomplishment of my reading life…especially since most of them  are over 1000 pages long. 

With that said, I liked the fifth book less than the previous four. It’s still good writing, no doubt. This is definitely where the show and the book branch off in totally opposite spectrums. They go in completely different directions. I didn’t expect a lot of it. I just hope we live to see the sequels written. 😅

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.25

A very nice memoir about one writer’s experience with running. It’s cool to see how running has shaped many other parts of his life. Sometimes we write hobbies off as being silly or asking why one would do that…but through this writing, we see how our hobbies can improve the overall quality of our life and even make us do our work better.