lisabage's reviews
571 reviews

The Women's Small Business Start-Up Kit: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide by Peri H. Pakroo

informative medium-paced

4.0

Starting a Business 101: From Creating a Business Plan and Sticking to a Budget to Marketing and Making a Profit, Your Essential Primer to Starting a Business by Michele Cagan

informative medium-paced

3.0

Good overview of the basics, including good explanations of basic financial terms and formulas. 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

adventurous challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

The pace of this was incredibly slow. But I love when a slow burn story reads with an underlying intensity that makes the time pass quickly. Recommended to those who appreciate historical fiction from the female perspective  

The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.

Well written and good research. Just got tired of it. Lots of bouncing around in time so kind of hard to follow. 

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

A solid quick mystery read. Seemed to drag in many places, most of the twists were predictable but aligned well. Not sure I’d recommend to anyone unless they are a fan of the author or needed a simple beach read. 

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

This has been on my TBR forever. Finally picked it up and am so glad I did. The drawings are incredible. They convey a sense of emotion with no words. The way they show time passing is unique. The story is touching and shows how immigrants have to feel their way through all new situations. I highly recommend for the strong emotional imagery. 

The September House by Carissa Orlando

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious fast-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? No

5.0

Wow! What an amazing ride. Steady pace but relaxed for a haunted house book. Good characters, gripping scenes. Not your typical ending. A strong recommend. 

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

adventurous mysterious relaxing tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Awesome read. Something about his style is so comfortable, like reading on a blanket under a big oak tree in the middle of summer with a pitcher of iced tea. The plot unfolds steadily and ends with a big finale. Characters you want to spend time with and meet again. Highly recommended. 

P 451 chapter 41. After cutting a cottonwood branch. 

See the star? … there’s a story my people tell about that star. They say that all the stars in the sky are actually made inside the earth. Then they seek out the roots of cottonwood trees, where they patiently wait. Inside the branches of the cottonwoods, they’re dull and lightless, like you see here. When the great spirit decides that more stars are needed, the wind shakes the branches, the cottonwoods, and the stars are released. They fly up and settle in the heavens, where they shine and sparkle and become the luminous creations they were always meant to be.

Epilogue. P 644

Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about the past. In all of them, there is truth, and in all of them a good deal of innocent misremembering. 

The Women by Kristin Hannah

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

A story about the women of the Vietnam war, at a time when women weren’t know to go to war. About 2/3 was dedicated to the war, and yes they were as near to the front lines as possible without actually doing the shooting. The other third was about how difficult the reentry was for these women. Incredibly sad and yet somehow too compelling to stop reading. Binged it in three days. 

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Fun and crazy ride about an heir to a super villain and his exploits with sentient cats and dolphins. Plenty of gunfire and adventure, with a heavy does of humor. Loved it!