lisabage's reviews
529 reviews

The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz

adventurous mysterious 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? No

4.0

Many authors put you on a roller coaster, rolling you through the ups and downs of a story until the biggest drop and then a long coast to recover. This book is more like a drop tower, a slow crank upwards and then the exhilarating single huge drop of a climax at the end. You don’t have much of a coast afterwards but all the storylines are sufficiently closed that you can imagine the rest. A solid suspense. 

Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly

adventurous informative mysterious 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

4.0

An unusual #vampire book. Someone’s killing vampires. They enlist the help of a former spy to find the murderer. The spy’s wife, a doctor when female doctors weren’t normal, helps by researching property records and medical journals. Based mostly in London, there’s a section where the spy and vampire visit the Paris vampires, including a jaunt through the catacombs to see the oldest vampire. Thoroughly entertaining October read!

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

Fabulous! I know nothing about tennis but that’s not the point. This is a great coming-of-middle-age story about a woman who learns what’s really important in life. Great characters and strong character development. I see lots of people say they really don’t like Carrie so they stop reading. But that’s the whole point! Carrie doesn’t even always like Carrie but eventually, she figures it out. If you’ve ever wanted to win something, you’ll love it.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

hopeful 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? No

3.5

A cute story, if somewhat predictable. Old codger and young girl discover the meaning of life together and build a found family in a small town. In this one, the old codger is a bookstore owner on a small island in the Northeast somewhere, which makes it the perfect #vacationread or #beachread. Easy reading, interesting characters, fast-paced. 

The Target by David Baldacci

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

Easy listening audiobook for a roadtrip. The third in the Will Robie series, with plenty of action, good characters, and a brisk pace. The North Korean woman's upbringing in the camps was a little repetitive, but I understand why he pushed it so much. Great ending where all the storylines intersect for a satisfying conclusion. 

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

As a child, you always assume that your parents are choosing to treat you a certain way, and that they fully understand how their behaviors affect you. This book goes through the aftermath of one teen’s death, exposing the truth - that everyone has their own history, their own damages. That each of us brings to parenthood all the pains we had through our own childhood. Well written, well developed characters, heartbreaking book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

So good. A great blend of character development, fairy tale magic, and a driving plot. The audio was fantastic. King himself read a very short piece, well woven into the story. The narrator was perfect and brought the story to life. I’ll miss this story world and all its princesses, commoners, monsters, and benevolent creatures. 

The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

A dying small town sheriff takes on a runaway young girl. This reads like a cup of hot chocolate in front of a fire. Lovable characters, baseball, and an abandoned mutt. The town is basically a southern Mayberry, but Winston is even more likeable than Andy Taylor. One of those books you don’t want to end. 

The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win by Leif Babin, Jocko Willink

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

An excellent overview of the paradoxes of leading people. Are you micromanaging? Or too hands-off? Are you caring enough about your team, or smothering them? Are you being too aggressive, or too passive? The format of the book walks through a story from the author's time in the military, then extracts a leadership takeaway and applies it his consulting work to the corporate world. Thoroughly readable with excellent actionable advice. 

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Blake Crouch strikes me as a Michael Crichton for a new generation. Heavy in fact-based science, he takes current events and pushes them to their extreme for the benefit of exploring human emotions and behaviors. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Not sure if it's because his plotting, timing, and character development continue to improve, or because the topic is so compelling and timely. A solid recommend.