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lisabage's reviews
530 reviews
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.
The Hit by David Baldacci
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Second in the series. I didn’t like this a much as the first one. Jessica Reel wasn’t developed very well so I had a hard time caring about her. Still really enjoyed. Gratefully, the unnecessary sound effects and music were fewer and less disruptive on this one. We will definitely continue the series!
The Innocent by David Baldacci
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Reliable action adventure with flawed but likable characters. Finished the audiobook over a two day road trip. The audio production was a little off. I liked the multiple narrators, but they added music and sound effects. Including several sudden gunshots. Not the greatest sound on a long day of highway driving. The story was solid enough that I downloaded the sequel to listen to on the way home.
Pay Up!: Preventing a Disaster with Your Own Insurance Company by Chip Merlin
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Bias warning - I work for an insurance company. This is written by a class action attorney who delights in suing insurance companies. So, conflict. But interesting to see how he thinks.
Some things he got right:
If you want your claims paid correctly, you can’t go for the cheapest policy. That forces all insurance companies to squeeze costs past what we want and what you need.
A good agent can help you. Again, don’t go cheap. Go for someone who wants to know about you so they can help make sure you are covered correctly.
There are good insurance companies. But not all are.
There are good attorneys and public adjusters, but many aren’t.
Some things he got wrong:
The large majority of companies and insurance adjusters want you safe, protected, and care about helping you get back to where you were before the worst happens. His insistence that we are all out to not pay what we owe is cynical at best and unethical at worst.
We don’t actually sit around trying to decide how we can write things so that you can’t understand them, or so that we don’t have to pay you something. The overly complicated insurance form you are subjected to is largely because of two things: overly aggressive and political insurance departments who try too hard to “simplify” language by adding instead of subtracting; attorneys who will insist that you are owed more than the policy allows because of some ridiculous interpretation of a sentence, which then has to have three more sentences added to “clarify” what is intended to be covered.
At a time that our personal exposure to disasters is climbing at an unheard of rate, the worst thing we can do is demonize industries who are dedicated to helping us not have to start over every time the wind blows. While I applaud what I’m sure are his good intentions, the best advice for you is to understand your risks and to find an agent who wants to help you find a good company to help you mitigate those risks.
Some things he got right:
If you want your claims paid correctly, you can’t go for the cheapest policy. That forces all insurance companies to squeeze costs past what we want and what you need.
A good agent can help you. Again, don’t go cheap. Go for someone who wants to know about you so they can help make sure you are covered correctly.
There are good insurance companies. But not all are.
There are good attorneys and public adjusters, but many aren’t.
Some things he got wrong:
The large majority of companies and insurance adjusters want you safe, protected, and care about helping you get back to where you were before the worst happens. His insistence that we are all out to not pay what we owe is cynical at best and unethical at worst.
We don’t actually sit around trying to decide how we can write things so that you can’t understand them, or so that we don’t have to pay you something. The overly complicated insurance form you are subjected to is largely because of two things: overly aggressive and political insurance departments who try too hard to “simplify” language by adding instead of subtracting; attorneys who will insist that you are owed more than the policy allows because of some ridiculous interpretation of a sentence, which then has to have three more sentences added to “clarify” what is intended to be covered.
At a time that our personal exposure to disasters is climbing at an unheard of rate, the worst thing we can do is demonize industries who are dedicated to helping us not have to start over every time the wind blows. While I applaud what I’m sure are his good intentions, the best advice for you is to understand your risks and to find an agent who wants to help you find a good company to help you mitigate those risks.
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
I hope Baldacci builds on this character! Travis Devine is both fundamentally flawed and completely likable. The other characters were equally captivating and the plot was just complicated enough to make this a fantastic binge listen on a long road trip.
Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by Ben Hogan
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I’m learning golf at the age of “way too old to learn to golf”. But, enjoying myself! This is a very old one, published in 1957, containing what Hogan refers to as the only five things any golfer needs to get to a sub 80 score. So, not expecting that miracle, but the foundations still hold. I took a lot out of understanding the mechanics behind the grip, stance, posture, backswing and follow through.
In the Blood by Jack Carr
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
James Reece and his overly descriptive weaponry are at it again. The first few chapters had so much detail we laughed out loud. But once everyone was appropriately armed and the plot got rolling, it was a fast paced enjoyable adventure. The ending though. Major cliffhanger. But still a great listen. Special shout out to Ray Porter who does all the James Reece books. It wouldn’t be Reece without him!
Would have been 5 stars if it wasn’t for the cliffhanger. Totally unnecessary.
Would have been 5 stars if it wasn’t for the cliffhanger. Totally unnecessary.
Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team by Scott Jeffrey Miller, Victoria Roos-Olsson, Todd Davis
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Working on manager handbook, seems like a very good start on key skills, like delegation and goal setting, plus managing your own time and energy.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I liked the writing, and the characters are so realistic you would expect to see them on the streets of Minneapolis. The story was strong for the first half, and then the pandemic hit, and then George Floyd. I appreciate that she tried to incorporate such timely and dramatic events, but it wasn't successful for me. It felt forced and the original tension and development got lost. Each event was well done, just not cohesive to the original story.
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After mentioning Tantalus to describe a difficult customer (which I now know is a myth where a man is punished by standing in water that recedes when he tries to drink and under fruit just out of reach, basis of the word tantalize).
“Severed from its roots, unable to taste the starlight.”
Talking about an uprooted tree.
Interesting connection to the main story about a ghost trapped in a bookstore.
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After mentioning Tantalus to describe a difficult customer (which I now know is a myth where a man is punished by standing in water that recedes when he tries to drink and under fruit just out of reach, basis of the word tantalize).
“Severed from its roots, unable to taste the starlight.”
Talking about an uprooted tree.
Interesting connection to the main story about a ghost trapped in a bookstore.
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When I creep into our bed, there is the joy and relief of a person entering a secret dimension. Here, I shall be useless. The world can go on without me. Here I shall be held by love.
The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism by Hubert Joly
Good premise but couldn’t get into this.