lyric82's reviews
41 reviews

Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey

adventurous dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is the most hardcore sci-fi book I think I’ve ever read. I’ve always enjoyed the genre, but I think I always stayed with stories that were much more superficial than this. A drop, but never an ocean. But Infinity Gate was an all encompassing journey into a deep ocean of ideas and not only was it fun for me to read, but it also made me think about the philosophical questions that present themselves throughout. The world building was spectacular, the character development was unbelievably good, the plot… amazing. I truly cannot wait to finish what I started with book two later this year!

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is lightning paced! Within the first ten pages, things get going and don’t stop until the final page. I had so much fun reading this, and many times I held my breath or collapsed backwards in my chair saying, “Ohhhh ohhh… whoah!” This is the kind of book that’s both fun to read, and fun to think about. It’s like a perfect slice of pizza. Everyone loves pizza. Sometimes you don’t want the gourmet, and only a piece of pizza will hit the spot. That’s exactly what this is. Love it! 

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

challenging dark slow-paced

1.25

I think true crime nonfiction may just not be for me. I hated this so much I can’t believe I finished it. I’m sure other people will find this fascinating, and I get it. But for me, it just makes me think very negatively about the world that evil like this exists. I can read violence in fiction and not be deeply affected by it, but when it’s nonfiction…. Nope… not for me. Every terrible thing you can possibly imagine a human doing or thinking, is in this book. Nope. Nope. Nope.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

adventurous funny mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.0

For me, this was highly entertaining and enjoyable. I laughed at quite a few parts, and basically read the whole book with a smile on my face. I absolutely recommend this short and fun little read to anyone suffering a reading slump, to anyone who just read something heavy or challenging, or to anyone who just wants a fast paced, fun book. I will gladly be reading the rest of the series in between anything by Cormac McCarthy. This is what you read when your heart can’t take any more pain/misery/sadness.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

dark informative medium-paced

4.0

There was lots of interesting information in here, but it felt like two separate books. One about the Chicago World fair, and one about a murderer. I’d get into the one story, then it would abruptly change to the other. Over and over again. Overall, I found this to be the downfall of both narratives. Each could have easily been their own book and I think that would have been the better choice.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

This book, for like the first 75% or so, was one that I was thoroughly and wholeheartedly enjoying. I thought it was incredibly interesting, and it was a sort of like Handmaids Tale meets Orphan Black. A story of a woman caught up in a dystopian patriarchal society of non-humans. There ways fascinated me, and angered me, as they were intended. It was moving at a satisfying pace, and I loved it. I really loved it. Then… somewhere towards that latter pages of the book, the author completely lost the plot. The main character did something that I found to be completely against her nature, disgustingly so. And all the enjoyment I had earlier in the book was erased, and I could not find my way back to positive feelings. It felt so inorganic 

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

Let me just say, there was a part of this book that was so unnerving, that I could not continue to read it at night in bed. Unfortunately, it did not stay that scary, which if it had, it may have taken me weeks to read. I love that feeling, and the author tapped into that fear in such a soul piercing way. I wish she had continued it. The book started out promising, but there were a few areas where it lost its speed. It would build then fall, build, then fall again. I still enjoyed it, and I finished it, but I think it could have been better. I do also still recommend if you like scary books… that one part… that is totally worth it if you enjoy horror. 

The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack

adventurous informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

One of my favorite topics presented in an easily understandable and thoughtful provoking way. Excellent! Will definitely read again. 

The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age by Steve Olson

dark informative medium-paced

4.0

This book is sort of a tough one for me to rate, because I did feel many times throughout reading/listening, that it was just sort of throwing information at me much like a textbook would. But at the same time, there were quite a few parts that had me completely engrossed. It tells the story of the birth of the atomic age, through war times, public opinion, nuclear disaster, government handlings of such matters, it goes from the beginning with the discovery of plutonium, through modern day and even touches on the fermi paradox. There was so much interesting information within this book. So much that I think one reading doesn’t cover it. If it is a subject that interests you, read it. But it. Own a physical copy

Bunny by Mona Awad

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

These pages were a strange place to live for the past few days. I kept feeling like I didn’t really know what was going on, and the author did a great job of painting a bizarre tale that I’m sure will live on slightly uncomfortably in my mind. Definitely enjoyable. And above all else, weird… but in the best way, bunny.