maggies's reviews
678 reviews

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane

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funny informative fast-paced

4.0

An easy to understand primer on AI, focusing on the weird things that AI gets up to. A great place to start for anyone looking to grasp the uses and limitations of AI.
Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement by Peter Singer

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challenging reflective slow-paced

5.0

Certainly a very difficult read, but crucially important. 50 years since it was originally published, Animal Liberation still holds up as an argument against the human-caused suffering of animals. Singer's approach is rightfully harsh but equally measured, calling for sensible changes on an individual, national, and global level.
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Desserts for Stressed People by Letizia Lorini

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

2.0

This book is a walking, talking miscommunication trope, so reader beware. It was entertaining enough at the beginning, with a good setup, but as the story continued the plot holes gaped ever wider. Some of the banter was good, but at other times it felt stilted, and I was unimpressed by Shane 99% of the time. I'm also not super convinced by the portrayal of Heaven's OCD, but I'll have to think about that some more.
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A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

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

5.0

This is what I wanted Divine Rivals to be, and it was absolutely wonderful. Slower paced than I normally enjoy, but beautifully written and read. The hunt for the hala doesn't actually start until the last quarter of the book, but considering the hunt only lasts a day and the preparations take weeks, I'll forgive it. Allusions to real-world xenophobia and antisemitism were well done, and descriptions of the alchemy and religious myths were magical. The development of Margaret and Wes's relationship felt natural and lovely.
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The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

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emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

*Read as part of my challenge to (attempt to) read all 100 of NYT's best books of the 21st century*

What a moving, raw account of loss, grief, memory, and mourning. Didion fabulously walks the line of informative and reflective, accounting for the medical and emotional realities of illness and death as she experienced them.
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The Treasured One by Hannah Levin

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

3.0

The Treasured One is a readable and entertaining new adult fantasy romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The world building was not too overwhelming, as it takes place partially on Earth and partially in a fae world. The romance was well-paced, although I didn't love either Avery or Riel. There were quite a lot of telling-rather-than-showing moments throughout, and some plot holes appeared at the end. I am looking forward to the continuation of the series and further development of the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar

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challenging reflective 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? Yes

3.0

For the first third of this book, I was too preoccupied with trying to figure out the line between fact and fiction to really enjoy it. For the middle third, I had given up my constant questioning and just succumbed to the story. For the last third, I was fatigued by the sadness and negativity and mostly just wanted it to end. It may be realistic, but it's not what I typically go to fiction for. The book was incredibly well-written and thoughtful, so the rating is more a reflection of me than the book.
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The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

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

3.0

Suitably entertaining thriller with good twists and turns. The mystery unfolded in such a way to keep me guessing, and there weren't too many plot holes. Lower rating because I didn't really find the characterizations for Ella, Keller, or Jessie very believable (possibly suffered from men-writing-women syndrome).
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She's a Keeper by Ali K. Mulford

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emotional lighthearted 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

3.0

Pros: 
  • Really let me live out my fantasy of working in zoo/with animals (and convinced me the fantasy would be better than the reality for me)
  • The cast of characters were so fun and left a lot of room for future installments in the series
Cons:
  • Way too many references to poop. Yeah, I know, everyone poops. But this was beyond gratuitous
  • Referring to sexual organs by a gender. So weird to me
  • I didn't really feel that Lark grew/changed throughout the course of the book
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From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough

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challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

Knowing next to nothing about Lisa Marie Presley or her family, I've come away with the further conviction that fame, notoriety are a poison. It takes a very balanced person to be so in the public eye and not be affected by it. This memoir was beautiful in its rawness, and I'd never read one written almost like a conversation between the subject, who's passed away, and her daughter. Will be thinking about it for awhile.
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