mbuanno's reviews
27 reviews

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

dark funny reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

Man and His Symbols by C.G. Jung

informative inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.75

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.

Hard no from me. To reiterate what another reviewer put perfectly: this book was very obviously written by a white man with no true problems in life. This was recommended to me and I went in with the expectation it would dive into consciousness but it’s just a gross Christian self help book perpetuating that all problems stem inward. 

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark funny sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Book was enjoyable but ending was a bit lost on me. Felt like a quick wrap up to an ending I saw coming. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

dark inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I’ve been thinking about this book everyday since finishing it about two weeks ago. Instantly a new favorite of mine— and I recognized that within just a few pages. 

Piranesi is beautiful and poetic— and as you fall deeper in love with how Piranesi interacts with the world around him, your heart breaks more and more. Such a moving story about our connection to the natural world, relationships with the self and other, and selfishness. 

Highly recommend to everyone. 

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

dark fast-paced

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

4.5

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster

dark inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Wanted to love this. Found the first half hard to read because of the writing style but by the second half I was loving it— til the end. Felt a bit lackluster to me. 

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by Ted Orland, David Bayles

inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

I didn’t get much from the first half, but man the second half kicked me straight in the teeth. I’m a painter trying to find my way, and this book left me inspired, energized and curious. 

Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.

Couldn’t get through it. Found the writing style a bit cringey