mec8337's reviews
169 reviews

People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture by Mark O?donnell

informative medium-paced

2.0

There were so many acronyms that it was difficult to follow along at times. It also felt like a sales pitch. 

The Years by Annie Ernaux

reflective slow-paced

5.0

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It took me a little bit to get into this, which may have just been part of my mindset but the second half picked up. Nothing against this book in particular, but I did find myself wondering if there is a gender-swapped thriller out there with a male main character who no one believes. 

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

informative fast-paced

4.0

I am finding out that I like true crime stories of heists and thieves, and this book was no exception. I was incredibly into the story of Stéphane Breitwieser and how he stole nearly $2 billion dollars worth of art over the course of a 7 year period. The author did a fair job of portraying Breitwieser as human while also recognizing that he is deeply and psychologically flawed. I disagree with other reviews that Finkel makes excuses for Breitwieser. Because Finkel had a personal relationship with him, it adds a little more context into his actions. I do wish there had been more of a deep dive into his (most likely abusive) relationship with Anne-Catherine but I also recognize that she has been unwilling to speak to anyone about the case and Breitwieser so that would be difficult to get both sides of the story due to his narcissism.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Ron McMillan, Kerry Patterson, Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny

4.0

Between Two Strangers by Kate White

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a solid thriller that held my attention. The overall premise was a little fantastical but I looked forward to being able to read it which tells me I was pretty into it.

Argylle by Elly Conway

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

Normally I love thrillers but somehow I found this one boring. It’s a heftier audiobook than I normally go for (13.5 hours) and around the 10 or 11 hour mark I just wanted it to be over. The reader of the audiobook had a British(?) accent reading in an American accent, which is mostly fine until she pronounced words like “anything” and “everything” and did the liaison British people do where they add an -r between two words that end with a vowel and begin with a vowel (ex: I saw-r-it happen).

To the book itself. There were too many characters and I didn’t care about any of them. There were lots of POV changes within chapters and I never realized until this book how much I dislike it. The plot was decent and, like other reviews have mentioned, the pace did pick up in the second half. I just wish it would have been faster paced overall.

Bleak Harbor by Bryan Gruley

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

This is a forgettable mystery with forgettable characters. I don’t feel like the character of Danny was built out in a realistic way for someone with autism. Referring to people with autism as “autistics” rubs me the wrong way for some reason. 

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

adventurous funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was recommended to me by my fiancé as his favorite book. Bill Bryson is a very funny writer and I enjoyed reading his account of walking the Appalachian Trail. I didn’t care for some of the descriptions of people which felt a little mean-spirited at times especially related to their weight, but this book was also written in the 1990s where anyone over 100 lbs was considered obese. 

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book got me! I love mysteries and thrillers but need to take a break once in a while because the twists become either annoyingly evident or so unbelievably far-fetched. I was shocked by the twist and couldn’t stop reading once I reached the 50% mark.