mec8337's reviews
170 reviews

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. 

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This is a bit of a nostalgic read for me. I loved Meg Cabot when I was a pre-teen and growing up in 2000s diet culture, this book was pretty revolutionary for how I think of my body, plus I like a murder mystery. 

Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken by Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. Henry Cloud

slow-paced

1.0

Blech. I read this for a book discussion at work and if I weren’t the one leading it, I would have DNFed. There were way too many direct Bible quotes and lots of talk about babies suckling at their mothers’ breasts. I also found some of the examples difficult to get through, like the one of the man who cheated on his wife in a multi-year affair with a family friend. With the help of Dr. Henry Cloud, they were miraculously able to move past this huge betrayal. It was evident that Dr. Cloud feels this is one of his greatest professional achievements, but it just feels sad to me. 

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A quick, lighthearted mystery! Enjoyed it overall because it had two of my favorite things - baking and murder/mystery! 

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Each chapter begins with a quote from a publication between 1895 and the 1950s about what it means to be a good wife. Those may have been my favorite parts of the book simply because some of them made me gasp. My partner and I have been joking about how he gets to go out and have fun and my fun will come from hearing him tell me about it later. 

As far as the actual story goes, I loved Nellie in the 1950s. I thought she was well-developed and extremely likeable. Alice in 2018, on the other hand, is a deeply unlikeable character. Neither Alice nor her husband are perfect, but what we see her do is way worse than anything Nate does. In a way, I do think it added to the exploration of what feminism means and how society has changed from the 1950s. 

Overall, a very enjoyable read although I found the ending somewhat rushed and I would have liked one more chapter from Nellie’s perspective. 

Return to the Enchanted Island by Johary Ravaloson

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

I’m not sure that I am the best intended audience for this book. It is translated from Malagasy into English, and I wonder if some of the literary techniques and language would be better in its original form. 

I did appreciate the Malagasy folklore that was mentioned because I know very little about the culture, but overall it was a difficult book to navigate for me. 

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5