mezzarella's reviews
736 reviews

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

hopeful informative fast-paced

3.0

The Teachers: A Year Inside One of America's Most Heartbreaking, Uplifting, Important Professions by Alexandra Robbins

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

As a teacher, this was a read I wish I had had when I was first considering and starting my teaching career. A pandemic loomed in the horizon and my program was very focused on (as they should be) prioritizing responsive educational strategies for students and testing gains. This book covered challenges that I had which I thought I was alone in experiencing, but it also highlighted why I'm still in love with teaching today. This book has the potential to help bridge the gap of understanding between what the public believes teaching is and what it is teachers actually do, but I'm left wondering how many people outside of teaching will read it until they're also "in the trenches" themselves. I appreciate that Robbins highlights this respectfully, honestly, and without exaggeration. What teachers endure simply speaks for itself. I also was pleasantly surprised to see that Robbins not only interviewed and researched extensively betwen media and academic papers, but also spent some time teaching in public K-12 schools as well. This background certainly helped her writing reach teachers, and I hope the public too. 

God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous dark 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

3.0

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

3.0

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

4.0

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

RTC

A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us about the Destiny of the Human Species by Rob Dunn

challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

RTC

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

RTC

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

RTC 

The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

RTC