mj_almquist's reviews
216 reviews

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous dark inspiring slow-paced

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

3.75

100x better than the movie. When I watched the movie for the first time I was extremely confused, felt like information was missing, time was moving confusingly, and it was unnecessarily long for a movie especially when I was so confused. Now the book, so much more. information where I didn't feel like something was being glossed over. 

That being said, not sure long/slow fantasies are for me. It was was written and still enjoyable, but not something I gravitate towards. Now I also couldn't tell you what parts I think were unnecessary or were overdone and could have been taking it out to make it shorter because it all felt needed. A little conflicted about this read honestly. 

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Super cute fast second chance romance. Defiantly gave classic rom com vibes. I wasn't expecting the back and fourth timeline and it took me a couple chapters to get used to it, but I think it was done well. I also loved the main couple they had me giggling a lot while reading (the grumpy sunshine trope tends to do that for me).

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

informative fast-paced

5.0

Super informative in a very accessible way! The powerpoint for this book went so well with it too. I loved the message, and I feel like I learned so much from this book. The author also ends giving so many possible solutions going forward which is something I haven't seen a lot from other authors and I seriously appreciated it. I read this for a Public Policy class as the last book for my undergrad and I was not disappointed to end with! 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

I really wanted to love this book. I think I went in with high expectations and it wasn't hitting in the way I wanted it to. I still loved the characters and loved the story and loved the message. I suppose I was expecting more politics in it and it wasn't giving enough for me. 

The Politics of Losing: Trump, the Klan, and the Mainstreaming of Resentment by Kevin Estep, Rory McVeigh

informative medium-paced

3.5

Very informative, and made me view a lot of of recent events under a new light. But it was extremely repetitive and could have been a significant amount of pages shorter.

Us Foreign Policy 3e by

informative medium-paced

4.0

This was probably my favorite textbook I've ever read. It was super informative and I loved that each chapter had new authors. It kept the book from getting boring. I also loved the key point boxes for each chapter. It make it really easy to review the readings for discussions in class!

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.75

I loved learning about deaf culture in this book! I think it was super cute, fast, had a lot of nostalgia for anyone that has ever been to a summer camp. I just haven't thought about this a lot since I finished it and I don't feel like the characters were super deep, but I still enjoyed reading this and flew through it! 

1984 by George Orwell

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This was my first time reading this book ever, but I saw Andrew Garfield and Tom Hardy was a voice actor and I couldn't pass it up. I don't know how to feel about this book it was eerie to read and had me feeling some type of undesirable way at the end, which I don't think I would have gotten if I had just read the book. Listening to it with this edition was amazing. I have read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin and while listing to 1984 I kept thinking about We. 

I did enjoy, but I'm not sure how to describe how or why. 

Pandemic Politics: The Deadly Toll of Partisanship in the Age of Covid by Shana Kushner Gadarian

informative medium-paced

3.5

Honestly, this was just weird to read. having experienced covid it was weird to read about in a past tense like some other historical events that I'm completely removed from. I read it for a policy class and it created a lot of interesting discussion, but it was still just weird, albeit informative.

Things We Hide From The Light Bonus Epilogue by Lucy Score

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