nadia's reviews
569 reviews

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.25

I went into this book with low to middling expectations - especially after Tom Sawyer (both books I’m reading in preparation for Everett’s James) - but I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I did have with parts of this book. Some parts really made me laugh, some parts had me turning the pages fast, and some parts got me a lil’ emotional, but it dragged and got too silly for me towards the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism

Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken

informative medium-paced

4.0

Really hits home just how stacked against us the food industry is! I enjoyed the variety of science, personal anecdotes, and practical tips, and how the chemical, biological, economical, and environmental aspects are all explored. I also enjoyed the bonus material on the audiobook, with BTS-seeming convos between the author and his brother. The structure and organisation of the book didn’t always seem on point, but no biggie!

I have no clue how accurate the claims made are but until I learn otherwise I’m taking them at face value! It does all seem to check out!

Wellness by Nathan Hill

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

I really had a great time with this book. It's not perfect, no. Some of it was a slog, yes. But on the whole I was intrigued and I loved the various ways Hill told the story. It felt different and yet all the various styles and storytelling devices fit together into a cohesive whole for me. Lots of thought-provoking stuff in there, from romantic love and conventional and non-conventional relationship structures, parenthood, identity and fulfilment, big tech, the wellness industry itself, and more!

A friend and I have an annual tradition where we go to a bookstore in December and buy the other a book that was a fave of the year that the recipient knows nothing about. When my friend asked me if I knew anything about Wellness I said that I don't think I'd ever even seen it! Making it a perfect candidate!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Infidelity

Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth by Dan McCrum

informative mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

This kind of book is right up my alley but I really struggled to follow this. I was listening on audio, so don't know if that was a contributing factor but I felt like the narrative structure was confusing, especially with the way the book started, and I struggled to tell the characters apart and remember who was who or what the key parts of the fraud were. I might check out the Netflix show now as that'll probably help solidify the narrative in my head.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the get-go, but I never felt fully connected to the characters or invested in certain relationships and parts of the story/setup never quite clicked for me.

Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts, and Schemes by Laci Mosley

funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.75

An overall great listen on audio, though the structure felt a bit messy — the true crime scams combined with the memoirs felt random, and the transitions abrupt, at times — and I didn't really care for the self-help parts. Still, engaging and entertaining for sure!

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

What a great, quick read. The writing really worked for me — so straightforward and yet evocative. Real tense at times, too, and reading it around Christmas was perfect.

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I'm not sure what I think about this book but I was intrigued all the way through so that counts for something. I can see why people say: "What was that? Nothing happened. So boring." but I really appreciated the novel concept/perspective and wanted to know where it was going. The conclusion of one of the main story lines left me frustrated and unsatisfied though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Loved the premise but the execution fell short! Some of the ways the characters spoke to one another and behaved didn't make sense given the history of the relationships. And come the end I was left wanting: wanting a bit more of an explanation as to what was going on and why, for one! It all felt rushed and unclear.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Death of parent

Exit Interview by Kristi Coulter

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Really enjoyed this BTS look of a career at Amazon! I now want to read her essay collection, Nothing Good Can Come from This.