nadia's reviews
566 reviews

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.

Ted Hughes: Poems Selected by Simon Armitage by Ted Hughes

challenging reflective slow-paced

2.0

Wow, I found this book SO BORING. I didn't care for the subject matter at all and a lot of it also went over my head.

The Midas poem was my favourite because…you know…I could…understand it. Didn’t feel like a poem though. Felt more like a short story. 😅

Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier by Marisa Meltzer

informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

This book wins points for me as I'm a Glossier fan and I'm intrigued by Emily Weiss. However, I was hoping for something more interesting here. It was clear why the book existed. There wasn't really a groundbreaking revelation or any juicy BTS bits. The blurb says it's a "bombshell exposé" and...it just isn't. Still, I appreciated the little peek behind the curtain we did get.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

This is a reread eight years later and wow, what a fantastic book! Now that I'm older, wiser, and have lived through a pandemic, I could appreciate it even more than the first time I read it. The writing is wonderful and the shifting perspectives and timelines work so well together to create an immersive tale. Can't wait to finally read some other St. John Mandel books!

(My review eight years ago was a 4. Upped it to 4.5. Didn't quite get to that rare 5-star "je ne sais quoi"/magic for me.)