nadia's reviews
573 reviews

What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

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hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

4.5

This is an excellent book — especially on audio as you get to hear the actual interviews (!) — that can inspire climate activism in anybody. The breadth is impressive, spanning everything from politics, Hollywood, the legal system, the ocean, and more. It is rather dense — and most of the facts when in one ear and other the other — but I think it's a book that you should listen on audio and then have a print copy to refer back to. Loved the titular/central question of the book. A very positive, hopeful framing, despite the darkness of the situation!
Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 2: The Pillars of Civilization by Daniel Casanave, Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen

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adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

Not as strong as the first volume, and it felt more like a thesis/opinion/persuasion-piece than a history. I felt the "simplification" of everything more, and this one felt like the authors dwelled on a few points for a bit too long, but it does illustrate certain things – beginnings of slavery and the compounding impact today, the power of fictional ideas in shaping culture — creatively and effectively!
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Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 1: The Birth of Humankind by David Vanderneulen, David Casanave, Yuval Noah Harari

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adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

A very creative adaptation of the first part of one of my all-time favourite books. I loved the illustrations, the setting, and the cast of characters. I don't know if I'd rate this so highly if this was my first interaction with the material and if Sapiens wasn't one of my few five-star reads, but this was a fantastic way to revisit some of that material and I've already started Volume 2!
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Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

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

4.25

The structure of this book was so fun and clever! I loved it! The wrap-up didn't have as much impact as I would have hoped given the run up to the conclusion but Magpie Murders did keep me guessing until the very end, on all fronts, and the eventually conclusions did make sense in the general context of a contrived murder mystery setup, so a job well done to the author!

(I didn't realise until reading the blurb for this — after I'd finished the book, of course — that Anthony Horowitz created Midsomer Murders! He came into my high school once to do a school assembly — including a reading and takedown of an opening paragraph of one of Dan Brown's novels — and it was one of the most entertaining things!)
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The Julian Chapter by R.J. Palacio

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Given Wonder is the only book to make me cry as an adult, I was hoping for more from this one (though it has been three years since I read Wonder). It just didn't have the emotional impact I was hoping for — apart from one part — nor did it generate the empathy I was expecting to feel for the titular character. Still, I really appreciated having the chance to revisit this story from Julian's perspective!
The Wild Card by Judy Murray

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

This wins points because I did remain intrigued and I was visualising the tennis in my head — big tennis fan — but the narration was rather clunky at times. For example, given Judy Murray's background, I was hoping for rich details that revealed someone who knew the BTS of being a tennis pro and playing at a tournament like Wimbledon, but those parts were so in your face like: "Here is a fact that I'm just going to tell you, rather than subtly weave into the story, because I know a lot about tennis and what goes on behind-the-scenes". And a few of the characters were so cliché and cringe. For someone who has a serious background in tennis, I hoped for something more realistic and nuanced regarding some of the character portrayals.
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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

4.0

Finally read this classic and enjoyed it! A lot more depth, especially of a philosophical nature, than I was expecting!
Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully by Juliet Starrett, Kelly Starrett

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informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

A solid read! It's a perfect book by any stretch, and some things are oversimplified and impractical, and I think there could be improvements in its structure and organisation, but it is a book I wish everyone read as the importance of starting regular mobility work, at any age, is often overlooked!
Luster by Raven Leilani

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dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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 reading this book as I am always here for drama and messy situations but there was a lil' something about it missing that prevented it being a 4-star for me. Maybe it's that the final sections didn't have as much impact as I was expecting/hoping for!
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Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

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adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

This was the most disappointing end to a series ever. All over the place, repetitive, rushed, random new storyline to take away from the main storylines building from the first book. It felt like Adeyemi started something great and had no clue how to wrap it up. Also felt like it was written for big, flashy scenes on screen, which I know this is where the series is heading, with no depth in the writing.
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