noisydeadlines's reviews
621 reviews

That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming

adventurous funny fast-paced

4.0

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

Did not get into it. Lots of politics.

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

3.0

I didn't enjoy this one very much. I could have stopped reading it but I really wanted to see where it would go, because it's a prequal to a series I've already read (Blood and Ash). I thought it was quite repetitive and it didn't make me want to continue reading the series. Note to self: I'm tired of vampire-like stories for now. 

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness by Pema Chödrön

hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

This book brings concepts from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and focus on Bodhichitta and how to become a bodhisattva or warrior, in the sense of nonaggression and being open. I don't have a deep knowledge of Buddhist and some ideas were very abstract. But the message is finding ways to nurture compassion for ourselves and how to deal with fear. I might have to go back to this book to grasp the concepts more deeply.

Attention Span by Gloria Mark

informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

This was a very interesting read presenting various researches on how we use our attention in with our digital devices and how much our attention span has been diminishing as a society. I enjoyed the chapter about the Framework for Attentional States, in which she identifies how we have different types of attention depending on how challenging or boring an activity is. There are lots of insights in how we need to vary our attention states throughout the day. We can't be focused all the time, and we need downtime to replenish our cognitive resources. She debunks these myths that we could be "in flow" for long periods of time, or that mindless activities like playing Solitaire are bad. It's recognizing that we need breaks, especially if we are being constantly bombarded with information nowadays. 

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

It's advertised as a thriller but honestly, I got bored with it. I wasn’t engaged enough with the characters and the plot, I really didn’t care about any of the characters and the plot was not interesting enough for me. 

The Miracle of Morning Pages: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Most Important Artist's Way Tool: A Special from Tarcher/Penguin by Julia Cameron

informative slow-paced

3.0

This is very short and it's like a Q&A with the author giving more details about the Morning Pages. 

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-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

5.0

This book made want to learn how to play chess! I didn't know anything about the world of professional chess so it was interesting to learn. I loved that the characters show intellectual admiration for each other, instead of just physical attraction. There is friendship and love, although it starts with a competitive vibe to it. I wish the ending was longer, I wanted to know more details about their final chess tournament. Overall, I had lots of fun reading it, and it triggered feel-good emotions in me, I loved it!

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

3.0

Very interesting world building: alternate history Egypt with magic and djinn in 1912 Cairo.  It's a murder mystery but I enjoyed the world building more than the characters. The main character, Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is investigating the murder of an English Basha, who is the Member of a Secret Brotherhood. The world is super rich with the Djinn having become integrated into society and magic allowed Egypt to become a powerful prominent economy. I think I figured out the murderer at about 60% and that made the book drag for me in the rest 40%. So it was a bit annoying that Fatma was still going after false clues, getting lost in her search, while I already knew who the murderer was. Anyway, nice read but not one of my favorites.