notebookrambles's Reviews (41)

Across the Universe

Beth Revis

4.5

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Amy was given a choice to stay at home and live the rest of her or to join her parents as frozen cargo on Godspeed and fully expects to wake up on a new planet, three hundred years into the future. Her sleep comes to an when she was woken up too early.

When I found this book, I didn't know if I'd enjoy it or not. (I didn't read the back flap. I like to surprise myself.) About 20 pages in, I was frustrated because I didn't realize there was a perspective switch between Elder and Amy. But after that, I became invested in the story.

Harley is probably going to be my favorite.

He knew he wasn't going to fit in but he was into art. His whole demeanor just resonated with me. When he killed himself, it was unexpected and I had to pause reading to take a breather.

Characters in the book felt real. In the first half, I kept crying because it's a lot to have your life disappear in front of you and your parents are so close yet they're so far. I initially thought I was reading dystopian but after a while, I was partially interested in the romance more than the plot. I knew things were going to work out but I didn't know how.

My favorite part of the book was probably going to be when

Amy was under the Phybus (I think that's how it's spelled??). It allowed Elder to have time to think about his feelings for Amy.

One scene written particularly well was the final fight. There was so much going on and it was hard to predict what was going to happen next. It was gripping. I spent the entire afternoon reading it in one go.

The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

Tom Reiss

4.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

If there was a biography of someone but written as if it were a fictional book. This is the book.
There is suspense. There is romance. There is heartbreak. There is adventures. There are action scenes. You won't regret reading this book.

General Alexandre Dumas was legendary. His life is a story of how his country failed him--the very country that he was ready to die for.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

Barry Schwartz

3.0

informative reflective medium-paced

3 stars - The book was good, average, wasn't life-changing, and would recommend.

It's worth prefacing this by saying as of June 1, 2021, I am 15 years old and it's the date I finished reading this book.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwarts was easy to understand, the many examples allowed readers to see a different perspective and there was a lot of evidence to back up Schwarts's claims. The intention was to inform the reader of consumerism and the vast array of choices they'd have to make every single day, then afterward it provided solutions. <"Live with two options is my limit rule."

In the first few chapters of the book, Schwarts's tone of writing felt as if a variety of choices is a bad thing. It made me felt as if inclusivity was something ignored. It sounded very similar to listening to a very very long rant. After noticing my dislike for it, I googled the author and as it turns out, we are from a very different generation. Schwarts grew up during a time when choice wasn't the common thread whereas I grew up during a time when choice was. It was already ingrained into this choice. I'm able to pick things that I already have a preference for.

My overall impression is if you're looking for a book about human behavior and consumerism, this is definitely the book. For example, Costco's business model can be traced to many of the arguments in this book. The company has significantly fewer items in stores but yet customer loyalty is so high. It's very easy to go down this rabbit hole. Otherwise, it's not a must-read but it's rather insightful.