oprah_wimpy's reviews
420 reviews

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

I really struggled to finish this one. I get that it feels so prophetic being written in the 90's and feeling so similar to today's world in so many aspects. That i found very engaging, but the HEAVY religious writing about Earthseed was a real turn off. I tried to put it out of mind when reading Parable of the Sower and hoped this book would maybe move on a little past it. I found this so hard to choke down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Religious bigotry

Thicker Than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington

reflective slow-paced

3.0

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

slow-paced

• Strong character development? No

2.0

This book felt like such a filler in this series. I was absolutely bored to death. It was originally supposed to be a trilogy and after the success of the first book I guess they decided to stretch it into 5 books.. and you can totally tell. Snooze. 

Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Perfect thriller read. Fast paced and full of gore. Spaced out enough that it's not overwhelming to the overall story. Loved the style of the book being interviews with victims and perpetrators after a massive disaster. Well written voices for each character in such short chapters. I blasted through this book and had such a fun time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

challenging dark informative slow-paced

2.5

Contains a lot of facts. But as much as I tried to put it from my mind, and as much as the author claims she only cared for him as a friend, if definitely reads like a woman in love with him. I found it kind of gross. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

11/22/63 by Stephen King

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Fantastic read. Turns out Mr. King's can write a hell of a love story. ❤️ 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Car accident, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Something in the Woods Loves You by Jarod K. Anderson

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

 Beautifully written. You can't deny the man is a poet.
This book perfectly captures the reason that when I want to scream, cry and die, I head to the woods and it somehow holds me just enough to make me stay one more day. Coincidence that the author and I both grew up in the same area of Ohio? Maybe. Maybe not.
Any audiobook read by the author always makes me happy. This one did not disappoint. Grab those headphones and take a walkabout. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Suicide

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

funny informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

Seeing her show on tv you'd think she's just a master of everything and was probably built that way. Listening to her story, you see the fumbles, the far and doubts she had, the growth to get to where she is, etc. She come across like a real person with flaws and even a quippy sense of humor! I enjoyed this on audiobook. 

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I found the narration a bit slow but sped up to 1.5 helped. The story was gently woven with facts about research of the time this family loved through with 6 mentally ill members. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking. I also watched the documentary about this family and I highly suggest it to get to see interviews with the family members. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis