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plannedandplanted's reviews
109 reviews
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
The writing style was really bothering me. At 80 pages in I wasn’t fully invested, and someone told me it doesn’t get better. Messaging was a little too on the nose.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I should love this book. Journaling AND bird watching?? Two of my favs. I really love the copies of the journal entry pages. But the actual entries themselves are just… kind of boring? Idk. I love bird watching, and I love reading… but reading someone’s interpretation of bird watching just wasn’t doing it for me
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood by Jessica Grose
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
Read like a college essay paper. A lot of stats and facts about how shitty it is for mom’s in America, but no clear thesis to string all of the data together. Nor does she offer any solutions either wide scale institutional change or personal remedies to ease these challenges.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS STORY!! It’s been so long since I have been so invested in a fiction book.
Of course the themes of grief and death are on brand for me, so I already really resonated with Bree’s journey of understanding and healing the grief from her mother’s death.
There was also a lot of generational trauma and racism that the book explored so profoundly.
The magic system and lore is well developed.
so much beautiful representation! I can’t even imagine what having a book like this would have meant for me growing up. The micro-aggressions Bree experiences, the references to her hairstyle and routine.. just those minor things could have made such an impact on me as a child. Aside from the diversity of gender, sexuality, race, there was just a huge cast of characters that were all great in their own way.
I was not expecting the love triangle (it truly is a triangle in so many ways and a DEEP triangle) but I was loving it. Nick is cute but Sel has such BI!!! emo boy rizz that I was fawning over.
If all that wasn’t enough, the plot had me gripped. The twists at the end made sense and fit with the story. I really love how beautifully Deonn weaves Bree, Nick, and Sel’s heritages together. And the idea that Bree is the culmination of these two worlds she’s been exploring.
Of course the themes of grief and death are on brand for me, so I already really resonated with Bree’s journey of understanding and healing the grief from her mother’s death.
There was also a lot of generational trauma and racism that the book explored so profoundly.
The magic system and lore is well developed.
so much beautiful representation! I can’t even imagine what having a book like this would have meant for me growing up. The micro-aggressions Bree experiences, the references to her hairstyle and routine.. just those minor things could have made such an impact on me as a child. Aside from the diversity of gender, sexuality, race, there was just a huge cast of characters that were all great in their own way.
I was not expecting the love triangle (it truly is a triangle in so many ways and a DEEP triangle) but I was loving it. Nick is cute but Sel has such BI!!! emo boy rizz that I was fawning over.
If all that wasn’t enough, the plot had me gripped. The twists at the end made sense and fit with the story. I really love how beautifully Deonn weaves Bree, Nick, and Sel’s heritages together. And the idea that Bree is the culmination of these two worlds she’s been exploring.
The Happy Sleeper: The Science-Backed Guide to Helping Your Baby Get a Good Night's Sleep-Newborn to School Age by Heather Turgeon, Daniel J. Siegel, Julie Wright
informative
reflective
3.5
Recommended by Ellie kind of. Based on Derrica.
There was some good information. But I do think there need to be more disclaimers about how every baby truly is different and some of the recommendations are just that. Not set in stone rules. Also a little skeptical bc it is written by two
MFTs, so I trust the sleep wave part because it has to deal with emotional attachments. But they’re not MDs.. some of the other info like strict 7pm bedtime I’m curious where they got the info from.
I skipped some sections bc they weren’t relevant (sleep for toddlers, twins, routine w multiple kids). Will def be implementing some of the sleep wave methods.
Def called me out at the end about staying up later than necessary to do hobbies lololol. Oops. Yeah.
Laughed out loud when it said “breastfeeding lowers stress hormones. Breastfeeding promotes weight loss.” Be for fucking real.
Do like that it talks about being curious about your baby’s habits and abilities as a way to reframe rage that can come from not understanding. And the concept of ATTUNEMENT VS ATTACHMENT was mind blowing. A reminder that healthy attachment means responding to your baby when necessary, but also being aware of their own abilities and not smothering and coddling them to hell and back 100% of the time.
There was some good information. But I do think there need to be more disclaimers about how every baby truly is different and some of the recommendations are just that. Not set in stone rules. Also a little skeptical bc it is written by two
MFTs, so I trust the sleep wave part because it has to deal with emotional attachments. But they’re not MDs.. some of the other info like strict 7pm bedtime I’m curious where they got the info from.
I skipped some sections bc they weren’t relevant (sleep for toddlers, twins, routine w multiple kids). Will def be implementing some of the sleep wave methods.
Def called me out at the end about staying up later than necessary to do hobbies lololol. Oops. Yeah.
Laughed out loud when it said “breastfeeding lowers stress hormones. Breastfeeding promotes weight loss.” Be for fucking real.
Do like that it talks about being curious about your baby’s habits and abilities as a way to reframe rage that can come from not understanding. And the concept of ATTUNEMENT VS ATTACHMENT was mind blowing. A reminder that healthy attachment means responding to your baby when necessary, but also being aware of their own abilities and not smothering and coddling them to hell and back 100% of the time.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
This was definitely a seprsssing book. I actually had to check after starting the book to see if it was set in the mid/late 1900s, because I had read it was shortly after Hurricane Katrina in the Deep South but it didn’t even sound like it.
There are definitely a lot of themes of racism, parenthood, and grief/death explored here through a wide range of lenses and characters. But some of the messaging fell short, especially towards the end.
There are definitely a lot of themes of racism, parenthood, and grief/death explored here through a wide range of lenses and characters. But some of the messaging fell short, especially towards the end.