rpweber15's reviews
273 reviews

American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics by Kevin Hazzard

challenging informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

4.5

I’m from Pittsburgh and didn’t know this history until middle adulthood. I bought this book but let it sit unopened on my shelf for a couple years, mostly because I’m not a huge non-fiction reader (years of post graduate education took that out me). Then, a mini history lesson on Freedom House was dropped in an episode of The Pitt on Max and I knew it was time to read this book. 

And boy am I glad I did! It certainly doesn’t read like non-fiction, but it does provide meaningful history and context for everything. It was really touching to read about these remarkable men and women in the city I grew up in. I wanted to know more about so many of them (with pictures, too). I could at least put myself in the places they were, even if these events were just before my time. Pittsburgh has some questionable history (looking at you, police) but it also has some awesome achievements and hometown heroes. The men and women of Freedom House are right there at the top of that list. 

The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I picked this book to read with my 8 year old niece and now I want to read the rest of the series!

The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was first introduced to Lola Jaye when I won a giveaway of her previous book, The Attic Child. That is a 5-star read that continues to sit with me to this day. I was so excited for her new book and even ordered from Blackwell's since publication in the UK happened months before the US publication date. I ate this book up in essentially one sitting; it's one of those books that if you have the luxury of time, you aren't going to put it down. Lola Jaye has a true talent for historical fiction with a dual narrator, one being in the past and one being in the present day; the way she forms a story linking two characters in time and then crafts the road she will take us down to tell their story is truly sublime. She is also incredibly adept at giving a voice to the voiceless (here, black women). Both Temi and Landri, our two protagonists, were compelling characters who you really rooted for throughout their stories. Ms. Jaye's writing is evocative and beautiful, without being flowery. My only complaint is that she didn't dive as deep into the characters as she did with The Attic Child; we were pretty quickly shuffled through Temi's entire life while spending time with Landri over only a couple weeks. I truly hope Ms. Jaye continues with telling the stories of marginalized people throughout history. 

Whenever You're Ready by Rachel Runya Katz

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad fast-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

4.0

This is a lovely tale of friendship and grief (4.5 stars), with a smattering of romance (3.5 stars) thrown in. The characters are a little infuriating at times but they are in their 20s so they’re still figuring stuff out. The writing style was a smidge challenging, mainly because POV changed a lot but the switch would get a little lost in the text. Overall, a more emotional ride than I was expecting!

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Much like the first book in this duology, I couldn't put this one down despite its flaws. My complaints are pretty much the same ones I had for Where the River Runs: Inez is super determined and capable, yet VERY naive; there was a lot of predictability with the plot (minus one huge reveal that really requires you to suspend belief); I wanted more magic...and more explanation of the magic system; the familial relationships were caricatures; and the romance between Inez and Whit was incredibly aggravating. I think the author swung too hard in an effort to disguise some things about the two protagonists so it felt inconsistent and annoying. There were many plot holes in this book, so I tried to just enjoy the ride. 

That said, it was still a really fun adventure that made me feel like I was in the middle of an Indiana Jones movie. 

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Coates pulls zero punches here and when his words hit, they REALLY hit. Should be required reading.  

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really loved the Brown Sisters trilogy but this one was the weakest of the three. I might not really buy into the grumpy/sunshine trope, especially because it is often difficult to really notice character development at a deeper level. That said, I liked the characters, loved the setting, and wish we had a bit more of Eve's family in the mix. I hope Hibbert is working on a new romance series!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was too long. However, the humor and the friendship are just so good that ‘too long’ becomes bearable. I really wanted to find out how it all ended. I’m glad I did. 

Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

I did a buddy read with an 8 year old. I'm impressed with some of the words in this book: turpitude, gratuitous, superfluous (alongside stank-a-dank and stunk-a funk lol). The classic storyline of good versus evil alongside the issues of AI maybe hit a little too close to home in the current times. Yowza.