rust_and_stardust's reviews
246 reviews

My Lovely Wife

Samantha Downing

3.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Trump and the Media

3.75

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It

Tahl Raz, Chris Voss

3.75

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

White Smoke

Tiffany D. Jackson

4.0

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Demon-Haunted World

Carl Sagan

4.25

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

Bad Gays: A Homosexual History

Ben Miller, Huw Lemmey

4.0

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

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I thought the subject matter of the book was very interesting and was impressed that the "bad gays" covered were individually contextualised in great detail. The authors' analysis was nuanced and accessible. This is an informative book ideal for anyone who is interested in queer history. 

Crying in H Mart

Michelle Zauner

DID NOT FINISH: 27%

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A combination of not being in the right state of mind to read this and not being interested in it. 

Sea of Tranquility

Emily St. John Mandel

4.0

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I enjoyed this one a lot. I've heard a lot about Emily St. John Mandel and I think she's a talented writer. Immediately I thought the writing was polished and elegant. The pacing was good. The characters were interesting. Plot-wise, it was well-executed. The audiobook narration was great as well. The book has a peculiar melancholy feeling that I loved. Reminds me a bit of the tone of Kazuo Ishiguro's work. 

The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird

Joshua Hammer

3.25

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Rock Paper Scissors

Alice Feeney

3.5

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I found this well-written, but it was more of a mystery than a thriller, although it was suspenseful. Though I had the same problem I have with lots of books in the genre - I found it hard to believe that the characters acted like real people. I enjoyed the deep dive into their minds though. There was a also a bit too many coincidenes/convenient plot points. The audibook was really good!