rust_and_stardust's reviews
246 reviews

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Trump and the Media by

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It by Tahl Raz, Chris Voss

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

3.75

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

Bad Gays: A Homosexual History by Ben Miller, Huw Lemmey

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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 by Michelle Zauner
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.

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

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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 by Joshua Hammer

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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!