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sallysimply's reviews
1429 reviews
Seeking Shelter: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America by Jeff Hobbs
5.0
A fantastic read!
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
4.0
Some of the events here are nonsensical and a couple of the characters are caricatures, but it was a good time!
Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
3.0
I appreciate the intention of this book, and it’s certainly something that’s needed, especially given the current state of the world. There is some good advice sprinkled throughout and I liked a lot of the reflection questions at the end of the chapters.
I found the discussion of non-violence to be incomplete, at best. There is a lot of nuance needed for any discussion about violence when we are talking about activism and social justice work. I can appreciate that HSPs may be particular turned off by anything considered “violent,” and yet there isn’t even a discussion here of what is considered violent, let alone who defines violence (the state). I recommend We Refuse by Kellie Carter Jackson if you’d like to learn more about various forms of resistance.
I also kept expecting the book to go deeper into things and it simply didn’t. It’s all fairly surface level, which I suppose is fine if you’re just getting started and want to find your place in a movement.
I found the discussion of non-violence to be incomplete, at best. There is a lot of nuance needed for any discussion about violence when we are talking about activism and social justice work. I can appreciate that HSPs may be particular turned off by anything considered “violent,” and yet there isn’t even a discussion here of what is considered violent, let alone who defines violence (the state). I recommend We Refuse by Kellie Carter Jackson if you’d like to learn more about various forms of resistance.
I also kept expecting the book to go deeper into things and it simply didn’t. It’s all fairly surface level, which I suppose is fine if you’re just getting started and want to find your place in a movement.
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
4.5
Absolutely loved the first 60-70%, and while it lost steam for me after that, it's still a great read.
I'll also say that the influence of Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing is really felt throughout this. (Not in a copycat way, don't worry.) If you're a fan of Daisy Jones, Malibu Rising, and/or The Seven Husbands, you will likely be a fan of The Favorites.
I'll also say that the influence of Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing is really felt throughout this. (Not in a copycat way, don't worry.) If you're a fan of Daisy Jones, Malibu Rising, and/or The Seven Husbands, you will likely be a fan of The Favorites.
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
4.5
This was exactly what I needed to re-engage with the series!
I have to admit that after Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, I did not plan on continuing. The first arc of the series was done, and the last couple of books were not quite as good as the first two for me.
But the last couple of weeks have been some of the worst of my life, and what I was craving was a romp of a book to help distract me. The timing just worked out that as I was looking for something lighthearted to read, an advance copy popped up almost immediately. I figured I had nothing to lose - my expectations were low and I just needed something to take my mind off of the complete nightmare of reality. I am so glad I dove in!
Finlay's romantic relationship starts to get more serious, Vero is as hilarious as ever, the cast of characters is great, the mystery is interesting and has a satisfying resolution, and it's fun to piece things together along the way. I'm now sucked back in enough that I have to keep reading to see what happens next. Well done, Cosimano!
This is probably not where you want to start if you haven't read any of the others simply because the relationships are now quite established, but you can follow most of what's happening without any prior knowledge. Plus, the relevant plot points from previous books (that I absolutely had forgotten) are summarized throughout this one.
If you have enjoyed the series up to this point, even if you were thinking of dipping out as I was, I definitely recommend Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave.
I have to admit that after Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, I did not plan on continuing. The first arc of the series was done, and the last couple of books were not quite as good as the first two for me.
But the last couple of weeks have been some of the worst of my life, and what I was craving was a romp of a book to help distract me. The timing just worked out that as I was looking for something lighthearted to read, an advance copy popped up almost immediately. I figured I had nothing to lose - my expectations were low and I just needed something to take my mind off of the complete nightmare of reality. I am so glad I dove in!
Finlay's romantic relationship starts to get more serious, Vero is as hilarious as ever, the cast of characters is great, the mystery is interesting and has a satisfying resolution, and it's fun to piece things together along the way. I'm now sucked back in enough that I have to keep reading to see what happens next. Well done, Cosimano!
This is probably not where you want to start if you haven't read any of the others simply because the relationships are now quite established, but you can follow most of what's happening without any prior knowledge. Plus, the relevant plot points from previous books (that I absolutely had forgotten) are summarized throughout this one.
If you have enjoyed the series up to this point, even if you were thinking of dipping out as I was, I definitely recommend Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
5.0
Absolutely worth the read.
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
3.0
That was certainly an experience! I thought I would love this book and I very much enjoyed the first 30 or 40%. The second half really dropped off for me - things were happening fast, I wasn’t invested in much of anything, and I was pretty sure I knew where we were headed.
The main character is fun and there are some awesome and gruesome moments in here, it just didn’t do nearly as much for me as I had hoped.
The main character is fun and there are some awesome and gruesome moments in here, it just didn’t do nearly as much for me as I had hoped.
Faking It: The Lies Women Tell about Sex--And the Truths They Reveal by Lux Alptraum
4.0
An interesting look at what women lie about when it comes to sex and relationships, and, perhaps more importantly, why they lie (hint: it's not cuz women are lying monsters). It's ultimately a look at what women's lies say about society.
This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick
4.0
Glad to have finally gotten around to this, which a friend recommended to me a decade ago. Given how things are going at the moment, this was actually a great time to read it.
Some of it isn't fully relevant to me, but there is a lot of great advice that I'm going to start implementing.
Some of it isn't fully relevant to me, but there is a lot of great advice that I'm going to start implementing.
Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, the People, the Bible by Mitri Raheb
4.5
I’m not even remotely the target audience for this book and appreciated it nonetheless. I wanted to find a resource I could share with folks in my life who are Christian and have questions about Palestine, and this is certainly a solid one to recommend.
Much of the history presented here is surface level. I imagine it’s intentional so that this serves as a starting point for folks who just want to know enough to follow what’s going on, and who can research further on their own should they want to be more knowledgeable.
Much of the history presented here is surface level. I imagine it’s intentional so that this serves as a starting point for folks who just want to know enough to follow what’s going on, and who can research further on their own should they want to be more knowledgeable.