sareidle's reviews
137 reviews

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

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challenging informative medium-paced
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One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy

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emotional funny reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a fun read - I liked how the author (Caroline) and the main character (Rosamund) helped each other find courage and happy endings to their respective stories. Robin was my favorite character and the plot moved in interesting ways that kept me engaged. However, the pacing was inconsistent and the fantasy world-building was very confusing. I had to give up on understanding the political aspects of Bevoria and Abrenia and decide to focus on the character's relationships instead.
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The Name-Bearer by Natalia Hernandez

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
The premise was interesting, but the prose over explained things. The royal decree at the start of the book provided a great, in universe explanation for the role of the name-bearer and how they are cut off from their parents. It was not necessary to re-explain that process at length just a few chapters later. While the main character is young, it took her such a long time to realize what was going on, plus the narrator's high pitched voice for her was grating. Once I realized I wasn't enjoying the story, I decided to cut my losses and move on to something else.
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The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

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

4.25

A very charming follow-up to The Guncle. Each of the character's has a distinct voice and personality that rings true to my experiences with family and taking care of children. Maisie and Grant are very endearing and I loved reading about their adventures across Europe with their GUP. The author handles difficult topics of grief, a parent's remarriage, and self-sabotaging relationships very tactfully and I was tearing up at the end.
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Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

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emotional informative inspiring slow-paced

5.0

Deborah Heiligman crafted an excellent, readable narrative of the Van Gogh brothers. Like the author, the letters between Theo and Vincent stood out to me when visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The brothers' story is deeply moving as they navigate challenges and figure out their relationship. I gained a greater appreciation for Vincent's art and the great effort his sister-in-law Jo took to make sure his name was remembered long after his lifetime.
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Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes

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funny informative medium-paced

4.5

I love how Natalie Haynes retells Greek myths and explains how the stories evolved over time. The chapter on Hestia and her invisible labor was fascinating and I appreciated the tie-ins to modern versions of the goddesses to show how these characters still resonate to us. 
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The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

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challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Honestly, I had a difficult time with this book. The prose is written in Southern dialect and frequently includes the n-word. I had to slow down to figure out what was being communicated for the first third of the book, and the repeated racial slurs were tough to see again and again. The purpose of the book was clear, and you could see the same patterns repeating with different characters as Jane's life progressed. While this makes a powerful point about how slavery died in name but not in practice, it made it hard to connect to new characters as I knew their fate would not be pleasant. I did enjoy a few passages of Gaines' writing, especially Ned's sermon on the river. In conclusion, while this book is important and uses the lens of one woman's (long) life to show how much has stayed the same from 1863 to 1963, it was not a book that fully connected with me.
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Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

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

4.25

Murderbot is fantastic! I love how their main priority is watching content and having some downtime, but humans keep pulling them into complications. Artificial Condition is a pleasant sci-fi story that I would recommend to just about anyone!
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

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informative inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0