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sareidle's reviews
154 reviews
Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Dolly Parton is such a treasure and I enjoyed hearing about the stories behind some of her biggest hits and most meaningful songs. I felt that the book could use more structure - whether chronologically or thematically - so it was sometimes hard to piece together the sequence of her career. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, but felt more like sitting down with a relative than a proper memoir.
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I first heard of this book as the topic of an episode of the Overdue podcast. In episode 324, Andrew and Craig welcome Christina and Kamille of The Unfriendly Black Hotties. Christina and Kamille retell the story in such a fun and fast-paced way that I was hoping to experience better through reading the book.
While there are some darkly funny moments in Hex, such as comparing the witch's behavior to an old Windows operating system, I was honestly a bit bored while reading. Yes, the descriptions of violence and bodily harm to the residents and the witch were grotesque. But I was not scared to fall asleep or anything, and I am very jumpy when watching horror films. The concept of a town that has to keep a witch's curse secret in the 21st-century and the struggle of teenagers to accept that they are stuck in this town forever is compelling and unique. Additionally, the central characters of Robert Grimm, Griselda Holst, and Steve Grant had interesting motivations and I could understand their decisions. But the story still didn't feel fleshed out to me and I was left wanting more.
While there are some darkly funny moments in Hex, such as comparing the witch's behavior to an old Windows operating system, I was honestly a bit bored while reading. Yes, the descriptions of violence and bodily harm to the residents and the witch were grotesque. But I was not scared to fall asleep or anything, and I am very jumpy when watching horror films. The concept of a town that has to keep a witch's curse secret in the 21st-century and the struggle of teenagers to accept that they are stuck in this town forever is compelling and unique. Additionally, the central characters of Robert Grimm, Griselda Holst, and Steve Grant had interesting motivations and I could understand their decisions. But the story still didn't feel fleshed out to me and I was left wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
hopeful
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Outing
Moderate: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship
Thunder Song by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Abortion
Moderate: Biphobia, Genocide, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Classism
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire): Stories on Growing Up, Looking for Love, and Walking Down the Aisle for Complete Strangers by Jen Glantz
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Pregnancy
Hurricane Katrina Rescue (Ranger in Time #8), Volume 8 by Kate Messner
adventurous
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is a fantastic and well-researched story about survival during Hurricane Katrina and the breaking of the levees. Messner demonstrated compassion for the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward by visiting the Living Museum there and interviewing survivors to make sure this story reflected the reality of the disaster and poor government response. I recently watched Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke and found Ranger's tale to follow the timeline of events faithfully. Ranger also thinks and acts like a dog, which adds to the book's realism. Overall, I was positively surprised by the quality of this middle-grade book and highly prefer it to the sensational I Survived series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Racism
Death Al Dente by Leslie Budewitz
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A great cozy mystery set in Western Montana. The plot has layers, with interesting characters and a realistic setting. I enjoyed the descriptions of food and could easily imagine The Merc and other key locations in Jewel Bay. I may pick up another book from this series when I need something mysterious and heartwarming.
My only critique is Budewitz's comments about Eastern Montana via the MC Erin Murphy. In the beginning when she and her mother are discussing huckleberry chocolates, she realizes that they can't be a fully local product because chocolate and sugar are not produced in state. However, sugar beets are grown in Montana and there is a processing facility near Billings. The other comment was that western Montanans don't visit the eastern side of the state and vice versa. While the first statement is true, eastern Montanans need to go west to the larger cities (Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, etc.) for university, medical treatment, and sports events. Western Montana is the "heart" of the state and eastern Montana is the backwater that is largely ignored in state politics and media representation.
My only critique is Budewitz's comments about Eastern Montana via the MC Erin Murphy. In the beginning when she and her mother are discussing huckleberry chocolates, she realizes that they can't be a fully local product because chocolate and sugar are not produced in state. However, sugar beets are grown in Montana and there is a processing facility near Billings. The other comment was that western Montanans don't visit the eastern side of the state and vice versa. While the first statement is true, eastern Montanans need to go west to the larger cities (Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, etc.) for university, medical treatment, and sports events. Western Montana is the "heart" of the state and eastern Montana is the backwater that is largely ignored in state politics and media representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Murder
Minor: Terminal illness, Medical content, Stalking
The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage by Erika Fatland
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Traveling the border of Russia was quite the feat, and I felt like I was on this journey with Erika. When I told my friends and family about what I was reading, I would often say: "We're in [insert country] today," to describe my progress in the book. I learned a lot about Russia's influence and history through the changing borders and conversations with locals. Historical anecdotes could be dense at times, and I was thankful that I took a course on Imperial Russia in college. I also recommend reading her book Sovietistan first as she references those experiences in this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism, Antisemitism