Scan barcode
selfiegrandpa's reviews
187 reviews
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
Ive been “reading” this book for over 5 years hahahaha
One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Something about this book fell flat for me. There were moments where I really found myself enjoying the story, mainly during the mixed media part of the book. However, the majority of the time I felt … bored and I didn’t like a single character.
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I really started out enjoying this book and the whole concept of living life out of chronological order. However, about halfway through it did start to feel somewhat repetitive. Every year leap felt as if it was just hitting the same beats, rinse and repeat. Oona is a reasonably likable character, but omg does she have her moments where I wanted to put the book down.
I think this book gets the job done.
I think this book gets the job done.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have seen some pretty divisive opinions about this book, but nothing I've researched further. I did really think I wasn't going to like this and yet I was pleasantly surprised. I do think that I benefited from reading this at the right time in my life. That's why I'm not against revisiting a book I reviewed badly or why I sometimes don't give up on finishing a book.
I enjoyed the characters, the story, and the message. I do feel that it was mad cheesy at times, but, come on, that's not necessarily a bad thing. This just felt like a one of those feel good movies, much like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (a personal favorite), where you leave just feeling a tiny bit more hopeful about your own life. A classic exploration of "what ifs" and "why nots" that can come across as fake deep, but also easy enough to navigate that the message is never lost. I do think think that it could have benefitted from being slightly shorter, as it does feel somewhat repetitive halfway through.
Bottom line, I really enjoyed my time with this. I've been in a bit of a reading slump and in all honesty ... a life slump this year. It's hard to not fall down that hole of "maybe if I had ..." because what if I had! I can spend days imagining my life as it could have been and that has hindered me from making my life what it should be now. I really loved the line,
"'I think your problem was life fright.'"
And it makes me think of the line from Dune that I love as well,
"'I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.'"
Life is truly too beautiful to spend it all in fear.
I enjoyed the characters, the story, and the message. I do feel that it was mad cheesy at times, but, come on, that's not necessarily a bad thing. This just felt like a one of those feel good movies, much like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (a personal favorite), where you leave just feeling a tiny bit more hopeful about your own life. A classic exploration of "what ifs" and "why nots" that can come across as fake deep, but also easy enough to navigate that the message is never lost. I do think think that it could have benefitted from being slightly shorter, as it does feel somewhat repetitive halfway through.
Bottom line, I really enjoyed my time with this. I've been in a bit of a reading slump and in all honesty ... a life slump this year. It's hard to not fall down that hole of "maybe if I had ..." because what if I had! I can spend days imagining my life as it could have been and that has hindered me from making my life what it should be now. I really loved the line,
"'I think your problem was life fright.'"
And it makes me think of the line from Dune that I love as well,
"'I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.'"
Life is truly too beautiful to spend it all in fear.
The Silence in Her Eyes by Armando Lucas Correa
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I’m trying to find something good to say about this. It was short and easy to read. Everything else was …. God awful 😭 the characters, the storyline, the pacing! The little twist at the end was okay but so out of left field. My refusal to DNF is my weakness 😪
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was enjoyable! I really had no expectations going in other than that I really enjoyed "Big Little Lies". I think Liane Moriarty's writing is really easy to follow and even when I was getting annoyed or bored with a character I found myself turning the page. The setting was fun and really added to the unhinged factor that, although a bit unrealistic, I could honestly see taking place. I started out not really a fan of any of the characters and by the end I honestly wanted to give MOST of them a hug. I do think that this could have been like 50-ish pages shorter, but it was still interesting to see all the different perspectives. The ending was cheesy, but in a good self aware way that I liked. It is overall a slower book and not so much plot driven but really character driven.
Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt
informative
fast-paced
2.5
Okay. This is more of a me thing, but I guess I just got the wrong idea for what this book was going to be covering. I was expecting more of a look into weird human things involving medical cases, but instead it was more so a combination of creepy crawlers, some body functions, and how different characteristics show up in the brain.
I think this is a fairly accessible book considering they are blog posts put into book format. The author has a fun tone throughout, like a friend telling you things that they have recently learned. I did feel though that quite a few of these entries were not so ...., I guess, unpopular that people haven't heard of it before. Or maybe it could be that I have spent far too much time on the internet.
I think this is a fairly accessible book considering they are blog posts put into book format. The author has a fun tone throughout, like a friend telling you things that they have recently learned. I did feel though that quite a few of these entries were not so ...., I guess, unpopular that people haven't heard of it before. Or maybe it could be that I have spent far too much time on the internet.