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slimy's reviews
186 reviews
Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
A comforting, familiar, and encouraging read—as is most of Anne Lamott’s work. This is a collection of essays that don’t necessarily relate, but share common themes of reflection and learned grace.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Super creative retelling.
Really loved all the different perspectives the story is told in; they are all unique and well-formed. There isn’t one that falls short and they are all wildly different.
I think my favorite aspect is the family dynamics. This book is all about the different kinds of family, especially found family. There’s so much of this that got me almost teary.
Pace is consistent and quick up until the last few chapters, where the final climax and end seem to drag a bit.
I would have liked more world-building in the front half of the book. I think that would have fixed a lot of the pace issues towards the end because we wouldn’t need to pause and explain things in the climactic moments.
Really loved all the different perspectives the story is told in; they are all unique and well-formed. There isn’t one that falls short and they are all wildly different.
I think my favorite aspect is the family dynamics. This book is all about the different kinds of family, especially found family. There’s so much of this that got me almost teary.
Pace is consistent and quick up until the last few chapters, where the final climax and end seem to drag a bit.
I would have liked more world-building in the front half of the book. I think that would have fixed a lot of the pace issues towards the end because we wouldn’t need to pause and explain things in the climactic moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment
The Eldest Daughter Effect: How Firstborn Women – like Oprah Winfrey, Sheryl Sandberg, JK Rowling and Beyoncé – Harness their Strengths by Lisette Schuitemaker
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
An informative and practical look at how birth order influences eldest daughters specifically. Driven entirely by data and previously published research — very well constructed.
This book has a really good mix of hard data, personal stories, and drawn conclusions. It also includes bulleted summaries at the end of each chapter which I found very helpful for reflection.
Translated from Dutch so sometimes the language is a little funky but overall pretty good.
This book has a really good mix of hard data, personal stories, and drawn conclusions. It also includes bulleted summaries at the end of each chapter which I found very helpful for reflection.
Translated from Dutch so sometimes the language is a little funky but overall pretty good.
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
I don’t have the words to describe exactly the itch that this book scratched. Truly one of the most unique storylines I’ve read, and expertly written. An absolute masterclass in characterization. And timeline. And perspective. Incredible.
This is Nancy Drew meets Downtown Abbey meets The Twilight Zone.
This is Nancy Drew meets Downtown Abbey meets The Twilight Zone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Rooked: Wall Street Never Saw It Coming by Susan Joyce
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
One Sentence Summary: David struggles to identify the life he wants to live and, in the events leading up to the 2008 Wall Street Crash, has to make a choice between money, power, and everything that comes with it and family, his conscience, and a more meaningful life.
Thoughts: I might call this a ‘Financial Thriller’ of sorts, but it revolves around the MC’s personal awakening. I don’t have a lot to say about the financial details—I’m not super versed in that area so most of that went over my head.
What really stands out about this book is the attention to detail and the care in which the settings are crafted. I can tell the author cares deeply for what some in the financial field would call “little people”, and that they are well-versed in the importance of community—wherever you find that. The first few chapters, where we meet the MC in his small, rural Minnesotan town, where everyone knows each other and has their patterns, are achingly sweet.
I would have liked to see a bit more development for our MC by the end—all through the book he’s very abrasive and uncaring, especially in his interactions with women, and generally just throws money at his problems to fix them. I think the book ends with implied development, but I can’t point to really anything that would concretely signify a life-altering change in him. That’s a personal preference for me—I have a hard time supporting and rooting for characters that identify women as mostly a pair of breasts.
Always fun to support a self-published author. You go!
Trigger Warnings: explicit sex, money-based relationship, mild language, financial manipulation, cancer/cancer treatment, death of a parent
Thoughts: I might call this a ‘Financial Thriller’ of sorts, but it revolves around the MC’s personal awakening. I don’t have a lot to say about the financial details—I’m not super versed in that area so most of that went over my head.
What really stands out about this book is the attention to detail and the care in which the settings are crafted. I can tell the author cares deeply for what some in the financial field would call “little people”, and that they are well-versed in the importance of community—wherever you find that. The first few chapters, where we meet the MC in his small, rural Minnesotan town, where everyone knows each other and has their patterns, are achingly sweet.
I would have liked to see a bit more development for our MC by the end—all through the book he’s very abrasive and uncaring, especially in his interactions with women, and generally just throws money at his problems to fix them. I think the book ends with implied development, but I can’t point to really anything that would concretely signify a life-altering change in him. That’s a personal preference for me—I have a hard time supporting and rooting for characters that identify women as mostly a pair of breasts.
Always fun to support a self-published author. You go!
Trigger Warnings: explicit sex, money-based relationship, mild language, financial manipulation, cancer/cancer treatment, death of a parent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.0
This was one of my favorite books in middle school, and I read it mainly for nostalgia’s sake, but did enjoy it again as an adult. This was the book that sparked an obsession with Hamlet, and is the reason why Horatio is forever my favorite.
Entirely age-appropriate of the YA genre, this is a sweet, strong coming-of-age story that centers a well-know female character who typically goes overlooked.
Entirely age-appropriate of the YA genre, this is a sweet, strong coming-of-age story that centers a well-know female character who typically goes overlooked.
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This books is written entirely in the active voice. It’s incredible. The result is a fast-paced, constantly moving plot that keeps you on your toes.
Excellent character development as well. I was hesitant to commit to a female MC written by a man, as they often frustrate and disappoint me, but this MC is mainly believable.
Excellent character development as well. I was hesitant to commit to a female MC written by a man, as they often frustrate and disappoint me, but this MC is mainly believable.
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
DNF - Stopped reading at 48%. That’s when the introduction finally ended and the characters finally got to the main plot. I’m out.
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I feel like this book is just so close to being a great YA fantasy that I would have loved at 12/13. There’s one scene that I talk about below that is SERIOUSLY out of place, but mostly this book felt unfocused and scattered.
There’s a romance that’s supposed to grab your interest in the early chapters that just disappears halfway into the book when a new romantic interest is introduced. There’s no explanation to this world’s government structure and thusly the MC’s family’s place in it. It’s an underdeveloped mystery that doesn’t really get resolved or avenged. The bad stuff happens, and then the people who did the bad things just… go back to where they came from… with no punishment, accountability, or remorse.
There are some really cute parts that I think reflect the sweeter, lighter side of YA, like innocent romances and the relationships between sisters. The MC is very relatable and reflects her age well.
I would place this book firmly in YA, with the exception of one seriously out of place scene that I don’t believe is age appropriate or fits the book.
* TW r@p£ and SA*
There’s one scene at the end, which marks the final climactic push before we wind into falling action. The stepmother (uncharacteristically and unconvincingly) has a change of heart and tries to undo a deal she’s wagered with a demon/devil (he’s confusing, I don’t know). The way that she makes this deal is by offering up herself to be pretty brutally raped in front of her two eldest step-daughters. The demon/devil then LITERALLY rapes her into a pile of bones. When I read this scene I literally had to take like 10 minutes to understand what was actually happening. Literally no precedence for this sort of content within this book or with its intended audience. Really really out of place. That should have been caught by content editors, beta readers, etc. It does not have a place in the book and only serves to shock/alarm the reader without furthering the plot or providing resolution.
There’s a romance that’s supposed to grab your interest in the early chapters that just disappears halfway into the book when a new romantic interest is introduced. There’s no explanation to this world’s government structure and thusly the MC’s family’s place in it. It’s an underdeveloped mystery that doesn’t really get resolved or avenged. The bad stuff happens, and then the people who did the bad things just… go back to where they came from… with no punishment, accountability, or remorse.
There are some really cute parts that I think reflect the sweeter, lighter side of YA, like innocent romances and the relationships between sisters. The MC is very relatable and reflects her age well.
I would place this book firmly in YA, with the exception of one seriously out of place scene that I don’t believe is age appropriate or fits the book.
* TW r@p£ and SA*
There’s one scene at the end, which marks the final climactic push before we wind into falling action. The stepmother (uncharacteristically and unconvincingly) has a change of heart and tries to undo a deal she’s wagered with a demon/devil (he’s confusing, I don’t know). The way that she makes this deal is by offering up herself to be pretty brutally raped in front of her two eldest step-daughters. The demon/devil then LITERALLY rapes her into a pile of bones. When I read this scene I literally had to take like 10 minutes to understand what was actually happening. Literally no precedence for this sort of content within this book or with its intended audience. Really really out of place. That should have been caught by content editors, beta readers, etc. It does not have a place in the book and only serves to shock/alarm the reader without furthering the plot or providing resolution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury