sphynxreads's reviews
789 reviews

Nightwing, Vol. 2: Get Grayson by Tom Taylor

adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I JUST LOVE NIGHTWING!!! Action-packed, full of heart, and with gorgeous artwork to boot! Also loved seeing Jon Kent here.

Spy x Family, Vol. 10 by Tatsuya Endo

dark funny mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Another solid volume of a great manga! This is a lot darker than previous volumes but provides a compelling backstory for Loid.

Shadow Agents by Budjette Tan

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Rather underwhelming considering this is the thickest volume of the series. None of the stories here are particularly bad, they were just missing the thrill and intrigue of previous cases. I hope the next volume delivers.

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Incredibly thoughtful, but also just profoundly okay. I'm not quite sure what kind of book I was expecting going into this, but I was delighted to find how it is an inspection of humanity and how it interacts with nature, history, culture, and each other—ratings included. I can't say I was entertained, enlightened, or moved by any of the essays. My entire experience of listening to the audiobook was mostly just "oh that's interesting" or "that's an interesting takeaway from so-and-so observation". I will say, however, that I'd like to write like John Green does—in this book specifically, as I hated TFIOS. I'd like to record my own personal musings on my life and experiences the way he does. Despite my mediocre experience with this book, at the very least it inspired me to spend more time writing.

The Art of DreamWorks the Wild Robot by Jerry Schmitz

emotional informative inspiring relaxing medium-paced

4.0

When the original book, the film adaptation, and the art book all make you emotional, you know you have something special in your hands. Absolutely gorgeous artwork and an inspiring recollection of the creative process behind it.

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

A fascinating world and a beautiful magic system that is viciously bogged down by an uninteresting plot, bland characters, and dragging pacing.

How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

3.5

I'm probably not the type of person who needs this book the most, but I like how it challenged my thinking about cleaning, home organization, and productivity in general. It's almost funny reading this back-to-back with Atomic Habits. Both are gentle in their own way, but the approaches and motives are vastly different. I liked how this book made me question the parts of my life where I feel I could do better—not just in terms of keeping house—and evaluating where that pressure is coming from. If anything, I think this book helped me realize I need to be nicer to myself. If something in my life is functioning well enough, there's no moral imperative to keep improving it. Anything that warrants improvement should be driven by necessity and function, and not by any other unrelated form of merit.

Roswell Johnson Saves the World! by Chris Colfer

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Predictable yet still funny and entertaining. Without the fairy tale charm, it's not quite as good as The Land of Stories but still has Colfer's signature humor and heart. I'm curious as to where the next installment will take the story.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I don't know if I should send Fredrik Backman the therapy bill or if I ought to thank him for the free therapy. In terms of craft I do think this is a little bit of a step down from the first book, with the writing more unnecessarily repetitive, lacking creativity, and unevenly paced. I also didn't particularly care for Richard Theo's plotline. But by Jove does this sequel hit so much harder emotionally. There were definitely times when the plot felt a little manipulative, but the end result is still heartfelt and strong. Believe what fans have been saying all this time: Fredrik Backman's books are a masterclass in empathy and nowhere is that more evident than in the Beartown trilogy. He displays such an affinity for humanity and an intimate desire to understand the best and the worst that individuals—and the towns they make up—have to offer. This is destined to be one of my favorite trilogies ever.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

While the individual tips Clear provides here are nothing particularly new or remarkable, it is his approach to goals, productivity, and self-improvement that makes this book stand out among most self-help books. He really dives into the core of how habits are built and broken which is basically based on who we are and who we decide to be. Simple, thoughtful, and grounded.