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the_midnight_librarian's reviews
302 reviews
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
2.0
This one definitely disappointed. I liked the concept. But comparing it to You've Got Mail was a stretch for me. There were very minor nods towards the movie but otherwise I don't think they should have been compared as it was one of the most disappointing factors of this book. I found both Bailey and Porter irritable. Bailey in the fact I didn't connect with her, she just seemed flat. Porter I liked at first but the more the story went on the more I got really really annoyed with his accusation and moodiness.
Also, I know this isn't a big deal but it bugs me, Bumble Bees do indeed make honey:
https://www.quora.com/Do-bumble-bees-make-honey
https://www.quora.com/Do-bumble-bees-make-honey
Also, I know this isn't a big deal but it bugs me, Bumble Bees do indeed make honey:
https://www.quora.com/Do-bumble-bees-make-honey
https://www.quora.com/Do-bumble-bees-make-honey
Educated by Tara Westover
5.0
It's difficult for me to put a rating to this, let alone a review. This is someone's life, who am I to put a rating on it? Or tell you what I thought? But here it goes anyway:
Off the bat, this book was difficult, there's domestic violence and manipulation. My heart ached, I got frustrated, I gaped with aw as Tara told her story, her struggle and her perseverance through out her childhood.
I listened to this book on Audible, I felt the narration by Julia Whelan was fantastic, she told the story clear and concise and changed her voice just enough to know when a male spoke verses a female vs Tara herself. However, this book was still hard to listen to, there were times I had to stop and go do something to bring myself out of my head, to bring myself out of a mood I wasn't ok with, because as an outsider listening to her story, it was easy to tell what was abuse, what was manipulation, but to have Tara justify it, to make excuses for it became too much to bear at times. So I did have to stop at times, go calm down and acknowledge that this isn't some fiction, that Tara recognizes it NOW and has done something about it, and that we all would react differently if we were in the same position.
But the book is so much more than that, it has so much more depth in how she over comes not only the domestic violence but the beliefs instilled in her since she was a child, that the education system was "bad" and a tool used by the government. She overcame her insecurities and her mental struggle to choose her family or her education.
By far my favorite book so far in 2018.
Off the bat, this book was difficult, there's domestic violence and manipulation. My heart ached, I got frustrated, I gaped with aw as Tara told her story, her struggle and her perseverance through out her childhood.
I listened to this book on Audible, I felt the narration by Julia Whelan was fantastic, she told the story clear and concise and changed her voice just enough to know when a male spoke verses a female vs Tara herself. However, this book was still hard to listen to, there were times I had to stop and go do something to bring myself out of my head, to bring myself out of a mood I wasn't ok with, because as an outsider listening to her story, it was easy to tell what was abuse, what was manipulation, but to have Tara justify it, to make excuses for it became too much to bear at times. So I did have to stop at times, go calm down and acknowledge that this isn't some fiction, that Tara recognizes it NOW and has done something about it, and that we all would react differently if we were in the same position.
But the book is so much more than that, it has so much more depth in how she over comes not only the domestic violence but the beliefs instilled in her since she was a child, that the education system was "bad" and a tool used by the government. She overcame her insecurities and her mental struggle to choose her family or her education.
By far my favorite book so far in 2018.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
4.0
4.5 out of 5 stars. It was hard for me to connect with Leigh right off the bat, but that's me being skeptical of art in books. Over all I really enjoyed it. The heavy topic of Suicide was, I feel, well represented. As was the topic of being mixed blood. However, I felt that the topic of Art as a profession needed to be resolved better between Leigh and her dad Brian. I also wish that the relationship between Leigh and Axel was resolved better. But still loved the tension between the two through out the book.
For more of my thoughts: http://scribbledinks.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-astonishing-color-of-after-review.html
For more of my thoughts: http://scribbledinks.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-astonishing-color-of-after-review.html
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
2.0
This one took a bit for me to read...listen to. It wasn't nearly as coherent and funny as the first and left me unmotivated to finish it.
The Address by Fiona Davis
4.0
I wasn't sure about this going in, in all honesty, but by the end I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took a bit for me to like the characters, but the book got me invested pretty quickly despite the lack of connection. The history of New York (although slightly fabricated) was still interesting as it's never something I've looked into. Quite a fun little historical fiction mystery.
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
2.0
This had a cute concept, but fell flat when it came to execution.
This was just kind of a bland cookie cutter contemporary. The LA/California "rich brats with too much sun" stereotype ran strong. The protagonist was "different" but didn't have much of a personality to connect with, I felt myself skimming a lot of her inner monologues particularly as she was having conversations because they were repetitive and self deprecating. The girl/girl hate was strong, the girl/girl friendships weren't as great as they could have been. It just felt like a mish-mash of a variety of contemporaries put into one.
Despite the "bad boy crush" trope I enjoyed Ethan, and wished there was a bit more of Theo, as he had some personality.
I feel like grief and change would have been good themes here, and despite that they were touched up on in this book, could have been brought to light a bit more.
Overall cute-ish but not great.
This was just kind of a bland cookie cutter contemporary. The LA/California "rich brats with too much sun" stereotype ran strong. The protagonist was "different" but didn't have much of a personality to connect with, I felt myself skimming a lot of her inner monologues particularly as she was having conversations because they were repetitive and self deprecating. The girl/girl hate was strong, the girl/girl friendships weren't as great as they could have been. It just felt like a mish-mash of a variety of contemporaries put into one.
Despite the "bad boy crush" trope I enjoyed Ethan, and wished there was a bit more of Theo, as he had some personality.
I feel like grief and change would have been good themes here, and despite that they were touched up on in this book, could have been brought to light a bit more.
Overall cute-ish but not great.
Everything Is Teeth by Evie Wyld
4.0
I didn't go into this knowing it was a graphic memoir. I bought it for the art work and my affinity with sharks.
The art work was unique and interesting combining simple renditions of environment and people with realistic representations of sharks, which made for an interesting and thought provoking element to this book.
The story itself, I wanted more context, why did her uncle kill sharks? how did this way of thinking lend itself as she grew up? That last bit of the memoir was rather rushed , but everything before hand I absolutely loved.
The art work was unique and interesting combining simple renditions of environment and people with realistic representations of sharks, which made for an interesting and thought provoking element to this book.
The story itself, I wanted more context, why did her uncle kill sharks? how did this way of thinking lend itself as she grew up? That last bit of the memoir was rather rushed , but everything before hand I absolutely loved.