villagrandres's reviews
34 reviews

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara

emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

I think that this book is a gold mine for referencing leadership material. The advice is in line with everything I believe and builds upon it all. Unreasonable hospitality is indeed something I see myself implementing in my day to day life. That all being said, there's something about this book keeping it from 5 stars to me. Maybe I'm not a fan of the writing, the pacing, I can't say for sure. I did think the story fit the advice amazingly well. But at the end of the day, the advice is what has spoken to my heart and not the story itself.

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels by Paul Pringle

dark emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Absolutely loved the writing style and nature of this story, I think I need to read more Pulitzer prize stories. An important expose that doesn't leave you with a happy ending and the main criminals indeed dodge justice, but there is still hope to keep trying for better. Kept me engaged and invested. Also, Duvoisin works for SA Express News?? Is he silencing any of our stories???

The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An amazing follow up to the first book. Engaging, clever, and full of plot twists. I only dock 0.5 points because I personally do not enjoy slow reads and longer books. However, the slow start, mountain of details and overall set up was indeed necessary for the wonderful pay offs in the back half of the book. I could see this being 5 stars for me on a different day.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

challenging dark informative reflective slow-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? Yes

5.0

An enthralling read that knows how to hook you and keep you there. Definitely a slow start, and even beyond the point where things pick up it still has its moments to breathe, but with a grand scale sci fi epic like this I feel that it's necessary. Didn't love all of the characters and did get lost in the science at times, but I still couldn't find myself putting it down. Any fan of science fiction must read this.

How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

As someone who grew up watching VSauce on YouTube, this books delivers the exact kind of humorous and interesting think pieces I grew up on. An incredibly fun read that stays grounded and valuable with its physics and science calculations, while also spiraling into crazy solutions that left me in stitches. Very fun read!

Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A great sequel story, one that I enjoyed more so than the previous one! I feel that this story really nailed the emotional beats and balanced it well with humor. Truly, any book that makes me cry and laugh out loud is a strong contender for five stars in my eyes. 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

An amazing sequel to the original story! Love seeing the characters again and the introduction of new characters. I did feel that the “tumblr humor” was a little heavier in this book than the first one, but overall it’s still a book that made me cry and smile and fall in love with. Amazing read!

The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

An important wake up call for our generation. Love the way the book is formatted for Gen z, parents, and teachers. Also enjoy how all advice is contextualized by the author’s admission that adopting these practices will be challenging and nobody is expected to be perfect (especially since he himself was not).

Come Closer by Sara Gran

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A great quick read that left me terrified. You get a great sense of how helpless and gradual a possession can occur.

The reason for the lower rating is the prevalence of cheating. Whatever, call me prude, but I really cannot stomach cheating plot points. And with demons, specifically this one, it’s a prevalent and reoccurring plot point. I understand that it is *semi* unwanted, and fully unwanted cheating towards the end of the possession. But I don’t know. For me personally, I can’t stomach it and I hated it.

How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy by Stephen Richard Witt

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

5.0

Very well written and composed book!! Jumping back and forth between stories keep me invested, and the subject matter was fascinating. A wonderful journalistic piece on a subject I am so fond of.