wanderinghill's reviews
24 reviews

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

A very cute, very funny book about pigeons. It was really cool to learn so much about these creatures we are almost constantly surrounded by, and I must admit that I was tempted by the end to investigate pigeon adoption opportunities. I could have used a bit more history and a bit less descriptors of various breeds, as my eyes did glaze over in some parts. 

Monkey King: Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-En

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

This abridgment of the classic Chinese novel was a lot of fun, though mostly just fluff and fairly repetitive scenes. I liked the characters a lot, and found the interactions between Monkey, Pigsy, and Tripitaka especially humorous. Sandy didn’t feature as much as I would’ve liked and didn’t really have much of a personality. The story itself was basically a grouping of parables, so there was a lot of repetition in the themes and lessons, and not much unexpected plot points. The interesting thing was seeing how the pilgrims would get out of whatever problem they found themselves in, and even that wore thin over time. A funny, unique, and historically important piece of literature, but one that doesn’t have a lot of entertainment value aside from that.

Bach in the Barn by Leigh Ellis

emotional inspiring reflective fast-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

3.5

A really great book about grieving and growth written by a young author, my primary criticism is that the eponymous Bach falls by the wayside in the latter half of the book. I can’t wait to see what Leigh Ellis can do in the future!

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath, Dan Heath

informative medium-paced

4.0

This is a really great book that I will absolutely be revisiting in the future. A lot of great advice and ideas, both for personal change and change in the workplace. Very inspiring and very challenging, a great read for anyone looking to make a change.

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This was a lot of fun! An interesting world, filled with fights for survival and a pretty good romance. I didn’t love the ending, as I don’t really understand a certain character’s feelings since things turned out the only way they could. I’m definitely interested in reading more in this series!

Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy

informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

I really liked the structure of this book, tracing Asian American histories backwards through time allowed for a more immediately engaging read. I did feel that there was a lot of fact listing here, and not so much story telling, so at times it did feel more like a textbook. That said, I do think that is kind of the author’s goal since the whole point of the book is that these facts have been erased and forgotten. I think getting alternate views of history can only ever be a good thing, and that is what we get here.

The German House by Annette Hess

challenging informative reflective 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

3.5

A complicated book about a complicated topic, I mostly enjoyed my time with The German House. I thought Eva’s reckoning with her personal past and her country’s past was handled well, but I thought David was underserved and there was a lot fatphobia and body shaming. I really enjoyed the familial relationships as well as Eva being in charge of her own destiny throughout, even when she wasn’t making the best choices. 

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

What a delightfully weird and horrible book, filled with grotesque visuals and harrowing scenes of torture and horror, this short novel also holds surprisingly deep characters. The motivations of our main participants (except maybe Rory) are complex and realistic and I really enjoyed this macabre tale.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

2.0

I was pretty underwhelmed by this one. I thought the story was trying to be too clever for its own good, the protagonist was skilled in ways that didn’t make sense based on his background, and the overall vibe of the novel was stuck between spy thriller and cute whimsy. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and it all moved much too fast. Some of the set pieces were interesting, but overall this was a dud for me.

How to Order the Universe by María José Ferrada

reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

A beautiful coming-of-age story, about a girl gaining an understanding of the world through the context of her father’s traveling salesman job. While it is a short read, it was really powerful and left an ache for relationships grown and lost.